Primordial Conflict

by Jumping Jack

Chapter 8: Quest Accepted: Be One With Fire

Chapter 8 Quest Accepted: Be One With Fire

Thi stayed by my side while I recovered from a massive headache I received. When Ouroboros put Din’s wisp back into me, whatever magic he drew out of her afflicted me as well. Of course, Ouroboros wasn’t apologetic. Why would an eldritch being be? But after taking his leave, I also noticed the princesses stayed behind as well. Based on the shifting Thi was making told me all I needed to know about what is going on with her. I looked tiredly over to the princesses and sighed.

“Princess Celestia. I… I’m…” I wasn’t sure what to exactly tell her. That I flunked CSGU? That I ended up in the wrong crowd? That my magic wasn’t up to par and I can only really do illusion magic? That I’m a complete failure to her as a student? I couldn’t help but wonder what Thi was thinking too. Coming from the same school, it was hard not to imagine Celestia talking down to us.

I heard the soft chuckle of Din in the back of my head. However, Celestia raised a hoof and smiled.

“I understand, Quiet Fire. And I am sorry for not interfering sooner.” To both mine and Thi’s shock, Celestia bowed her head apologetically, with Luna mimicking her motion. What even shocked me more was that Princess Celestia addressed me by my name!

“I too, am responsible for not doing my part.” Princess Luna said. “I should have seeked out the connection in the dream realm, but for some odd reason, the plane was shut to me.” I blinked, finally feeling the headache ebb away.

“What do you mean?” I asked a little groggily. Princess Celestia and Luna exchanged glances before Luna spoke.

“As the Princess of the Night, it is my duty to wander the dream plane and ease ponies from their nightmares. A task that has become of late, a difficult challenge. The dream realm has been forcing me out of pony’s dreams and even cancelling my magic outright. I haven’t been able to do my usual patrols because of it.” Princess Celestia nodded.

“Ever since the new year started, our magic has been… erratic.” She turned to look out the window and upon her horn glowing, there was a loud fizzle as if it was struggling to work. Celestia grunted as she aimed at the sky. We saw the clouds part to make way for the sun, but only saw the cloud suddenly shiver and start to bounce off each other, opening up a spectacle known as angel light. Sun beams shone through the murkish, snowy clouds. Celestia sighed and rubbed her head.

“Our magic has been backfiring more often as of today. Perhaps, it was also the reason why Ouroboros held us back.” She said. Thi finally chimed in.

“What’s the deal with him? And why does he think he can play with us?” Thi growled. “I swear, it’s like all of the sudden, he swooped down and decided to make it everypony’s problem…” I heard a soft scoff in the back of my head. Ignoring it, I too couldn’t help but agree with her. Why me? Why am one of the chosen seven? Princess Celestia smiled.

“Thi Billette. It certainly has been a while.” She said. Thi suddenly shrunk in her chair. Her eyes adverted the kind gaze of the princess. I noticed Celestia holding in a snicker. Seeming to relax her shoulders, she went over to Thi and lifted her by the chin gently to meet her gaze. I’ve never seen Thi look so unsure of herself. I guess her panic took over and she started blurting out.

“I-I said I was sorry about the spiked drink, princess! I-I didn’t know you would take a drink out of it. It was meant for our professor, I swear!” Celestia laughed and waved a hoof.

“Ahaha! Do not be so worried, my subject.” Celestia grinned. “I should honestly thank you for the kind gesture.” Thi could only mutter one thing.

“Bubazawha?” Celestia nodded while Luna rolled her eyes a little playfully.

“I was under alot of stress that day. Having that bit of drink and some minor excitement to spruce up the meeting certainly eased me.” Luna chuckled.

“Celestia can handle her drink. But she certainly drank the whole bowl.” Luna said. Thi rubbed the back of her head, laughing nervously.

“Ehehe… uhh… th-then why was I almost likely executed for that action?” She asked. Celestia giggled.

“Well, I’ll admit. I may have been still a little tipsy during it, but I would think it pushed you to be careful of your actions after. And I was right.” She levitated the bat over to Thi, who took it in her own magic and studied the bat. The eye was darting around the room, as if taking in everything. Thi looked between the bat and Celestia. "I can sense some powerful ancient magic encased in that wood. A beating heart of a spell core. A physical manifestion of magic. Something that only one other pony could harness. At least for a time." Thi rubbed the back of her head.

"You... know about this bat?" She asked. Celestia nodded, but Luna spoke for them.

“There was only one other pony who could truly create such an item. Usually, items or artifacts are cast with spells or jinxes to ward off thieves. A personal lock for possessions. But Excalibur was on another level. He created physical magic. No pony really knows how he has done it, but this bat is just one of the many things that he has created.” Luna stated. Celestia chimed in.

“The artifact may have been something else back in his time. But it shaped into what you have found it as.” She said. Thi furrowed her brows and studied the bat more. The eye seeming to ignore any eye contact with anypony. Celestia smiled. “I can’t think of no pony better than to protect the seven Elements of Power.” Thi looked at me and I shrugged with a soft smile. Thi looked to Celestia.

“What does that mean?” She asked. Celestia and Luna nodded to each other before stepping forward and displaying their wings in a royal fashion. Thi shrunk in her seat again.

“Approach us, Thi Billette.” Thi looked to me, her look screaming for help. Even I was confused as to what is going on. But Thi nervously got to her hooves and walked over to them. When she stopped in front of them, she bowed. I was speechless. I’ve never seen Thi so obedient. But then again, she’s probably screaming inside with terror. Celestia and Luna lowered their horns over her shoulders. “Thi Billette. You are hear-by knighted on this very day, to protect and serve not only your friends, but the responsibility of protecting and guiding the Elements of Power to save our home.” They raised their heads and Thi did the same. She too, was speechless. I couldn’t help but feel a roller coaster of emotions.

