Primordial Conflict

by Jumping Jack

Chapter 26: What a M.E.S.S.

Chapter 26: What a M.E.S.S.

“In other news, on the far-off islands to the east, a sight of another primal conflict took place. The Nilneigh Islands is home to a neutral community of creature and ponies. On the other side lays the distant land of Pony Land. A historical kingdom that once was a harmonious land of sunshine and rainbows. Now divided by two kingdoms. Not much is known of our neighbors aside from offshore exports of materials and trade that can be found commonly in the markets of Equestria. The Nilneigh Islands marking the belt bore witness to a clash of power from the middle of the main island to the coast. On scene were our fire bearing hero, who has been making quite a name for herself as well as her avian, earth screeching friend. Together, they combined their efforts to bring down a local god and another element on the loose. The Nilneigh Islands have been in an uproar at the sight. Many witnesses have exclaimed their distaste for Equestrian Ministries Incorporated, claiming that the sole reason for the angering of gods has been their involvement into the preservation of ancient relics a desecration of their island’s history and local natives.

“The Marsh Lands are no longer the home to the late water tribe and now a sun burnt wasteland, with no tell of life ever returning. It is now deemed an unsafe No Pony Land. The resistance leader if the Quetzalcoatl Liberation Front has stated that anypony or creature on sight in the area will be labeled as a contain or eliminate on sight.”

“In other news, the Heroes of Equestria have prevented another disaster. Many have heard the tale of The Pony of Shadows. An evil force that once threatened Equestria long ago. It was due to the courageous efforts of Starswirl and his Pillars that this force of evil was contained. With the instability of our realm, it was only a matter of time before it would rear its’ ugly head around. But once again, Harmony and friendship saves the day. The fabled story heroes have returned and have turned their dedicated efforts to aid in the reconstruction of balance to our land. In other diplomatic news, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been seen leaving the castle to aid with neighboring leaders in an effort to unite the races together. The appearance of elemental monsters terrorizing the roads and travelers from all over have lessened, in due part to the inspirational fire borne hero and her friends.

“However, my dear listeners, it is still quite dangerous to be on the road alone. If you ever see any creature bearing the sigil of a chimera cross and are in danger, rely on them. The Hunter’s Agency and Animal Collection are dedicated to ensuring ecosystematic stability for all Equestrian kind. To wrap up tonight’s report, the Equestrian Ministries Inc. has announced a grand gala in the heart of Hoofington. A one night only event that will be attended by the highest of influential Hoofington leaders. Invitation only. This is Anchor Press, Equestrian Wide News, signing off.”

---

“Well? What do you think?” Stout Pipe beamed. I stood on a small step podium and looked at myself in the three way mirror. Stout Pipe had found me on the streets of Trottsberg as they had been liberated by the Quetzalcoatl Resistance while all eyes were on the actual Quetzalcoatl. During it all, Stout Pipe had an insane inspirational moment. Even when the bay side town was on the verge of being destroyed or ignoring the liberation efforts, he was locked in his shop and sewing away.

Scribble stood beside Stout Pipe, writing down in his journal. He looked up and closed his journal, slinging it to his side belt.

“Interesting design.” He said. Indeed it was. I was wearing the finished design of the prototype outfit from earlier. It was a hoodie cloak. The grey base etched in gold to outline the fiery mix of warm colors that flowed around the cuffs of the sleeves and the edges. The flames at the bottom rose to the middle and morphed into a pair of wings that displayed brilliantly on my back. In the middle was the Equestrian symbol of fire. The design gave it a bit of a regal look while keeping it modern and comfortable. I loved it. I was even given a free grey shirt underneath the hoodie cloak. I felt a nice warmth and snugness of the light fabric.

I tossed my hood up and it draped a little too forward, but I think I could manage it. It wasn’t blocking my horn in an annoying way. I turned to Stout Pipe and beaned.

“I love it! Though, wish I could have taken a shower first before trying it on. The Marsh Lands was… drier than expected.” I said. Stout Pipe waved a hoof.

“No need to worry. It uses a material that can only be found in Pony Land. Strong, light but able to wash easily. And if it ever tears, I can give you some stitch free coupons for any time you visit back here or any other Stout Pipe’s Victorian Boutique. Exclusive to Pony Land!” He then rubbed the back of his head. “I am thinking about branching to mainland Equestria, but that was impossible to do thanks to the Triad. But now that the resistance had liberated us, I can make plans for it!” He said gleefully.

I smiled before looking at Scribble.

“Sure you don’t want to pick anything out?” I asked. Scribble shook his head.

“My own barding has protected me just fine.” I then furrowed my look. Scribble blinked. “Something on my face?” He asked. Okay. It’s bugging me. I reached into his saddle bag and withdrew the monument papers.

“You know, since we keep running into the other bearers by chance, are we sure these things are reliable? I wouldn’t be surprised if we walked out of here and bumped into Tenebres or somecreature else.” I stated. Scribble sighed.

“You can try to at least ask before going through my stuff.” He said. Stout Pipe smiled and waved to us as we left the store.

“Remember! Spread the word!” He called out. I looked over my shoulder and nodded with a smile. Stout Pipe was an overall swell provider of clothing. Indeed, I might have to talk to Princess Celestia and Luna about seeing if we can make a deal to get his clothing overseas. They just felt so snug. I scanned through the papers, ignoring the whispering and chatting as they saw me walk down the road with Scribble at me side. He looked around and hummed.

"Guess that's a no way on the down low?" He asked. I blinked and looked at him, realizing what he was getting at.

"Oh? Oh. You mean everypony looking at us? Well... me, I guess." I said. I then began to feel subconscious about myself. It was a lot easier to think when I wasn't so... looked at. I kept close to Scribble as the stallion scanned the scrolls I levitated in front of us.

"Let's see... Where the waves sing and the sun sparkles. Take a ride, to Neverland. Where the evil witch sleeps, descend into the abyss. You won't want to miss..." Scribble furrowed his brows. I pointed at it.

"I remember Kale mentioning Katarina. She was a witch thousands of years ago. This must be Aquarius's monument. Catlyn found her gem in Katarina's tomb." I explained. Scribble rubbed his chin as we took a turn towards the docks.

"Why would Katarina have something that belongs to a power element?" Scribble asked, more to himself. I looked at the monument scrolls and began to circle them and began pulling aside the ones we came across. That left three more. I stuffed the ones we knew in Scribble's saddle bag (the stallion gave me an annoyed look) as I scanned the ones we have yet to see.

"Here sleeps the goddess of creation. Her secrets buried with her tomb. Follow the singing rite. Only then will you see the light." I recited one scroll. I rubbed my chin. "There was one element that we didn't know the name of, but Din said it in passing. Lux." I said. Scribble nodded.

"Light in Latin. That sounds about right. But... goddess of creation? What could that mean?" Scribble asked. I shrugged.

"Beats me. Let's see... When the light fades and the night rises. Listen to the sound of the song. Descend into the dark and embrace it in your heart." I scrunched my muzzle. "That sounds... pleasant. But... when the light fades and the night rises... What could that possibly mean? The princesses?" I asked as we descended the wooden steps to the dock and walked towards the Lion's Mane. Scribble hummed.

"There are many places where the light can fade and it feels like eternal night. This song, though. I guess it is somewhere specific. Where you can hear the song." he said. I then looked to the last one.

