Primordial Conflict

by Jumping Jack

Chapter 22: Her Name is Thi Billette

Chapter 22: Her Name is Thi Billette

That night, Thi did something we didn't think she would ever do. Wear a full-blown skintight body suite. The suite matched her physique quite well. She had the zipper at the chest halfway down, a bit of chest fluff poking out. She sighed as she unholstered her balisong at her right foreleg and began to do simple tricks with it in her magic. I, on the other hoof, was still wearing what I received earlier. I saw her leaning over the side of the Lion's Mane. I noticed her bat was in its' proper holster and she wasn't hiding her firearm anymore. Pretty bold for a pony about to walk into the lion's den at night. I still, however, had so many questions rising. I walked up to her and put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder.

"You know. After all this time, I thought I'd be okay with what I do. I like being an archeologist. The adventure, the thrill. All of that and being able to be the hero I could be. Something Canterlot never really gave me a chance to do. Always with the rules, regulations. The damned EEA. Even Princess Celestia herself." She said as she twirled and flipped the balisong up into the air before catching it with her magic and flipping it closed. "Fie. I know I haven't been there when I said I would. Never responding to your letters. I got so caught up in it all that I just kind of... forgot." I studied her. There was still more to this. But for now, I'll try to see how the night plays out. I have a feeling I'm going to find out soon enough.

The others finally joined us with Sharp Eye and Catlyn approaching us. Cloudchaser and Flitter studied Thi.

“Interesting clothing choice. You seem like you’re ready for espionage when all we are doing is heading out to the Marsh Lands.” Cloudchaser said. Thi chuckled and shook her head.

“It’s not just ‘going into the Marsh Lands with Lo Mein. Being the skilled and deadly assassin she is, she’d enjoy running us through a bit of danger. And I have a feeling… she isn’t the only one we are going to be seeing.” She said. Scribble rubbed the back of his head.

“Then, we just have to do what we usually do.” He said. Catlyn narrowed her eyes to him.

“I’m riskin’ a lot bringin’ an assassin on board to San Palomino.” She said. “I’d size up these Triad bastards if I could. But they do not like unwanted company. So sadly, I can’t help you from me ship.” Sharp rubbed her foreclaw leg.

“Wish I could help as well. But… the Triad would spot me immediately and they have hot air balloons that watch the skies.” She said. I smiled at them.

“Don’t worry. We won’t stay long. We aren’t here to help the war effort. We have a job to do and as sad as it is that we can’t help them, we have our own stuff to deal with.” I said, casting a glance at Thi. She didn’t turn to face us as we spoke. She just continued to stare out into the town. But her look showed she was listening. Catlyn nodded.

“Aye. The sooner the better.” She said. I looked to the two.

“Listen. If and when we do find Ventus’s host, things will for sure get ugly. When it happens, that may give you all the time to get out of here until things cool down. We’re going to draw a lot of eyes from the Triad.” I said. Catlyn smiled.

“No worries. I’ve got an idea when the time comes.” She said. I blinked quizzically at her. She does? Because at this point, Ventus’s personality is still a wild card. I will not have a repeat of the sandwich conversation. Sharp Eye nodded.

“We’ve been doing some brainstorming here on the ship. Nothing solid yet, but we’ll wing it when we hafta’.” She said, tipping her hat. I turned to my companions, seeing Thi already knowing it was time. We nodded to each other before quietly making our way into the safe zone of the harbor. There are only two patrol Triads on the harbor and that’s to make sure the foreigners don’t grt crazy at the harbor pub. We took an empty street down before turning into an alleyway.

When we got to the plaza, we stuck to the shadows and cover. They weren’t exaggerating. While there are late night workers and ponies still walking about, there was already a steady stream of Triad police patrolling in groups. They wore a green outfit and marched casually down streets, even stopping to talk to some of the civilians. We followed the same path that Lo Mein showed us to get to the lighthouse. Making it to the dirt path that led to the lighthouse, we could see a hot air balloon floating just a bit further down the way, a spotlight scanning the area. We hurried through the path, keeping our ears and eyes out before seeing a silhouette of a pony leaning against the fence post.

Lo Mein was wearing a similar body suite to Thi Billette, having dropped her civilian disguise entirely. Her side parted mane longer on the left side than the right. She eyed us and snorted.

“You still kept that outfit?” She asked with cold uninterest. Thi smirked.

“Look whose talkin’.” She retorted. Thi then lowered her smirk and rubbed the back of her head. “Lo Mein. I…” Lo Mein shot up her hoof and shook her head.

“I don’t want to hear it, Thi. I believe I already made my point clear. Considering you are dressed up as such, I still don’t see that understanding look in your eyes.” She said. I darted my eyes between the two. Thi slumped and Lo Mein turned, motioning with her head. “Did a bit of scouting before the night shift. Road is going to be watched. Triad caught a smuggling operation from the resistance. I have a tug boat that we can take to get around to a cave. It’ll lead us behind the frontlines and we can be on our merry way to the late Marsh Lands.” With that, she trotted down the path a bit and took a left, heading down. I looked worriedly at Thi as we followed her.

I looked back at the others. Cloudchaser and Flitter where whispering amongst themselves while Scribble seemed to stoically trot with a focused look. I can never tell what’s going on in that stallion’s head. He caught my look and did a subtle shrug. I sighed and followed closely behind Thi. When we got down to the coast, we could see a lonely tug boat bobbing in the low tide. Lo Mein untied the boat as we hopped in. Scribble helped her pushed the boat out before hopping in. Flitter and Scribble volunteered to row.

I sat with Cloudchaser while Thi sat by herself up ahead. Lo Mein sat across from her, withdrawing a firearm and checking it over. Suddenly, she disassembled the fire arm and held it out to Thi.

“Need to see if you still have what it takes. I can’t have a pony whose gone soft.” She said. Thi narrowed her eyes. I eyed them quietly as Thi took the pieces and using her hooves, I saw her quickly reassemble the firearm and cocked it when finished. She twirled it in her magic and handed it back to Lo Mein. Lo Mein studied the firearm. “You’ve gotten a bit quicker from the last time.” Thi nodded stoically.