I’m happy for her that she got some forgiveness from the princesses themselves. Worried that this responsibility might make or break her. And sad that at this very moment, we are now locked into a destiny we cannot deny. I suddenly felt angry. This day is sucking so much more.

---

I felt better after a bit and walked side by side with Thi next to me and the princesses leading us to down a long hallway. This was all so surreal. Thi has just been knighted by the princesses and I’m suddenly the one who needs to be protected? Hell no! I can take care of myself no problem. I took out a Roc. As glad as I am that Thi now has an excuse to stick with me a little longer, I can tell she was not feeling up to the task. She sighed under her breath and I gave a reassuring smile, slugging her playfully on the foreleg.

“Hey. At least you are forgiven of all your troublemaking at CSGU.” I said with somewhat encouraging optimism. Thi smiled softly but frowned after. She shook her head.

“I don’t know what the princesses are thinking. Why me? I have enough crap to deal with and I definitely don’t want to be stuck as a knight of the castle. Let alone a sworn protector to seven creatures who I still have no idea who they are.” She quickly wiggled a hoof at me. “Except for you. You I can understand. But you don’t really need me to protect you, right?” I gave her a cool smile.

“Aww. But I thought it’d be fun to rescue a damsel in distress.” I teased. That got a laugh out of her and she slugged me back.

“Shut up, Ms. Roc Slayer!” She grinned. I laughed in return. With our moods a little better, we entered into a pair of tall doors nearly reaching the ceiling. The room was spacious. Pillars circled the room to support the structure. Three stained glass windows lined the walls in between the pillars. In the center of the room was a circular table. The crystal like texture mixing with oil-ish like reflections. I stopped in my tracks with Thi at the same time. We stared in awe at the wizard pony that was scanning through a leatherbound book.

His serious and stoic expression focused on the book, but he spoke in acknowledgment of our presence.

“So. One of the seven finally makes her entrance.” He said without taking a single glance. I gulped and exchanged a glance with Thi.

“M-Mr. Starswirl?” I began. Starswirl closed the book and placed it on the table.

“Just Starswirl the Bearded, if you please.” He said. I nodded.

“S-Starswirl the Bearded?” I said. He narrowed his eyes at me, looking unimpressed and possibly uninterested.

“I was expecting the vessel of Din to be a bit more… fiery.” Thi smirked and leaned cooly against me.

“Duh! She’s Quiet Fire. It’s in her name. I mean, if you can’t get the name right, then the mane and tail gives it away.” I flushed and felt my insecurity rise about my mane and tail. I fluffed the front out of habit before noticing Starswirl wave a hoof.

“Well, since one of the seven is here, I must ask that we talk about this… destiny you have.” I looked over to the princesses. They nodded. The door behind us closed via Starswirl’s magic and his horn glowed brightly after. “I’ve cast a spell that’ll disway any creature listening in. Now then.” He rested his forehooves in front of him and leaned forward. “What do you know so far of your destiny?” I took a moment to gather myself. What should I tell him? That I hate being apart of all of this? That me and my best friend are now apart of something we can’t get out of? How I’m angry with being included in the fate of everything? No, that’ll make me out to be insensitive to everything that is valued. But… do I really have to be the one to make this choice?

Or you can unleash everything and allow me to rule this realm! I promise, you’ll not be burdened by those thoughts anymore, dear Fire.

I frowned. ‘Like hell I will. Besides, even if I did, Ouroboros will probably just withdraw your magic…. Wait… that’s not a bad idea.’ I smirked. Perhaps if I can get into as much trouble as possible with the use of Din, Ouroboros will have no choice but to put this burden on somepony else. The voice laughed in a not so friendly way.

In case you forget, my dear vessel. Your best friend has been knighted by the princesses and she is sworn to ‘protect’ our vessels. And just so you know, your life is tied with mine. So even if you try to off yourself, you’ll just erase me from the picture and well… no more Equestria.

I can just hear the grin on her face. I growled. Dammit. Fate and destiny suck. I blinked, realizing that I had forgotten that I was being addressed by Starswirl. I looked up, seeing everypony in the room eyeing me with curiosity. Starswirl excluded. He looked interested, but those defiant eyes tell a different expression.

“Are you able to communicate with your… power?” Starswirl asked. I sighed and gave a half assed shrug.

“I… dunno. Just now I was able to. And… in the inn before.” I sighed again. “Err… yes, I appear to be able to communicate with the creature.” I stated finally. Starswirl didn’t miss a beat.

“Good. That is vital to this plan. Celestia. Luna. Pass a message onto your protégé and her friends. If I am to rely on this to work, I need their cooperation as well.” He pulled another book from below the table and opened it, his eyes scanning the pages. “Tell her that the one of fire will be meeting her in Bleak Barrow Bog to begin searching for the monument.” I blinked.

“Monument?” I asked. Starswirl scanned through another book before speaking.

“I’ve heard about ancient monuments dedicated to the elements that bind this world. I’ve manipulated the map we are borrowing from Twilight to reveal to us where they are.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, I believe the map maybe meant for a different use. I have tweaked it to better fit our objectives.” He frowned underneath his beard. “A map designed to seek out friendship problems. Ridiculous. There is more at stake than friendship problems.” I thought that table looked familiar. There has been times Twilight has given a tour of the place. For sheer boredom or maybe she just felt the need to tell everypony that being a princess doesn’t mean a grandoise life. But she did answer a couple of questions I had. Which was the table.

