• Published 26th Feb 2021
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Tidalverse: The Fearsome Foursome - Alden MacManx



Four life-long friends go fishing one fine late spring morning. The Event happens. Now what?

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Chapter 7: Doctor, Florist, Big Bear, Chief!

Everyone watched as the white glow that surrounded Wakinya reached out and surrounded Fred, who was lying on the bed on his left side, apparently asleep. The white condensed around Fred, leaving a visible shimmer around his nose, ears, hooves and the tip of his tail. Wakinya wobbled back a few steps, saying something in Lakota before keeling over.

“What did he say?” Freida asked as she went over to check out the little white buffalo.

“He said that he managed to get the medicine spirits to hold the poison in abeyance for no more than two days. Fred will remain asleep until then, not getting better, but not getting any worse,” Smoking Horn told the group. “As for exactly what he did, we’ll have to ask him.”

Freida looked up from the buffalo calf. “He’s asleep now. Knowing what he did, my best guess is that he will sleep until the morning. If someone will show me which one is his, I’ll see about getting him to bed.”

Firebrand stepped forward, surrounding Wakinya in her orange-red glow. As he was lifted up, she said, “I got this, Freida. Easier for me than you.”

Freida got up onto her feet. “That it is. Thank you, Firebrand,” she said. “Anyone got dinner started yet?”

A glance went around the room several times before Roscoe spoke. “Not yet, Freida. We’ve all been busy, even the shaman. Just slipped our minds.”

“Well, since we can’t order take-out, we had best get started. Roscoe, you get started with fish and venison, I’ll start a corn and oat porridge, plus whatever else I can scavenge up. Any bread left?” Freida asked, taking charge of dinner. Nobody questioned that, not even Smokey.

“There is, plus a good mass of dough ready to go. Rolls or loaves?” Trail Tracker, the white unicorn, asked.

“Rolls will work. Faster, too. Get started on those, Trail. Come on, we got some hungry folk waiting!” she snapped, and everyone hopped to, to get ready for dinner.

Frick moved to a quiet corner, pulling his radio from its sheath. “Cornhusker One to Cornhusker Five, do you read?” he asked.

“Cornhusker Five. Go ahead, One.” Fran answered.

Frick brought Fran up to speed on the day's events, and asked for a status report on the boat, which was dutifully given. He then asked if she wanted dinner brought over, seeing as they would not be back until late. “No need, One. I’ve been prepping venison between other jobs. Won’t be hard to do up a steak or two before dark. Thanks for the offer, and I’ll wait until you get back before turning in. You forgot your keys again, One!” Fran teased gently.

“Five, remember, I’m a unicorn. I don’t need keys!” Frick said with a laugh. “Cornhusker One out.”

“Cornhusker Five out.”

Once that detail was marked off, Frick went out to join the others in dinner preps, moving several tables into position so everyone could gather round, finding and setting up tableware, getting drinks ready, both hot and cold.

Over dinner, plans were laid for that night and tomorrow. Freida would spend the night with Fred, and if the antidote worked and Fred revived, she would bring Fred back to the boat and take over as Duty Officer, relieving Frick. The truck refueling would continue through the night until the tank was filled, and in the morning, Frack, Smoking Horn, Roscoe, Cold Current and Sunflower would take the truck to Menard’s to find some portable greenhouses, bring them to the Breezies, and set them up. Smoking Horn, as leader of the local group, would be in charge of talks. Frick would lead scavenging efforts with Trail Tracker to resupply both Deliverance and the colony.

On the way back to the boat that night, Frack said to his brother, “You’re getting a good grip on this leadership stuff, bro. You thought of some things I never would have considered.”

Frick nodded, the light from his horn making shadows move. “It’s fairly simple, little bro. First off, I ask myself what I would want. Next, what the others want, then what do we all need. With that as a foundation, I pick the right person for the job and get the hell out of their way,” he explained. “I don’t need to be a hero every day. WE need to be heroes EVERY day, at least until we get to Maasvlakte.”

Frack thought about what his brother had said for a moment or so as they walked. “You know, I think I see where you are coming from. I know you can handle the computers, but you let Fran handle most of it, because she’s better. You can cook, but you let Freida do much of it, because she’s better. You can work on cars and motors and such, but you let me do it because I’m better at it. You put Fred over us because we all listen to him. How did you get to be captain again?” he asked.

“Two reasons, bro,” Frick said quietly. “First, I owned Juliana, and I was in command of her. Two, no one else seemed eager, so I fill in as boss the best I can. Another thing about being in command is being responsible for everything that happens to my crew. Your pain is my pain, your joy is my joy. Fred getting stung stings me as well. We saved three lives that night, but I do not intend on trading Fred’s life. We will all get out of this alive!”

