Primordial Conflict

by Jumping Jack

Chapter 13: Call of the Wild West

Chapter 13: Call of the Wild West

The last two days haven’t been entirely uneventful, save for several little detours and mishaps. On day one, we managed to stop after several more miles from the rest stop we were at and set up camp off the side of the road and a little further into the wooded areas. Scribble did some scouting and found that only deer and small woodland critters have been through the area. Leave it to the scholar/monster hunting pony. Me and Flitter gathered firewood while Cloudchaser and Thi set up the remaining stuff. Scribble was going to be cooking for us. I got to know Flitter a little more. We seemed to have talked for ages, gathering up firewood as we did so. I found out she was recognized by several prodigy archers who trained since foalhood that her skills were that of the great Robin Woodchipper. An old pony's tale about a woodland lumberjack who had cut down multiple trees with one arrow and helped made a lot of the construction company's bits in material. He would then later gather up his jolly ponies and raid the very same companies they sold the trees to build shelters for the homeless. They already made enough money to feed themselves and the homeless. It was shelter that mattered. I found the story to be interesting and completely different than the usual old pony's tales I heard about. Flitter even gave me a small demonstration of her skills.

She asked me to pluck some pinecones from the ground and toss them up. She adjusted her stance, showing amazing balance on her hind legs which I thought I was good at. Goes to show that I'm not the only one who can balance themselves. Though, unlike her, I could travel on two legs if I wanted too. It hurts, but I can get to the ice cream parlor and get home to and back while catching plenty of gawking ponies to stare at me. I felt a little embarrassed at the thought now because dumb me thought it would impress the mares. Of course, it'd scare them away. Ponyville ponies are adorably skittish. I levitated three pinecones in the air and spun them around my head. She fashioned some wooden stake arrows out of some of the fallen branches and took aim. Well, this'll be interesting. No feathers to help with trajectory. I smiled and then tossed one up. I blinked once and the pinecone was gone. Only a loud hiss and thunk behind me was all I could register. I blinked again in dumbfoundedness before looking back. I gaped as I saw that the pinecone was impaled to a tree with the makeshift stick arrow wedged firmly into the tree. I whistled and turned back to her with an impressed smile.

"Not bad." I said. Flitter smiled and flicked her mane aside with a hoof. I then smirked and spun the two remaining pinecones around me. Flitter caught my smirk and quickly readied herself. Knocking an arrow, I then tossed up both pinecones in the air. I have never seen a pony so agile. Flitter flapped her wings once and kicked off the ground, bouncing off the tree and released her arrow while in the middle of a flip. Both pinecones were impaled into the trunk of the tree. I gapped and stared in awe. Flitter landed nimbly on her hooves and brushed herself off, giving a pleased look. I now felt better about myself. Flitter was definitely a good pick to bring along. What a lucky choice in judgement. Definitely not because I thought she would be just the voice of reason for her sister, who I'm honestly looking forward to seeing on the way back. My heart was feeling funny at the thought. Flitter waved her hoof in front of me.

"You okay?" she asked with an arch of her brow. I snapped out of my stupor and gave a smile, gathering up the firewood as quickly as I could.

"Yup! All good! Definitely wasn't thinking... about... somepon- other things! Yup, just totally normal things! You get those too, right?" I asked as I danced around her awkwardly. Flitter cocked her head and scratched her mane quizzically.

"I... guess so?" she replied. She holstered her bow and picked up her own stack of firewood before following me back to the camp. We tossed them down into the circle of stones. Scribble took out one of his fire runes and crushed it gently in his hooves. He then blew into his clasped hooves and a small throw of flame burst out, catching the dried leaves and sticks on fire. When that happened, I felt a sudden peak of interest and found the fire fascinating. The feeling went away when he placed a small cooking pot over the fire and began to get to work on cooking hot potato soup. I shook away my daze and furrowed my brows worriedly. Cloudchaser took a seat next to Flitter while Thi sat next to me. We chatted a bit more (I had pulled out a couple of gwynette ales from my own personal stash to loosen up a bit) and I explained to Thi that Flitter was quite the sharpshooter. Thi smirked and pat her jacket. Flitter arched a brow.

"Sharpshooter, eh? Wanna' go a round of target practice?" she asked. Flitter pat her chest pridefully.

"Only if you feel like giving up your second helping of soup." she challenged. Thi grinned and stood up. I watched with concern while I took a swig of my ale as the two moved away from the camp. I noticed one of my bottles was floating away and I balked.

"Wha? Hey! I'm going to drink that!" I protested. Thi withdrew her firearm and smacked the bottle cap skillfully off of the ale. She took a long and deep chug of the drink. My jaw dropped along with everypony's amazement. When she drained the bottle, she pulled away with a satisfied pant and belch before levitating the bottle placing it quite a ways down on a fallen tree. Thi kissed the side barrel of the gun, not facing in the direction of the target. She twirled the gun and aimed without taking a stance. A loud crack and a thin, bright blue bolt shot out and shattered the bottle. I gapped. That was at least 30 meters away without taking into the account the wind and even properly aiming. She twirled the gun again and blew on the smoking barrel. She then gave a slight bow and flourish of her hoof.