“Dabbled here and there.” She said. Lo Mein smirked challengingly. She then reached down below her seat and withdrew a longer variation of a firearm. It seemed to be the type to be latched onto a saddle of some kind. Lo Mein removed the hook before putting it down. She began to disassemble it. It took her, from what I counted, twenty five seconds to disassemble completely.

Thi arched a brow and grinned. She rolled her neck and hovered her hooves over the pieces. Lo Mein tapped the bottom of the boat and I gapped as I saw Thi’s hooves move so quickly. What happened to her in the past six years? I recall timing her back home when she popped in out of nowhere. But I didn’t really think much of it. I counted seventeen seconds. Thi slapped the mag and pulled the slide, aiming it out to sea before resetting the mechanisms. Lo Mein nodded her head.

“A little more than practicing. Think Cassette would be quite impressed.” She said. Thi lowered the firearm, sighing.

“How has he been doing after-“

“After you abandoned us on Mount Grimoire?” Lo Mein interrupted. “He’s been doing quite well. Still handsome as ever. He’s really been missing you.” Thi rubbed the back of her head, flushing just a little.

“Cut that out. Cassette is a nice guy and all, but I never saw him that way.” She replied. Lo Mein shook her head.

"Of course not. Just another one of your flames. Such a shame. You two really hit it off." she said with a frown. Thi slumped.

"Lo, please. I-I know I screwed up but I just..." Thi began. Lo Mein shook her head.

"Six hundred thousand lives, Thi. That bat you stole has been nothing but trouble. You doomed the island the moment you found it." she said. Thi suddenly snapped.

"The island was already doomed because of Moonlight!" She growled. We remained quiet. Lo Mein narrowed her eyes. "That witch had already put her grubby hooves over the artifact! You knew it as well! We all did! As somepony who gave us the intel, you completely neglected to mention that our actions would matter! You're chastising me, but you're also bringing Cassette into it?! Sit down and shut up, bitch!" She snarled before spitting out into the sea. "What the hell has gotten into you, Lo. I knew you were always a drama queen, but why does my past actions suddenly matter? You never seemed to care for your own!" She withdrew the bat and held it up, the fire in its' eyes burning brightly. Lo Mein balked and tried to lower the bat, but Thi shifted it away from her. "Excalibur's Treasure shouldn't fall into the Triad's hooves! That was what were tasked to do!" I had a dawning realization.

"Wait... you said you are an archeologist. Why does it sound like you are an agent mercenary?" I asked. Thi stiffened and Lo Mein's eyes glinted. Thi sighed and lowered her bat, the fire dimming.

"Fie... look..." she began as she turned around. I shook my head, giving her a stoic and stern look.

"Six years, Thi Billette. I've put it off long enough. Tell me the truth." I said. Thi looked between me and my companions, who seemed to be showing concern. Thi sighed and rubbed her foreleg.

"Fie... you have to understand... I did it for you." Thi said. I cocked my head.

"That doesn't make sense. How could hopping on a ship and leaving me behind as you spent your whole entire existence becoming a hero to a far-off land be something for me?" I asked, feeling a tad frustrated now. Thi winced. "I wrote you several letters for a whole year. I even took a job as a mail pony to see if it wasn't lost or I had missed anything! I missed you! And you show up on the next day I end up becoming a... a freak of nature!" I shook my head, feeling angry now. "What kind of best friend does that?!" I huffed angrily, crossing my hooves and looking out into the sea. Thi opened her mouth to say something, but stopped and lowered her head a bit. I couldn't believe it! She has the gall to think what she did to me was for me! The lowest point in my life and suddenly she comes back acting as if we never left CSGU. I've put up with that question of the missing six years for a while. It's time I put my own two sense in the hat. Lo Mein stood up and pointed over to a cliff side.

"There. That's the cave." she said. Flitter and Scribble, casting worried looks along with Cloudchaser between me and Thi as our boat rowed into calmer waters. Scribble and Flitter rowed up to a sloped pathway into the cave as Lo Mein jumped out, pulling the boat and then tying the rope to a jagged stone. We hopped out, my horn glowed with the simple light spell along with Thi's. I remained fuming and didn't really want to talk to Thi, even as she looked over her shoulder to try and tell me something. Cloudchaser walked next to me as I had my head bowed with a hurt look on my face.

"You... wanna' talk about it?" she asked in a low voice to me. I snorted as we began walking up the slope and then beginning to traverse rope bridges.

"What is there to talk about? That my best friend hasn't been telling the truth? I expected that much from Thi after six years. And maybe I should have not put it off as much as I should. I'll get my answers. And whatever happens after will only be decided how our hunt goes." I said to her. Cloudchaser looked worriedly at me. Seeing as she had nothing else to tell me, I remained quiet the rest of the way. Lo Mein led us over rope bridges, thin ledges (I've nearly slipped a few times, but I was always caught by Scribble or Flitter) and through what appeared to be old world banners lost to time. Whatever this cave was used for was once probably used as a smuggle den. Whose to say with all the destroyed pottery and broken chairs we passed. Eventually, we finally made it to an open expanse in the cave. I shone my horn light around the cave. It was pretty roomy. Our hoofsteps echoed and scraped on the ground as we continued to follow Lo Mein. Every twist, every turn. I nearly lost track of time. How long have we've been down here? We crossed a very dangerous and conspicuous looking rock bridge. Down below us were jagged stalagmites. I could swear I can make out a few skeletons down there. It was hard to gauge their origin species as it was just torsos and skulls.

I felt my vertigo kick in and I wobbled as we got halfway over the bridge. I suddenly felt myself laying onto my belly and hugging the bridge tightly. Scribble nearly tripped over me and stopped.

"Fie? What's wrong?" he asked with a cocked brow. I shivered and gulped.

"I... I feel a little sick..." I rasped. Thi looked over her shoulder and gaped before turning around and trotting back over to me. She held out a hoof to me and smiled softly. I looked up at her and despite her genuine attempt to help me, I shook my head and took a deep breath. Get it together, Fie! You can do this! It's just your imagination! Therapy has led to this. You don't have a service griffon right now. I grunted and picked myself up from the bridge slowly. I took careful, slow steps as we finally got on our way, my companions sticking close just in case. When I finally made it across, Lo Mein eyed me stoically, leaning with her back coolly against the cave wall and her forelegs crossed.

"Are we going to have a problem?" she asked. Thi frowned.