She showed the onlookers that it was a map that would call her or anyone of her friends to solve a friendship problem. It expanded as far as the Badlands. It was pretty interesting. But aside from that, there was no other use for the map aside from just monitoring issues with friendships in Equestria.

“Err… I think that’s the whole point of the map.” I said. “I have never seen it in action, but Twilight has stated that it helps them make new allies and friends alike. Aside from that, it’s just a map that was born alongside the castle from the Tree of Harmony.” Starswirl shifted.

“Really? The Tree of Harmony?” His eyes darted in thought before standing up right and his horn shot a bright white beam up into the air. The magic spread and washed over the map. The fogginess of the map cleared. I could see many points of interest in the map having been marked. And the floating cutiemarks of what I am assuming are Twilight and her friends. They were moving slowly, but showing that their destinations were being reached. “Hmm. Fascinating. To think the tree we have planted could make such a helpful tool. I assumed it was just something the filly bought to pretend to be a hero.” I suddenly got annoyed. I stomped my hoof down.

“I don’t know what you are trying to get at, Mr. Bearded. But I can vouch along with half of Equestria that Twilight and her friends have done more for Equestria than you could ever imagine.” The room went silent and Starswirl’s eyes met mine. I gulped and maintained my ground. “With all due respect, I’ve been around since Discord decided to terrorize Ponyville. I’ve been through each conflict that they have managed to handle. Well, not in person, but word and news reaches fast. They have made plenty of allies and even prevented wars. You may have done that in the past, but you are a fairytale in our time.” Starswirl bowed his head.

“You dare to lecture me over saving our home? You have no idea what I have been through. You assume to think I am insensitive. Heartless.” He stepped around the table to me and glared. “Know your place in this time, filly. Our world rests in your hooves. And if it was up to me, I would take Ouroboros and his damned Elements of Power and hide them away to never be seen again. Vessel and all.” He sighed. “And that goes for the Princess of Friendship. It’s one thing saying you saved Equestria. It’s another doing. And no pony seems to take this dire time seriously.” Thi butted in.

“Sounds like you know a little something about this then. If you would be oh-so-kind, your ‘highness’.” She scowled. Starswirl tipped his hat and turned back to the table.

“I’ve met Ouroboros before.” Me and Thi exchanged glances as he continued. “I’ve been studying on the concept of physical magic for some time. Before I had made my sacrifice to Limbo, the subject on physical magic had been eluding me for some time.” Thi furrowed her brows and brushed the bat with her hoof. “Yes, your club has a vast amount of physical magic encased inside of it. I’m impressed you’ve managed to wield it with such ease.” Thi furrowed her brows again. He may have been spectating our ordeal with the Roc. Another thing Ouroboros probably intervened with. I can’t believe I shared a drink with him. Starswirl continued. “The point I’m trying to make is that Ouroboros knows something about this physical manifestation of magic. It is tied with the seven elements. Just like your artifact.

“Where did you even come across such an artifact?” Starswirl addressed Thi. Thi suddenly smirked and twirled the bat in her magic.

“Well, being the badass archeologist like myself, one of my daring escapades led me to a stranded ruin off the island of Pony Land, believe it or not. The place had long been abandoned before. But there were signs that Scorpan may have used it for a time. But that’s besides the point. I found a crack in a wall, bucked it out and found it on a pedestal.” Starswirl brushed his beard with interest. I was in awe a little. Scorpan used to be a nasty warlock that terrorized Pony Land for a time long ago. But the princesses stated that Excalibur was the one who created it.

“So… then how did it get there?” I asked suddenly. Thi blinked and then flipped the bat in front of her, studying it.

“It’s always a mystery how certain things end up in a place such as those. My only assumption would be that it may have been passed around before being hidden away. Why would it be behind a wall?” Thi made a good point. Starswirl eyed the bat.

“I would like to study it when the chance is given. But for now, the task at hoof.” He pointed to the map. “Meet the Princess of Friendship at the bog and we’ll go from there.” He then levitated out some tiny, clear looking and smooth rocks. “These are link buds. They are attuned to a special magical frequency that will allow voice communication no matter how far out. I’ve given them to the Elements of Harmony. They should be attuned to match their frequency.” We each took one and studied it. We then looked at Starswirl in confusion. He sighed and pointed to his ear. “Place them in your ear. It’ll lock itself in, painlessly. And they are easy to remove if you worry about it getting stuck.”

Thi blinked and then balked in surprise. “So that’s how they…” she shook her head and placed it in her right ear. She gave a weird look before flicking her ear. “Huh… it’s as if it just rolled in. And I can still hear out my ear. Neat!” I took that as an okay to put it in my right ear as well. The sensation was strange. It felt like it was burrowing into my canal. But it was a little ticklish rather than painful. The slight blocking in my ear cleared up and now it was just a strange subtle buzzing in my ear. Starswirl nodded to the princesses.

“I am in need of your assistances, my pupils. I’m sure Ouroboros is wondering where we are currently. We need to prepare a full course plan before the Solstice is upon us.” He nodded to me and Thi. “Prepare yourselves well, girls. This is not a vacation or a party. Our lives and our very realm are in danger. It is your duty to uphold the balance and restore it to harmony. I trust you can manage that?” Thi was about to blurt out something but I wrapped a hoof around her neck and brought her in to quiet her.

“No prob, beardy. Hehe. Never… been more prepared in my life.” I lied. Starswirl turned and walked out of the room with the princesses trailing him. When the coast was clear, me and Thi gave a unified exasperated sigh and slumped to the ground.