“I believe you, bro. You got me this far, right? We got a lot of years left together, so get used to me like this, cause I’m not going anywhere without you,” Frack said, draping a wing over his brother’s barrel.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, little bro,” Frick said as the lights of the Deliverance came into view.

“What are brothers for?” Frack asked.


The next day, early, Fran and Frack went back to the Sofa, Frick remaining behind, chatting with the WSU. At the Sofa, the potion was not yet ready, so the two joined in with the Sofa crew getting ready for the day’s chores. At about ten, the potion had changed color, signaling it was ready for use. Steady Pace brought in the vial. “Okay, now, how do we administer it?” he asked.

Wakinya, who by now was awake, looked up at the earth pony. “Let me wake Grandpapa up. When he’s awake, he can drink it, then he must rest some more while the potion works. After, he will be very hungry, so be ready,” he said in Lakota while walking up to Fred’s still form on the bed. He got up on his back hooves, leaned on the bed, and touched Fred’s right forehoof.

The white glow that was surrounding Fred drained off him, back into the little white buffalo, who let out a gasp. “Grandpapa, wake up! Drink the potion!” he said urgently. Steady Pace hoofed the potion vial to Fred, who took it in a hoof and quickly drank it without opening his eyes. He shuddered some before falling limp again.

Freida gasped and raced up to Fred, checking him over. “That potion is sure potent! Pulse rapid but strong, breathing solid. Nicely done, Wakinya!” she said in approval, looking at the white buffalo.

Wakinya muttered something in Lakota before falling to the floor, fast asleep. “What did he say?” Fran asked.

“I quote, ‘Being a medicine buffalo is hard work!”, Smoking Horn said as his almond cloud picked up the little buffalo and put him to bed.

“Nice to see he has a sense of humor,” Silverwing said.

“So we’re a good influence on him, and he knows it,” Freida said, smiling as best she could around her beak.


Once Fred was resting, Fran told Frick what was going on, and that they would be a while relieving him. Frick’s response was to carry on with the day’s plans, and to keep in touch.

Frack gathered his crew and started the truck, which lit off with a happy sound. “Off to Menard’s!” he called out once everyone who was going was safely aboard. Carefully, he backed out of the garage onto the street, then headed east to the hardware store.

Fran took her bicycle and headed out, intent on doing more scavenging. She had with her a radio, the bicycle cart, and a .45 with two magazines in a belt pouch. She fully intended on coming back that afternoon, no matter what.


It was about one in the afternoon before Frack and his crew arrived at the Breezie hideaway. After introducing Mrs. Harkness to those who had not met her before, he asked where they wanted the greenhouse they had brought. “This way!” The breezie shrilled, leading the crew to an amphitheater-like arrangement on the shore of the lake. Behind the topmost row, what appeared to be a tall tree stump stood, with a hole in it. “This entrance to our home. Can you build around it?”

Frack looked around at his crew. “I don’t see why not. The only problem I see is getting in and out without losing heat. You got an idea?” he asked.

A whitish-yellow breezie flew up to Frack. “Leave the bottom row of glass off the entire building. Will give us all lots of room to go in and out!” it squeaked.

“By your command…” Frack droned. The breezies all giggled while the Kaycee troupe once again looked at Frack like he was more than a little bit nuts. How right they were…

While the builders built, Smoking Horn led Mrs. Harkness to the truck, to look over some other supplies they had brought, like planting soil, seeds, and pots of various sizes. “Why do you bring all this to us?” Mrs. Harkness shrilled. “It’s nice, we can use them, but why?”

“Simple,” Smoking Horn said, taking a puff on his (unlit) pipe. “We want to be friends. You have offered us teaching in potion-crafting. I have spoken with Raven, and he says this is something we should look into. With your permission, once the weather warms, we will move from Kansas City to here, to be near you, so we can learn. What do you think? Acceptable?”

“Yes, very much so. Houses nearby, a town further north. You pick what best for you, we live here. We make lives better for each other, yes?” Mrs. Harkness buzzed.

“Of course. Making potions will lead to trade opportunities. When I told the others about the poison joke, they became very excited. They need a lot, but they cannot get it to grow fast. If we can get past the monsters, we will be doing well,” Smoking Horn replied.

“Be very careful when you do. We do not yet have the makings for the poultice that will reverse being petrified. We know what we need, just don’t have the ingredients. Much of what is needed are in these seeds, not all. We will tell you how to find it.”

“We will listen to you, for you are wise in the ways, while we are not. Not yet, anyway,” Smoking Horn said, again puffing on his pipe.