"Lay off, Lo. Fie has never been good with heights." she said. Thi wasn't wrong. Excluding the times I've been tumbling through space and whatever aerial maneuvers from before were all guided or dreams. I don't actually mind heights. I just hate having to cross over unsafe looking pathways over ravines of any kind. I took a moment to settle myself before nodding.

"I'm fine now..." I said a little weakly. Lo Mein sighed and shook her head. She then pushed herself off the wall and landed on her hooves to continue leading us down the path. What felt like another hour or so, we finally emerged into an opening. Fresh air wafted over us. Lo Mein then shot out a hoof and ducked back into the cave entrance. We followed just in time as a spotlight past by our hiding spot. Lo Mein clicked her tongue.

"Seems the Triad aren't taking any chances." she said. I peeked out and saw several hot air balloons scanning a tropical jungle forest valley. A tropical jungle like this was quite something for me to see. If only it wasn't dark. I could only imagine what predators lurked within. We waited a bit before we quickly scurried out and Lo Mein led us into the foliage. She put a hoof to her mouth. "Shh. They'll have patrols out here. If we can get past the No Pony's Land to the other side, we'll have a free shot to the Marsh Lands."

We all nodded except for Thi. Her look serious and calculative again. We crept through the foliage, doing our best to keep quiet. Lo Mein slipped and deftly avoided almost everything that would make a sound. It was almost in-equine. We came along a dirt path and Lo Mein held up a hoof. We ducked behind trees as two Triad ponies walking with their horns glowing with light. I saw Lo Mein’s eyes glint and all emotion left her. We watched as she quietly and quickly got behind the two.

My jaw dropped as she went up to one and there was a loud crack of the neck. She then threw her hind legs over the other and twisted her body to bring the other pony down and then she did twist of her lower body and another loud crack of the neck sounded. The ponies didn’t make a sound and they were on the ground motionless. Lo Mein stood up and dusted herself off before motioning to us as she grabbed one of the guards and began dragging the pony to the side.

Thi sighed and shook her head before following suite on the other one. Me and the others exchanged glances. I’ll say it again. What have we gotten ourselves into? We continued on, Lo Mein and Thi taking out guards that were either in our way or, in a surprising way, using charm to trick them. Now I see where Thi gets her occasional use of feminine wiles. We traversed through the tropical jungle for what felt like hours before we finally reached an expansive open area. It was completely different.

We could see barb wire fencing and X shaped metal bars. There were holes and what looked to be pieces of metal burnt and ripped from the Triad’s mechanical beasts. Lo Mein held out a hoof.

“Follow my lead. The resistance set up landmines.” She said. Thi shook her head and stepped forward.

“Nah, we did your way. Now it’s for my way.” She grinned. “Been itching to do this. CC, Flitter. Pretend your bouncing.” She said. Cloudchaser and Flitter exchanged quizzical glances.

“We can fly you know?” Flitter stated. Thi nodded.

“Right, but you’ll attract the balloons. Trust me on this.” She said. They narrowed their eyes before hesitating to pretend to bounce. When both decided to jump, Thi quickly swished and flicked her horn at their hooves and the two yelped as the springboard sailed them right over No Pony’s Land. They landed into foliage with grunts. The foliage rustled where they landed and Cloudchaser poked her head out, giving an annoyed glare before waving a hoof. Thi grinned.

“You’re turn Lo and Scribble.” She said. Lo Mein slumped while Scribble sighed.

“I’m not going to pretend to be a giddy filly for you.” Lo Mein said with a glare. Suddenly, Scribbled took out a rock and dropped it, stomping on it and a small bit if earth popped the mare up while Scribble hopped. Thi flicked her head again and the two sailed, Lo Mein comically flailing her forelegs before landing on her hooves on the other side. Scribble landed face first into the ground. He laid there, waving a hoof to signal he’s okay. Thi and I blinked at the sight. I don’t think we’ll be ever to read this stallion. Thi took a deep breath and smiled at me.

“Ready?” She asked me. I furrowed my brows but nodded. Thi bowed her head sadly before readying herself. Just like last time, I hopped on Thi’s mark and we went sailing over No Pony’s Land. I landed on my hooves but nearly tripped while Thi skillfully rolled and sprang to her hooves. She dusted herself and smiled proudly. “No sweat.” She said. Cloudchaser pointed at her hooves.

“Uhhh, Thi?” She began. Thi blinked and looked down. She had landed on Scribble who was now buried in dirt. She balked and stepped off of him.

“Shit, sorry, Scrib!” She said, helping the stallion up. His eyes rolled a bit before he shook his head and returned to a stoic look. He brushed himself off and looked around. Thi grinned. “Now that we got the ‘hard part’ out of the way, let’s-“

“Hooves up!!” Several voices commanded all at once as if from nowhere. Everyone of us backed up into each other, sitting on our haunches and hooves held up. Ponies began emerging from the foliage with rifles aimed at us. They were wearing strange civilian looking outfits. As if they were going through an apocalypse. But the insignia of a strange wing like serpent dawned on their clothing like badges told me everything I needed to know. One pony stepped forward, his magic levitating a rifle and aimed at Thi.

“Don’t make a single twitch, Triad scum! Strip them of their weapons! We got ourselves some free intel!” He smirked. We were quickly stripped of our gear, everypony looking frustrated and annoyed. Lo Mein glanced at Thi.

“Smooth move, hot head.” She hissed.

---

Our captors led us quite a bit further into the tropical jungle, leading us in single file. We eventually started side scaling a pathway that had a river flowing through it. We turned the corner and found a brilliant waterfall crashing several stories down. Behind the waterfall was a cave, which we were led into. When we got a bit further in, I balked as I began seeing military-esque banners with the winged serpent. Crates and surplus were stacked into small side openings as much as they could.

The more we traveled in, we could see ponies of all kinds eyeing us suspiciously as we walked by. They then had us sit down in a line by the cave wall before the one who was commanding the soldiers turned to another pony.

“Get Dino. He’ll know what to make of these ‘civilians’.” He said. The pony saluted before turning into another entrance. I looked over to my companions. Cloudchaser and Flitter were darting their eyes, gathering as much information for themselves while Scribble stared into the fire. Lo Mein looked bored while Thi seemed to be struggling with her thoughts. Me? I just sighed and shook my head. First pirates, now resistance soldiers. What could get any worse? I then saw the fire and I stiffened. I was fine when we gathered around it, but I guess Din wasn’t paying attention to it the first time.

