Kiwe's Journey

by Mocha Star

Unexpected

Kiwe snorted awake and blinked his eyes open, the stench of countless pony's bodies were pressing against his snout and with the feeling somethings that were small and numerous were crawling against his very skin woke him fervently. He scrambled from the mattress with a grumbling groan of disgust.

He shook and shivered but the crawlies were still there and with a whine, he felt his coat bristle pointlessly.

“Well, looks like he’s awake,” a stallion said. “C’mere and I’ll clean you up, kid.”

Kiwe looked around the room as he thoughtlessly moved toward the voice and noticed a couple sleeping ponies twitching their legs and ears as they slept and dreamed with their heads and neck wrapped protectively in a towel.

A tingle washed from Kiwe’s tail and worked its way forward along his body. He shivered and snapped his attention at the unicorn casting his spell.

“Don’t move or the spell won’t clean ya right. What’s yer name?”

He stood tall, both in pride and to help the spell. “I’m Kiwe, and my friend is Jade. Is he in my bed?” he asked, not looking over his shoulder, watching the stallion cautiously.

“Ah, the green one with the eyes. He’s just outside takin’ a piss or something.” Kiwe’s ears pressed against his head. “Oh, yer one’a them innocents. Heh, well, life on the road’ll fix that up. Ya only gotta be all,” the stallion’s eyes softened and he took an innocent and kind expression to go with his falsetto imitation, “‘Good morning, mister. I hope you had a good rest, are you enjoying the weather?’ Hog spit, say what ya want, when ya want, to who ya want! When you’re near towns is when you worry about social etiquette.”

A mare across the firepit snorted. “Etiquette? You don’t know that from what you leave piled on in the ditches. Let the boy know he can do what he wants!” She snorted and spat into the firepit.

The stallion's spell faltered as he laughed. “Ya see, can’t do that kinda jokin’ where yer from, huh? C'mon, let loose and be whoever ya wanna be. You wanna be a prissy city pony, or ya wanna be a rootin' tootin' farting pukin' foul-mouthed machine?!”

Kiwe shook his head, and a small smirk began to tug at his mouth. “So, I can be gross and silly?” When the stallion nodded, Kiwe passed gas. It was loud, long, and sent his cloak waving as the room fell silent and a mare on a bed woke up and pulled the towel off her head to see what was making the noise.

When he finished, a cramp tugged in his guts, Kiwe sighed contentedly. The room burst into laughter and the stallion’s spell stopped as he fell over clutching his sides. There were two other distinct sounds of farting that kept the laughter rolling and woke the last mare with a yelp as she tried to cover her still covered head with her saddlebags as she whined about ‘the smell.’

Kiwe was clean to his neck, but didn’t care as he was blushing and grinning like Pinkie Pie at what he’d caused. Jade walked in, slamming the door behind him as he entered, smiled at Kiwe as he looked around at the laughing room, and made it three paces before he stopped and his nose scrunched.

Attention fell on him through the laughter and they watched as the green colt gasped, turned, and ran back to the door, scratching at it with his hooves instead of using the handle to open it.

With the room in full laughter and humor with two ponies trying to get fresh air, even Kiwe fell over, finally giving in to the moment.

…

“Well, that was the best way to wake up I’ve ever had in my twelve years traveling between towns. Name’s North Wing,” a pegasus introduced himself after the door and windows had been opened and mirth had calmed, “and before you colts ask no, all pegasi don’t just sleep on clouds.”

“Stereotypes,” a stallion packing his own bags said loudly.

North nodded. “Exactly. Believe it or not, I like to be warm by a fire inside. Can’t really have a fire,” he pointed to the roof with a wing, “up there. So, where ya two headed?”

Jaded raised his hoof, followed hesitantly by Kiwe. A mare made an ‘aww’ sound as North smirked. “Uh, the brown one with stripes.”

Kiwe stood. “I’m Kiwe, and I’m a zony, and I’m from Manehattan, and we’re looking for my father. He went missing in Vanhoover,” he sat beside Jade and they shared a proud expression.

