Ark: Friendship is Survival

by Pomp-Neigh

Chapter 89 - Tribal Connection

-Redwood Biome: Maimuta Western Outpost-

Youthful voices fill the classroom as they are all donned in cloth armor and are evenly distributed on either side of the stone-dominant building’s inner sanctum before Sir. Gideon Apesworth, with twelve wooden tables and a single accompanying chair broken into two rows of six going along the wooden floor.

Gideon nods as he turns around, picks up a charcoal-made writing utensil, and starts to jot something down on the board.

“Now then, class!” He boomed joyously with his back turned to the young apes, whose voices began to die down following his exclamation. Once he finished his writing, a name is now written in black on the board as the explorer-attired ape twirls in place to face his class.

“As you all know, Miss. Twilight Sparkle shall be paying us a visit at any moment. I expect you all to be on your best behavior, yes?”

“Yes, Mr. Apesworth.”

“Very good.” He claps his hands together, “So, who here can-”

A light-brown hand is raised to Gideon’s right, three seats down the aisle. “Yes, Chalunga?”

“How does she have horns and wings?” The young ape asked.

“A fine question indeed, my good boy. I must admit, Miss. Sparkle’s anatomy is unlike any of the other equus I’ve ever seen before, save for the unicorn, of course.”

Another hand, light red in coloration with a noticeably feminine look, is raised to Gideon’s left and at the very end of the row. “Go ahead, Matilda.”

Matilda lowers her hand as she slips off of her seat and stands in the middle of the aisle. “About that, sir, do you think Twilight knows the unicorn you always told us about?” She questioned innocently.

“There can be no doubt,” Gideon answered confidently. “Why, we could be on the verge of a grand discovery. This is the first time in many years that a new species has-”

A series of knocks interjects, causing Gideon to shift his gaze to the orange-red wooden door. “Ah!” He excitedly exclaimed. “That must be her. Remember, children, be-”

“We’ll be on our best behavior, sir.” The class interrupts playfully as a whole, earning a chuckle from their teacher, who makes his way over to the door.

Steeling his nerves and taking a breath to suppress his excitement, Gideon grabs the doorknob, turns it, and pulls the door open with an accompanying creak. The outside world is unveiled, and standing beyond the doorframe alongside Equulla is none other than Twilight Sparkle.

“Good afternoon, Sir. Gideon!” Twilight greets with a bow, Gideon returning the gesture. “I’m sorry that we didn’t get to talk much when you and the students first arrived.”

Gideon waves a hand dismissively, “Au contraire, my dear.” He looks over to Equulla, “My thanks for escorting her here, Jo-Jo. Say, if you’re free and willing, would you like to join us for today’s sessions?”

The armored mare chuckles. “If you two won’t mind having me.”

“Of course not!” Gideon joyously bolstered. “Twilight?”

“That sounds lovely,” Twilight agreed, turning her head and looking up to Equulla, “I actually have some questions for you, too. If you don’t mind answering them, of course.”

The equus raised an eyebrow with a playful smirk. “Like asking me if I’m single?”

“Actually, yes!” Twilight conjures a piece of paper, a primitive clipboard, and a charcoal pencil. “I was curious about your courting practices and if you also form herds. I realize that this might be a mature subject, so I was hoping to pick your brain about it after class.”

Equulla stares at Twilight, then looks over to Gideon, who crosses his arms with a withering look, as she then sets her sights back on the lavender mare.

“Di-was that rude of me?” Twilight worriedly asked before she returned her items to her inventory and laughed sheepishly. “S-sorry. I get kind of carried away when learning of a new subject.”

“Not at all,” Equulla assured with a smile. “I’d be more than happy to talk about it privately over-”

“Oh! I just remembered!” Gideon interjects, garnering Twilight’s attention while earning a pout from Equulla.

-Seriously, Gideon? You’re really going to do me like that, huh?-

“Why don’t you head on in and introduce yourself, Twilight? There’s something I must discuss with Jo-Jo here.”

The lavender mare looks between them. “Are you sure?”

“Oh, fear not, my good mare,” Gideon said while patting her head. “The children are bundles of delight. Go on, don’t be shy. Jo-Jo and I will be along in just a minute.”

“O-ok then.” There was nervousness in her voice as she turned to look at the entrance but didn’t venture forth due to hesitation.

While she scolded herself for feeling such hesitation, especially considering it was no different from the opening of her school back home, there was an underlying issue of possibly making a horrible mistake.

If she gave even one of those young souls a ‘lousy impression,’ to put it lightly, who knows how horribly that could cascade into a series of unfortunate events. After all, Chancellor Neighsay and Cozy Glow were variables that made the School of Friendship’s opening a complete disaster.

Sure, maybe she’s overthinking this. Sure, there isn’t a Neighsay or Cozy Glow to mess things up. Hay, this is how she would’ve loved to have the school open and receive her ideas, hopes, and dreams. But she wouldn’t allow herself to make any such mistakes.

She’s the Princess of Friendship, Luna dammit! And by Celestia’s glorious backside, if these young minds want to learn more about her, then that’s what they’ll get. What did she have to lose anyway?

