Ch.1 So...I'm Foxy...

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Pain. That's the first thing I felt as I started to wake up. I didn't know how much I drank last night, but I knew it had to be more than ten considering how bad my head felt. The other thing I noticed was the abundance of bird songs I heard and the feeling of soft grass under my head.

I guess I passed out in a park. Great. Who want's to bet I got mugged or something?

A sharp spike of pain shot through my head at that, forcing an agonized groan past my lips.

Okay...comedy kills... who could'a guessed?

I slowly opened my eyes and thank all the fucking gods of ethanol I managed to pass out in some shade. Bacchus could be a dick sometimes, but sometimes the guy can be a saint when you pull that giant stick out of his ass. I'd kiss whoever pulled it out if said god's product wasn't trying to kill me at the time.

Through bleary eyes, I saw another gift from the gods; a lake roughly five feet away from me. My dry mouth burned as I took in the sweet sparking surface of my salvation. I dragged my arm forward and tried to drag myself over to the water, giving absolutely no fucks about all the stuff I heard about park water as I slowly closed in on the lake. As I did, I noticed that something didn't feel right about my body. Maybe it was from whatever I drank last night, but my whole body just didn't want to move the way it was supposed to. I didn't hurt anywhere so I knew I didn't brake anything this time, but everything just felt...weird.

"Finally," I rasped as I dragged myself the last few inches towards the lake.

I wasted no time shoving my mouth into the water and gulping down mouthful after mouthful of sweet relief. I felt my hangover slowly fade away as the sweet giver of life filled me with its blessings before I reluctantly pulled my mouth away from the lake for air. Deep panting breaths shot in and out of my mouth as I stared up into what was now my favorite tree's branches. I stayed like that for god-knows-how-long, sitting like a frog and staring up into my new friend's branches as I enjoyed what little relief my drink had given me.

"That...was...amazing...." I gasped, light chuckles slipping out of my open mouth as I leaned down for another gulp.

What I saw reflected in the water made me freeze in place. First, I noticed a pair of pupilless solid red eyes, then I noticed the yellowish gold fur. After a few blinks, I noticed the familiar fox-like head staring back at me and the body attached to said head covered with a matching fur coat. I tilted my head. The fox in the water tilted its head. I stuck my tongue out. The fox did the same. I slowly turned my head towards my arm and my heart sank when I saw a furry canine foreleg. Nervously, I looked down at myself and made a few discoveries that didn't make me feel any better about my apparent situation. I was, indeed, covered with a thick coat of yellowish gold fur and aside from what you would typically see on a man, my body was completely different from what it was supposed to be. A strange set of tingles ran up my spine as I slowly started to come terms with what I was seeing. I gulped as I looked over my shoulder. Sure enough, I was greeted by a cluster of thin fox tails firmly attached to my spine just above my ass. I blinked owlishly at my discovery as my barely sober brain struggled to make sense of what I was seeing. When I did, I turned my head back towards the lake and what was apparently my new face and laughed.

"Great!" I cackled. "I went from a guy with a dead-end job and crippling debt to potentially some ten-year-old's pet! Perfect!"

I rode out my laughter at how shit my situation had become for what felt like forever when something brought my self-hating mirth to a sudden and brutal halt.

"U-Um excuse me?"

I flinched at the faint female voice behind me. My heart pounded as fear ran through me while I slowly turned towards the source. What I saw made me freeze as fear switched places with confusion. It looked like a horse but was a lot shorter than any I had ever seen. It was also a bit heftier than any horse I'd ever seen with an oddly expressive face with large teal eyes. Even the color was weird, as evident by its bright yellow coat and long pink mane and tail. What really threw me for a loop was the pair of wings on the horse's back.

"What the fu-" I started, only stop as a thought hit me.

Ah, so that's it. Not only did I suddenly get turned into a Pokemon, but I got dumped into the Galar Region. Fuck it! It makes about as much sense as everything else that's happened so far! But who the hell was talking?

The sound of someone clearing their throat pulled me out of my thoughts.

"U-Um, are you okay?" the horse...thing asked.

The female horse thing.

Fear shot through me again as memories I'd much rather forget tried to jump to the front of my mind. I instinctively jumped to my feet, er, paws and crouched low with my fangs bared. A ton of weird tingles shot up my spine as my tails stood on end and formed a shadow over me. My display seemed to startle the horse thing. She cringed and slowly stepped back.

"I-It's okay," she whispered, I guessed trying to look friendly as she gave me a small smile. "I'm not going to hurt you."

A deep growl echoed past my fangs as I stood my ground. All the while, memories I didn't want to deal with kept trying to creep to the front of my mind. A sweet face, a kind voice, love, then pain. Lots of pain.

"Go. Away," I growled.

"You can talk?" she blinked.

"GO THE FUCK AWAY!" I roared.

The horse thing let out a startled yelp as it ran back into the tree line behind it. Once the sounds of snapping twigs and crunching leaves faded into the distance, I let out a calming breath and assumed what felt like a relaxed stance in my new body.

"Thank god for that," I sighed, falling to my haunches.

I took that moment to give my surroundings a better look. Instead of a park, it looked more like I was in some kind of forest. Considering my circumstances, I probably should've been glad I didn't end up on a volcano or something worse. The dense canopy kept most of the sun at bay, keeping my surrounding's reasonably cool for the most part as I looked around.

Alright, first things first. Find shelter and food sources. The lake takes care of some of my problems, but I'm screwed if I'm out in the open.

I cringed as some of the pokedex entries I've read over the years came to me. For such cute, cuddly creatures, some Pokemon can be seriously evil little bastards.

Doubt all of the ones I'll run into here are going to be as jumpy as Lemon-flavored Ponyta was, I thought as I rose to my paws and walked towards a nearby tree.

I better learn how to breath fire before that happens or I'm hosed. I'm a pretty tough Pokemon, but that won't do me any good if I don't know how to work this new body.

I clawed some bark off of the tree and moved to the one behind it to repeat the process.

So, step one: Find Shelter. Step two: Find Food. Step three: Freakout. Step Four: Figure out how to use my new body.

"Seems easy enough," I muttered as I cut a mark into my tenth tree.

As I walked deeper into the woods a large part of me wanted to say to hell with it and jump strait to step three, but I managed to keep that under control. Last thing I needed was to flip whatever switch triggered my Flamethrower in the middle of a forest after all.

Ch.2 All Hale the Fox King..."Wait, what?!"

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I let out a yawn as I dragged myself back into the waking world. My cave echoed the noise back to me as I staggered to my paws. A now familiar sweet smell caught my attention as I turned towards its source in a nearby corner and smiled. Staked three feet high was a giant pile of blueberries and dozens of other such fruits, countless small paw prints surrounding it. I licked my lips as I sauntered over to my daily offerings and tore into it. As I wolfed down my offered breakfast, I thought about how things had been lately.

As it turned out, shelter wasn't that hard to find around here. After I settled down in my current home, I found several dozen more caves and tunnels scattered throughout the forest a good distance apart from each other. Food wasn't that hard to find either since the forest was absolutely loaded with fruit-bearing trees. Thanks to all of the marks I left on the trees near my cave, I had no problem navigating through the forest. As soon as I had all of that taken care of I let myself freak the fuck out over my situation. Now, before anyone asks, no. I didn't scream or cry like a baby or panic. I didn't run around like a chicken with its head cut off for a few hours. And I definitely didn't spend god knows how long curled up in a corner sucking one of my paws. I did find out that it was a good call to have my freak out session in a cave though. Turns out Ninetales fire is largely emotion powered. One stream of swears and suddenly I felt a build up of power before a stream of flames shot out of my mouth. Since I didn't want to turn my new neighborhood into a bonfire, I spent about a week trying to figure out how to keep my mouth under control. I did it! Mostly...Okay I can at least keep myself from burning the forest down for the most part.

In other news, it turns out that the Pokemon World does in fact have normal animals in it. Imagine my surprise when I was looking for my favorite napping tree and found a fox tangled up in some ivy. Not a Vulpix, Fenniken, Braixen, Delfox, or other Ninetales, but an honest to god fox. As soon as I got over my shock, I helped the poor thing get free before going off to find my tree by the lake. Turns out she was the oldest mother of a pretty big skulk, so when I woke up a few hours later I was completely surrounded by at least four-dozen foxes. It was kind of weird at first, especially when the kits started nuzzling me the second the big mama (no bull shit) bowed to me. Things got even crazier when the skulk followed me around and started gathering food for me. It was a little awkward when they brought me a live white rabbit to...well, foxes are carnivores after all. Thing is, while I like meat, there's a difference between knowing that what you're eating used to be a living creature and actually seeing that creature before its served to you. So when the little guy gave me a set of big baby eyes I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Though I think the foxes were a little disappointed that I didn't eat the rabbit for some reason. Luckily, they found out I had no problem eating fish and made sure to add it to my menu every so often.

For a while, I had a hard time trying to wrap my head around all the special treatment, but then I saw that yellow Ponyta again and it all started to make sense. I was just heading out to the lake to get a drink and happened to see her talking to a bunch of squirrels in a nearby tree. I kept myself out of sight as best I could as I watched her do her thing for a few minutes, my jaw clenched as I struggled to keep my anger and fear under control. I couldn't figure out what it was about her that put me so on edge or brought the Dark Times to the front of my mind. Once I managed to drag myself away from the lake, I managed to piece together how animals worked in this world. Apparently, there was some kind of caste system between Pokemon and animals. Pokemon had control and the animals were servants for them. In a lot of ways, it wasn't that different from how humans used Pokemon, but it still didn't sit right with me. As a result, I resolved to not make the foxes do anything they didn't want to do. If they wanted to bring me food, so be it. In exchange, if someone tried to hurt them I'd turn them into barbecue.

As I licked berry juice off of my lips, a collection of yips from my cave's entrence caught my attention. I smiled as a small group of kits bounded towards me, their tails waging as they fell to their haunches at my side. I chuckled as I playfully knocked the little scrappers around, careful to only put enough force behind my paw to move them around. I chuckled as the little terrors took turns nipping at me with their tiny baby fangs as I continued to play with them. I noticed a couple of grown foxes watching from the cave's mouth while the kits took turns trying to defeat my left paw as it disabled one of their teammates with a belly rub attack. I don't know how I could tell, but it seemed like they were happy to see their kits getting along so well with me. It was weird, but a kind of weird I could deal with with a smile on my face.

I flinched a bit when one of the kits nipped a soft spot on my foreleg and the two older foxes let out sharp barks at them. The kits instantly froze at that before dejectedly walking back to their parents with folded ears and drooping tails. I sighed as I let the parents tend to their rowdy kids before heading out to stretch my legs for a bit. As much as I liked playing with the little troublemakers, I sure as hell wasn't a parent.

***

One of the things I appreciated about my new body was the heightened senses. Sharper eyes and ears made navigating the forest a breeze, but my new nose made keeping track of certain problems a hell of a lot easier. The flying Ponyta, hence known as "Lemon", had a very distinct scent to her. It was kind of like a cross between lilacs and soap with a hint of wet dirt thrown in for whatever reason. It wasn't all that hard to keep track of her scent since she seemed to pop up all over the place whenever she fucking felt like it! Seriously! I go to get a drink from the lake? She's on the other side talking to a beaver or something. I try to get some apples for a snack? She's getting apples for some animal from that same fucking tree! I go to an empty cave to practice my Flamethrower? She's there talking to herself like some nutcase!

"Is this her territory or something?" I muttered irritably to myself as I avoided my Flamethrower cave for the fifth time this week. "Fucking great. I hope this doesn't mean I'll have to battle her for some space. I don't know what the hell she can do and I only recently figured out how to do a decent Flamethrower."

A familiar sight on the forest floor made me growl, smoke sneaking past my lips as I barely kept my flames contained. Four wooden bowls of what looked like dog food laid before me like offerings, but unlike the offerings my Skulk gave me these ones reeked of Lemon's scent. Like the last ones I found, I dug a deep hole near the bowls and dumped the the pellets into it before belching out a mouthful of flames into the pit. Once I was sure the "food" was sufficiently vaporized, I smothered the fire with dirt as I refilled the hole before going about my business. This was starting to become a daily routine as I navigated my new forest home. Lemon would leave out bowls of food at random places and I'd destroy any I came across. There was no way I was going to let any of the foxes get suckered into eating her food. Who knew what she did to it before she left it out? I knew all about how some Pokemon liked to lure prey in with all kinds of fucked up tricks, using everything from scent traps to paralyzing venom to catch unsuspecting victims. Lemon was an unknown element and until I could be sure she wasn't dangerous, I was taking absolutely no chances.

"Fucking Lemon," I growled as I closed in on one of my spare practice caves.

Down Alex, deep breaths, I thought as I entered the cave. I can't do anything if I let myself get all riled up. First, I need to learn how to better control my firepower. After that, I can try to figure out how to broaden my arsenal a little more. I just need to take this one step at a time.

I took several deep breaths as I walked into the deepest, darkest part of the cave. With my sharp eyes, I was able to see almost perfectly in the near pitch-black conditions of my training grounds. I could see all of the scorch marks covering the walls from all of my past attempts to master Flamethrower. Each of the smaller burns got a small chuckle out of me as I compared them to the large swaths of charred earth on the walls next to them. Small shots were a little tricky for me, but that kind of made sense when you really thought about it. I'm not trying to learn Ember. I'm trying to master Flamethrower.

I took a wide-legged bracing stance as I picked a less charred portion of cave wall and took a deep breath. As I did that, my tails instinctively stood on end as I felt something build up inside me. It started small, like a flickering ember before it quickly grew into a massive force in my chest. I filled the force with my anger, feeling it grow in power before guiding it up my throat. At the last second, I opened my mouth and let out a loud roar as the power shot out of my mouth as a searing stream of fire. The cave shined with light as my flame slammed into my targeted wall like a burning geyser. I smiled as the tail end of my attack passed my muzzle, plunging my world back into near total darkness.

"I had more control that time," I chuckled. "Let's see if I can do that again."

***

I hummed happily as I stepped out of my training cave. Progress was slow, but I was one step closer to mastering Flamethrower then I was this morning. As I stared up at the early evening sky, I let out a happy sigh before making my way towards my cave.

I should be able to use it without damaging the forest if I strike at point blank, but hopefully I won't have to get that close to anything, I mused, keeping a sharp eye out for any evening threats. Otherwise I'll need to find someplace less green before I strike. Maybe I should see if there are any places like that around here, just in case.

My ears twitched as something stepped out of one of the bushes. I tensed, then relaxed a little when I saw it was a fox. What put me a bit on edge was that it wasn't one of my followers. All of the foxes in my skulk are Red Foxes while this was a Fennec. The tiny fox stared up at me with its ears folded back in pure terror, a pink envelope held tight in its trembling muzzle. I glared down at the small creature, baring my own fangs more from what I smelled then from what I saw. The little thing reeked of Lemon's scent to the point that I had to force my jaws shut to keep myself from roasting it.

"What do you want?" I growled through clenched teeth.

The fox let out a weak whine before it dropped the letter and ran out of sight. I took a few minutes to regain my composure before investigating what the poor thing left behind. A cold chill shot down my spine when I saw my name written on the front of the envelope.

Okay, that's a little creepy, I thought, digging a small hole in the ground. Could this be one of Lemon's tricks? Nah, couldn't be. What kind of Pokemon writes letters anyway? Still, that's way too creepy.

I stared at the letter for a few seconds, not really sure what to make of this whole thing before dropping it into the hole and lighting it up. It was probably just a crazy coincidence, but if it really was some trap set by Lemon...

"Wouldn't be the first time a girl played me," I muttered as I refilled the hole. "Better safe then sorry."

I was on high alert the whole way back home, legitimately expecting a whole herd of Lemons to come bursting out of the bushes to capture me at any moment. While that didn't happen, what did happen filled me with even more worry.

Turns out my fan club found out about how I felt about Lemon. Whenever she was close to the cave a fox would give me a heads up in the form of three high-pitched barks. The fact that one of them met me about half way to the cave wasn't what had me so worried. The fact that the whole Skulk met me with high-pitched barks however, did.

Not good,

The Skulk stopped barking as I slowly crept towards my cave. I froze as a familiar smell caught my attention as well as a few other ones that I didn't recognize. I also heard seven different heartbeats that I sure as hell knew didn't belong to any of my foxes. None of them knew how to talk and there were only five vixens in the Skulk to begin with.

She found my home, I thought, a soft growl slipping past my lips as I slowly backed away from the cave entrence. Fucking great!

As soon as I sure I was out of hearing range, I let out a frustrated sigh and continued to walk deeper into the forest.

I guess I'm sleeping somewhere else tonight. Good thing I found another cave a good distance away from here a couple days ago.

As my Skulk and I made our way through the forest towards my plan B home, I could've sworn I heard a balloon deflate in the distance behind us.

Ch.3 Straight from the Horse's Mouth...."Hey, no fox pun this time."

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"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!!!" I roared, pacing the length of my cave.

Two weeks had passed since Lemon found my cave and to put it simply, everything fell to shit pretty much immediately. While the new cave wasn't that far from my usual food sources, it was just enough of an inconvenience to grate on my nerves. Water wasn't much of an issue since another lake was pretty close to the cave, but there was a bucket of other things that ate at me. Mostly the fact that something was sneaking into my den every night. How did I know that? Well, it might've been the incredibly subtle fact that I kept finding cheesy party decorations hung up all over the place every morning. First I just threw them out, then I ended up tearing them up, then I had to start torching shit when a cake suddenly popped up in the cave. I knew it wasn't Lemon's doing due to the lack of her scent, but that did very little to put me at ease. Instead, I kept picking up the smell of bubblegum and baking flour. Considering the only Pokemon I could think of that could have that smell was Slurpuff, I was more annoyed and confused than worried. My fans seemed to pick up on my state and apparently decided to guard the cave entrance one night. When I woke up the next day to a fully decorated cave, my annoyance turned into worry. Slurpuff isn't exactly renowned as a nimble or stealthy Pokemon, so there was no way in hell that was the culprit. So that left me with one question; what the fuck is sneaking into my home?! The end result was a whole week of sleepless nights as I tried to catch my intruder in the act. The payoff was less then favorable to say the least.

I let out a savage roar as I torched the streamers hanging from the ceiling.

"Fucking Lemons!" I growled, tails flicking erratically as I continued my pacing. "They can't just leave me alone, can they?! Am I going to have to battle her for her to get the hint?!"

Another blast of flames shot out of my mouth as I cremated the tenth cake to appear in my home so far before resuming my pacing.

"Oh, but she knows that I can't do that! If I fight her here, there's a chance I'll burn the forest down and I don't want that!"

The room started to spin as my lack of sleep and thoughts started to meld together. The walls started to feel like they were closing in on me, the air was hot and dense. I could feel my power starting to react to my mental state, but instead of gathering into my chest for another Flamethrower I felt it start to travel to my tails. I didn't dwell on that for very long. I needed to find a way out of this. I needed a way to defend myself that didn't involve torching my home to the ground. My tails flicked more erratically as they started to tingle with power.

"WHY DID I HAVE TO BE TURNED INTO A FIRE TYPE!?" I demanded and slammed one of my tales into the nearest wall.

I froze as the sound metal hitting rock echoed off of the walls. I blinked, then looked over my shoulder at the wall. Instead of their usual shade of yellowish-gold, all nine of my tails were a glistening silver with the tip of the tail that hit the wall stuck in it like a rock pick. Perplexed, I focused on the tail in question and it pulled itself free from its target. I watched in wonder as they moved like metallic ivy in a constant group sway.

"Is this...? Does this mean...?"

Shaking away my shock, I focused on the flow of energy running through my tails. Like my Flamethrower, the energy was moving from my chest to where I apparently needed it to go. In this case, that meant my tails.

"Iron Tail? I can use fricking Iron Tail?"

As I stared at my now metallic tails, a wide grin spread across my face.

"Now that's more like it."

***

My whole body was numb and heavy, my breaths coming out in heavy gasps as I stared out into the dark. Faint gray shapes faded in and out of my sight as what little strength I had flickered. Iron Tail used a lot more power then I thought it would, especially given my previous state. Now there I laid, helpless and in the dark, barely conscious enough to see past my nose. I should've been scared. I should've been angry. I was too tired for any of that.

Take me. I don't care what's fucking with me. Just put me out of my misery already.

A trace of movement caught my attention as something pink walked into my blurry line of sight.

"About fucking time," I sighed as I closed my eyes. "Go ahead. Quit fucking around and take me out."

"What do you mean?" asked a high pitched female voice, a trace of what sounded like concern in her tone.

Not Lemon. Thought as much.

"I get it. You could kill me whenever you want, however you want. Just get on with it and get it over with."

"What?" she asked, her voice faint with pain. "I-I don't get it. Why would I want to..? Don't you like parties?"

A weak chuckle made it past my lips as I answered.

"A party? Please. Why the hell would anyone pull something like that for me? I'm not stupid. Just cut the act and take me out already."

My would-be assassin just stood there doing...I don't even know what as I waited for her to get on with it.

"Th-That's not what I want," she stammered.

I let out another faint chuckle at that.

"Alright then, I'll humor you. What do you want?"

Another moment of silence, then my guest said, "My friends and I are here to solve a friendship problem. Since you're the only creature living in Fluttershy's animal sanctuary, we thought maybe you might have a problem we could fix."

I rolled my eyes at her obvious lie. There were tons of other creatures living in the forest. Hell, I was friends with about forty of them. And friendship problem? Seriously? Just how stupid does she think I am?

"Cute story," I sighed. "Now get it over with."

Another long pause, then I heard something that made me open my eyes a bit; sniffling.

"Are you really that sad?" she asked.

I sighed, then closed my eyes.

"Either kill me or leave me alone."

I heard a shaky gasp then more sniffles as I waited for my fate. At the same time, I couldn't help but mentally laugh at the irony of my situation. I spent the whole day perfecting a move that would allow me to defend myself without destroying the forest and now I'm too weak to use it when I needed to.

Some soft clopping caught my attention as whatever was in my cave approached me. I felt a presence at my side when the sound stopped, a faint whimpering accompanying the louder sniffling. I braced myself for whatever she had planned, only to flinch when what felt like a pair of arms wrapped around my upper body. A few drops of water landed on one of my paws as the thing hugged me. I don't know why, but I didn't feel scared as I let her do whatever she wanted to me. It was...nice to be honest. My whole body went limp as sleep started to take me away from my troubles. I was dimly aware of something warm and soft wrapping around me as my consciousness faded away.

***

The sky was bright and clear as I went through my normal morning routines. As I walked, my mind wandered towards what happened last night. Putting aside the fact I still couldn't figure out what she was, I could at least admit she wasn't a threat. Well, a physical threat at least. I doubted that she was really being nice just because. There had to be some other reason she was being so nice to me.

No one's like that unless they want something, I thought with a frown.

Not helping me make sense of things was the red blanket I was wrapped in when I woke up this morning. My first thought was to get rid of it, but decided against it. Unlike the party junk Bubblegum left behind, the blanket was something I could actually use.

"I need a drink," I grumbled as the lake came into view. "Whisky. Gin. Vodka. Hell, I'll take a Bud Light at this point."

Lamenting my lack of booze, I approached one of my few sources of water to slate my thirst. As I did, some movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. What I saw made me question just how much of my sanity was still intact or if there was something in the water I should be concerned about. Standing across the lake from me was an orange wingless version of Lemon staring at me. Its mane and tail were blond with the tail tied at the end while a brown cowboy hat sat on its head. Its green eyes were wide as it stared at me like a deer caught in the headlights as I tried to figure out the best way to get away from it. It was bad enough that I had Lemon and Bubblegum to deal with, the last thing I needed was another thing making my already insane life even more complicated than it already was.

Back up. Slowly.

I was just about to start following my thought when the horse thing called out, "Wait!"

I froze, a little surprised to hear a southern accent in its female voice, then sighed as I growled out a, "What?"

The horse cleared her throat and said, "Ah just want to talk to ya'. Can Ah do that?"

I frowned as I mulled her offer over. While I wasn't sure I wanted to take any chances with an unknown Pokemon, this one didn't seem like one that could give me too much trouble. She looked like a normal, maybe rock type if Lycanroc was anything to go by, so Iron Tail should be more then enough to take care of her if things go south. Besides, this could be a chance to get some info about my current region.

"Fine," I growled, falling to my haunches.

"Thank ya' kindly," she smiled then started walking around the lake towards me.

I nodded as I watched her like a hawk, all the while taking note of how strange she looked. Yeah I know, pots and kettles, but you try imagining a cowboy-pony hybrid and tell me it looks natural for a Pokemon. Another thing I noticed was that she didn't trigger my bad memories like Lemon did. That alone gave this orange-flavored Ponyta wannabe a bunch of points in her favor.

In a few seconds, the country pony thing was sitting in front of me on her haunches.

Wanting to cut to the chase, I asked, "What do you want?"

She grimaced then said, "Not the nicest fella, are ya'?"

"Give me a reason to be and I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Right now I'm just humoring you."

"Fair enough," she allowed. "Twi did say you Kitsune can get a bit ornery towards strangers."

Kitsune? That's what she thinks I am? I mean, she's not wrong in a way, but has she never seen a Ninetales before?

"Something like that," I sighed. "What are you anyway?"

"Me?" she asked, blinking in shock.

"No, the tree behind you," I deadpanned.

"No need for that," she glowered. "Anyway, Ah'm an Earth Pony."

Now it was my turn to blink dumbly.

That has got to be the laziest name for a Pokemon species I've ever heard. Seels probably look at that name and laugh themselves into drowning.

I forced my groan down my throat as I asked my next question.

"Do you have a name?"

"Eeyup," she smirked, holding out a hoof towards me. "Names Applejack."

Again, I blinked at her, only this time I burst out laughing.

"And what's so gosh darn funny?" Applejack frowned, raising a brow as she let her hoof fall to the ground.

"Sorry," I smiled, barely getting my laugher under control. "It's just that, a few minutes ago I was bitching about wanting a drink and now I met an Earth Pony named Applejack."

A goodnatured chuckle passed her lips as her frown morphed into a smile at that.

"Ah get it. Wish Ah brought some cider with me if'n you wanted to wet your whistle."

"It's fine," I smiled. "The name's Alex by the way."

"Well, nice ta' meet ya' Alex," she smiled.

"Like wise," I nodded. "What brings you around here anyway?"

"Well, you Ah guess," she shrugged.

I blinked at that, then gave her a sly smile as I said, "Why Applejack, we've only just met. I would think we should get to know each other a bit more before we start making moves."

"Wha? What the sam hill are ya' talking abou-?"

She froze for a minute and a deep blush started to spread across her muzzle.

"Th-That's not what Ah meant!" she sputtered. "Ah mean my friends and Ah were summoned here to solve a friendship problem and your the only creature around here we can help."

Again with the friendship problem BS, I thought as my smile melted away.

"First Bubblegum and now you," I snorted. "What the hell are you talking about."

"Exactly what Ah said," She frowned at me, then added, "Now it's mah turn. What are you doing in Fluttershy's animal sanctuary?"

"Animal sanctuary?" I asked, tilting my head . "I'm in an animal sanctuary?"

She nodded.

"Huh. I thought it was just a forest," I muttered. "And who or what the heck is Fluttershy?"

Ch.4 Well Fox me..."....Seriously?"

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Cool water rushed across my body as white noise cut me off from the distractions of the outside world. For the first time in days I was completely and utterly calm as I sat beneath a small waterfall. While it washed away my sweat and tension from a hard day's training, I let my mind wander over my current perdicerment. I still had to figure out what I was going to do about Fluttershy, but that wasn't going to be a problem for much longer if everything worked out.

According to Applejack, I was in a country mostly populated by talking ponies called Equestria. While there apparently weren't any Pokemon, there were different types of magical creatures like dragons and kirins just to name a couple. Now if you told me that a few weeks ago, I would've asked you what someone slipped you so I can keep my distance. Seeing as I was a Ninetales talking to a talking orange horse, er, pony with a southern accent, I was a little more willing to keep an open mind.

Yeah, yesterday was pretty interesting.

While knowing that I didn't need to worry about dream-eating Gengar or Hypno made sleeping last night a lot easier, it brought a whole new issue to the table. Seeing as the "forest" belonged to Fluttershy, it made living here a little awkward. Hell, I was practically living in someone else's backyard. Regardless of how I felt about the girl, that wasn't fair to her. The last thing I needed was to start owing her more than I already did.

I gasped as a memory of a sharp pain shot through my back, the water replaced with blood as my consciousness faded. A sweet voice and gentle smile the last thing I saw and heard as the world turned black.

"Don't worry. It'll all be over soon."

My eyes flew open, breath coming out in frantic gasps as I returned to the present. Slowly, my breathing started to level out as I took stock of my surroundings. Damp stone under my paws, clear water all around me, cloudless skies above me, and trees as far as the eye could see from my perch.

"I'm okay," I muttered, my breathing slowly leveling out. "She's not here. She can't hurt me. I'm okay....I'm okay."

I tried to keep my breathing level as I forced my unwanted memories to the back of my mind. All the while, my resolve to leave the sanctuary grew by several notches.

"For fucks sake," I growled. "I can't even think about her without "her" popping up. Fuck my fucking life."

I let out a frustrated sigh as I walked off of my perch into the shallow water below. As I waded my way through the shallows, I tried to figure out what I was going to do next. The sanctuary was a definite hell no, but I had no idea what was in this world other than four-legged diabetes makers that toy companies would kill to know about. Hell, we all know cute sells better than badass. I could probably ask Applejack if she knew about anyplace nearby that wouldn't give me too much grief, but that also put me at risk of running into Fluttershy. Then there's the foxes to take into account. I don't think the skulk would leave me and honestly,I didn't really want them to either. They were the best friends I've had in a long time and I didn't want to give that up.

"God dammit. Why can't anything be simple?"

I looked up at the coast and froze.

Standing about five feet away from the water's edge were three ponies. One I recognized immediately as Applejack while the other two were complete mysteries. At her left stood a white Unicorn with a purple mane and tail stylized into single curls with blue...eyeshadow (?) highlighting her dark-blue eyes. The other pony was the pinkest Earth Pony I had ever seen with a thick mass of darker pink curls making up her mane and tail. While the white one looked surprised, the pink one looked kind of glum for some reason. Shrugging it off, I decided to see how this all played out and walked towards the group.

