The Phoenix King

by Turtlehaus

Chapter 49: Gambling in the Dark

The light from my flames etched out the long dark tunnel. I walked for nearly an hour, never coming across a turn or bend, and was beginning to wonder if I was stuck in some sort of loop. Every so often a jutted rock or low ceiling was enough to reassure me that I was at least progressing further and not looping back in on itself. Mira had fallen silent, her stardust like hair a pale blue, but her subtle strained breathing let me know she was still with me. While looking over my shoulder to check on her my hoof hit a loose patch of sand that had me bracing myself to stop from falling. Pain surged through my body, the razor thin cuts I had gotten from the storm stung something awful, but I grinded my teeth until it passed.

“He’ll be looking for you.” Mira mumbled softly.

I could feel Mira’s fingers tracing some of my cuts. Standing up right again I tried to pretend that I wasn’t bothered by it and walked on.

“I… really don’t know what I was expecting.” I said feeling honest about our first encounter. “He’s a lot more powerful than he looks.”

“So are you.”

I smiled to myself. “Where did the storm come from, Mira?”

“No one knows. We banished Null to the Valley of Shadows and he returned with it. He brought all the creatures we-”

Mira coughed hard, wheezing between fits, gripping my shoulder with her free hand while covering her mouth with the other. I stopped short, looking over my shoulder at her to see if she was alright. Patting me on the shoulder, doing her best to draw a clear breath she settled back down and I continued on.

“What did he do to you?” I asked.

“Don’t worry about it.”

A flare of my flames was all Mira needed to know of my anger over what Null had done to her. I didn’t press my question. Whatever he did must have been unbelievably painful for her not to want to talk about it and that only made my flames burn hotter.

“I never thought he’d find out about the portals.” Mira mentioned. “I was banking on him killing me.”

I snorted my dislike for her way of thinking. “Don’t say things like that.”

“It’s why I’m dying, Smolder. This is my fault.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I consumed the venom of Apep, believing that Null would consume me in turn. I’d poison him as a final farewell, to have him wither away, and die alone in this place.”

“You did what?” I asked turninn my head towards her.

“I was ready to die, Smolder. I had made my peace.” Mira confessed.

“You’re… you’re… the stupidest Arcana I know.” I hissed at her.

Mira chuckled softly. It pained me to know that Mira didn’t believe that I could help her, rather that I was just some sort of battery she could use when she needed it, but what really hurt was Mira’s resolve to die. I could only imagine what it must been like, as if all of Equestria had fallen to this storm, having to lose all of my friends and loved ones to this monster. How could any pony not want to put an end to their own lonely suffering?

“Why did you banish him?” I asked after a time.

“Null? It wasn’t my choice, the other Arcana wanted to kill him, and I was foolish enough to ask them not to.” Mira replied with a cough.

“But why?”

“Nadir had killed Azimuth, stealing her light. From it he made Null, or at least that is what everyone called him. He was different, a smaller version of our Eternal Masters, but no one would accept for what he was. They saw him as an abomination just like all the others.”

“But you didn’t.”

Mira fell quiet. Soft hissing seared off of my mane, Mira’s tears evaporating off my hide.

“He was all alone and so afraid. They were so cruel to him, hid his face with that helmet, just for being different. I got them to spare him and it cost me... everything.”

“Being kind is never wrong.”

I walked on in silence. Trying to imagine Null before the storm, a creature created by an evil force, treated like an enemy and being alone in a dark place. In some ways it echoed my father, I could almost relate to this Null creature, but from his husk like body it seemed that Null’s hatred had nearly eaten him alive.

“Were there others? Creatures like Null I mean.” I asked.

“No, he was the only one of his kind. Nadir had tried before to make life, having created Apep, Hoopoe, and Kana.” Mira muttered. “There were other creatures, some were just experiments to test his abilities while others were much more sinister.”

“Like what?”

“Like the fiend Aswang.”

“What in the hay is a Aswang?” I asked.

---

Daring Do raised her torch high over her head, illuminating the darkness around them while Applejack and Rainbow Dash huddled close to her. It didn’t take long for them to realize that they had been unwilling travelers to the Void, but to where they were exactly was still any pony’s guess. All that could be seen was what light Daring Do’s torch could reach. The silence was bone chilling as the crackling of the torch seemed to roar in comparison.

“Would any pony like to tell me what’s going on?” Daring Do whispered.