"Bound in shackles, but a frozen will. Hear this maiden's cry. For the battle will remain in ice." I read. I scratched my head. "Is it me, or are the Heroes of Equestria not able to properly write?" I stated. "No offense to them. It's just... it feels like they just kind of were unable to decipher most of it and only put down what they could." Scribble shrugged.

"I'm not complaining. Perhaps we can ask Thi about it." he said as we began to trot up the ramp to the Lion's Mane. The felines of the Lion's Mane went about their usual business as we boarded the ship. I saw Catlyn and Sharp Eye chatting amongst each other over the starboard side. I told Scribble to ask Thi about them while I went to chat. I had something on my mind that I need sated. I trotted up to the two and Sharp Eye looked at me and tipped her hat.

"How was the scouting. Like the new look." she said with a smile. I sighed and waved a hoof.

"It's so bizarre. There is still much of the island the QLF have to liberate in order to push back the Triad. Yet, Trottsberg was a vital part of their war effort." I said. "What I find funny is that they used our 'clash of the gods' as everycreature in Equestria seems to call it, as a distraction." Catlyn nodded.

"Aye. Triad were settin' up coast side weapons, leavin' the back unguarded. What they didn't expect was for ye' all to fly back into the island. By the time they were going to turn around, they were greeted by the QLF." she explained, taking a sip from her tankard. I snorted.

"Good riddance. At least I know I helped somewhat even if I wasn't directly involved." I said sourly. Sharp Eye tilted her head.

"And that troubles you?" she asked. I shook my head. I then looked over to the port bow and saw Zalas staring longingly out into the sea. Catyln scratched her chin.

"She's been quiet ever since you brought her back from the Marsh Lands. Hasn't spoken a word to me an' the crew. I'm afraid to ask what happened." she said with a concerned look. I wiggled a hoof at her.

"Let's just say... things didn't go as black and white." I said. That reminds me. Not only was Zalas hurt from all of the heartache. I noticed Flitter and Cloudchaser having a different atmosphere. I looked around, unable to spot them. "Where's... Cloudchaser and Flitter?" I asked. Sharp Eye pointed into the town.

"Taking a walk around town. I guess they needed some fresh air." she said. I looked towards the town, hoping to spot them either coming back or just having left. But no sign of a pretty cool mare and a seriously awesome one. I sighed and rubbed my foreleg. I'm going to have to confront them sooner or later. But for now, I looked to Zalas.

"Captain Catlyn. When do you expect us to leave?" I asked. Catlyn looked towards the setting sun over the ocean waters.

"We leave at dawn. Better tide to set sail. And that also means I get to try somethin' new." she smirked. I cocked my head, remembering what I was going to ask.

"Earlier before the whole Quetzalcoatl fiasco, you stated you had a plan. What was it?" I asked. Catlyn motioned with her head towards the ocean and I reared up to look over the side as Sharp Eye and Catlyn turned. Catlyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She held up a paw and made an upward swishing motion. I gapped as I saw the water bubble and then a geyser of water spray high into the air, creating a rainbow. I was impressed at the sight. Catlyn then grunted as she waved her paws, the water beginning to swirl and a small whirlpool was created. She then swished her paws and the whirlpool suddenly floated up into a bubble. The water spiraling inside of it, contained and controlled. Catlyn panted a bit before tossing an outstretched paw and sent the bubble sailing like a canon ball. It splashed into the water and a pillar of a typhoon rose up before splashing and spraying the air with water. Sharp Eye tipped her hat up in awe.

"Impressive. Is that what you've been doing this entire time?" she asked. Catlyn panted and leaned over the railing, taking a sip of her tankard she had placed down.

"It's... a little hard to understand. But Aquarius has been taking your little 'search for answers' saying seriously. She's been hinting at what I can do and how I can manage it. But she forever remains quiet half the time." she said. I nodded.

"You'll get used to it. Then you'll forget you have a power element inside of you and commenting on everything you do." I said with a bit of annoyance than I would care to express. Catlyn wiped her brow and exhaled.

"It's takin' a lot out of me to do somethin' like that. I figured I'd use it to aid the Lion's Mane charge into battle. There would be no way I'd keep up with you both during your little tussle. So, aside from trying to learn my powers for now, I helped in taking out the Triad." She smirked. "Did most o' the work before the mercenaries showed up. Everything just fell into place." I was impressed. I don't know if felines today are even adapted at magic. Katarina was the last witch in history for their kind. But then again, not much is known about Labyrinthia, so who am I to say? I glanced over at Zalas and looked to the two.

"I'll... be back." I said, waving to them softly before trotting past them and over to Zalas. Zalas didn't seem to acknowledge my approach. "Zalas?" I asked. Zalas didn't say anything. I rubbed the back of my head. "S-sorry for disturbing your thoughts. I just... want to ask you what you had planned for yourself?" Zalas finally cast a glance in my direction. I continued. "We don't necessarily need the union of the Elements of Power until the Summer Solstice. So... if you need more time to yourself, you're free to." I then noticed a snake slithering over the shoulder of the lizard. It looked at me and tasted the air. I balked. "Quetzalcoatl!?" I exclaimed. The snake nodded. Zalas finally spoke without taking her eyes off the ocean.

"Quetzalcoatl and I have converssssed a lot after our little sssspat." she began. "We have no where elsssse to go. Our people no longer to provide Quetzalcoatl hissss form. I... do not even know where to begin." I smiled softly.

"Well, you can always stick with us if you want. It'd be a nice change of pace to have you along." I stated. Zalas looked to me now.

"I appreciate the offer. But Quetzalcoatl wantssss to sssseee a bit more of the world. Assss hisss lasssst follower. I will follow where he will want to go." she said. I nodded.

"I understand, Zalas. I'm... sorry about everything that happened." I said. Zalas shook her head.

"It wassss my misssplacement in faith that doomed my people. That did not give my god more power to ssssave ussss." She softly pet Quetzalcoatl on the head with a single claw, which the snake didn't seem to mind. "Do not worry, my pony friend. I will join you in the Ssssolssstice when the time comes. I pray for your ssssafe ssssearch for the remaining power elementssss." she said. I softly smiled at her.

"Don't be afraid to ask for help, Zalas. Especially from me and my friends. We'll help you in anyway we can." I said. Zalas returned to staring back out to the sea, Quetzalcoatl joining her. I turned to walk away, spying a pigeon fly down to the ship. Scribble and Thi were on the other side of the ship, but Scribble was untying something from the pigeon. I trotted over to them, Thi giving me a welcoming smile before rubbing her chin.

"We still have carrier pigeons? How vintage." she said. Scribble unfolded the paper and scanned it. He suddenly turned pale. Thi and I exchanged glances. "Scribble?" she asked. Scribble darted his eyes in thought before turning to us.

"It's Marquis. He... believes he found something I would want to see in person." he held up the paper. "He states that he would be waiting at Manehatten Square. What he's doing there, I do not know." he said. I smiled.

"Huh. Never been there. What's it like?" I asked. Scribble shrugged.

"Nothing special aside from it being a hub of advertisements and where some seasonal events happen.” He stated. Thi then pointed at him.

“So, why so pale if he wants you to see something?” She asked. Scribble sighed as the pigeon flew away.

“Do you two remember me turning in some notes to the timid looking pony before we left Canterlot?” He asked. We nodded. “Those notes were something I found that would hopefully lead my organization to a discovery. One I’ve been hunting for for a while. Marquis agreed to help study the notes while I would continue searching for more clues.” I tilted my head.