I heard a soft cackle and I blinked, finding myself sitting next to Din. The gem was still floating in front of me. She smirked and cast a glance down at me.

How easily we can make this if you just let it happen. It’s in your blood after all. she grinned. I shot her a stoic glare.

‘I don’t believe it one bit, Din. Ouroboros maybe just trying to motivate me a little more to be, I don’t know, open to suggestions with you.’ I thought. Din shrugged.

Being in your head gives me a headache. But I think it’s worth it in the end. Ahhh, I can imagine the glorious kingdom I’ll have. She said, her eyes widening maniacally. I shook my head.

‘Not a chance, Din. I doubt Ouroboros will even let anything happen. You said it yourself. He promises but never follows.’ I thought with a frown. Din then sighed in wishful thinking.

You speak the truth. But from where I stand, I’ll be the one to take it all. She stood up and walked forward. We have allll the time in the world! I blinked and found myself back into the cave. Just in time as the ponies came back and a quite handsome vanilla unicorn stallion with a sandy blond mane that was styled in an old-fashioned dream boat. His blue eyes charmingly eyed us, but his expression was serious. He wore a black short sleeved shirt that hugged his build with a holster for two firearms. He also looked like he’s been through a few scrapes. His eyes fell on Thi and widened.

“Thi…? Thi Billette?” He began. Thi winced and gave a nervous smile.

“Heeeeey, Cassette… long time no… see…” she said nervously. The stallion’s serious look turned into a lighthearted smile.

“It has. And I see Lo Mein is also present.” He said, looking to the mare. “Still running freelance?” Lo Mein eyed the stallion seriously.

“Been getting by. No thanks to Billette here.” She said, casting a sideways glare at Thi, who returned it with a frown and a stick of her tongue. Cassette chuckled and sat down with us. I noticed Cloudchaser and Flitter staring at the stallion. Flitter seemed to be red in the face, giggling just a little and, to my utter shock, I could see Cloudchaser blushing brightly and looking on in awe. I felt a sudden nip in the back of head and the fire in front of us seemed to grow a bit, catching everypony’s attention. I realized what was happening and thought about something else. The fire calmed and Cassette rubbed the back of his head.

“Well then… it’s great to see you two again. Thi. I hear you’re an archeologist now?” He asked. Thi sighed and nodded.

“Been trying to enjoy it. But you know how it’s been.” She said with a slight hoof wave. Cassette nodded before motioning to us.

“Care to introduce us to your friends here?” He asked. Thi crossed her hooves and arched a brow.

“Am I going to have to give something up for that info?” She asked. I’ve seen Thi on edge before, but for some reason, the reaction to seeing old teammates wasn’t what I expected. There has to be more to this. And I will get my answers. Or Aquarius help me I’ll… uhhh… nevermind. Thi pointed to Cloudchaser and Flitter first.

“Those two are Cloudchaser and Flitter. They are sisters and have been a major help in the past several weeks.” She said. Flitter twirled her mane end with a hoof shyly.

“I-I’m Flitter Glider. You can call me Flitter.” She said with a soft giggle. Cloudchaser seemed to hesitate, her face hot and she gave off a small giggle.

“Err… ehehe. C-Cloudchaser. Yeah… I’m her…” She said. She was fidgeting as well. I heard Din cackle as the nipping feeling was beginning to increase.

Oh, this is going to be good!

Ignoring the being's words, Thi pointed to Scribble.

"That's egghead. Or you can just call him Silver Scribble. He's a monster researcher by hobby, scholar by trade. And a neat little utility pony." she said casually. Scribble nodded before looking at Cassette.

"On that note as well, I would like my things back. I have valuable personal stuff that I'd rather inexperienced ponies shouldn’t handle." he said, sounding dead panned. "I mean that in a safety and health hazard way." Cassette cocked his head before turning to the pony who seemed to be digging through his saddle bag. Cassette cleared his throat to get the pony's attention before motioning to Scribble. The pony groaned and looked quite annoyed but followed through. As Scribble was tacking on his belt and pouches, Thi finally got to me.

"And that is my best friend from CSGU. Quiet Fire." She smirked. "She's a kick ass fighter and a total powerhouse in the kitchen when it comes to hotcakes." She said. I gave her a stoic look before turning to Cassette. Cassette smiled at me and I felt my eye twitch with the ever so nipping feeling in the back of my head.

"Kicking ass when I have the chance too, anyway." I said, trying not to sound so threatening or crazy. Come on, Fie. You've been crazy since the whole fall out. But... this stallion I do not like. Nope. Not one bit! Cassette rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Wait... Fire streak mane, orchid eyes that seem to..." he leaned in closer and I could swear I had an intrusive thought to strangle the pony. "Swirl with fire. You're the one whose been at the Red Canyon and the middle of the Mediterranean High Seas." He smirked. "Well, I'll be damned. We got a demigod in our house." The cave began to murmur amongst each other. I ignored it and narrowed my eyes at him.

"I'm not a god. Nor am I demi." I blinked and darted my eyes. "Demigod I mean." Cassette laughed light heartedly before patting my shoulder.

"It's alright, soldiers. At ease. These are heroes in our abode. Please, return their equipment and treat them as guests." He said. The murmur droned again, but some of the ponies seemed to relax their posture. Others still cast us suspicious glances. Cassette waved a hoof. "Apologies for the rough introduction. I'm Dino Cassette. I'm the self-elected leader of the Quetzalcoatl Liberation Front. Nice to meet you all." Flitter and Cloudchaser said in unison.

"Likewise, Cassette~" They shyly giggled together. Thi rolled her eyes before looking at me. Her eyes widened as I can only imagine the look I was giving right now was more than just murderous intent. Thi balked and looked between us, putting a hoof on my shoulder, snapping me out of my glare.

"Well, it was nice seeing you all, but uhhh... shall we continue going, Lo Mein? We have a place to get to." she said. Lo Mein then kicked back from where she sat.

"I figured we might as well relax a bit. We have been walking for a few hours through the jungle." she said, her eyes glinting. I heard Thi click her tongue. Lo Mein wanted to milk this opportunity to the fullest. Thi shook her head.