“I thought he’d never shut up…” Thi sighed. I flicked the ground with bored interest.

“Tell me about it… so much to take in… and it isn’t lunch yet.” I said. Thi frowned and stomped a forehoof.

“What is his deal anyway? I swear, that guy has been trash talking everypony ever since Ouroboros pulled him out of bed.” I nodded and spat on the ground. He did leave a bad taste in my mouth.

“I know there is stubborn. But he takes it to a whole new level.” Thi chuckled and nudged me.

“I didn’t take you to stand up to ponies you barely hang out with. Especially the Princess of Friendship.” She said. I rubbed my foreleg.

“W-well. I’ve seen what they’ve been through when the fate of Equestria is put on display. I swear, Ponyville is the epicenter for conflict and the fate of our world.” I rubbed the back of my head. “Prooobably doesn’t help that we are kind of a hoof trot away from the Everfree. But you don’t need to go there unless you have too.” Thi rubbed her chin.

“So… how have I not heard about this Discord, or Lord Tirek? The rumors about a Changeling invasion are true as well? Even the return of the Crystal Empire?” I nodded.

“Every single one. I know you were on the other side of the map, but I’m surprised word got out that far.” I waved my hoof in front of me in gesticulation. “I was either drunk or fighting for my own survival. But Twilight and her friends carried the weight of their victories.” Thi smirked.

“Sounds like you wanted in on the action.” She said. I shook my head immediately.

“Nope! I was like everypony else. Hiding and trying to avoid conflict.” I stood up. “I’d rather avoid all of that stuff.” I sighed. “And I really did not want whatever we are getting into.” Thi bowed her head and ruffled her mane.

“Mmm. Well, who knows? Maybe this is our chance for redemption for all the trouble we caused. Or perhaps it’s just our chance to do something for once in our lives.” I eyed Thi worriedly. But then, she smiled and stood up. “Naaah! If we redeemed our troublemaking ways, we wouldn’t be the cool badasses we are. I bet even the princesses had to break some rules and laws to get by.” I smiled softly. We turned to walk out of the room.

I couldn’t help but admire what Thi said. To be able to continue on despite everything. Whatever happened to her in the past six years, she seemed to have a better grasp of what she wants. And that made me feel envious. What was I doing these past six years? Being sad and pathetic. Only living the standard life and not making much of it. That maybe good for someponies. And while I was brought up to be a Canterlot Guard, I didn’t find that fulfilling. Funny. I’m still a sad loser.

The only thing that changed is my physique and single life. My envy kept growing. Thi always had an amazing physique. And yet, despite her own upbringing, she still looked amazing. Forever young.

---

As we exited Canterlot Castle and entered into the main cetner of Canterlot, I noticed a certain some pony ordering troops around. Word had already gotten out that the two ponies who were carried away took down the Roc, which was being wagoned by several earth ponies and being escorted by several Canterlot Guards. It was covered with a large cloth. Ponies gathered to see the massive creature, but the guards shooed anypony that got close. I tugged on Thi’s denim jacket and motioned to go the other way. I did not want to be picked out from the crowd by mother of all things, as we turned, I balked as I saw, to my dismay, my mother standing before us. I blinked and looked back to the other captain ordering troops.

‘Of course! She’s not the only Captain of the Royal Guard, dumbass!’ I shuttered and did my best to avoid contact, not saying anything as I tried to step around her. To my surprise, she didn’t move to stop me. But Thi knew what was going on and it gave us away pretty well. In fact, she was actually looking at Thi. I carefully glanced over my shoulder and stopped to pretend to look at a fascinating thing on the ground.

“You are the one that was captured by the Roc. I am glad to see you are unharmed.” Thi snorted.

“No thanks to your guards. It was Fie that saved me and took down the Roc at the same time.” I tensed and shot a glare towards Thi under my bangs. But my mother was already glancing over her shoulder.

“Indeed. Which is another matter I need to discuss. Civilians engaging in monster affairs are very discouraged. We had everything under control.” My mother said, stoic and unmoving as usual. Thi sighed.

“So predictable. You keep telling yourself that, sister and let me know when another directionally confused Roc decides to show up. Maybe I can take it down this time.” She then gave a furious glare. “With a violent vengeance…” my mother gave a curious arch of her brow.

“Quite. A little too violent.” I could sense her eyes glancing in my direction. But I continued to find the ground fascinating, my eyes trailing a crack in the sidewalk. Thi rubbed the back of her head before shrugging.

“Dunno what else to tell you. I would have been Roc food if your guards weren’t too busy being batted by its’ wings. It was thanks to Fie I’m still around right now.” I gave a subtle smile. My ears flicked when I heard a familiar voice call out to my mother.

“Captain Cloud Fire! Wonder Bolt Company B reporting for next assignment!” I turned to see the very same Wonder Bolt who had caught me. I thought she was familiar. Cerulean spiky mane and tail, a lilac-colored coat. There was no mistaking this was the same pony I delivered a letter too back in Cloudsdale. I felt my face growing hot and my heart rate increasing. Four other ponies hovered next to her. A coal coated stallion with a white windswept mane. Another pony who I seemed to remember who was with the same pony I feel funny for right now. Was it Flitter? Mint colored straight mane and bright lilac coat. And the other was clearly a no brainer. The stallion with many jobs. Bulk Biceps, the overly muscular pegasus with tiny wings hovered above them, giving a proud salute.

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Bulk. He was quite an interesting and wholesome guy once you got to know him. And I admire his dedication to his multiple jobs. My mother turned to the group.