“We got sucked into the Void, that’s what’s going on!” Rainbow Dash hissed back.

“Don’t any pony panic, that’s the first thing ponies do in stressful situations.” Applejack warned them.

“Who’s panicking? I’m not panicking!” Rainbow Dash bravely while clutching Applejack’s hoof.

Thunder broke the silence, lightning flashed across the sky in the distance. Every pony screamed, Daring Do having dropped her torch as Applejack and Rainbow Dash suddenly clung to her in fright. The flames of the torch fizzled away, being swept over by the shifting sands, while howling winds began to blow with great force. Lightning streaked across the darkness, coloring the storm that drifted across the sky with a bipedal creature floating within it. The low rumble of the groaning storm shook the world around them. Bolts of lightning revealed its movements in short flashes, pouring itself into a castle perched upon a cliffside and settling inside. No pony dared move a muscle.

“Is that the thing that grabbed the thing and pulled the thing into this thing?” Daring Do asked in a sharp whisper.

“That’s the thing.” Rainbow Dash hissed back.

“Well I ain’t standing around out here for another apple bucking second. We got to find some place to lay low.” Applejack whispered.

“Where the hay did my torch go?” Daring Do asked feeling around in the darkness.

“We can’t light the torch again that storm is going to see us.” Rainbow Dash retorted trying to find it first.

“How the hay are we going to find a place to hide when I can’t see my own hoof in front of my face?”

“Would you two be quiet! We don’t know what might be lurking out here!” Applejack hissed at both of them.

Together the three ponies struggled against one another, trying to find the torch in the sand, scrambling in the darkness. Applejack’s hoof stepped out expecting to find more sand, but found her leg dangling in open air. Taking a firm hold of both Rainbow Dash’s and Daring Do’s arms to brace herself, Applejack’s weight pulled both of them down with her as they fell. Tumbling down the steep slope of the sand Applejack felt herself slipping off the edge of the sandy slope before dropping into nothingness. For several seconds each pony fell before landing on a heap of piled sand before being buried by more of it that had fallen with them.

“Rainbow Dash? Daring Do?” Applejack whispered pulling herself out from the sand.

“I’m okay.” Daring Do’s voice drifted from the darkness.

“I goth sand in muah mouf.” Rainbow Dash’s muffled voice soon followed.

A thud accompanied a sharp yelp from Rainbow Dash. Applejack attempted to feel her way through the darkness trying to figure out if she was alright.

“Rainbow, are you okay?” Applejack whispered.

“I found the torch.” Rainbow Dash replied in a rather annoyed tone.

Sudden flashes of sparks broke through the darkness, Daring Do striking her flint and steel together so get a small glimpse of where every pony was. After a few more strikes, Daring Do found her way over to Rainbow Dash, feeling the torch being passed over she struck the flint and steel several more times until the cloth caught fire. The torch roared to life, Daring Do swinging it high over head to see, finding Applejack a stone's throw away and Rainbow Dash beside her.

“It looks like we fell into some sort of ravine.” Daring Do muttered.

Applejack stepped over to Rainbow Dash to help her to her hooves. Looking up to where they had fallen to barely see the difference in the blackness of the sky and rock walls.

“I’d say it would be best to stay low and out of sight for the time being.” Applejack remarked.

“This torch might last us a few more hours so we’ll need to find something to burn or give off light before then.” Daring Do informed them.

“Not to be the neigh say pony, but look where we freaking are! There’s sand, rocks, sand, more sand, a giant evil storm, sand and more sand!” Rainbow Dash hissed harshly at her.

Applejack reached over, putting a hoof on her shoulder to help calm her down.

“Let’s not lose our heads, Rainbow Dash. We know next to nothing about this place and who’s to say that there isn't something down here we can use to give off some sort of light. We just need to keep a level head until then.”

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, leaning on Applejack for support as Daring Do swiped her torch around trying to get her bearings.

“There’s a cave or something just over there. If anything it will keep us out of that storm’s sight and it might give us some place to make camp.” Daring Do told them.

Sliding down the sloping sand dunes, Daring Do led the way for every pony towards the cave, finding it to go much deeper than she had previously thought. Entering the cave, Rainbow Dash and Applejack stuck close to Daring Do who kept the torch high over her head to provide every pony with as much light as she could. It appeared to be like any other cave or tunnel they had been in back home, but there was the sense of not knowing that made them feel at unease. The torch did not last for a few more hours, it barely even made it an hour into the tunnel before the flame grew weak and started to flicker.