“Oh, go light that thing! Cherry scent is very pleasing!” Mrs. Harkness shrilled.

“Thank you for allowing me to,” Smoking Horn said gratefully as a tiny red cloud formed in his pipe, followed by a plume of smoke. “Helps me think.”

“I know the feeling. So, you pledge amity between your tribe and mine?”

Smoking Horn looked right at Mrs. Harkness’ face. “I have heard that there are too few of us to even think of trying to be hostile with each other. Now, others may think differently. I figure, why not play nice with others? If they return the kindness, well and good. If not, then encourage others to leave, one way or another. What do you say?”

“Our position is similar. You want to live together in peace, we will do the same. If war is what you want, war you will get. Breezies do not ‘play fair’, as others have said,” Mrs. Harkness said seriously, lighting on Smoking Horn’s nose as she spoke. “I’m glad we agree. From what our former human, Harcourt, says, we breezies know how to practice something called ‘asymmetric warfare’. When one is a breezie, one has to cheat in the face of the Bigger Folk.”

“Former human?” Smoking Horn asked.

“Yes. We have a former human who is now a breezie. He found us, and is happy to be with us. He teaches us a lot about how humans were. We teach him about how breezies are now,” Mrs. Harkness told the unicorn shaman.

“Okay, then. Let me tell you of the life of the Sioux and other tribes at the hands of the White Man,” Smoking Horn said before going into a long story, Mrs. Harkness paying rapt attention. Soon, more breezies came to listen. By the time the greenhouse was done, just about the whole breezie clan was perched on anything handy around Smoking Horn, listening.

Frack waited until a pause in the story before speaking up. “Greenhouse is built and ready for inspection!” he called out, startling many of the breezies, showing how attentive they were to Smokey. “A quick check and we better head back. I don’t know about you all, but I’m in need of dinner and a nap. Not just me, so’s the rest of us!”

“That is a good reason to pause storytelling until my next visit,” Smoking Horn said, stretching some.

“I see the greenhouse around the home tree. What about others?” Mrs. Harkness squeaked.

“We all focused on the main building, Mrs. H, because we felt that was the most important job of the day. If you like, we can come back tomorrow or the next day to build the smaller greenhouses. You think of where you want them, and we’ll put them up,” Frack told the breezie, the rest of his assembly team behind him, lending support to the words.

“Good! Will give us time to talk to the sphinx. We can get a lot of good starts from him. He brought many good plants from Equestria when he brought us over,” Mrs. Harkness shrilled. “He likes his privacy, so he does not encourage visitors. But, it will not hurt to ask.”

“Sphinx?” Smoking Horn asked. “From what I know of them, they are big, powerful and reclusive. Don’t know of any around here.”

“He’s here. He picked a spot by the river. Our last chat, he said he will move on in the spring. He hates the cold,” a blue-green breezie told Smokey.

“Why didn’t you stay by such a big, powerful protector?” Frack asked.

“We like gardens,” Mrs. Harkness told him. “We found this one ready. He preferred his own. Plus, he has too many guardians that think of us as a light snack.”

“We’ll call on him. Don’t you bother him. He may get upset,” the blue-green breezie said in warning tones.

“How can we bother him if we don’t know where he is?” Roscoe asked.

“Roscoe, we no go looking for trouble. Let trouble find us, then it will no longer be trouble,” Smoking Horn said in flat tones, effectively shutting off debate. “We go home now, and return tomorrow to finish work. Deal?”

“It’s a deal!” Mrs. Harkness squeaked before she and the breezie pack took off in a swarm and headed for the greenhouse, flying low to go in through the bottom then back up to the hole in the tree stump.

Smoking Horn then looked at the assembled ponies plus one. “Load up and move out.”


Once back at the Painted Sofa, Smoking Horn was pleased to see everyone busy. Fred and Freida were back aboard Deliverance, Frick and Fran were working on the computer and radio system they planned on leaving behind for the Kaycee crew, the thestral family were gathered around the old world-band radio, listening to the WSU, all with notepads. Many of the Kaycee crew were absent, out on scavenging runs. Wakinya was asleep on his pad. Silverwing came over to Smoking Horn to deliver her report, and Frack found Frick to deliver his.

Frick nodded as he paid attention to his brother. “So the breezies are happy with us?”

“That they are, bro. We’re going to meet tomorrow to get some more done. They’ll call upon a sphinx living nearby. Where’s Fred and Freida?” Frack asked.

“We brought him back to the boat a couple hours ago. He’s still sleeping, but the wound is visibly healing and he’s not shaking any. Freida’s got the boat, and Fran and I are wiring these components together with Trail Tracker, so she will know how to assemble and disassemble the console when they move,” Frick explained.

