Escape from Arora Ridge Quarry

by Glimbursts

Chapter Twelve – Meeting a Kirin

“Misty, are you there? It’s Sunny, you’ll never guess all the progress we’ve made!”

“S…Sunny,” Misty gasped. “I’m here, w…we’ve made progress too.”

“Misty, are you okay? You sound worn out?”

“I…I am. I’ve just caught a Nirik. Well, it was a Nirik.”

“Was?”

“Yeah, it was wearing this collar, so I shot it off. It changed, transformed. W…We’ve got it in a Prison Sphere, a…and I was about to take a nap.”

“Oh, Misty! I’m so sorry, you sound really exhausted. Things have been happening here and I completely forgot I still needed to message you!”

“It…It’s fine, I wouldn’t have been able to receive it until now anyway,” Misty admitted. “Please, tell me what’s been happening?”

“Well, we’ve got an alliance going here. Today, Sprout and I made contact with Thymus the Changeling and Skysurf the Hippogriff. This evening, they dug tunnels between our huts. They’ve just left with Giselle the Griffon, they agreed we’ll all work together to escape.”

“Th…That’s great news.”

“Misty, how soon do you think you’ll be here?”

“I…I don’t know. We need to wait for the Nirik creature to wake up first.”

“Wake up?”

“Yeah, when the collar came off it kind of collapsed. I...I’m worried it might not know where the Airship is. I…I’ll have to get back to you on that.”

“That’s okay, Misty. I know you’re all doing everything you can. I’m still so sorry for messing up like this. I’ll message you tomorrow evening when they’re all here.”

“S…Sounds good. I’ll make sure Z…Zi…Zipp’s with me too.”

“Bye, Misty. Get some sleep.”

“Bye, S…Sunny. W…We’ll sa…save you.”

With that, Misty collapsed onto the bed. Her eyes closed even before her head hit the pillow.

However, she didn’t stay asleep long as there was soon a knock on the door. Misty groaned and didn’t reply. However, that didn’t stop Pipp opening the door and poking her head inside. “Misty? Food’s ready.”

Misty groaned, bringing her hoofs to her eyes, and rubbing them blearily. She started to push herself up from the bed but was clearly struggling.

“Oh, Misty,” Pipp gasped as she came inside to help. “Come on, you need to eat. Why are you so tired? That didn’t look like it was a taxing battle.”

Misty groaned as she blearily looked at Pipp. “I…I might have been up most of last night looking at books.”

Pipp’s eyes widened with surprise. “But you came to bed with the rest of us?”

“I did,” Misty nodded. “But I couldn’t sleep so went back upstairs.”

Pipp frowned with confusion. “How? The lift always wakes me up when it’s activated.”

“Yeah, that’s why I teleported up there,” Misty confessed.

“Oh, Misty,” Pipp sighed as she put a hoof around her and helped her off the bed. “Come on, lean on me. Let’s get some food in you and then you can get some proper sleep.”

With that, Pipp led Misty out of the room and towards the office where hot food had been prepared.

---

It was early the next morning and Pipp sighed as she aimlessly tapped away on her phone. She couldn’t help feeling relief that Phyllis had provided her with wireless access.

She was sat in the room that they’d brought the creature into. Hitch and Zipp had wanted to split watching it between them, however, Pipp insisted that she took a watch too. She hadn’t wanted Zipp to get too tired. However, she soon regretted it after her early morning wake-up call.

She sighed as she looked at the unconscious creature. Its coat was a light brown and there were dark green scales which ran from its nose over its head and down its back.

From its forehead, it had a dark red horn which curved backwards and split into a Y shape. This had multiple stripes of lighter red circling it. Its mane was burgundy red, bushy and curly with the appearance of a lion mane. Its tail was long and thin with more thick burgundy red hair growing at the end.

It looked completely different to the angry fiery creature that had taken Sunny and Strawberry. However, as she continued to study it, Pipp suddenly realised that its eyelids were starting to flutter.

Slowly, the creature began to stir. It groaned as its eyes opened and, slowly, it brought a hoof to its head. Pipp gasped, she put her phone away and moved closer to the sphere. The creature groaned as it slowly began to push itself up into a seating position. Then, it spotted its own hoof and, with a confused expression, studied it intently. “I…I…I’m f…free?”

Pipp watched the creature intently as it continued to study its hoof with widened eyes. Then, it looked up and spotted her. Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, its body trembled with what appeared to be fear.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Pipp coaxed. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“W…Who, w…where?” The creature closed its eyes in pain, putting a hoof on its head and grimacing. “Th…The blue one? Where? Rescued…”

“It’s okay, it’s all going to be okay,” Pipp persuaded. “Do you have a name?”