"After you." she said with a smirk. Flitter shook her head to snap out of her amazement before humming. She quickly fashioned an arrow from a stick. Thi watched with interest as the pegasus took her stance, knocking an arrow and looked to her hooves. The bottle cap from the ale shone from the fire's light. She smirked and with a deft swipe of her hindleg, kicked the bottle cap into the air and with quick release, there was loud whizzing sound as the arrow impaled into the fallen tree, knocking off the broken bottle. Thi cocked her head slightly before trotting over to the arrow. We watched as she tried to unwedge the arrow, but it appeared to be stuck in there. She then balked and turned back to Flitter, grinning from ear to ear. "Hot damn, girl. I think I found another drinking buddy." Flitter blushed but shook her head.

"S-sorry. I don't drink alcohol. B-but I don't mind softer variants of it." she said. We heard Cloudchaser whoop and cheer for Flitter. I smiled as Thi walked back with the arrow in tow after taking a bit to unwedge it. I saw the bottle cap glinting halfway down the shaft of the arrow. Flitter had an amazing hobby. Thi stuck the arrow by the fire and nudged me playfully.

"I can safely say, you had one option correct." she then looked over to Cloudchaser, who was congratulating her sister enthusiastically. Thi gave me a serious look. "You know this isn't a game, right? Your very life is at stake and the whole world depends on you and six others. We can't be bringing in ponies who shouldn't be involved." I looked at her quizzically before realizing what she was getting at. I flushed bright red and waved a hoof.

"I-It wasn't just for that reason..." I stated. Thi gave me a I-don't-buy-it look. I sighed and made a quick glance over to Cloudchaser. They were pretty preoccupied with Scribble as they had asked him what he wrote down in his journal. I spun around on my log seat and Thi followed suite. "Okay, okay. I... may have had a selfish desire mixed in with it. But I promise I wasn't going to let anything bad happen to them." Thi sighed frustratedly.

"Fie, a lot of ponies are counting on us. And that's only a few we know. Everycreature else has no clue. And what's worse is that Starswirl doesn't mind killing you if he feels our method isn't up to standards. A legend made that an idea. We have to get your element under control. You know I'm only addressing this because I don't want to see any more heartache from you." she said sternly. I sighed and bowed my head. I kicked the ground with my hind hoof and nodded pathetically.

"I know... it's just... she makes me feel funny and I... wasn't thinking properly. She and Flitter did help me when I stormed off from the castle. And they didn't have to stick around and listen. But they did. It wasn't just a selfish reason of a personal desire. I felt that having those two would... help me build up my courage more." I looked at Thi. "My element is based on my courageous desire to protect my friends and the creatures of these lands. Which, in hindsight, is pretty conflicting due to the sentient being behind it being evil. But that's beside the point." Thi arched a brow.

"I hope your point isn't using them as an excuse to put them in danger so you can better control your power." she said bluntly. I balked.

"N-no! That isn't... that's not... Thi, I swear, I wasn't intending to put them in danger!" I glanced over my shoulder as I saw them looking towards me from raising my voice. I gave a nervous laugh and waved to them. "J-just going over some bugs and making sure they are safe!" I said with a feigned smile. The three exchanged glances. I turned back to Thi and whispered now. "Thi, I know I am making a huge gamble on bringing them along, but Flitter and Rainbow Dash has vouched for Cloudchaser. You seem okay with Flitter. And despite you being annoyed with Scribble, you don't seem to mind him being with us." I said. Thi shrugged.

"Scribble can hold his own and he did. Remember the Triad attack with the princesses? I know he was the one that did that. You told the princesses to keep their barriers up and you are terrible with arcane. It only made sense that egg head would have something to back up his... err..." she scratched her mane. "I'm not sure what to call that kind of attitude. But after that, I knew he was okay to be a choice." I sighed and groaned.

"Urgh... I'm sorry, Thi... When you put it like that, yeah, I made a grave error in my judgement. But... let's give her a chance to prove herself." I said. Thi sighed and rubbed her muzzle.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing too. When the opportunity rears its' ugly head, I won't hold back. Neither should you. And I expect the others to do the same." she said sternly. She then turned around and stood up from the log, stretching. "Welp! I'm going to catch some Zs." Scribble pointed at a hot bowl of soup.

"You sure you don't want to eat your soup first?" he asked. Thi looked between him and the bowl. She then scrunched her muzzle and levitated it over to her as she crawled into our tent. I sighed and threw my hood over my head. I was pathetic. I felt awful. Thi had every right to call me out on it. I'm such an idiot. I shut my eyes tight and groaned. I then heard somepony walking over to me and place a bowl next to me. I peeked out from under my hood and saw a hot bowl of soup. I looked up to see Cloudchaser smiling at me.