"Very good, Squad B. Your next assignment is to escort the wagon to the disposal site. Make sure the civilians are keeping their distance." She then looked over her shoulder and directly to me. I was too focused on the pegasus mare to notice until it was too late. I then shrunk back as my mom turned and walked over to me. I once again, found the ground to be more fascinating. I glanced behind her and saw the pegasus and her squad salute her and fly over to the wagon. "My eyes are up here, Quiet Fire." she said. Her voice made it hard to guess what she was expressing. I finally looked up to mom. The very same pony I had cut ties with years ago. I gave a nervous smile and rubbed my foreleg.

"H-hey, mom..." I said pathetically. She didn't give any emotion other than her usual stoic self. I saw Thi frowning and trotting over to me. But my mom shot out a wing between us and stopped her in her tracks.

"This is between me and my child, Thi Billette." she said, without taking her eyes off me. Thi balked.

"Y-you know who I am?" she asked. My mother ignored her.

"It has been years, Quiet Fire. I see you are... well." she stated. I sighed and wiggled my hoof lazily.

"I-I'm fine. Y-you don't seem so bad yourself?" I said in not so much as a genuine question, but a question I hoped was convincing enough to not make this awkward. 'Oh, who are you kidding, Quiet. Your whole life has just been an awkward mess.' My mother looked over to the wagon.

"To think my own child could fell a Roc with a simple firearm. Roc hide is very tough to penetrate. It's why we were trying to lure it away. Too much of a pain to attack and it'd cause alot of property damage." Without moving her head, her eyes fell back to me. "Though, I supposed some property damage is... unavoidable." I gulped. I wasn't nervous about unintentionally leading a Roc to cause structural damage. Rather, it was about what I was going to say next.

"W-well... perhaps it was just a... lucky shot?" That caused an eyebrow to arch questioningly. I sighed. "Screw it, dropping the formalities. What do you want, mom? To lecture me about some fool hardy attempt to survive a Roc attack? Leave it to a professional like you? Trust me, I did not wanted to be a target for a bird of prey. I did what I had to to survive. Even help my best friend if I could." My mother glanced at Thi before focusing back on me.

"Survive is exactly what you did. And saving your friend you also have done. Protecting the civilians from any harm was quite impressive. Just a bit more work on keeping property damage to a minimum." I frowned and arched a brow at her.

"Are you just here to grade me on my survival? Wondering if I changed my mind about becoming a Canterlot Guard?" I turned my back to her. "Sorry, mom. That dream is dead. And I’ll ask you to drop it. I'm a courier. And it's something I find to enjoy." My mother sighed, causing me to look over my shoulder and arch a brow, this time in question. She looked exhausted.

"And do you enjoy being one of the seven?" she asked. My heart sank and my mind started to panic. Even Thi looked baffled. My mother casted her stoic gaze on me once again. "I maybe Captain of the Royal Guard. But I can't say that Ouroboros hasn't been tight lipped. Apparently, you are his favorite." I blinked and cocked my head. "The creature talked very fondly of you to the princesses and Starswirl. He pushed you into the direction to help us find one of the seven, so we only have to focus on six more. I couldn't believe my own child was selected to decide the fate of Equestria." I sighed and shook my head. I remember what my folks always told me.

"This isn't how I wanted to find my place in Equestria. I didn't ask for any of this. I don't know what I did to draw the attention of an eldritch being like him." I rubbed the back of my head. "I just wanted to work, get drunk and fall asleep to another day." My mother nodded softly.

"Indeed, an unexpected outcome. But I can see your skills we have taught you have helped a great deal. At least I can be sure that I don't have to worry too much." That made me backpedal. Did my mom just say she was worried about me? I looked up at her and arched a brow. My mother turned away from me and Thi and walked in the opposite direction of the wagon. "I have to manage my guards for a time. I'll be extremely busy from this point on. Alot to do and a lot of ordering. Thi Billette. To answer your question earlier, you are wanted in several regions of Equestria for thievery, gratuitous violence and endangering the native locals of the region. You'd best watch what you do here in Canterlot. As anywhere else under the Princesse's reign." Thi furrowed her brow. My mother expanded her wings and spoke for one last time. "And Quiet Fire. You should write to your father. Perhaps deliver it yourself. It's best to see for yourself what has happened while you were gone." And with that, she took off into the sky and hovered over the Canterlot wall to handle other business. I slumped and darted my eyes in thought.

What did she mean by that? What happened to dad? What about my siblings? All of a sudden, my family came back into my mind and for the first time in years, I was starting to worry. Is this what homesick feels like? I shook my head. No, I can't be. My home is now in Ponyville. It's way better than a dingy and smelly city. Hoofington has been falling apart for a while. Last I heard a big riot happened there due to the new election of the mayor. But that was two years ago.

You should check up on him

My conscience echoed in my mind. Only to be replaced with a sinister voice.

Forget your parents and siblings. They have done nothing but caused you strife. Such a poor soul. Fending for herself due to mother's love. Pfft ha! If you could even call that love. More like, competitive fervor. I growled.

'That's none of your concern, witch.' I hissed in my mind.

Oh please. A silly thing like you trying to be intimidating is like a little bunny prancing about for berries. But... if ponies seem to underestimate, I'd be glad to take over and show them the awe-inspiring respect you deserve. I could hear the sinister smile. I shook my head again.

"Shut up! Let me think in peace!" I said loudly. Thi blinked and shrugged.

"Whatever you say, girl. Just checking up to make sure you aren't having a panic attack after your mother's confrontation." My eyes widened and I quickly waved my hooves in dismissal.