"Howdy Alex," Applejack smiled, waving at me as I stepped out of the water.

"Hey," I smirked. "What's up?"

"Not much," she shrugged. "Some of mah friends wanted to meet cha'. That okay with ya'?"

"I guess," I frowned, giving the two other ponies a scrutinizing glance. "Just give me a minute to dry off first."

She nodded and I took a couple dozen steps away from the group. From there, instinct took over as I shook the water out of my coat. It was always a huge relief when I did this after a shower. Imagine having a bunch of wet sandbags stuck to your back, arms, and legs. Now add nine heavy chains to your tailbone. Yeah, shaking water off of my coat was awesome.

Apparently the Unicorn thought the same thing, cuz when I looked back at the ponies there were stars in that one's eyes. That put me a little on edge, but not enough for me to count her as a threat. Applejack seemed to notice her friend's antics and just rolled her eyes while the pink one still looked like she just got grounded for something.

"Magnificent!" the Unicorn gushed, a posh female accent coloring her declaration. "Darling, your coat is simply divine!"

"Uh, thanks?" I blinked.

Huh, british pony. I wonder how many other Earth accents are in this world.

The Unicorn blinked then quickly composed herself as she said, "Where are my manners? My name is Rarity. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," I smiled. "Name's Alex by the way."

"Alex?" she asked. "That is quite the odd name, if you don't mind me saying."

I chuckled at that as I lowered myself to my haunches.

"I could say the same about you and Applejack."

Hell, where I'm from her name's either a drink or a cereal brand.

"I suppose," she smiled, then gestured to the space in front of me with a hoof as she asked, "May I?"

"Go ahead," I shrugged. "Bring your friends along for the ride too."

She giggled behind a hoof then walked towards me, her friends not too far behind her.

"So, what can I do for you all?"

"In just a moment," Rarity started. "One of us has a few things she would like to say."

At that, the pink pony sat down next to Rarity and stared up at me. I felt like I just kicked the most helpless puppy into a puddle as I stared into her sad blue eyes and saw her slightly trembling lip. I felt my tails droop as a deep guilt filled me for a crime I had no idea I had committed.

"Hi Alex, I'm Pinkie Pie," she said, a slight tremble in her tone.

A very familiar tone.

A faint trace of bubblegum and flour graced my nose and all of the pieces fell into place.

"You're the one I talked to a couple nights ago," I stated, tone flat as I straightened my posture.

She nodded, then said, "I thought it would help if I threw you a welcome party, but all I did was make you sick. I'm so so so sorry."

A part of me wanted to doubt her, telling me that no one could go that far to make someone feel welcome. That same part had kept me out of some seriously dangerous situations as well as pulled me out of ones that I had already fallen into. I've lost track of how many times my instincts and martial arts got me away from knife-wielding bastards ever since I got away from "her". That part of my mind quickly changed its tune when I saw how genuine Pinkie's tears were.

I sighed and relaxed my posture as a sympathetic smile spread across my muzzle.

"It's fine. I was...going through some crap at the time. I'm sorry for what I said at the time."

"Okay, sure," she smiled, her whole body seeing to brighten a bit. "Did you like the blanket?"

"Yeah, thanks for that by the way," I smiled. "It really helped me get back on my feet."

"No problem," she giggled. "I'm just glad you're feeling better."

I chucked a bit at that. I couldn't help it! Something about this pony just put me in a good mood for some reason.

"Ya'll already met Pinkie?" Applejack asked.

"Kind of," I chuckled uneasily. "The night before I met you, someone snuck into my cave and I thought they were going to kill me."

"WHAT?!" Applejack and Rarity exclaimed, slack-jawed and wide-eyed as they stared at me.

"Yeah, not my proudest moment," I frowned.

An awkward silence filled the air as I struggled to find a way to salvage the situation. Luckily, Rarity seemed more than willing to break the silence.

"That aside," she frowned. "I suspect that things have been going well for you here."

"To a degree," I shrugged.

"I detect a "but" in there," she said with a sly smirk.

"Yeah," I grimaced. "I'm actually kind of glad you guys found me."

"And why is that?" she asked.

"I was wondering if Applejack could help me with something."

***

I frowned as I wandered dejectedly into my temporary cave. Though how temporary was pretty high up in the air at this point. According to Applejack, it wouldn't be too difficult for me to find a new place to live. Apparently, a lot of places would love to have a creature like me around for one reason or another. My posse? Not so much. Not too surprising that most places wouldn't be willing to take in about forty wild foxes. Apparently, the only options Applejack and Rarity could think of that could work were two nearby forests. Considering I was trying to stay away from Fluttershy, that really only left one forest for my friends and I to move into.

"I wonder what Whitetail Woods is like," I mused as I laid down on the ground. "Hope the Skulk like it there."

I let out a listless sigh as I rolled onto my side. A deep gash in a nearby wall made me cringe as I remembered all of the damage I did while I was here.

Right, she's probably going to ask me to fix all of that. How the hell I'm going to do that is beyond me, but I'll get there when I get there.

From where I laid I gave the cave a slow look over, actually taking in my surrounding instead of just staring at them. It was weird. I hadn't been in the sanctuary for very long, but I already knew I was going to miss this place. Yeah, the last few days were absolute shit, but I had already set up a way of life here. It was kind of liberating in a way.

Some clops from the cave's entrance snapped me out of my musings. I figured it was Applejack coming by to tell me how to get to Whitetail and forced myself to my haunches. It really surprised me how quickly I adapted to my new body and how natural certain postures felt to me. Even the tails felt normal to me now, especially after all the time I spent perfecting Iron Tail.

Confusion hit me when two ponies I'd never seen before stepped into the cave's main chamber. They were both purple, but one was a much lighter shade then the other. The darker one had a navy-blue mane and tail with a lavender streak running through them. She also had a pair of wings and a horn and was a bit taller then her friend. The other one was a Unicorn with the same colored mane and tail as her friend only with a light-blue streak running through them.

Do ponies go through metamorphosis or something? I thought as I stared at the...winged Unicorn? Horned Pegasus?

"Your name is Alex, right?" the Pegacorn asked.

"Y-Yeah," I stammered.

I didn't know what it was about this pony, but something told me it would be a really bad idea to piss her off.

"Great!" she beamed. "My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle and this is my friend Headmare Starlight Glimmer."

A cold chill shot down my spine at that.

A Princess? Aw fan-fucking-tastic! Now if I say something stupid I could get the axe! Perfect!

"Nice to meet you," I gulped. "A-Any reason you came to see me?"

She gave me a confused look then said, "I wanted to meet you and see if maybe you needed some help with something."

"R-Right," I frowned. "Well, unless you know the quickest way to Whitetail Woods from here, I don't think theres a lot that can be done."

"Is that all?" the other pony, Starlight Glimmer, asked.

I nodded.

"I can't stay here and I don't think a lot of places are willing to take in a whole skulk of foxes."

"I see," Princess Twilight, murmured, putting a hoof to her chin in thought. "I could ask Fluttershy-"

"No!" I barked, briefly forgetting who and what I was talking to. "She's the whole reason I can't stay here!"

"What do you mean?" Starlight asked,

An awkward silence filled the cave as I tried to pull myself together.

"Look, I've got nothing against her, but I can't be anywhere near her."

"Why?" the princess asked.

I wanted to tell her. God all mighty did I want to tell her, but every time I tried to get the words out my mind would flash back to that fucking night. The pain. The blood. The betrayal.

I took a deep breath, and with trebling words said, "Because I don't want to hurt her."

Both ponies gawked at me.

"W-Why would you hurt Fluttershy?" Starlight asked.

"I-I-I can't say," I grimaced, staring at the ground in shame. "Just trust me when I say that it's a good idea if we don't run into each other."

Ch. 5 A Sad Tail... "I do have nine of them."

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"This is going to be more difficult then I thought," Twilight sighed.

"It would appear that way darling," Rarity nodded, frowning.

The seven ponies sat in silence as they processed what they learned so far. It had been a year since the map sent them out on a friendship mission. After the battle against Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow, friendship problems had become few and far between. As such, it came as a huge shock to them all when the map sent them out on their current mission a couple weeks ago. Now they found themselves sitting in a cabin just outside the perimeter of Fluttershy's sanctuary trying to figure out how they were supposed to proceed with their mission.

"He seems willin' ta talk to us fer the most part," Applejack frowned. "Well, most of us anyhow."

As she said that, she cast a sheepish smile at Fluttershy. Said Pegasus was dead silent, a deep frown the only thing visible under the shadow of her bangs as she sat on her haunches across from her friend. The rest of her friends gave her sympathetic looks, Pinkie going a step further as she moved to her side and gave her a hug.

"Is he okay?" she asked weakly.

The mares that met Alex didn't know how to answer that. Physically, they could tell he was fine, but his emotional state was a completely different matter.

"He's eating right, as far as I can tell," Starlight offered with a weak smile.

"And he's keeping warm thanks to the blanket I left him," Pinkie added with a small smile of her own.

"Oh," Fluttershy said hollowly. "That's good."

Another moment of silence fell over the group, but only a brief one as Rainbow let out a frustrated groan.

"I hate this!" she snapped. "Let's just ask him what his deal is with Fluttershy and get this over with!"

"It's not that simple," Twilight frowned. "If we don't handle this delicately, the whole sanctuary could be destroyed."

"How?" Fluttershy asked.

With a flash of magic, a book appeared in front of Twilight. She let out a frustrated sigh as she opened it to a specific page.

"According to this, Kitsune are an ancient tribe of magic foxes found in the highest and most sacred mountains in all of Equis. While all of them are powerful, the greatest amongst them are either golden or pure white in color with nine tails. These types are known to either give great blessings or terrible curses to those that cross their path. If a golden Kitsune is insulted, they will cause a horrible drought that will not end until the guilty party's land is nothing but dessert while a white Kitsune will drown the land in endless snowstorms. Both can take away a creature's good fortune and even steal a creature's dreams at night."

Everypony cringed at that, even Rainbow looked a little less eager to test her luck.

"Any specific taboos we should know about?" Starlight asked.

After turning a couple pages, Twilight answered.

"Aside from attacking them or saying anything degrading, the sure fire way to insult a KItsune is to touch their tails without permission."

"Seems simple enough," Rarity smiled. "So long as we stay civil and keep our hooves to ourselves, we need not worry about any curses."

"Does it say anything else?" Applejack asked.

"Only that they generally hold fire creatures in high regards," Twilight frowned as she snapped the book shut.

"Well, that explains why the map called her over too," Rainbow sighed.

"That reminds me, how soon did she say she would be able to get here darling?" Rarity asked Applejack.

"Either today or tomorrow," Applejack shrugged. "She's still tryin' ta get somepony to hold things fer her back in Ponyville while she's out here."

"Ponyfeathers," Rainbow growled, stomping a forehoof in frustration. "She better hurry up!"

***

I sighed listlessly as I wandered aimlessly through the sanctuary, the afternoon sun warming my back and the soft grass under my paws. I didn't know where I was going, nor did I really care at the moment as I enjoyed the tranquil silence around me. I just had to move. Meeting a Princess yesterday really took it out of me and I still hadn't quite gotten over the shock. Who knew something so cute could fill me with so much stress. Not helping was the fact that she wanted me to stay put for a couple of days for some reason. That, and the memories were starting to take their toll on me.

"Fuck," I muttered as I fell to my side into the grass. "Why can't I make them stop?"

I knew the answer. The longer I stayed in the sanctuary, the longer I was reminded of who owned the place. That in turn forced me to remember "her" by proxy.

I felt four small prods in my stomach and smiled as I turned my head towards their sources. As I expected, four small kits were nudging my belly with their heads. I leaned over and gave them small affectionate licks. I don't know why, but it felt right to do it. They didn't seem to mind as they happily returned the favor with a few yips. I chuckled as I rolled onto my belly and nuzzled the little foxes.

"I'm okay," I said through a forced smile. "Don't worry about me."

The kits gave me some soft whines, their ears folding back and I swore that they looked worried.

I laughed and said, "Really, I'm fine. I'm just going through some sh-...uh, stuff right now. Give me a couple days and I'll be back to normal. I promise."

The kits didn't seem any more convinced than I was and let out whines as they nuzzled into my side. I sighed as I rested my head on the grass. I knew I wasn't fine. I felt sick. Like I ate something nasty, but my body wouldn't let me puke it out.

I can't keep this up. I've gotta' get out of here.

My ears perked as I heard a dull thumping, like a heartbeat or a drum not far away from me.

Oh what the fuck know? I thought, forcing myself to my feet.

The kits let out nervous yips at me as I turned my head towards the sound's source. I felt one of my ears stay pointed in the sound's direction as I gave the kits a small smile and jerked my head in the general direction I left the Skulk. They gave me what sounded like some protesting barks, but I just narrowed my eyes and pointed a paw into the forest away from the sound. With folded back ears and wilted tails, the little foxes sulked back home. As soon as I heard their steps fade into the distance, I gave the sound my full attention.

"Let's see what all this is about," I frowned as I followed my ears through the forest.

After a few minutes of walking I started picking up a weird smell along with the drumming. It was as if someone pulled open a spice cabinet and dumped everything into a huge pile then lit the whole thing on fire. It didn't smell that bad, but it was pretty strong. Hell, I was pretty sure it would've been a bit much even if my sense of smell wasn't razor sharp. After a few minutes of walking, I walked into an open clearing and was greeted by a weird sight to go with all the other weird things I've been exposed to today. At the heart of the clearing sat a rickety wooden caravan with a red tree painted on the sides with the top half of the tree painted in the shape of a heart. Next to the caravan stood a giant patchwork teepee made of what looked like at least a hundred random blankets and sheets stitched together. Tending to a campfire about five feet from the two structures was a light green Earth Pony. They had a reddish-orange mane and tail with peach colored bands all done up in dreadlocks and a yellow bandana keeping her bangs out of her eyes. As she poked the fire with a stick she was lightly tapping a small drum with her free hoof in a slow steady rhythm.

Curious, I decided to see what this new pony was up to. At the same time I channeled some of my energy into my tails in case I needed to use it. Just because none of the ponies I've met so far wanted to start something didn't mean that was always going to be the case.

I was about ten feet away from the pony when they noticed me. They gave me a dreamy half-lidded smile as they looked me over then said, "Hey soul brother, come to cleanse your mind under the sun's aura?"

I blinked dumbly at her for a minute. Out of all the things I expected her to say, that was so far below the bottom I'm pretty sure it hit something on the opposite side of the planet.

"Uh...sure?" I said, still wrapping my head around everything.

She just kept smiling, still tapping her drum as she gestured towards a space in front of her by the fire and said, "Far out. Come soul brother, let's enjoy the sun's aura together."

A part of me wanted to refuse, but at this point I was too drained to really care. I sighed as I took the offered seat, practically flopping onto my belly by the fire. The pony just smiled as she closed her light purple eyes and continued to play her drum. I shrugged as I did the same, letting my other senses take the reins for once. The drumbeat was oddly soothing as it echoed through my head. That, and the strange herby smell that seemed to soak the air made me feel...something. It was kind of hard to describe, like being asleep but awake at the same time. It was weird, but very relaxing at the same time.

"What do they call you soul brother?" the pony asked, her tone just as dreamy as the smile she gave me.

"Alex," I sighed. "You?"

"Treehugger," she said, her smile audible in her tone. "But you can call me soul sister if you want."

I chuckled at that.

"I'll stick with Treehugger," I smiled. "What are you doing out here anyway? Did you get called out here for a friendship problem too?"

I could sense her smile as she said, "I needed to clean my chakra and this place was full of good vibes. Can you feel it Alex?"

I chuckled at that a bit, only it was more rueful than I wanted it to be.

"I don't feel anything, but I guess this is a pretty good place for a nap."

She didn't say anything and we sat like that for a few minutes, her drum beat and the smell of herbs easing me into a rare state of calm. As the tension eased out of me, I gently let my head fall into the grass like a soft green pillow. I even felt the energy I gathered in my tails dissipate as any need for it became less likely. I felt so light as I let myself get lost in Treehugger's drumming, but that didn't last as that same sick feeling settled into my gut. I barely noticed it when the drumming stopped, but I did flinch when I felt something round and hard settle on my back.

"Wow brother, your chakra is tied in knots," Treehugger whispered, her frown audible along with her concern.

I frowned as I opened my eyes and looked at her.

Sure enough, she was right next to me petting me. I sighed as I stared into the fire, only just noticing the night sky above us.

"Knots huh? Sounds about right," I sighed.

"This is, like, seriously bad," she frowned, seemingly ignoring my comment as she continued to trace a hoof across my back. "All these bad vibes are like, soul poison."

"Poison," I mused, barely paying the pony any mind as I continued to stare at the fire. "Maybe that's why I've been feeling so crappy lately. I must've ate something poisonous."

Treehugger continued to inspect my back, gently rubbing in a way that felt kind of like a massage. I felt my eyes get heavy as she went about her business. I was just so tired.

"You've been hurt," she whispered.

"Yeah," I droned, mind sitting at the edge of the waking world. "I've been in a few fights. Who hasn't?"

"Not like that," she stated. "Somepony hurt your soul."

I let that hang the air as my hazy mind struggled to form a response.

"It...happened a long time ago," I sighed.

I felt a hoof lightly grip my paw as she said something that filled me with dread.

"What happened?"

I let the question hang in the air, hoping that if I didn't say anything long enough she'd drop it. I didn't want to talk about what happened. Talking about it brought back those fucking memories and all the shit that came with them. It was better to keep it all sealed in the back of my mind. If I never have to deal with it, then I didn't have to relive it all. I didn't want to go through all that pain again.

I felt a hoof rest on my shoulder and I looked at Treehugger. The concern in her eyes made me pause as my brain struggled to digest something it hadn't processed in a long time; this pony actually cared. Not just her either. While we got off on the wrong...hoof?....Foot?....Paw? Whatever. While we didn't start out on the best terms, Pinkie still wanted to make me happy.

I took a deep breath to brace myself for the pain that was around the corner and stared into the flames.

"A while back, I met this...other Ninetales. We got along really well, dated a few times for a few months. I thought she was the prettiest thing in the world and she made me so happy just being there. She was so gentle and had the softest voice. She was like an angel and had a smile to match. After a couple years together, we started living together. It wasn't anything fancy. Just a crappy one-bedroom apartment in one of the better places in town, but we made it work. For a while, things were pretty good. Or....I thought they were."

I frowned as the worst night of my life drifted to the front of my mind. I started to feel sick again as I continued.

"I found out from one of my friends that my girlfriend was seeing other guys behind my back. I confronted her and it turned out to be true. Worse then that, she told me that she was only with me because I had a pretty good job and she wanted to leech off of me. We had a huge fight that night, things got thrown around, and I told her to fuck off as I walked off on her. I guess she didn't like that, cuz the second I turned my back she put a knife in it."

I heard Treehugger gasp as she somehow gripped my paw tighter.

"She got me ten times before she was satisfied. Doctors told me I was lucky to be alive when they patched me up. But do you know what really fucked me up? While I was laying on the ground bleeding, she looked me straight in the eye and said not to worry. That it would all be over soon."

I felt tears start to build up as the pain and fear from that night filled me again for the first time in over a year. The sick feeling in my gut got worse as I took a shaky breath. I hated this. It felt like acid was running through me, burning me from the inside out as I tried to get the words past my muzzle. I wanted to puke, to scream, anything if it meant making the pain stop.

"She almost killed me," I sniffled, my whole body trembling as the dam started to break. "I still remember how scared I was back at the hospital. I kept having nightmares about her sneaking into my room to finish the job, even after I got patched up. I even moved to a different state just to get away from her. I....I....."

I broke down, tears rolling down my face as I was forced to relive the worst time of my life. I bawled like a baby as I was pulled into a soft hug.

"It's okay Alex," she whispered. "Let it all out soul brother."

I cried as hard as I could, pain, anger, sadness, and a ton of other emotions I didn't have a name for at the time running through me like a waterfall as Treehugger held me close.

***

Starlight stared out into an open clearing, mouth agape as she struggled to process what she just heard. She knew that something wasn't right with Alex, that he had been through something painful. This was the last thing she expected. As she watched the pony and Kitsune in the open field she quietly walked back into the forest depths. Her friends are going to need to know about this. Her lower lip trembled as she turned her back on the painful scene and continued walking.

"Please get here quick Autumn," she muttered to herself as the shadows of the sanctuary's canopy hid her from sight. "We need you more than we thought."

Ch.6 Two Shots of Fire..."....Spicy..."

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One of the things Fluttershy made sure of when she built her sanctuary was that it was close to a train station. This made the commute between the sanctuary and Ponyville a lot easier than it would've been otherwise when she visited. As such, it wouldn't take too long for the last member of the group's party to arrive. Said creature let out a bored sigh as she looked out the train window to her seat's left. Like most Kirin, Autumn Blaze had a light cream colored coat, but the emerald scales that covered her upper barrel, chest, forehead, and the top of her snout were a little less common. Her rust colored mane held the lion's quality that all of her kind shared as the early morning sun shined off of it and the long curly strip of fur that grew from the underside of her lion-like tail. Her golden eyes blinked dully as she watched a tree zip past her window, earning another groan as she sprawled out on her back across the length of her seat. As she stared at the ceiling of her train cart, the red bands around the bace of her branch-like burgundy horn glowed as she tried to levitate something out of her saddlebags. As a folder floated out of her bag from under her seat, a rattling earned a raised brow out of her.

"What the flare?" she muttered as she levitated the bags to her side.

When she opened the offending bag and looked inside, an annoyed sigh slipped past her lips.

"So that's where I left them," she frowned, levitating three brown bottles out of her bag.

Rolling her eyes, she smiled as she gently returned the bottles to her bag and opened her folder. As much as she loved her village, the playwright in her just couldn't help but want to see the world beyond. In time her travels brought her to Ponyville and she found her opportunity. Now she was the premier playwright of the whole town, her plays bringing smiles to all who came to see them. Of course, this also lead to its fare share of stress, something that her investments in fireproofing spells could attest to. Another thing that helped where a few therapeutic remedies she whipped up before she left her village that she kept back in her new home at the studio. As such, most of her days were spent going over scripts or making potions with the local shamans when she had the time.

"I wonder what's happening in Fluttershy's sanctuary," she mused as she looked over her latest script.

She wasn't told much before her friends ran off ahead of her. As far as she knew, something was going on at Fluttershy's animal sanctuary and they needed her help. At least, thats what they told her the glow in her horn meant. As soon as she found somepony to hold the fort for her, she ran to the station and grabbed the earliest train she could find.

She didn't get to mull over the thought for vary long. As soon as the outward thought passed her lips, the train lurched to a stop. Autumn let out a chuckle as she slid her saddlebags into place across her barrel and returned the folder to its compartment. She hummed happily to herself as she made her way to the train cart's exit. As she stepped out onto the platform, she paused as a group of seven ponies galloped out of the station's main office to meet her.

"Hey girls," she smiled as she stepped onto the station's main platform. "Sorry I'm late. It was kind of hard to find somepony that knew what they're doing to watch the theater for me."

Her smile shrank when she saw the panicked looks on the seven mare's faces. Poor Fluttershy looked the worst with her puffy eyes and runny muzzle.

"Are you all okay?" she asked, a bit of dread setting in her gut.

"Th-Things are a lot more complicated then we thought," Twilight said, her face a shade paler then the Kirin was used to.

"What do you mean complicated?" Autumn gulped.

None of the mares seemed willing to elaborate, until Starlight let out a shaky breath and stepped forward.

"I'll tell you at the cabin. Their's a big patch of open dirt there you to light up in."

Autumn frowned at that. The fact that her friends felt that she was going to need to go Nirik at some point told her all she needed to know about how bad things were.

***

I groaned as the morning sun burned my eyes, dragging me kicking and screaming back into the waking world.

"Fuck you sun. Go suck the biggest horse dick around," I growled as I covered my eyes with my paws.

Failing to find a way to get the damn fireball in the sky to fuck off, I staggered to my paws and blearily opened my eyes. It took me a minute to figure out why I was standing in the middle of an open field, but then I turned towards the teepee standing not too far away from me and it all started to come back to me. I could hear a light snoring coming from the structure as I approached it.

I stopped in front of the teepee and with a small smile said,"Thanks Treehugger. I'll see you later."

I turned away from the scene and made my way back into the tree line. Once I made my way onto a familiar nearby trail, I noticed a few things that felt different about me. I felt strange. Lighter I guess, but my head felt less cloudy. I didn't feel sick anymore, though I did feel a little lightheaded. Everything looked a little clearer to me too, like I had on a pair of smudged up goggles and only recently took them off. It was weird, but it felt kind of good at the same time.

"What the hell happened last night?" I muttered as a lake came into view.

The second I saw the crystal clear water, my brain reminded me just how dry my throat was. I practically flew towards the water before I rammed my muzzle into it. As I slaked my thirst I tried to think of what I could do to accomplish my main goal. While I didn't know where Whitetail Woods was, it wouldn't be that hard to find out if I asked Treehugger for directions. Okay, I'd be going against a Princess' request, but she could go eat her own tail as far as I was concerned at this point. Staying put practically gave me a stomach tumor and I sure as hell didn't want to go through any of that again. Besides, I don't think Princess Twilight Sparkle would be too keen on me flipping out on her friend if we ran into each other again.

I let out a relieved sigh as I pulled my muzzle out of the water and fell to my haunches.

"First I need a map of the area," I mused. "From there I should be able to set up a travel plan. I could use the blanket Pinkie gave me as a hobo bag for any food I'll need if there aren't any good hunting spots on the way. Water's going to be an issue though. Maybe I could ask Treehugger if she'd help me get there."

As I ran a bunch of possible plans through my head (most of which I had to shoot down because I couldn't pull plastic bottles out of my ass), a strange smell caught my attention. I took a few deep sniffs, curious as to what this scent could belong to. It was kind of like cinnamon, but had a kind of campfire burn to it, like someone threw giant sticks of the spice into a bonfire. It was kind of nice, but that wasn't what made it weird to me. Well, okay, it wasn't the main thing that made it weird to me. It was the fact that there was a strong hint of smoke and tar mixed in.

"The fuck?" I muttered, looking around.

I spotted a small column of smoke as it crept up past the canopy in the distance. A column that looked like it was moving back and forth for some reason. I glared at the smoke and started walking towards it. The way I saw it, smoke like that meant one of two things. A: someone was setting up camp nearby and had no idea how to make a fire pit. Or B: someone was getting ready to start a fire. Either way, something was up and I was sure as hell gonna find out.

***

Autumn was seeing red as she paced back and forth in a large patch of dirt twenty feet away from the sanctuary's cabin. Just like the ponies feared, the second they told her about Alex and what they learned she didn't handle it very well. Her coat turned pitch-black and her scales lost all color as her rust colored mane and tail turned into blue and pink flames as she paced. Her eyes were glowing white orbs of rage that matched the long snarling fangs that peeked past the gnashing frown that marred her muzzle. Incoherent vitriol pored out of her muzzle as she let her fury known to the world like demonic mantras. All the while, outraged thoughts ran through her mind with a little more cohesion.

That flaring ash stain! How could anycreature be so cruel?! I swear, if I ever get my hooves on her I'll make her choke on her own tails! ALL NINE OF THEM!!!

She let out a furious roar as she slammed her forehooves into the slowly crystalizing ground beneath her. Deep heaving gasps pored out of her muzzle as her blood boiled in her veins. She'd never been this angry before. Not even when she was forced into exile by her village, did her temper flare this wildly. Such wicked cruelty was unheard of to her, especially for such stupidly petty reasons. No creature deserved to have their heart trampled on like that.

Her rage shifted to sadness as she imagined how horrible it must've been for Alex. To have his mate turn on him after all the love and trust he gave her. It tore her heart in half just imagining how awful it must've been for him. Tears slid down her face as she felt herself turning back to normal, her body no longer full of the rage needed to maintain her more violent form.

"How could anycreature do something so horrible?," she sniffled, falling to her haunches.

A male voice from the distant tree line made her flinch in shock.

"Hey! Are you okay?!"

Still sniffling, she wiped her eyes and turned her head towards the source of voice. What she saw made her still teary eyes widen.

***

There were a lot of things I expected to see when I found the source of the fire. A shitty fire pit. A burning trashcan. Hell, maybe a dragon smoking a giant blunt. Burning demonic dragon horse? Nope. Deffinately the last thing on the crazy list.

I didn't know what to expect from this creature, but I had two things going in my favor if things went south. The first was that there wasn't a lot of plants in the area so I didn't need to worry about burning the place down so long as I kept this a midrange battle. The other was that I had my Iron Tail attack to fall back on if things turned into a close quarters battle. Granted, I wasn't sure how effective a steel-type move would be against a fire dragon, but it was the best I could do with what I had.

As I crept out from behind the trees the creature stopped its rampage and just...stood there, muttering to itself in a tone to low for me to hear. After a few minutes of this, it did something that made my jaw hit the fucking floor. It fell to its haunches and started crying. At the same time, it changed from a fiery horse monster into some kind of Dragon, Unicorn, lion hybrid thing.

I blinked dumbly at the creature as I cautiously stepped out from cover. In spite of the demon form I saw earlier, this creature looked kind of cute. Then again, I could've said the same thing about the ponies too.

Keeping my tails ready to iron-up, I cleared my throat and asked if the creature was okay. It jumped a little, then wiped its eyes before she looked at me. The look in its eyes kind of put me on edge. It was the same look someone would give a kicked puppy or a drowned kitten. Pity.

I hid my grimace as I asked, "Are you lost or something?"

She continued to stare at me.

"Uh...Hell-"

I blinked and suddenly it went from twenty feet away from me to right in my face.

Holy fucking Weeping Angels Batman! I thought as I jumped back with a yelp.

"You're Alex, right?" she asked with a gulp.

"Y-Yeah?" I blinked. "And you are?"

"Oh! Right!" she blushed. "I'm Autumn Blaze."

"Uh, nice to meet you?" I blinked again, taken pretty far aback.

"Same," she smiled.

I sighed, deciding that the best move was to get right to the point.