“So… what’s the big deal?” I asked. Scribble pocketed the paper in his saddle bag.

“You ever heard of the village Pleasant Hope?” He asked us. Thi and I shook our heads. Scribble gestured with his hooves as he spoke. “It wouldn’t be well known before. A little hamlet tucked away in a valley off near Neighagra Falls. They kept to themselves most of the time. A nice community of ponies.” He bowed his head a bit. “I grew up there.” Thi and I exchanged glances. Why is Scribble not looking so pleased about his home village? “You wouldn’t expect a small village to be the talk of the time. But when word got out that the village was destroyed and only a hoof full of residents were the last ones alive, then no pony could ignore it.” My jaw dropped and Thi gave a concerned look. Scribble sighed. “It was due to a monster attack. Or to be specific, a territory dispute. The village was collateral. I… was away attending a school at the time.”

He sat down and withdrew his journal. He flipped to a page and read: “Pleasant Hopeless. Territory dispute leaves town unsalvageable. The once quiet town near Neighagra Falls was a site to a brutal monster attack between a Chimera and a Bugbear. Casualties remain to be counted. No word on what caused the village to be the center of the dispute.” Thi furrowed her brows.

“A Chimera and a Bugbear?” She asked. Scribble nodded.

“Chimeras do not like being in areas populated by ponies. They are deep forest creatures. And Bugbears avoid any populace unless provoked. So, why would a Chimera and a Bugbear be fighting for territory over a village?” He explained. Thi pointed at him.

“Were they… led to the village?” She asked. Scribble shrugged.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. I created M.E.S.S. in order to study such behaviors in hopes of understanding what led to such conflict. My organization was just myself and Marquis. But we ended up becoming a bit bigger than expected. Which was fine. Doing something to help out Equestria while aligning with my own goals.” He said. I rubbed my chin.

“So… what exactly did you find that you passed off to Marquis?” I asked. Scribble reached into his journal and withdrew a strange drawing.

“I’m hoping he would explain it himself. Let’s just say, my investigation has been hitting a lot of dead ends and this is the only thing I have a lead on.” He said. The drawing was hard to make out. If Scribble says he’s bad at drawing, he wasn’t lying. The childlike drawing of a goofy looking creature with a disfigured body and face was almost kind of adorable. Scribble put the paper back in and closed his journal. “I’m going to have a word with Captain Catlyn. She was planning on taking us to San Palomino, but since our lovely friend isn’t present, there is no point in going out of our way.” He said. Thi sighed and kicked the deck a bit.

“Yeah. I wasn’t expecting her to just walk away from us like that. She did say she wasn’t on sides with anypony. That’s on me for having nostalgia kick in.” She said. I looked at them with worry.

“N-now that we have a moment of respite… what happened to you all while I was dragged away?” I asked. Thi and Scribble exchanged glances. Thi nodded and Scribble trotted past me and over to Catlyn. Thi motioned with her head and I followed her up to the back of the ship. She took a seat on a barrel and I sat down in front of her.

“Well… I just want you to be aware of what we discussed earlier. You did prove me wrong, but I also told you we aren’t going on a field trip.” She said. That only made my anxiety increase. Thi then explained everything. How she escaped with her old team and liberated the prison. How she and the others were rushing to find me and Flitter. And when she got to the part of Flitter being tested on, I felt a nipping anger and shock mixed. What surprised me more was how she told me Cloudchaser had led to a pony’s death. My heart ached for them both. And what’s worse, I somehow felt responsible for it. Thi rubbed the back of her neck.

“Listen, I know you brought them along for selfish wants, but I did warn you. They are not in the best state for sure. From this point on, you are going to have watch their behaviors. Otherwise, things will be red. And I rather keep it grey. Get my meaning?” She said. I bowed my head, unable to respond. Thi sighed. “Fie. I…. I have to apologize to you for not being truthful. I am an archeologist, so it was the half truth. But if I told you all of that without you seeing it for yourself, you wouldn’t have believed me. And I… wanted that more than anything. I just wanted to keep us together as best friends and not… protector or anything more.” She tapped the barrel in thought. “Fate is cruel and destiny is a bitch.” I could only nod softly in agreement.

My mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts. What am I even doing?? I’ve hurt ponies before, but it was always under rules. And lately, it had just been monsters and primal lackeys as well as gods and power elements. I can’t even imagine having to kill a pony. I thought back to when Scribble first showed us his skills while we were chased by the Triad. Did Scribble kill those ponies? And from what Scribble told me and what I’ve seen from Thi, it isn’t the first time she has done so. I put a hoof on my head. Dammit… what can I do??

Be your best self, Fie.

The voice echoed in my head and I shook my head. So far, my best hasn’t been the best self. Thi slid off the barrel and put a reassuring hoof on my shoulder.

“I don’t mind doing the dirty work. But even if we hit so many rocky roads, we are still ponies in the end. We are friends. We have to look out for each other through even the darkest times. I wasn’t there for you when I should have and thought I was doing everypony a favor. But I see that it wasn’t the best choice to make.” She said. I sighed and looked up at her.

“What happened to us, Thi?” I asked. Thi opened her muzzle to saw something but stopped and furrowed her brows. She sighed and shrugged.

“I can’t say for sure. But all I know is that I’m back and I am ready to make up for lost time. I just hope you can forgive me for heading off on my own.” She said. She then smiled and pointed past me. “They are back. Wanna’ check up on them?” I blinked and looked over my shoulder. I could see Cloudchaser and Flitter floating over the side of the ship and landing while they conversed with each other. I felt my heart race. Not out of nervousness for seeing Cloudchaser, but what I was afraid to hear from them.

I took a deep breath and nodded, standing up and walking over to them. I felt my anxiety rise steadily as I approached them.

“… It’s like… I dunno. Like somehow a switch turned on. It’s hard to explain, sis.” Cloudchaser said weakly. Flitter looked exhausted but she nodded.

“I appreciate you for everything, sis. We’ve always been together and I don’t ever want to see you go down a path you shouldn’t. I’ve seen how hard you’ve been pushing yourself to be better. And I’m sure Rainbow Dash would approve of you being an amazing Wonder Bolt. But…” she then looked at me and her eyes widened. “Fie?” Cloudchaser turned to me and I could see her eyes. You know how you can tell something is not okay with somepony, yet they just seem to act normal and nothing is wrong? I gave them a small smile.

“H-hey you two. How’s… the walk?” I asked, trying to ease up into the conversation. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

“Okay, I guess. We got to see some of the local tourist spots.” She said with a soft smile. Flitter reached back into her saddle bag and pulled out a neatly home knit scarf.

“A nice old mare gave this to us. Thought we were her granddaughters for a bit.” She said with a small smile. “I think Rumble would like it.” Cloudchaser snickered.

“Or Thunderlane.” She said. Flitter flushed and fidgeted.

“Not funny, sis.” She said. I looked between the two. They were acting like nothing is wrong. I sighed softly. I shouldn’t push it. They are coping in some way or form and what I can do is be my best self for them. As much as it pains me to not handle the matter, I just have to be a bit more careful from now on. Thi then trotted up to us and waved past us.