“So, what’s for dinner?” Frack asked.

“Can’t tell you. I think someone else is handling that. Take a look about. Fran and I plan to work until dark, then head back to the boat for the night. Push comes to shove, we can eat there. Fran did some scavenging earlier. Got a bunch of our favorite drinks,” Frick told his brother.

“Finally, some good news!” Frack exclaimed. “Think I’ll raid the stash, then look into fueling the truck for tomorrow. Let me know when it’s time to go home!”

“Will do, bro,” Frick said, focusing back on his wiring for the radio console.


Later that night, the crew was back on the Deliverance, having dinner. Fred was finally awake, digging into his third helping of rice and beans on bread. He had been brought up to speed on what had been going on, and he was asked about what he felt.

“It was quite interesting,” Fred told the group. “Last I remember was falling asleep on the big bed there at the Painted Sofa, and next thing I knew several birds were near me, and Wakinya was there, telling me that he wanted to see me awake, that I had promised him some more fishing lessons. After that, I was waking up here aboard Deliverance, feeling much better, but hungry. I can’t tell you for sure what he did, but I’m glad he did it.”

“So am I, Paw,” Freida said, refilling Fred’s plate. “He’s going to be one powerful kid, in time.”

“That he will, Maw. I’m proud to be his grandfather.”

“You should be,” Fran put in. He’s a good little fellow, who will become a good big fellow. Your influence is obvious on him. At least to me. He’s gonna go places.”

“What makes you say that, Fran?” Frack asked.

“Fred reminds me of my own grandfather, my mother’s father. He was pushing seventy, but still active around the community. He’s been living with us since I was little, and I always looked up to him, as did my brothers. He’s a fine teacher, and when he Returns, I know he will be a good influence to someone else,” Fran told the group.

“Got any pictures?” Frack asked.

Fran nodded. “After dinner, okay?”

Frack finished his can of VC. “Sounds like a plan.”

Frick then sat straighter in his chair, a cue everyone picked up on. Privately, the others called it ‘putting on his Captain hat’. “Okay, everyone, the plan of the day for tomorrow will be for Fred to have the boat, Freida can stay until she is sure Fred will be alright, then she can join the rest of us at the Sofa. Fran, you and Frack go meet the breezies, I’ll finish with the radio and computer console. Need to allow for part replacement by people who have not done it before. Any questions?” he said to the group.

Fran was the first. “Why do you want me to go help the breezies?” she asked.

“Two reasons. One, I figured you can use some time out in the sun and two, getting to meet the breezies. I want your opinion of them,” Frick said. “Next?”

Freida this time. “You say I can stay here, but if I think Fred will be alright on his own, I can head out, right?”

“Correct, Medical Officer,” Frick told her. “If you’re confident he has recovered, then I won’t worry about Fred being on his own. I know Fred does not like to be mother-henned by anyone other than you, so a day of rest for him, and you, if you so choose. I’m a captain, not a doctor!”

“I’m not a doctor either, but thank you for the vote of confidence, Captain!” Freida said with a smile in her voice.

“When will you go meet the breezies, bro?” Frack asked.

“Tomorrow or the day after, depends on what else is going on. I’ll focus more on the colony than the breezies. IF they ask for a radio or a computer, I can try, but otherwise, what can we do to help them that is not being done already?” Frick asked rhetorically.

“You have a point, Frick,” Fred said in support of his Captain.

“I always do,” Frick replied, brushing a hoof along his horn. “Freida, think you can give me a mane trim tomorrow morning? I’m getting shaggy.”

“Why not tonight, before we do night duties before bed?” Freida asked.

“I’ll get in line, too,” Frack said. “Big bro first.”


The next morning, Frick, Frack and Fran proceeded to the Painted Sofa. Once there, Frack and Fran went with Smoking Horn, Firebrand, Steady Pace, Cornflower, Cloudseeker and Cold Current down to see the breezies and finish construction. Frick found that setting up the radio and computers went far faster than he expected, Trail Tracker having proven she did follow instructions on how to set it up, with tags saying which wire went where.

Finding little else to do there, Frick declared that he would go out looking, to find more useful goods. Morgan, the teen thestral colt, asked if he could come along. His mother agreed, and so Frick had Morgan help hitch him to a cart to carry their finds in. “Don’t have any pockets, so we wing it, right?” Frick said to the boy.

“No, Captain. I wing it, you light it, right?” Morgan asked, flapping his bat wings some.

“That’s one way to look at it. Did Frack show you how to get off the ground yet?” Frick asked as he picked a direction and headed out.

“He did. We all got up and off, flying some, learning not to flap unless we need to. He said once we know we CAN, there’s no reason not to, because it’s possible. Flying’s fun, but we need hats during the day,” Morgan explained.

