Primordial Conflict

by Jumping Jack

Chapter 27: Fool's Gold

Chapter 27: Fool's Gold

Cloudchaser and I stood in front of the entrance block to Little Neighpon. I was feeling nervous as I stood next to her. The lights and banners with calligraphy draped from building to building. A giant, red wooden shrine gate with a white board at the top displaying in what I guess was translated to: Welcome to Little Neighpon. I cast a glance to Cloudchaser as ponies traveled in and out of the block. She was smiling and taking in the scenery. It was just us. Scribble, Thi and Flitter were off doing their own things and that just left me and Cloudchaser to do whatever. Cloudchaser saw me looking at her and she grinned.

"What do you think?" she asked. I felt my face hot and I clutched the cuff of my hoodie cloak.

"Errr.... a little stuffy here." I said meekly. Cloudchaser titled her head.

"It's colder everywhere else. But maybe we should just do a bit of window shopping. Might take your mind off things." she said. I gulped. But my mind has just been on you! I ignored my beating heart and took a deep breath. Aside from the mild love struck panic attack I was having, I was also pretty nervous about going in. I've always been curious what it was like over in the east. All those cartoons really gave it a romantic look. Cloudchaser started walking forward and I balked before I cantered after her, matching my pace with her's when I caught up. I've never seen ponies looking taller and a little slender. I even noticed that the pegasi had much larger wings than a pony pegasus. The unicorns had a curvy, longer horn and the earth ponies towered over Equestrian earth ponies. It was amazing to see the contrast that I was beginning to feel small. Some were speaking in their tongue and with the mild amount of cartoons I've watched, I could only make out the words I was familiar with. Cloudchaser nudged me and pointed at a building.

"Hey, they have karaoke. Want to give it a shot?" she asked. I blushed and rubbed my foreleg.

"S-sure." I said. We trotted into the building and we bought a room for two. The karaoke booths were soundproof from the outside. Selecting songs from the little tablet was interesting. How far was Neighpon into crystal tech? I turned the knob until I heard a song I was familiar with. It was catchy but had a dark and depressing implication in the words. I sang this many times in the shower. Cloudchaser laughed and clapped her hooves along with the song as I attempted my best singing. I eventually gained a bit more confidence and picked one I wasn't too familiar with. A slow, sad song that the lyrics had told a story about two lovers separated by their desires and while they missed each other, it led to a lot of drama that eventually led to the mare to mourn her lover as he protected her desire over his. Cloudchaser was next to sing. She picked out a rock song and I was impressed she managed to sing along amazingly with the rapping part. I laughed and clapped along with the song and her singing. Thirty minutes went by and we finished up our time by singing a duet.

It was the Particle Mare theme. A heroic rock like song with an in between of metal over rap. I had a dumb smile on my face as we left the karaoke place, Cloudchaser cracking a joke and we both laughed. We trotted through the street a bit more before coming across an arcade. Cloudchaser has never played a game before and it was the perfect time to show her my skills. I preferred a co-operative experience with a first person magic slinging rail gunner called Prance of the Dead. Two partners in crime try to stop an organization that had unleashed a virus that turned creatures into mutants and they would use magic to blast their way through hordes of them. It took Cloudchaser a bit of bits and time to get used too, but when she got the trigger going, she was quick to catch on. We made it to the fourth level, the hardest one, where a gigantic creature mutant required both of you to be quick in reaction. We lost horribly. I laughed as I was having a lot of fun. Cloudchaser smiled as we proceeded to play a bit more of the arcade games, a beat 'em up version of Ogres and Oubliettes, which made me suddenly bring back fond memories of my high school sessions.

I picked the arcane assassin of course and Cloudchaser picked the monk. Fighting our way through the pixilated monsters and creatures, we actually made it as far as the final boss, a massive green dragon that would pop its' head on the side of the screen and blow fire while dropping stacks of gold and rocks on top of us. I had perished, but Cloudchaser won us the game with an amazing play of her drop kicking the dragon in the face. We high hoofed each other as the credits rolled. We then tried our luck at the crane machine. I saw a cute little plushie of a baby dragon and I pointed at it.

"I want to get that as a gift for Namaste." I said. I think it would go well with the little one's room. I wasn't showing it, but I was missing home more and more. Ponyville and Hoofington. I couldn't deny my homesickness anymore. When we get things settled, we'll head on over through Ponyville to check up on the place before heading to Hoofington. We have to cross the Valley anyway to get there to the other side. We went over to the crane machine and I put in my bits. Cloudchaser helped me guide the claw to the correct place of the dragon before I pressed the button. The claw lowered, grabbed the stuffed plushie by the head and went over to the drop box. An arcady sound played as the dragon dropped. I beamed as I levitated the toy out and putting it in my saddle bag. I then smiled at Cloudchaser, who smiled back. I then looked past her and saw a new machine that I didn't think was a possibility. I pointed past her.

"Is that a new Prance Prance?" I asked as I walked past her. We watched as a mare shuffled her hooves to the beat of the music, the floor beneath her seeming to track her hooves and light up as she twirled, shuffled and crossed. Cloudchaser rubbed her chin.

"Huh. Shuffle Scuffle Delux. Must be a new form of Prance Prance." She said before smirking at me. "Didn't think you were a dancer." I blushed and tapped my hooves meekly.

"I... spent alot of bits in the Canterlot Arcade on Prance Prance." I smiled. "I like dancing." Cloudchaser smiled and motioned as the mare had struck a pose upon the song finishing. She stepped off and picked up her drink before coolly trotting off to play something else.

"Well then. Show me how much you can cut a rug." Cloudchaser smirk. I balked.

"A-alone? D-don't you want to join?" I asked. Cloudchaser nodded.

"I'm not familiar with it so I might as well watch somepony who is before trying." She said. I looked at the machine. I don't know why I was so nervous suddenly. I took a deep breath. Face the day, Fie. Impress this pretty cool mare with your dancing. Feeling a small form of courage, I took off my saddle bag and left it with Cloudchaser as I stepped up onto the board. A neon color of lights shimmered on my hooves as I stepped on. I put in my bits and was at a loss of which song I should try. I eventually found one that I recognized from Prance Prance. I selected the song and wiggled my hooves in a small warm up. The tutorial pop-up told me that the floor is treated as three long grids, and it didn't matter where I stepped on the grids so long as I just followed the on-screen prompts that reached the blue line. Easy enough. The song began playing and it took me a bit to understand it. But when the beat started to pick up, I started to feel in the zone. I stepped my hooves to the prompts and when the beat dropped, a whole new personality took over. I struck a small pose before I started shuffling my hooves, sliding and twisting my body, spinning to flourish in some moments. I heard Cloudchaser clap her hooves and cheer.