“Thought you were going to be moving onto the next town?” She said. I looked at her in confusion before turning to see Cassette trot up to the ramp. He smiled softly and I immediately noticed the two mares turning a pink shade of red. I couldn’t help but slump. Wasn’t CC just teasing about Thunderlane to Flitter? Seeing Cloudchaser suddenly beet red had me on a mixed rollercoaster.

“Figured I drop by and congratulate you all for keeping your heads up. I know it got a little hectic in there, but to see you all safe just makes me know I can rest a little easier.” He said, winking at the two. The sisters giggled and shyly fidgeted. I shot a stoic glare at the stallion while Thi rolled her eyes.

“Is that all you are here for?” She asked. Cassette waved a hoof at her.

“Dinner and a kiss goodbye?” He grinned. Thi let out a chuckle before waving a hoof at him.

“As much as free dinner sounds, I’d rather kiss myself and say how damn badass I am.” She said with pride. Cassette chuckled lightheartedly before nodding.

“Ah well. I still owe you. But no, I am here about Lo Mein.” His look turned serious now. “Seeing as she’s not on this ship and heading to San Palomino, I can only assume she was hired by somepony else.” He said. Thi sighed and nodded.

“Seems that way. I had to uh… stay back and watch over egghead and CC. Not that I wasn’t able to stop her or anything…” she said, scrunching her muzzle. Cassette shook his head.

“Our inside mole had reported that they were experimenting on a certain drug conditioning.” He said. Flitter stiffened and Cloudchaser’s look turned into a frown. “Bad bit of business. It causes whoever effected by it to follow a trigger word and whatever was imprinted into their minds.” He looked at Flitter and Cloudchaser, seeing their reactions. “We’re trying to find a way to reverse the effects. Heard there was a scientist in the kingdom if Finece. Hopefully, King Plutonium will be kind enough to help out.” He explained. I saw a bit of relief from the two.

“Alright, lazy arses! Get some shut eye! We set sail by dawn!!” Catlyn shouted behind us. The felines on the boat began to scurry about as they were finishing up last minute things. Sharp Eye walked over to us as Scribble trotted over after giving Catlyn a nod.

“Manehatten is our return stop. Catlyn doesn’t want us to go into the docks so she’ll take us near the pier and will row us to shore.” He said. Cassette grinned.

“Guess that’s my cue to head back. Don’t be strangers here. Trottsberg is a liberated town and will do its’ best to provide. And considering the show you put on for them, they’ll be talking about it for a long while.” He snickered. “What luck I named us after Quetzalcoatl himself. Take care, everypony.” He said. He then turned to Cloudchaser and Flitter, giving them a handsome wink before trotting down the ramp. Flitter shyly waved while Cloudchaser smiled with a blush. My mood was so mixed right now, I don’t even know how to react to any of what just happened. But… is it really my place to argue?

It’s not just about you, Fie. I sighed and rubbed my head. I then saw Thi reach for her tankard and was about to take a sip when I overwrote her own magic and pulled it towards me. I tossed my head back and chugged the fizzy ale. Thi blinked as I pulled away, giving a satisfying exhale before standing up and giving it back to her. I turned around and walked towards the open floor door.

“I’m going to bed…” I said. My friends must have looked at me in confusion but feeling sad, depressed and unsure of anything, I would rather sleep through it all with some warm ale in my belly. Finding an empty hammock, I climbed into it and laid on my back. I stared at the ceiling for a good bit, lost in my thoughts about what happened today. Funny. I thought it would have been a day or two. Hard to tell what time it was in the facility. Sleep soon found me.

I had another strange dream. I was floating through space once again. I was by myself and just floating alone. It was quiet. Deafening so. It felt like forever as I was drifting through space, asleep and serene. My eyes opened and I didn’t realize I had touched solid ground. I looked down and saw white sand. I tilted my head and scooped up a bit of it. It was soft and powdery. I dropped it into the ground before looking over to see a giant, blue sphere with green and white dotting the landscape.

It was Equestria. Behind the horizon of the sphere was the flash of sun rays. It was an amazing sight to behold. I then realized I was standing on the moon. Is this what Princess Luna witnessed when she was banished? I looked around and saw how lonely it was. It was quiet. No pony to talk too. Just your thoughts and only the beautiful scenery to keep you occupied. I felt extremely small. I began to walk forward in no particular direction for what felt like hours before coming to a stop and looking up.

I could see some shooting stars in the distance. For whatever reason, my vision scoped into one of the stars and I gasped. It looked like an egg. Or more so a sleeping beast with wings curled around it to look like an egg. It was followed by three more stars. I couldn’t tell what they were as they looked to be just normal space rocks. But my attention was drawn to the sleeping beast. I then looked down and saw Twilight sitting down and looking up at the sight. Upon seeing her, she turned her head to look over her shoulder and smiled a motherly smile at me.

I walked over to Twilight and sat down next to her, staring up at the dark, vastness of space and the spectacle of the shooting stars slowly moving overhead. I don’t know how long I was staring, but eventually, I looked down to Twilight. She met my look and mouthed something that I couldn’t understand. I tilted my head in confusion. If only I knew lip reading. Twilight then stood up and took off into the sky. I watched as her figure became smaller and smaller as she sailed into space.

I then felt myself suddenly being picked up, the moon falling underneath me. My eyes closed and I found myself drifting into space, sleeping noiselessly.

---

The trip back took us three days to manage. Day one, nothing special happened. It was helping out the Black Whiskers with the ship, singing shanties and bantering with each other. That seemed to help my friends take their minds off of things for a time. On that night, I noticed both Flitter and Cloudchaser tossing and turning in their sleep. Must be some sort of twin apathy or something. But I suspected they were currently replaying the events that happened over in their heads.

The second day had some mishaps along the way. A feline had fallen overboard due to too many drinks and we were unfortunately over shark infested waters. Catlyn had to save them by using her powers, which she seemed to have improved on. She kicked the snapping hammer head back into the water and sighed.

“Get the cat some ale and a blanket. Sleep it off, Koot. Ye’ll bounce back.” She said. As the feline was being tended too, I walked over to her and smiled.

“You’re improving.” I said. Catlyn winked as she put a paw on her hip.

“Gotta’ keep up somehow. Gwyen and you seem to have it figured out.” She said. I frowned and shook my head.

“Honestly, I think Sharp Eye has more control over it. Probably due to Gaia being err… down to earth.” I said. Catlyn cocked a brow.

“And… Din is…?” She asked. I shrugged.

“A lazy hothead who really only tosses her weight around when challenged or… insulted for some odd reason.” I heard some shifting in the back of my head. I furrowed my brows. “She got completely upset when Quetzalcoatl decided to use her own powers. She also seemed to disapprove of her sisters flaunting it so much as well.” Catlyn snickered.

“So, she’s the enforcer?” She asked. There was a low growl in the back of my mind. I ignored it and shrugged.

“I… don’t know. Din may not care for what she speaks, but she seems to have a better grasp of the situation we are in. I think at least. She usually just laughs and grins evilly through it all.” I said. Catlyn and I discussed a bit more of our own element’s personalities and from some of her expressions, she was probably feeling Aquarius in her head as well. But I didn’t care. They want to take over our bodies when they want too? Then we are free to talk about them in our own opinions.

I then met up with Thi and Flitter, who were discussing something that dealt with sharpshooting. Sharp Eye heard the conversation and joined in. I felt lost after they began talking about the numbers and science behind it.

“I thought you hated math in CSGU.” I said to Thi. Thi shrugged.