"Stomach hurting from lack of food?" she asked. "I'm sure the bugs will be okay without your supervision." I gave another embarrassed groan and buried my face into my knees. Oh, goddesses, why do I do this to myself? Sleep that night wasn't the best. On day two, after packing up and heading out, Thi suggested I pull the wagon to give Scribble a bit of a break, despite Scribble not seeming to mind pulling the wagon. I sighed and bowed my head as the wagon trudged along while Thi trotted ahead of me. Flitter and Cloudchaser were casually floating over the wagon, conversing with Scribble.

"So, you use these little stone things that you crush in your hooves and just release the magic in them?" Cloudchaser asked. Scribble shifted and I guess he nodded.

"I made them myself. Quite easy, actually. I have little papers that have small etchings of the runes on them. I take a bit of magic powder and sprinkle it on the rocks. The shape of the rune awakens the magic and all I have to do is crush it." he said. Flitter spoke.

"So, are you just throwing out the powder then?" she asked. Again, Scribble shifted.

"More or less. The powder washes over my hooves and forelegs and I just flick it off of me. Whatever magic rune that I use, the powder takes that form of magic." he explained. Cloudchaser whistled.

"Impressive. Do they work if somepony else tries it?" she asked. I too was curious about this, and I looked over my shoulder to see Scribble toss a rock up to her. She caught it after juggling it a bit. She blinked. Scribble pointed out into the valley.

"Crush it in your hooves and you'll see the magic wash over you. You then just pretend that you are letting go of a hoof full of dirt." he said. Cloudchaser looked at the rock curiously. She then crushed it in between her hooves and they began to glow with a bright blue aura. She examined her hooves and laughed.

"Cool!" she said in pure amazement. Flitter was also showing the same impression as her sister. Cloudchaser grinned and did a pitching motion. A blob-ish orb hurled out into the field and then splashed into the snow. Water? Cloudchaser did a small flourish of her hoof, pretending to be a kung fu pony before tossing out her hoof and spray of water shot out quite a good amount of distance into the valley. I was amazed as well. This pony maybe weird, but Scribble knew his stuff. That made it feel even worse when I saw the pure joy on Cloudchaser's face. I sighed and focused back on the road. Thi was casually twirling her bat in her magic as she scanned the valley ahead of us. She clearly wanted me to learn a bit of humility in my judgement. But... this did give me something to think about. How can I prove to Thi and to Cloudchaser myself that she is just as capable as everypony else here? It'll take more than gusto and dumb bravery. I thought about it a little more and beamed as I came to the conclusion. Namaste did say that a sparring partner was the best choice to make or break yourself. And no, I will not follow what my mom did to me. I need to gauge how much Cloudchaser knew of Karate. I'll be her 'dummy' and will just counter and defend against her. Take a bit easy to see if she'll put as much effort into it. We'll go from there after. We made quite a bit of ways down the valley trail, making another turn at a fork in the road. It wasn't as common to see stranded or abandoned wagons and caravans. But in the past hours we were walking, we couldn't help but notice an increasing amount of them.

We had to move some abandoned wagons from the road that looked like a recent travel troupe passing by. Everypony was thinking the same thing I was as we moved them aside. Where was everypony? It looked so recent. Like, not even thirty minutes recent. Where did they go? Thi was on high alert. Flitter and Cloudchaser scanned the air from a bird's eye view while Scribble kept a look out on the ground level. There wasn't a single trace of any struggle. We had also expected the blockade to be a trap set up by thieves. Believe it or not, ponies are just as dangerous as creatures from the Everfree. The brigands out in the valley don't have the same moral obligations you'd find in Ponyville or any of the other traveled roads. But if that was the case, why was all the stuff still there? Surely, they would have made it off with a big haul. There were no hoofprints aside from the ones we were passing from the road onward. It's like they just vanished into thin air. Something was not setting right with me. I poked the back of my mind to see if Din would react to anything here, but all was quiet in the noggin'. And for good measure, Scribble checked his ethereal reader crystal. It was a normal, glowing hum and clear rune. We made it through the wooded area without so much hassle after that. But we kept our guards up just in case.

When we made it several more miles down the road, we decided to stop and rest a bit. I took a swig of my water canister and flicked the snow off of my hoodie. I sighed and looked boredly to the valley on the side of the wagon. Thi and Scribble decided to scout around to see if there were any signs of... well... anything that isn't just valley creatures or scenery. Flitter was messing with her bow in the wagon while Cloudchaser was up in the air, doing some maneuvers. She said she needed to keep herself tempered so she could be ready on the fly. After five minutes have passed, she finally came down and stretched her wings.

"Well, nothing eventful going on right now. I could really go for some snacks." she said. I hummed in thought, looking around. This is a good place as any. I pushed myself off of the wagon and walked over to her, who was accepting one of the muffins Derpy made for us. She was about to take a bite when she saw me. "Hey, Fie? Doing alright?" she asked. I felt my heartbeat rapidly and adjusted my hood to hide my blushing face.