“Don’t we have anything left to burn?” Rainbow Dash asked almost pleadingly.

“I wasn’t really planning on being sucked into a different dimension of absolute darkness, so no, I don’t have anything left to burn.” Daring Do remarked sounding rather annoyed.

“I got this here handkerchief. It ain’t much, but I hope it helps.” Applejack offered removing her hat and producing it to her.

“That’ll work.”

Daring Do carefully wrapped the handkerchief around the torch, watching it blaze before settling to a moderate flame again. It would only give them a few more precious minutes of light, but every second counted in this place. Walking on the they found themselves entering a large expanse, the area was large, wide, and with high rock walls. It looked like a underground cavern, although it seemed to be much larger and wider than any pony had ever seen in Equestria. The torches light casted further revealing something in the dark just up ahead, it was hard to make out, it seemed to be hunched over. No pony wanted to move, words seemed to fail them as the creature lifted its head revealing much of itself. It’s body was boney, littered with sores, skin a ghoulish gree, its head was large, but its eyes sat like beach balls upon its face. The squelching sound of meat being chewed filled the came, the snapping of jaws ringing in furious rhythm, and that’s when it turned to them. Bits of pinkish meat slid from its needle like fangs, juices from the fallen maggot worm dribbled from the creatures lips, and its bloodshot eyes stared intensely at them.

---

“Nadir had created a creature that was deformed in size, a failed shapeshifter that he had bestowed great intellect to, but drove it crazy in the process. It devolved to its baser instincts, craving flesh over light, finding joy in fooling its prey with games and words, before eating them. We never caught the creature.” Mira explained.

“It doesn't eat light?” I asked.

“Aswang hated the light. It hid itself in darkness. Its eyes could not handle the intensity of it. Which made it nearly impossible to find, unless you were unfortunate to stumble across it in the dark."

"So how do you beat it?"

"You don't."

---

“What the hay am I looking at guys?” Daring Do hissed mortified by the creature.

Rainbow Dash was turned away making retching sounds while Applejack had her hat covering her nose and mouth trying to become sick herself.

“Words! You know words! Aswang loves words!” The creature screeched.

The creature smiled wide, revealing the mess of flesh between its teeth, stalking them just outside the reach of the light. Its eyes straining to see them.

“What in the hay is a Aswang?” Rainbow Dash asked through a dry heave.

“Aswang is me. Hungry for meat. Soft flesh between my teeth. Juicy meat.”

“I don't like the sound of that.” Applejack replied.

Daring Do could see that the creature had long fingers and was quite nimble for being so thin. Thrusting the torch out towards it the creature retreated back, avoiding the touch of the light before pacing around on the edge of darkness once again.

“It doesn’t seem to like the light all that much.” Daring Do concluded.

“Put it down. Let Aswang in. Love friends. Good friends. Morsels of colored meat I need to feel your screams in my teeth!” The creature known as Aswang shrieked.

The creature grew in length, drawing itself out like a snake, face never changing, its long fingers still protruding from its sides, making it more disfigured and far more vile than before.

“Long it is. Words I cannot hear. Worms moan. Worms groan. Not words. Just meat. Eat you slow! Make you talk!”

“I get the funny feeling that this thing wants us for dinner.” Applejack mumbled.

“What was your first clue?” Rainbow Dash asked looking a bit pale.

Aswang rolled itself up, tumbling into a ball, its long fingers growing like legs and its bulging eyes doubling up. It resembled a spider, one that young fillies or foals would draw, but seeing such a misshapen being upclose was nightmarish.

“You want to talk? Let’s talk!” Daring Do stated aloud.

“What are you doing?” Rainbow Dash hissed at her.

“Once our torch goes out that’s it. I’m going to try and find a way out of this because I’d rather not end up like that maggot over there.”

“Aswang talks! Talk is fun! Games we play! Die or run!” Aswang shrieked.

“What sort of game?” Applejack asked aloud.

Aswang skittered into the darkness of the cavern. Its voice did not respond. The torch started to flicker again, reminding them time was not on their side. Slowly Aswang moved back into view, staring far from the light, its eyes were narrowed, jaws wide in a smile, it carried with it a small stone block.