“You prefer clouds or dark, right?”

“Yes. If all else fails, hats and shades. Bright sunlight is uncomfortable,” Morgan said, shielding his eyes with a wing.

“Let’s go see if we can find something to help. Antique stores this way could have something.” Frick said, leading out.


When the crew heading for the breezies arrived at their destination, they were greeted by a startling sight. Inside the greenhouse that was built the day before, hundreds of plants were in clay pots of various sizes, many of which Cold Current didn’t recognize. There were so many, one could not open the door and step inside without getting a pot underfoot. Several breezies fluttered out of the hole in the post, down under the glass panes of the greenhouse, and up in front of the ponies et cetera.

“Hi! Talked to the sphinx yesterday after you left. He gave us a selection of medicinals, herbals and useful plants, plus a complete guide to making healing potions. Translations next week, we are working on them. Hard to write in big print. We get it done,” Mrs. Harkness squeaked to the bunch. “Think we can get little greenhouses set up today, clear the big one out?”

A glance went around the group before Smoking Horn answered. “If you don’t mind fewer stories today, we can. I’ll have to help, so talking and working is not as easy to do than working or talking alone,” he said after a puff of the cherry-tobacco smoke which made the breezies happy.

“Who’s the Abyssinian?” a greenish-yellow breezie squeaked, flying up to Fran.

“Francesca Anita Vasquez, late of the University of Nebraska, now Tech Officer of the Deliverance. And who are you?” Fran asked the breezie.

“You can call me Chopin, (pronounced CHOP-in) of the Rose clan. Mrs. H is the boss, I’m just a member who likes to talk with Abyssinians. Do you like music?” the breezie asked.

“Yes, I do. I’m not great at performing, but I do appreciate good music. Would you like to hang out with me while I work?” Fran asked.

In reply, Chopin settled between Fran’s ears. “Thank you for the gift of your company, Francesca Anita Vasquez.” the breezie squeaked, getting a good grip on Fran’s headfur.

“Just call me Fran, Chopin. So, while I’m working, tell me about the breezies. How did you come to be here?” Fran asked as she went with Frack to start building one of the smaller greenhouses.

“Rose Clan of breezies long live under protection of the great old sphinx Amon-Thoth. When worldgates opened and Amon-Thoth decided to come here, Rose Clan went along. Yes, many monsters here, but much time for us to establish base, get strong, and deter monsters from harming us before Amon-Thoth decides warmer pastures go. We breezies like it here, and with new friends, can focus on more than just surviving,” Chopin explained as Fran and Frack framed and assembled a greenhouse, the Kaycee contingent also assembling a greenhouse, in a different direction from the Deliverance team.

“Did Amon-Thoth bring all these plants here?” Fran asked as she tightened bolts.

“Yes, last night. Mrs. Harkness went to speak to Amon-Thoth, and Amon-Thoth agreed to give breezies starts of all medicinals he has in his garden and bring them here. Not much space for all, but we manage. Now, do you all have the wit and wisdom to raise and make medicinal plants and potions?” Chopin asked Fran.

“I should say yes, but my crew will not be staying here very long. We have a long trip ahead of us, to go to where more ponies are assembling. The others have a reason to stay. We’re just passing through,” Fran explained.
“Sad. Deliverance ponies are kind and just,” Chopin squeaked, settling deeper into Fran’s headfur.

“Thank you for saying so, Chopin. We just do what we feel is right. Best way to live with ourselves as we learn about all the changes to this old world.”

“Think maybe one of the Rose Clan can join you on your quest?” Chopin asked.

Fran stopped moving after she set a glass pane in place. “Chopin, that decision I cannot make on my own, we will all have to discuss it. Why would a breezie want to travel with us into the unknown and unknowable ahead?” she asked, honestly curious.

“We need to learn about outside as well, Fran. What new threats to breezies are here? Amon-Thoth wants to move to a warmer place come springtime, but all Rose Clan breezies want to stay here. With Smoking Horn and his ponies, our chances get better. Move from Equestria to Earth we have done. No! More! MOVING!” Chopin shrilled. “This has been decided in council!”

“If we decide to accept a breezie passenger, who would it be?” Fran asked, going back to lining the roof of the greenhouse with glass.

Chopin was quiet for a while as Fran worked. Gathering his breath, Fran assumed. Then, Chopin peeped out one word. “Me.”

“You? What did you do, draw the short straw?” Fran asked.

“No. Drew a seven-card punga playing low-ball,” Chopin admitted with a sigh. “Teach me to go all-in.”

“How did you learn to play poker?” Fran asked, surprised. “You have poker in Equestria?”