"Uhh... well... Cloudchaser, there is something I've been meaning to do and ask of you while we are out here." I said. Oh, goddesses, why does it sound like I'm about to confess to her!? No, Fie. Focus. You have to do this. You have to prove to Thi that these ponies can handle themselves. Face the day. I took a moment to gather myself before putting on a stoic face. I then looked to Cloudchaser, clearing my throat. "Cloudchaser, I know it is sudden, but would you care to spar with me?" I said, as calmly and not so panicky. Which was great that she wasn't able to hear my screaming on the inside. Cloudchaser cocked her head and looked to Flitter. Flitter gave a smile and nodded.

"Come on, CC. You need to show off your skills. Show them you're a three-time world champion." she smirked. Cloudchaser furrowed her brows and looked at me.

"Are you sure? I'm not going to go easy on you." she said. That took me off guard. I narrowed my eyes and motioned to the side. Cloudchaser watched me as I walked over to a small opening near the wagon. I waited for her to stretch and walk over to me. I need to do this. You have too, Fie. For the sake of Equestria and the sake of your own humility. Prove to everypony this isn't just a selfish request. I saw Cloudchaser study me. She has seen me fight before. She has a good idea of who she is going up against. Cloudchaser rolled her neck a bit before taking a stance. It wasn't as complicated of my zebra arts. Usually, ponies who know karate take a low stance with their hooves spread out. One hind leg up and the foreleg across from the raised leg is up as well. I noticed she didn't shake or wobble taking the stance. Good. Footing is perfect and it seems her balance is perfect as well. I turned to her and kept my stoic look.

"I'm not going to lay a single strike on you. If you can get a single strike on me, then we will call it there. Are you ready?" I asked. Cloudchaser smirked.

"I never slacked off on leg day." she said. That got me to throw off my thinking into something suggestive, but I quickly stifled the thought and focused. I didn't stand up though. Standing up is facing my opponent offensively. I need to be defensive. I took a deep breath and motioned with a hoof for her to come at me. Cloudchaser was quick. I wasn't expecting her to gain so much distance between me and her. Thankfully, I saw the look give away her feint. I didn't move until she brought her other hoof out, which I quickly ducked and side stepped her. She blinked in confusion and looked at me. "Whoa... you read me?" she asked. I smirked and motioned for her to bring it. Cloudchaser then resorted to a quick maneuver. Which was something I was quickly impressed with. She flapped her wings and she slid over to me. I had to back away, but she didn't strike until she reversed her hind leg into a kick, which I ducked again. She was quick to follow up with throwing down the same hindleg she shot out, but I swiftly side stepped it. Cloudchaser didn't hesitate. Good. This is very good. She flapped her wings again, trying to throw me off with her movements. This is fantastic! I ducked and bobbed in place as she chambered her kicks and punches at me.

I was amazed with myself as well. There were a few times where I got lucky. I even made one mistake that may have costed me the match. But Cloudchaser must have had a different idea, for she shot out a quick jab that I immediately caught and using her momentum, I flipped her over me and she went tumbling into the snow. I turned to her and saw her pull herself out of the snow. I heard Flitter cheering her on.

"Come on, sis! You nearly had her!" she said. I couldn't help but smile. Cloudchaser then flapped her wing and had her back turned towards me. She then backflipped, as if expecting me to grab her. I decided to get a bit playful. I imagined myself splitting into two as she was flying backwards towards me. When she landed behind me and threw out a hoof, my copy sprung out from me and caught it. Cloudchaser was totally caught off guard and my copy threw herself behind her, wrapping her forelegs and locking them around Cloudchaser. She then picked up Cloudchaser and suplexed her into the snow. My copy kip upped from the ground as Cloudchaser's lower body finally met the ground. I turned to face her as my copy walked over to me and stood next to me, having the same pleased smile as I did. Cloudchaser flailed a bit before sitting up and rubbing her head.

"Ow... What even... whoa..." she stared at me in awe. "You can... you can do that? On a whim?" she asked. My copy gave a playful nod and I giggled.

"A neat little trick I picked up in a... certain environment a few years back. Took a long while to get it down, but yeah, I can conjure a full-blown copy of myself on the fly." I explained. I pointed to her. "Though, she can't speak. I haven't been able to use a voice manipulation spell at the same time without suffering major burn out." I sighed. "A shame really. I can be in two places at once if I could. I can only keep it active for five minutes though. After that, I need a bit to recover." I then furrowed my brows. Odd... I usually start to sweat right about now. But I hardly broken any. Just for safe measure, I dispelled my copy and didn't feel a loss of energy. I gave a quizzical look as Cloudchaser stood up and brushed herself off. She was smiling.

"I have to hoof it to you, Fie. I had a feeling it'd take some time to catch up to you." she said. "The way you fought yourself was quite a sight. And on top of that, you bested yourself. Shows you really are the top dog in the ring, even against yourself." I felt my face turn bright red and I must have been steaming from the compliment. I shyly kicked at the ground. I heard a hoof clap from the distance. I looked over and saw Thi and Scribble have returned from their scouting. I felt my hopes rise. Thi had to have seen our sparring match. Or at least... part of it. She leaned against the wagon coolly.