The alicorn’s mind was made up, and gone was her hesitation as a smile formed on her face as she trotted through the doorframe and into the classroom. A loud burst of awed gasps and exclamations erupts from the children within, and as Gideon grabs onto the door to close it, the last words he and Equulla could hear were those of gleeful greeting.

“Hi there! My name is Twilight Sparkle, although you probably already know that, thanks to the board. But I understand that you-”

The door is closed shut, effectively silencing Twilight’s voice as Gideon looks back to Equulla.

“Jo-Jo,” he began accusatively, “what do you think you’re doing?”

“Oh, relax, old-timer,” Jo-Jo responds with assurance. “I’m only casting out my line, nothing more.”

Gideon facepalms with a sigh. “Look, Jo-Jo. You don’t even know if she’s into other mares like you.”

“And that’s why I’m casting out my line. If she bites, that’s great! If not, hey, it’s all good. I’ll keep my head up and satisfied knowing that I at least tried.”

A thought occurs to Gideon. “I just don’t want you to…use her.”

“‘Use her’?” The armored equus narrows her eyes. “You’re going to explain the meaning of that? Or do you enjoy being an asshole?”

“I didn’t mean it like that, my friend,” Gideon reasoned with defensively raised hands. “I only want you to be sure that this is what you want. Let’s say that you do manage to get her. You must be absolutely certain that it’s genuine and not just you filling the void in your heart. Understand?”

“I get it, Gideon. Really, I do.” She walks away with folded ears, propping herself up on a nearby railing as she looks out into the redwood wilderness.

“It’s been ten long years since I lost her…”

“Goodness…” Gideon remorses as he joins the equus, folding his arms against the railing. “Has it really been that long? Ah, how I miss Scarlet’s ever-so-colorful language.”

“‘Oh aye’?” Equulla begins an imitation, making her voice higher-pitched. “Well, in that case, I’ll be sure to use it ‘round you more often, ya fuk’n wankah.’”

Gideon bursts out into laughter. “Ohoho! Grok’s grace, you almost sound just like her.”

“I still remember the day she first attempted to court me. It was after we had returned from our first battle against the yetis.” She rested a forelimb on her chest and continued her imitation. “‘Oh, ya betcha dang flank, I’m gonna try to court ya after ya saved me back there. Meep, meep—hear that? That’s the sound of this gallimimus ride comin’ to getcha, ya daft cunt.’”

“Hahah! And that actually worked on you?”

“Hey, It was different when she said it. Besides, we were already very close by then and…I would be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in giving it a try.”

“Mhmm. And so began one of the liveliest couples I’ve ever seen in my life,” Gideon reminisced as he sighed from the memories. “You two were inseparable.”

A moment of silence takes hold as Equulla’s features softened. “Until we finally were, that is…”

Gideon frowns at that, and silence stakes its claim again.

“So I have to ask: why Twilight?” His inquiry gained the equus’ attention. “You’ve undoubtedly seen and mingled with many other mares before her. Tell me, what makes her stand out?”

Equulla raises an eyebrow. “Have you seen her?” She questioned playfully. “She stands out without even trying to. But, as I said, I’m just interested in seeing where it goes. I promised Scarlet that I wouldn’t close myself off forever, and now that ten years have passed… Now that I’ve had time to mourn… I think…I’m ready.”

“As long as you’re certain, my dear.” Gideon gently rests a hand on Equulla’s shoulder, “If things do turn out well, just be fair to Twilight, ok? That’s all I’m saying.”

“Of course,” she responds, lowering herself to the platform’s surface. “At the very least, she seems like a nice mare. But look at us wasting our time out here. Come on. We shouldn’t leave her hanging in there alone with the army of kiddos.”

“Most certainly,” Gideon agreed as they stepped away from the railing and walked to the classroom door.

“There’s something I have to tell you, Jo-Jo, before we head in.”

“Shoot.”

“It’s just…I’ve been searching for any signs of that tribe you mentioned. You know, the one that your mother’s side of the family was once a part of?”

Jo-Jo’s ears twitched. “I’m listening.”

“I’ve reached out to my contacts over at the Eastern Swamp Biome. You remember the traveling merchants?”

“Heh. How could I not? Do… Do they know anything about it?”

“Not them, per se. But the nearby Snow Biome might contain answers. You see, a pack of direwolves live there who go by that same alias.”

Jo-Jo’s widened eyes darted toward him. “Y-you don’t mean to say…”

“I do, and I was never a believer in coincidence. They, too, call themselves…the Howling Wolves.”

Comments

[Theone23]

“I do, and I was never a believer in coincidence. They, too, call themselves…the Howling Wolves.”

Oh! I see what's going on here. It's cool to see some descendants of tribes from the game's official lore.

[Green-Venom]

11649280
Alright, you 1 upped me there.

[Pomp-Neigh]

11649307
Tactical Ark, incomiiiing!!!

[Legioner8]

Scarlet

Meep, meep—hear that? That’s the sound of this gallimimus ride comin’ to getcha, ya daft cunt.

Journey
derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/7/15/675539.gif

[Pomp-Neigh]

11649834

[Green-Venom]

11658047
*Invested*

[Green-Venom]

11658067
Related to the ending of Gen2: So basically the main 6 are doomed? The survivers gets blasted into space after all... 😰