My eyes followed the prompts and my hooves went with them. I ended up somehow getting past a hard part of the song that seemed nearly impossible to do with all four. So I cheated the system by standing on two and I must have caught several ponies attention as I shuffled my two hind hooves for a time of the song before getting back on all four and finishing the song with a pose. I heard a couple of cheers as I looked over my shoulder and blushed. There was a small crowd. Even the mare from before was looking on with interest. Cloudchaser was clapping and laughing with a couple of others. I guess it isn't everyday you see a pony stand on two and dance. But somehow, I felt alive. Accomplished. I don't know where the giddiness came from, but seeing Cloudchaser looking impressed sent my heart sky high. I motioned for Cloudchaser to come up and when she did, I stepped aside to let her in. I put in my bits for the co-op experience and I explained to her that the shuffling would come naturally with a bit of practice. I selected a much more steady tempo song.

We spent a good ten minutes trying out a few songs before we had to get off and let others play. I'm amazed that Cloudchaser was able to keep up despite having tripped over herself a few times. I was having the time of my life. Cloudchaser and I were laughing and chatting as we trotted down the next block to get food. I ordered myself some rice and mixed veggies while Cloudchaser tried ramen. We spent a good hour just talking back and forth, telling each other how our jobs were and getting to know each other a little better. I never thought I'd click with another pony. Thi was something, but Cloudchaser gets me.

We both had half assed moments before coming out and doing things. She envied me for being able to carve my own path to life how I wanted it and how she always wished she could do that, but always be stopped by limitations. Which I explained to her that were in theory, easy to overcome but it would take a bit to temper yourself to do so. We discussed a bit more about her wantingness to achieve more out of her hole she had ended up in.

"But it just seems like a big step in a direction that'll just end up having me fail." She said. I smiled reassuringly.

"You won't fail if you just stick to your guns. You have the strength and will to pull yourself up. And if it is anything like how you handled the Roc situation, then you're already on your way there." I said, taking a small nibble out of the veggies and bits of rice. Cloudchaser poked at her noodles.

"It's sounds easier than you make it out to be." she said. I nodded.

"That's just how reality is. And if I recall, somepony said that if you can look past the bleakness and dull grey of it all, you'll end up feeling better that you know what's on the other side." I stated non-chalantly. Cloudchaser looked up to me and arched a brow with a small smile. I looked at her and blushed. "E-err... too much?" I asked. Cloudchaser shook her head.

"No. You're right, Fie. I should just take my own advice to heart. I only said what was right at the time. But from what you've shown, I didn't realize I made that much of a difference for you." she said. I felt my face growing hotter by the minute.

"W-well, I-I kind of... thought you were pretty cool saying that..." I said. Cloudchaser tilted her head before grinning and patting her chest.

"Yeah, guess I am. Though, I have to hoof it to you. Everything that you've done, it does make it hard to believe that me telling you that was the result of all those decisions." She said. I balked and waved my hooves.

"I-it was a lot of things, CC! B-but you did help." I then gave a smile. "I was right that picking you both along with me would help me gain a bit of courage for myself. And you know.... with you being by my side during it all... I can't help but just want to do more, you know?" I said. Cloudchaser looked at me, her eyes studying me. I blinked and realized what I said. "U-uhh... I mean like... save the world... I guess?" I said with a nervous smile. Cloudchaser seemed to rub her cheek with the tip of her hoof in thought.

"Say Fie. This has been... kind of in the back of my mind for a while. I figured you might help me on this. Flitter wouldn't give me a straight answer and what's better than getting one if it isn't for the one who gives me that question." she said. I blinked and straightened up, clearing my throat as I tried to remain calm before giving a cool smile.

"Y-yes?" I asked. Cloudchaser tapped her hoof on the table before taking a deep breath.

"I've... been noticing some behaviors from you when you're around me. It's almost as if you are wanting to ask me about something. Mind if I ask, what do you see in me?" She began. I tilted my head. Was she asking about the reason why I brought her along again?

"Is it about why I chose you and Flitter? I'm... certain I told you exactly." I replied. Cloudchaser shook her head.

"Flitter has been poking at me to ask you certain questions. It doesn't really help when she starts asking what I think about you." she said. I slumped. Flitter, what have you done!? I began to stutter.

"U-uhh... w-well it's... uhh..." Ah, crap. What should I say? Calm down, Fie. Just play it cool. I cleared my throat. "Well... what kind of questions has she been getting you to ask me?" I stated. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her neck.

"Like... do you have a favorite color. Or do you have a certain preference that you want out of a mare or stallion. What kind of things you would like as a gift if any. That kind of thing." she said. She furrowed her look and rubbed her chin. "Sounds a little personal, if you ask me. I don't want to be pushy either. But I guess I'll start with... what is your favorite thing to do in your free time? Aside from drinking and being lazy of course." she smiled. "I already found out you like dancing and can sing. You especially like hotcakes over everything else. You also like Neighponese cartoons. Do you actually like being a mail pony or was it just something to keep track of for Thi's sake?" She asked. I felt my head began to feel dizzy. Flitter, you demon... Okay, be calm, Fie. These are just normal questions normal friends ask, right? So, just think reasonably and play it cool again.

"Err... well... I guess my favorite color is grey. I know... plain and not too interesting." I said, chuckling a bit to play it cool. Cloudchaser smiled and listened to me. I cleared my throat again, shifting a bit weirdly in my chair. "And uhh... my actual favorite thing to do is fighting." Cloudchaser balked. I suddenly felt anxious at her reaction. "W-well, not entirely fight! I-I mean like... in a boxing match or sparring match..." I said meekly. Cloudchaser suddenly chuckled and waved a hoof.

"Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to react in a that kind of way. I just didn't think you were the type to fight considering you protest so much about having to do so." she said. I tilted my head.

"I have?" I asked. Cloudchaser nodded.

"There have just been times where you always seem so annoyed with it all." she said. I darted my eyes in thought. Have I always protested that? I looked at her in confusion.

"I'm not sure what you mean. I don't remember ever protesting I didn't like fighting." I said. I then blinked and rubbed my head. "Err... I mean in a sports kind of way. If that is what you are getting at." Cloudchaser nodded and snickered.

"Sorry, yeah. I meant it like in a sports manner. So, what's your favorite kind of martial arts?" she asked. I gave a relieved sigh. I then smiled.

"Well, I am a fan of the Zebra Martial Arts. You've seen me use it many times already. I think it's an awesome style to be disciplined in. Though, it requires a lot of body conditioning. But you knew all of that already." I said with a hoof wiggle. Cloudchaser nodded.

"Right. But what's your favorite spectator martial arts? Boxing? Buck Boxing? Mixed?" she asked. I hummed and tapped my chin in thought.

"Well... it'd have to be karate honestly." I said. Cloudchaser looked at me and I blushed immediately, waving my hooves. "I-In a spectator sense! L-like I've seen a couple of them on the hologem. It's always straight to the point without any of the flash. Which may seem boring to some, but it just shows how much it's meant to be a tempered self-defense style than an offensive one. And err... seeing it in a certain way by just watching you, it feels like it can have more potential than anything I've seen." I explained. Cloudchaser gave a soft sigh and smile. I took a shy sip of my tea as Cloudchaser rubbed her chin. I could see she was still having trouble trying to ask something. I took a deep breath and looked at her. "So... what else did you want to ask?" Cloudchaser blinked and tapped her hoof on the table.