“I never liked the process of doing it on paper. Talking about it just feels right. Hooves on experience and all that.” She said. I slumped. Guess there is still plenty of lost time to catch up on for sure. I walked away and saw Cloudchaser by herself, fumbling with something. I tilted my head as she was messing with what appeared to be some sort of hoof gauntlet. I smiled and walked up to her.

"What are you doing?" I asked. Cloudchaser grunted as she bit down on the strap and pulled, straightening out her hooves.

"I bought something that I could use a bit more protection for my hooves." she said. "I injured myself a couple of times in the Triad facility. I uhh... also thought it was cool." she chuckled nervously. I smiled and with my magic, I fixed her carbon hoof gauntlet. I even fixed the other one she had strapped onto the other. She flexed her forelegs and hooves before doing several jabs out. She smiled and looked to me. "So. Like the new digs. Personally made?" she asked. I blinked and looked down at myself. I nodded and did a pirouette, the bottom of the cloak hoodie spinning with the motion before stopping and grinning.

"A pony I met stitched it for me. I get to keep it so long as I make free advertisement for them." I said. Cloudchaser snickered.

"But wearing that means you already are." she said. I nodded and pat my chest.

"I was thinking that everytime we saved ponies, I would just announce 'Hey! I did all of that in fashionable and protective style! Directly from the Stout Pipe Boutique. Looking to expand in Equestria! Give a shout out!'" I said with a wink. Cloudchaser laughed and I joined her. I then had a thought and shyly tapped my hoof tips together. "H-hey, Cloudchaser?" I began.

"Hmm?" she hummed. I blushed and fidgeted a bit.

"A-are we still on for that Little Neighpon da- I mean, uhh... look around?" I said, quickly saving myself. Cloudchaser blinked.

"Oh, when we reach Manehatten? Sure, if we got time to kill. Honestly, I could use the distraction." She said with a soft smile. I felt my heart soar. Yes! Bagged a date! Well... not really. A... best friend thing? I had a small dawning realization. Huh... when Thi and I hung out, it was either drinking or jokes. Sometimes the occasional fighting. I sighed. Yeah, it's just a best friend thing. For now. I then saw her look. She seemed out of it a bit. I looked worriedly at her.

"Are you sure everything is okay? You know... you can vent to me." I said. Cloudchaser seemed to hesitate before rubbing her foreleg.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." she said. I shook my head.

"I've heard what happened from Thi. I just... want to know if you two are going to be okay. Or at least, how do you feel about this whole thing?" I gulped and really did not want to say this. But I had to be my best self. "If it's... enough for you guys, you are free to return home. No pony will judge you." I said. Cloudchaser then shot a glare at me that caught me completely by surprise.

"Rainbow Dash would. And all of the Wonder Bolts as well. All of Equestria would talk about how two mares who were tasked as representatives to the Wonder Bolts to aid in saving Equestria chickened out because it got a little too hairy. No, I'm not going to half ass anything anymore. I'm going to give it one hundred and twenty percent more than that. I have to get stronger. For mine and Flitter's sake. We swore an oath being in the Wonder Bolts and we won't tarnish that name." She turned to me, causing me to shrink a bit at her glare. "I'm not stepping away from this. You have my word on that, Fie. Flitter will tell you the same thing." She suddenly growled and scraped her hooves into a frustrative buck. "I was too weak in that moment. We could have done something. Flitter jumped in to save you and it got her captured. And what did I do? Just sat there on the ground, trying to get my bearings. I won't make that mistake again. Not to Flitter or to you." I was speechless. I didn't know how to respond to this. I opened my mouth to say something but thought better of it. I sighed and rubbed my foreleg.

"I'm... sorry, CC. I just... know it's been a little hard lately. Thi warned me on somethings and I... kind of just..." I gave a frustrated groan. "I'm such an idiot sometimes." Cloudchaser studied me before sighing and smiled.

"Well, of course you are." She said. I blinked and looked up at her. "You took down a Roc. Jumped in to save Bulk Biceps and me for that matter. Jumped into a rampaging whirlpool to fight an octopus and then talked a god into reconciling with one of his followers. All that is impossible by most pony standards." She smirked. "I'm giving you a little too much credit. But it's thanks to you that we are able to head back to Mainland Equestria." I rubbed my foreleg again, but smiled with a small blush. "You're an idiot. But a brave one at that." I chuckled softly.

"I guess... I still need to learn how to be a proper hero." I said. The rest of the night was me just chatting away with Cloudchaser. That night, I had another strange dream. But this time, I was sitting on the moon, staring up at the giant blue and green ball. The sun shimmering over the distant horizon with the stars around me with the same dazzle that always seem to make you appreciate your time in this world. I stared at the sight for such a long time that it was like time was standing still with only the blue ball's clouds moving ever so slightly.

"A particularly interesting place you dream of." I looked over my shoulder to see Princess Luna descend from wherever she appeared from. I wasn't sure why I wasn't so surprised. I figured this was a dream. Luna walked over and sat down next to me. We stared at the sight and after a bit, I broke the silence.

"What was it like up here?" I asked. Luna seemed to look contemplative before casting a curious glance at me.

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked. I motioned around the barren cratered area.

"Forgive me if this seems to be a bit of a touchy subject. But being banished on the moon for a thousand years... I can see it being very lonely. Having to walk these endless white sands with nothing but your thoughts." I stated. Luna hummed.

"I had Nightmaremoon to keep me company at that time. The memory is hazy, but there were times where I would see this particular sight when my sister would raise the sun." she said. "I always did feel the longing for home and my sister's warmth again. But Nightmaremoon would continue to poison my mind. I have Twilight Sparkle and her friends to thank for showing me the light and reconciling with my sister." I snickered softly.

"You know. I bet you sometimes get asked if the moon was actually made of cheese." I said. Princess Luna smiled.

"A few times. I would always tease the guards with how delicious it tasted and then see them get in trouble by the chef for digging in their cheese supplies." she said. I smiled and looked ahead.

"I dreamt of this place yesterday too. Twilight was here with me. Or... it wasn't our Twilight. Some sort of visage that resembles her." I explained. "We watched these shooting stars overhead. One in particular was a winged looking beast." Luna looked up and pointed.

"Like that?" she asked. I followed her direction and saw the four shooting stars slowly sailing across space. I nodded.

"Yeah. Not sure what that is. But this is a dream. Whenever it's a primal dream, I'm either being flaunted around by Ouroboros or somehow wandering into a domain of the seven." I explained. Luna rubbed her chin.

"This visage of Twilight, you speak of. Anything that stuck out?" she asked. I nodded.

"Her smile always had this motherly look. As if she was looking at me like her foal. There was another dream I had with her, but she seemed to only state that she would be forever an observer." Luna hummed in my response.

"Interesting." she said. I took a moment before looking up to Luna.

"I heard you and Celestia have been pretty busy on your end. The Pillars and the Elements of Harmony having stopped the Pony of Shadows while I was gone." I said. Luna nodded.

"Indeed. Twilight and Starswirl explained that they were 'fixing a paradox'. Whatever that entailed, it meant they had to tell Ouroboros off and all these other counter measures to make sure he wouldn't intervene." she said. I shook my head.

"That's unusual, considering his bylaws. I was told he made an exception with Starswirl in order to fix the breach of one of the laws. But I guess, whatever Starswirl figured out made sense to do." I snorted. "And here I was almost threatened to get killed by him." Princess Luna covered me with a reassuring wing and smiled.