"Nice fight, you two. I have to say Cloudchaser, those were some pretty epic moves you pulled on Fie. Is that how pegasi fight in karate tournaments?" she asked. Cloudchaser flushed and rubbed the back of her head.

"N-not legally. Our wings are tied down and unicorns have a magic dispelling horn guard. But the masters never said they couldn't teach us the full might of our skills. They only prevent that in tournaments as it is tradition and honorable." she explained. Scribble was scratching something down in his journal with unamused interest.

"Yes, well with that little matter out of the way, I can continue to pull the wagon for the rest of the way through." he said. I narrowed my eyes at Thi, who avoided any eye contact with me, whistling innocently. Something tells me she explained to Scribble about my poor judgement call. But, I gave her a pleased look and she caught it. She sighed and gave an approved shrug. I beamed, but quickly hid it as Cloudchaser walked by, stretching.

"Well, that woke me up. Thanks for the sparring run, Fie. Been a while since I loosened myself up." she said. I felt myself burning hot. Don't think naughty thoughts! Don't think naughty thoughts! I felt my ears steaming as Cloudchaser walked past. My eyes watching and studying the way she walked. I screamed internally once again. We were back on the road with no time to waste. I hung back from the wagon just a bit, lost in my thoughts. Thi trotted over to me and bumped my flank with her's.

"I'll admit it. You proved me wrong." she said. I looked at her, snapping out of my thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, right. I uhh... I just figured since you know..." I began. I wasn't sure how I should explain it. But Thi smirked and wrapped a hoof around my neck.

"Don't sweat it so much. You know I'm only trying to look out for you and the rest. Can't have weight slowing us down. Cloudchaser definitely has skill. Though, compared to your own special skills, I'd say she is a bit more comfortable in it. Standing up like you do just seems... uncomfortable." she winced at the thought. I smiled softly.

"With a little body conditioning and practice, you'll get used to it. I can clear thirty yards max until I need to relax my stance." I said. Thi grinned.

"So, it's better for you to just be close up with that stance? I get ya'." she said. I shook my head.

"Yes and no. Namaste said that using that stance means facing the opponent offensively. Not going into the stance right away and facing with a relaxed stance is defensive. I wanted to gauge how much Cloudchaser can do. I have to admit. She nearly got me a few times. I think I strained a neck muscle from having to toss myself away from a strike." I rubbed my neck, at the same time, rolling it. "I'm... happy that she managed to prove herself." Thi gave a sigh but smiled.

"In the words of a cranky old pony. 'Saying you do so is completely different than actually doing so'." I rolled my eyes. Starswirl still left a bad taste in my mouth. I can only imagine how much he wished he could have contained Din. Thi nodded. "I feel ya', Fie. Starswirl isn't my favorite pony right now either. To think, we at CSGU read about all his exploits and heroism, only to find out he's a stubborn old fool who had poor judgement ideas." she flourished her hoof in a gesticulate manner. "All that power and magic, yet he has no care for his own actions affecting everypony around him." I nodded in agreement. Starswirl is also Twilight's idol. Must have been a roller coaster of emotions once she managed to work alongside him. I felt bad for her. At least she's going along with Celestia's plan. But... what if this whole plan fails? Would they have no choice but to go with Starswirl's idea? The thought of it shook me a little. Thi caught my unpleasant shiver and she pat my shoulder. "No worries, Fie. I know you can handle yourself, but the princesses did knight me to protect the seven. And it's lucky for you that you are my best friend. So, it's only natural I got your back."

The rest of the day proceeded uneventfully. We managed to set up camp in an area where it was commonly used for traveling caravans. There were at least four other wagons. We gathered by our own fire and ate some vegetable soup and rice. We couldn't help but overhear some of the caravanners talk about how they were nearly attacked by these ink-like creatures. I could imagine Tenebres was terrorizing the roads. But then the air one as well... Ventus I believe Din had mentioned could also be terrorizing as well. One of them talked about the Dreaded Malworf in the area running rampant and how it has been attacking supply trade wagons. It was a relief to hear that it had no interest in pony flesh. But, it was still dangerous for a pony to engage. Thick hide for protection, massive buck teeth and nasty digging claws. We listened quietly to the ponies talk back and forth about their experiences on the road. This felt all so surreal. Equestria was beginning to no longer sound safe. Which made me fully believe that I cannot turn away from any of this. I have to face the day. I have to find the other six and restore balance. As much I hate to admit it, I can't dodge this responsibility, even if I wanted too. I wonder what my family would think of me right now? My mom has already saw me in action and I am still unsure of my siblings and father.

Another thought popped in. How were my old friends doing? It's been a long while since I thought about them. I hope they are doing well enough. I furrowed my brows. Welp, I convinced myself. At somepoint, we'd have to stop by Hoofington just for me to check up on them. Boy, what an interesting day that'll be for my friends. We went to bed early, wanting to gain as much distance towards Appleloosa. The snow was beginning to be less and less as dirt and sand began to poke out. After packing up and heading out, we arrive to present day. We were just passing over the ecotone border of the snow and into Appleloosa borders. A rustic billboard displaying:

Welcome to Aaaaaappleloosa! Enjoy your visit!