"Are you here for business or pleasure?" I asked flatly.

She gave me a crooked smile and said, "Ain't you going to take me to dinner first, bub?"

I reared back a bit at that.

"Dinner first? What are you-"

Realization hit me a second later and I glared at the...whatever the fuck she's supposed to be.

"Nice one."

She shrugged and said, "Hey, you're the one flirting with me pal."

"Right," I frowned, rolling my eyes. "So are you here to fix a friendship problem or what?"

"Yeah," she nodded, her smile shrinking a little.

"Well, let's get to work then," I sighed as I fell to my haunches.

"You...uh...don't seem very enthusiastic about all of this," Autumn frowned, raising an eyebrow at me.

I shrugged.

"Lately, I've had ponies come popping out of my ass trying to get to know me left, right, and center. It's kind of become a routine at this point."

"Sounds rough," she smirked as she fell to her haunches.

"You have no idea," I groaned, rubbing the bridge of my snout with a paw. "Treehugger, Applejack, and Pinkie are alright, but the rest of them are a bit much. Then there's the whole thing with Fluttershy."

I saw Autumn's lip quiver a bit at that.

I raised a brow and asked, "Are you okay?'

"Y-Yeah," she stammered, forcing a smile onto her face.

I narrowed my eyes at her for a minute, then sighed as I let the topic drop. If she didn't want to talk about it, fine. Not my problem.

"Anyway," I continued. "I wouldn't have any problems with them coming around to see me if they didn't treat it like a damn therapy visit! Get a couple tumblers and bottles of booze and we can drop all the bull and have a party!"

"Didn't Pinkie try to throw you a party?" Autumn asked.

"Yeah," I laughed awkwardly. "I kind of thought her and her friends were out to get me at the time. Sort've ran the second I knew they were there."

Autumn gave me a flat stare.

"What?! I was kind of nuts at the time!" I exclaimed.

"And now?" she deadpanned.

"Now I'd kill for a bottle of Jack," I sighed.

I watched as a wide smile slowly spread across Autumn's face.

"I don't know about Jack, but I do have a something that'll perk you up a bit."

Before I could say anything, Autumn ran into a nearby cabin. I sat there dumbfounded as I tried to piece together what just happened. I barely got the puzzle started before Autumn was walking back towards me with what looked like three brown wine bottles and two shot glasses floating next to her.

Well that's a neat trick, I mused as the whatever-she-is sat back down in front of me.

"Hope you can hold your liquor," she grinned as she set the glasses down between us. "Cuz this stuff's strong enough to knock Discord's head off!"

"No idea who that is, but I'll try anything once," I shrugged.

"Good to hear," she beamed as she used her Jedi mind powers pull the cork out of one of the bottles and poured the shots. "Need any help?"

"I've got this," I smirked as it grabbed the glass with a paw.

Something I found out a couple weeks ago is that my paws were pretty dexterous. Not quite at the level my hands used to be, but enough to grab small things like sticks or, in this case, a shot glass. We shared cocky smirks as we tapped our glasses together and downed them. My eyes widened the second the brew ran down my throat and hit my gut. It had a slight burn like whisky, but the strong cinnamon and apple flavor took me by surprise. It was kind of like drinking a apple pie with a small hint of warm rum at the core. It was one of the tastiest drinks I've ever had.

Autumn let out a satisfied sigh as she set her glass down on the ground for a refill.

"So, what do ya think?" she smirked.

"Not bad," I shrugged as I set my glass down. "Might need to take a few more to tell if I really like it."

"Right," she chuckled as she pored me another shot. "Have as many samples as you want. I've got a whole basement full of these back home."

"Really?" I smirked. "You might just catch me sneaking off with a few bottles if I like this stuff."

"Flare, I might just give you a few," she sighed. "Celestia knows you deserve them."

"Wha?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it," she sighed, waving my question away with a hoof before downing her shot.

I stared at her for a few seconds, then shrugged as I polished off my own glass.

No point killing the mood. If she doesn't want to talk that's her business.

That's how things went for a while. We'd down drinks, talk a bit about ourselves, then do it all again. It was a lot of fun and it turned out Autumn was a pretty cool...uh...whatever-she-was. Turns out that the whole Ghostrider thing only happens when her kind get angry, something to keep in mind if we ever hung out again after this. She was also a Playwright with her own theater and everything in a place called Ponyville. She also mentioned that she was friends with most of the ponies that I met so far, especially Applejack and Fluttershy. That...made me a little uncomfortable, not gonna lie, but I didn't dwell on it for too long. Good drink and company can do that to a person. I filled her in on my plans to leave the sanctuary, how I was going to see if I could talk Treehugger into taking me and the foxes to Whitetail Woods. Of course, by that point we'd already gone through half of the second bottle and it was getting kind of hard to tell the difference between Autumn and the weird yellow shimmer standing next to her.

Whoa... this stuff packs a wallop, I thought blearily as the world started to sway.

"Y...You holding up?" a voice I could barely register as Autumn's slurred.

"You know it," I laughed, my tongue hanging out the side of my mouth. "Give me another!"

I saw a few colorful shapes move around before the sweet smell of apples and cinnamon graced my nose. I reached for the glass, only for it to suddenly move a little out of my reach. I frowned as I tried to grab the damn thing, but no matter where I grabbed, my paw came up empty.

"Fucking shot," I muttered. "Get in my mouth!"

I barely noticed a light tingling in my forehead as the shot hovered towards my open mouth. A second later, I spat out an empty shot glass with a satisfied sigh.

"I...I think we should stop," Autumn giggled. "I can barely hold the bottle anymore."

"I...guess," I slurred, the whole world swirling as I tried to sit up. "Nap sounds good right now anyway."

"Ash straight," she declared , putting what looked like a hoof at me. "Lead the way Lord Alex."

I burst out laughing at that.

Well...Lady Autumn....as lord of the land, I claim this spot as the sacred napping spot of Ninetalesia. May all sleep here and be happy."

"HAlL NINETALESIA," the Autumn blob cheered.

We both burst out laughing at that, too full of spirits to give a fuck about what we were doing. Feeling that sitting was too much trouble, I flopped bonelessly into the grass. I chuckled about how good it felt to lie there like this, how the sun was so warm on my coat and the grass was so soft. I was so lost in how nice the world was that I barely noticed it when something warm settled down next to me.

"All hail the lord of Ninetalesia," the Autumn blob muttered.

That was the last thing I heard before whatever I drank finally kicked my ass and I nodded off.

Ch.7 Shy Embers..."This is NOT what it looks like!"

View Online

Autumn's eyes fluttered open, her sleep-fogged brain only able to register a few key details as she blearily took in her surroundings. The first couple things she noticed was that it was dark out and that she was laying outside. The next thing she noticed was that she felt really dizzy, a typical side-effect of drinking too much Dragon's Tar. While it didn't get her hungover, it did make the world spin a little too much for a couple hours. She also noticed that she felt really warm in spite of the fact that she was laying out in the middle of nowhere. She tried to raise her head to get a better idea of where she was, only for a foreleg to come up around her and pull her close to something warm and fuzzy. She let out a startled yelp as she weakly struggled against the limb, then relaxed when she took note of what kind of foreleg had her and the color of the fur that covered it. Laying at her left , sprawled out with the grace of a sack of potatoes on his side was Alex. She giggled a bit at how goofy the Kitsune looked as he laid with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth and his mane all askew in the grass.

"Sleep tight buddy," she whispered.

She tried to carefully wiggle out of his grip, only to let out a soft eep! as he grabbed ahold of her with both of his forelegs and rolled over. She blinked dizzily as she waited for the world to stop spinning and the sleeping Kitsune nuzzled his face into her mane. Frowning, she crossed her forelegs as she mulled over her current situation, shrugged, then decided to make the best of it.

He is pretty warm, she thought with a yawn as she rested her head against his shoulder. And I don't think he'll mind if I stick around for an hour or two.

With that, she let out a yawn and let herself drift off, kind of liking playing the roll of teddybear for the sleeping fire fox.

***

Yet again, I found myself cursing the sun as the fucking fireball in the sky dragged me awake. The only thing that made it a bit more tolerable this time was the unmistakeable smell of pancakes and syrup. That, and a strong scent of cinnamon and campfire smoke that seemed to cover everything for some reason.

I let out a groan as I raised my head and opened my eyes. Sure enough, about a foot away from me sat a tall stack of fluffy goodness with a small bowl of what looked like glazed peaches right next to it. My mouth watered at the sight of something I thought I would never see again, but some movement caught my attention before I started heading off to attack my prey. Autumn was curled up against my chest in my forelegs like a plush toy.

I blinked. Then did it again. Then I rubbed my eyes with a paw and looked again.

Yep. Still there. Well then...WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO LAST NIGHT?!

I quickly let go of the cute dragon-horse creature and tried to remember what the fuck happened last night.

Let's see. First her name is Autumn....something. Autumn.....Phase? I think it was something to do with fire? Okay, just Autumn for now. We were talking about stuff and drinking. Then there was.... something about some shit called ....Ninetalesia or something? GAH! FUCK! I can't think straight!

I paced as I tried to remember what the hell happened last night, but all I got where a few blurry memories and random sounds. That didn't make things any better for me given what I knew about Pokémon breeding habits. Most of them had some to the weirdest breeding partners out there! Hell, there's a reason Skitty x Wailord was a meme before I got dumped here! Since Autumn was technically a fire-type, she already had a pretty good shot of being what Arceus would consider a match for me! Hey, at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if the damn thing was real too so don't judge me!

My mini freakout was interrupted as Autumn sleepily dragged herself to her haunches. She blinked sleepily and smacked her lips as she looked around.

"What smells so good?" she yawned.

I gulped and pointed at the plate. She dopily looked at the plate, blinked a few times, then used her weeping angels powers to suddenly appear next to the plate. I blinked dumbly at her for a second, then smiled as I sighed before making my way towards the food. Or at least tried to. See, I knew I drank a lot yesterday, but I wasn't really hungover. Instead, I was just really dizzy. I guess panic kept me steady earlier because at that moment the world decided to do a backflip and I fell over.

I let out a groan and closed my eyes as I waited for the the world to stop doing gymnastics.

What the fuck did I drink last night?

"Need some help?"

I opened my eyes and was greeted by a smiling Autumn looking down at me. I felt my face heat up as I nodded, refusing to look her in the eye. I heard her giggle as she walked off and I tried to salvage a little bit of my pride. I watched her use her Jedi powers to break up the pancakes. Not gonna lie, being so helpless ate at me, but it was kind of nice having someone helping me out like this.

A few minutes later Autumn's walking towards me with a plate of broken-up pancakes and a bowl of fruit slices floating next to her. By that point my dizziness had dropped enough for me to raise my head and open my mouth. She just smiled as she levitated a few pieces of pancake into my mouth. I was in heaven the second I started chewing. After days of eating nothing but fruit and fish, the sweet fluffiness of that mouthful of pancake was like a gift from god!

"Pretty good, huh?" Autumn smirked, popping a few pieces of pancake into her mouth.

I nodded, licking some syrup off of my lips.

She chuckled as she levitated another cluster towards my mouth. I froze with my mouth open and a head just a step away from (probably) literally bursting into flames when I spotted a smirking orange Earth Pony out the corner of my eye a foot away. I never knew a person could give a literal shit-eating grin until that second. I would've lived a happier life without that knowledge.

"Havin' fun?" Applejack smirked.

I chomped down on the offered mouthful of pancake so I couldn't dignify that question with a response.

"Morning Applejack," Autumn smiled.

"Mornin'," she laughed, walking towards us. "Glad yall like the pancakes."

"Yeah, there great!" Autumn smiled, levitating a cluster of pancake into her mouth. "You really need to give me the recipe."

"Maybe later, sugarcube," she chuckled. "Looks like yall had fun yesterday."

"Eh," Autumn shrugged. "It was just a few drinks. No biggy."

"Damn good drink though," I chuckled. "What was that stuff anyway?"

"Just a couple bottles of Dragon's Tar," she smiled. "Fluttershy gave me a whole cellar of the stuff when I moved to Ponyville."

I grimaced as a pang of guilt shot through me. I really needed to work out my shit with Fluttershy. It's not like I hate her or anything. Hell, I haven't even had a real conversation with her yet. The fact that she hasn't cussed me out for wrecking parts of the sanctuary is a miracle at this point.

"You okay?" Autumn asked with a concerned frown.

"Yeah," I sighed as I dragged myself to my feet. "I uh...need to stretch my legs for a minute. See ya around?"

"Sure," Autumn smiled.

Applejack just nodded.

I nodded in thanks to them and started walking back to the tree line.

I can't leave until I make things square between us, I thought bitterly. It just doesn't feel right. But how do I talk to her? Gah! Why the hell did she have to remind me of "her"? Why?! What are the fucking odds anyway?! No! Seriously! WHAT ARE THE FUCKING ODDS!?

I just started crossing the tree line when a sudden realization made me freeze. I thought about Fluttershy and my bad memories didn't come. I looked over my shoulder at the cabin a good twenty feet away from were Autumn and I passed out. The cabin that reeked of Fluttershy's scent. I let out a sigh before I looked forward again and started walking.

I wonder if Treehugger's up.

***

Autumn sighed as she made her way towards the cabin, bottles of booze and an unfinished breakfast floating behind her fallowed by a nervous-looking Applejack.

"So, what did ya' think?" the cowpony asked.

The Kirin leveled a flat look at the Earth Pony and said, "Tea first. Questions later. That Dragon's Tar really packs a punch and I'm sick of seeing everything spinning."

"Right," she cringed. "Still don't know how you and Fluttershy can handle that stuff. Ah think Big Mac used a cup of it to peel paint once."

"Well that's a waste," Autumn frowned. "If you can't drink it, don't grab a bottle. That stuffs expensive, you know."

"Right," Applejack chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"Besides," the Kirin added. "You know that stuffs for fire creatures right? Says so on the bottle."

"Then how can Flutters drink it?" Applejack asked.

Autumn shrugged then said, "Probably has something to do with dating Discord. That mare's a bigger mystery than Pinkie Pie sometimes."

Applejack struggled to come to terms with that twist in the universe as Autumn used her magic to pull the cabin's front door open. Both mares rolled their eyes when they were greeted by a living room full of sleeping mares. What made the Kirin raise a brow was the fact that Twilight, Starlight, Rarity and Fluttershy were passed out by the window facing the patch of grass she and Alex had slept on the day before. She leveled a flat stare at her farmer friend who gave her a sheepish smile in return. Autumn sighed and shook her head as she crept her way towards the kitchen.

She placed the loaded plate onto the kitchen table, then let out a tired sigh as she filled a kettle with water at the sink with her magic. As she set the kettle on the stove to boil, she dragged herself towards the kitchen table and took a seat. While a little hazy, what she remembered of last night made what she learned about Alex's past all the more heartbreaking as she popped pieces of pancake into her mouth. While she found him to be a little crass, he was a lot of fun to be around and she could see a lot of good in him where it mattered. She also felt a kind of kinship with him in a way. When she was banished by her village, it hurt her in ways that she couldn't properly understand at the time. She tried to make the most of it at the time, but that betrayal cut her deeply all the same.

A gentle voice pulled her out of her gray musings.

"Are you okay?"

Autumn looked up from her plate and smiled as Fluttershy took a seat at the table.

"Yeah, just a little out of it," she chuckled weakly. "Dragon's Tar, you know?"

The shy mare nodded, all too familiar with the brew's effects on those who indulged too much in it.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Autumn waved her concern away with a hoof as she levitated a bit of glazed fruit into her mouth. For a few minutes, the two mares sat in silence as Autumn ate. All the while, Fluttershy struggled to find her words. Finding out that she reminded Alex of such a horrible creature was a huge blow to take, but what bothered her the most was how helpless it made her feel. She wanted to help him, to prove to him that she wasn't the monster he thought she was. The only thing that kept her from acting on her plans was the way he reacted to her when they first met. That look of fear she saw mixed with his anger made her sick to her stomach, not towards Alex but the monster that hurt him. If she ever met the Kitsune that did that to him, she didn't know what she would do to her.

"W-What is he like?" she managed to whisper out.

Autumn thought for a minute, then swallowed a mouthful of food and said, "A bit rough around the edges, but a pretty good guy."

"Really?" she asked, leaning in.

She nodded, then chuckled as she added, "He's also got a mouth that'd make a Griffin sailor blush."

"Oh my," Fluttershy blinked.

Autumn laughed at that and gave the shy mare a light playful shove.

"Oh come on. I'd think you'd be used to that kind of thing with Rainbow around."

"Oh, I am," she frowned. "I just don't like that kind of language."

"Fair enough," she shrugged. "He's also really blunt. So if you ever get the chance to talk to him, don't be surprised if he gives you a straight answer."

"R-Right," she nodded, though she didn't see the odds of that happening being particularly high.

"He's also really warm," she added, a small blush coloring her muzzle as she stared at her plate with a smile.

Fluttershy blinked at that, then gave the Kirin a small sly smile as she let the silence settle through the room. The silence and her last words registered to Autumn, forcing the blush off of her face as an annoyed frown took its place. She then aimed said frown at the smirking mare she shared the table with. A raised brow was the only reaction Autumn got from her act of defiance.

"Its not like that," she grumbled, crossing her forelegs.

"Mm-hm," was all Fluttershy said as she got up from the table and stated walking towards the fridge.

"No, really!" she exclaimed, abandoning her almost empty plate as she trailed behind the still smirking Pegasus.

"I believe you," she smiled as she pulled a bottle of orange juice out of the fridge.

"Believe who?" Applejack asked as she stepped into the kitchen.

"No one!" Autumn exclaimed, her embarrassment keeping her Nirik form restricted to some flecks of pink and blue flames in her mane.

"Easy girl," Applejack said, putting a forehoof up in a placating manner. "Deep breaths."

Autumn glowered at the farmer before she rolled her eyes and humored her. After taking a few deep breaths, the flames snuffed themselves out and she gave her friend an apologetic smile.

"Thanks, and sorry about that," she said sheepishly.

"No harm done sugarcube," Applejack smiled, then asked, "What had yall so riled up anyway?"

"Oh, uh, just...Kirin things," she stammered, cheeks warming up again as her eyes darted towards the floor. "Don't worry about it."

***

"That's, like, a really tall order brother," Treehugger frowned as she pored me a cup of tea.

"I figured as much," I sighed, accepting the cup and taking a sip.

Once I made it to the sanctuary, I made a beeline for Treehugger's camp and told her my plan. While she didn't seem to have any problems with helping me get to Whitetail, that quickly changed when I mentioned the foxes. Now we were sitting next to her teepee trying to figure out what to do.

"It'll take a long time to get to Whitetail from here and kits need a lot of food," Treehugger frowned. "Fluttershy's sanctuary is way safer then anything we can give them on the road."

"Right," I groaned, dragging a paw across my face. "Thing is, I don't know if they'd stay if I left."

She brought a hoof to her chin in thought as she stared into her cup.

"That's a major bummer brother," she frowned. "Maybe Fluttershy can work something out with them. She's got a real way with nature's children."

"Figures," I groaned. "Think you could talk to her for me?"

Smiling softly, she shoot her head.

"This is something you need to do yourself brother."

"Right," I sighed. "What's she like anyway?"

Treehugger hummed in thought for a moment, then with her usual sleepy smile said, "She's warm like a sunny day, gentle as a butterfly's wing, strong as a mother, and patient as a mountain."

"Sounds nice," I smiled, staring at the ground. "Not too many people like that were I'm from."

A light chuckle from Treehugger dragged my attention back to her just in time to see her refill her cup.

"I don't know what a "people" is brother, but you seem like one of the good ones to me."

I laughed at that and said, "Don't know about that. I mean, yeah, I'm not the worst out there, but I don't think I'm all that good either."

Frowning, she set her cup down and placed a hoof on my paw as she said, "No brother. You're good, but scarred."

I wilted at that.

Scarred seemed like a pretty good description of me for the most part. Especially if someone got a good look at my back. While a lot of things changed about my body, the scars from that night still stuck around. Granted, my coat hid them well enough, but even I noticed how uneven some parts of my coat looked in some places back there. Course, I knew that wasn't what she meant.

"You've got a real way with words Treehugger," I sighed.

"I'm just telling the truth brother," she smiled as she pulled her hoof back. "You have a flame inside just begging to come out. Maybe now that your chakras are clearer it can come out."

"Chakras huh?" I snorted, then brought my cup up to my mouth as I asked, "What's gonna make it come out?"

"Meeting other ponies would help," she smiled, then casually added, "Maybe a vixen."

I choked on my tea as my brain took in what she was saying, not really a spit take, but damn near to it.

"Wh-Where the hell did that come from?" I sputtered, coughing into a paw.

She just smiled as she reached over to my shoulder and plucked a curly rust colored hair out of it. Her smile turned cocky as my face started to warm up.

Oh for fucks sake!

"Its not what it looks like," I frowned as I tried to get my blush to fuck off.

"Relax brother," she smiled. "We all find our mates when we least expect it. Especially when our auras become more open to others."

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" I howled.

"Whatever you say brother," she chuckled.

Ch.8 Bonfire Foxes... "We're doing fire puns now?"

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It was a nice day in the sanctuary. Then again, I don't think I've ever had a bad day here as far as the weather was concerned. Everything just seemed so much, nicer I guess. Probably had to do with the fact I wasn't jumping at shadows anymore and had at least two people I could vent to. Granted, one was a pony and the other was some sort of dragon-pony hybrid, but that was beside the point.

Of course, just because things were better, it didn't mean that things weren't still complicated. I thought talking to Treehugger would help me figure things out, but all that did was make me run in mental circles as I made my way back towards the cabin. I still needed to figure out what I was going to do about the foxes and Fluttershy and it was driving me nuts! That, and I couldn't get Treehugger's words out of my head!

"Damn it all," I grumbled as I shook my head. "Why does everything have to be so fucking complicated all the time?"

The bushes around me rustled as my friends came out of hiding, the adult foxes each giving me brief head-bows while the kits gave happy yips. Both parents and children flanked my sides while the vixen I dubbed Big Mama and her mate took point at my front. I couldn't help but smile a bit at how crazy my life had become since I woke up here all those weeks ago. Here I am, a Ninetales in a world full of talking colorful ponies with an entourage of foxes guarding me as I walked through a forest owned by a Pegasus that reminded me of someone that tried to kill me. It's a damn good thing Autumn had some good shit to drink, cuz lord knows I'm gonna need it when I get to the cabin.

I chuckled at the insanity that was my new life and declared, "Onward my friends! To the land of ponies and drinks!"

The adult foxes let out howls and the kits yipped excitedly as we made our way towards the cabin, my energy flowing through my whole body as my lips curved into a wide grin.

Fuck it. Let's make an entrence for a change.

***

"I'm telling you guys," Autumn groaned from her seat in the cabin's living room. "You're over thinking this whole thing."

Applejack and Pinkie nodded while the rest of the ponies in the room just gawked at her.

"What!?" Rainbow barked, face contorted in indignant fury. "But that horse apple-"

"Is far away and not the problem right now," Autumn frowned as she levitated her tea cup off of the coffee table in front of her and took a sip. "You need to stop pussyhoofing around him and just be straight with him."

"It's not that simple," Twilight sighed as she levitated a book to her side. "According to this-"

"Really? You're going to base Alex off of a book?" Autumn deadpanned.

"W-Well..." Twilight petered off, face slowly growing more sheepish as she set the book back into her saddlebags.

Rarity gave the Kirin a knowing smile as she added, "I suppose you are more of an expert in terms of understanding him."

Autumn's face heated up at that and she sheepishly looked at the ground.

"It's not like that," she mumbled. "We just had a few too many drinks and ended up like that. Thats all."

"Whatever you say darling," the fashion designer said with a wink and a smile.

"Sides," Applejack added, shifting attention away from the Kirin before things got heated. "Treehugger's already helpin' him work all o' that out."

"Yeah!" Pinkie chirped with a nod.

The other ponies in the room traded unsure glances amongst themselves as they took in what they were told. They couldn't argue that the three of them had a point, but they were still afraid to push their luck with Alex. One pony in particular was more on edge then the others as she tried to decide how she was supposed to take this. Said pony let lout a frustrated groan as she ran a hoof through her prismatic mane.

"I can't deal with this anymore!" Rainbow cried, stomping her way towards the cabin's front door. "I need some air!"

Nopony had a chance to stop her as she threw the door open, but instead of flying out like they expected her to she froze halfway out across the threshold.

"Uh, girls? I think you're gonna want to see this," she said dumbly, still staring out at something in the distance.

With a few raised brows and cautious frowns, they all made their way to the door to see what made their friend pause. They instantly understood when they looked past her towards the distant tree line. A golden light peaked past the branches as something made its way through the trees towards them. A loud series of high pitched barks and howls filled the air as the light closed in on them, the surrounding bushes rustling as things moved around the light like a procession. Rainbow was the first to snap out of her shock and the first to make her way out of the cabin. The rest of her party quickly followed her into the open space in front of the cabin, none sure whether they should be preparing for a fight or not as the light got closer. One thing they did know was that the air was gradually getting hotter. Not unbearably so, but enough for the mares to break into a sweat. Twilight and Starlight were sure the light had something to do with it, but still refrained from using any spells until they knew what they were dealing with. The answer came when the shining object passed the tree line and they were glad they stayed their horns. They still added their own looks of awe to the group of slack-jawed equines as they watched Alex step into view, an entourage of foxes surrounding him like a guard detail as he approached the mares. His coat literally shone like the sun as he walked and smiled at the mares. Autumn's face heated up as she stared at him, a single word slipping past her lips.

"Woof."

Applejack and Pinkie both gave her knowing smirks from both sides before they gave her some light nudges.

"'Not like that,' huh?" the pink pony whispered.

"Shut up," Autumn grumbled, suddenly very interested in the ground.

Both mares just smiled and rolled their eyes as they made their way towards Alex.

***

Something I didn't expect when I crossed the tree line was a welcome party, but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Okay, stupid phrase here, but I digress. It still made what I was trying to do a lot less complicated, so who gave a damn? Speaking of less complicated, I could see Pinkie Pie and Applejack coming towards me.

Perfect, I thought, my smirk growing a bit. Just the ponies I wanted to talk to.

I met them half way with my Skulk moving with me like a circle of guards.

"Howdy," Applejack smiled, tilting her hat at me.

"Hiya!" Pinkie Pie beamed, waving a hoof at me.

"Hey," I smiled, nodding at them.

"Had a good walk?" Applejack smirked, raising a brow at me.

"Yeah," I sighed. "Helped me figure things out a bit."

"Like what?" Pinkie Pie asked, tilting her head.

"Well," I grimaced, feeling a little awkward as I looked at the pink pony and said, "I think I owe you a few cakes and streamers for starters."

Pinkie Pie blinked at me, then laughed and waved a hoof at me as she said, "Don't worry about it! I've already gotten over it."

"Still," I smirked. "It's only fair I at least return the favor somehow."

As I said that, I turned my head towards the adult foxes at my sides and said, "Gather some branches and dried leaves. Any of you who can't, help me dig a hole."

Half of the adults gave me a few barks before they ran back into the forest while the rest stayed by my sides. I gestured to the two ponies to follow me as I walked over to an open patch of dirt a good distance away from the cabin and the sanctuary that wasn't crystalized and started digging. The foxes quickly helped me out and in a few seconds we had a decent sized hole for what I had planed.

"What are ya' up to?" Applejack asked as I nodded in satisfaction at the hole.

"Well," I shrugged, watching as the foxes I sent off earlier came back with every stick or dry leaf they could carry. "Since you guys are going to be visiting me every now and then, I figured I'd throw a little party for you all. Granted, I don't have much to give and I'll probably owe Fluttershy a shit ton more than I already do, but I still want to do something for you guys."

I looked over my shoulder at them and gave them a wide grin as I added, "Plus, maybe it'll help your friends get their sticks out of their asses around me. Seriously. Except for Autumn, you guys've been treating me like some kind of bomb and it's really getting annoying."

Both of them started at me wide-eyed for a minute, then burst out laughing. I shrugged, not really seeing what was so funny as I shifted my attention back to the fire pit. The two of them moved to my sides, still laughing as they sat down. The foxes that helped me dig sat across from us, laying around and enjoying the late afternoon sun with the kits as their fellows added more sticks to the fire pit.

"Sugarcube, you took the words right out of our mouths," Applejack smiled, using her hat to fan herself.

"Y-Yeah," Pinkie Pie giggled. "We were just telling the girls to loosen up a bit around you before you showed up."

"Thank god for that," I sighed, watching Big Mama drop a branch into the pit. "It was starting to look like you guys were trying to sell me something for a bit there."

"Rarity might try ta'," Applejack shrugged. "She's been talkin' about puttin' ya' in a suit if she ever get's the chance."

"Good to know," I smirked. "Pretty sure I can outrun her if I need to."

We all chuckled at that as we watched the pile of kindling grow. When it finally got as big as I wanted it, I told the foxes to stop and shot out a small Flamethrower into the mass of wood.

"Now I just need to get some food for everyone," I muttered to myself.

"Not a problem," I heard Pinkie Pie giggle. "Leave it to me."

I turned to argue, but stopped when I noticed the small blue cannon sitting next to her. I pointed a paw at the small siege weapon, but before I could ask, she pulled a string on the back of it. There was a loud boom and all I saw was confetti and ....something for a second. After I spat out a mouthful of confetti, I looked up towards...a fully loaded party spread?

"What the..." I muttered, blinking dumbly at three tables loaded with all kinds of food and drinks about ten feet away from the bonfire.

Applejack patted me on the shoulder with a rueful smile as she said, "Don't try ta' figure it out Sugarcube. We've been tryin' fer years."

I blinked at her for a minute, then shrugged my shoulders as I made my way over to the spread.

When in Rome I guess.

I noticed the other ponies as I plucked a cupcake off of one of the tables.

I rolled my eyes as I turned my head towards them and said, "I know I'm hot, but could you all not stare at me so much?! This is supposed to be a party, not a peep show!"

A victorious smirk grew on my face as I saw all of the ponies start blushing at that as they sheepishly made their way towards the food. I chuckled to myself at that as I took a bite out of my cupcake. I froze for a second as my brain struggled to process the sheer level of deliciousness that made up that one bite.