"Well..." She sighed. "Honestly, I think it is silly. But Flitter has also asked me to ask you if you like anypony." she said. I stiffened and my eye twitched with a blank smile. You devil!! I knew you were up to something!! Cloudchaser leaned forward. "So... is there anypony you like back home? Any old flings you had?" she asked. Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!! I coughed and took another sip of my tea, scrunching my muzzle.

"U-uhhhh... I-I may have used too back home..." I began. I shifted nervously in my seat as Cloudchaser was waiting for me to continue. I eventually did so. "W-well... I..." I tapped my hooves together. "F-first, let me tell you my preferred preference. I-I... I like... mares." I stammered. Cloudchaser didn't react. "I just... long ago I..." I rubbed the back of my head. "Oh... how can I say this without sounding so desperate...?" I mumbled. Cloudchaser smiled and nodded.

"It's okay. You don't need to really tell me any of that anyway. Like I said, I'm not the type of pony to push things. If you like mares, then you like mares. Simple as that." she said, poking her noodles. I felt my heart start to beat rapidly as I clutched the front of my hoodie cloak.

"N-no. I-I-I think it's okay if I can tell you." I said. Cloudchaser looked up from a slurp of her noodles. I gulped and slumped a bit. "I... did try stallions once. B-back in highschool, there was a friend of mine who had a massive crush on me. He and I grew up together and we were friends all throughout elementary to high school. A-around high school, he made his shot and I..." I sighed. "I turned him down. And not in the best way I could manage. I... I feel like I ruined our friendship because of that. I mean, I was still having a crush on a popular stallion in my high school. But, Table Top was my friend, wasn't he? It was okay to be a bit sweet on each other platonically, right?" Cloudchaser didn't say anything. She continued to listen, her gaze remaining unchanged. "I-I mean, we did kiss once or twice, but I think... that's kind of how things went so downward. I-I shouldn't have gone through with it, but I didn't want to see him so defeated." I snorted, feeling annoyed now. "A lot of good that did. After that ordeal and making him the laughing stock of the whole school, thanks to my crush making it a big deal, I lost my entire sight of going after stallions. They were just so mean to each other and... poor Table Top didn't stand a chance. But after that whole ordeal, I decided to switch myself to mares. Maybe I would have a better shot at finding love then. Table Top and I graduated, though... it wasn't the same as it was before.

"Me switching over to mares was going well for a time. I dated this one mare in CSGU that seemed like she was into me. A-and we did have a few playful moments with each other. B-but it turned out she was only leading me on to make me be the laughing stock of CSGU." I bowed my head and chuckled weakly. "Almost as if karma came back around and kicked me up the rear end. Thankfully, Thi and I handled the situation before it got out of control." Cloudchaser finally spoke.

"Let me guess. Thi wanted to go beat up the ponies trying to defame you?" she asked, with a joking smile. My look told her otherwise.

"We uhh... caused a lot of property damage on the campus. Thankfully, we weren't caught, but we scared them enough to not mess with me. But that led to every other relationship to spiral out of control. I dated two more after that and those didn't last long. When I moved to Ponyville after flunking CSGU, I dated this mare there for a time. A cute mare. She worked down the flower shop most of the time. Other times, she would be in the local bar. We've had our moments here and there, but suddenly, she just lost interest in me and left Ponyville without any warning. I did try to write to her, but..." I sighed defeatedly. "I'm certain I was ghosted." Cloudchaser was quiet for a bit. Her look showing she was lost in thought. I rubbed the back of my head. This was starting to get a bit awkward now. Cloudchaser finally spoke.

"That must have been tough for you. But... you are a tough mare and considering you are here now, must mean you bounce back quite a bit, don't you?" She said. Again, my look told her otherwise. I shook my head.

"I was in a rut at that point in time. My best friend, who I thought left to go find a better opportunity in the world, only to be a savior of our offshore neighbor Pony Land and was pretending to be an archaeologist despite her being a mercenary, didn't write back to me. My whole relationship left me stuck and confused. I was drinking most of the time like I wanted to poison myself and die alone. And I pretty much just only ever left the house to go to work or the occasional festivities Ponyville likes to throw from time to time. But I always stayed away from everypony then. My neighbors tried to get me involved, but I would always sneak away and just pass out drunk on the couch." I motioned to myself. "I was never like this, Cloudchaser. I was lazy. I was depressed. I certainly didn't want to socialize in order to make the same mistakes over and over." I pointed to her in gesticulation. "Back in high school, I was also stout and acne ridden. I didn't take good care of myself. And I was always contempt with where I was. My folks changed all of that when they tried to get me to be prepared to join the Royal Guard." I snorted. "I found myself feeling better due to the distractions, but a new problem showed up and it was my mother." Cloudchaser cocked a brow. I nodded.

"Yes, I know. Shocking. But my mother is Captain of the Royal Guard. She took the role after Shining Armor became prince of the Crystal Empire. She was always strict, stern and never took it easy on me. I had more bruises from the sparring matches we've had more than she cared to admit. But it was all for the sake of preparing me for the real world." I sighed and rubbed my sleeved foreleg. "I... I don't know what happened at some point, but she decided to treat me a little... differently. I guess, she was attempting to be a mother or something. But... the damage was already done. I bucked her down the stairs in a response to her trying to be a mother. I... I didn't even hesitate..." I wiggled my hoof lazily, feeling worse and worse. "I ended up arguing with my dad after and threw my siblings under the bus. I decided I had enough of Hoofington and moved to Canterlot to attend CSGU. I haven't spoken to them since." I then placed my head down on the table and found my depression kicking back in. The more I explain this, the more awful I feel. Damn this home sickness. Why do I have to be such a mess right now? Cloudchaser looked at me apologetically.

"I'm... really sorry to hear all of that, Fie. What you went through. I can only imagine what you are feeling right now." she said. I shook my head lazily.

"It's not your fault. Honestly, I'm not over any of it. Lately, I've been finding myself thinking about them. Before I started this whole journey, I did manage to talk to my mom. You would remember her. She gave you and Flitter the order to escort the Roc corpse." I said. Cloudchaser balked.

"Captain Cloud Fire? That's your mother??" she asked in surprise. I nodded.

"Yeah, she is." I then looked up and arched a brow. "Why is that a surprise?" Cloudchaser looked baffled at me.

"She's pretty much famous for her ability to make even the most shy pony into the most elite fighter! I've heard stories that she even trained the Wonder Bolt's own Blitz Brigade! Taught them all these maneuvers that even Rainbow Dash would struggle with!" She waved a hoof. "No offense to Captain Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash is an amazing flier in the sky. Bar none. I bet Cloud Fire would improve all of her flying in a heartbeat! Rainbow Dash would literally be a force to be reckoned with in the sky." She looked at me with shock. "I actually look up to her!" I blinked and sat up a bit.