“Something similar. Harcourt teach us human way. Just what does ‘card sharp’ mean?” Chopin asked.

Fran let out a laugh that got Frack’s attention. “It means someone so skilled at playing cards, one can’t tell if he is cheating or not. Also, one so good he does not NEED to cheat, but makes it look like he is!”

“You talkin’ about me?” Frack called out.

“No, not hardly!” Fran called back. “You’re not dumb enough to cheat! You’re good at what you do!”

“Glad you think so!”

After the greenhouses were put up, Fran and Chopin were loading one of them with plants from the big greenhouse. “Just leave them in their pots for now. They will keep for a few days before transplanting.” Chopin advised.

“That’s good to hear,” Fran said with an armload of plants. “Rushing is not a smart thing to do.”

“Careful with the blue-flowered one,” Chopin advised. “That’s poison joke. There’s an antidote for it, but we don’t have it yet.”

“That’s the one that the WSU wants plenty of. Slow-growing, they said,” Fran grunted as she knelt down to put the pots on the ground.

“It is, but it’s essential to high-power healing potions and salves. There’s a big patch up by the big city, but it’s well-guarded,” Chopin warned. “Plus, touching it is very risky. Let unicorns gather the stuff. Touching it long enough will cause it to affect you until you make up some. The effects are quite humiliating.”

“You know, you’re giving me ideas on how to gather it. Hopefully, more than enough for the WSU to make potions until they can grow their own,” Fran mused.

“How do you plan to do that?” Chopin asked.

“Drones.”


Not the next day, which was spent refueling and reprovisioning the Deliverance, nor the day after, which was limited due to rain, but the day after that when the combined force gathered at Kauffman Park. All unicorns but one were involved (Trail Tracker staying behind), along with Frack, Fran, Roscoe, Margo and Morgan. Five large sealable containers were brought as well, to put the poison joke in, both flowers and whole plants. Frack parked within sight of the place, on the south side.

“The place has got a friggin’ wall around it!” Frack exclaimed as he parked the truck.

“That’s why we brought the drones, Frack,” Smoking Horn told him. “Morgan will fly one over the site, looking for the poison joke and the inhabitants. I, for one, don’t want to meet up with a cockatrice or a bugbear.”

“That’s why we brought the rifle and the shotgun, Smokey,” Frick said. “If one of them shows up, we blast. If I have to, I’ll blast.”

“Just be careful, bro… we don’t want to turn the garden into a hole in the ground.” Frack said somewhat solemnly, for him.

“True. Morgan, are you ready to launch?” Frick called out.

“Ready, Captain! Antennas mounted, video feed up, batteries one hundred percent, we are go for launch!” the teen thestral called out from his position in the back of the truck, controller in front of him, wingtips on the controls.

“Backup drones ready?” Frick asked.

“Backups One and Two are on standby, ready to launch as needed!” Margo said from beside her son.

“Recon Drone One, Launch!” Frick commanded.

Morgan activated his drone, flying it out the back, then up and over the truck. “Drone One away! Visuals clear!” he called out as all those who could crowded around the three laptops which carried the images being sent by the drone.

Morgan had the drone climb high enough to clear the wall around the garden, then put it in a slow spin to look around. “Okay, the blue flowers in that shape around that one lake here has to be the poison joke,” Smoking Horn observed, tapping the laptop screen with the stem of his ever-present pipe.

“Right,” Frick agreed. “Best way for us is to go in here, through the southeast corner, up this path to here, turn left and there we are. We grab all we can, then turn and execute plan Romeo Lima Hotel back here and in.”

“Romeo Lima Hotel?” Smoking Horn asked, confused.

“Run Like Hell, Smokey!” Frack said with a laugh. “Simple snatch and grab, then run hard so we won’t get stoned!”

“You two have weird terms for everything, don’t you?” Smoking Horn asked, with less confusion than before.

“Don’t sweat it, Smokey!” Fran called from the back. “It’s just the Lost Boys at it again! Just go with the flow!”

“Good advice, Fran,” Smoking Horn grunted, thinking to himself that while these ponies sure do bring a lot of good, and have Raven’s favor, they sure are WEIRD!

“Morgan, fly along the path at about head-height. Slow pace, camera in a constant swivel. Want to see if there is any animal life here, like we were warned about,” Frick ordered.

“Got it, Captain!” Morgan called. He slowly flew the drone back and forth three times, seeing no animal life, but suggestions of nests among the shrubbery.

Frick and Smoking Horn looked at each other. “Ready?” Frick asked.

“Let’s get this done,” Smoking Horn agreed.