“Sweet Celestia, they’re so adorable,” a stallion gushed and whined, “it’s like they’re in class. I can’t wait to have some of my own.” Another stallion patted him on the back. “Every stallion has a chance, I know.”

“Exactly. When we get home, your mares are gonna romp you and give you all the colts and fillies you could ever want.”

The stallions shared a tender hug as the colts watched.

“Don’t mind them, you two,” North stood and moved to a bag on the floor, “they’re friends from the same town. Marksburg, right?”

The more stoic stallion nodded. “Yup. Born and raised across the street. Our families were almost one herd, but our parents were a bit cross.”

“They didn’t like that one of your mothers switched with one of mine and-”

“His mother was with foal and brought it over to our herd and my mother was barren when she went to his.”

“That’s too confusing, just tell ponies you’re gay!”

“Mare, mind your own business!”

The colts snickered and looked at North as he picked up his single strap bag and draped it over his back with the saddlebag under him and the strap between his wings. “So, lots of stories to be had when you travel. Don’t get too hung up on anyone with a bad attitude, but avoid those that do.”

“And gryphons!”

Three others shouted for the mare to keep her opinion to herself as North waved goodbye with a wing and flew off into the blue morning sky.

“So, wanna start walking again?” Kiwe asked Jade, who nodded in response.

“Woah, hold yer hooves fer a second. I’m gonna teach you that spell, if ya wanna learn it. It’ll clean yer coat from almost anything, what’d’ya say?”

Kiwe nodded and hopped. “Yeah! I’d like to learn something fun and new, it sounds really useful, too.”

Jade closed his mouth, having his statement taken by Kiwe at the last second. He stood and pointed with a foreleg to the saddlebags and with Kiwe’s partial nod he went to pack them, taking an inventory as he went.

A poke to his back got his attention from repacking the third of four satchels and he looked back at Kiwe’s grin. “Huh?”

“I learned it!”

“That was fast.”

“Yeah,” Kiwe hopped and crossed his eyes as he looked at the tip of his horn, “it was a really easy spell and being taught by a unicorn is better than just reading it in a book. C’mon, get dirty so I can clean you!”

Jade gently pushed Kiwe back. “Yeah, I’ll work on that. But, why not put on your bags and get ready.”

“But, I wanna spend time with our new friends!”

“They’re already leaving, like we have to if you want to make it to the next town before lunch.”

Kiwe sighed but nodded in resignation. He used his magic to pick up his bags and moved under them quickly before they fell and tightened the girth strap with his teeth. Jade had finished at the same time and gestured to the door, waiting for Kiwe to lead him. “After the cool colt.”

“I hope your travels are fair and well,” one of the two stallions from earlier waved goodbye, and the colts did the same as they left the sleeping house.

They were in a lightly wooded area with dense foliage off the trail and leading into the treeline for as far as they could see. Dead trees and vines grew wildly interlaced through the woods creating an effect that probably hid hills, dips, and natural environmental dangers no creature had experienced or come across.

Jade took a deep breath in when they resumed their walk Westward. “Finally, fresh air. What was with all that tooting earlier?!”

Kiwe grinned. “They said I could be gross and I had to, so I just,” he trailed off and Jade rolled his eyes. “Hey, every creature does it.”

“Yeah, quietly!”

“Psh, maybe a million years ago, when you were born.”

“You wish I was that old, then I’d have my own dinosaur with me,” he growled playfully. “I’d name him Soarus and he’d be able to run forever and I’d feed him beans.”

“Beans?!” Kiwe laughed at the thought.

“Yeah, you know the best tech runs on gas.”

…

“-and the moon sang to the trees, that sang to the wind, that sang to the grass the tale of happiness~. Yeah! Good singing, Jade. I didn’t know that song was around when you were growing up.”

“I’m still growing up,” he bumped his hip into Kiwe’s, “or do I already look like a stallion?” he hopped and landed in a pose that would make any mare swoon.

“Wow, can you show me to do that pose?”