"N-no! Not you! I was talking to Din! I mean..." I bowed my head. "Thi... Are we... Are we really going to do this? Are we really going to just go out and get a chance to shine?" Thi studied me. She patted the bat against her shoulder as she thought.

"Mmm... I don't know. For me, it's just another adventure. Though... I won't lie. I kind of... want this." I returned her look. She continued. "Don't get me wrong. I hate being told what to do and I was not ready to be knighted by the princesses. It felt all too sudden! I mean... me? A protector to seven creatures I don't know about? Well, aside from you. But you don't need me to protect you. You and me, Fie. We are partners. A team. And I will say that even if you are feeling in doubt and have nowhere else to turn, I'll always be ready to shell out my own Thi fried wisdom." I couldn't help but snicker, feeling my mood get better.

"Thi fried?" I asked. Thi nodded.

"Been thinking about some saying using my name as a clever pun. After all, my folks did name me after a spice." She grinned. "Hince my fiery temper. More so than your hot streak mane." We both laughed and I felt my mood rise again. I will admit, after six years of no contact and coming back out of the blue, I felt so much better knowing I have at least one pony that has my back. And I couldn't ask for a better partner than Thi Billette. Which reminds me... I looked to the wagon, seeing it nearly halfway towards the gate. I looked over to Thi and motioned at the wagon.

"B-before we make a plan on how to meet Twilight at the bog, I want to thank some pony first." Thi cocked her head to look past me towards the wagon.

"One of the ponies escorting the wagon?" She rubbed her chin before shrugging. "Well, not like I can think of anything to do right now. Might as well kill some time. I don't know about you, but I think Starswirl maybe getting too far ahead of everything. He may be a great hero and folk tale of his time. But from my experiences... a personality and temper like that leads to a lot of burning bridges if it gets out of control."

---

We managed to catch up to the wagon, trailing just far enough to not be shooed by the guards. I kept my eye on the Wonder Bolt casually hovering above the covered corpse of the Roc. My eyes darted around, seeing what the best way to get her attention. I saw her scan the crowds that were beginning to surround and awe at the wagon. When she looked my way, I gave a small wave. It must have missed her attention, because she scanned past me before floating down and shooing away a couple of ponies that got too close. Thi rubbed her chin.

“You know… we could just follow them to the disposal site. I kind of want a take home trophy. Maybe one of the Roc’s feathers. I hear the material is so light that it can make a pony with no wings fly. I also hear it’s great for some stimulants. Or… perfume.” She slumped. “I’ll just go with the feather.” I bit my lip in worry. How was I going to reach her? I then had a bright idea. I looked over to Thi and got on my knees in a begging manner.

“Thi, as my partner can you do me a huge favor? Pleeeeeeease?” I begged. Thi looked at me and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Does it involve causing mass destruction to create the perfect distraction that may or may not get us thrown in Tarturus?” She asked. I blinked and gave a nervous smile.

“Errr… okay, maybe a different favor. Can you conjure up your jump pads and let me use your platform spell? I promise I’ll make plenty of hotcakes in return.” Thi rubbed her chin in thought.

“Make it strawberry and banana.” She said with a smirk. I nodded. Thi’s horn glowed and a yellow, glowing circle with a spring like rune appeared in front of us. I gave her a big hug.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” I squeed. Thi pat my back and rolled her eyes. I took a deep breath and pulled away from her. I then did one bounce forward before jumping onto it. There was a strange sound that played when I jumped on it. I felt myself being propelled high into the air. The pad disappeared and I panicked a bit. But Thi had conjured an angled pad and I found myself kicking off of it and being propelled forward. I yelped as I may have almost overshot myself. Thankfully, a glowing solid platform appeared under me and I landed with amazing balance.

“What the? What do you think you are doing?” A voice said in surprise. I looked to my side. I gave a slightly disappointed look as it wasn’t the pony I was expecting. The other Wonder Bolt who I remember as Flitter was looking at me with her forehooves on her hips. To my luck, the crowded ponies began to surround the wagon more, causing it to stop as the escorts and guards were trying to quell the interest. It must have been interesting to see a pony take the initiative to get a closer look. Great, starting a small movement to look at the Roc.

The buzzing below us began to increase to murmuring chatter. Guards were calling out to one another for help. I looked and saw Thi twirling her bat at the edge of the crowd, watching with casual interest. I finally gathered myself and smiled at Flitter.

“Erm… hi. I-I think you may know me as the pony who delivered a letter to you?” I began. Flitter arched an unamused brow. I gulped and held up a hoof. "I-I promise I’m not here to take a look at the Roc. Goddess forbid I ever want to come across one again. A-anyway. I was hoping to thank somepony. D-do you… know where she is?” I was scanning the crowd, but I couldn’t see her in the chaos. Flitter sighed.

“Look, I’m going to have to ask you to step off your magical platform and give us some space. This is an urgent matter.” She said. I nodded.

“Y-yes, I understand! B-but if I could uhh… thank a certain Wonder Bolt for saving me from falling to my death I-“

“Oh hey, I remember you!” A voice said. I freezed and looked to see a radiant glimmering aura around a spiky maned Wonder Bolt. Time seemed to slow down. I saw her pull her goggles up to her head and wipe the sweat from her brow. Her athletic bod being hugged tightly by the Wonder Bolt garb. Her spiky mane and tail blowing in the wind like some sort of super hero. A confident smile displayed on her face. I felt my legs starting to melt and my heart race. I must have had a dumb smile on my face. “You alright there?” The confident and amazingly pretty mare asked. Suddenly, a lilac hoof waved in front of my sight and Flitter peeked her head in.