There was a picture of a family smiling off into the valley. The cold air began to lessen into a cool breeze now. Thi kicked back in the wagon, napping just a bit as she didn't get much sleep the night before. We walked several more miles before crossing through a small canyon. There were still grey clouds, but the sun beams shone through spectacularly this time around. Cloudchaser and Flitter decided to get some flying practice in and took off into the sky. I trotted next to Scribble, who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. I trotted over to him and tapped his shoulder softly. His eyes looked at me without him moving his head in the slightest.

“You alright, Scribble?” I asked. Scribble nodded.

“Perfectly in good health. Why the concern?” He asked. I shrugged.

“No reason. S’just you seemed a little… contemplative.” I replied. Scribble looked back ahead before responding.

“Just taking it all in.” He said simply. It was my turn to cast him a sideways glance.

“You’re only piquing my curiosity more.” I stated bluntly. Scribble shrugged.

“I don’t kiss and tell on most things. This is mutually professional work.” He said matter-of-factly. I furrowed my brows. I then hummed and looked over my shoulder to see Thi sleeping soundly in the wagon. I smirked.

“You know, Thi Billette told me she know a proper kissing technique that’ll make anypony quiver in the knees.” I said with a coy smile. Revenge is going to be sweet. Silver didn’t bat an eye as he spoke.

“I’m in no way, shape or form, going to allow myself to fall victim to a succubus.” He said. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. I arched a brow.

“Uhhh… I wasn’t thinking that far ahead.” I stated. Scribble nodded.

“Good, we’ll keep it that way and drop the entire conversation directly.” He said. That’s odd. Was that hate in his eyes? Yikes, I probably need to a better way to get back at Thi. The succubus comment was completely out of left field. I only wanted to see how he reacts to a possible interest in a mare. But what if…

“Just to bring it up since we are here then, what about a stallion?” I asked, hoping my expression of curiosity didn’t sound too upfront. Scribble shook his head.

“Incubuses are even worst.” He said. I slumped.

“Wha?” I stated finally. He sighed.

“Let’s just say, there are things I’m okay with doing. And things I’d rather not talk about. If you can respect my boundaries, then we’ll be better off without the… inconveniences.” He stated. I scratched my head. This is a strange choice of wording with that reaction. How can you read what attitude this pony has? He then cast a sideways glance at me. “Fine. If it’ll get you to not be so curious, straight ahead like our destination.” He said, stopping. I blinked and followed his gaze. The sun was starting to lower below the clouds, but the rays kept shining through.

We could see not too far off in the distance the railroad that passes the main stop in Appleloosa. The western like town expanded before us. Cloudchaser and Flitter descended from the clouds and landed next to us.

“Cool…” Flitter said in awe. Cloudchaser scanned the horizon and smiled.

“Seems we made it just in time. All the busy ponies are about finished up with their work.” She said. I cocked my head and squinted my eyes. Ponies in somewhat western attire were trotting to and fro on the streets. Wagons and caravans leaving on the opposite side of town and branching out in whatever direction they chose. A massive orchard field expanded westward. I’ve only been to Appleloosa once or twice when I had moved to Ponyville. One was business and the other was because a couple of neighbors invited me to see the rodeo.

My eyes then fell to a wagon that seemed to be kicking up a lot of dust. Thi stirred from her slumber and rubbed her eyes, yawning.

“Oh, we’re here.” She said getting up and dusting herself off. She then looked and saw the same wagon we were watching. Her brows furrowed. “Ahh, crap.” There was no mistaking it. The wagon was being attacked by flying creatures. Only this time, they looked like birds than bats. Instead of see through, however, they appeared to be rocks. As if constructed from the environment around them. There were screams coming from the wagon. I grit my teeth and without a second thought, I began galloping down the hill, kicking up my own dust. I gapped as I got halfway to the wagon. They weren’t only being attacked by rock birds, but sand like sludge golem. It gave an agonizing look of horror as it sped behind the wagon. There were two others following it. I saw a blinding blur of Cloudchaser zip by me. She flipped and stuck her leg out, slamming into the birds and sending them sailing out to the pasture.

I upped my pace as I got next to the wagon. I saw a terrified pony family huddling together. The stallion with the bowler mustache saw me and gave a horrified look.

“S-stay back! W-we don’t want no trouble!” He shouted. He yelped when two rock birds began pecking at him as he shielded his wife and filly. I growled and sprang up onto the wagon, batting the birds away with my hooves. They shrieked at me and began clawing and pecking at me. I moved my head to avoid a claw jab from one of them and hooked it with my hoof curl. I nearly felt myself take off when it tried to pull away but threw myself back and flung the bird into the other, causing them to shatter. I hissed as rocks pelted me in the head and body. The wagon hit a massive natural rock and it caused me to tumble as the wagon began careening off the path. I heard the screams of the family as they were tossed from the wagon, and it went spiraling further ahead of us.