“Yeah! Let’s get off the road, though. Over there, he led them a few paces from the rough, well-traveled road and struck the pose again. “Hey,” he frowned at his friend. “Don’t laugh if you want me to teach you.”

“Huh? I didn’t laugh,” Kiwe answered, confusion on his face as he looked at his friend.

“You went ‘tss-tss-tss,’ I heard you.”

Kiwe stuck his nose into the air indignantly. “I did no such thing, perhaps in your ear is a thing.”

“Don’t think you can rhyme you way out of learning to do, this,” he struck another pose that cried pride and power, then the bushes snickered in the distance. “A-ha!” Jade turned and galloped.

“Hey, where are you going? I said I didn’t laugh and meant it!”

“There’s somepony laughing at me, and I’m gonna get’m and send them home to their mommy crying about how mean it is to laugh at a stallion!”

Kiwe chased after Jade. “That doesn’t make any sense! Wait for me!”

The bushes rustled and part of a green cloak caught Kiwe’s eye, he was about to yell at Jade but made a split second decision to follow the movement. He looked and found a small path leading through the dense vegetation between some bushes ahead of him that Jade had passed.

He turned and bolted through the bushes and landed on the path, thankful he didn’t hurt himself when he landed and ran. The path wound through the foliage, both dead and alive with an unexpected change in elevation that left him unable to see the road. He felt he was moving West while he ran when suddenly he came to the edge of the detritus to an open area of forest, as though someone had just laid hundreds of feet of mess between the treeline and this line.

It was also where he ran over saddlebags and fell unceremoniously to his chest, rolled over himself, twisted, landed on his rump, then tumbled sideways into a thin but sturdy tree. Pain shot through his back and he shouted and rolled to his belly, curling up.

There was a scuffle and he heard a voice through leaves settling and crunching under his body the movements of somepony else. “Oh no! Hurry up, help me!”

“B-b-but-”

“It was your idea!”

“I never meant or wanted-”

Kiwe groaned, trying to work through the pain trembling through his back to find out who was talking by opening his eyes with little success. He felt a distinct hoof touch his side, then another next to it. “Are you okay? Did you break anything?”

He knew that voice, and he didn’t like it.

“I don’t know what to do if he’s hurt! Should we move him back to the road or-”

“No, don’t you read thrillers? It might break his spine and leave him paralyzed!”

The pain ebbed and he opened his eyes to see a pink filly with a braided white mane fretting over him. His upper lip pulled back into a barely visible sneer. “Mist?”

She looked over her shoulder and he couldn’t see her expression as he uncurled and fell to his side with a huff as his body relaxed. The pain dulled to a throb but wasn’t as intense. “Mist?! He’s talking, he’s okay, right?”

He watched as Violet moved beside Mist and looked at him with worry. “Kiwe, can you feel your legs?”

He frowned at her, then at the other filly. “What’re you doing here?” he asked rolling to his belly and then standing. Violet gasped a squeak and moved to his side, staring at the back of his head. “Oh no, you’re bleedy!” Her eyes began to swell with tears. “I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have laughed but Jade was being so silly and I couldn’t help it and didn’t know what to do and, and-”

Kiwe rolled his eyes. “Don’t cry, just speak. Were you both planning to follow us for the whole week?” He moved to hug Violet while Mist moved back.

“Hey, it was her idea!”

Violet turned her head sharply. “I wasn’t gonna cry and you never stopped me!”

“I had to get away from that psychological crap! You told me what happened and-”

“Enough, girls!” Kiwe took a step back and frowned at them both. “Why aren’t you both back home? Why are you here?” he looked at Violet then pointedly at Mist. “Why are you here?”

Mist scoffed. “We were following you because you ran away! Your mom told his mom,” she pointed toward the road, “and then she told everypony about you taking your first adventure and how proud she was; blah, blah, blah.”

“Then I told her,” Violet scuffed the forest floor, “and said I wanted to follow you because I was worried and you never said bye and I watched you and your mom leaving the ice cream shop but didn’t think anything about it,” her brows furrowed, “and you didn’t even leave me a note! What kind of colt leaves without leaving his friend a note?!”