"Starswirl was pulled out so suddenly he couldn't get his bearings. He was thrown into this out of the blue as much as you have. Yet, his was killing him. He was aging because he was pulled out too early. Ouroboros kept antagonizing our mentor because he never forgave him for what he did years ago." she said. My eyes widened in shock. Princess Luna arched a brow. "I take it you know exactly what it was about?" she asked. I nodded slowly.

"Partially." I began. I explained to her one dream where Ouroboros was having the conversation with Twilight and how I was apparently a direct descendant of Starswirl the Bearded and a primal. This news came at a shock to Princess Luna. I finished it up by stating the last image I saw of that dream. How Twilight was united with Equestria against three beings and how me and the seven restored whatever effect was occurring. When I finished, Luna was quietly staring ahead.

"That is a lot to take in. Do you believe to be the case that you are, in fact, a primal?" she asked. I shrugged softly.

"I have no idea what to believe in anymore. Like Starswirl, I was thrown into all of this. Ever since, it's been full steam ahead and it hasn't slowed down. I... still wish it was somepony else." I said. Princess Luna smiled.

"But there is no pony better for the job than you. It has been written in the stars." she said. I rubbed my foreleg nervously.

"B-but... what will happen to us after the fact? Will we be dead and the seven elements go back to maintaining the balance passively? Or will we ascend to a higher plane and never to be heard or seen from again?" I stated. Princess Luna sadly looked at me.

"That, young one, I wish I could give an answer for. But know that the responsibility is great and you are greater. When the time comes, I have full faith that you will have figured out what to do." she said reassuringly. I looked up to her and nodded slowly. The area around us rippled and Luna looked up. Her wings began to flap and she started flying up. She looked down to me as the sky seemed to morph and twist. "Do not give up hope, Quiet Fire! You and the seven are Equestria's saviors! Befriend the hosts!" she called out as she was sucked away and vanished. I woke up to the next day in sweat. I really needed to take a shower.

The third day has been boring. Life on the seas seems romantic in passing. But the traveling appears to be as null and dull as Hoofington. But then again, the Black Whiskers don't usually act as a transportation ship. They are pirates. They live for the adventure. This must be just as boring to them as it is me. The waters were calm and the cold wind of winter began to blow through. My friends had redressed into their old attire with the exception of Thi Billette's new denim jacket. I looked over the starboard side of the ship and sighed as the distant sea seemed to be just as lonely as the moon. I suddenly balked as I saw Zalas next to me, leaning over and staring out to sea with Quetzalcoatl on her shoulders. She was wearing a tattered cloak that draped all the way down to her knees. She cast a glance to me.

"Quiet Fire." she began. I rubbed the back of my head.

"Err... Fie is fine. How can I help you?" I asked. This was sudden. Zalas turned to me.

"I've been wondering what it issss like in the Mainland. What can Quetzalcoatl and I find out there?" she asked. I smiled at her.

"Oh. Well, uhh... I don't really know of any special places to visit. Thi might be good to ask that question too. I can only really tell you that we are going to be near a city called Manehatten. It's... a lot different than Trottsberg. And bigger." I said. Zalas tilted her head.

"Doessss this city have any other creaturessss such as mysssself?" she asked. I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Sometimes. Mainland Equestria is drastically different than Pony Land. We do have like ancient ruins and such dotting the areas. When you're on the road, you'll bound to see some. Just uhhh... becareful when doing so. Sometimes a monster or two likes to take up residence in those kinds of places. And they can be pretty dangerous if not handled with caution." I said. Zalas scratched her chin.

"I ssssee... Will poniessss treat me any differently?" she asked. I smiled and turned to her.

"Oh, you'll probably turn some heads and maybe gawked at by several ponies. Probably scare them off too. Not many ponies have great judgement under stress. And since you're a foreigner, if anything, some will be curious and start asking you questions. My advice is to answer them to the best of your knowledge and if they ask for any specific detail, approach it with caution. Some ponies also like to scam gullible creatures." I explained. Zalas nodded.

"I undersssstand. I will go assssk the one who talkssss too loudly about more placessss to see." she said. I gave a snicker at her mentioning Thi in a way.

"Give her a playful slug on the shoulder for me, would ya'?" I joked. Zalas tilted her head before walking off. I then wavered my look and found the deck of the ship to be more interesting. "You could have mentioned Hoofington as a place to avoid, Fie." I said to myself. I spent the rest of the day pouting on the ship as Hoofington started to intrude in my thoughts. My father, my sister and brother. What have they've been up too? Is dad still in Manehatten or did he return back to Hoofington? I then surprised myself with another thought. I wonder what mom is doing right now? I did my best to ignore the thoughts. It helped that I heard a yelp and a sudden crash that made me look away. I saw Thi looking dazed as she was upside down over a barrel. I blinked and looked over to see Zalas with her claw in a fist and looking confused. Scribble and Sharp Eye were with her and they seemed to look on with amusement or surprise. Zalas flexed her claw as she studied it.

"Issss that not a playful punch?" she asked.

---

We arrived off the coast of Manehatten around the afternoon. The cloudy overcast and cold wind weather of Equestria blew past us as Kale and Michael along with Catlyn turned to us. Zalas stood behind us as we gathered.

"Alright, everyone. We'll be nearing the shore of Manehatten beach. We'll be off shoring ye' via dinghy." She smiled at us. "I just wanted to say, thanks for everything. If it weren't for you ponies and griffon, I would probably be in Scallywag's Locker along with all of Equestria." She then looked at me. "We agree to meet on the Spring Solstice in order to prepare for the Summer Solstice. Fie, I wish you luck in your own struggles. You've been a good friend and ally to the Black Whiskers. I apologize for how I treated ye' on our first meetin'." I smiled and waved a hoof.

"It's understandable, Captain. You were just trying to be your best self and no creature can blame you for it. You have an entire family here on the Lion's Mane and it's clear that they would do just the same." I said. Catlyn brushed her snout with a smirk.

"As if any o' these lubbards can match my family's legacy. But aye. They are my family." She smiled and held out a paw. "Don't let Din get too crazy." I grinned and shook it. She then looked to Zalas and put a paw on her hip. "And where would ye' be headin' off to?" she asked. Zalas crossed her arms.

"Here is fine. We might assss well head over to thisss Ssssphinx temple. Quetzalcoatl would like to check up on an old acquaintance." She said. Quetzalcoatl slithered his tongue out from her shoulder and gave a nod. I turned to her.

"Just becareful like I said. There could be something that has taken residence in there. And uhh... Zalas?" I began. Zalas looked to me. "I hope we can see each other as friends from now on. I know it's been a rough time, but... I would like to hear how you faired on your self-journey come Spring." I said with a small smile. Zalas finally broke into a smile.

"I... will give it ssssome thought. I pray for your own wellbeing in return... Fie...?" she said. I smiled and nodded. I was feeling really great right now. Catlyn nodded and without further ado, we boarded the dinghy, enough to fit all eight of us as I helped row with Scribble. Thankfully, the coast was clear of anypony. Catlyn hopped out and pulled the dinghy to shore. Hopping out, I shivered and tossed my hood over my head.

"Brrrr. I'm almost missing the Meridian right now." I stated. Scribble walked up to me and held out a rock.