I nearly landed on my head but managed to roll with the motion before side rolling to a stop. I panted and looked up to see the family scattered and unconscious. I went to stand up, only to feel myself topple forward. I grunted and used all my might to stand back up again. Shaking away the daze, I grit my teeth as I saw the monsters began to descend on the scattered family. Thankfully, my companions finally caught up to us. Scribble crushed a rock with his hooves and threw both his hooves high, causing a massive blob-ish orb to sail high into the air. Thi aimed with her firearm and shot it, causing it to burst and rain down on us. The golems and rock birds reacted by beginning to slow down. Scribble pulled out another crushed it, cupping his hooves over his muzzle and blowing fire over us. The heart was intense that it quickly dried up the wet sand, freezing the monsters in place. It also seemed to awaken Din’s interest as I heard a soft cackle in the back of my head.

Another one is awake. she whispered in my head. I shook away the voice and looked over to see Flitter gather up the family along with Cloudchaser, moving them away. Thi readied her bat, rolling it over her head as the fire in the eyes got brighter. She then swung and a loud clack sounded. Five green fireballs sailed out and shattered the frozen golems on impact. I coughed as my head was killing me. I noticed one of the rock birds shrieking above us. It then made a different, ear-piercing noise. We had to cover our ears from it. I heard Din cackle.

Such a fool, Gaia. Calling your champion early? Vessel, she plans to kill you. I'd suggest you think of something. I hissed as my head was pounding.

"Gahh! What??" I grunted before looking up and gasping. I saw the shattered rocks of the creatures we fought began to rattle and shudder before rolling over to a rock formation. The rubble began to swirl and conjoin into a massive golem. About the size of a two storied cottage. Thi readied herself along with Scribble.

"They have them here too!?" Thi blurted out more to herself. Cloudchaser was quick on her hooves, zipping out from under as the golem's limb planted into the ground where she was moments ago, carrying the unconscious filly on her back to the wagon. Flitter floated over to the destroyed wagon as well and placed the stallion and mare safely inside a free space. I grit my teeth, seeing the golem stand up fully now and face me. I readied myself as it took one giant step towards me and reared back it's limb. "Fie!" I heard Thi call out. The golem shot its limb out and I deftly hopped to the side. When it crashed down, I instinctively hopped onto the limb and canter up the limb a bit before it shifted and brought the other around. I dove off to the side as it broke its limb that I was on moments ago. I rolled to my hooves and reached behind me. With a pop, the quarter staff infused with my element gem appeared in my hoof. I brought it around and twirled it, standing up on both hindlegs now, then rested it at my side, my other hoof idled across me as I stared down the golem.

"Scribble, see if you can try to freeze it in place. Thi, you and I will distract it. Cloudchaser, Flitter!" I called out. Cloudchaser and Flitter nodded. "I need you two as aerial support! See if you can find anything that is a weakness." I ordered. Cloudchaser and Flitter took off into the air and circled the golem. The golem fixed its limb and faced me, shuddering as it did. I heard an intrigued hum in the back of my mind. Ignoring it, I then rushed froward, taking two bounded leaps as the golem reared up again. I heard a clack and a green fire ball caused the golem's reared back limb to fall and stumble it. Cloudchaser and Flitter swooped in and out, their attention focus on finding a weakness. There is no way my quarter staff would be able make a dent in the golem... could it? I slid to a halt and twirled the staff around my waist before planting the tip of the staff against the rock. To my surprise, it chipped a good chunk out of it and it seemed to step back, as if reacting to pain.

I noticed Flitter stopping and quickly knocking an arrow. A proper one this time and not a fashioned one. She released it into the back and I heard a crack. The golem groaned and tossed its arm around. Flitter dodged it. A lilac blur zipped by her and landed on back of the golem. Cloudchaser grunted as she bucked whatever they struck and caused the golem to fall forward. I yelped and quickly hopped back as the golem crashed in front of me. I then saw a green glow coming from a crack in the golem. Green veins spread out but centered around the head. I took the chance, taking the bottom of the staff and jabbing it a couple of times. The shell broke and I saw a glowing, green gem inside of it. I then felt a surge of energy as I reared back, the spectral, flaming tip of the halberd appearing as I stabbed the gem. It felt like flesh. A sickening squelch sounded and I found myself holding onto my staff as the golem stood up, groaning loudly.

I went with the motion and dug my hind hooves into the head as the golem tried to shake me off.

“You got it, Fie!” I heard Thi’s voice cheer over the groan. I pulled out the staff and felt another energy surge. My staff glowed brightly and the halberd formed. I spun the halberd around to have the head aim at the core. With a grunt, I stabbed as hard as I could into the fleshy core. Green and black spectral blood hissed and shot out like a geyser, coating me in the stuff. I heard a soft cackle in the back of my mind as I held on while the golem shuddered. My ear twitched as I heard a soft whispering.