"I must insist." she said. Cassette looked at her quizzically.

"Why the hurry? We could really use your help." He said. Thi was about to object, but I beat her to it.

"We have no interest to aid in your war effort against the Triad. As sorry as I am that we can't help, we do need to get to the Marsh Lands as soon as possible." I said. Cassette rubbed his chin.

"But, the Marsh Lands are no longer around. It's just barren, dry land." he said. I nodded.

"It's important to our own mission. It won't help the war effort, but it'll make everypony rest a bit easy to focus on the effort than a disaster that war can't solve." I said. Suddenly, one of the ponies came in, gun at the ready across their chest.

"Sir, you have to look at this. Something huge tripped the wire alerts." She said. Cassette's lighthearted look turned serious and he stood up.

"Triad?" He asked. The pony shook her head, looking at him with a quizzical look.

"No... something bigger. Bigger than anything I've seen. In fact, there are no more trip wires. It's just... dirt." she said. We all exchanged glances before getting up and trotting out of the cave. We followed Cassette and the pony down to more open areas of the cave before coming out through an exit. We stopped over the ledge and looked down. Cassette waved a hoof.

"Get the spotlights on." he said. The two ponies stationed on the side nodded and both clicked on spotlights. They moved the lights through the open area and I gapped. There was a large grove slicing through the jungle. Almost as if something was dragged through it. Something big. Cassette looked to the two ponies on the side. "What did this?" One of the ponies shrugged.

"W-we don't know, sir. One moment we were just doing our half hour scan and when we went to turn the lights off, there was a sudden gust of wind as the trip wires began clattering. When we turned the lights back on, it was just this massive grove." the pony explained. Cassette frowned.

"Could be Triad. Knowing them, they have something on the loose they couldn't control again." he said. Flitter blinked.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" she asked. Cassette turned to us and sighed, motioning with his head. We followed him back into the cave as he spoke.

"For months, we've been trying to track the Triad as we may have some suspicion that they are currently occupying territory from the inside. However, we get strange things like that grove you saw. There were also sightings of strange looking wolf-headed bird creatures that have been crossing into Triad air balloons and destroying them. They've also been attacking our own fellow resistance members." he said. Thi rubbed her chin. She then balked.

"Raptorians. But... I thought they were just being superstitious. They vanished thousands of years ago. That definitely is Triad written all over." She frowned and motioned with a hoof behind her. "We've managed to sneak aboard a cargo ship disguised as a Triad prison and creature smuggling operation. They had the Flash Stone in one of the containers. I even saw Scorpan's Scepter back in Manehatten on the loading bay." Lo Mein hummed.

"So, they've been returning to old grounds and retrieving the lost artifacts?" She asked. Thi nodded.

"We were lucky with the Flash Stone. A crazy captain activated it but Squirk was being contested by uh... well... another monstrosity." She then scrunched her muzzle and looked at me. "Errr... no offense..." she said. I shot her a glare and a frown.

"Sure." I said with a growl. Thi looked sad and bowed her head. Lo Mein wiggled a hoof.

"Then perhaps we should hold off on the Marsh Lands for a bit. If the Triad had managed to find another artifact and brought back the Raptorians, we need to stop it." She said. Scribble arched a brow.

"Interesting. So, Thi isn't the only hero of Ponyland?" he stated. Lo Mein and Cassette shrugged.

"I helped out. But I never took credit. Easy for me to stay low like that." Lo Mein said. Cassette nodded.

"Me and Thi were the dream team duo while Lo Mein was the sneaky back up that helped us a lot in a pinch. We practically were an elite special unit. Which was happenstance. We were a part of a mercenary group for a while, but some ponies had different ideas." he said. Thi winced and rubbed her foreleg. And there is my answer. I cast her a sideways glance. At least now I know a partial truth. So, she wasn't fully lying. But she still lied to some degree. And this whole hero business? Was she really caught up in it all or was there more to her ego boasting attitude? Flitter looked to Thi and frowned.

"Alright, Thi. You better tell us the whole truth. You owe somepony that at least, right?" she asked, motioning to me. Thi bit her lip, hesitating. She then sighed and sat down, her head bowed.

"Fie... I..." She began. She took a moment to find the words, but I just leaned against the cave wall, eyeing her stoically and emotionless, waiting for her to find the words. She then looked to me. "I'm sorry, Fie. I should have told you the truth from the start. I just... didn't want to freak you out. You are my best friend. And I genuinely do see you as one. I wouldn't think of another pony I couldn't rely on." she said. I didn't skip a beat.

"Yet, you were okay with not talking to me for a full six years. I know now you were once a mercenary and then... what, you left them too? Decided to not take up mercenary jobs and just become an archeologist?" I stated. She winced. "Lo Mein called you out for a certain action that apparently doomed thousands. I... didn't think you would be capable of it. I knew that bat was trouble the moment you showed it to me. It should have stayed in my trash can." Thi shook her head.

"No! The bat wasn't the issue! It was Sonata! Moonlight Sonata! We even tried to stop her from awakening Lavan!" She grit her teeth. "She must have succeeded somehow! We did everything correctly!" She stated. Lo Mein cast a frown.

"The ritual needed ancient magic to work . You ran in with the bat and started throwing its' fire left and right. You were even laughing like a mad mare too. Whatever possessed you ruined the whole operation and it went fubar." She said. Thi shook her head.

"I wasn't possessed! I swear! Sure, it may have looked like it, but I just... I was..." we eyed her, waiting for her to finish. Cassette frowned.

"Let's just say, some mistakes were made, and thousands of ponies suffered from it. Lavan broke free, but we stopped him and sealed him back into his crystal cave. But the effect of the ancient magic colliding was the result of the nearby volcano to erupt and... well..." he looked grim. "Thi left shortly after that. Became an archeologist, from what I'm piecing." Lo Mein nodded.

"Probably went through a coping mechanism too. She didn't seem to understand it all until I showed her the files." she said. I looked at her, my expression of disappointment showing clear.

"Thi... I don't even... know where to begin with this information. You came back to me, acting like you usually do without any form of proper apology and expected me to not suspect anything? Sure, I didn't ask the right questions before. And then I had to put it off to handle my own issues. But since you clearly had no intentions of being truthful with me, I don't know if I can fully trust you anymore. I missed you. You've been there for me when I was at my darkest and yet, you decided to abandon me to go off on an adventure that you screwed up and have been running from." Thi then slammed her hoof on the ground and cast up an angry glare.