Holy shit! I thought, staring at the cupcake with wide eyes.

"Good, huh?"

I blinked and turned to my left towards a smirking Autumn. I smirked back with a nod before I rammed the rest of the cupcake into my mouth. She laughed as she floated a cupcake towards herself.

"Guess you had a good walk," she smiled as she took a bite out of her snack.

"Something like that," I shrugged, grabbing another snack off of the table. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"Not really," she shrugged, then smiled sheepishly as she added, "Not until you came back anyway."

"Huh?" I grunted around a mouthful of cupcake.

"Don't know if you noticed hot stuff," she giggled. "But you're glowing."

"I'm what?" I blinked.

She just kept smiling like she was in on some joke and I looked myself over as well as I could. Sure enough I was fucking glowing.

"What the he-," I muttered as I did a small one-eighty where I stood. "Why the hell am I glowing?"

"Don't know," she smirked, then blushed as she sheepishly muttered, "You look good though."

I reared back at that, a blush heating up my- I mean, the fire that was making me glow heating up my face as I processed that. Cuz that was totally what was happening. I'm a fire type. Full of fire. Fire's hot. Like my face. Because fire.

I came back to pony land when a distraction- I mean loud series of yips caught my attention. I looked down to see a ten pack of kits all looking up at me with panting muzzles and wagging tails. I chuckled as I patted them each on the head before shifting my attention back towards Autumn. She looked at the little terrors with a twinkle in her eyes as she took a couple steps towards them.

"Aw, they're so cute!" she gushed, as she stuck a hoof out towards them.

One of the kits sniffed her hoof, froze, looked at me, then let out an excited yip as it jumped towards Autumn. She let out a startled squawk as the little vulpine monster climbed up her leg and jumped onto her back. She had enough time to give the little ring leader a raised brow before its brothers and sisters swarmed her. It took everything I had not to burst out laughing as she was stuck on her side getting licked and nipped by a small pack of kits, her laughing like a loon the whole time. Both the ponies and the foxes watched this happening with smiles and happy barks respectively. One fox in particular came to my side, pawing at my foreleg to get my attention. I looked down to Big Mama and I shit you not, the look she gave me told me that if she could , she'd be giving me a knowing smirk. Don't know why, though.

As the kits had their way with Autumn, I stared at my glowing foreleg.

Seriously, why the fuck am I glowing?

***

All in all, the party went pretty well as far as I could tell. Autumn, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and I spent most of the day talking about random stuff, all the while downing cups of hard cider by the fire I made. Eventually, the rest of the ponies gravitated towards the fire too. Turns out Princess Twilight Sparkle liked to be called just Twilight when she was off the clock, something I could get for the most part. She was also pretty cool to be around. A little bookish, but pretty nice for the most part. Still don't want to get on her bad side though. Starlight was pretty cool too now that she wasn't so uptight, though it was a little hard to follow her when kites came up in the conversation. Rarity kind of creeped me out. She kept staring at me with this look that reminded me of that one time I saw Big Mama catch a bird. That aside, she seemed...mostly harmless. Like I told Applejack, I could probably outrun her if I needed to. This other pony I met named Rainbow Dash looked like she'd be someone I could get along with. A little cocky, but still seemed like she could be a lot of fun to hang out with. Well...okay, not all of the ponies came to the fire pit.

As I took a sip of cider, working up a good buzz while I talked to Rainbow Dash, I noticed a bit of yellow and pink peeking out from the cabin's front door out the corner of my eye. I guess Rainbow Dash noticed, cuz she let out a sigh as she turned her head towards the building.

"She doesn't want to scare you off," she frowned.

I didn't say anything, just stared at the cabin as I took in everything that happened since I came here. As much of an ass as I am, I like to think I'm a pretty decent guy. Don't be a dick to me, I won't be a dick to you. Give what you get and all that crap. Yeah, what "she" did was...it messed me up real bad, but it wasn't fair to dump that shit on Fluttershy. I liked these ponies, but I wasn't going to take them away from a friend. I know how fucked that is and I refused to do that to someone who didn't do anything wrong. Time to put an end to this shit.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash, could you do me a favor?" I frowned, still staring at the cabin.

"I guess?" she said. "What is it?"

"I'm gonna try something. If you start seeing flames coming out of my mouth, I want you to knock me out."

Dead silence filled the air as I felt eyes on me, but I ignored it as I stared at the partially opened cabin door and the barely visible teal eyes beyond. I waited for the Pegasus to say something as I locked eyes with the hiding pony, then after a few seconds I saw the blue pony nod.

"Thanks," I sighed.

With that, I slowly made my way towards the building. At first, I felt fine, but as I got closer to the cabin my limbs got harder to move. I could feel my body start to shake as flashes of bad memories started to jump to the front of my mind. By the time I made it about five feet away from the door, I couldn't force my body to move forward anymore. I was briefly aware of Rainbow Dash hovering behind me as I struggled to find my words.

She's not her. She's not her. She's not fucking Sandra!

I took a step back and felt my throat loosen enough to force my words out.

"I-I want to apologize for everything I've done around here. I've been a total ass to you and your property and it's not right. I can't really do much to fix all the stuff I messed up, but I promise that I'll find a way to pay for it when I can. You're...You're probably wondering why I'm...acting like this."

I gulped in a shaky breath as my bad memories started to creep up on me.

"Someone messed me up really bad and...you remind me of them. I'm working through all of that, but it's not fair for me to put all of that baggage on you. Hell, this is the closest I've had to a conversation with you."

I let out a frustrated groan as I caught myself rambling.

"Anyways, I'm gonna be leaving soon and I heard you're really good with animals. I...can't take the foxes with me and I need your help. I know I already owe you a ton, but I want to ask you to keep an eye on them for me. Please."

Another heavy silence filled the air for a few seconds as we exchanged stares, then a soft voice that put a chill down my back broke it.

"I forgive you and I would love to."

"Thank you," I sighed, my legs shaking a little less as some of my tension left me. "I-I seriously owe you."

A pause, then a saw a small smile peek out from behind the door as she shook her head.

"You don't owe me anything. Just get better soon."

Not gonna lie, that really got to me. Not in a bad way this time, at least. I felt like someone just gave me a hug for the first time in years. Good didn't describe how good I felt at that moment as I gave the Pegasus a shaky smile. I nodded at that and made to turn away only for a soft "Wait" to make me freeze. I heard a few soft hoofsteps, some clattering glass, then the sound of something being poured. A minute later, a yellow hoof slid a loaded shot glass out onto the porch.

"Welcome to Equestria," she smiled then gently shut the door.

"Thanks," I sighed.

I tried to take a step towards the porch, but my legs refused to move. I grimaced at my legs as I tried to force myself to claim my offering of Dragon's Tar.

Fucking PTSD!

I glared at the shot. I wanted my damn drink!

I felt a small tingling of energy build up in my forehead and the shot flew towards me. I let out a startled yelp at just the right time to have the damn thing nearly launch itself down my throat. The glass caught on one of my fangs before it got the chance to do more than dump it contents down my throat. I took a few steps back before I spat the glass out and leveled a flat glare at the ponies by the fire.

"Not funny guys," I snapped, wiping some stray drops off of my face. "I almost choked on the damn thing!"

"That wasn't us," Starlight Glimmer frowned.

"Right," I frowned, unconsciously rubbing at a tingling in my forehead with a forepaw. "Then who was it?"

As soon as I said that, a weird colorless shimmer surround Starlight Glimmer and she flew towards me.

Oh hell no!

I put up a paw to shield myself only for the pony to stop at the last second. We stared at each other in shock for a few seconds, before the weird tingling in my head stopped and she plopped onto the ground with a yelp. I frantically tried to help her get back up, all the while I tried to figure out what the hell just happened.

I knew that NInetales could use a few psychic moves, but I was pretty sure Psychic wasn't one of them.

What was it called? Extra- something?

"Wow Alex!" Pinkie Pie cheered from her seat by the fire. "When did you learn Extrasensory?"

That's what it was called!

"Just now I guess," I called back now that Starlight Glimmer was back on her hooves.

"Way to go!" she beamed before cramming a cupcake into her mouth.

I smirked at that, then frowned as a sudden thought hit me.

Wait a second. How the heck does Pinkie Pie know about Pokémon moves?

Ch. 9 Blazing Trails.... "Welp...Time to Hit the Road."

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There were a lot of things i've been learning about magic pony land. The big thing was that there was a kind of language barrier here. It wasn't that we spoke different languages (Though that was weird in its own way when you really think about it.). It was more the fact that certain words were different here. "Someone" is "somepony" or "somecreature". Sometimes buck meant fuck depending on the context (God that was awkward.). But all of that paled in the fact that the ponies here had flashing tramp-stamps. I wish I was making that up. In other news, I finally found out what the hell Autumn was. All it took was asking why she didn't have a cutiemark(?) and her horn was flashing instead. Turns out, that was a sign that their work here was done and they could go home.

Even as I was helping Treehugger pack up her stuff this morning, I couldn't stop myself from laughing a little at the irony. I'm finally all set to leave the sanctuary and they're all leaving. All of that aside, last night was a lot of fun. A good way to see me off in this part of my new insane life. Of course, I still had at least one thing making things complicated when I stepped out of my borrowed cave with my blanket. Though, it was a complication I think I could live with.

"You know, you don't have to stick around," I said, my blanket draped across my back as I made my way to Treehugger's clearing. "The jobs done. You can go home."

"I guess," Autumn shrugged, keeping close to my side. "Too bad I don't feel like going anywhere right now."

I blinked at that for a second.

Something else I was learning about the natives around here was that they were really friendly. It was...a little jarring for me to be honest. Back home, I had to constantly be on guard around people. The nicer they seemed, the more suspicious they were to me. I wasn't always like that, but almost dying would make anyone more than a little jumpy around people.

I shrugged and gave the trail my full attention. A light silence settled between us, the sounds of birds and other small critters going about their business as we went about ours. A sigh slipped past my lips as I thought about how I was going to be leaving this place in a couple hours. Maybe it was an instinct thing or nerves, but a part of me didn't want to leave. I was going to miss the foxes and the routine I had established. It was going to take a long time for me to feel at home somewhere else, but I had to do it. Maybe I'd come back someday, but I have a few piles of bull to work through first.

"So," Autumn started. "Treehugger."

"What about her?" I asked.

"Are you two...you know?"

"Know what?" I asked, giving her a raised brow.

"Mates?" she offered with a sheepish smile and...was she blushing?

I shelved that thought as my pea-sized brain struggled to process what the Kirin was asking me.

Mate

Noun

1. Each of a pair of birds or other animals

2. A fellow member or joint occupant of a specific thing

3. (informal) (BRITISH) A friend or companion

4. (BRITISH) An assistant to a skilled worker

Verb

1. (of birds or animals) Come together for breeding; copulate

2. Connect or be connected mechanically

I'm pretty sure Autumn's not British and I'm not a machine part so that means-

Realization hit me like a haymaker and I reel back from her a little before I let out a barking laugh.

"You think we're-? No, no, no. We're just friends."

"O-Oh," she stammered, her smile growing a little bolder for some reason.

"Why'd you ask?" I asked.

"Just curious," she shrugged. "You two seem really close and she's giving you a ten mile lift to boot."

"Nah," I chuckled, turning my head towards the trail. "Like I said; just a friend."

Another moment of silence settled between us as we continued down the trail. Well, not total silence anyway. I could see Autumn fidgeting out the corner of my eye. It looked like she wanted to say something, but only got as far as a few faint squeaks before she'd lose her nerve. I mentally shrugged and gave the trail my full attention. If she really wanted to say something, she'll find the words eventually.

Turns out I didn't need to wait all that long.

"What are you going to do when you get to Whitetail?" she asked.

I shrugged.

"Same thing I did when I came here. Find shelter. Food sources. Water."

"Sounds kind of boring," she sighed, her frown visible in my peripherals.

"Maybe," I frowned. "But I could use a little boredom. After all of the crap I've been through around here, some fucking peace and quiet is sounding pretty good."

"It wasn't all bad, right?" she asked, her frown turning into a playful smile.

I chuckled at that and said, "Alright, not everything was hell. I could still use a change of scenery though."

She went back to blushing as she said, "You could come with me to Ponyville."

I gave her a raised brow and said, "Sound's fun, but unless you can pull a house and a ton of money out of your ass, I'd just be living in an alley somewhere."

Her face seemed to get redder as she said, "You could take the guest room at my theater."

I mulled that over for a bit.

A guest room sounded a hell of a lot better then a cave somewhere. Plus, when was the last time I slept in an honest to god bed? Hell, when what the last time I had a home cooked meal? And...well...I hate to admit it, but I'd miss Autumn. Then again, there was still an issue that needed to get sorted out.

"I still need a job," I frowned.

"Not a problem," she beamed, her mysterious blush almost gone. "I'm sure I could find something for you to do around the theater. And if that doesn't work, I know a lot of places in town that are looking for workers."

I blinked like an idiot at her as I struggled to take all of that in. Not only was Autumn practically giving me a place to live, she was going to help me get a job or put out recommendations for me if things hit the shitter.

As soon as my brain finished rebooting, I stammered out a, "I'll...ask Treehugger if that'll be okay with her. She's my ride after all."

"fair enough" she chuckled, a bit more pep in her step as the clearing came into view.

Guess she really wants a roommate.

***

"No problem brother," Treehugger said, her usual sleepy smile in place as she loaded a giant barrel into her wagon. "Ponyville is way closer than Whitetail Woods. Should take us, like, a week to get there from here."

"Thanks," I sighed. "Autumn's kinda eager to get me to come back with her."

She just smiled and nodded at me before she started walking towards a giant pile of folded fabric.

"She's a good doe brother. Lots of positive energy in that one. Keep her close."

"Doe?" I asked, as she effortlessly hefted the six foot tall pile into the wagon.

"It's what Kirin call their mares," she said.

I nodded in understanding, following her to the front of the wagon.

Mare. Doe. Are there any other word tricks I need to keep track of? Probably. With my luck, I'll probably stumble across some pony version of the n-word at some point.

"But yeah," I snorted. "Shouldn't be too hard to do that. She wants me to move in with her. Heck, she's even going to help me get a job."

Treehugger gave me a smile that looked like she knew something before she fastened herself into some kind of harness hooked up to the wagon's front.

"That sister works fast," she chuckled. "A fiery aura like her's should be able to pull yours out of the dark real quick."

"No clue what you mean by that, but yeah. She's pretty cool," I smirked. "Real easy to be around too."

She nodded, then asked, "Where is she?"

"Went by the cabin to get ready to go," I sighed, a frown growing on my muzzle as I looked in the building's general direction. "Her train's probably here to take her home ahead of us."

When I looked back at Treehugger, she gave me a raised brow and a crooked smile.

"What?," I blinked.

"Listen well brother," she chuckled. "Never assume what a mare or doe will do when she holds a torch."

"Why?" I asked, tilting my head.

Instead of answering me, she tilted her head past me towards something. I turned and nearly jumped out of my fucking skin. Standing about three feet away from was a smiling and panting Autumn with a pair of bags strapped to her sides.

FUCKING GODDAMN WEEPING ANGEL BULLSHIT! That's it! The second I get to Ponytown or whatever its called, I'm tying a goddamn bell to her horn!

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," I panted, paw pressed firmly to where I think my heart is. "Just don't do that. I swear you're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days."

"Sorry," she chuckled, scratching the back of her head. "Force of habit."

I gave her a raised brow while Treehugger just giggled a little.

"All aboard soul brother and sister," she smiled. "Ponyville awaits."

I nodded and with Autumn at my side, made my way towards the wagon's back door. I froze in front of the door as some movement in the bushes by the distant tree line caught my eye. A warm smile spread across my muzzle as all of my foxes came out of the bushes, stoping a little less then a foot away from the sanctuary's outside border into the clearing. They locked eyes with me, Big Mama standing at the skulk's heart as they seemed to be getting ready for something. Then, all at once, they threw their heads back and howled. My smile grew as some part of me felt honored, like they had accepted me into their family and they wanted to see me off. I took a deep breath and howled right back.

With that, the skulk bowed to me, then towards Autumn before they returned to the safety of Fluttershy's Sanctuary. She gave me a questioning look at that, but I just shrugged at her and chuckled as I let myself into the wagon.

***

Over an hour had passed since we left the sanctuary and I was bored out of my fucking skull. Don't get me wrong, the rolling hills and untamed wilderness was great an all, but it started to get kind of old after a while. Sure, it was stressful (mostly my fault) back at the sanctuary, but at least it wasn't boring. Hell, I could always practice my moves if I needed to blow off steam over there. For obvious reasons, that wasn't really an option.

I sighed as I laid on my side in a half circle, legs tucked in like a labrador as I stared at an apple on the wagon's floor. Out the corner of my eye I saw Autumn looking at some papers she floated out of her bags with her jedi powers.

Don't I have those powers? I thought, brain numb to the world. How do I do that again?

I tried to knock the cobwebs out of my skull so I could remember how my new body worked and gave the apple my full attention.

Let's see. First, gather energy from my chest to my forehead.

It took some work, mostly to get the energy to go where I wanted it to go, but soon my forehead started to tingle.

Next, pick a target to force lift.

I focused on the apple, imaging it floating off of the ground like Autumn's paper's were for her. Nothing was happening. I glared at the fruit as I added more power. Still nothing.

Stupid piece of- MOVE ALREADY!!!

I poured more power into my move, but the apple refused to , well, move. I let out a frustrated sigh and canceled the flow of energy.

How the hell did I do it last time? Do I need to want a drink for it to work? Nah. If that was the case, I would've been lifting things nonstop since about day three in the sanctuary.

"Did you train that apple to do something?"

I rolled my eyes towards a smirking Autumn, snorted, and went back to glaring at the fruit.

"I'm trying to get the damn thing to float."

"I see."

I heard and saw her move to my side out the corner of my eye.

"Are you having trouble concentrating?"

Only when you're nearby.

Shut up brain!

"Not really," I shrugged. "I think I'm just missing something."

A moment of silence, then Autumn said, "Can you sit up for a second?"

"Um, sure?" I blinked, dragging myself to my haunches. "Why?"

"I want to see something," she smiled. "Now, stay still."

I was about to ask her what she was going to do, but froze as she gently guided my head down to her level with her hooves and pressed her forehead against mine.

"Now," she smiled, closing her eyes. "Try using your magic."

I gulped and closed my eyes as I tried to regather my energy to my forehead. At the same time, I couldn't help but notice how ho- warm Autumn was. Soft too. Okay, it was really hard to focus with a cute Kirin practically shoving her face into mine. Good to know.

After a while, I finally managed to get my forehead to tingle like it did last night. My eyes slid open a little when Autumn slowly brought her face away from mine. At the same time, I saw a colorless blur hover in the space between our heads. My eyes widened at what I was seeing.

"There you go," she chuckled. "Now aim it at something."

Nodding, I looked down at the apple. The shimmer instantly enveloped the fruit and lifted it into the air. Autumn let out a happy cheer while I made the apple shakily float towards me. Then, just as suddenly as it came, the tingling on my forehead faded away and the apple fell to the ground with a loud thump.

"How the heck did I do that?" I muttered, staring at the fallen fruit.

"You were forcing it too much."

I gave the smiling Kirin a confused head-tilt.

"Huh?"

Autumn's smile turned a little cocky as she cleared her throat and said, "When learning to levitate objects, its important to have a clear head and a full understanding of how much magic is needed for the task. If you just shove magic into the spell, but don't give it clear mental direction then it'll just sit there."

"And the whole forehead thing?" I asked, feeling the fire inside me heat up my face again.

Autumn looked sheepish at me and said, "A, um, trick my mom used to use to help me focus. No good?"

"No, no, it's fine," I stammered, chuckling awkwardly. "I just wasn't expecting it. I'm not usually the touchy-feely type."

She gave me a smile and raised brow as she said, "Says the Kitsune that cuddled with me in the middle of a field."

"Hey!" I exclaimed, pointing a paw at her. "I was drunk and you know it!"

"Whatever you say pal," she winked.

I groaned as I rubbed my forehead with a paw.

"Whatever," I sighed. "I'm gonna keep practicing."

"Alright," she smiled as she went back to her corner of the wagon to go over her papers.

I rolled my eyes and went back to staring at my apple. Taking a deep breath, I fallowed my friend's advice. To my surprise, the apple started to drunkenly float towards me. A smile spread across my muzzle as I moved the fruit around. A yelp was the only warning I got before something knocked me to the ground and shattered my concentration.

The fuck?

I groaned as I tried to get my bearings. At the same time, I heard Autumn groan from...on top of me? Sure enough, when I looked down on myself I found a dazed Kirin using me as a futon. I also noticed a few flecks of my Extrasensory's clear aura falling off of her.

Now kiss.

FUCK! OFF! BRAIN!

"Um, this isn't what it looks like," Autumn stammered, her whole face turning bright red.

"Ditto," I gulped, pretty sure my whole head was on fire.

"Never tell anypony about this?" she asked.

"About what?" I asked stiffly.

"Exactly," she nodded.

We quickly got off of each other and moved to opposite sides of the wagon. I would sneak a few quick glances at her over my shoulder only to go back to looking at my wall whenever she started turning her head towards me.

God, this was going to be a long ass trip.

Ch.10 Running on a Pyre..."Wow. Talk about Stretches."

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Autumn sat in an open field, Treehugger's wagon and the afternoon sun behind her as she took in the view. Tall rolling hills dotted the distant landscape while maple trees staked claim to the field in small random clusters. Her traveler's heart beat a steady rhythm in the face of the natural majesty of it all. Though that changed a bit whenever she saw a large golden fox dash about amongst the trees.

She felt her cheeks warm when she saw his powerful legs rocket him through the wilds like a shooting star, the shine of the sun bouncing off his coat adding to the comparison. The wide smile plastered across his face warmed her heart in a way that she wasn't entirely familiar with. A feeling that grew as she remembered what he had went through prier to meeting her.

"Nice view, right?" Treehugger asked taking a seat at Autumn's right.

"Y-Yeah," Autumn stammered, eyes wandering to any space Alex wasn't currently in in the distance.

Treehugger gave her a small knowing smile before saying, "A bit for your thoughts soul sister?"

Autumn gulped, but otherwise remained silent. Treehugger chuckled softly then watched her other travel companion bob and weave through a line of trees.

"He has a lot of spirit," the Earth Pony smiled. "More now that his chakras aren't as choked up."

"Yeah," Autumn sighed, then leveled a smile at her as she added, "I guess I've got you to thank for that, huh?"

Treehugger slowly shook her head and said, "All I did was help him get rid of the poison in his heart. The healing came from somepony else."

As she said that, her knowing smile grew a little. Autumn's previous blush came back with a vengeance as Treehugger's implications took root in her.

"I-I-I didn't do all that much," she stammered, eyes fixed onto the grass at her hooves. "We just talked and had a few drinks. Nothing special about that."

"It was special for him," she smiled, spying on the blushing Kirin out the corner of her eye as she watched Alex run. "Now his aura is burning brighter then it was the day we met. All the warm vibes you've been giving him has been a big help soul sister."

"I-If you say so," Autumn stammered.

Treehugger's sage smile turned mischievous as she added, "Mates come in unexpected forms, don't they?"

The Kirin's brain short circuited at that, a small stream of steam coming off of the tip of her horn as the doe made a sound not dissimilar to a kettle coming to a boil.

***

My heart pounded in my chest as I bolted past another cluster of trees. After hours of just lying around, it felt fucking awesome to get to move around for a bit. So when Treehugger pulled over to catch her breath, I practically tackled the door down. I don't know if it was an instinct thing or what, but it just felt so good to run. The feel of the air shooting through my fur, the grass under my paws, the sun warming my back, it was all so awesome!

It was also the first time I really took my new body through its paces. Yeah, learning how to use Iron Tail took a lot out of me, but that was more of an energy drain; not so much a physical drain. One of the things I noticed was that my new body had some real speed and stamina in it. I'd managed to run across the huge field Treehugger parked us in a couple dozen times for what felt like twenty minutes straight and I was barely even winded.

I slowed myself down to what passed for a power walk for me, laughing like an idiot as I made my way towards Autumn and Treehugger. My smile fell when I gave them a good look over. Treehugger was looking kind of smug about something while Autumn looked like her mom just pulled out the photo album.

"Enjoy your run?" Treehugger asked, still looking smug.

"Uh, yeah," I frowned, giving Autumn a worried glance. "Is she okay?"

Treehugger nodded.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Her horn's steaming."

"Y-Y-Yeah," Autumn squeaked, cleared her throat, then gave me a shaky smile as she said, "I-It's just something that happens sometimes. Don't worry about it."

I raised a brow at that and said,"Okay?"

Kirin are weird.

Super cute though.

Okay brain! Get in the corner! Now!

You can't deny me forever.

Watch me bitch!

"So, when are we heading out?" I asked.

I swear Treehugger's eyes sparkled a bit when she said, "Tomorrow morning."

"Huh?" Autumn and I both gaped.

"Half the point of traveling is to enjoy the trip," she giggled. "Enjoy the glow of nature while we can before we run into town."

"I guess that makes sense," I shrugged. "Maybe I can practice Extrasensory while we're here."

"Sounds good soul brother," she smiled. "Perhaps Autumn could help you."

I instantly remembered what happened last time she helped me and I felt my face heat up.

"Y-Yeah, maybe," I muttered.

A raised brow teamed up with Treehugger's smile as she stood up and made her way towards her wagon.

"We're going to need some firewood," she said over her shoulder. "You two look for some while I get ready to make some dinner."

"No problem," I smirked. "Be back in a few."

I started heading towards a few nearby trees, but paused when I didn't hear Autumn follow. I looked over my shoulder and saw her still sitting in the grass staring at the ground. I walked to her side and gave her a light poke in the side. She let out a startled squeak as she jumped to her hooves.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," she laughed, her cheeks still looking a little red. "Just thinking about stuff."

"Alright," I sighed, then placed a paw on her shoulder as I added, "Let me know if somethings up though, okay?"

"Sure," she smiled.

I let my paw fall to the ground and started heading towards a cluster of trees. Autumn wasn't that far behind me, bringing a smile to my face as she came to my side. After being alone for so long, it was nice to have a friend again.

***

The whole day was pretty uneventful. When Autumn and I went off looking for sticks and leaves to burn, I would try to use Extrasensory to gather them all together to take back to camp. The results were...mixed, but at least I didn't have any accidents like what happened in the wagon (though I did send a rock flying into my head at one point. Not fun.). A quick shot of Flamethrower and we were eating like kings. Well, okay, maybe not kings, but it was still a hell of a lot better then the stuff I had been eating since I came to this crazy world. It was also the first meal I'd had in...a while with other people. Anyway, a little after sundown Treehugger turned in for the night, leaving me alone with Autumn. Not too much of a problem. Just two pals hanging out under the stars next to a campfire out in the middle of no-yeah Treehugger's up to something. Don't know what, but she's up to something.

Crickets chirped around me as I stared up at the sky, the camp's dimming fire warming my left side as I laid on my belly. Autumn was leaning against my right side staring at the fire. A nice cool breeze passed over us as we enjoyed the scene in our own ways.

"How's your head?" Autumn asked.

"Still attached," I chuckled, ignoring the bump just above my eyes.

She snorted and gave me a playful punch in the shoulder.

"You know what I mean," she said with an audible grin.

"Yeah, yeah," I smiled. "I'll be okay. I've taken harder hits then that."

"I heard," she muttered somberly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, turning my head to face her.

Autumn frowned towards the ground as she told me about how she found out about my past. Not gonna lie, it did get to me that that whole thing got spread around by a group of ponies I barely knew at the time. Then again, I wasn't exactly in a private setting when I spilled my guts to Treehugger. Looks like I'll have something to do when I get to Ponyville besides getting my room set up and making a work plan. That's gonna be a fucking blast.

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves the second Autumn finished talking.

"Are you okay?" asked nervously.

"No," I sighed. "But I will be in a few minutes."

She leveled a sad look at me and...god damn it why does she need to be so cute? Seriously! If an evil genius came to this world, all he'd need to do is take someone like Autumn, give her a kitten to hug and find a way to turn that into a power source for a death ray. The world would be destroyed in a mater of seconds. No contest.

"I'm gonna have a few...colorful things to say to Starlight, but I'm not gonna let myself get too bent out of shape about it. It's out there. No point throwing a tantrum over something I can't change."

She nodded, then stared up at the sky. My good mood died a little, but staring up at the night sky helped me manage to get a somber smile onto my muzzle. This wasn't the first time I'd seen the stars here. Back at the sanctuary, I would come out of my cave to watch them every now and then when my paranoia was less extreme. Even now, the sight was something I couldn't get bored of. My neck on the other hand...

I let out a sigh as I reluctantly stared into the dying campfire.

"You know, it's funny," I mused. "Back home, I'd probably be sitting at a bar trying to forget about life right now."

"Didn't you have anypony to drink with?" Autumn asked.

I shook my head.

"I did at some point, but then Sandra happened. Before I met that bitch, there was this one gi...Ninetales I grew up with named Dahlia."

"Pretty name," Autumn giggled.

"Yeah," I smirked. "But she went all out trying to go against it. A total tomboy with a mouth that'd make a sailor blush. God I had a blast when we hung out. I still remember all the crap we got up to over the years."

"Sounds like a fun vixen," she laughed, but a somber tone crept into her voice as she asked, "What happened to her?"

I sighed, then frowned into the fire as I said, "After I got away from Sandra, she disappeared. She was the one that blew the bitch's cover and helped me move away from her. After that, her and her brother just up and vanished without a trace. I've been alone ever since."

We sat in silence for a few minutes after that, me sifting through my happier memories while I guess Autumn tried to digest everything.

Why the hell am I telling her all of this? It's none of her business, right? I don't need to give her my life story or anything.

"Do you remember when you first saw me?" Autumn asked, her voice surprisingly fragile as it broke the silence. "When I was on fire?"

"Yeah," I nodded, staring down at her. "You said that happens when your kind get mad, right?"