The creature opened its eyes and looked confused. “N…Name? Do I have a name?” Suddenly, its eyes lit up with recognition and it looked at Pipp with confidence. “I’m Feather Breeze.”

Pipp beamed, fluttering her wings with joy. “That’s a beautiful name Feather Breeze. I’m so pleased to meet you. I’m Pipp Petals but you can call me Pipp.”

“Pipp,” Feather Breeze repeated. “You’re Pipp.”

Feather Breeze grimaced again, holding a hoof to her head in pain. Pipp couldn’t help but feel concerned. “Are you okay?”

“I…I think so,” Feather Breeze responded. “My mind is getting clearer and clearer. It’s been so long.”

“What has?” Pipp asked worriedly.

Feather Breeze sighed and looked down sadly. “Since I was myself.”

Pipp moved towards the sphere, placing a hoof on it reassuringly. “It’s okay, you’re safe here. What did you mean? Why wouldn’t you be yourself?”

Feather Breeze blinked, looking around and finally realised she was inside the sphere. “W…What? What is this?”

She held out a hoof and touched it. Then she banged on it a couple of times, confirming she was trapped. “P…Please, let me out. I’m not a threat, I promise.”

“It’s only a precaution,” Pipp reassured. “It’s going to be okay.”

“No, nonono, please,” Feather Breeze gasped with wide eyes. “I…I’m not… I have to help them. Please, let me out!”

“It’s okay, you’re safe. Nopony can hurt you,” Pipp reassured. “Help who?”

Feather Breeze’s eyes widened, and she jumped to her hoofs. “The Kirin!” She exclaimed angrily. “They’re all prisoners in their own minds! I have to help them! Let. Me. OUT!”

Pipp gasped as Feather Breeze suddenly erupted in a burst of flame. She jumped back as the flame swirled around within the sphere. It dissipated and revealed Feather Breeze had transformed into the same Nirik form she’d had before Misty removed the collar.

“You don’t understand, they’re all in trouble!” Feather Breeze shouted. “My friends and family are all trapped in the quarry! I have to help them!”

Pipp’s eyes widened as she started to piece together what she’d been told. “We will,” she reassured. “We will help them. I have friends trapped in the quarry too. We can rescue them together.”

“To…Together?” Feather Breeze repeated, her eyes widening and her fiery mane diminishing.

“That’s right,” Pipp calmed. “But we’ll only do it by working together. I want to let you out, but I can’t. I don’t have that kind of magic.”

Feather Breeze sat down, taking deep breaths, and trying to calm herself.

“That’s it,” Pipp smiled. “Deep breaths, it’s okay. We’ll help you, we’ll help them, together.”

“Together,” Feather Breeze gasped as she erupted in flames again.

Pipp couldn’t help feeling relieved as Feather Breeze transformed back into what she assumed was her Kirin form.

“I…I’m sorry,” Feather Breeze gasped as she held her head in her hoofs. “I just want to help my friends and family.”

“You will,” Pipp reassured. “Please, we know nothing about you and your kind.”

Feather Breeze took a deep breath and looked at Pipp with interest. “I know nothing about your kind either.”

Pipp smiled and spread her wings. “I’m a Pegasus pony, I fly, and I sing.”

“Sing?” Feather Breeze blinked hopefully.

Pipp gave a powerful flap of her wings, she lifted into the air and rotated around as she sang a verse from one of her songs.

You gotta follow your beat
And then soon you will see
You won't have that far to go
Until your song starts to grow
All you need is your beat

Feather Breeze finally smiled as Pipp’s hoofs reconnected with the floor. “I used to sing, before the quarry,” she sighed. “I’m a Kirin, our village is near the Peaks of Peril. Well, it used to be.”

“So, what’s with the fire thing?” Pipp asked.

“When we get angry, Kirin transform into Nirik,” Feather Breeze sighed. “I think it was a defence mechanism. Thanks to Allura, I…I haven’t been in my Kirin form for some time.”

“Allura? Isn’t she the leader of the quarry?” Pipp queried.

Feather Breeze nodded. “Our leader, Winters Breath, is good friends with the leader of the Auroricorns, Violet Frost. Violet Frost sent a message, saying the Auroricorns were in trouble. So, a group of us went to help, including me. But it was a trap.”

“A trap?” Pipp gasped.

Feather Breeze nodded sadly. “Violet Frost was under the control of Allura. When we arrived, she was ready for us. In our Nirik form, we’re more susceptible to her purr. So, she quickly took over our minds as well.