"I didn't screw it up. Sonata did. It was because of her that this all happened! Why you are where you are now! I didn't abandon you! I left to save you! To protect you!" she stood up and faced us. Her look determined and challenging. "I'll die on that hill, Lo Mein! Yeah, I'll admit, I did screw up somewhere. My friendship with my best friend. But I did all of it for her!" I pushed myself off the wall and stood, challenging her.

"Did what!? Did what for me!? Is it because I'm not..." I wavered. "I'm not an actual pony!? That I've been born into this life, with no clue whatsoever, what I was intended to be!? That I wouldn't be myself!?" I shot her a glare, taking a step forward. Thi kept her ground. "Ouroboros showed me something before we started this whole thing! Twilight asked the right questions. I'm not a pony. I was never a pony to begin with. My whole family lineage isn't supposed to exist!" I pointed to myself. "I am a freak of nature! I'm a primal! I'm no different than Din or Ouroboros!" I grit my teeth as her shocked look told me everything I knew. "In which ruin did you find out, Thi...?" I glowered. Thi stepped back a bit. She lowered her head. She then sighed and looked me dead in the eye.

"Fine, you want the whole truth about why I took that ship to begin with? I had tried to do a history report for our professor when I stumbled and fell upon some ruins. Surprisingly enough, it was about as old as Equestria's founders. I don't think anypony knew it exists directly under Hollow Shades. I did some exploration of the place and found a stone drawing and some words. Using what I knew about old pone-ish, I took note of everything. I re-read it so many times because I just couldn't believe it." Her look turned to concern. "It was talking about you, Quiet Fire." I looked at her, my expression turning to worry. "The drawing depicted a fire maned unicorn pony with eyes that showed the stars and was veiled by a cloak of fire. I know the words by heart. 'When the stars align, the sleeping primal guardian will awaken to seek out the stars. She, who bears a mane of fire, will rise with her primal blood and companion to restore prosperity and continuation of our existence. When the whole world darkens, the seven will quietly light the fire to make the star burn brighter." She looked at me, returning my worried look. "That was also my first encounter with the Triad. I stumbled across them as I was doing some more research and overheard them talking about this prophecy. How this Moonlight Sonata would require the information of the primals in order to gain a better understanding for her future conquest of Equestria." She snorted. "Of course, no pony would believe me. Not even you, Fie. And I was already in deep shit with the princess at the time. So, I tailed them. Found myself stowing away on their ship and ever since, I've been trying to stop the Triad from knowing about you."

The cave was quiet. She sighed.

"It worked for a time. I learned most of my skills by watching the Triad work and manage. Spent a whole year out at sea, stealing their rations and secretly pretending to be one of them to get a better handling on things. When we arrived to Pony Land, I was well trained enough to be ready to take on my first major act as a 'hero' to Pony Land. By using arc bullets and pure instinct. I stopped Moonlight Sonata from resurrecting Grogar, but at the cost, I've been put as number one on their hit list. I spent three years running and stopping them. Just a constant thrill ride left and right. I then eventually found myself with these guys." She motioned to Cassette and Lo Mein. "And found some solace in my continued quest to stop them, or even distract them, from any thoughts about what they would do if they knew about you." She sighed and looked at me sincerely at me. "I... I missed you too, Fie. Not a day went by that I didn't think of you. You had your whole life ahead of you and you looked ready to bounce back from your funk after flunking. I didn't... realize how much me doing that one act would affect you. I came back to you, being my usual self because I thought that would make you comfortable with the decision I made without all the bomb shells dropped on you. But... I would rather have the whole world treat me like enemy number one than see you in the clutches of awful ponies that would do unimaginable things to you with your primal blood. I wanted you to be free. So, I shackled myself to this life to see that happen." I felt myself sit down slowly, my eyes darting in thought. So, that's what she meant. This mare. Thi Billette. The no good, puck-ish rogue mare, who flunked just as badly as me, went out of her way to stop a shadow organization from knowing about me? She spent most of her teenage and early adult hood trying to save me?

I don't even know where to begin to think about all of this! Why did she think any of this was a good idea?! There are plenty of ponies out there that probably have the same palette out there! And just because some stupid words on a stupid old ruin wall had the words ‘quiet’ and ‘fire’ doesn’t mean it is me! Who knows how old that drawing must be! I felt myself fuming, beginning to pace now. I couldn’t believe this. I’m mad. So utterly and unremorsefuly angry. I’m mad at Thi Billette for doing all of this! I’m mad at myself for going along with this whole prophecy thing, when I could be happily drunk at home! I’m mad at the world for making me out to be a demi-god! I’m mad at Cloudchaser finding a crush in this no good… awful… stallion! I’m just…

“Arrrgh! Why am I even existing in this damned realm!?!” I exclaimed. Cassette and the resistance members suddenly shushed me, causing me to shoot them all a glare. Cassette held up a hoof and looked behind him. Right. We are in a pony damned world and I’m being shushed! A flash of the amber gem hit me and I shook my head. Alright, calm down, Fie. That is no way to think in a situation like this. Suddenly, the ponies began scrambling, firearms at the ready as Cassette turned to another pony.

“Turn on the sentries. Gather those that know arcana tech. We are going to lay out an ambush for them. You four, ralley the sleeping ones. We are going to need all hooves on deck.” He turned to us. “I do not want civilian inclusion, so you are all to remain in this cave. Do not worry, I’ll have good ponies protecting you all.” He said. I don’t know what is going on, but I didn’t like the way he made it sound. “Alright, everypony! Let’s show the Triad their light.” Cassette turned to Thi and Lo Mein.

“Listen, I know you don’t want to get yourself included, but it won’t matter if the Triad take over this area. We need to push them back. And we could use your help.” He nodded to Lo Mein. “You’ll be compensated. Same with you, Thi.” Thi shook her head.

“I’m not in this for bits. And my friends are more than civilians.” She said. “I’ve seen them kick ass even when it wasn’t effective. I can trust them on this. You need help, right? If we do this, you’ll grant us passage to the Marsh Lands. Got that?” Cassette grinned and nodded.