“Hellooo? We are talking to you.” I blinked and the radiant glimmer was gone. The pony who I remember is named Cloudchaser was arching a confused brow at me, her hooves crossed her chest.

“Uhuwha?” I snapped out of my daze. Flitter and Cloudchaser exchanged glances, shrugging before turning back to me.

“Listen, it’s great that you are doing better, but we are going to have to ask you to please get down and get back.” Cloudchaser said. I grabbed the front of my hood tightly and bit my lip, gulping.

“C-Cloudchaser, right?” I said, hearing my voice crack. I cleared my throat and stood upright. “Cloudchaser. I’ve come at the expense of me getting in trouble to thank you. Err… for catching me.” I felt my confidence fading. “I uhh… I wasn’t thinking. My fight or flight was in overdrive.” Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

“Oh. Uh, your welcome.” She responded. The moment got awkward now. Flitter looked between us and Cloudchaser looked to her, shrugging. Flitter sighed and rubbed her muzzle.

“Alright, you said what you needed so get off and let us continue with the disposal, please.” She said. I don’t know what I was expecting. I felt my heart sink a bit as Cloudchaser and Flitter gave me serious and professional looks.

‘Way to go, Quiet Fire. You really screwed the pooch on this one. Unless…’ I had another dumb idea. I scanned the crowd and saw Thi. She was patting the bat against her shoulder impatiently. She caught my look and arched a brow. I cleared my throat and my horn glowed. I shot out a small fire work bolt that popped and caught the attention of everypony.

“Ahem. Err… hello, everypony.” I began, projecting my voice across the crowd. “I know this may seem like a trivial matter, but I promise that if you give room for them to pass, I’ll tell you all about what happened while in the clutches of the beast!” I said. There was quiet murmuring before one pony spoke up from the crowd.

“I was there! I was right next to her when that beast swooped down!” Another followed after.

“What was it like?”

Then another.

“Were you the one that took it down?”

“Can we see it?” The chatter began buzzing. I looked back to Cloudchaser and Flitter who seemed to watch with casual interest. I looked back to the crowd and held up a hoof.

“Relax, everypony! I can tell you all about it, but away from the wagon. Don’t want my trophy to be damaged.” I began walking, Thi keeping the platform forming under me as I did. The pony crowd chattered and walked with me, asking all sorts of questions. I wasn’t the type to boast about things. This was not something I wanted to take credit for. But, I had to return the favor somehow to her. I looked over my shoulder and winked at the two, who returned it with a smile.

“Alright, ponies. March. We can still make it before dinner.” One of the guards ordered. The wagon began moving. I watched as the two pegasai turn around, Cloudchaser giving me a cool salute with a wing before following after Flitter. I looked down and I saw Thi being pushed and shoved, causing her to growl and angrily snap at ponies.

“Hey, lay off my space! I’m walking here!” I sighed. Now I just need to figure out how to lose the crowd. I looked around and smiled. I found our exit. I knocked softly on the platform to get Thi’s attention. It worked as she looked up at me and lowered the platform. We were instantly swarmed by the ponies. Questions being bombarded left and right. Did I ever mention I’m not a fan of tight spaces? I could feel my breathing begin to increase as the room to breathe was beginning to get smaller and smaller. Thi was backed up against me and grunted.

“Rrrgh! Hope you have a plan, Fie. I’m more of a keep my distance type in social gatherings.” She said to me, using a hoof to push back a pony. I was holding two of them back with my own hooves.

“I have an idea, but it’s going to require another favor.” I said. Thi glanced at me and smirked.

“Two stacks of strawberry banana.” I rolled my eyes playfully. I closed my eyes and focused on splitting myself. Drawing out myself in my head and letting the image wash into my mind. I opened my eyes and I saw myself in the crowd. Her hoodie up and covering her head. She smiled at me. I ordered myself to puff into smoke. My copy comically began to inflate like a balloon before making a loud pop and white smoke washed over the crowd. Me and Thi covered our snouts with our sleeves.

“Thi, springboard!” I said to her as the crowd was coughing, screaming and having confused chatter. Thi flicked her head down and a bounce pad formed instantly under us. It sprang us up and I nearly lost my balance on the air until Thi used an angled bounce pad. Thi laughed as she dexterously flew through the air with her bounce pad. It amazed me how concentrative Thi is in keeping track of me and herself during this. I bounced and followed her, not as skillfully, but enough to keep up.

“Wooohooo!! This is fun!” She laughed as she twirled and sprang herself across and over me. We made good distance before Thi conjured a platform at street level. I was worried we were going to splatter upon impact, but all momentum seemed to stop once we hit the platform. It was like a sticky net. Thi, however flipped and trapezed on a tree branch, letting go and balling up to back flip twice and landed deftly on her hooves. She was laughing, her expression full of life. “Ahahahaha! Haaaa woooo! What a rush!” She said happily. I picked myself up off the platform and stepped off it, shivering from the strange web like feeling.

“Urgh. That was two things I was not entirely prepared for…” I said as I was letting my heart rate ease a beat. Thi playfully bumped my flank with hers, her trot having a bit of bounce to it.

“Aww chin up, Fie! I’ve always wanted to do that with a bud. The rush of the wind and the momentum being carried! I’m so glad I was able to master that spell before I flunked out.” She tapped her horn pridefully. “S’gotten me out of plenty of sticky situations.” I heard the quiet hum of a certain creature in the back of my head. Thi must have gotten Din’s interest. I was right when she spoke in my mind.

If I had known a pony like her existed, I’d happily take her as my vessel. She seems to not mind my desires. I grinned.