“Guess a number! Roll the die! Step to far and you will die! Roll correct and Aswang will starve! Guess wrong! Guess Wrong! Aswang will !”

“Did that make any sense to you?” Rainbow Dash whispered to them.

“We guess a number and roll the die. If we get it right we walk out of here. Guess wrong and it will probably eat us.”

“That’s it?” Applejack asked sounding worried.

“Aswang turn! Roll the die! Three worms! Three worms!”

Aswang threw the small block into the air. The die block landed in the sand, earning a single bounce. Three hash marks were shown. Very slowly Aswang stepped towards them, three steps, its needle like grin growing wide as its eyes squinted from the light.

“Again! Again! Aswang got it right!”

Its long fingers picked up the small block, tossing it high.

“Five worms! Five worms!”

The block landed with a poof on the sand. It read five hash marks. Aswang stepped towards them, its steps were long, eyes almost closed from the light of the torch but its massive smile never left its face.

“Again! Again!”

Aswang tossed the dice again.

“Six worms! Six!”

Daring Do watched the die land near her. It read two hashes. Aswang squealed, sounding pained, it stepped back two steps, but remained smiling. It stood there motionless, its bloodshots eyes, narrowed at them, its chest rising and falling rapidly in anticipation. Daring Do picked up the block looking at it closely, examining the weight of it, and actually smiled to herself.

“I think I get it now.” Daring Do mumbled.

“What? What is it?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Call the number correctly we move that many steps backwards, calling it wrong we take that many towards the creature.”

“What’s stopping us from just hightailing it out of here?” Applejack asked.

“It’s advantage is darkness, even if we burned my shirt and your hat it would just follow us, wait for our torch to die, and attack us then. We have beat it at its own game and it might just let us go.”

“You’re kidding, right? That thing is just toying with us!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed in fear.

“If we can get back to the tunnel we can leave the torch at the entrance and make a run for it. It will burn long enough for us to get away.”

“Do you think you can beat it? It’s gotta be just pure dumb luck to call the number like that.” Applejack asked looking skeptical.

“I’ve had my fair share of gambling with some of the most dangerous ponies in Equestria.” Daring Do said tossing the block into the air. “5 worms!”

The block landed in the sand revealing five hash marks. Rainbow Dash and Applejack wore nervous smiles while Daring Do picked up the block again. All three ponies took five steps back as far as their legs would take them. Aswang eyes opened a little wider from the light retreating from his face.

“My turn again. I got it right.” Daring Do said tossing the die into the air again. “Five worms!”

The block hit the sand reading five hash marks again.

“How are you doing that?” Rainbow Dash asked taking five steps back.

“Every pony I’ve ever gambled with has one thing in common.” Daring Do said picking up the block again. “They always cheat.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash glanced at one another looking rather puzzled.

“It’s a weighted die or block for that matter. It just takes a bit of figuring, a careful toss and I can call it every time. That’s how the creature probably cheats its way into eating ponies.” Daring Do explained to them. “Six worms!”

Aswang suddenly shrieked aloud. Causing Daring Do to fumble the block and watched it fall from her hoof. It landed three hash marks. Holding out its hand, Aswang curled its finger towards them to step closer. Scooping up the die, Daring Do tossed it back towards Aswang angrily knowing it had cheated yet again.

“Two worms.” Aswang breathed.

The block tumbled through the air, landing with two hash marks showing. Aswang took two steps before tossing the block immediately.

“Four... worms.” Asawang panted.

Four hash marks fell facing up in the sand. Aswang was drawing close, needing only a roll of six to reach them now.

“Six worms.” Aswang whispered.

Daring Do fanned her wings quickly, throwing embers from the torch she held towards Aswang’s face. Its shrieks filled the air, the block being tossed to the side as it showed one hash mark.

“Cheat! Cheat!”

“One worm!” Daring Do declared. “Back up.”

Aswang’s smile turned to a scowl, throwing the block back to her as it began shrieking in its anger as it forced itself to step back.

“Nice one!” Rainbow Dash said patting her on the back.

The torch was flickering more now. Its yellow fire beginning to turn a shade of blue. There wasn’t much time left to get to the tunnel, Daring Do knew she would have to try and roll large numbers every time now.

“Five worms!’ Daring Do shouted tossing the block.

The block rolled across the sand showing five hash marks. Gathering up the block, every pony retreated five more steps watching Aswang shake in anger.