“I admire your desire to be free, Thi. I really do. It’s what I love about you.” He said. Thi rolled her eyes, but I saw Flitter and Cloudchaser give a hesitant look. That nipping feeling was ever growing bigger.

---

I had to hoof it to Cassette. Despite all that unnerving charm, he wasn’t afraid to get his hooves dirty. He was up front and helping ponies position themselves as our first encounter with the Triad’s mechanical beasts happened. I took cover in a tree, Thi next to me. She planned to drop down on one and I would drop down on the other. Scribble had set up little rock traps for the six beasts that were chugging through the jungle. Ponies scurried about, setting up in position. Cloudchaser was not too far away from us, tasked with swooping down with several others in a plan to take some alive. Flitter took point with Cassette and Lo Mein as they positioned themselves on the side.

I braved myself, my expression stoic. I can’t believe we are about to help out in a war. I’ve heard the stories. I’ve watched and read the documentaries. Triad against the Quetzalcoatl Liberation Front. I heard Din shifting around in my head. She must be anticipating a break in my mental fortitude at some point here. I was feeling a bit nervous, but I steadied myself, wanting not to blow the whole operation and risk anypony getting a worse fate. Stick to the plan, Fie. I repeated this over and over in my head. Din cackled.

What’s the matter, dear vessel? You usually are more calm and collected in confrontation. Is it all the betrayal of friendship you feel? Or your crush liking that handsome stallion? I have to say, he is quite the looker. I felt the nip in my head and I glared straight ahead to no pony. Din cackled. Why not just show these ponies how much you truly are a demi-god? They wouldn’t be throwing you into these pointless wars. Claim what is rightfully yours. The gem appeared in front of me. I hesitated.

No. I won’t free Din. I’m not that stupid. But… maybe a small bit for this situation? I don’t want to see my friends hurt. And even though Thi has been lying to me, I still don’t want her to get hurt. She has a lot of apologizing to do. I bit my lip and reached out my hoof. Before I could even touch it, I felt a nudge that snapped me back into reality. Thi nodded to me before hopping down. She landed deftly on the loud, chugging beast rolling under us. I readied myself for the next one.

When it moved under me, I dropped down and landed skillfully to create as less noise as possible. I remember how this design looked. Having used it to stun Squirk enough for me to get closer. I tapped on the latch and I heard shifting from inside.

“What was that?” A pony inside asked. Another barked at her.

“Get out and check, if you are so paranoid! We probably had a branch land on us.” A stallion said. I tapped the latch again and the shifting got louder.

“Okay, that’s definitely something.” I heard a pony inside say. I then heard the metallic clicking and I dipped back, seeing the latch open and an armed Triad pony poked her head out. I then hopped over and smirked at her, causing her to yelp before I wrapped my forelegs around the scuff of her outfit and bit down on her mane to pull her out.

“Hey! What’s going on?!” One pony shouted from inside. When I pulled the mare out, I took her into a choke hold, kicking the metal hatch back down. I must have hit the pony who wanted to check out the event on the head as he swore like a sailor before poking his head with a firearm drawn. I cracked the mare’s neck, causing her to faint before I rushed forward, batting the firearm out of his magic before pulling him out and tossing him to the side off of the beast. He yelped as he rolled right into a group ready to capture. I then hopped into the beast and saw a pony aiming at me. He fired twice, but I tilted my head and body to avoid the shots before striking him hard across the chin.

His head lolled as the stallion became unconscious. I then reached for the levers and stopped the beast. There was a loud thunk as something exploded right beside me. I then heard the yelling of battle and armament fire followed by screams. I poked my head out to see the trap sprung. Triads were being pulled out forcefully by some of the resistance members and some had tried to fight back, only to either be knocked down or have their fate sealed. I looked on the scene with a grim expression.

I looked over and saw Cassette skillfully block one of the Triads from charging him with a knife. He flipped the pony over, broke the foreleg before pinning her by the neck with a knee. Lo Mein smirked as she sat on her captured Traids that were face first in the dirt.

“Still have it in you, Cassette.” She said. I furrowed my brows before looking in front of me. I saw Thi was already rounding up several captured Triad members. She must have been quick with hers as she seemed to be pleased with herself. I then pulled out the stallion driver before pushing him off the side, where he ragdolled down into the legs of resistant members. There were several ponies whooping and cheering from an execution well done.

I sighed and looked over to see Cloudchaser and Flitter high fiving each other with their wings before turning to Cassette who walked up to them.

“Impressive you two. I underestimated your talents. Good to be proven wrong.” He said with a smile. Both of them giggled and shyly fidgeted.

“It’s what we do.” Flitter said. Cloudchaser smiled, avoiding eye contact and nodding.

“Just hero things, you know?” She said. I felt that nip increase followed by an aching sadness. I sighed and slumped on the edge of the beast. I sniffled a bit. Why am I suddenly so lost? Everypony is pleased with themselves, yet, why can’t I do the same? Is it because I’m loathing how Cloudchaser is fancying Cassette? Partially. Is it because of Thi finally telling me the truth? A good reason. But this empty feeling wasn’t helping both cases at all. I suddenly felt stuck. Exactly how I was when I flunked CSGU. I fidgeted and frowned. I want a drink.

I eyed the ground, feeling myself grow angrier and sadder. What is wrong with me? My eyes then noticed something. There was a dark fog slowly creeping by. I blinked and narrowed my eyes. I followed the fog and balked. It wasn’t long before everypony else followed. There was a sudden sound of war drums. We watched as the fog begin to thicken, surrounding us.

“Stay together!! Do not lose sight of each other!!” I heard Cassette shout. I stood up, looking around.

“Fie! Fie, where are you!” I heard Thi shout. I squinted my eyes, getting ready to hop down when my eyes widened. I sensed killing intent. I immediately threw myself to the side as a razor sharp feathered spear brushed my cheek. I backed away and readied myself. I balked, seeing a figure stand up. A bipedal creature stood up, the arms lanky and feathery. Talons dawned the end of the arms and I could see a bird like body. A feathery, furry tail swished and flicked. The creature eyed me, a wolf-ish pair reflecting my image. I sensed another killing intent and I quickly rolled over the barrel of the beast as a sharp axe brushed the flat of my snout. I rasped a pant before sensing another and scurried under the barrel just in time as a sword swung down, bouncing off of the metal. I stopped and backed away a bit as the first creature turned to me, licking his chops.