“When we’re in Kirin form though, she can’t control us as easily. Her little friend, Twitch. He made collars which somehow trapped us in Nirik form. I…I haven’t been able to control my own actions for so long.”

“I can’t imagine what that could be like,” Pipp blinked, looking sombre.

“It’s horrible,” Feather Breeze admitted. “I knew what was happening, I just couldn’t do anything about it.”

Pipp looked at her sadly. “So Allura made all those in your village come to the quarry?”

Feather Breeze shook her head sorrowfully. “No, she ordered us to take her to our village. When she arrived, she quickly took control of everypony. Then, she had us burn our own village down.”

Pipp couldn’t help gasping in shock. However, Feather Breeze looked at her with determination. “You said we’ll help them all together, do you have a plan?”

“Well, first we need information,” Pipp admitted before sighing. “Let, let me go and wake up Misty and my sister, Zipp. Misty can let you out and Zipp can ask you what we need to know.”

“I’ll try and answer every question they have,” Feather Breeze said firmly.

When Pipp eventually returned, Feather Breeze noticed only one pony was with her.

“Feather Breeze, meet Misty Brightdawn,” Pipp smiled. “She’s going to get you out of that sphere.”

“Y…You’re the one,” Feather Breeze gasped. “You’re the one that saved me.”

Misty blinked with shock. “I…I don’t know about that. I was trying to stop you getting away.”

“Yes, but you removed the collar,” Feather Breeze smiled. “You saved me.”

Misty couldn’t help frowning and looking unsurely at Pipp. “You sure this will be okay?”

“Perfectly,” Pipp reassured. “Feather Breeze is a victim here.”

“So, where’s Zipp?” Misty asked.

Pipp waved a hoof dismissively. “I’ll get her in a minute.”

“You don’t want her to know,” Misty gasped.

“No, no, I do,” Pipp responded desperately. “It’s just she’ll make this way more difficult than it needs to be. Trust me, Misty. Feather Breeze is cool, and I trust her.”

Misty sighed and nodded. “Okay, I trust you, Pipp.”

Misty took a wide stance and closed her eyes to focus. Then, opening her eyes she aimed her horn and fired a beam of magic at the sphere. Immediately, its membrane wobbled and shifted.

Feather Breeze gasped as the hard surface she’d been sitting on seemingly disappeared. She fell through the sphere's membrane and onto the floor below.

As soon as Feather Breeze was free, Misty cut the beam. She then fired another one, this time making the sphere disappear completely.

Feather Breeze groaned as she picked herself off the floor. Gasping she found Pipp directly in front of her, offering a hoof. Tentatively, she raised a hoof and took it, allowing herself to be pulled to her hoofs.

“Thank you, Misty Brightdawn,” Feather Breeze nodded.

Misty sighed. “Please, just call me Misty. I…I hope you won’t make me regret this.”

“I won’t, I promise you,” Feather Breeze responded. “We Kirin always speak the truth. You have my word.”

Misty was about to reply when there was a loud gurgling growling sound. Feather Breeze gasped and looked at her stomach which had been the source.

“Pipp, I’ll make breakfast, whilst you get Hitch and Zipp,” Misty suggested. “I’m still worried about Strawberry.”

“Strawberry?” Feather Breeze frowned.

“She’s a friend,” Pipp explained. “She was kind of playing bait for... Well... You.”

Feather Breeze’s eyes widened in realisation. “A…And I zapped her away!”

“It’s okay,” Pipp said quickly. “You said it yourself; you were under some sort of mind control. I’ll go get Zipp, then you can answer all her questions.”

“She’s kind of our detective,” Misty smiled. “Come on, I’ll make us some food.”

“O…Okay,” Feather Breeze gasped. “Thank you.”

Needless to say, after being woken up, Hitch and Zipp weren’t best pleased that Feather Breeze had been let out of the sphere. They were making Pipp very aware of this as she led them towards the kitchen.

“You should have come and gotten us straight away,” Hitch argued.

“There was no time for that,” Pipp defended. “I told you, she was dazed and confused. I wanted to help her straight away.”

“By letting her out when we have no clue if we can trust her?” Zipp frowned.

Pipp scowled with annoyance. “No, I helped her recover after she woke up. I listened to her. I made sure she knew she could trust us. Just like I know we can trust her.”

“At least she’s with Misty,” Zipp sighed. “We know Misty can hold her own.”

“And my word means nothing then?” Pipp scowled. “I told you. We. CAN! Trust her.”

Hitch let out a deep sigh. “Fine, Pipp. We can trust her.”

“Thank you, just don’t make her angry,” Pipp warned. “That’s what triggers her change into a Nirik.”