“Five worms!” Daring Do said aloud.

Aswang’s mouth opened, its tongue shot out like a frog striking Daring Do in the chest and knocking her back. The die flew from her hoof landing on a three hash mark.

“That’s cheating!” Rainbow Dash cried out.

“Three worms. Come. Come.” Aswang curled his finger to them.

Applejack helped Daring Do to her hooves walking, taking three steps forward while Rainbow Dash tossed the block towards the creature trying to nail it in the face. Aswang picked up the block, it's smile beginning to return.

“Six worms.”

The block arched through the air before landing on six hash marks. Aswang stepped forward, its horrid breath becoming more noticeable the closer it grew closer. It was just just three steps away from them now, its skin was putrid, fangs scraping against one another, its eyes narrowly closed from the dying light of the torch.

“Three little juicy worms.” Aswang whispered.

Tossing the block again, Rainbow Dash flapped her wings hard, sending a hard blast of air at the falling block, forcing it to turn as it landed on the two hash mark. Aswang screamed at them, revealing many more rows of razor sharp teeth lined behind the needles. It stepped back, the smallest steps it had ever taken and pulled on its lips.

“We’re seven steps from getting out of here.” Applejack whispered to them. “And that’s taking in our longest steps back.”

“That thing is going to try and cheat again! We won’t even get that second roll the way its been playing.” Rainbow Dash hissed.

“Roll!” Aswang shrieked.

The torch was flickering pretty bad. It was going to go out completely in the next few minutes and by then the game wouldn't matter anymore.

“Applejack, I’m going to need your help with this one.” Daring Do whispered to her.

“My help?” Applejacked asked sounding confused.

“On my signal, buck this die as hard as you can.”

“Buck it?” Applejack repeated as if not hearing her correctly.

“Here we go every pony!” Daring Do shouted aloud tossing the block into the air. “Seven worms!”

The block tumbled down from the air, Daring Do shouted to Applejack who turned on a dime and bucked the block right out of the air. A crack was heard, two pieces of the die fell into the sand, one side read six hash marks and the other read one.

“Seven worms, Aswang!” Daring Do declared. “You lose!”

Asawang’s long fingers picked up the broken pieces of its weighted die, its breathing was short, hoarse and shallow. Saliva was spewing from the spaces between its needle fangs, eyes almost a blood red from the anger boiling inside of it. Daring Do, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were already taking their steps back, nearly reaching the tunnel watching Aswang crush the two halves of the block to dust in its hands.

“Cheaters!”

The light of the torch burnt out, a thin trail of white smoke hissing from the smoldering remains of Applejack’s handkerchief. A blood chilling scream rang out from the darkness, Aswang's long fingers could be heard striking the sand as it charged them.

A sudden burst of light filled the cavern above them, revealing Aswang just several steps away from them, covering its eyes from the intensity. Streaks of fire drew itself across the black sand before them, causing Aswang grip its eyelids, pulling them down hard as it screeched in pain. Clawing its way across the sand, Aswang blindly ran towards the darkest part of the cavern it could find. Daring Do, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash stepped out from the mouth of the tunnel, their heads drawn upwards towards where the fire had come from.

From higher up in the wall of the cavern Wick and Pyre stood at the brink of a tunnel. Their fire burning aggressively, flourishing their flames in an opposing manner that caused Aswang to cower from them. Leaping out from the cliffside the twins unleashed a wave of fire that washed across the ravine scaring Aswang back into the shadows.

“Liars! Mischief makers! False fire! Aswang hates!”

Wick and Pyre’s fire cushioned their landing, spewing bits of fire high into the air ensure that Aswang knew they meant business.

“And stay out!” Wick shouted after it.

Pyre gave Wick a quick hoof bump for a job well done. Turning around they realized the surprised expressions on every pony's face behind them. Clearing his throat, Pyre stepped forward trying to put his best hoof forward, but Wick beat him to the punch.

“Just what the hay are you losers doing here?”

“Losers!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“That right, lo-”

Pyre had clopped a hoof over Wick’s mouth preventing him from speaking further.

“Apologies. What my brother meant to ask is what are the three of you ponies doing here in the Void and getting yourself involved with Aswang?” Pyre restated.

“It wasn't like we invited it to hang with us, it found us and tried to make us play games to see which of us it was going to eat.” Rainbow Dash reiterated.