She nodded, a somber look on her face as she stared into the fire and said, "At one point, it became a major problem in my village. Kirin would get angry over the stupidest things and burn down big chunks of the village almost daily. It was a huge mess. To fix the problem, the village leader had us all bathe in a magical pond called The Stream of Silence. It dulled our emotions and made it so we couldn't talk. For a while, things were pretty good, but it started to take a toll on me. To not talk, act, or express myself at all? It was torture! When I found a way to counter the stream's effects I was over the moon, but then my village told me that I had to give up my voice to stay with them. I refused and was banished. I...had no one. For months, I was stuck in a prison of solitude where the only way out was to give up what made me happy. If it wasn't for Applejack and Fluttershy, I'd probably be talking to a bunch of rocks and sticks right now."

She looked me in the eye and with a small smile said, "Point is, I know what it's like to be lonely. So, if you ever want to talk, I'm all ears."

A small smile crept onto my muzzle as I leaned into her a little.

"Thanks Autumn. I mean it."

Her smile grew and she nuzzled her head into my side. A relaxed sigh slipped past my lips as I stared up at the stars above us again. It felt good to have a friend again.

Ch. 11 Good Vibes "Uh.....Nope. I've Got Nothing."

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Autumn smiled as she went over her scripts, her head tilting slightly back and forth to a song she chose for the scene she was reviewing from where she sat against one of the wagon's walls. The wagon's gentle creaking as Treehugger pulled it calmed her nerves as she scrutinized the dialogue of a particularly frustrating scene. She let out an irate huff as she glared at the paper held in her magic's grip.

It just doesn't sound right, she thought, tapping her chin with her hoof. Maybe if I...no that won't work. Perhaps if Star Dancer says...no that's even worse.

"Maybe I should just scrap the scene all together," she sighed as she rubbed her temples.

Her eyes wandered away from her work as she mulled over her options only for her thoughts to freeze when she saw a familiar sight. Laying in a corner curled up under a red blanket was Alex. The Ninetales snored softly, his ear flicking every so often as something Autumn couldn't see irritated it. The sight brought a smile to her face as she put her work back into her bags.

He looks so peaceful, she thought, a small giggle slipping past her lips.

A small blush joined her smile as she remembered what happened the previous night. She could tell that Alex was a very private creature. To tell her about his past, even a vague story about his old friend, was a sign that he trusted her. A trust that she was Tartarus bent on keeping no matter what. Alex needed a friend, somecreature to count on to be his support when he needed it most. Giving him a place to live and helping him get a job were good starts, but what else could she do to help him?

Whatever he needs, she thought, a determined frown growing on her muzzle. And I'm not the only one who has his back.

***

"You're up early, soul sister," Treehugger smiled, the first rays of dawn her only source of light as she prepared a simple breakfast.

"Nah," Autumn yawned. "Force of habit. Got any coffee?"

Treehugger just smiled and pointed towards a small tin box between her wagon and a crate of oats. Autumn beamed brightly as she made her way towards the tin. With a simple levitation spell, she pulled the sacred treasure towards her and gently pried it open. Sure enough, a collection of small instant coffee packets greeted her. Still smiling, she levitated a packet out of the tin before she sealed it shut and put it back.

When the caffeine-starved Kirin looked around for a way to use her prize, Treehugger waved at her, then pointed at a dented steaming kettle with three equally damaged metal mugs. She nodded her thanks before she went to work making her drink.

"Never pegged you for a coffee drinker," Autumn said, greedily bringing her mug to her lips.

"I don't make a habit of it," Treehugger chuckled, chopping an apple on a plank of wood next to a deep pot of steaming oatmeal. "All that caffeine throws my energies out of balance if I have too much."

"Then why do you have it?" Autumn asked with a smirk.

The Earth Pony let out a faint sigh and said, "Sometimes tea isn't strong enough soul sister."

"Right," she muttered, her mind wandering to the half-empty bottle of Dragon's Tar in one of her saddlebags. "Gotcha'."

The two sat in comfortable silence, the sounds of breakfast being prepared harmonizing with the sound of birds greeting the new day. All through it, Autumn's mind wandered to her new friend and what she knew of him. More specifically, who had hurt him so deeply.

"Easy soul sister," Treehugger breathed. "Your mane is smoking."

An irate growl forced its way past Autumn's lips as she leveled a soft glare at the mare. Sure enough, the distinct smell of smoke surrounded her as her mane and tail let out small streams of the dark gray gas. She took a deep breath to find her center and let it out as a frustrated sigh. The smoke slowly faded away as her temper faded and the wind took it away.

"Sorry about that," she said with a rueful smile as she took another sip of her coffee.

"Apology accepted," Treehugger smiled, but said smile wilted a little as she asked, "Now, what is troubling you?"

"I'd ask 'is it that obvious?', but it's kind of hard for me to hide that kind of thing, huh?" she chuckled, a bitter hint slipping past her happy facade.

Treehugger just nodded as she slid the chopped pieces of apple she was working on into the pot before pulling out another one from a nearby create to repeat the process. Autumn let out a tired sigh, her eyes drifting to her half-full mug as she tried to think of the best way to voice her thoughts.

"You...heard about what happened to Alex, right?"

Treehugger's knife froze mid chop for a second before it returned to its original pace and the Earth Pony nodded.

"How could somecreature do that?" she asked, eyes locked with her reflection in her mug, small trails of smoke returning to her mane. "It's evil. Worse then evil. I don't have a word for how horrible that ash stain is!"

As her anger started to grow, so to did the number of smoke trails that appeared on her mane and body. Small clusters of pink and blue flames started to dot her body.

"If I ever meet that rancid pile of dragon dung I'll-!"

Just as she was about to assume her Nirik form, she forced herself to take a few deep calming breaths to reel herself back in.

"Sorry," she sighed, her hooves still trembling around her mug as her anger started to fade into sadness. "I guess what I want to know is, how could you hear all that and not be furious?"

Treehugger's smile melted into a frown at that, her chopping halted as she seemed to mull over the Kirin's words. Then, with a voice as soft as silk and as solemn as a grave, she answered.

"Alex came to my camp in the worst state I'd ever seen a creature. His energies were a tangled mess and filled with poison. If he hadn't came to me when he did and let me help him, I don't want to think about what would've happened to him. At the time and right now, he doesn't need me to be angry at the one that hurt him. He needs me to bring him to a place to heal and creatures that will help him do that."

As she said that, she gave Autumn a small knowing smile before she let it drop and gave her chopped apple her full attention.

"I don't like to hurt others," she added. "But if I ever met the creature that hurt Alex? Let's just say, it would take a long time for me to cleanse my aura afterwards."

Autumn nodded in understanding, her eyes locked onto the Earth Pony's lightly trembling hooves.

"Same here," she sighed, staring into her mug. "Let's hope it never comes to that."

***

Autumn let out a sigh, her script returning to her saddlebags as she rose to her hooves. A small smile graced her lips as she made her way towards the sleeping Ninetales. As she stared down at him, his words from the night before drifted to the front of her head.

"I've been alone ever since."

Not anymore, she thought, settling down next to him with a saddened smile.

As she rested her head against his side and let her eyes drift shut, a small blush grew on her muzzle as one last stray thought crossed her mind.

...So warm.

***

Walls of gold surrounded me as I sat on my throne, a fancy gold and red robe decorated with flame prints draped over my shoulders. I smiled proudly as I stared out into my totally decked out throne room, ornate tapestries and tall stained glass windows showing my wealth to all who came to visit me. A mountain of gold coins towered behind me tall enough to reach my castle's high vaulted ceiling. I was the richest Ninetales in this or any other world, but it was all worthless to me compared to the Kirin doe sitting in the throne next to me.

Like me, Autumn was wearing a robe, but her's was a dark green with white tree prints all over it. The crown that sat on her head was a thinner and more elegant version of the one sitting on mine with small diamond flowers lining the base. She looked up at me with a warm smile as she leaned her head into my side. A gentle warmth filled my chest as I rested my head on top of her's, careful to avoid the tip of her horn as I let the rich scent of campfire cinnamon fill my nostrils.

"Beautiful," I heard Autumn sigh.

"Yes, you are," I chuckled.

Autumn giggled.

"I was talking about your throne honey, but thanks."

"No need to thank me," I said with a smirk as I pulled myself out of our cuddle to look her in the eye. "I'm just telling you the truth."

Autumn gave me a bashful smile as a bright blush colored her cheeks.

"Sweet talker."

"Only for you," I said with a wink.

Another adorable giggle made its way out of her as she looked up towards me, eyes half-lidded and cheeks still bright red.

"You know," she smirked. "There won't be anypony coming to court today and a king needs an heir, right?"

I nodded, a wide grin growing on my muzzle as I leaned down to meet her. Our lips moved closer at an agonizingly slow pace as we tried to savor the moment.

I blinked and I was laying in the middle of a moving wagon with a red blanket wrapped around me. As my groggy brain struggled to make sense of what was going on, a single thought rolled around in my head.

The fuck just happened?

You cannot deny my power!

Brain! I swear to whatever god dumped me in this world that I will kick your fucking ass!

Go ahead. We share an ass.

FUCK YOU!!!

"What time is it?" I groaned as I forced myself to my haunches.

Some noise and movement to my left caught my attention. Leaning against me, raising her head sleepily was the very same Kirin I was dreaming about.

Brain?

Not my fault this time.

Just checking.

"Sleep well?" she yawned.

I nodded, actively trying to look at anything but her to hide my blush. Of course, because the universe hates me and the dream I had wasn't exactly heading in a direction that could be shown to general audiences, when my blanket slid off of me I had a whole new thing to freakout over. Namely, when I turned my head back towards Autumn I noticed that her face was a lot redder then I remembered, her eyes were wide, and they were locked onto something in front of me pretty close to the ground. I think my head almost burst into flames when I quickly wrapped my blanket back over myself like a cloak.

"IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!!!" I howled. "It's just- I was- there was..."

She just blinked awkwardly at me while I struggled to come up with something intelligent to say.

Brain!

Don't blame me for this. This is Little Alex's fault.

"Sorry," I sighed, then deadpanned as I added, "This never leaves this wagon."

"Agreed," Autumn nodded, then gave me a coy smile as she added, "By the way. You have nothing to apologize for."

I felt my tails fluff up at that, but before I could say anything else she casually made her way towards her bags.

God, kill me now, I thought with a groan as I looked out one of the wagon's windows.

Judging by the light purple tint of the sky, I could guess that it was about an hour away from sunset. Not the best time to wake up, but hey, what are you gonna do?

Or who?

Shut the fuck up!

The view outside suddenly started to get covered up by what looked like rock as we moved forward, momentarily pulling me away from my own mental crisis.

"The hell?" I muttered as I stood up to get a better look out the window.

Sure enough, the rolling hills and open wilderness was replaced by walls of dank stone and support timbers with hanging lanterns serving as the only source of light as we moved forward.

"Looks like we're going through a mine," Autumn mused.

I turned my head towards her as she stared out the window on the wall opposite of me.

"Did Treehugger say anything about a mine this morning?" I asked.

She looked at me with a confused frown and shook her head.

"Maybe she's taking a shortcut to save time?"

I shrugged.

How the hell should I know? I know about as much about this world as a dinosaur does about nuclear fusion. For all I know, we could be going the opposite direction and heading towards an active volcano. So, if going through a hole in the ground will get to Ponyville quicker, then so be it.

"Hope we don't have to go through this for too long," I muttered, frowning out the window. "I'm kind of sick of caves and tunnels."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, each staring out our windows at the passing rock walls. I'd peek over my shoulder every so often to check on her. Apparently, she had the same idea because I'd catch her staring at me every so often. It wouldn't be a big issue under normal circumstances, but everything from earlier made this whole thing kind of awkward. It was that whole Extrasensory incident all over again. Of course, Autumn's comment made things a lot more complicated then they needed to be.

Was she coming onto me? Nahhhh. She was just messing with me. Making a joke out of the whole thing to make me feel better.....right?

I snuck another look at her before I gave the stone walls outside my full attention and sighed.

Right. I mean, come on. We barely know each other and I don't think we're...anatomically compatible anyway. Then again, Pokémon are pretty flexible when it comes to mates, but I highly doubt Kirin are the same way. Besides, she could do way better then me.

My thoughts were interrupted when the scene outside my window suddenly changed. Large, one-story plank-wood buildings straight out of an old western with a whole bunch of mining lights hanging from the cave ceiling keeping what looked like a giant town lit. I spotted a few houses and what looked like an old-school saloon as we passed, but that didn't really keep my attention for very long when I saw what was living here. Anthropomorphic dogs walked around the town, all of them coming in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some of the bulkier ones walked on their knuckles like gorillas while the slimmer ones stood upright. A few of them wore brown or gray vests, but most of them were buck naked except for a studded collar around their necks.

"Okay," I muttered. "I'll bite. What the hell are these?"

"Diamond Dogs," Autumn said from her window seat. "Looks like Treehugger's bringing us through a whole village of them."

"Are they dangerous?" I asked, already getting ready to use Iron Tail.

"Not really. They used to drag ponies into their mines for cheap labor, but nowadays they tend to keep mostly to themselves. If they have to do business with somecreature, it's usually to trade gems or metals."

"Good to know," I nodded, watching a pack of Diamond Dogs walk past us. "So they won't cause trouble if we don't make any. Fair enough."

I powered-down my tails and continued to stare out my window. Not even a second later, the wagon slowed to a stop. I shook off my blanket and jumped to my paws. I could see that Autumn wasn't that far behind me out the corner of my eye as I turned towards the wagon's back door. A few seconds later, Treehugger opened it and let herself in.

"If this is Ponyville, I'd say you guys need to rename the place," I said flatly.

Treehugger just laughed my comment off before she said, "Be at ease soul brother. We're just taking a small pitstop to refill some supplies."

"Right," I sighed. "Sorry. Things got a little...tense back here a few minutes ago and...uh...sorry."

She raised a brow at me then sent a questioning look Autumn's way. God bless the gi-er doe she didn't say anything, but let's just say I'll never ask her to play poker with me.

"I'm all for positive vibes, but can you two wait until we get to an inn first," Treehugger smiled.

A smile that grew as she added, "I have less to clean that way."

My whole head damn near burst into flames and, yep, Autumn's horn is steaming again. Well fuck me.

That's the idea.

SHUT UP YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!

Treehugger just chuckled at our misery for a few seconds before she backed out of the wagon.

"Come on now," she smiled. "Come on out and stretch your legs."

I nodded and made my way out of the wagon, a small squeak behind me that may or may not've come from the cute blushing Kirin behind me as she followed. The second we were out of the wagon, it was like a flare got shot above us. Everyone was staring at us. None of it was hostile as far as I could tell. Mostly just curious or maybe cautious. I guess Kirins and Ninetales aren't a common sight around these parts.

I ignored the stares as much as I could and turned towards Treehugger.

She gave me her trademark lazy smile and said, "Welcome to Ore Town soul brother. It's, like, the biggest Diamond Dog village in Equestria and just the place we both need right now."

"How so?" Autumn asked, her face less red than it was a second ago.

Our driver pointed a hoof at the saloon and said, "That place makes a good brew. You two could probably use some after all the time we've been on the road."

"Hell yeah!" I cheered.

"Celestia knows it," Autumn sighed, then frowned as she added, "But I didn't bring any bits with me. How are we-?"

Treehugger pulled a card out of her mane...somehow and handed it to me. It was a black laminated card with her cutiemark on it.

"Show this to the barkeep," she smiled as I took it with a paw. "That should take care of everything."

"Okay?" I blinked, staring at the battered card.

So ponies have credit cards. You know what? Sure. Why the hell not.

"Never pegged you for a drinker," I chuckled.

"You guessed right soul brother," she giggled. "Now go on, enjoy yourselves. I'll join you after I finish gathering supplies."

"If you say so," I shrugged and made my way towards the bar after I gave Autumn the card to hold with her Jedi powers.

As I made my way towards the bar, I watched Treehugger head down a street towards what looked like some shops out the corner of my eye. Something about her gait felt different to me. She seemed less relaxed then she usually did. As she walked out of my line of sight, I couldn't help but wonder about her a little bit. In spite of everything shes done for me, I knew basically nothing about her. I frowned at that as I stepped into the bar.

Maybe I should see if we can hang out sometime. No therapy visit or any of that crap. Just two... intelligent animal people hanging out.

***

Treehugger casually made her way through Ore Town's market district, her eyes sweeping across what various stores had on display. Every now and then, several packs of Diamond Dogs would look at her in confusion before their eyes wandered to her cutiemark. The second they did, wide smiles would spread across their muzzles and they'd whisper excitedly amongst themselves. A few pups even gave her happy yips, waving happily at her as they walked by. She giggled as she waved back before continuing on her way.

Just like I remember it, she thought, a soft smile gracing her muzzle as she took a deep breath of the stone-scented air.

She halted her advance and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, a faint glow lined her lavender pupils as she gave her surroundings a slow once over. Green, blue, and lavender waves of dim light washed over everything around her like a gentle heartbeat. Her smile grew as she basked in a view only she could enjoy for just a few more minutes before she let the glow fade away from her eyes. As it did, the world returned to how it was just moments ago to her.

So many good vibes. Just the place Alex needs to heal.

Her smile grew slightly as she stopped in front of one particular shop. It was made of the same sand-swept wood as all the other stores that surrounded it, just as bland and unassuming as it's neighbors with a faded copper sign hangings at a slight angle just above the door. As with most things in this world, it was not the store itself that raised Treehugger's spirits, but what was hidden within.

She walked through the shop's front door into a scene of quiet tranquility. Countless charms and talisman hung from the walls and ceiling, each ranging from intricately woven dreamcatchers to simple stone carvings or wood carvings. Behind a desk decorated with dozens of stone animal figurines sat and elderly green Diamond Dog, a pair of brass-rimmed glasses and a tattered gray collar his only garments as he studied a large emerald in his paw. Treehugger let out a nostalgic sigh as she approached the front desk. Half way towards her destination, the Diamond Dog noticed her. He blinked in shock for a moment, then beamed and set the stone he was examining aside.

"By big Sun Pony's shining plot," the Diamond Dog chuckled, his voice dry and gravely with age. "Grog not expect to see Tree Pony since she left his home."

"Good day soul brother," she smiled, lightly bowing her head in honor of the elder dog that stood before her. "How have you been since I left."

"Good, good," Grog laughed. "Grog has been well. Business slow, but Grog get by. What of Tree Pony? Have retirement been well?"

She nodded, then said, "Getting in touch with the world's aura has been the, like, greatest thing I've done. I could never think of a better way to spend my days."

Grog chuckled to himself, his friend's way of speech always tickling him in a way that only she could.

"Tree Pony always speak in tricky riddles, but Grog cannot deny the wisdom hidden within."

The Diamond Dog's eyes turned distant as he said, "Grog still remember days when Tree Pony come to him to fix magic rod."

Grog's eyes turned sharp as he leveled his Earth Pony friend a pointed grin and said, "Speaking of, how magic rod? Has Tree Pony come for repair? Enhancement?"

Treehugger giggled at her friend's enthusiasm.

"No soul brother. Hickory is safe in my wagon and will stay that way for as long as she is not needed. What I seek is an amethyst. One with a very powerful aura if you have it."

Grog's smile wilted at that. He let out an irate "Blech" and waved a paw at her as he stepped back from his desk and made his way towards a door built into the wall five feet behind it.

"Tree Pony no fun anymore," he muttered with false irritation. "Grog remember when she give this old dog real work."

She giggled lightly as he stepped through the door.

A few minutes passed as Grog went about his business in the store's back, some thumps and muffled barking curses the only clues as to what the elder dog was doing behind the closed door. All the while, Treehugger waited patently, her eyes wandering casually over the wears he had on display. In time, the door swung open and Grog made his way back towards the front desk with a handful of amethysts in his paw.

"Best Grog has," he smiled proudly as he placed the gems on the desk. "Freshly dug and raw. Just as taken from mine aside from cleaning."

Treehugger stared down at the gems with her usual calm smile. Grog barely noticed the faint glow on the edge of her irises as she studied the gems. As soon as it was gone, she pointed at one gem in particular.

"I'll take this one. It's aura is strong and soothing."

Grog nodded, picked up the rejected stones, and placed them safely out of sight behind his desk. Treehugger reached up to her mane for her bit purse, only for Grog to wave her off and push the gem closer towards her.

"No charge," he smiled. "Tree Pony save village. Village owe Tree Pony far more than single gem."

"As you wish soul brother," she nodded.

As she took the stone, a small frown grew on her muzzle as she mulled over a particular thought. Grog noticed and gave her a concerned frown.

"What bother Tree Pony?"

For a few minutes Treehugger stayed silent, eyes locked onto the stone sitting in her hooves.

With a deep sigh, she watched the amethyst shine in her hoof as she said, "Soul brother, have you heard any rumors about any Kitsune lately?"

"Magic Foxes?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion. "Grog not hear much about them. Magic Foxes not leave their mountains often so sightings rarer than platinum vein."

"So you haven't heard anything?" she asked, storing her purchase in her mane as she locked eyes with her friend.

"Grog not say that," he smirked. "Grog hear rumor from Yak traders that Magic Fox appear in Frozen North a year ago."

"The Frozen North?" she asked. "Why would there be one up there?"

He shrugged then said, "Grog not know. Magic Fox seemed to like snow. Yaks say Magic Fox use snow and bright lights to fight Winter Ghosts during Bell Battle. Magic Fox disappear roughly day after battle from what Grog hear."

"I see," she hummed, then gave her friend a smile and small bow as she added, "Thank you soul brother."

"Think nothing of it," he chuckled, waving off her comment. "Grog happy to help Tree Pony."

A warm smile spread across his joules as he added, "Come back more frequently. Old dog not full of much more years and love talking with Tree Pony."

"I will try," she nodded. "I love talking to you too."

"That all Grog ask," he chuckled. "Now go. Go save more."

She gave him another small bow and let herself out of the shop. As she made her way out of the town's shopping distract, she mulled over what Grog told her. It was true, Kitsune were known for their spiteful vanity and seldom came down from their mountain homes for anything. Nothing short of a capital slight could convince them to come down to mingle with the "lesser creatures" as they saw it. To hear that a Kitsune decided to leave its home to fight Windigos in the Frozen North struck her as suspicious in more ways than one.

Maybe they invaded its territory, she thought as the sounds of business faded away behind her.

Her musings were interrupted when she spotted a strange contraption parked next to her wagon.

It looked like a deflated hot air balloon, but instead of a basket it had a small sailboat attached. The balloon was attached to where the boats main mast and sail should've been. A fixed near the bottom of it were a set of small wooden wheels with steel rims.

She eyed the contraption with a perplexed frown as she slowly orbited it.

Strange. I wonder who owns this.

Ch. 12 Sparks.... "Huh...A Double Pun this Time."

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Okay. I seriously need to know what Treehugger's story is.

When Autumn and I stepped into the bar, all of the Diamond Dogs barely gave us a second look as we made our way towards the bar. Well, okay, I caught some of the thinner ones looking at my ass, but I tried not to think too much about that. The second we gave the bartender Treehugger's card, everybody suddenly wanted to be our best friends. I shit you not. In the span of five seconds we had Diamond Dogs practically demanding that they buy us a few drinks. After we got the mob to chill out, we started ordering drinks. When I asked what the cheapest brew they had was, the bartender made a spitting noise and grabbed a fancy looking bottle off of a high shelf behind the bar.

"Sic no give Tree Pony friends swill," he spat as he poured us each a tall mug from the bottle and pushed them towards us. "Celestia Cider. Best brew for Tree Pony friends. No Charge!"

I stared at the drink for a few seconds, then shrugged and grabbed the mug by the handle. I snuck a glance at Autumn as I brought the drink to my lips. She already took a long pull of her drink before she floated it back onto the bar with a satisfied sigh.

Well, when in Rome.

With a mental shrug, I threw back some of my own drink.

It was actually pretty good stuff. It had a light herby taste with a berry aftertaste and a light hint of lemon. It was the kind of thing I would probably drink while chilling out at the beach.

"Not bad," I smirked, licking my lips as I set my mug back down.

The bartender (I think he said his name was Sic) gave me a wide grin before he went off to take care of other customers. I took another swig as I let the bar's familiar atmosphere settle into me. While I didn't have too many happy memories from my home world, (for obvious reasons) some of the few I had came from the nights I spent at my local bar after work. The dim lighting and smell of cigarettes always helped me chill as I tried to forget all the bullshit I had to put up with on a daily basis. The clinking of glasses and gruff laughter brought me back to those happy times as I worked up a good buzz with Autumn at my side.

A bunch of cheers pulled my attention away from my drink towards a group of Diamond Dogs further into the bar. I noticed a stage set up about three feet away from where they were sitting. Three Diamond Dogs stood on the stage, each of them holding a violin. It didn't take much for me to figure out what was going to happen next as I held up my mug, got comfortable, and waited for the show to start.

"This ought to be good," Autumn chuckled, playfully nudging my side.

I laughed and took a swig of my drink.

A second later, the performers got started.

https://youtu.be/Z95ABVnqHmw

A wild song filled the bar that kind of reminded me of an irish shanty song. The Diamond Dogs let out excited howls and slammed their paws onto their tables to the rhythm of the players. My heart pounded as I let the atmosphere and the music mix with my buzz. I guess Autumn felt the same as she let out a happy cry and toasted the performers before she took a long pull from her mug. I laughed like an idiot as I did the same, the world starting to blur into warm colors. I let myself drown in the good cheer and good drinks as the bar got livelier by the second, Autumn leaning into my side with a wide smile plastered across her face.

Heh, plastered, I thought with a small chuckle. That's a funny word. What do you think brain?

My favorite color is seven!

I laughed at that and threw a foreleg around Autumn.

God I love you man! You're a riot!

I cast a glance down at Autumn and froze. In the dim light and haze of my drunken state, she seemed to shimmer like a candle flame in front of me. Her eyes. Her smile. Her laugh. It all made her look so... I don't know. Radiant? Is that the word? Sounded close enough. Cute worked too, but that was kind of a given if her friends were anything to go by.

I mentally shook my head at that.

Sure, the ponies were cute, but Autumn was different. She just had this whole "I don't give a fuck what you think" kind of air to her, but also wasn't afraid to show that she cared about you. It was kind of hot honestly.

"Like what you see?" she giggled, a light slur distorting her voice.

My face heated up as I tore my eyes off of her.

"Shut up," I grumbled as I took another swig of my drink.

She laughed and leaned further into my half-hug.

"You're kind of cute when you blush," she sighed.

"Whatever," I muttered, staring into my mug.

We sat like that for a few minutes enjoying the happy atmosphere. At the same time, I struggle to find a way to ask a question that was bugging me for a while. Something that probably would've been a lot easier to pull off if I wasn't a step away from shit-faced. When I finally found them, I took a deep breath and forced myself to get it over with.

"Hey, Autumn?" I gulped.

"Hmmm?" she hummed.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why are you so nice to me?"

"Huh?" she asked, pulling back from me a bit.

"You barely know me and you're practically letting me move in with you. Is it because of what "She" did to me? Cuz I can't think of too many other reasons you'd put up with me."

My shoulders slumped as my good mood wilted. I'll admit it. I'm not the greatest guy in the world. Hell, catch me on a good day and I'm the biggest ass this side of Shit Creek. I mean, hell, I probably would've torched Fluttershy if I stayed in the sanctuary any longer than I did. All because she sounded like that bitch back home. Fuck, I should probably be locked up somewhere before I kill someone.

"You could do a hell of a lot better than me," I muttered bitterly as I downed another mouthful of my drink.

I think she was going to say something, but a loud bang at the front of the bar cut her off. I turned to see what the hell killed everyone's mood. What I saw made me wonder if there was something funny in my drink. Strutting into the bar like he owned the place was a big blue Minotaur. The guy was built like a tank, had a ring in his nose and a tuft of short black hair on his head.

"Iron Will heard this place had a good brew," he said, a heavy roar charging his tone. "Iron Will hopes he heard right!"

I rolled my eyes and turned back towards the bar.

Great, this world has its own version of Hulk Hogan. What next, a pony version of Doctor Who?

I heard (more like felt) him come towards the bar. I rolled my eyes and took a swig of my drink as he (I'm guessing his name is Iron Will, but don't quote me on that) plopped himself into the stool on the side of Autumn opposite of me. I didn't think too much about it as I tried to let the previous conversation die. I was thinking too much about things. Best to let the drinks make me forget all of that crap.

A spike of irritation ran through me when I heard Iron Will say something.

"Hey beautiful, you come here often."

I felt the start of a Flamethrower building up in me as I aimed a glare at the Minotaur. The dumb-ass didn't notice as he ogled Autumn. I had to actively redirect my energy away from my mouth to my forehead as my anger started to flare. Even as drunk as I was, I knew better than to start shooting fire in a wooden building. First, I'd Extrasensory his ass out the door and then I'd torch his ass.

"No," Autumn said flatly, floating her mug between her and Iron Will.

"Well, maybe Iron Will can give you a tour of the place," he said with a smile and a wink. "Iron Will's pretty good at that kind of thing."

As he said that, he put a hand on her shoulder and I lost my shit.

I slammed my drink down on the bar and roared, "GET YOUR FUCKING HAND OFF OF HER, COW COCK!!!"

The whole bar went dead silent, but I didn't care. All I cared about was knocking this asshole's teeth down his throat.

"What did you say, shorty?" Iron Will growled, rising out of his seat.

"Did I fucking stutter?" I growled, sliding off of my stool as I glared up at him. "Get. Your. Fucking. Hands. Off. Of. Her. COW COCK!"

He snorted as he towered over me, hands clenched in massive tight fists. I felt my tails flick and my coat bristle as I glared at him.

"Iron Will's gonna break you like a rag doll," he growled, taking a step towards me.

"Go ahead and try fucker!" I snarled, crouching low like a wolf getting ready to pounce. "I'll rip those horns out of your head and ram them so far up your ass, you'll choke on them!"

He snorted as he leaned down to my level.

"You think you can pull that off," he growled.

My glare sharpened as I said something I hadn't said in years.

"Test your luck, asshole. See what happens."

We traded glares for what felt like hours. The whole time, I was ready to Extrasensory him all over the bar the second he made a move. That's when he threw me for a look when he dropped his glare and laughed.