"You do?" I asked. Cloudchaser stood up and saluted.

"Captain Cloud Fire inspires all the military forces in Canterlot. Even the other generals and captains of their own units envy her teachings. She once came by during a Wonder Bolt training routine. She gave Captain Spit Fire some pointers and suddenly the whole routine changed. We were doing all these maneuvers and cloud busting that we ended up beating even Rainbow Dash's record time. By one second." She stretched her wings. "I had cramps for two weeks in my wings. I couldn't fly straight. But whatever she told Spit Fire, we ended up impressing her so much that it put her in a good mood for a whole month." I sighed and shook my head.

"That's great and all, CC. But my mom shouldn't be somepony you should look up too. She's just always so focused on work and her duties to even make time for anything. I still believe she only ever had us when my dad and her felt like it. No love thrown in, just one and done." I said. Cloudchaser shook her head.

"Her work is why I look up to her. She's the pillar of hard work and dedication to her country. She embodies the very spirit of Equestria's military. I mean, it sucks to hear she's not a good mother at home, but she does care about her fellow ponies. She wants them to strive and be better. For the sake of Equestria. And now that our realm is in danger, I can only imagine she hadn't had a decent night's sleep. She's probably preparing all of Equestria's military these past few weeks for whatever kind of threat." I studied Cloudchaser. Her look told me that all she said was with no doubt in her mind. I furrowed my brow. Is that really my mom? Is she really all Cloudchaser says she is up to be? Now that I think about it, I never really took the time to think about why she hasn't had time for anything. But... I was a kid back then. How was I supposed to know? I didn't care about being a Canterlot Guard. Nor the responsibilities for it. I didn't want that kind of life. I wanted my own life.

You have it, Fie. You just can't seem to make the most of it.

My inner voice was starting to irritate me. I sighed and rested my cheek against the table. Being a grown up now, I never officially thought about it. How my mom must be feeling. But... then I haven't really grown up, have I? And my dad? Seeing him talking to General Lilac under the Manechester Tower docks and how he looked so different than before. I wonder what his responsibilities have been on him? What even happened to him? Is he no longer on the force and is now a P.I.? And my brother. Is he even working that awful job anymore? It must be taxing for him to handle all of that. But then... how has his responsibilities been? What is he contributing too? And my sister. What does running a business have to do with helping out Equestria? I then had a dawning realization. My siblings are several years older than me. And their jobs have been the short end. My parents didn't want me to fall into that category and wanted their third child to have a better life than they have. And... I groaned audibly and banged my head a couple of times against the table, causing Cloudchaser to arch a brow.

"Adulting sucks soooooo much..." I whined. Cloudchaser pat my head.

"It's okay, Fie. It's part of life. Things change and we eventually have to accept them. If we don't, we can't really be happy with ourselves." she said. I sat up and shook my head.

"I... When we get the time... I want to... check up on them." I said. Cloudchaser smiled.

"Of course. None of us mind it, for sure." she replied. I nodded softly.

"But, we have to handle Scribble's problem first. I... I've been selfish enough." I said. Cloudchaser chuckled.

"It's okay. I can see how a pony like you would want to have an awesome pony like me around." she said. I smiled softly and nodded. I then realized what she said and I looked up at her. Cloudchaser gave me a nervous chuckle.

"Eheheh... Flitter... may have told me about that part." she said, putting her hooves together and winking apologetically. I facehoofed.

"Your sister is a fiend." I rasped.

---

We trotted away from Little Neighpon. While the time there was fun, I couldn't help but sigh. I felt like I got nowhere with Cloudchaser. And I couldn't help but keep thinking about my family. I cast a sideways glance to Cloudchaser and I could see her mind was off somewhere else. She then smiled and waved ahead of us. I looked over and I saw Scribble pulling our wagon up with Thi kicking back in the back of it along with Flitter. Thi looked over and smirked.

"Looks like you two had fun." she waved.

"Fie can really cut a rug." Cloudchaser winked in reply. I flushed slightly before looking up at Scribble.

"Scribble? I... know we have to handle your issues first. But after that, do you think we can stop by Canterlot before heading to Hoofington?" I asked. Scribble looked at me and shrugged.

"I don't see why not. Neighagra Falls is only two days wagon ride." He said. Thi frowned.

"You know. With all the primal fighting and us finding three out of the seven, four counting Fie, do you think we can take the train this time?" She asked. I cocked my head.

"But I thought you didn't want a repeat of the Shiva incident." I said. Thi rubbed her chin.

"While you two were out on your girl time, I've been hearing how with the roads were being cleared up due to all these H.A.A.C. and volunteer fighters that joined in. Seems the activity had driven off most of the dangers. The train is back up and running too. No pony has seen any signs of a wild blizzard chasing after a train." She said. I looked to Scribble. Scribble rubbed his chin.

"If you feel we need too, I can do with a little break on pulling the wagon." he said. I pointed at the wagon.

"But what about our stuff? How are we going to keep it with us? The train can't take the wagon." I said. Scribble nodded.

"Which is why we have to make a choice. Save time by taking a train to Neighagra Falls but with less equipment for us to prep. Or take two days to reach it and enjoy outdoor freezing temperatures in camping." He said. I trotted over to the wagon and peeked in.

"How much stuff do we have that is important?" I asked, looking at Thi and giving her a look. Thi bobbed her hind leg as she kicked back.

"Huh? I don't have anything big stashed at the moment. Doesn't mean I can't smuggle one on the train anyway. Besides, I only did that when I knew we were going to be deep into Triad territory." she said. Cloudchaser flew up and crossed her hooves.

"But, the Pocketgold was planted by the Triad and considering we are about to walk into a Bugbear hive, wouldn't you be... I don't know... prepared as you would preach usually?" she asked. Thi smirked and pulled back her denim jacket. Not only was it a new arc pistol, but she was wearing what appeared to be a belt full of red canisters.

"Pepper Smoke. It'll keep any wild Bugbears from distracting us while we do our own investigation. I'm hoping to not use them because Bugbears should be hibernating right now. Don't worry, CC. I am still prepared." Thi winked. Cloudchaser looked to Flitter and me and shrugged. I sighed and had to think about it a bit. Honestly, we only had camping equipment. And even then, we never really had to stop for breaks or anything much the first time we were on the road. However, we did save some hamlets and villages from primal lackies during our wagon travels. What if more of them start attacking? I shook my head. If that was the case, then the H.A.A.C. and these volunteer fighters wouldn't be doing their job. I looked to Thi and shrugged.

"Alright. We'll try the train. But if Shiva decides to attack us again, we may not be able to get lucky this time." I said, tapping my horn. Din is moving around in my head, but now that I am a bit more aware of everything, Din might end up screwing us over in an attempt to one up her sister. Ignoring the quiet hum from Din, Thi tapped the wagon.