This time it was Applejack's turn to put a hoof over Rainbow Dash's mouth.

“We're not really sure how we got here, but we're here to save Smolder.” Applejack told them.

“This is wild, I've never seen a flame pony up close before.” Daring Do commented floating towards them taking some notes. “It's like you're living fire with the shell of a pony.”

“What's with zebra hair over here?” Wick asked pushing his brother's hoof away from his mouth.

“That's Daring Do you know nothing pony!” Rainbow Dash shouted at him leaning away from Applejack's reach.

“I think it's best we continue our conversation elsewhere. I'd rather not attract anything else.” Pyre suggested motioning over his shoulder to a tunnel.

“I’m inclined to agree with y’all.” Applejack replied.

Wick and Pyre led the way, their flames offering them a great deal of light to an otherwise darkened world. Truthfully, the last time any pony had seen the twins was when they had sacrificed themselves to knock the Mad King into the Void, and the time before that wasn't a rather pleasant conversation to leave on.

“How have the two you been surviving all this time?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Try being a little more subtle, Rainbow.” Applejack rolled her eyes.

“We could explain how eating oversized maggots and weird fungi within these tunnels tasted like moldy cabbage or we could just skip over those gross little details and just assume we worked things out.” Wick said rather coldly.

“I'd like to know the details.” Daring Do commented.

“Is she being serious right now?” Wick asked glancing at Pyre. “What are you doing? Writing a book or something?”

“That's kind of her thing.” Applejack remarked.

“Well put this down, two handsome twin colts saved your sorry flanks from a freaky monster and didn't get so much as a thank you.” Wick told her.

“Must you be so abrasive, brother dear?” Pyre asked with a sigh.

“You're taking their side now?”

“At least you're picking a side this time, or are you going to run away again?” Rainbow Dash asked in a snarky tone of voice.

Wick whipped around, his mane blazing with fire, Rainbow Dash flared out her wings ready to have a go at him, but Pyre stomped his hoof hard against the stone breaking it beneath him. The tremor Pyre created has both ponies backing down.

“Let's just clear the air here and now since we have nothing else more important we can be doing. Yes, Wick and I ran away from a malicious Mad Pony that has spent years tormenting us. And yes we did ultimately end up picking your side by throwing ourselves into this place to save our idealistic little brother from such a horrible fate. Frankly, I don't care if you like us or not, we didn't throw ourselves in here for you or any pony else, we did it for Smolder because he deserved better. We've had a long time to think about what we did, and we've surely paid for some of it since being here, but right now Smolder needs us and that means getting over our pointless jabs at one another.”

Wick looked away, looking rather mad about being lectured at, but it seemed to get through to him. Applejack put a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder, nodding her head that it was time to let these feelings go so they could work together to get out of this place. Rainbow Dash pursed her lips, giving off a huff before shrugging her shoulders in agreement. Daring Do was quickly jotting down Pyre's words, finding their whole history with one another fascinating.

“There might be a chance that our friends got pulled into the Void as well.” Applejack mentioned.

“If they did they're probably near the other Obelisks.” Wick mumbled setting off again.

“We'll check the areas we know of and see if we can't find your friends.” Pyre concluded.

Setting off once more the tension had seemed to thin a bit. It was clear that the twins had come to regret a lot of the choices they've made, while not all of it being their fault, seeing as the Mad King had a hoof in it at times, but Wick and Pyre were very much changed ponies. Applejack sped up a bit, coming up alongside Pyre who quickly glanced at her trying not to look too uncomfortable with her being so close.

“I thought the two of you might like to know that Smolder never stopped thinking about the two of you and it hurt him something awful after losing you to the Void. Twilight told us that Smolder wanted you two to be remembered as heroes for what you did so that future flame ponies would know you helped save them. The whole reason he's even here was to find you and bring you home because he missed you two so much.”

“Your sentiments are sweet, but unneeded. Unlike Smolder, we don't worry about what others think of us or what our brother happens to think of us.” Pyre stated.

“All I'm saying is that he's going to be one happy pony to see you again.” Applejack mentioned.

Easing up her pace, Applejack let Wick and Pyre pull ahead.

“Smolder… really did miss us.” Wick mumbled to Pyre. “He even called us heroes.”

Applejack felt herself smiling having overheard this, watching Pyre wipe his nose trying not to become emotional.

Comments

[Stellar_]

Reminds me of the gambling minigames from RE7