‘Then you’re a fool to put that much faith in a carefree spirit like her. You’ll probably be sitting bored out of your mind. She can only really master that spell and basic telekinesis. Anything else she half asses.’ This is in no offense to Thi Billette. She only was interested in things that really kept her invested. Whatever her bounce pad and platform spell got her interested in, I may never know. Perhaps it just opened more doors to thrills and adventure. It may not be a practical spell for most unicorns since they can learn levitation or teleportation. Which is a preferred method. Din chuckled softly.

Oh, my dear vessel. I would have chosen her if I knew she existed. But you hold much more potential than your friend. In fact, I can safely say that the old serpentine had more reasons to make us his favorite. I did not like the way she made it sound. My lips are sealed. I’ll let you figure that out on your own. And I’ll continue to spectate to see how well you preform. Remember. You die. Equestria dies. My good mood shot down dramatically. I bowed my head.

I really hate destiny. This whole day has been exhausting. And we’ve barely even taken a step out of Canterlot. What should I do? Everything was just so overwhelming. My roller coaster of emotions wasn’t helping either. I could feel my breathing increase again. I put a hoof to my chest. There was a loud ringing in my ear. I shut my eyes tight and tried to shut out the ringing. The ringing became a humming. As if somepony was running the tip of their hoof over a glass. What was going on? Why was I panicking? Come on, Quiet, relax! You’ll find something out! You have time still! The humming was becoming louder and louder.

“Hey, do you hear something?" Thi asked. I blinked and found my panic to fade as the humming was indeed clear. It sounded like it was sounding to the right of me. I tapped my right ear and dug around a bit. My hoof tip pressed on the stone and I heard a voice that made me jump.

”Hello? Is this thing on?” A garbled voice said. Me and Thi looked at each other. We then had the same realization. The stones in our ear. Oh, right! They are supposed to be a two-way communication system, right? I hesitated as I put my hoof over my right ear. I heard the humming become a soft drone.

“Errr… come again?” I said out loud instinctively. The voice responded back, much to my amazement.

”Oh, finally I got it to work! I dunno why I was having so much trouble. This is Twilight Sparkle. I’m calling in for Quiet Fire?” Thi looked at me as she put a hoof to her ear to listen in on. I pressed softly on my ear.

“Errr… that’s me.” I responded. Twilight seemed to be fumbling with her stone as there was some scraping noises that sent a strange shiver down my spine.

”Oh, good! Quiet Fire, I guess you were supposed to meet me at the Bog? Well, you don’t need to worry about that. I’ve already deciphered the monument.” Thi blinked and pressed her ear.

“That fast? We hardly even left Canterlot yet.” She said. Twilight responded.

"I know! But I just got super excited and wanted to see if I could brush up on more history for Equestria, because you know we are living in the now of ancient history and I wanted to get a head start as much as I can!" I couldn’t help but smile. I forgot how much of an excited spazz Twilight could be when she geeks out. Thi arched a brow.

“Well… then what do we do?” She asked. Honestly, I agree with her. Having to meet up with Twilight was something to do. But since we don’t need to anymore, I’m at a loss. Twilight cleared her throat again.

"Well, as I've said. I deciphered the monument and I think it gave me a clue that I think requires your element, Quiet Fire." I sighed and grumbled under my breath. I'm not at all enthused to be using Din at all. But the unison grumble in my head also told me that she wasn't as inclined either. At least we can agree on something. "It states that there is an altar near the mountains that is dedicated to the one who brings fire. When the one who brings the eternal flame to rest, only then will the bearer complete the test." I looked over to Thi. I pressed my ear.

"So... does it say which mountain region we are supposed to look?" I asked. Twilight gave a thoughtful hum.

"It doesn't quite say. But it does mention that when you find the Pilgrim Steps, you'll begin the journey to be one with fire."

I refuse to let a simpleton like you to use my powers freely. Whoever put that monument there needs to be put in their place.

I ignored the voice and tapped my head, my eyes shut tight. Come on, think! The Pilgrim Steps... I've heard about them before, but where? It was at the tip of my tongue and my mind was waving the flag for me. Thi answered my question.

"You mean the steps that were used to symbolize the story of how Equestria was founded? At the foot of the Buckhorn Mountains?" Thi rubbed her chin. "It's actually not that far. Though it does require a wagon ride over. Hoofing it there through the valley is a bit tedious. A Malworf had recently took up residence there from what I heard." I looked at Thi with awe. I then frowned and eyed her suspiciously.

"The hell is a Malworf?" I asked. "That sounds like something you made up." Thi shrugged.

"Could be, couldn't be. Only one way to find out." She smiled and twirled the bat before resting it on her shoulder. "So, wagon or hoof?" I blinked and found my mind going blank.

"Uhhhh...." before I could respond, Thi spoke for me.

"Personally, I prefer bouncing my way there, but I'll tire myself out and frankly, I am a little tired from escaping that crowd. Plus, taking a wagon will hide us from the crowd that is currently looking for us. Annnnnd we can eat along the way!" She pointed towards the exit gate with her bat. "Come on, Fie! While the day is still bright!" She took off in a happy trot, humming a tune. I gave an exasperated sigh before following after her. First it was a Roc type of day. Now, it's going to be a wagon ride over to the mountains. I already miss the quiet comforting couch of my Ponyville home. As we walked, I had a stark realization. Oh crap... what about the girls that Ouroboros brought up and are currently living in my house?!

Author's Note:

I had momentum and then had to spend a bit to decide where I wanted to go at the ending. Finally got that settled.