"Alright, egghead! You heard the mare. Mush!" she said. Scribble unlatched the wagon from himself and then reached into his pocket. He pulled out a rock and dropped it before crushing it. Thi blinked before yelping, Flitter flying out of the wagon as the wagon bucked Thi out and she landed with an "Oof" on her stomach, her eyes rolling in a daze. Scribble picked her up and pushed her into his place before latching the wagon to her. Thi shook away her daze and looked back at herself before turning to Scribble and frowning. Scribble rolled his neck.

"What? I said I could use a break." He said. Thi sighed and shook her head.

"You are such the gentlecolt." she said before walking forward with the wagon. Flitter, Cloudchaser and I snickered at each other before we followed after them.

---

The train whistled loudly as the conductor shouted: "All aboard!" My friends and I sat in the middle passenger cart, which made me a little anxious. Here's hoping Shiva doesn't flip the whole train. I was sitting next to Flitter as Thi and Scribble were sitting next to each other across from us. Cloudchaser sat behind them, but she was leaning over the split wall to face us. I noticed Thi looking out the window, her eyes darting with a squint. I sighed.

"Second thoughts?" I asked. Thi looked at me and gave me a nervous smile.

"W-we'll be fine, right?" she said, looking to the others for approval. Flitter pat her chest.

"I think so. If any big bad primals show up, we can manage." she said. Cloudchaser snickered.

"She's right. Gotta' keep a positive attitude." she said. Scribble was writing down in his journal. I noticed his hind leg bouncing. Scribble is always stoic and calm, but it seems that he was anxious about returning to what was once his home. I furrowed my brow. I can sympathize with him. The train began to jerk and we started moving. Throughout the entire train ride, Thi and I were looking out the window, scanning the passing scenery. We both were feeling anxious and alert. So much so that even Scribble forgot about his own. He was flipping through his pages, scanning them before closing it and slinging it back to his side. He looked between us before looking to Flitter and shrugging. When we arrived at the station, Thi and I let out a sigh of relief. We saved a good two days by a three hour train ride. We got off the train and I tossed my hood up as the winter air blew around us. The station was at the foot of the hiking path up to Neighagra Falls. We were the only ones who had gotten off. Which is fine for us. Better no pony else has to deal with whatever we are about to deal with. Scribble looked around.

"Been a while since I've been back." he said as he looked over his shoulder and up to the distant rainbow flowing falls. Rainbows definitely had their own magic. It was as if the cold was unable to freeze it at all. I turned to Flitter as we began to follow Scribble as he took us down a different hiking path away from Neighagra Falls.

“Err… so just an out there random thought, but why do rainbows not get affected by weather?” I asked. Flitter looked over to the falls and shrugged.

“It’s liquid light sprinkled with some ancient magic that our land naturally forms. We are able to take it as a substance and mix it to form it as it is today. So long as light is reflected, the rainbows keep flowing. It’s… a complicated process.” She said. I rubbed my chin. I then looked to Scribble, suddenly very curious about the topic.

“Hey, Scribble. When the Raptorian mentioned about girly things and rainbows, you said our ancestors were able to harness the power. Is it kind of like the Elements of Harmony?” I asked. Scribble looked over his shoulder.

“They didn’t teach you that in CSGU?” He asked. Thi shrugged.

“Dunno. Never paid much attention to that kind of stuff.” She said. I slumped.

“No, we were more focused on astrology, botany and magic.” I said. Scribble sighed.

“Well, if the history books don’t say it. When the Raptorian mentioned rainbows, he probably meant when our ancestors were able to harness the power of rainbows. Rainbows are ancient magic that no pony can properly explain aside from the science behind it. It’s as Flitter said. Light with magic sprinkled in it. Our ancestors had their own share of troubles and most of them were solved throwing rainbows at them, as it were.” He explained. Thi snickered.

“Tossing out rainbows? It does sound a little strange.” She said. Cloudchaser shrugged.

“But then again, we have Twilight and her friends that have used it plenty of times.” She said. Scribble nodded.

“As it is said, rainbows are a powerful form of magic that I would dare say that the primals can’t even touch. Nor does it affect them either. It’s a combined unison of magic and power. Which is why Ouroboros had stated that the Elements of Power are boosters for the Elements of Harmony.” He said. I scratched my head with the tip of my hoof.

“But… then how was it able to be used against Discord?” I asked. “Technically, he is a god.” Scribble nodded.

“Perhaps. But I think Ouroboros answered that himself.” He said. I thought back to it and one thing stuck out to me.

“He’s just a creation of chaos given god like being.” I said. Scribble nodded.

“That sounds about right.” He then stopped and Thi bumped into him, falling back on her haunches and shaking away her daze. “We’re here.” Scribble said. I walked over to the side of the path and I could see a fenced off area. The foliage was overgrown and untended to. Scribble hopped over the rope fence on the hiking path and trotted down to the fence. Thi looked at us and shrugged as we then followed him. I looked around to make sure we weren’t being watched. Which sounds strange considering no pony would want to visit Neighagra Fall’s hiking path in the winter. Scribble reached into his pouch and crushed a rock, putting his hooves to iit and a bright flash appeared. And as quickly as it did, it vanished and Scribble pulled the fence, making an opening for us. Scribble looked to us.

“Ladies first.” He said. Thi frowned at him. “What? You are the one wanting me to be a gentlecolt.” He said. Thi slumped and shook her head.

“I can never read you.” She said as she stepped through. One by one we stepped through. I felt like we were doing more than just breaking a rule. But… then no pony got anywhere following the rules. Not even Princess Celestia and Luna themselves. We trekked another good ten minutes into the overgrown and snowy woodland. Thi ducked under a frozen branch before yelping and falling face first into the snow. She groaned in frustration before looking back to what she tripped over.

She furrowed her look and brushed the snow away. It was a small flower garden fence. The wood decayed and unable to be pieced together properly. I looked around and saw what looked like a cobblestone house that had a decayed tree crashing into it, destroying most of the wall and roofing. As we stepped further in, we began to see more of what was once Pleasant Hope. There were several houses with varying destruction on them and a couple of wells that were cemented over into just their foundation. Scribble looked around, his stoic look soft as he then walked over to a cobblestone house that was charred and crumbled. Only the doorway and a destroyed fireplace inside was left. He brushed aside the snow on a buried mailbox and sighed.

Cloudchaser looked around in awe.

“It’s as if we just stepped into old ruins from ancient times.” She said. Scribble nodded.

“Yet, it has only been a decade and a half.” He said solemnly as he stepped into the charred house. Not much was in it, save for a moldy hay bed and a half destroyed fireplace. He then started tapping the floor boards. I tilted my head. The stallion paced a bit, tapping the floor before a hollow thunk sounded. He sat down on his haunches and began tapping the floor board. The board came loose and he moved it aside. He reached into the hole and withdrew a small parcel.

He unwrapped it and pulled out a butterfly brooch. It looked to be faded and broken. I saw his ears drop and somehow, I was beginning to see just a bit of the true Silver Scribble. I looked worriedly at him and walked over.