"You've got guts, shorty," he chuckled, rising back to his full hight. "Iron Will likes that."

I blinked at that, my anger replaced with a whiplash of confusion. That doubled when he walked up to the bar and ordered me a drink. I teetered a bit as I straightened my posture and tried to make sense of the situation.

One minute, we were gonna throw down and now he's trying to be all buddy buddy with me? What the-? Who the-? Brain! Help me out here!

I think we just made a friend.

I shook the cobwebs out of my head as I dragged myself back to my bar seat. As I planted my ass, my new drink got slid in front of me and I decided to just go with it. So long as he didn't try anything with Autumn, I could probably put up with him for a couple hours.

"Hey miss," Iron Will chuckled to Autumn.

What the fuck did I JUST think?! I thought, glaring at him as I took a swig of my drink.

"Yeah?" Autumn asked, a nervous edge coloring her tone.

"Don't let that guy run off on ya'," he laughed. "Not too many good bulls out there."

I choked on my drink at that, while I think I saw some steam coming out of Autumn's horn.

Mother fucker! I thought as I struggled to get my coughs under control. Should've decked him when I had the chance!

***

The inns in town were a lot fancier then you'd think. I guessed that Ore Town was a pretty big tourist trap at one point. While the rooms weren't five-star material, they were better then most of the cheep hotels back home. The rooms Treehugger managed to get were the perfect examples of the kind of quality I'm talking about. Each of our rooms had a rustic dark-wood framed king-sized bed, a vanity made of the same wood with an oval-shaped mirror, and a night stand by the bed with a mining oil lantern for light.

What cemented the tourism trap theory was the giant underground hot springs hooked up to the back of the inn. That's were I was as I tried to figure out what the hell happened at the bar. I'm not a violent drunk. Out of all my few good qualities, that was one of the ones I was pretty proud of. Yeah, I've been in a few bar fights, but I'm not the one that started them. Now that I had a clearer head, I had no idea why the hell I went off on Iron Will. I mean, yeah, the guy was pretty annoying, but he was mostly harmless. Was it a Ninetales thing? I don't remember reading anything about them flipping out on people. Well, unless they started shit with one or touched their tails anyway.

"Maybe I should cut back on my drinking," I sighed as I rested my head on the edge of the spring's shore. "At least until I have all of this figured out."

I laid with my legs tucked under me in the warm water and my head on the shore as I let my thoughts wander. Eventually, they drifted towards a certain Kirin doe. Her laugh. Her smile. Her sass. All of it put a small smile on my face, especially when I remembered all the time we spent together. A small chuckle slipped past my lips as I thought about when we first met. After all of the shit I put myself through, she was the first person to make me feel, well, alive. She made me feel calm. No. Better than that. She made me feel happy.

Do I do the same to her?

I snorted at that and rolled my eyes.

No way. I'm just doing a good job not pissing her off.

***

Autumn and Treehugger shared a spring, a thick stone wall separating them from Alex's spring. As they sat in silence, one of them started wistfully into the water while the other let the spring melt away her concerns. A sigh made Treehugger crack open an eye at her dejected travel companion.

"A bit for your thoughts, soul sister?" Treehugger asked with her usual lazy smile.

Autumn let out another sigh, eyes still locked with her reflection in the steamy water.

"Alex thinks I'm being nice to him because of... what happened to him," she frowned.

Treehugger nodded sagely, a part of her knowing that something like this was bound to happen at some point. Even if most of his scars had healed, it was hard for an injured soul to accept genuine kindness without doubt.

"I see," she said simply. "Is that true?"

"Kind of?" Autumn shrugged. "I mean, yeah, I feel bad about what happened to him, but that's not the only reason I'm nice to him."

"Did you tell him?"

"I was going to," she sighed, then rolled her eyes as she said, "Then Iron Will showed up."

Treehugger giggled at that.

"Yeah. Brother Iron Will can be a bit much to deal with. He's a good bull deep down when you get to know him."

"Kind've threw me for a loop that you knew him," Autumn chuckled, then gave her an impish smirk as she asked, "Ex stagfriend?"

Treehugger gave her a faint smile.

"A coworker actually."

Her smile turned wistful as she added, "And a really good friend. It was nice to see him again."

Autumn raised a brow at that, but before she could say anything, Treehugger leveled the closest thing to a serious look her drowsy expression could muster at her.

"You need to talk to him about this."

"I-I don't know," Autumn stammered, nerves keeping her tense in spite of the spring's warm water. "What if I say the wrong thing?"

Treehugger just smiled and placed a hoof over her heart.

"If you talk from right here, you won't."

***

"God damn it," I grumbled, rolling over in my bed.

I hated sleeping in hotels. They could be set up with silk sheets and million dollar drinks and I'll still have a hell of a time trying to sleep. So here I am. lying on my back. Staring at my room's ceiling. Wide awake. Perfect.

"Fuck it," I grumbled, throwing my blanket off and staggering to my feet. "I need some air."

Thanks to my sharpened senses, I easily navigated the dark room towards the door. With a little Extrasensory, I quietly snuck out into the even darker open hallway beyond.The silence was deafening as I walked, something I didn't notice after all the things I've been through recently. Till now, I've always had someone around to keep me compony. In Fluttershy's Sanctuary, I had my skulk. Now I had Autumn and Treehugger. Who was I going to have in my life when I got to Ponyville?

I guess I'll find out when I get there.

Eventually, I wandered into the Inn's dining area. I didn't think too much about that until I saw Autumn sitting at one of the tables at the center of the room. A small smile grew on my muzzle as I made my way towards her table. Her horn was glowing as she stared down at a small stack of papers, her brows furrowed in concentration as she frowned at the stack. I shook my head as I fell to my haunches across from her.

"Couldn't sleep either, eh?" I asked.

She let out a startled yelp and looked around. When she saw me, she chuckled and let out a relieved sigh.

"You scared me," she smiled.

"Sorry," I laughed.

"It's alright," she chuckled. "And yeah. Thought I could get some work done at least."

"Makes sense," I shrugged. "I couldn't get myself to sleep in a hotel bed without half a bottle of Jack in my gut back home."

"Couldn't get comfortable?" she asked with a smile.

"Nah," I sighed. "The thought that dozens of other people slept in it before I did. Who the hell knows what else they probably did in it."

Autumn stuck her tongue out and made a barfing noise at that.

"Did not need that thought in my head," she cringed.

We shared a laugh at that.

God, what was it about her that made me feel so good around her? Damn her and her incredible cuteness. I came out here to mope for a few hours. How dare she ruin my plans?

We sat like that in silence for a few seconds just smiling at each other as I tried to think of something else to say. Key word being tried.

Autumn giggled and gave me a teasing smile as she asked, "Like what you see?"

"Definitely," I smirked. "Do you?"

Her grin quickly turned into a wide-eyed blush.

"M-Maybe?" she stammered with a soft squeak.

My face heated up and I swear my tails fluffed up when I heard that. It was then that I realized what position I was in. I was alone with a cute girl in an empty room in the dark. Sure, the girl in question wasn't human, but I think most people would forgive me for frankly not giving a fuck considering my situation.

Luckily, Autumn decided to say something when I made that revelation.

"Um, about what you asked back at the bar."

I blinked, then frowned and looked away at that.

"Forget about it," I sighed. "I was just talking out my ass. Too many drinks, y'know?"

I felt a warm force gather around my chin and gently guide my head so I was facing Autumn again.

"I-I... like you," she whispered, leveling a gentle smile at me. "I've never met anycreature like you. You're funny and warm and really strong when you need to be. The fact that your like that after everything you've been through makes me like you more and I want to help you. But do you know what makes me like you the most?"

I shook my head, my head slowly short circuiting as I let Autumn's praise wash over me.

"You saw me at my worst and you aren't afraid of me."

We sat in silence, Autumn giving me the softest smile I've ever seen as I struggled to process what she said. A part of me thought she was lying, that she was just telling me what I wanted to hear like everyone else. Then I saw her smile, remembered the honest tone of her voice, and I knew she wasn't trying to BS me. That was how she really thought about me.

A small chuckle slipped past my muzzle as I stood up.

"I think you give me too much credit," I sighed, then smiled as I added, "Why would I be afraid of my new best friend?"

Ch. 13 Slow Burn ..."Yeah... This Is Gonna Be Messy"

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Soft squeaks and the faint creaking of wood were the only signs of life in the world as Treehugger walked, her wagon home strapped securely to her as she made her way across a wide open field. The thick overcast sky perfectly matched her mood as her worried thoughts wandered towards her two travel companions. It had been two days since they'd left Ore Town and the events there left the pair unsteady. They still laughed, smiled, and teased each other, but it wasn't as naturally as Treehugger remembered it. Their actions seemed stiff, almost scripted as they interacted. It was as if they were afraid to get too close to each other, like they were holding themselves back. She could see it every time they talked and all of the long awkward pauses that took up most of their conversations. Not helping was all of the times she caught Autumn coming back to the wagon smelling like smoke or the bits of wood or stone she would occasionally see in Alex's tails when he came back to camp with firewood.

She sighed as she continued forward, a bit of dread settling into her gut at what was to come. After what Autumn told her while they were soaking in the inn's hot spring, she expected this kind of tension to develop between them. In some ways, it was a good thing for them. The fact that they were being so cautious around each other showed just how much they cared about each other. On the other hoof, it could put a huge strain on their relationship moving forward regardless of what nature that relationship takes. It made what the Earth Pony had planned a little more complicated than it was at the start.

They won't like this, she thought with a frown. This will be difficult for them, but they need this to move forward. Especially Brother Alex. Purging his poison. Bonding with a warm spirit. Laughing in the presence of kind souls. Now, only one thing is left and it will hurt.

Her hooves felt heavy as she walked, the pebble of dread in her gut growing to the size of an apple as a forest came into view in the distance. She slowed her trek as she reached into a pocket on her harness and pulled out a small root. With a sigh, she put the root into her mouth and doubled her pace.

Good luck soul brother, soul sister, she thought as she chewed the bitter herb. This is a path you both must walk without my guidance.

***

I laid on my side on the wagon's floor staring blankly at a wall. At the same time, my mind ran over what Autumn told me back at the in. It was all..... a lot to take in. I'm not stupid. Okay, I'm stupid, but I know what a confession looks like. It was so obvious that Autumn has the hots for me it hurt. What she liked so much about me was beyond me, but that wasn't really the main issue here. The issue is that..... I might like her too and that scares the hell out of me.

Fucking chicken.

Oh, hey brain! Nice to hear from you again! How you been?

Sporting a bigger pair then you, numb nuts.

Fuck you.

A low grumbling filled my head before-

Look pal, you need to get a goddamn grip! Our whole life had been nothing but one giant shaft up our asses after another! Aside from Dahlia and Sid, everyone's buried us under such a huge pile of shit we could regrow a forest! Now we finally find someone that makes us happy and you're not going to hop on it?! I'd ask just how stupid you are, but I already know the answer!

Fuck off, I thought with a sigh.

NO! I'm not letting this go! You need to be honest with yourself and tell her how you feel. She did it; now it's your turn!

I snorted at that and forced myself to my haunches.

Just shut up.

I snuck a look at Autumn. She was sitting in a far off corner going through her papers. The blank look she gave the paper made me feel like a knife got rammed into my gut. I wanted to go to her, but every time I tried my body would just freeze up. I let out a sigh and stared out the window. The gray clouds smothering the sky matched the mood in the wagon as the dreary scenery slid past. Compared to what was going on in here, the outdoors were looking pretty good.

After.... I don't even know how long, the scene started to get hazy.

"The fuck?" I muttered as I leaned closer to the window.

"What's wrong?" Autumn asked, the clopping of her hooves telling me that she stood up.

I nodded towards the window as the haze thickened. I heard Autumn walk towards me as a thick fog covered the scene. Eventually, it got so bad that I could barely see anything past it. Every now and then, I'd see what looked like a tree or something in the fog.

"Where are we?" Autumn asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," I shrugged.

A few seconds later, the inside of the wagon started to become hazy and damp with the same fog from outside. A strange sense of vertigo started to wash over me as the fog got thicker and thicker. I let out a groan as I brought a paw to my forehead to rub the dizziness away. A loud thud at my side caught my attention as the dizziness continued to grow as the fog got thicker. Autumn was passed out on the ground breathing heavily, like she had a fever. I reached out for her with a paw to see if she was okay just before my vision blurred and turned dark. I felt myself start to fall over before everything turned black.

***

I groaned as I staggered to my paws, soft grass crunching under me as I fought off my dizziness. My vision was blurry as I looked around at a ton of tall gray blobs. A few blinks later, the blobs turned into trees. Thick fog hid everything three trees away from me in every direction with a carpet of thick fresh grass covering the ground. I looked up and saw a light gray sky with a silver sun shinning down on me. The air smelled of pine, dampness, and dirt, but what had me on edge was the silence. Back at the sanctuary, I constantly heard some kind of activity at all times. Even at night, I'd hear an owl or some other small animal go about their business. I didn't even hear the leaves move.

"Where the hell am I?" I muttered to myself as I looked around. "And where's Autumn and Treehugger?"

I called out for them, seriously freaked out by how far my voice echoed in the eery silence. After waiting a few minutes for a response, I braced myself and started heading in a random direction.

Okay Alex. Don't panic. First, find Autumn and Treehugger. After that, we can all freak out together for a while and then try to find a way out of here.

"I hope they're okay," I muttered as I walked.

***

Autumn groaned as she started to stir, a light dizziness making her awakening more a chore then it would be otherwise. The soft grass beneath her crunched as she forced herself to stand, the only other sounds she could detect being her own grumbles as she rubbed just below the base of her horn.

"What the ash happened?" she grumbled as her dizziness passed. "Everycreature okay?"

When no answer came she looked around. She was alone. A cold wave of dread washed over her as she let that fact set in. With an audible gulp, she slowly turned around in the vain hope that she was mistaken only to be greeted by tall pine trees reaching up towards a gray sky with a silver sun. The sight put a frozen chill down her spine as she forced herself to stare at the ground, her heart pounding in her chest like a jackhammer as the weight of her current situation took shape.

"A-Alex?!" she called, a small nervous chuckle making her voice shake as she stared out into the fog-soaked distance. "Tr-Treehugger?! Are you out there?!"

Absolute silence greeted her, even the echoes of her own voice seemingly swallowed by the void of fog.

She gulped, then cracked a shaky smile as she said, "C-Come on guys! This isn't funny!"

Still no answer.

Autumn's ears flattened as a cold realization came over her; she was completely alone. She fought back her tears as memories of a darker time in her life came to her, the eery silence and cold solitude forcing those memories to the front of her mind like a nagging itch. A cold chill ran down her back as she tried to shake those thoughts away.

"I-I need to find them," she stammered, looking around.

After a few minutes of thought, she settled on a direction and started to walk. As she made her way further into the forest, hoof-shaped burns marked her previous steps in the grass.

***

How long have I been walking?

That was my only thought as I made my way through the forest. Was it a few hours? A few days? A week? I remembered seeing the sun set and rise a few times, but it was hard for me to keep track of anything. My head felt so... hazy. I didn't feel tired or hungry or thirsty or anything. I felt... empty. Why was I walking again? Was I looking for something? I... I can't remember.

A hint of something came to mind. A voice. A smile. What was that? Was that a memory? Doesn't matter. I need to walk. I need find... someone. Who am I looking for?

A faint trace of a name drifted to the front of my thoughts, but it vanished before I could process it properly. It's fine. I just need to keep walking. Nothing matters. The thoughts don't matter. I didn't matter. What is this place? It doesn't matter.

The world slowly started to turn dark, but I still continued to walk. I didn't need anything. I never had anyone. No one would miss me if I disappeared.

A loud scream in the distance cleared the cobwebs from my head. No, not just any scream.

"Autumn?" I asked, my voice dry as I came back to reality.

Another horrified scream tore through the creepily quiet forest.

"Autumn!" I cried as I ran towards the scream.

What the fuck is going on? What happened back there? Whatever, I'll worry about that later. I have to get to Autumn, now!

"Hang on Autumn," I growled as I forced my legs to move faster. "I'm coming! Just hang on!"

"Who says?"

Out of nowhere, something big rammed into me from my right. I let out an agonized yell as I slammed back-first into a tree and fell to the ground. Groaning, I staggered to my feet and looked at what hit me. Standing a good fifteen feet away from me was a pitch-black Ninetales. Where I had orange tail-tips, his were a light gray and his eyes where a dark violet color.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, his voice sounding like a distorted version of mine.

I glared at him and snarled, "None of your fucking business, asshole."

He gave me a shitty grin and said, "Do you think so?"

Another scream filled the air, much closer then it was earlier.

Autumn!

I turned and got ready to run again, but my friend's grinning mug appeared in front of me before I could get moving. I had just enough time to blink before he blew me back a few feet with a Flamethrower. I let out a yelp as the flames washed over me, the force hurting me more then the sting of the flames as I slid back on my paws.

"Sorry my friend," he chuckled, strutting towards me. "You're not getting any closer to Autumn."

***

Flames. That was all Autumn could see as she sat on her haunches, horrified screams tearing out of her throat as she stared at her black and white hooves. It started out subtle at first. A few burned hoofprints, a small ember coming out of her mane and tail every now and then. That quickly changed as her scales turned black and her fur turned into flames. Panic quickly took over as the Kirin tried to reel in her flames, but all of her efforts only added to the inferno. Now she sat in the eye of a raging hurricane of fire, tears sliding down her cheeks and was powerless to stop it.

Please stop! she thought frantically, begging her power to let her tame it. I-I can't stop it! Please! Please stop! PLEASE STOP!!! I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!!!

All she could do was scream as everything around her was destroyed, consumed by her untamed flames.

Alex...please save me...

***

"Get out of my way!" I snarled, battered and bruised as I tried to run past the other Ninetales.

Just like the dozen or so times I tried, he appeared in front of me and sent me flying back with an Iron Tail. My whole body throbbed as I slid across the grass on my side. I let my anger keep me from passing out from the pain as I staggered to my feet.

"Fucker," I gasped, spitting out a mouthful of blood as I glared at him.

"Why are you trying so hard?" he asked. "Autumn doesn't need you. No one does. You're better off letting her be. Someone much better then you will save her eventually. Just let yourself fade away already. You'll make her so much happier if you did that."

I hated to admit it, but he had a point. Autumn could do a hell of a lot better than me. Hell, I can't even get past this asshole to save her. What the hell was even the point of trying to save her if someone else could do a better job of it?

My thoughts froze as Autumn's smiling face came to me, her laugh, her attitude, and finally, her confession. A new strength filled me as all the time we spent together ran through my head like a slideshow. That was why I was doing this. That was why I cared. So what if she could do better? She likes me, and you know what? I like her too, damn it!

"Fuck you," I snarled.

I charged again, but instead of trying to get past the Ninetales I ran right at him. I charged up the strongest Iron Tail I could manage and spun. He did the same thing and a loud metallic clang filled the air around us. I growled as I faced him fully and crouched as low as I could. Still charged with energy, I stabbed at him with my tail tips like a scorpion. He bobbed and weaved his head around so I couldn't land a direct hit, but a felt a few hits graze him. I let out a pained yelp as something invisible slammed into me and knocked me back a few feet.

Extrasensory too? Are you fucking kidding me?

I felt my paws dig deep grooves into the ground as I landed on them. The pain in my chest was intense, but I grit through it as I gathered my energy to my forehead.

Fine! If that's how you want to do this, let's go Darth Fucker!

I let loose a blast of Extrasensory at him, only for the same kind of colorless shimmer to appear three feet in front of me and shoot through mine into me. I tanked the hit, feeling something wet and sticky slide down my forehead to my cheek. The world started to blur, but I refused to go down. There was no way I was going to let this guy stop me from saving Autumn.

I could sense another Extrasensory coming at me. As I gathered some energy to my forehead to try and counter, I knew that I wouldn't be able to fire it in time. I growled as I did something else with the power in my head. I gathered it around the base of my skull and rammed into the incoming attack. A bit of force made me cringe, but aside from that, the attack scattered around me as mine blew it apart. I could see the shock on the other Ninetale's face as his attack was countered, but I didn't give it too much thought. Running on pure instinct, adrenalin, and anger, I channeled what was left of my energy into my whole body. I needed to move faster. Fast enough to get past this asshole. Fast enough that he couldn't catch me. Fast enough to make up for the time I wasted fucking around with him to get to Autumn.

Flames surged around my body, but instead of burning me it made my body feel lighter. All of the aches in my muscles faded to bearable levels and the energy that remained in my core flowed much faster. It was as if gravity gave me a discount as I charged towards the black Ninetales.

At the last second, I shot past him into the tree line behind him. As I did, I swear I saw a proud smile spread across his muzzle. My ears twitched as I heard him say something as I passed him.

"Go ahead numb nuts. Go and be happy for once."

***

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, Autumn's screams telling me where to go and adding to my determination to get there. The flames that surrounded me had dissipated a long time ago, but the lightness effect was still there as I forced myself forward. After a while, I started to see a light in the distance in the same direction Autumn's screaming was coming from. I doubled my efforts as I ran towards the light, bobbing and weaving around the trees as I closed in on my target. I froze when I finally made it to the light's source.

A blue and pink tornado of fire stood in front of me, vaporizing everything that got too close to it as it reached into the sky. I was dumbstruck for a moment as I took in the sight, only for Autumn's scream to snap me out of it. A scream that was coming from the center of the tornado. With a determined frown, I ran towards the tornado.

The heat was intense as I forced my way through, the flames seemingly trying to push me back as I moved forward. My legs ached, my battered body screamed at me to stop, and I felt like I was being crushed under a press, but I continued forward. Eventually, I made it to the eye of the firestorm and what I saw crushed me more then the pressure of the storm's fire.

There, sitting on her haunches was a fully Nirik Autumn bawling her eyes out to the sky. I grit my teeth as I forced my sore body to move, my steps slow and unsteady as I tried to close the distance. For what felt like hours, I listened to Autumn scream as I practically dragged myself towards her. My body begged me to stop and rest, but I told it to go fuck itself. I can rest later. I had something much more important to take care of first.

Panting, battered, and burned, I found myself sitting in front of Autumn. With a tired smile, I wrapped my forelegs around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Her screams turned into startled whimpers as she became aware of me.

"A-Alex?" she stammered.

"Yeah," I whispered, holding her tighter. "I'm right here. It's all going to be okay."

There was a brief pause, then small whimpering as she wrapped her forelegs round me. Slowly, I saw the parts of her in my line of sight shift back to her normal form as the flames faded away. As I held her, the exhaustion I had been fighting against to get to her started to overpower me. I could tell that it was the same for Autumn as her grip started to loosen. I felt a smile make its way onto my muzzle as I let myself fall asleep in our mutual embrace.

***

Everything hurt as my eyes cracked open, the dim light coming in from a nearby window almost blinding as I tried to figure out where the hell I was now. After a few seconds of swearing, my vision cleared up enough to show me that I was back inside of Treehugger's wagon. That didn't really matter all that much to me when my eyes fell on Autumn laying a couple feet away from where I was laying. I watched her eyes flutter as she came to, a dull groan making it out of her muzzle as she woke up. When her eyes fell on me, a soft smile graced her muzzle. I smiled back as I forced a paw out towards her. She did the same and we locked eyes as our appendages made contact.

Her mane was a mess, she had tear stains running down her face, and she looked like she ran a mile through a hurricane. She was still the most beautiful creature in the world to me.

***

A Hippogriff stood behind a bar cleaning a glass, his seaside bar empty aside from him as he went about his business. This was a fairly typical occurrence at this time of day, as very few creatures didn't work the early afternoon shift on a week day. A fact that gave the teal Hippogriff all the time he needed to ready himself for the rowdy sailors that came in from beyond his native soil. It was for this reason he was surprised when two creatures let themselves into his establishment.

His shock turned into amusement when he saw just who had decided to visit him so early in the day.

One was a large white fox vixen, just an inch taller at the shoulder than a typical mare, but a good two feet longer than one not counting her nine tails. Said tails trailed behind her in a thick mass of white like a cross between a fan and a cloud with light blue wisp-like tips. Her solid blue eyes shined with cunning and confidence that was reflected in her posture as she walked. The only mar to her beauty was a large scar from her left eye all the way down to her chest that she wore like a badge of honor.

The creature next to her was an even rarer sight. It was quadrapedal and half a foot taller at the shoulder then its companion, but not quite as long. It had long and shaggy fur that covered its body and head. Its face and tail were bare and dark blue in color. Said tail was more of a long blade in design, much like the single curved scythe-like horn that stuck out of the left side of the creature's round head. Its red eyes scanned its surroundings with mild curiosity as its three-toed claws clacked across the bar's hardwood floor.

The barkeep smiled as he grabbed a couple of bottles off of the wall behind him.

"Haven't seen you two in a while," he chuckled as he poured them a couple shots. "Any luck?"

The Ninetales grimaced at the table as she and her companion took their seats at the bar. The Absol next to her sighed as he shook his head.

"She slipped away," he spat, reaching for the shot the bartender offered.

"I was so close," the Ninetales growled. "If I had been just a little fucking faster..."

She let out a frustrated growl as she levitated the shot towards her muzzle and downed it. The Absol put a paw on her back and gave her a comforting smile.

"Don't worry sis," he said with a determined nod. "We'll get her next time."

The Ninetales let out a frustrated sigh before giving the Absol a small smile and a nod.

"Yeah, thanks Sid."

"Anytime Dal," he winked.

Dahlia rested her head on a paw as she gave the barkeep a near board frown.

"Speaking of, have you heard anything interesting Harpoon?" she asked, nursing her freshly filled shot.

The Hippogriff shrugged and said, "Not much. Ever since the Battle of the Bell, things have been pretty peaceful."

"Wonder how long that'll last," Sid said with a hint of snark.

"You tell me," Harpoon chuckled.

The Absol just rolled his eyes at that as he nursed his shot.

As the Hippogriff was about to give his friend another quip about his abilities, a recent memory made him let out a happy squawk and hammer one of his talons into its open neighbor.

"I just remembered! Some Diamond Dog merchants came by a few days ago talking about a Kitsune showing up in Ore Town."

"Really?" Dahlia asked, her boredom replaced with intrigue. "That's weird. Those guys usually have their heads so far up their asses that it's a fashion statement. What's one doing in a Diamond Dog village?"

"Beats me," he shrugged. "Anyway, thought you'd like to know in case it meant anything to ya."

As Harpoon walked off to tend to something behind the bar, the two siblings traded knowing smiles. It looked like a trip to Equestria was in order.

Ch. 14 Autumn Embers "And The Puns Keep Coming..."

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Crickets and the crackling of our campfire echoed around us as we sat in silence, the mood somber as Autumn and I stayed close to the fire. We laid next to each other, my eyes locked onto the fire as I tried to process what happened a few hours ago.

According to Treehugger, the forest we went through was called The Breezy Forest. Since the creatures were super fragile, their forest home is filled with a fog that puts people in some kind of dream dimension. It apparently wasn't uncommon for someone to come here to use the fog for enlightenment or to get over phobias as a form of shock therapy. Granted, it was usually done as a last resort, but that was beside the point. There were a few herbs and potions you could take to make you immune to the fog's effects, but...

I sighed as I turned my head towards Treehugger.

She was wrapped in my blanket, cheeks and forehead pink, and wheezing. I could see Autumn turn her head in Treehugger's direction out the corner of my eye. I didn't need to be a psychic type to guess what was on her mind as I let myself remember what happened earlier in the day.

***

"Let me get this straight," I growled, paw massaging the middle of my forehead as we stood under a now clear late afternoon sky next to the wagon. "You brought Autumn and I through a forest that would've dumped us into some pocket dimension and didn't think it was a good idea to give us a heads up in advance?!"

"Yes," she sighed, sitting on her haunches and staring at the ground.

"Why?" Autumn growled, eyes glowing white and flames covering her tail as she glared at her.

Treehugger continued to stare at the ground as she answered.

"Brother Alex needed to face himself in order to heal, to be able to allow himself to be happy. I could see it after we left Ore Town."

I thought back to how things were around that time and realized she had a point. After Autumn's confession, I was doing everything I could think of to put some distance between us. I made every excuse in the book just to deny how I felt about her. Looking back, I knew how stupid I was being, but at the time they felt like the right calls to make.

"Okay," I sighed, letting my paw leave my forehead. "I can see where you are coming from, but couldn't you have warned us?"

Treehugger teetered a bit before she said, "You wouldn't've gone through with it if you knew."

I was about to argue when I noticed how out of it Treehugger seemed. Don't get me wrong, she always seemed to be in her own little world, but this was different. Her shoulders were slumped and she kept swaying side to side. It was subtle at first, but as she sat in front of us it gradually got hard not to notice.

"Are you okay?" Autumn asked, her body going back to normal as she gave Treehugger a concerned frown.

"Y-Yes sister," she stammered, finally looking up at us. "Grogar's Beard has some powerful side-effects is all."

I reared back at how glassy her eyes looked. Her cheeks and forehead were pink as well, like she had a fever or something. Autumn practically ran towards her looking like Treehugger was about to die as she placed a hoof on her forehead.

"Grogar's Beard?! Are you bucking kidding me?!" she exclaimed, gently opening Treehugger's mouth and looking inside.

"What's Gro-?"

"No time!" Autumn cut me off, looking at me frantically. "Quick! Get me your blanket and set up a fire! I'll get her kettle and make her comfortable!"

I nodded and got to work. It took me a few minutes to find any fallen branches that would make a decent fire without getting caught in the forest's fog, but I managed to make it work. After I got all of that taken care of, Autumn set up a stand for Treehugger's kettle and went through all of our driver's herbs while the water boiled. While she did that, I kept an eye on Treehugger.

I think my heart fell into my stomach when she fell over panting.

***

What happened after that was a blur, but whatever happened ended with Treehugger wrapped up in my blanket looking like she caught a flu from hell. I sighed as I stared back into the flames, not really sure how I should feel about the situation. On one hand, I was furious with Treehugger for basically drugging me, but on the other I felt kind of glad that she did. While I wasn't ready to go all out with Autumn, I was more willing to let whatever happens between us happen.