Gaia…

It was then followed up by a loud hissing.

Din… Sister…

I pulled my halberd out and hopped off the golem, landing on my hooves deftly and readying my halberd again just in case. The green and black like blood splattered almost everywhere before the golem crumbled and fell still. When the dust settled, I felt the tingling of the creature’s blood hiss and fade away on me. I furrowed my brow and twirled my now halberd-turned-quarter staff around my hoof and slung it on my back. It shrunk and then vanished in a pop. Thi cantered over to me, grinning from ear to ear as she playfully slugged my foreleg.

“Gonna’ add rampaging golem under your belt, now?” She teased. She then saw my grim look and her expression changed to worry.

“Guys! Come quick!” Flitter called out. We hurried over to her. She was helping the stallion up. Cloudchaser rushed over to check on the mare and filly, who were huddled. The mare was doing her best to calm her filly. The stallion grunted, limping.

“Th-those monsters… they just came out of nowhere!” He rasped. Scribble brought out a red bottle, uncorked it and helped the stallion drink it. The stallion gave a relieved sigh, no longer limping.

“Tell us what happened.” He said to him. The stallion looked over to his family, who were being tended to by Flitter and Cloudchaser. He removed his cowboy hat and put it to his chest.

“We jus’ run a humble ranch not too far out from ‘ere. We was jus’ on our way home when these doggone rock birds swooped in an’ jus’ started peckin’. ‘Ah’ve never seen creatures like that before.” He explained. Thi rubbed her chin.

“Have there been many more attacks like this?” She asked. The stallion put his hat back on as the mare and filly walked over to him. He wrapped a hoof around the mare before speaking.

“We aren’t sure how many there has been. But I do recall some ‘o the boys mentionen’ the orchard has been awfully… lush than usual.” Thi and Scribble exchanged glances.

“Aaannd that’s a strange thing how?” She asked. The stallion motioned to a direction I’m assuming would be where the orchard field is.

“It’s the middle o’ winter. It’s not even harvest season an’ yet, the orchard has grown apples already. ‘Ah even heard that Jubilee’s cherry farm is already ripe for harvestin’.” Cloudchaser scratched her head.

“But then… wouldn’t that be more food for every creature?” She asked. Scribble twisted a hoof back and forth.

“Good and bad. Good because the amount of food would be staggering and be able to feed everycreature in Equestria. Bad because of oversupply. The food will rot before the winter is over and we’ll have a lot waste management. The decay would make places like Appleloosa uninhabitable. But aside from that one bullet point on the presentation, it’s unnatural and will ruin the harvest cycle.” He explained. I frowned.

“Balance instability. And considering it’s rock and plant based on top of me hearing it in my head, the power element of earth is rampant here.” I said. Cloudchaser was poking at what used to be a green core, now blackened.

“When you struck the golem with the staff, we spotted the glowing rock on it’s back.” She said. “That’s odd though. It feels like touching a dried-up raisin.” She gave a disgusted look. I looked to the family.

“I don’t think it’s safe to go on home without some protection. We can escort you if you want.” I said. The stallion shook his head.

“We have to warn Sheriff Silverstar. He has been too busy handlin’ peace with the buffalo tribe lately.” He said. Thi perked up, rubbing her chin.

“The buffalo… what’s going on with the tribes?” She asked. The stallion looked grim as he held his family close.

“Nasty bit ‘a business. The buffalo have been dealin’ with the sightin’s of tha’ Thunder Bird. It’s causin’ rival tribes to declare that one or tha’ other has disturbed tha’ sacred god an’ angered it. Wildfires have been happenin’ after every sightin’ as tha’ wrath of it’s lightning strikes tha’ earth.” He explained. My companions and I exchanged glances. Scribble scratched his head.

“Sounds like we got our work cut out for us. Let’s get these ponies back to town and see if we can get more details on what’s going on.” He stated. Thi holstered her bat and gun.

“Sounds good to me. You able to walk?” She asked as she looked to the family. The stallion helped his daughter up onto his back.

“Me an’ the wife can. ‘Ah think tha’ lil’ one needs some rest.” He said. I couldn’t help but feel awful. The poor filly was shaking, hugging onto her father’s bandana scarf. I looked over to the wagon. There was one thing that bothered me. As we were walking back to Appleloosa, I finally spoke, trotting up the family.

“What happened to the puller? You guys were barreling down the road without anypony at the head of the wagon.” I asked. The mare and stallion looked grim. The mare put her hooves over the filly’s ears and spoke.

“Poor, Apple Core. He was… our son.” She shuddered. I felt an overwhelming sense of dread. The stallion pat his wife’s hoof gently.

“Tha’ creatures that attacked us carried him off. We… don’t know if he’s alive.” He finished. I bowed my head. I couldn’t help but think back to the many abandoned wagons on the way here. There were signs of struggle, but no sign of ponies anywhere. I knew what the rest of my companions were thinking as well. After hearing that, it made a bit more sense. But another question came up. Why do the power elements need ponies?