“Scribble? Are you okay?” I asked. Scribble stood up and rubbed his muzzle.

“I will be. Just… memories.” He said a little shaky. I looked over to my friends who seemed to be exploring their own not too far away. I turned back to Scribble as he pocketed the brooch, turning around and his look stoic once more as usual. I rubbed my foreleg. I don’t want to push it. Scribble walked past me, exiting the house and walking over to the center of the village. He began to look around and rubbed his chin. I looked over to see Flitter and Cloudchaser digging through some wreckage.

They found what appeared to be a broken round picture frame. Flitter picked it up and I peeked over to see what it was. A faded and sunburnt sepia photo of a grizzled looking stallion. He was smiling but the pose suggested he was with somepony. Unfortunately, everything else was faded. I looked over to Thi, who brushed through the snow and pulled out a buried toy pony ragdoll. It was missing a button eye and had two legs ripped off. It was dirtied and whatever stuffing was in it no longer existed, leaving it to be deflated and malnourished.

Thi furrowed her look before glancing over at Scribble. My friends finally trotted over to us as Scribble dug through the snow. He scanned the ground before pointing past two destroyed houses that looked like they had been crushed and blown out.

“Fresh tracks. The Bugbear came from that way.” He said. We followed him as he led us down a hill. We had to be careful to keep our footing. One trip and somepony would go tumbling. Getting to the bottom of the hill, we slid down the slope while Cloudchaser and Flitter floated down. Scribble walked forward, scanning the area. He walked up to a tree and brushed the bark. We could see a massive scratch. He nodded before walking past it. Following the stallion, we began to see more scratched trees, some that were even broken off and tipped over. It took us a good five minutes to finally reach an opening.

Scribble stopped and held up a hoof. He then pointed to a stack of rocks. It looked to be a cave, but it was sealed off with what appeared to be a honey like substance. Thi walked over to it and wiped a hoof over the substance and licked it. She nodded before wiping her hoof on the snow.

“Yup. Natural produced Bugbear honey. But… this honey isn’t supposed to be made until spring rolls around.” She said. Scribble pulled out his ethereal crystal reader and it began to crackle. The rune inside distorting. He nodded.

“Instability. The Bugbears must have gathered the honey from somewhere.” He said. Flitter scanned the area. She then squinted her eyes and pointed.

“Uhh. Guys? I think we found our Pocketgold.” She said. We followed her direction and gapped. A giant bushel of golden bell flowers laced across a tree in vines laid not too far from the cave. It seemed to be growing overhead and connecting to another close by tree. We walked cautiously over to the flowers. Cloudchaser furrowed her brow and tapped the bell flower on the petal. It let out a small hiss of golden dust that shimmered. She looked back to us.

“So, these are the flowers that can cause hallucinations.” She said with a frown and a cross of her hooves. Thi nodded.

“The fact they are acting like it is blooming in in spring while it is winter… these flowers aren’t natural.” She said. “No wonder the Triad are extracting them for profit and recruitment.” Scribble examined the flower up close, being careful not to touch it. He then took out a small knife and cut one of the flowers off the bushel. He had to step back, covering his muzzle as the flowers around it began to hiss out glimmering dust. It seemed to cause a chain reaction. We covered our own muzzles and backed away as the flowers began to spray a cloud of golden dust. Gaining a good bit of distance, we watched the golden cloud of dust slowly flutter down into the ground.

We waited until the last glimmer of gold faded. Cloudchaser rubbed her chin.

“And I thought Poison Joke was a bad infestation.” She said. I looked over to Scribble who seemed to had withdrawn his journal and began to scribble in it. I then squinted my eyes. Was there something wriggling from his neck. I pointed to my neck.

“Uhh, Scribble? You got something on your neck.” I said. Scribble looked up and I balked as he had developed a sudden pair of massive buck teeth.

“Fie?” He asked, his voice getting a bit higher. I gaped and looked to the others. Cloudchaser was looking like a Breezy. Flitter began clucking like a chicken, walking around and pecking the ground. Thi smiled and winked.

“Watch what I can do!” She said, taking out her firearm, pepper smoke and bat and began to juggle. As impressive as it was, I had a sudden dread wash over me.

Celestia I am in for a ride. I stood up and stumbled forward, feeling a bit woozy. I looked around, my friends no longer with me. Where was I? The woods suddenly looked menacing. The trees towering high over head and began creaking, as if laughing at me. I felt small and scared suddenly.

“H-hello?” I called out. Silence. I cautiously walked through the woods, jumping at almost every crack of the branch underneath me. I began to panic a little, finding it a little hard to breath. I then heard a soft cackle. I looked behind me. Nothing. The cackle sounded again. I looked around. It began to echo and surround me. I then saw a pair of amber slit eyes looking down at me through the darkness. I gapped as Din stepped out from the darkness. She unfurled her wings in a display of intimidation.

“Hello, vessel. I must thank you for freeing me. But I’ve changed my mind. I no longer want to be a part of saving your realm. I want to destroy it. Starting with you!!” She reared back up and fired a beam of fire at me. I yelped and dove to the side as the tree behind me exploded into charred barks. I scrambled to my hooves diving through the foliage and trees as Din cackled maniacally, firing beam after beam. “Run, run as fast you can, my little pony. No pony will hear you sing my chorus out here! Ahahahahah!” I panted as I barreled through a bush.

I found my way into a clearing with a frozen river. I looked around, trying to find a place to hide. Din landed hard behind me, causing me to tumble down a bit. I gasped and rolled to my side as a beam hit where I was seconds ago. I stood up and withdrew my quarter staff, aiming at Din. Din got low and began to pace, as if a predator was debating on how to tackle her prey. She then rushed me, hissing. I slammed my staff on the ground and with an unusual burst of energy, I hoisted myself up, spinning as I hoofstanded on the other end of the staff, dodging Din before tipping my body and my staff to gain some more distance away from her. Din turned to me and fired a beam again. I weaved to the side, avoiding the beam just by inches.

I readied myself. Din swished her head and aimed. I brought my staff in front of me and twirled it as the beam was deflected and bounced next to Din. She growled as I readied myself. I then blinked once and she was gone. I balked and waved my staff around as I turned, scanning the area. I then heard a different form of laughing. I panted and looked around, the sweat dripping from me as the darkness began to close in. Din’s laugh finally became clearer through the chorus of laughter. I wavered in my stance.

Din appeared in a flash of fire in front of me. Then next to her another her. Then next to that one. A circle of Dins surrounded me and each one were laughing, their looks maniacal and sharp fanged.

“I… I won’t let you destroy my home!” I shouted. One of the Dins hissed in my ear.

“There is nothing you can do. You are hopeless.” I turned, seeing only a Din laugh at me. She hissed in my ear again. “You’re a coward.” I turned.

“A loser.” I swung and hit air.

“You have no chance with another pony.” I turned, panic in my eyes.

“You are a failure to your friends.” My breathing grew heavy.

“You took your parents for granted. They deserved it.” I shook my head.

“Shut up!” I cried.