Speaking of, it was kind've hard to stay angry with Autumn leaning into me. I never really noticed how warm she was or how soft her fur was. I mean, sure, fire creature with fur equals a lot of heat, but it was still a fact that grabbed my attention now that I wasn't fighting the whole situation. It was nice, to be honest.

The only thing that ruined the moment for me was a question that had been nagging at me since Treehugger got sick.

"What's Grogar's Beard?" I asked.

Autumn sighed, but kept staring into the fire as she said, "It's a really powerful herb that can be used to temporarily nullify magic. The downside is that using it can temporarily shut down somecreature's own magic as well. It can also make them sick for a couple days if they eat it."

"Is she going to be okay?" I asked, giving Treehugger a worried look.

"Yeah," she sighed, following my line of sight. "A little rest and with the right herbs, she should be good to go after tomorrow."

"Good," I groaned, then smiled as I looked down at her and added, "Don't want to lose a friend after getting a girlfriend."

Autumn's eyes widened as her face turned bright red. A small squeak came out of her as she quickly looked away, a small orange flame appearing on the tip of her horn. Good god this girl was cute!

"G-Girlfriend?" she stammered.

"If you want," I shrugged. "If you don't, I get i-"

"No-no!" she stammered, looking up at me again still blushing. "It's not that! It's just... are you sure?"

I nodded and said, "But I don't want us to rush anything. Nothing too extreme until later if we're cool with it."

"Right," she smiled, then sheepishly avoided eye contact as she asked, "Can we... cuddle?"

I blinked at her as my brain short circuited for a few seconds from cute overload. Once I managed to reboot, I nodded and chuckled as I put a foreleg over her back.

"Haven't we been doing that all along?" I winked.

She giggled at that and leaned into me as she said, "I guess. Maybe we can have a proper date when we get to Ponyville."

"I thought the drinks we had when we first met was a date," I said with a fake look of shock.

She laughed and shook her head.

"Nu-uh," she smirked. "I want the full package. Dinner, drinks, and a show."

I gave her an evil smile as I said, "My, my. I'd better start getting to work when we get there. Unless you want to pay me to give you a show."

Her blush grew to her ears as she babbled at me. I laughed loudly as I pulled her in a little closer.

"A real date sounds good," I smiled. "But yeah, it's gonna take me a while to figure out how I'll get the money first."

"I'll help where I can," she said, resting her head on top of my shoulder.

"Looking forward to it," I said happily as I rested my head on top of hers.

***

Near silence filled the night sky, the stars and half-moon the only sources of light as crickets sang the song of their kind. A hastily built camp stood at he heart of an open field with a wagon and three creatures sleeping around an already dead fire. One of the creatures, a light-green Earth Pony mare came back to the waking world with a weary groan. Treehugger raised her head to get a better look at her surroundings, her body still feeling sluggish as her body fought against the effects of the herb she ate.

What she saw brought a soft smile to her face.

Laying roughly ten feet away from her were her two travel companions, both snuggled close together with smiles on their muzzles. Even without access to her special vision, she could see that her gamble had payed off. She could sense the care the now couple shared almost as acutely as a Changeling as she watched them sleep. A small laugh slipped past her muzzle as she let her head rest on the ground.

Her mind drifted to how her friend was the day they met. On the surface, she could see a suffering creature on the verge of falling apart. When she "saw" him, the damage was far worse than she ever thought possible. When he told her of his past, a rancid black aura surrounded him like a rotten odor. Red patches of toxic energy covered his back where she now knew his former mate stabbed him. Black manacles of the same poisonous energy chained his neck and paws to the ground. Just the memories of the state Alex's soul put a cold chill down her spine, but one detail made her optimistic that he could be saved. At the heart of all that pain shined a bright flame that begged to be set free. When Treehugger helped that flame escape its confines, Alex's heart started to change for the better.

It was slow at first, but the poison in his soul gradually started to burn away as his true flame flowed freely through him. By the time she brought him to Ore Town, all but the tiniest traces of the infection killing his soul was removed. Small flecks of foul red energy stained his back were his physical scars remained, but that was to be expected. No matter what happens, some negative energies never leave a creature's body, nor the traumas that birthed them. However, the worst of his soul's damage was replaced by the vibrant glow of his inner fire.

Now that he had finally opened his heart to somecreature, she could see his inner flame burn like a wild bonfire as it mixed with Autumn's inferno. A part of her worried that her friendship with the new couple was now over, but if it helped them move forward together, then it was a sacrifice that was well worth the price. She knew that was the risk when she decided to use the forest's power long before she began this journey with the Ninetales. The inclusion of Autumn in the journey made her a little more optimistic moving forward. That grew as she saw how close they became.

Be happy my friend, she thought as she let her consciousness drift away.

***

Every day I live in magic pony world, I learn something new. Unicorns and Kirin have The Force. Pegasi can work with animals. Earth Ponies can poof things into existence. The fact that I was watching a different Earth Pony devour an entire crate of apples by herself was the latest new thing I've come to learn about this world.

"Is this normal?" I asked, sitting on my haunches next to an equally gobsmacked Autumn.

She shook her head as Treehugger pulled out an apple and tore into it.

A few minutes ago, we woke up when a loud thud came out of Treehugger's wagon. When we got up and investigated, we found Treehugger sitting in a crate practically inhaling apples. I had to admit, a part of me was impressed that she was able put all that away, but, uh.... let's just say she really liked apples.

After a while, Treehugger ran out of apples and let herself lean half out of the crate with a sleepy smile and belched.

"That hit the spot," she sighed dreamily.

An awkward pause filled the air as Autumn and I traded looks before I broke it.

"Looks like someone's feeling better," I chuckled.

She turned her head towards us and gave a sheepish smile as she nodded.

"Good to know," Autumn sighed as she approached Treehugger, placing a hoof on her forehead. "Grogar's Beard can take awhile to recover from."

Treehugger gave her a small chuckle as she gently pushed Autumn's hoof off of her forehead.

"Be at ease soul sister. I've always had a strong tolerance towards poisons."

"Still," Autumn frowned. "I don't want to take any chances. We're going to stay here for a couple days so you can rest. No arguments. No negotiations. Am I making myself clear?"

Treehugger gave her a surprised frown, then sighed as she nodded.

"Good," Autumn nodded, then gave her a cheeky smile as she asked, "Did you leave any breakfast for the rest of us?"

Treehugger nodded and pointed a hoof at another crate further in the wagon.

"There should be a pot and some oatmeal in there."

"Perfect," she smiled. "Now get out of there and get some rest."

"Yes ma'am," Treehugger giggled as she slid the rest of herself unsteadily out of the crate.

I rolled my eyes and made my way towards our fire pit to see if I needed to get any fresh wood.

It's way too early for me to be dealing with this shit, I thought with a tired chuckle.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caught my attention. I looked up from the fire pit towards the sound to see Treehugger standing next to me.

For a few seconds, she just stared at me, then smiled and said, "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked raising a brow.

"For not hating me," she said with her usual lazy smile.

Okay, either I was the easiest person to read, or this pony could read my fucking mind. I mean, sure, I was a little mad at her for what happened, but the fact that she poisoned herself to get me and Autumn together kind of made it hard to hate her. Not too many people in my life have been willing to go quite that far for me and it was a lot for me to take in. Besides, it really ate at me to see Treehugger looking so helpless last night.

"Don't worry about it," I sighed. "Just focus on getting better. Don't think I didn't notice you staggering a bit back there."

"I will," she smiled, then placed a hoof on my shoulder as she added, "Don't let her slip away this time."

My face heated up as I got ready to tell her I had no idea what she was talking about, but then I just gave her a sheepish smile as I nodded. What the fuck was the point anymore? Autumn and I are a thing. Might as well get used to it from this point on.

I cleared my throat and gave the fire pit a passing glance before I said, "L-Looks like we need more wood. I'd better head out and doe, er, do something about that."

I picked a direction at random and hauled ass before I could make a bigger ass of myself. Not fast enough to escape the cheeky smile I saw on her face out the corner of my eye.

God damn it.

***

Autumn hummed as she sat in the wagon and sifted through Treehugger's collection of spices from a barrel. While it didn't surprise her that much that a traveler like her would have a lot of spices to choose from, the fact that she had such an exotic collection at her disposal was a different story all together. Most of the labeled jars she levitated out were the kind of things that would've bankrupt most ponies just to get a pinch of. Her jaw nearly fell off of her head when she saw a five pound jar of powdered Saddle Arabian Saffron float out of the barrel. Opting to steer clear of the more exotic options, she tried to figure out which of the spices she was more familiar with would work best with what she had to work with.

As she debated with herself, Treehugger came to her side and settled down onto her haunches.

"Cinnamon and white sugar is a good choice, soul sister," she smiled, earning a small flinch out of the Kirin.

"I know that," she frowned, rolling her eyes as she glared down at the jars. "I just want to make this a little special, you know?"

Treehugger nodded, then sported a faintly impish smile as she said, "New mates make us work harder, don't they?"

Autumn chuckled and sported a small smile to go with her blush as she nodded. Treehugger stifled a giggle behind a hoof, happy to see the Kirin doe so open about the situation.

"Did you show him your dance?" she asked.

Autumn's eyes went wide at that as her blush grew to her ears as she turned to face the Earth Pony.

"W-What? N-No! Of course not!" she stammered, steam coming off the tip of her horn in a thick cloud along with the sound of a whistling kettle. "W-W-We've only just become a pair!"

"I see," Treehugger nodded, small smile still present on her muzzle. "Best practice for later then. Fall will come sooner then you think and you don't want to be left unprepared."

Steam started to come off the tips of her ears as the poor Kirin let her driver's words and their implications sink in.

"D-Do you think he'll be okay with it?" she asked, eyes locked onto the floor. "W-We kind've agreed to take things a bit slow for awhile a-and I really don't want to scare him off, you know?"

Treehugger gave her a soft smile and said, "Then practice for when the time is right. If you let your heart guide your hooves, then you will not fail."

"I hope so," she sighed, the steam dissipating from her body as her blush faded. "I don't want to go through what happened after Ore Town."

"You won't," Treehugger said, placing a reassuring hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Do you know why?"

Autumn shook her head.

"Because Alex cares too much about you to let it happen again."

Ch. 15 A Fox Among Ponies "Welp...Time To Meet The Natives...Again"

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It took a couple days for Treehugger to fully recover. Not that we were in any real hurry, to be honest. The whole time Treehugger was getting back on her feet (or hooves I guess), Autumn and I spent a ton of time together. Well, okay, we've been pretty much doing that this whole time, but not quite like this. For the most part, we just ran around playing tag and racing each other. Some part of me found the whole thing way more exciting than it probably should've been. Might've had something to do with all the looks she kept giving me when I chased her, that challenging little smirk of hers was just way too hot.

Anyway, once Treehugger got her strength back we started heading towards Ponyville. According to Treehugger, we were pretty close, about half a day by her calculations. Assuming she didn't have any other side quests planned for us of course. Not that I minded them all that much, but it would be nice to wake up someplace with running water for a change.

Naturally, Autumn and I passed the time the way any new couple would.

"So, you've got a whole cellar of these?" I asked the smoke'n hot blur as I threw back a shot.

The blur giggled and in Autumn's voice slurred, "Yep! A whole cellar. Don't go getting any fffunny ideas though. This stuff's expensive!"

I laughed and pulled her closer to my side. The smell of cinnamon and campfire smoke hit me as I nuzzled the top of her head.

"I guess I'll have to go somewhere else to get my buzz on," I shrugged.

"Maybe," I heard her chuckle. "Just don't go brining any other does home with you."

"Never," I sighed. "You're more than I need."

"Same," she said, nuzzling into my side.

We stayed like that for god knows how long before I found something else to talk about.

"So what's Ponyville like?" I asked as I raised my head and floated a fresh shot to my mouth.

"Well," Autumn hummed, putting a hoof to her chin. "Most of the creatures living there are ponies."

"Kind've figured," I shrugged.

She giggled at that as she lightly jabbed an elbow into my chest.

"Anyway," she continued. "It's a pretty quiet place these days, but it does get its occasional crazy moments."

"Like what?"

"Random parasprite attack, dream monster attack, and countless evil overlords just to name a few," she said with a content sigh.

I was nowhere near drunk enough to miss all of that.

"Okay, ignoring the fact that I have no idea what the flying fuck a parasprite is, you're kidding me, right?"

I felt her shake her head as she let out a yawn.

"And you live there why?" I asked.

"Really good home prices and home owners insurance," she muttered drowsily.

I nodded in understanding as I rested my head back on top of hers.

"Any groups I should watch out for?"

She shrugged and said, "Some of the Griffins and Dragons there can be jerks, but you should be okay if you watch your step."

I rolled my eyes at that.

Apparently, Ponyville has a school nearby that teaches non-ponies how to not be assholes to each other. I know, Earth is a giant shit hole when it comes to love and peace, but most of the people know how to do that when it maters. Not enough as far as I'm concerned, but enough to keep everyone from killing each other. It took everyone almost dying and a group of kids to get the message to stick here. That, and Pinky Pie turning into a god for a few minutes apparently. Yeah, that thought is probably going to keep me up at night for a while. Anyway, since the school got rebuilt, all kinds of creatures started moving into Ponyville. Not a lot of them, but enough to get attention from the locals. Then again, I guess it would be kind of hard to miss a fire-breathing winged lizard the size of a condo complex walking down the street.

"Sounds like a scream," I chuckled.

***

You know that weird place between being awake and asleep? Yeah, I was knocked right out of that by a hard bump after what felt like hours. I raised my head, blinking the sleep out of my eyes as I waited for the rest of my brain to wake up. As it did, I slowly became aware of all the noise outside the wagon. It was muffled, but even a dipstick like me could recognize voices. I could also hear hooves, a ton of them, along with the usual background static you'd hear in any city. Well, okay, I didn't hear any cars or helicopters, but you know what I mean.

I staggered to my feet, earning an annoyed groan from Autumn as I moved away from her side towards a window. A bunch of homes, shops, and official looking buildings slid past as we went by. Nothing too special about that, aside from this one building that looked like it was made of candy. Sure enough, everywhere I looked I could see ponies. Flying in the sky, walking through the streets, pulling carts full of produce; ponies as far as the eye could see. Bright. Colorful. Ponies.

Think this is the place?

That, or you had way too much to drink and we're a shot away from Pink Ponies on Parade.

I snorted at that as I made my way back towards my girlfriend. A wicked smile crept onto my face as an evil idea started to grow in my mind. I crept as quietly as I could and lowered my muzzle down to one of her ears. My grin grew as I gently blew into it.

She let out an adorable squeak as her eyes popped open and she jumped to her hooves. I fell over laughing as she looked around with a small blush. When I came up for air, I instantly started laughing again when I saw the adorable glare she was giving me.

"Jerk," she pouted. "You know my ears are sensitive."

Y-Yeah," I laughed as I staggered to my feet. "One of the cutest things about you."

"C-Cute?" she stammered, her face turning bright red with wide eyes.

"Absolutely adorable," I smiled, nuzzling her cheek.

"Sh-Shut up," she stammered, her ears turning red as she avoided eye-contact with me. "I'm not cute."

"You're right," I shrugged, then smirked at the ceiling as I put a paw to my chin and said, "You're also hot, funny, cuddly, sassy, hot, kind, have a pretty laugh, hot, fun, and adorable as all hell. Did I mention you're hot?"

When I looked down at her now, her whole head was bright red with steam coming off of it.

Probably the only girl I've ever dated that's literally hot too.

"Y-Y-Y-You're terrible," she smiled, trying to hide her face behind her mane.

"Just honest," I chuckled. "If you want terrible, let's wait until we get to your place."

"I thought you wanted to take things slow," she smiled, giving me bedroom eyes.

"Didn't think snuggling together was so risqué here," I teased.

"I'm sure we could find a way," she winked.

My fur fluffed up as all kinds of...um... things ran through my head. Don't get me wrong, I really did want to take this slow, but good lord did Autumn make it hard sometimes. More than once, I had to take a minute to cool off when she did anything particularly spicy. Not helping was how my new body tended to react around her. Whenever she was close I kept having this urge to wrap my tails around her. It got even stronger when other people were around. I know, weird.

"Aw, you're blushing," Autumn giggled.

"I don't blush," I huffed, looking away from her as my face heated up. "I'm just full of fire. Makes my face heat up."

My ear flicked as she giggled, pulling my attention back to her.

"Whatever you say," she smiled, nuzzling into my chest. "It looks good on you."

"You wear it better," I grumbled.

"Maybe," she whispered, looking up at me. "By the way, I think you're the hot one here, pal."

I laughed and said, "Full of fire, remember?"

"Dork," she giggled as she lightly elbowed me.

"And that's why you like me," I winked. "By the way, I think we're in Ponyville."

"Really?" she asked.

I jerked my head towards the window. She made her way towards it, her tail playfully brushing against my chin as she walked by. I noticed a bit more swagger in her steps as she got into position, the sight making my tails fluff up as some unknown instinct came over me. I took long deep breaths as I tried to will it away just like I did the last dozen or so times it came.

Brain, I swear-

Not me this time boss. Must be a Ninetales thing. Better try keeping "that" under wraps until we know for sure.

Sounds like a good idea, I thought with a sigh. I wish I knew how this new body worked.

"Yep!" Autumn said with a nod, then turned her head towards me and with a smile added, "Welcome to Ponyville."

A smile crept onto my muzzle.

"Hope the place can handle me."

"Ready or not," she giggled. "Here we come."

***

Not gonna lie, when Treehugger opened the door for us to let us out of her wagon, I wasn't too optimistic about how the locals were going to react to me. I know, stupid, right? Still, a part of me couldn't help but to be on edge as I took my first steps out of the wagon. There weren't that many ponies around, about ten or twenty tops, but I felt all of their eyes boring holes into me. My tails fanned out a little behind me as my ears folded back. I hated being the center of attention, especially when I wasn't familiar with my surroundings.

Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I can still talk Treehugger into taking me to Whitetail.

A hoof on my left shoulder made me flinch and turn my head towards its owner.

"Are you okay?" Autumn asked, worry covering her face.

I smiled as some of my anxiety melted away.

"Yeah," I nodded, a bit of a nervous sigh slipping past my lips as I looked out into the nearest street. "It's just...a lot to take in."

"Be at ease soul brother," Treehugger smiled, hooking her wagon to a hitching pole. "The vibes here are mellow."

"If you say so," I sighed, then gave Autumn a smile as I said, "Welp, let's head home, get everything setup, and then get something to eat. I don't know about you, but I'm a little sick of oatmeal."

"Are you paying?" Autumn chuckled as she stepped ahead of me.

"Nah," I shrugged as I followed. "Just figured you were just as tired as I am and didn't feel like cooking."

A tiny hint of cotton candy, bubble gum, and flour made my nose twitch for a split second. Then I heard a gasp behind me, but when I looked over my shoulder all I saw was a smiling Treehugger and a small dust cloud.

Okay, that was weird, I thought, then shrugged it off as I continued to follow Autumn, Treehugger not far behind us.

Little by little, my dread started to dwindle as we made our way through town. Yeah, ponies were staring at me, but they were more passing glances at best or curious double-takes at worst. It was almost like I wasn't the weirdest thing to show up here. Then again, if what Autumn told me was anything to go by, I probably wasn't. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but it should make living here a hell of a lot easier.

I also noticed that the candy building wasn't the only odd one. One building we walked past was some kind of three-story tower covered with carousel horse decorations. It kind of looked like what would happen if a wedding cake and a merry-go-round had a baby. Then again, with all the crazy shit I've seen so far, that probably wasn't too far from the truth. Then there was the gigantic fucking crystal tree house I could see peaking over the top of some of the normal homes a good half mile away. Yeah, the damn thing was so fucking huge that I could see it even that far away and almost got blinded by it. Who. The. Hell lives there?! Did David Bowie move here at some point?! What the hell?

I wonder how many bucks got wasted building that train-wreck, I mused as we walked into an open market.

Cutting through the market was a bit difficult, but we managed. It helped that I was taller then the locals when I stood up straight. I even noticed Applejack manning a stand near the edge of the market, but a whole mob of ponies kept me from heading over to say hi. We did trade nods and smiles as I followed Autumn through the crowds though.

After a few minutes, the crowds got thiner and I found myself standing in front of a massive building. It looked like a stereotypical New York theater, but double the stories with a lot more lights. A ticket room was installed in the front with two doors on both sides leading into the building itself. Just above it was a blank rectangular display with small round lights framing it. I stared at it with my mouth hanging open like an idiot until Autumn jabbed an elbow into my chest.

"Not bad, huh?" she smirked.

"I'll say," I blinked, giving the theater another look. "This is where you live?"

"Nope," she giggled, then leaned into me. "This is where we live?"

"Right," I smiled with a sigh. "God this was going to take some getting used to."

She giggled as the three of us mad our way towards one of the theater's front doors. Before she opened the door, Autumn turned towards me with a sheepish smile.

"Just a bit of a heads up, there's kind of a rite of passage for creatures that move into Ponyville."

"Like what?" I asked, raising a brow.

"A... well... just try not to shoot fire when the lights turn on," she said, pulling the door open with her Jedi powers.

I shrugged and stepped into the dark theater. Even with my sharper eyes I couldn't really see much past the doors, but I could hear a bunch of creatures breathing and smell a few things that made me wonder what kind of things the locals got into. I didn't get to wonder for long as the lights suddenly flashed on, blinding me for a few seconds as a bunch of voices said, "Surprise!"

Once I blinked the spots out of my eyes, I saw a lobby full of familiar faces. All of the ponies from Fluttershy's Sanctuary were in the room, sans Fluttershy and Princess Twilight Sparkle. There were also a few other ponies I didn't know mixed into the group. One was a giant (by pony standards) red Earth pony with a short and scruffy orange mane and tail standing next to Applejack with a pale purple Unicorn pony with a curly dark purple mane and tail leaning into him. Near Pinkie Pie were two other Earth Ponies that looked like they were a step away from "done with this shit." One was gray with a straight purple mane and tail. She wore a plain blueish-gray dress with a skirt that stopped just past her...plot? Ass? That general area. The other one was a lighter shade of gray with a two-tone brown bowl-cut mane and short tail. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I saw a pink Alicorn standing next to the punch bowl with two Unicorns flanking her. I didn't know much about this world, but one thing was pretty clear; if a pony has wings and a horn, don't piss them off. Not helping was the fact that the pink pony Princess was a good two feet taller than me. The Unicorn to her left was white with a short and messy two-toned blue mane and tail. He also had a bulkier build compared to the other new ponies, not quite at big red's level, but leagues above the stick pony standing next to Pinkie Pie. The Unicorn at her right was bright yellow with white marks on his muzzle and around his hooves. His orange mane was long and messy while his tail was cut short like most of the newcomers and he actually had a beard. Apparently ponies can have beards. Interesting. His only clothing were a pair of gray glasses and a greenish-gray cloak with teal stars on it.

A trio of tables full of food and drinks took up the middle of the room. Streamers hung from the ceiling and balloons were tied to the corners of the tables. All-in-all, a pretty good set up for a smallish party.

I gave Autumn a look and she gave me a sheepish smile. I sighed and forced a small smile as I moved toward the party. Now don't get me wrong, I like parties as much as the next guy, but I was just too tired to put up with people right now.

Just say hi, have a few drinks, stuff your face, and find a place to crash for a couple hours. Easy as that.

Yeah right.

As if to prove me right, Pinkie Pie appeared in front of me and dragged me towards her guests.

"Alex," she smiled. "This is my sister, Maud and her coltfriend Mud Briar."

As she said that, she pointed first to the dressed pony then the stick pony.

I blinked dumbly for a second as my brain tried to catch up with what the fuck just happened. I swear, this pony is gonna kill me if she keeps pulling this kind of crap.

"Uh, hi," I said awkwardly.

"Hello," Maud said flatly.

"Greetings," Mud Briar said, just as flatly.

An awkward silence fell between us.

Jeez, these two are the life of the party, I thought as I struggled to come up with a topic.

"So," I started. "Do you guys have any hobbies?"

"Yes," Maud said while Mud Briar nodded.

I waited for her to add to that. And waited. And waited.

I suppressed a groan as I asked, "What are they?"

"I do stand up comedy and poetry," Maud monotoned.

"I draw," Mud Briar said just as flatly.

I nodded.

Well, that's not much, but it's a start at least.

"Do either of you drink?"

Maud nodded.

"If you are asking whether or not I consume alcoholic beverages, then yes," Mud Briar said, holding up a hoof. "I have been known to imbibe when the occasion calls for it."

"Great," I smiled. "Maybe we could hit a bar sometime."

"Sounds like a good idea," Autumn said, appearing at my side. "Right Maud?"

She actually smiled a bit as she nodded at Autumn.

"Yeah. Mud's been complaining about not finding any friends since we moved in together."

"Technically," he cut in. "I've only stated that it was hard to find any ponies that understand me."

"Tell me about it," I heard Pinkie Pie whisper.

I gave him a smirk and said, "Trust me pal, I know all about that."

"How so?" he asked, tilting his head at me.

"Do you see any other Ninetales around here?" I asked.

I think I saw a little confusion on his face for a second, before he gave me a nod.

"Indeed. Perhaps we could share some drinks sometime."

"Sounds good to me," I chuckled.

With that said, Autumn and I made our way towards the buffet tables. While we loaded up our plates with a little bit of everything, I saw Treehugger talking to the Alicorn a few feet away. I didn't get to wonder too much about that before Applejack's group walked up to us.

"Howdy y'all," she said, tilting her hat at us.

"Hey Applejack," Autumn smiled, giving her a half-hug.

I nodded at her then gave the other two ponies with her a better look over.

Let me tell you, nothing is more jarring than having a pony meet you at eye level, especially one as bulky as this guy. He didn't seem all that dangerous, but when he looked at Autumn, I couldn't stop my tails from draping across Autumn's back. That got an interesting reaction out of the trio. The Unicorn gave Autumn a knowing smile while the big guy gave me a smile and understanding nod. Applejack just gave us a cocky smile and chuckled.

"Looks like Ah owe Dash ten bits," she sighed. "Anyhow, this is my big brother Big Macintosh and his wife Sugar Belle."

"Just Big Mac's fine," he chuckled, offering me a hoof.

It took everything I had not to laugh or make a McDonalds joke as I shook his hoof. Instead, I just smiled and nodded as I gave him my name. God damn, how the hell do ponies get their names around here? I swear, one of these days I'm going to find a pony named World Pun or something.

"So," Applejack smiled. "When did y'all decide to make it official?"

"A few days ago," I shrugged. "It was...an adventure."

"Understatement of the year," Autumn laughed as she leaned into my side.

"Sounds like there's a story there," Sugar Belle smiled.

"Yeah," I sighed. "Maybe we'll tell you guys about it some time. It's kind of personal."

"Say no more," Applejack nodded. "Once you all get settled, stop by the farm and we'll catch up right proper. Sound good to y'all?"

We nodded.

The rest of the conversation was pretty bland after that, mostly just everyone trying to get to know me. Although, it did take me by surprise that this world had its own version of D&D here and Big Mac was a major fan of it. He probably wasn't going to get too many chances to play soon since Sugar Belle was expecting. We congratulated the couple and went off to look for a place to eat in peace. We got that for about twenty seconds in a corner of the room before ponyzilla and her entourage approached us. My whole body tensed as she got closer, not in the same way as when Fluttershy got near me, but enough to get a worried look out of Autumn. I guess the Princess noticed too, because she gave me an equally worried look before abruptly stoping about three feet away from us. The two Unicorns with her caught on pretty quickly and maintained the same distance.

"Hello," she said. "You must be Alex."

I nodded.

She smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you. My name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but you can call me Cadence for short."

I blinked at that for a second. Who the fuck names their kid that? I don't think half of that was even english, let alone a name that someone just comes up with. Now I was positive I could find a pony named World Pun. Hell, I'll even bet money on it.

"This is my husband Shining Armor and my former adviser Sunburst," she smiled, nodding towards the white and orange Unicorns respectively.

I nodded towards each of them and got the same in return. Shining Armor seemed like a pretty chill dude, more like the kind of guy that you could throw back drinks and talk shit with for awhile. Sunburst looked like the type that'd be happier in a library than a bar, but seemed pretty harmless. That didn't stop my tail instinct from kicking in though as a couple of them wrapped loosely around Autumn's middle.

"So you're the Kitsune my sister met," Shining Armor said, giving me a quick once over.

"I guess?" I said, tilting my head. "Who's your sister?"

"Twilight," he said casually.

Now the whole world made sense. Well, the part of it that involved how this guy got married to an Alicorn Princess at least.

"So you're like, a Prince?" I asked.

"Technically," he shrugged.

I nodded at that.

Okay, mental note: Alicorns are not the only type of royal ponies. Good to know.

"If you don't mind me asking," Sunburst said, adjusting his glasses. "What brings you to Ponyville? It's rather rare for a Kitsune to come down from their mountains and they don't usually do it for very long."

"No worries," I shrugged. "I...um...left my home and sort of ended up in Equestria. As for what brought me to Ponyville?"

I smiled as I nuzzled Autumn's cheek.

"I think you can guess."

Shining Armor and Cadence gave us some understanding nods and smiles while Sunburst just chuckled as he shook his head.

"Looks like we have something in common," he smiled. "Once things got serious between Starlight and I, I ended up moving here too."

"And now we're down our best advisor-slash-babysitter," Shining Armor chuckled.

Cadence giggled, then gave me a sympathetic smile as she said, "Just so you know, we both know what happened to you."

"I see," I frowned. "Anyone else?"

She shook her head.

"We all agreed to keep it on a need to know basis."

"Good," I sighed.

"Also," she added. "I want you to know that if you find yourself spiraling, we're all willing to listen and help in any way we can."

I reared back a bit at that, shocked that, well, someone other than Autumn and Treehugger honestly gave a damn about me. Not even my so called family gave me that kind of courtesy. It..was a bit much to take in all at once.

I smiled and said, "Thanks. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"No problem, Alex," she smiled.

***

The party was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Yeah, the ponies gave me a wide berth, but that was fine by me. Aside from Autumn and Treehugger, there weren't too many people I wanted to spend all that much time with. After awhile, everything started to wind down and everyone started heading home. Autumn and I worried that it was going to take us a while to get everything put away, but Pinkie Pie took care of that problem. Somehow. Look, I'm not going to try and figure it out. All I know is that one minute the lobby was decorated and the next it was as if there was never a party in there to begin with.