"Who's rambling exposition over here?!" There was a scuffle, shuffle, and crackle as Jade scrambled through the dense brush and fell over onto the softer ground, scrambled to his hooves, then gaped at the trio. “What the hay are you doing here?!”

The fillies backed up and stood side by side, looked at each other while nodding to the colts in an unspoken argument. “Fine,” Violet grumbled, inhaled deeply, and began again. “I found out you were leaving when she was visiting on her family day, and I said we should follow you and see where you’re going and she said okay and packed us up last night, and we came this way because it’s the only way,” she inhaled loudly, “to get to Vahoover and we walked all night to find you and then we did and now we’re here and so are you because she didn’t stop us!”

“Hey, it wasn’t my idea, and you didn’t even stop packing! You were all ‘Oh, I hope he’s okay. I don’t want to-’” Mist was silenced by a purple hoof inside her mouth. She pulled back and spat on the ground. “Why’d you do that?! Gross, bleh!”

“Fine, it was my idea, then,” she said with a light blush, “what matters is now we’re here, and found out, and we’re going with you to Vanhoover.”

“Or bust!”

“What does that even mean?” Violet asked Mist, who shrugged back.

“I just wanted to say that in front of somepony else. I read it in a book about a traveling caravan where they-”

“Woah, woah. Jade here, green colt. Best friend of Kiwe, the leader of the journey and second in command, hello. I’m just gonna tell you to go home now and save your time and energy, and our bits, from going to waste.”

Kiwe’s ears fell and he stepped aside as both fillies’ ire directed to the crystal colt. “What’d’you mean ‘waste?’ You think we’re not worth your bits, or that we don’t have our own?”

“Yeah, Violet, I think he doesn’t think we can handle ourselves. We’ve galloped all night to find you and we did just fine, aren’t you at least a little impressed?”

Jade snorted and stomped to the fillies. “You can’t come with us; we’re a duo of cool colts, there’s no way you’re gonna stop us or slow us down. Why don’t you get some sleep and head home while we go on.”

They didn’t look away from Jade as they both snorted and scraped furrows in the dirt. “We aren’t tired cuz we drank some potion Kiwe’s mom gave us, and-”

“You drank… My mother helped you?!” Kiwe hopped when he yelled, getting back into the conversation.

“Yes! She wanted us to be safe and find you quickly, so we drank this purple stuff that smelled like cheese-”

“Swiss!”

“Yeah, and then here we are. What don’t you colts get?”

Jade groaned loudly, looking at the sky after a moment and a drifting cloud. “Is that the same cloud from before?” he looked back at the girls and shrugged. “Whatever. I’m fine to go along with them coming, what about you, Kiwe?”

“My mother, helped you,” he pointed to Mist, “find me?” She nodded her pink head and sent her braided mane bouncing. Kiwe snorted and narrowed his eyes, looking between the two of them and lingering on Mist who matched his stare with her own. “Fine, but you two are on your own adventure and keeping out of ours.”

“What? But, Kiwe. I came all this way to find you and come with you on your trip.”

“Violet, let’s just go and follow them. There’s no reason to bother trying to talk to colts; they never listen until they know we’re right.”

“You wish you were,” Jade snapped back as he led Kiwe to the path he took through the forest. A poke to his flank. “What is it?!” he clamped his mouth closed as he looked at Kiwe’s grinning smile. “S-sorry, what?”

Kiwe pointed to the right and the beaten path he’d followed the filly down; then he noticed the saddlebags he'd tripped over and followed the path he tumbled, then looked at the fillies. “Who’s bag?” Mist raised her foreleg. He harrumphed and trotted away and led Jade down the path without looking back.

Jade stayed close behind. “What’s going on? Are we still going ahead without them?”

“Yes, and no. We are a team now, so it’s on with the show. We have a long way to travel to reach our end goal, by the time we get there my father won’t see a foal.”

There was a pause where only their movement over the land could be heard before a filly giggled. “I love when he rhymes.”

Author's Note:

Not yet edited, let me know if you find mistakes.
Thx! 😀