“Poor, little Quiet Fire. Doesn’t even know what she is.” The laughing was getting louder. I closed my eyes.

“Shut up!!” I cried again.

“You are no pony. You’ll die alone. Forever an observer.” I dropped my quarter staff and fell to my hind knees.

“No… I…” I quavered my voice. I then saw Din standing in front of me. This one wasn’t laughing. Only looking at me in pure disgust. She then brought up a foreleg across her chest and swung it. I felt a sharp sting on my cheek and I spiraled into the ground. Yeowch, that stung!

Stupid vessel. Get a hold of yourself! I’m not going to suffer this circus any longer! Din barked. I gasped and shot up to my hooves. The laughing was gone. The woods weren’t so dark. But the sun was setting. How long was I out? Din sighed.

You’ve been screaming and flailing about like a child for several hours. It was funny at first, but then it became sad. Entertainment can only be funny if you were actually funny. Din said disgustedly. I looked around. I was back in the ruins of Pleasant Hope. But… wasn’t I just in a clearing? I blinked and rubbed my face and muzzle, shaking away the blurriness.

“My friends… where are they?” I rasped. Din snorted.

Beats me. I could care less, but they are around here somewhere. Probably having the best trip of their lives I imagine. Finally able to stop feeling dizzy, I looked around. Okay… where would my friends be? I began to trot around the village first. It was almost quiet, save for the cold wind howling through. This is bad. It’s almost dark. Of all the times to get sprayed by hallucinogenic pollen. I thought we were quick enough to cover ourselves? Something is really off about those flowers.

“Thi? Cloudchaser? Flitter? Scribble? Where are you guys?!” I called out. I furrowed my look into worry. I have to find them soon. Who knows what could be out here after dark. I scoured the village ruins, looking for any signs of where my friends could be. I was about to give up on the village and start heading down to the Bugbear cave was when I saw a flash of yellow in a house as I passed by it. I stopped and back tracked, looking in. I walked towards the house and I could see Scribble over the moldy hay bed. He had his journal open and was reading something. My eyes widened. He was… happy? Scribble had a smile, his expression in pure joy.

“So, when the mighty Excalibur, rose his Blade of Banishment high into the air, the dragon Malevolence blew a mighty green fire that split the sky in an attempt to intimidate. To shower the sky with eternal damnation and to strike the gods themselves. But they were not afraid. For they blessed Excalibur’s steel. As if riding on the back of a magnificent horse, Excalibur swung his blade towards the dragon, his courage and will of his very being and the cries of his friends and loved ones striving him forward. The dragon bore down on him, but his blade sung to the heavens. The clouds began to clear and with a mighty groan, the dragon Malevolence fell. Excalibur, on the back of his stalwart giant companion, rose his blade high into the air, claiming victory over the world’s end.”

He closed his journal. “Funny. It kind of reminds me of you, Cursive.” He said, petting the air over the pillow. I hesitated.

“Scribble? Scribble, are you okay?” I asked. Scribble looked over to me. I couldn’t believe it. Not stoic expression. No sarcasm. He looked surprised to see me.

“Oh! We weren’t expecting guests. Hi, welcome to Pleasant Hope. You must be new. Let me get you something to drink.” He smiled as he got up and trotted over to the fireplace. He had a fire going, but nothing was in it. He blinked and chuckled. I don’t think I ever heard him chuckle before. “Whoops. Must have got carried away reading Cursive his favorite book. Have you met Ink Scribble yet?” He smirked. “Well, of course you have. She always likes to welcome new comers.” He then looked to the bed. “Just a minute, Cursive. I’ll be right there.” I was dumbfounded. What did those flowers do to him?

I furrowed my look worriedly.

“Scribble… you have to snap out of it. You aren’t… you are…” I wavered. Scribble looked so happy. The happiest I have seen in any pony. He hummed a tune, his smile never fading.

“You uhh… have to forgive the mess. I’m going to be busy cleaning up today. So, what’s your name, traveler?” He asked. I hesitated again.

“Q-Quiet Fire. But Scribble… you know how I am.” I said. Scribble tilted his head innocently.

“I’m… sorry. I don’t quite recall meeting you before.” He said. I darted my eyes in thought. I looked over my shoulder and saw the sun creeping ever so close to the horizon. I turned back and put a hoof on Scribble’s shoulder. Scribble looked up at me. Our gaze met.

“Scribble. It’s me. Quiet Fire. You are my friend. We came here to this village to help you figure out what caused it to be destroyed. Thi Billette. Do you remember her?” I asked. Scribble looked blankly at me. He then furrowed his look worriedly.

“I-I don’t seem to understand what you are talking about. L-look, you mind not freaking out my little brother? He’s not feeling well and I need to get back to cleaning up.” He smiled and looked over to the bed. “Don’t worry Cursive. I’m sure this mare is just tired from traveling.” I looked over. There was silence. Scribble sighed. “Are you sure? Well… if you think Ink would be okay with it.” He looked to me. “Seems Cursive is curious about you.” His eyes then widened as they looked past me. I cocked a brow before following his gaze. “Cursive? Where are you going? You shouldn’t be out of bed, you need rest.” Scribble trotted out of the house.

I looked to the bed once more. I had to snap him out of it. We need to find the others. I trotted after Scribble and followed him as his look suddenly turned to panic.

“W-what’s going on? Ink? Cursive?” He looked around. I saw his breathing get heavy. Panic clear on his face. I rushed over to him and got him to look at me.

“Scribble! Snap out of it! It isn’t real! It’s all a hallucination!” I said. Scribble shook his head before pushing past me, looking around in terror.

“No! Stop it! Why here!?” He cried out. I froze. “Ink?!? Cursive?!?” He then looked over to his left and he gasped. “No…” he then cantered past a house. I balked and followed after him. We hopped over foliage and past trees. I was desperate to keep up, I ended up bumping into something. No, not something. Somepony. I looked up and saw Thi on the ground, looking dazed. I beamed.

“Thi! You’re okay!” I exclaimed. I picked her up and she shook her daze away.

“Whoa… that is so weird being a dog. What happened?” She asked. I pointed past her.

“Scribble is panicking! He took off that way!” I stated. Thi furrowed her look.

“Scribble panicking? That’s not like him.” She said. I then pulled her along as we galloped over in the direction I believed he went. We came into a clearing and looked around.

“Dammit. Where’d he go?” I asked. Thi flicked her head down and sprang up, placing her platform under her. She scanned the area and then pointed east of us.

“I see him! He’s by the river!” She called out. She landed next to me and we galloped in the direction. When we arrived by a river bed, we saw Scribble sitting on his haunches. His ears dropped to his head and was slumped over. Thi and I exchanged glances.

“Scribble! Thank Celestia we found you! Listen, you have to snap out of it! None of what you are seeing is real!” I stated. Scribble sighed. We saw him wipe his face.

“No… it’s all real. You got to see most of it, Fie.” He said suddenly. I blinked.