"Hoof warmers." he said. I blinked and took the rock in my hoof. I then crushed the rock and felt a nice warmth flow on my hooves. I smiled.

"Since when did you learn how to do that?" I asked. Scribble shook his head.

"It's the same as I've always been doing. Just don't flick your hooves for a bit." he said. I blinked and looked down at my hooves.

"Oh." I said with a blank look. With the rest of my friends hopping out, I turned to Catlyn and smiled. "If you are to sail in, I'll make sure the Princessess will let the ponies here know of their honored guests the Black Whiskers." I said. Catlyn winked.

"I'll be sure to look forward to a banquet. My men could do with a proper meal than salt and fish." she said. I furrowed my look.

"I'm just glad you had enough bread to spare..." Flitter said as she rubbed her stomach with her tongue sticking out in disgust. Catlyn laughed.

"Ponies are weird. We might stick around a bit to stock up, but we'll be on our way to Death Rock Island." she said. "Aquarius thinks we have another lead to this light. And if it is anything, it'll probably be Triad." She looked at me and grinned. "Don't worry. I'm levelheaded this time. No primal going to be telling me how to run me ship." Sharp Eye smiled.

"Thanks for everything, Catlyn. It was good to see those creatures on a boat ride home." she said. Catlyn nodded.

"No worries, Gwyen. You take care now. All of ye'. And we'll see ye' again come spring. To where the wind will take you." she pushed the dinghy back in and was on her way to row out back to the ship. We all waved before turning around and walking back up the coast. When we finally arrived back into the snowy wonderland of Manehatten, the musty air of the city filled my nostrils. Good to be home. Sharp Eye tapped my shoulder and I turned to look at her with my friends. She tipped her hat.

"Fie. I've been thinkin'..." she began. "I want to check up on the folks of Appleloosa. Pop in and see Rita and Galavance if I can. I still owe them a better apology." She held out her claw and stretched it. "I'm going to help them plant even better orchards for the coming spring. With Gaia's powers of course." She then immediately held up her claws in dismissal. "I won't be letting her use them for her garden again. No, I think I found a way to get her to quiet down." I looked at her in awe.

"Really?" I asked. Sharp Eye nodded and tapped her head.

"She likes it when I dream up a garden in my head. So long as I keep her Eden active in my imagination, she'll quiet down." she said. I was stunned. Sharp Eye was the first to really understand Gaia? I felt some shifting in the back of my mind, but I ignored it. She's amazing. I'm suddenly filled with determination myself. I heard Din hum.

Have you forgotten? You haven't opened your heart to me, vessel. The amber gem appeared in front of me. It's just one touch away. I then frowned and shook my head. Maybe I need to think of another solution. I looked at Sharp Eye.

"So, are you leaving now?" I asked, a little sadly. I really enjoyed her company. Sharp Eye tipped her hat.

"It was fun being a hero and all alongside you, but I think I need a break from all the primal fighting. Don't worry, I'll keep trying to get a better grasp of Gaia's power. Catlyn has been practicing herself so I'm taking a page out of her book. And tucking it in next to Galavance's." she winked. I smiled and then hugged her. She froze a bit but then smiled and hugged me.

"Becareful." I said, pulling away. Sharp Eye nodded and looked to the rest.

"Thanks for everything, guys." she said. Flitter flew over.

"Will you be able to teach me more when we meet back up?" she asked. Sharp Eye nodded. She then widened her eyes in realization before reaching back and unslinging a bow. It looked brand new. Ivory wood and a nifty little trinket on it. She held it up to Flitter and Flitter took it, staring in awe.

"Sorry you lost your other bow back in the Nilneigh Islands. I figured I'd get you a new one. Did a bit of dealing with some of the folks on the dock. It's even got a little griffon claw carved from an emerald to resemble Gaia's gem. By yours truly." She said. Flitter suddenly beamed and hugged Sharp Eye.

"Ooohh thankyouthankyouthankyou! This is way better than an autograph!" she squeed. I couldn't help but smile. And with that, Sharp Eye tipped her hat before taking off into the sky. We waved to her until she got smaller and smaller. I dropped my hoof and felt a sudden sadness. I sighed and bowed my head. Thi walked up beside me and nudged me softly.

"Don't look to down, girl. We'll see her again. These things happen and frankly, I'm glad they are taking the initiative to better control their powers." she said with a smile. "Besides. It's not like it is goodbye forever." I rubbed my foreleg and nodded. Something tells me I have a bad feeling about all of this.

---

Heading into Manehatten was completely strange but yet familiar. After seeing Zalas off, it was like I had stepped out of the past and into the modern future. Auto and pulled wagons as usual, ponies dressed in many attires and the city looking a bit bleaker with the cloudy overcast and snow-covered stone streets. Scribble led us for a good hour through the city until we made it to an open area. Massive, crystal powered billboards towering the mane tower in the heart of the city along with several other adjacent buildings. The place was bustling with ponies going to and fro from wherever they came from. What I also noticed was the increase in police in the area. Manehatten guards roamed in pairs up and down the street. The distant Manechester Tower appearing to be under construction and probably blocked off now. Flitter flew next to Scribble, putting her hooves behind her back as she spoke.

"So, who is Marquis aside from being a co-founder?" she asked. Scribble stopped and scanned the busy square.

"He's a monster enthusiast more than I am. He always dreamt of working in a studying field on the ecological side of things. It just so happened that our goals aligned and we created M.E.S.S. in order to further it. I did most of the field work and when I'd get back, he'd start the researching process." he explained. Thi snickered.

"Sounds a little boring to be sitting at a desk and pushing paper." she said. "No offense, Flitter." Flitter shrugged.

"It's not so bad. You get to see juicy stuff if you take the time to read things." she said, giving a slightly mischievous smirk that made me and Cloudchaser narrow our eyes at her. Scribble nodded.

"Marquis doesn't like crowded places and prefers to be in a building and locked in a room most of the time. Luckily, we have an assistant that looks after him when he decides to not eat for a couple of days." He said, squinting his eyes as he scanned the square still. I looked at him with concern.

"Doesn't sound like a healthy job to do." I stated. Scribble sighed.

"He does it to himself all the time. I've tried getting him to get out more, but I'm not the type to really push ponies out of their comfort zone." he said. Thi cocked her head.

"So, why do you get all uppity about trouble causing and ponies getting hurt? You didn't seem to mind blasting Triads left and right." she said. Scribble looked to her with a stoic look.

"That's because my life was in danger. As well as others. Having the princessess's deaths on our hooves wouldn't be the best feeling in the world. The same would be for any of you ponies. Or these ponies here." he said. Thi furrowed her look to concern. She then exchanged a glance with me. I gave a shrug in response. Scribble will tell us more when he's ready. Though... from what it looks like, he doesn't seem to care if we pry. I went for it.

"So... you would risk your life for other ponies?" I asked. Scribble went back to scanning the crowd, looking a tad annoyed. I couldn't tell if it was because of the question, or he just couldn't pick out Marquis.

"If given the chance, yes. If I could have prevented Manechester Tower from blowing up, I would have attempted to." he stated. Cloudchaser smirked and crossed her forelegs.

"Huh. Pretty valiant for an egghead." she said. Scribble seemed to finally pick out who he was looking for as he looked off in recognition. He began trotting in the direction and we followed. Thi and I stuck behind a bit. She looked to me.

"The more Scribble talks, the more I can't seem to help but get more curious about the stallion." she said. I looked at her stoically.