As Hitch and Zipp entered the room. They were surprised to find Feather Breeze and Misty were getting along like old friends.

“These are so good!” Feather Breeze gasped. “What were they called again?”

“Pancakes,” Misty smiled. “Our friend Sunny makes better ones though.”

“I…I’m so sorry she’s been taken,” Feather Breeze sighed.

“It’s okay,” Misty responded. “We’ll find the quarry. Then we’ll rescue her and all your friends too. And you really think Strawberry will be sent back?”

“Yes, I’m certain,” Feather Breeze smiled. “I…I remember the instructions, no wings, or horns. If her disguise drops as you say, she’ll be sent back to this area.”

“You’re certain about that?” Zipp said as she walked forward. “Hi, Zipp Storm. Pipp’s older sister who’s really wanting some answers right now.”

“I know you only have my word with no evidence to back it up,” Feather Breeze sighed. “But Kirin like me are honest creatures. I wouldn’t tell you lies; I promise. Please, ask me any questions you have.”

Zipp nodded as she got out her phone and put it on record. “So, just for my notes and understanding. Kirin change into Nirik when they get angry. Why?”

“Truthfully, I don’t know,” Feather Breeze admitted. “Although, as I said to Pipp, I think it’s a defence mechanism. It’s just a part of what it is to be a Kirin.”

Zipp nodded. “And Allura controls you when you’re a Nirik but not when you’re a Kirin?”

Feather Breeze sighed and shook her head. “No, Allura can control any creature with her purr. However, it affects some more than others. The Auroricorns, she puts into a trance, they believe things are different to what they actually are.

“She can only control most creatures when they are close to her. But further away, she can’t. That’s what happens when I’m a Kirin. But when I’m a Nirik, she has more control.”

Zipp nodded and looked at Feather Breeze understandingly. “What kind of control?”

Feather Breeze closed her eyes and grimaced. “It's like living in a nightmare you cannot wake up from. All our actions are governed by a series of instructions. The way the quarry works is disciplined to make those work. All the creatures do the same things, day in and day out.

“If specific things happen, like creatures start talking or act incorrectly. We have set responses. We have no freedom to change our actions. I’ve not been in the quarry for some time though. I’ve been on the Airships.”

Zipp blinked and couldn’t help gasping. “Airships? As in plural?

“Yes, there’s two airships that I know of,” Feather Breeze explained. “The captains are Violet Frost and Winters Breath.”

Pipp blinked and looked worried. “But you said Winters Breath was your leader.”

“She is,” Feather Breeze sighed. “I…I don’t think she’s under Allura’s control. She’s certainly not in Nirik form. But….But she issues us with orders aboard the airship. Orders that Allura’s purr forces us to obey.”

“Allura must be using the fact she has you all in her control as leverage,” Hitch frowned.

Feather Breeze nodded sadly.

“Okay, so how come you’re still affected by the purr when you’re so far away from Allura?” Zipp frowned.

“There are speakers throughout the ship,” Feather Breeze explained. “They emit the purr so that we hear it continually. I…I don’t know how they recreated it.”

“Okay, so is the airship continually flying around or has it landed somewhere?” Hitch asked.

“It lands when it’s time to go and, well, collect creatures,” Feather Breeze sighed.

“So, do you know where the airship lands?” Zipp asked.

Feather Breeze nodded. “It changes every time, and I can’t describe where it is, but I need to know for the teleportation spells. There’s a set of coordinates, etched into my mind. I can give them to you.” She frowned and suddenly looked worried. “If you don’t mind me asking a question, why do you need them?”

“Because if we’re going to find the quarry. We first need to find the airship,” Zipp explained. “Hopefully we’ll be able to track it to its destination.”

Feather Breeze’s eyes widened, and she looked at Zipp with concern. “Then we don’t have any more time to spare. We need to go. Now!”

“Why?” Hitch asked.

Feather Breeze sighed. “Because, if it hasn’t already, it will be leaving soon.”

Comments

[Comickook]

Excellent work, once again, on the dialogue, characterizations and future chapter set-up. REALLY appreciated the discussion during Sunny's report, as well as the show of how understandably tired Misty is right now. And I can understand that awakened Kirin's frustrations as well as how the Kirins/Niriks got captured and brainwashed (as well as more detail on Allura's siren purr). Feather Breeze's understandable concern for the other Kirins and Auroracorns and description of the situation also helps with set-up for later.

I will definitely be looking forward to more of this later.

[Phetiamwantip]

Looks like Feather Breeze introduce herself to Sunny's friends and Misty got another message from Sunny. I hope Sunny will meet up with the yaks and the diamonds dogs soon, I want to see she'll have them to team up with her.