“Scribble? Are you back with us?” I asked. Scribble nodded sadly. We heard a soft sniffle. The stallion didn’t turn to look at us.

“I… I miss home.” He rasped. Thi looked at him with worry. She then walked over to Scribble, who turned his head to avoid her. His bangs covering his face as he wiped his muzzle. Thi sighed and sat down.

“Scribble… I know I give you a lot of hell. But it’s because I’m your friend and I do care. I know Pleasant Hope meant a lot to you and I’m sorry it happened. But we need you to focus. We have to find Cloudchaser and Flitter.” She said. Scribble nodded. He took a moment to gather himself before standing up.

“I’ve already accepted what happened in the past.” He said. He then looked to us, his expression now stoic. “It’s unfortunate that memories like to haunt the deepest part of your mind. I got sloppy with the Pocketgold. I apologize for all of the trouble.” I shook my head.

“You don’t need to apologize. This wasn’t your fault. None of it is. You weren’t here when it happened. There was nothing that could have been done.” I said. “But we are here for you, Scribble. If you truly feel like it, you can always talk to us. We will always listen.” Scribble bowed his head again, darting his eyes in thought. He then nodded as Thi sat up, dusting herself off.

“Well, glad that it is settled, I think it’s time we get the sisters and get out of here.” She said. We made our way back to Pleasant Hope. The decrepit village lonely and abandoned. As we trotted past the house I found Scribble in, he stopped and we looked back. He eyed the house, his ears dropping as the true Scribble surfaced once more. He reached back into his saddle bag and pulled out the butterfly brooch. He brushed it off before placing it down on the porch of the house. He stepped away and waved softly.

“I’ll see you guys soon. Take care Ink and Cursive. I’m off…” He said. He adjusted his saddle bag before trotting over to us. Thi looked at him.

“You good to go, Scribble?” She asked. Scribble’s ears perked up and his look stoic again. He nodded.

“I managed to catch where everypony went before I hallucinated. Flitter shouted about how her king is the only king and dove into the Bugbear hive. I’m guessing she’s going to attack the queen. If not already have.” He said. I balked.

“Then we gotta go now!” I exclaimed. We began to gallop down the hill, I nearly tripping over something. I stumbled forward upon landing at the bottom of the hill and transitioned into a gallop. I looked back at Scribble. “What about Cloudchaser!” I asked. Scribble pointed at the cave. “She wasn’t near the flowers when I cut one out. I last saw her chasing after Flitter.” He said. We cantered over to the cave and we heard a yell from inside the cave along with a bear roar. Thi unholstered her arc pistol and I withdrew my quarterstaff. We were about to go in when we saw a hulking figure emerge from the cave. A giant Bugbear roared before swiping its’ claws. We saw two figures sailing across the air and they landed with painful “oofs”. I gasped as I saw it was Cloudchaser and Flitter. Both mares looking tattered and beaten. Even some claw scratches on their garbs. Cloudchaser grunted and painfully pushed herself up from the floor. She panted as she saw us.

“About time you guys snapped out of it.” She rasped, pushing herself to her hooves as she wiped the blood from her muzzle. I wanted to check up on both of them, but Thi pointed her firearm at the Bugbear.

“Heads up, Fie!” She stated. I turned back to the Bugbear and readied myself as the Bugbear roared and began hovering where it stood. The Bugbear charged us and we dove out of the way. Cloudchaser carried her sister away from the fight before turning and flew straight at the bear, smacking both flacks of her hooves against the bear’s cheek. It roared and swiped a claw at her. She flew around it as it tried to catch her. Scribble crushed a rock and lashed out his hooves. Firebolts shot out and punched the Bugbear, causing it to reel back and swipe at its’ muzzle as a bolt punched its’ snout. Thi fired off a few rounds. The Bugbear’s hide a little more durable than she thought. Seeing as her firearm wasn’t effective, she whipped out her bat, flourishing it before swinging, sending two fireballs at it.

The Bugbear seemed to really not like fire as it roared and flew back high in the air. It dodged a couple more fireballs from Scribble and Fie before it aimed its’ stinger at us. I didn’t know Bugbears could be so fast. They barely dodged it in time, having to dive out of the way as it rammed into the tree, causing it to crack and crash down. It roared as it turned around and aimed its’ stinger again. This time, I faced it. I challenged it and as predicted, it charged. But I was already hoisting my entire body up my quarterstaff, flipped when I got to the top and brought my staff down hard over the head of the bear. It crashed into the ground and shook away its’ daze. I rolled when I landed and began jabbing it with the head of my staff, causing it physical pain as it tried to wriggle out its’ stinger.

Thi and Scribble pelted it with fireballs while Cloudchaser flew around it, swooping in to deliver hefty punches and kicks. The Bugbear was pissed. It yanked itself out of the ground and roared loudly. I had to cover my ears. I shook away the ringing as I stepped back. I flicked my ears as I heard the droning buzz from within the cave. I gasped.

“We got a problem! It called the hive!” I stated. Thi bobbed and dodged the stinger of the Bugbear while Scribble pelted it with fire. It turned its’ attention to Scribble but Cloudchaser bucked it across the head, causing it to stumble. Thi rushed over to the cave and with her magic, pulled the pins of the pepper smoke and tossed them in. She scurried away as there were two consecutive pops and red smoke began to hiss out of the cave. There were distant roars from below. I rushed over this time. Those pepper smoke bombs would only delay them. I looked to the cave and twirled my staff before heaving it up into the ceiling. I called my staff back when it struck and cracked the ceiling, causing rocks to fall and block the entrance.

“Fie, look out!” I heard Flitter call out. I ducked as the Bugbear zipped over me. When it stopped, three arrows pierced the hide, causing the Bugbear pain. I looked over to see Flitter panting as she knocked her arrow. Cloudchaser flew over to her.

“Flitter, are you sure you are okay?” She asked. Flitter smiled and waved a wing before steadying herself.

“I’m fine, sis. I’m tired of being unable to pull my weight. I’m no damsel in distress.” She said, releasing her arrow and hitting the Bugbear square in the chest. It reared back and roared, getting low to the ground. I smiled and cantered over to my friends as we grouped up.

“Whose ready for a good old fashioned monster butt kicking?” Thi smirked, holding up her bat. Scribble sighed.

“Must we make this so overly dramatic?” He asked, tossing up a rock in his hoof. Cloudchaser smacked her hooves together.

“Hey, you try saying that when you’ve literally been inside the hive fighting for your life!” She said with a grin. Flitter knocked an arrow and aimed.

“Frankly, this beats trying to fight the queen…” she said. I smiled, feeling a new sense of courage as I rested my staff to my side, facing the bear. It felt like it’s been a while since we’ve properly fought something other than Triads or gods. I welcomed it. I can finally fight by my friends. No godly powers. No fate of the world bullcrap. Just us and a monster. I couldn’t help but grin. The thrill of the fight flowing back into me. This is what I was hoping for out of adventuring to save the world. The Bugbear roared as we charged it, all ready to face the day.