"We shouldn't pry so much. Scribble may not seem to care, but he is also not inclined to just spill everything. He got annoyed with me just by me looking through the monument papers." I said. Thi rubbed her chin as we began to follow after them.

"That reminds me. Those monument scrolls seem to be a one-off type thing. What's going on with that?" she asked. I sighed and shook my head.

"Dunno. But I can tell you that the riddles for light and dark are as confusing as the ice one." We finally caught up to them. There was a disgruntled looking pony that looked like he hadn't had a proper sleep in years. Yet, he seemed to be clean looking with a neatly slicked and combed back black mane that gave off a professional punk-ish vibe. A goatee around his muzzle and a bovine mix of chocolate and caramel. Heavy, grey bags rested under his eye lids. Yet, he was wearing a similar coat to Scribble, but in a red one. He looked up and smiled tiredly at us.

"Welcome back from your overseas trip, Sil." he said in a soft baritone voice. Scribble nodded.

"Quite an adventure I would love to discuss for another time. Care to tell me why you decided to leave the building?" he asked. Marquis bit his lip and adverted his eyes. Scribble flourished his hoof out lazily. "Marigold?" Marquis nodded. Scribble gave a genuine soft smile. "How has she been?" he asked. Marquis sighed.

"Aside from missing you, she keeps pestering me to leave the office. It... worked today." he said, rubbing the back of his head. Scribble arched a brow. "Something about the smell of the place and how I was attracting cockroaches from left out food and other stuff." he said. Flitter let out a disgusted look. Scribble took a seat across from him.

"You ordered coffee?" he asked, pointing at the cup in front of him. "Well, at least you ordered one. Though, you need to drink it when it is fresh and hot." he said. Marquis meekly tapped the cup.

"I... it's not the best coffee." he stated. Scribble leaned forward with his hooves on the table.

"So, what did you mean in your pigeon? What is it that you found?" he asked. Marquis suddenly looked grim. Like he had just experienced death incarnate.

"I think... I found out what happened to Pleasant Hope." he said. Scribble dropped his stoic look and took on a serious one. I exchanged glances with everypony. This sounds interesting.

"Did it have to do with Malevolence?" he asked. I balked and I heard Din suddenly shift in my head. Marquis nodded.

"More or less. I'm no closer to finding out if Malevolence even exists. But the notes you gathered that day did help clear the air a bit. Or, so I thought." he said, adverting his eyes again. He then reached back into his saddle bag and pulled out several scrolls, which he tossed out onto the table. Scribble looked them over. It was hard to make out the scratching to me, but I did see the strange drawing. It must have not been Scribble's as this one was detailed. A dark and shadowy looking dragon on the paper. Scribble scanned the scrolls. Marquis pointed to another drawing. This one of a strange looking flower.

"You ever heard of Pocketgold?" Marquis asked. Thi rubbed her chin.

"Like... just extra bits in the pocket?" she asked. Marquis shook his head.

"It's a flower. One that isn't native to Equestria. Some say it has this form of property to cause hallucinations in its' pollen. But if extracted correctly, it'll make for a good muscle relaxant." he said. The atmosphere suddenly changed as my friends suddenly looked grim. Flitter looked stunned and Cloudchaser immediately put a reassuring wing around her, giving Marquis a serious look. What happened to everypony?? Scribble looked up to Marquis.

"You have to be joking." he said. Marquis rubbed his chin.

"You know I don't joke, Sil. But the flower may have been the reason Pleasant Hope had been the sight of a monster attack." he said. Thi slammed her hoof on the table and glared at him.

"This is way too convenient. Let me guess, the monsters were under its' hallucination effects?" she asked. Marquis looked shocked.

"W-why yes. But, it wasn't just a hallucination, then they wouldn't have stumbled into Pleasant Hope. They had to have been led there." He sighed. "A Chimera just doesn't leave its' habitat like that one did. A Bugbear maybe, but even then, they don't attack unless provoked. Which, why would anypony be dumb enough to do so? Well, not so much if it was under the effects of Pocketgold. Funny enough, as it is not native to Equestria, I had somepony search the Pleasant Hope ruins and she found these flowers growing in a small patch about a good distance away. In fact, it was in front of a Bugbear hive. What's even stranger is that the Bugbears were fighting amongst themselves. Which isn't natural. They are a hive unit." Marquis scratched his head. "Somepony must have planted it there. Or maybe, somehow a bit of the pollen traveled its' way over to Mainland Equestria. Either way, I just thought I'd bring this up as it makes the most sense for the unnatural attack." Scribble was quiet. Even my friends were quiet as well. I looked between everypony and found myself feeling a bit frustrated. What the hell happened? What is even happening? I shook my head and held up a hoof.

"Err... I have a question to ask." I began. My friends and Marquis looked at me. "So, this flower. Not native to Equestria. How is it growing in the wintertime?" I motioned around. "Flowers don't bloom until spring. If this pony found these flowers growing out by Neighagra Falls in the wintertime, wouldn't it be stranger still? What's causing them to grow and flourish in cold weather?" Marquis stroked his goatee.

"That is a valid point. I may have to do a bit more study on that. However, what I find fascinating is that these flowers are mentioned in the story of Excalibur and his fight with Malevolence. Albeit a small passage. But it was one of the trials Excalibur had to face in order to reach the dragon." he said. Thi looked over her shoulder and tapped her bat. I sat down and rubbed my temple.

Pieces are starting to make sense, yet we still don't know what this has to do with anything like realm instability. But then again, does this even tie in with anything? Does it tie in with the Triad? I sighed.

"Alright. I'm just going to throw this out there. The Triad might have discovered a bushel of these flowers, used them in experiments and maybe had caused them to travel overseas. They could have planted those flowers to study the effects more and it ended up destroying Scribble's home. Am I on track?" I asked. Thi pointed at me.

"It is, but something still seems off about it all." She said. Scribble pointed at the scroll.

"So, these flowers... where is the Bugbear hive?" he asked. Marquis dusted his cloak of snow before speaking.

"North of Pleasant Hope. Just follow the bear claws on the trees. You can't miss it." he said. Scribble looked through the scrolls before scooping them up and putting them in his saddle bag. He then turned to us.

"So. Since we are back in Manehatten with no real plan of where to go. Mind I ask we take a quick trip to Pleasant Hope?" he asked, looking at me. I blinked and looked over my shoulder before realizing he was addressing me.

"Uhhh... sure? I figured you wouldn't need my permission. I'm not the leader." I said. Thi smirked.

"No, but you do have some responsibilities that come first." she said. I bowed my head and shook it.

"No, I don't find that as a good excuse. Sure, Equestria maybe counting on me but... I... really want to help you out." I said. I motioned to them. "I'm guessing something really bad happened that involved these flowers with you guys. I want to help out and see if I can't make you guys feel a bit better about this journey." I smiled. "And if the Triad decide to rear their ugly heads around, we'll take them on together this time." Flitter smiled and rubbed her foreleg.

"Thank you, Fie. But you shouldn't be too worried. I'm fine." she said. Cloudchaser's look told me otherwise. I made up my mind.

"Alright then. Pleasant Hope is our next stop. But first, we should probably stock up and uhh... take a breather. We got time." I said. I've also been wanting to make good on that date with Cloudchaser. And I'm sure my friends would appreciate the break from all the adventuring for a bit. Nilneigh Islands was no vacation.