“Well, well, brothers. Seems this one isn’t a clueless pony.” He growled with a smile. The three creatures advanced on me as I used the barrel to gain some distance away from them. I felt my fight or flight kicked in and I withdrew my quarterstaff. Doing so caused the thick fog to disperse, catching the attention of everypony else.

“Fie!” I heard Thi shout before she quickly aimed at the creatures, firing off several shots. The creatures flapped their arms and dodged the bullets before zipping around. The other ponies began firing up into the air, but the fog began to thicken again. I then heard screams and cheers. The Triad were cheering.

“The Raptorians are here!” They cheered. I sensed killing intent again and I looked up, seeing the one bearing a sword drop down. I brought my staff around and blocked the impact, gritting my teeth as the barrel seemed to bend under me. How strong was this creature? And how was I able to withstand it? I heard a quiet, amused hum in the back of my mind. Right, Primal. And being a host to a force of nature, I’m suddenly able to withstand even getting launched into a cliff.

The dog head grinned and shifted its’ weight, causing me to slip as it lashed out a talon foot. I screamed as I felt my clothes tear along with what felt like a knife slicing against me. I tumbled and rolled onto the ground, feeling a searing pain in my chest.

“Fie!!” I heard Thi shout out. She suddenly grunted and snapped. “Argh! Dammit! Why do birds need to be so damn annoying!!?” She fired off shots and I tried to push myself off of the ground. I shook away my daze as I looked up to see another talon. No, not a talon. This was a different creature’s foot. I looked up and gaped. A lizadfolk. The creature stood over me, tribal bones and cloth covering the important bits while a wooden staff with a skull of a unicorn pony at its’ side. The creature was also holding a wooden club with sharp teeth like jags jutting out the sides. It looked down at me and our eyes met. I gaped.

I found myself suddenly being launched high into the air, the wind racing past me. The lizard remained stoic and unmoving as we found ourselves floating on a small tornado like wind. I looked around and gasped as I saw dark clouds swirling next to us. A tornado began forming from the clouds below and a massive alicorn figure unfurled her wings, dispersing some of the clouds away. The lizard looked over and narrowed its’ eyes.

“Sssspeak, Ventusss.” It hissed. From the voice, it sounded female. The alicorn reared up and I saw a massive hoof form from the clouds and begin to launch itself at me. Din suddenly formed in front of me and grinned manically, a fire shield formed around us as the cloud hoof clashed with her. I shielded my face from the sheer force of wind blowing past us. Din cackled wildly before flicking her head, causing the clouds to shift over. She then quickly lassoed the hoof with a fiery whip and I watched in awe as the tornado was dragged around before being brought up high overhead. Din cackled evilly before throwing her head back and then down, bringing the massive tornado down into the clouds.

Even the lizard was stunned. The clouds dispersed to reveal more clouds. Din smirked and unfurled her wings as the clouds shot back up and formed into an alicorn that matched her height. Ventus eyed us.

Still as instinctual as ever, sister. Ventus said, her voice sounding annoyed but calm. Din displayed her person proudly before the two.

And I can’t wait to put you in your place as well, dear sister. She grinned. Ventus shook her head.

And ever so cocky. the lizard eyed Din.

“Sssshe’sss that sssstrong?” She asked. Ventus growled.

Unusually so, this time. Cheating, are we? Ventus said. Din pat her chest with a hoof softly.

Au contraire! I believe the mortals say I’ve been dealt the lucky hoof! And now I have every ample time to do what I want. She said. Ventus scoffed and looked to the lizard.

Zalas. You know what to do. She said with a very annoyed tone. Ventus melted into the clouds below and I found myself back to reality. I looked around, seeing that the fog was still covering the area and fighting going on with the Raptorians. I tried to push myself up, but the lizard, Zalas, put a claw foot on my head and forced me back into the ground. Her head tilted.

"Interessssting. I think the Triad will like you." she hissed. I grunted as I tried to force myself out of it. But my body suddenly gave up. I went limp and I wasn't able to move. Zalas lifted her staff and swirled it in the air as the fog began to swirl around us. She then slammed it down on the ground and a gust of wind dispersed. I heard several ponies around me scream and even saw some get launched away. Zalas stepped off of my head as a Raptorian landed behind me. I was hoisted under their arm. Zalas lowered her head to me and smirked. "Ssssleep well, fire bearer." She then brought her staff down on me and the world went black.

---

Thi Billette's POV

I shook away my daze, wincing from the strong wind that pushed all of us back into the trees and shrubs. I looked up and gasped. I saw Fie's limp body dangling under the arm of a Raptorian, the tribal lizard person was smiling pleasantly in a sickening way. She tapped the ground with her staff and a gust of wind began to form around her.

"No!! Fie!!" I called out, getting to my hooves painfully and withdrawing my bat with my magic. I grunted as I swung, a loud clack as Cali's fire sailed through the air. It hit a Raptorian that was descending, grunting and then snarling at me. I withdrew my arc pistol and aimed, only to freeze as the Raptorian was quick to scoop a pony. But not just any pony. Flitter Glider grunted in pain as the Raptorian held her up from behind the head. I looked over and saw Cloudchaser painfully trying to push herself off the ground. This fog was starting to affect us. The fatigue setting in.

"No!! Sis!!" Cloudchaser grunted as she tried to force herself up. I saw Scribble unable to move along with Cassette and Lo Mein nearby, also trying to force themselves out of the paralyses. The Raptorian holding Flitter hostage laughed and tossed her up, her body rag dolling a bit as it flew up and caught her with its' talon foot. The lizard and the Raptorians began flying off as I managed to roar into the air, but my body gave in and I fell to my stomach, grunting and panting as I tried to push myself up. I heard several hoofsteps. The Triad ponies were free. The Raptorians must have freed the captured ones. They wore gas masks over their heads and two looked down at me with red visored eyes. One chuckled and waved a hoof at me.

"Thi Billette. The infamous gun totting hot head who has been nothing but trouble for us. Care to do the honors?" the pony mare said through her visor to the other. The other mare cackled before bringing up the butt of her gun and my whole world faded to black.