“Morgan, bring Drone One back to base. Ready Drone Two for launch. Raid team, take positions outside. Recovery team, make ready here. Margo, take overwatch. Bro, keep the motor running, make ready for fast getaway. We are going live, people!” Frick called out, his cap badge flashing in the sunlight, said cap pinned in place on his now-neat purple mane.

Various reports of ‘Yes, Captain!’ echoed through the truck. Frick, Smoking Horn and Firebrand took their positions by the gate. Fran and Roscoe were next to them, Roscoe with an AR-15 rifle, Fran with a shotgun loaded with five rounds of 12-gauge double-ought buckshot. Margo took off, rising to a hover somewhat left of the gate, almost in a direct line with the poison joke patch.

After two minutes, Frick said to Smoking Horn, “Do your thing, Smokey!”

Smoking Horn concentrated, and a white cloud billowed from his horn, flowing up the path and into the trees on either side, a strong scent of honey evident. “Shallow breaths, everyone! Anaesthetic should not harm you, but don’t take chances! In and out… now!” he shouted before taking the lead, Frick and Firebrand behind and alongside, Fran and Roscoe at the rear, weapons slung, but ready.

The group charged in, turning to get to the poison joke patch, which shone blue in the bright daylight. Once there, Frick and Firebrand started gathering plants, while Smoking Horn picked as many flowers as he could, all with their magics, not physically. They gathered all they could carry before sprinting back to the truck and putting their haul into the sealable plastic boxes. A second trip was equally successful, Smoking Horn replenishing the anaesthetic smoke on the way back in to gather.

After the second round-trip, Fran was getting uncomfortable. Something bad was going to happen, but she could not tell what. Nervously, she glanced to the western part of the garden. She thought she saw a bluish shape forming as the unicorns returned, but she could not be sure, the wisps of cloud getting in her way.

“Raid team, we have activity on the west end. A bluish form, taking shape there,” Margo reported over the radio from her overwatch position.

The five stopped their activities to look west. A form was congealing out of a blue mist, a large bearlike form, with a pattern of dots on its flank that looked familiar.

“An Ursa Major?” Frick said incredulously, looking at the appearing form. He was about to say something else, but something that sounded like a small thunderclap echoed through the garden. All saw a feline-shaped hole in the cloud being blurred by the wind of its passage. They also noticed Fran was missing. The small thunderclap was followed by a low guttural roar, a sound Frick vividly recalled from a childhood trip to Yellowstone Park, the low guttural roar of an EXTREMELY upset bear...

“RUN FOR IT!!!” Frick called out, and everyone ran, the unicorns holding what they could grab quickly, which wasn’t much.

Everyone piled into the truck, and Frack hit the gas, roaring out and turning right after leaving the gardens. A solid thump on the roof indicated Margo had landed there and was hanging on.

After dropping his load in a box, Frick went up front. “Where you going, bro? This isn’t the way home!” he said, watching his brother drive like a lead-footed fool, meaning his normal way of driving.

“You think I’m going to lead that thing home? No, I’ll take the scenic route, thank you very much!” Frack called out as he rounded a turn at a bit more than safe speed, the furniture truck rolling some before settling back on its wheels.

“You’re definitely not dumb, bro… I would not have thought of that…” Frick grunted.

“If I find a place to hide, I’ll take it!” Frack shouted, accelerating some more down a straight stretch.

“Good idea!”

It wasn’t long before Frack parked the truck in a large parking garage somewhere on the UM-KC campus. Getting deep as he could inside it, he let the truck idle. “This is your pilot speaking,” Frack said. “We have come to a complete stop. Please take this time to put away all spilled luggage while your pilot recomposes himself for the next dash. Please send the drinks cart to the cockpit. That is all,” he gasped before collapsing in his seat.

“Fran, are you all right?” Morgan asked the tortoiseshell Abyssinian curled up at his hooves.

“Answer unclear, ask again later…” she muttered between shivers. Morgan just patted her with a hoof.

“You okay, bro?” Frick asked, looking worriedly at his brother, slumped behind the wheel.

“Just let me get my breath back, bro. My breath and my nerve. Think we got enough?” Frack managed to ask.

Frick looked into the back of the truck, where Roscoe (wearing gloves) and Firebrand (with her magic) were picking up every loose poison joke petal and plant, stowing them in the sealable boxes. “I would say we got a good amount. We’ll have to take pictures and send them to the WSU to find out for sure,” he told his brother.

“I sure hope so,” Frack breathed. “‘Cause there’s no way in hell am I going to do THAT again! Period! You ask me to, and I swear I’ll jump ship!”

“Message received, Franklin. Get your breath back. We still have to get back home,” Frick told his brother, while using his magic to pull a can of Vanilla Coke out of the cooler, open it, and put it in Frack’s hooves, who wasted no time chugging it down before dropping the can and leaning back.

In the back of the truck, Smoking Horn took stock of the haul. “Put the petals and plants in separate totes,” he told his tribe folk before going to where Fran lay at Morgan’s hooves, curled up on the floor in a tight little ball, her shotgun sticking out at an uncomfortable angle. “Relax. They are behind us. They won’t get you here,” he said gently, petting her with his smoke.

“Ursa Major was not happy we were running around near her den. Mama bear needs her sleep,” Fran managed to say.

“Why is that?” Smoking Horn asked.

“Ursa minor is coming soon. Mama bear angry,” Fran said before shaking some, uncurling, and getting away from Morgan’s hooves. “There are times I hate myself. This is one of them.”

“Why do you say that, Fran?” Morgan asked.

“I’ll be surprised if I didn’t break the sound barrier. Plus, I think I banged my nose against something,” she said as she stood up.

“You did. The side of the truck, there,” Morgan said, pointing to a distinct noseprint in the side panel of the truck.

Fran looked at the spot, confusion evident. “Why down there?” she asked.

“Because you went to four feet while running,” Margo told her from where she sat. “I have read that Abyssinians will do that when speed is required.”

Carramba… madre de dios...” Fran whispered, looking at the noseprint, feeling her own nose, and possibly going pale under her fur, but no one could be sure of that. The truck soon filled with the unmistakable scent of urine, boldly proclaiming someone had wet themselves, but that acrid aroma was soon replaced by a thin smoke that smelled of cherry, vanilla and very good pipe tobacco, which soon had the ponies and whatnot inside calmed enough to continue. Smoking Horn, of course, remained inscrutable when asked later.


Several hours later, both groups were together on Party Pier, at Frick’s request. Some of the Deliverance’s home-canned goods from Fremont were brought out for dinner, along with home-made tacos and tortillas, with some venison and spiced squirrel for the carnivores, and Fred-caught fish for the pegasi. Also, several stashed bottles of liquor were brought out.

“Ponies, and assorted others, you may wonder why I have called everyone here tonight,” Frick said in a carrying voice to the whole crowd. “The reason is to announce the Deliverance will be setting sail on our mission in no more than three days time. Having been assured of a reasonable weather forecast through then, I wish to let everyone know that the Deliverance will be available tomorrow for a hunting, fishing and gathering expedition upriver. We will also have our wish list to have filled out too, in exchange.

“The next day will be ship prep, fueling, watering, oil changing, final provisioning, and rotating shifts for the crew so we can visit on our own, because the next morning we will be pulling out. We have enjoyed our stay here, but our destination is the Netherlands, and the WSC. We will still remain in contact, because I’m sure we won’t want to forget each other,” Frick spoke, addressing everyone. At the end, he was looking straight at Fred, Freida and Wakinya, standing together as a group.

Wakinya leaned against Fred’s leg and said something in Lakota. Fred started laughing, nuzzling the little white buffalo. “He said he can’t forget me and Freida. The old bird won’t let him!” The whole crowd started laughing at that, the happy laugh of friends together.


From his realm, Raven watched the party on his sixty-inch panoramic crystal ball. “Looks like I chose right with those people. Reliable, generous, yet never too serious with themselves or anyone else. I like beings who can laugh in the face of danger, and still come through with the goods,” he said to himself before sighing. “They’re gonna need it.”


As the party was breaking up, Frack suddenly came alert, despite the three shots of bourbon he had consumed during the party. “Hey! Who says I’m dumb?” he shouted.

“WE DO!” everyone there shouted.

Frack blinked. “Well, at least it’s unanimous…” he muttered as he went to make a burrito from what was left of the spread.

Author's Note:

Chapter seven complete, finally. On to Chapter eight, and the start of the Saint Louis arc. That will keep me busy for a while.

Long-term Covid is a real bitch. My strength is best described as 'sub-optimal', as is my stamina. Some days, too much work to write. Other days, 1500-2000 words. Get my second Covid shot next week about this time.

Don't get me wrong, pones. I really enjoy the writing. I'm just glad I said every other week, to allow for low stamina. Not even CPAP is working to make me feel more awake in the mornings. I'm going to stick this out until completion. By now, it is number three on length list of my tales, and with the next chapter, it will replace 'Restart' as #2 on the length list.
Why did I choose 7K chapter lengths? Was a good idea at the time. Besides, if I make the chapters too short, I tend to lose track. Damn brain fog...

Time for me to let Doomsday Desmond out of his cell. He really should stick to his storyline... it's what he's here for. Heroics in PaP is a different kettle of fish than Equestria City.

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