I was on the verge of falling over when Autumn guided me towards my room. After cutting through what looked like a staging area, we made it to the residential portion of the theater on the second floor. A few twists and turns later, Autumn pushed a door open and gestured for me to go in. I nodded at her as I let myself in. My eyes instantly locked onto the bed as I practically dragged myself towards it. I managed to work up enough energy to levitate the blanket so that I could slide under it before letting it fall on top of me. I curled up to get comfortable, but cracked my eyes open as the blanket lifted itself. A small smile crept onto my face as Autumn got into bed with me and let the blanket fall over us. We traded smiles as we pulled ourselves closer to each other. Our foreheads rested against each other as I stared into her eyes, her amber eyes and warmth the only things I cared about as I drifted off to sleep.

Ch.16 Changing Flares "Here We Go"

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Beds are fucking awesome. Cave floors can suck a dick. Hotel beds are heathens that should be burned at the stake. Grassy fields are just a step above that, but only if they have a tree to keep the fucking sun out of your eyes in the morning. Beds don't have that problem. Beds. Are. Awesome! The only way they can be better is if there's a cute Kirin sleeping next to you. Best thing in the world! No contest!

I smiled as I reached out to the other side of the bed towards Autumn. My smile turned into a frown when my paw just found more bed. I peeked open an eye and sure enough, Autumn was gone. I sighed as I dragged my lazy ass out of bed. Hey, as nice as it was to get to sleep in a bed for once, I still had other things I needed to figure out. I needed to get a job since I was planning to stay in Ponyville and live with Autumn. That was something I was a bit more optimistic about than I thought I would be at first. The party yesterday showed me that the people here were a lot more willing to help. Then again, I haven't given them a reason to hate me yet, so here's hoping I can keep it up for a few days.

After I rubbed my eyes, I saw something that brought happy tears to my eyes. You know how they say you don't know how much you take something for granted until its gone? Well, THEY KNEW WHAT THE FUCK THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT!

"Hello indoor plumbing!" I beamed as I clambered into the bathroom. "You have no idea how much I missed you!"

Dude. You're talking to a toilet.

Shut up! I've been doing my business in the woods for weeks and washing myself with a freezing cold waterfall. Aside from that hot spring, I've been doing things the Tarzan way and I'm sick of it! Get me my goddamn indoor plumbing!

Fair enough. Wonder what kind of shampoo Kirin use.

I froze at that.

That's right, I don't have any of that stuff so I'm going to need to use what was in here. Yet another reason for me to get a job and some of my own money. Feeling a little guilty, I pulled back the curtain with a paw to see what I had to work with. It was a pretty basic ceramic tub with a shower head attachment and downspout. Set up in the soap holder were two plain white bottles and a bar of soap. Curious, I floated the two bottles towards me and read the labels.

Burning Passion Mane Shampoo: fire-damage restoring shine. Dancing Lily Coat Shampoo. Huh. You know what? Why not?

Not really thinking too much about it, I hopped into the tub and got to work. It was kind of cramped since the tub wasn't really made for someone my size, but I managed to make it work. It helped that Extrasensory could reach all of the spots my paws couldn't reach, though it felt kind of weird to have a set of invisible fingers scrubbing my back. After a few minutes I got out the shower, casually levitated a towel off of a nearby rack, and went to work drying myself off. As I was doing that, I tried to figure out what kind of jobs I could find here. I did a lot of things to keep a roof over my head back home, everything from Security Guard to Fast Food. It eventually got to the point that I started calling myself a Freelancer when I was off the clock.

When I got my head dried off, I snuck a look at myself in the mirror and not gonna lie, I liked what I saw. Now, I'm not exactly an expert on how a Ninetales is supposed to look outside of games, but I think a shiny coat is a pretty good sign. Hell, who am I kidding? I look great! Better than I did yesterday at least.

I chuckled at that as I did a few posses in front of the mirror. Then I saw one of my scars and my good mood took a pretty big hit. Sure, my life was better now, but that night was always going to stick with me. Even with a world between me and her, that bitch still haunts me. To top it all off, its because of her that I'm scared of who I hear is the nicest pony on the planet. Go fucking figure.

I let out an irritated snort and made my way out of the bathroom, my towels floating next to me all the while. As soon as I found what looked like a hamper, I "tossed" the towels into it and made my way towards the door. Shower or not, I needed a cup of coffee if I was going to walk through a town full of god knows what. That, or a bottle of Jack. Whichever I could find in the kitchen first.

A slip of paper caught my attention. Raising a brow, I plucked it off with a paw and flipped it over.

In bright red ink, it said: Dear Alex, sorry I couldn't stick around. The pony I left in charge of the theater didn't do as good of a job as I had hoped and I needed to fix a few things for my next show. Since you're probably hungry and don't know your way around here yet, I put a map of the theater into the saddle bags I left for you by the door. There's also a list of places looking to hire right now and some bits you can use to get some lunch later. Try not to have too much fun out there pal. Love, Autumn.

Sure enough, when I looked down at the ground there was a pair of the same kind of bags I saw Autumn use sitting by the door. Well, these were bigger than the ones she had, but they were still basically the same thing. Shrugging, I slipped them on and headed out the door into a dimly lit hallway. Not much of a problem thanks to my night vision, but the way everything looked made me freeze. The hall was made of solid polished mahogany with a white painted vaulted ceiling that looked like it came straight out of a period drama. Just to prove my point, the walls had a few ornate brass lanterns hooked up to them about three feet apart from each other. I shook off my shock and tried to Extrasensory my house map out of one of my bags.

"Now who might you be?" said a female voice behind me.

I absolutely did not yelp as I spun around to face her. I did do a quick double take as I tried to figure out what the fuck I was looking at though. The thing looked like a pony, but instead of fur it had some kind of shiny purple exoskeleton. That wasn't the only bug like thing this thing had going for it. It had some kind of beetle shell on its back and a transparent green fin where its mane and tail should be. Add the glowing all orange eyes and I found the pony version of The Fly.

"Who-What the hell are you?" I sputtered.

The creature gave me this haughty chuckle and said, "My, is a Changeling so below your radar that you don't know what we look like? Typical Kitsune."

I glared at her.

Wow. Less than ten seconds and I already hate her. I think that's a new record.

"To answer your question," she continued, leaning towards me. "My name is Vermilion and yours?"

"Alex," I grunted.

Vermilion chuckled again.

"Quite the odd name, but one I feel I can remember. I promise you'll remember mine soon as well."

As she said that, she gave me a wink and a slightly less pompous smile.

"Doubt it," I said coldly.

Her smile took on a more sinister edge as she said, "I see. Lucky for you, I love a challenge."

I instantly got my Iron Tail started and crouched low.

Vermilion's smile just grew as she said, "Now now, let's not stoop to the level of savages. Perhaps we could talk under more civil circumstances. Such as breakfast for example?"

I stared her down for a few seconds, then sighed as I let my tails return to normal and relaxed my posture. It was way too early for me to be putting up with this shit.

"Fine," I growled, then turned and made my way down the hall.

I heard her hoofsteps trailing behind me about three feet away, but other than that she didn't make any noises. It put me on edge more than anything, really. It reminded me of the moment right before Sandra-. I shook my head to get rid of that memory. Vermilion wasn't Sandra. No one here was her. I needed to stop thinking of other people as her if I wanted to make any progress in life. She isn't here. I don't need to worry about her anymore.

***

The sun shined brightly in the sky, a mostly calm and clear ocean catching its light with the occasional crash of choppy waves. A small sailboat made its way across the brilliant scene at a casual pace, something that couldn't be said about the two creatures aboard it. Sid watched with a flat expression as his sister paced back and forth across the deck, the Alolan Ninetales as fidgety as ever when they sailed. The Absol wondered if he should invest in a stress ball for her, only to shoot that idea down almost immediately. His sister had a pretty strong jaw that he doubted any ball could handle for very long.

"Can't you just chill sis?" he asked from his seat at the ship's bow. "Flipping out isn't going to get us moving any faster."

"I know that!" Dahlia snapped, halting her pacing to glare at him. "But I can't fucking help it! Why the hell would a Kitsune go to a Diamond Dog village? Hell, why would one be in Central Equestria? It doesn't sit right with me bro. I just know Sandra has something to do with it."

"Maybe," he shrugged. "But working yourself up over it all won't do you any good."

She let out a frustrated scream and fired a blast of pure cold air out of her mouth off of the ship's starboard side.

"Don't you think I know that!" she roared, her tails flaring up behind her as she glared at her brother. "God damn it! If I had been a little fucking faster she 'd be dead and dumped in a ditch by know! But no! Instead I let her get away AGAIN!!!"

"We don't even know if this is her," Sid said evenly. "That's why we're going to investigate in the first place. For all we know, this could be a Kitsune that wanted to see the sights or something."

Dahlia scoffed and said, "Get real Sid. We both know that'd never happen."

She let out a loud growl as she flopped down to her haunches and let out a frustrated sigh.

"I want to end this bro," she frowned, tone more somber than angry as she stared down at the deck. "Alex went through so much shit because of her. How can I face him again if I can't catch her?"

The Absol let out a sigh of his own as he rose to his feet and approached the despondent Ninetales.

"We will sis," he said, reassuring smile accompanying the paw he put on her shoulder. "Even if we have to chase her to hell and back, we will catch her."

"Damn straight," Dahlia said, meeting her brother's gaze with a small smile.

Sid matched her smirk, then frowned as he put his other paw on her other shoulder and gave her a few hard shakes as he said, "But if you don't sit still I'm going to throw you off of the god damn ship!"

"R-R-Right!" she cried, the world starting to spin as she was shook. "S-S-Sorry!"

"Good!" he nodded, taking his paws off of her. "Now find a way to kill time that won't make me want to strangle you for a change."

"Aye captain," she said drunkenly, doing a sloppy solute before falling over.

Sid just sighed then made his way back to the ship's bow. While he didn't show it, this whole thing had him just as much on edge as his sister. It was almost enough to make him miss cigarettes, the native variety putting such a bad enough taste in his mouth that he kicked the habit out of disgust. Instead, his claws kneaded small grooves into the deck, his gaze shifting towards the sky. He could sense that something was coming, a sharp tingling in his horn all the evidence he needed to confirm his suspicion. Whether it was good or bad he had no way of knowing until it came. All he knew was that it was going to be big and that only further put him on edge. He sighed and made his way towards the ship's cabin, a bottle of whisky waiting to steady his gradually fraying nerves.

***

"Fuck my life," I muttered as I stomped my way through town.

"Oh don't be like that," Vermilion smiled from by left, the list of jobs Autumn gave me floating in front of her. "You can't help being so large. Give it a couple years and things will be more accommodating for creatures your size."

My eye twitched as I slowly leveled a furious smile at her and growled, "Yes! I'm well aware that my FAT ASS AND SWARM OF TAILS blew my chances at getting at least ten of the fifteen jobs on that list!"

"That temper of yours certainly isn't doing you any favors," she frowned. "Perhaps you should choose a job that won't give you the urge to turn somecreature into a bonfire."

As much as I hated to admit it, she had a point. If I wanted to get anywhere here, I needed to get my temper under control. This isn't the kind of place you can deck someone and not get in a heap of trouble for it. Plus, I didn't want to drag Autumn into any shit around here if I can prevent it. It's kind of the reason I agreed to let Vermilion guide me through town today. That, and she's not all that bad.

We talked things out over some eggs and bacon (Thank god that's here!) and it turns out that all the shit she gave me was, apparently, because Kitsune are assholes. Okay, not her exact words, but you get the point. I mean sure, I'm an asshole too, but these guys are apparently royal assholes. I'm just your friendly neighborhood asshole. Big difference.

As for Vermilion herself? Yeah, she's a bit full of herself, but pretty cool all the same. She had this whole cultured air to her, but she was grounded enough that I didn't want to strangle her over it. Probably a good thing in the long run considering she worked for Autumn as an actress. Her leading one apparently, according to her. A pretty easy thing to pull off when you can turn into other people. Yep. Changelings are shapeshifters... Anyway, after an hour of shooting the shit with her, (Her showing off her shapeshifting as we were talking at random points.) she decided to help me find a job.

When I asked her why she wanted to help she said, "So Autumn can burn in a new way for a change."

Don't ask. I sure as hell didn't.

"So, where to next?" I sighed.

"Lunch," she smiled, slipping the paper into one of my bags. "I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely famished!"

Now that she mentioned it, I was getting kind of hungry.

I wonder what kind of food a place like this has.

"Sounds good to me," I shrugged.

"Excellent," she nodded. "Any requests?"

"Anything but apples and oatmeal," I frowned.

"Very well," she smiled. "I think I know just the place."

With that said, I let her lead the way through the busy streets.

I had to admit, the town wasn't all that bad. Sure, I was still getting odd looks every now and then, but it wasn't getting to me as much as it did yesterday. The place had this kind of homey feel to it, like I was getting a chance to be welcomed here. It was nice, but it felt really fucking weird at the same time. If it wasn't for the occasional bar or club I'd see every now and then, I'd think I was dumped in some kids cartoon or something.

I wonder if there are any strippers in this world. Wait? How would that even work? Everyone's naked here!
Autumn briefly popped into my head, her eyes half lidded as she looked at me teasingly over her shoulder. Her forehooves clung tightly to a metal pole, her lips pulled up into a playful smile as she-

Oh. That could work. Thanks brain, you dick!

Right organ, wrong culprit!

My face heated up as I tried to keep my thoughts PG. As happy as I was that I had a girlfriend again, the last thing I needed was to show how happy I was about it. I don't think Vermilion would appreciate that, all things considered. Luckily, there were plenty of distractions in town to keep me preoccupied. Like how some of the shops were oddly specific about what they sold. Quills and Sofas? Really? What next? Pickles and airplanes? Oh... I wonder if I'm psychic.

Let us use our powers for good. To the casinos my friend!

Brain, I swear I'll... Actually, let's pocket that one. You might be onto something there.

"Here we are," Vermilion smiled, snapping me out of my thoughts.

While I didn't smell any beef (cows are people here. Fucking hell on a stick.),it was a definitely a steak house. The whole place had a kind of rustic build to it that reminded me of the western style buildings from Ore Town with what looked like hay bales for seats set up around wooden tables made from barrel lids scattered around the front of it. The place smelled heavily of ham, chicken, and fried fish, the whole thing making my mouth water.

"Since a lot of Griffins and Dragons have moved into town, places like this have come around to cater to them," Vermilion explained, a smug grin plastered across her face when I pried my eyes away from the restaurant to look at her.

"I take it you approve?" she chuckled.

"Damn straight," I beamed.

She chuckled then lead the way inside. I kind of blacked out for... kind of blacked out when I got hit by a sea of heavenly scents. When I finally came back to...where ever the hell this is, I was sitting across from Vermilion at a barrel table with a cup floating under my mouth.

"Are you with us again?" she asked, a few snorts leaking past her lips.

"Shut up," I growled, knocking the cup aside and wiping my muzzle.

She just laughed behind a hoof and said, "You must've been hungrier than I thought."

"I-It's just been a while since I've had any meat," I grumbled, staring at the ground.

"Say no more," I heard her say, her smile visible in my peripherals. "Celestia knows how I would react if I didn't get at least one chicken club a week."

"You eat meat too?" I asked, looking up at her.

She nodded, then said, "Changelings are omnivores, though we also possess the ability to eat other things in small amounts."

"Like what?" I asked, looking over my menu.

"Why, love of course."

I blinked, then slowly looked over my menu at her. She was smiling and licked her lips in a way that put a chill down my spine.

"Hey lady, I'm already taken," I said evenly.

"Oh I am very much aware of that," she giggled. "Believe me. It's part of the reason I needed to leave the theater today."

"Why?" I asked, getting an Extrasensory ready, just in case.

"Autumn has been radiating so much love this morning I was starting to feel sick from it," she sighed, rolling her eyes...somehow. "Honestly, I don't know what you two did on the way back to Ponyville, but it made her more love charged than a hormonal teenager."

"Yeah," I chuckled, rubbing the back of my head as I tried to hide my hot face behind my menu. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of that."

"What is there to figure out?" she shrugged. "She likes you. You like her. Let it all happen and enjoy each other. I honestly don't know why other creatures make love so difficult."

"You're right," I sighed. "I like Autumn, no questions about it. I just can't figure out why she likes me."

"Why?" she asked, tilting her head. "Sure, you're a little rough around the edges, but you seem nice enough."

"That's just cuz you haven't been around me long enough," I sighed, slumping my shoulders. "Trust me, I'm a pretty big piece of shit when you really get to know me. The most I can do is enjoy it before Autumn and everyone else figures it out and leaves me. Then I'll be all alone again and trying to find a new place to live somewhere else."

Vermilion frowned at me, but I didn't give her a chance to try and cheer me up before I started actually reading my menu. I didn't get very far before a small pinch at the tip of one of my tails sent a wave of red hot rage through me. A deep growl tore past my lips with a snarl as I threw my head back and raised the tail to my eye level. What I saw completely obliterated my rage in a matter of seconds. It was a tiny teal Kirin with an orange mane and tail. The little guy was about the size of a kitten with a little diaper and shiny green eyes looking up at me with wonder. The tip of my tail was stuck tightly in his mouth as I dangled him a good three feet off of the ground. I chuckled a bit at it as I gently opened his mouth with my Extrasensory and floated him into my forelegs.

"Hey little guy," I chuckled. "Where's your folks?"

He just let out a bunch of baby babble as I held him. I nodded at him for a few seconds, pretending that I had any clue what he was saying. At the same time, I was wondering what kind of parents would let their kid wonder around in a place like this. Safe town or not, that's pretty stupid on every kind of level. I looked up to see if anyone was looking for the little tail-biter. Sure enough, a pair of Kirin were freaking out a few tables away. I raised a paw and called out to them to get their attention. After a few thank yous and hugs and kisses for the kid from his parents, things settled down enough for me to pick my order.

After the waiter walked off with our orders, I noticed Vermilion was giving me a weird smile.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," she chuckled. "Just thinking that you might not be as horrible as you might think."

"Whatever," I grumbled, rolling my eyes.

Ch. 17 Working NInetales to Five "....Okay, That Was A Good One"

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A dull ticking filled a small ten-by-ten room, the source of the noise being an ornate grandfather clock sitting in a corner to the left of the room's door. Said door was equally elaborate and finally crafted from the same dark oak. The walls were painted a soft magenta with an enchanted crystal chandelier filling the room with a dim light. The lighting combined with the wall's coloring filled the room with a soothing aura, the lone factor beyond the dozen or so fireproofing wards hidden in it preventing the room's soul occupant from turning everything into ash. Autumn sighed at her desk, an equally fancy polished black wood house welcoming gift from Rarity that sat across from the room's only entrence. Floating in front of her were over a dozen sheets of paper, more than half of them being bills for repairs or missing equipment that needed to be tended to while she was away. Smoke stared to waft out of her mane as she glared at one bill in particular before she let out a frustrated scream and threw the papers across the room with her magic.

"What the hay was I thinking?!" she wailed, slamming her face into her desk just as her mane turned into pink and blue flames. "That's the last time I ask Ditzy to watch over anything around here!"

A dull whimper crept past her lips as she reached under her desk and pulled out a gray hip-flask. Frowning, she uncapped it and took a reluctant swig. The taste of jasmine hit her tastebuds as well as a cool tingle that settled in her chest. Slowly, her mane returned to normal, her frustration receding to a more manageable level. She let out a relieved sigh before she summoned the bills back to herself with her magic.

While she wasn't fond of The Stream of Silence, she couldn't deny that its water had a lot of useful properties. Chief among these being a stress-relieving tea that helps her kind manage their Nirik forms. A tea that she had to resort to more times than she was willing to admit when it came to her work. As much as she loved the theater, it was the kind of work that made her tear her mane out most days.

"I'll have to cut back on our budget for awhile," she mumbled, running the numbers through her head. "Vermillion and Zeal should be able to bring in a big enough crowd to cover most of these. I'll need to talk to Rafter and Zephyr to see what we can do with what we have."

A knock at the door pulled her briefly out of her musings.

"Come in," she called, still looking at her papers.

The door opened to admit a familiar purple Changeling into the room. Autumn glanced away from a bill towards Vermillion, then rolled her eyes as she floated them into a pile at the far right corner of her desk. Vermillion's ever-present smile grew slightly as she approached her boss in a confidant stride.

"Trouble in paradise?" she asked, falling to her haunches in front of the desk.

"Not now Verm," Autumn groaned. "I'm not in the mood right now."

"Oh don't be like that boss," she giggled. "You know I brighten your day."

Autumn gave her a flat look and said, "Unless you have a way to make one-hundred thousand bits fall onto my desk right now, get out."

"Stressed, yet not burning," Vermillion mused, rubbing her chin with a hoof in thought. "Either you've just had some of your tea recently, or Alex is doing wonders for that part of your life."

"You met Alex?" Autumn gaped, dread dropkicking her stress like an enraged Apple.

"It's about time really," Vermillion continued, barely registering Autumn's question. "A doe like you needs a way to, shall we say, vent if she intends to keep her sanity after all. Why, if it wasn't for Zeal I'd be a nervous reck around here."

Autumn's face turned beet red as she rested it against her desk, her fluffy mane just barely managing to hide her blush. She knew it was going to be a matter of time before the Changeling found her mate, she just hoped that it was going to be after she had all of the theater's issues sorted out. Seeing the futility of lying to the only creature under her employment that wasn't afraid of her Nirik form, she sighed and righted herself with deadpan leveled at the Changeling.

"Go ahead. Get it all out of your system," she groaned, propping her head up on her desk with a hoof.

"As much fun as it would be to tease you over this, I come to offer my help," she said, her smile slowly shifting into a stern frown.

"Huh?" Autumn blinked.

"Yesterday, I helped Alex get a job."

"You what?" Autumn asked.

"I do have at least one altruistic bone in my body, boss," she said evenly, her head tilting up slightly as if slighted. "Anyway, while spending time with him, I came across some very shocking discoveries."

"Like what?" she asked, sitting up straight again.

"First, he is even more fun to tease than you," she started, her face still serious in spite of the playfulness of the statement. "And second, he feels unworthy of your affections."

"WHAT?!" Autumn exclaimed, jumping to her hooves in shock.

"My thought exactly," Vermillion nodded. "How can he have such a foolish thought in his head? Did you tell him such a heinous thing?"

"OF COURSE NOT!!!" Autumn bellowed, the flame wards in the room springing to life as her Nirik form awakened. "HOW DARE YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!!"

"I thought as much," Vermillion mused, Autumn's ire ignored as the Changeling mulled over other possibilities. "Perhaps a past trauma is the cause?"

The sudden shift from raging Nirik to wide-eyed Kirin was all the evidence Vermillion needed. Her frown deepened as she sensed her boss' shock shift into a strange mix of anger and grief, an anger not aimed at her specifically for once. The very same combination of emotions she sensed when-

Her eyes widened slightly as a hint of anger flashed through her.

"Who poisoned his love?"

Autumn gulped.

This was just the kind of thing she wanted to avoid. In Changeling hives, there were several taboos that persisted long after the fall of Chrysalis. The biggest one was what they called poisoning love, an act that other creatures simply called betraying a lover. This didn't extend to cheating or anything mildly damaging like that. This was generally more egregious things such as marrying somecreature for their money and then leaving them a day later with all of their bits. Or worse yet, attempting to kill them. While their could be some nuance as far as the penalty for such an offense was concerned in Changing culture, more often than not it was death.

"I can't say," Autumn frowned. "Alex want's to keep things like that to himself and too many creatures know about it as it is."

Vermillion's eyes narrowed as she frowned at the Kirin across the desk, only to reluctantly let out a sigh. This was clearly something she wasn't going to budge on. Besides, there were other obstacles that needed to be tackled that she was more than willing to bash a sledgehammer through.

"Very well," she nodded, her familiar smile creeping across her muzzle. "I need to find my old knives anyway. Instead, let's focus on Alex for now."

"Right," she sighed. "What do you have in mind?"

Vermillion rolled her eyes and said, "The simplest thing in the world; make him feel he's worthy of your love."

"I got that much," Autumn frowned. "Do you have any ideas how we should go about it?"

"Quite a few actually," the Changeling chuckled, buffing her hoof against her chest. "Mind you, they are not for the faint of heart."

"Such as?" she asked, raising a brow.

"You will need to be bold!" Vermillion declared, her hoof raised in a dramatic flourishing arc over her head. "Show him how you see him in a grand display of glory and passion!"

"I knew you were going to say something like that," the Kirin groaned, resting her forehead on her desk. "Any ideas how I should do that?"

"There are a few," she shrugged, dropping her dramatic display as soon as her hoof met the floor. "You could have a sit with him someplace private and talk all of this foolishness out."

"That could work," Autumn mused, lifting her head with hopeful eyes.

"Or you could take him down to the Quarry, light some candles, pin him to the ground, and show him exactly how worthy he is of your love."

It took every ounce of willpower Vermillion had not to fall over laughing when Autumn's whole head literally burst into flames, her wide eyes visible through two mask-like holes in the flames around her face. The sheer levels of embarrassment and lust she sensed was massive, but not more than what she felt from teen couples that came to watch her boss' plays. It was something she found both hilarious and hopelessly adorable in a way.

"Too much?" she asked, smile turning cheshireish.

Autumn nodded, but it was barely perceptible through the flames.

"Honestly," Vermillion chuckled, shaking her head. "If you're like this know, how will you be when you dance for him?"

"Sh-Sh-Shut up," Autumn stammered, the flames dying down until only steam was coming off of her blushing head. "I have a plan for that."

"Right," she chuckled. "Let me know if you need any help with that."

"Thanks," Autumn sighed. "How did he do anyway? Any takers?"

"Yes, actually," Vermillion nodded. "Headmare Starlight Glimmer accepted almost immediately. I suppose she needed a lot of help at her castle."

"What kind of help?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Library work," the Changeling shrugged.

"Huh, seems easy enough," Autumn mused.

"And she said she would pay him fifty bits an hour," Vermillion chuckled.

Autumn's jaw hit her desk.

"She's paying WHAT?!"

"I know," Vermillion sighed. "Do you think she has any other openings? Seems like quite a lot of bits for babysitting a few books."

***

The crystal walls flew past me as I ran for my fucking life, loud explosions and breaking glass nipping at my tails with every frantic step. Starlight was running next to me looking just as freaked out. A ton of snappy comments formed in my head each time a gave her a passing glance, but trying not to die kept putting them onto the back burner. It was supposed to be a simple job. Stay in one of the libraries in the gaudiest building in the world and make sure nothing happened. Simple! Instead-

"What the hell kind of book was that!?" I yelled, both of us rounding a corner just in time to avoid a humvee-sized chunk of crystal.

"I-I don't know!" Starlight panted. "That part of the library is restricted for a reason!"

"I can't fucking imagine why!" I growled, looking over my shoulder.

A writhing mass of eyes and tentacles poured through the hall towards us, shrieking roars and loud booms filling the air as it moved. Every now and then its tentacles would grab ahold of something, rip it out of the walls or floor, and throw it at us. If it wasn't for Starlight's shields and my Iron Tail, we would've been dead hours ago or worse. Trust me, I've seen enough anime to know that getting cornered by a tentacle monster never ends well.

Nope! Nope! Fucking hell no! Not gonna happen! I thought turning my head back towards where I was running.

Hey! What do you know? we're in agreement for once! Now, what are we going to do about this?

What the hell are you talking about? I thought, shooting a Flamethrower at a tentacle that got way to close.

Well, do you really think this thing is going to stay in the castle?

That almost made me pause. There was no way in hell this thing was going to settle for taking out the big crystal Eyesore of Friendship here. It's going to go straight towards Ponyville and when that happens all hell was going to break loose. An image of the thing cornering Autumn flashed through my mind and I immediately started seeing red. Not just her either. That little Kirin that nombed on my tail yesterday and his folks also came to me. That town was my home and there was no way in hell I was going to let some hentai demon from C'thullu's ass hole take it away from me!

We burst through a pair of double doors into what looked like some kind of ballroom, both of us slamming them shut with our own versions of The Force. Starlight didn't waste anytime hauling ass, but I stood my ground and glared at the doors.

"What are you doing?!" she yelled from the other side of the room. "Run!"

"No," I growled, the rage growing inside of me the longer I stared at the doors. "I'm gonna kill this fucker."

"Are you nuts?!" she cried. "We can't fight that thing!"

"Who said we?" I growled, looking over my shoulder at her. "I said I was gonna do it."

"But-"

"Than get someone that can!" I barked, shifting my attention back towards the doors. "If I can't kill it, than I'll keep it busy for a while. Now get MOVING!!!"

A pause, then the sound of a door opening and closing echoed around me. Meanwhile, I heard the monster making its way through the hall in front of me. My core surged with power as I ran through all of my moves and how I could use them against it. While I wasn't very confidant with some of my moves, I wasn't going to let that get in the way of what I had to do. One way or another, I was not going to let this thing leave this castle.

The doors exploded over me to the other end of the room as the beast with a billion backs slithered into the room. It screeched in fury at me while a hateful growl came out of me.

"That's far enough," I growled, a Flamethrower already forming. "You want to start some shit pal? Well, BRING IT YOU TENTACLE DICK MOTHER FUCKER!!!"

It let out another god awful screech and sent a few dozen tentacles at me. I roared as I shot the biggest Flamethrower I could manage. It screeched again, but from pain this time as all of the tentacles were burned to a crisp. I smiled as the flames spread to other parts of its body, but only enough to leave a few nasty burns on its oily green skin. The thing started ripping off pieces of the walls to throw at me, but I countered by sending them right back at it with my Extrasensory. Every now and then it would try to bite at me, but I'd take care of that with a Flamethrower. After a few minutes of this, it decided to double its efforts, which wouldn't've been that big of a deal if it wasn't for one small problem. The fucker was slowly oozing into the room. As the minutes ticked by, more and more of the room was getting filled up with this thing. By the time I noticed, the tentacle monster covered about half of the ballroom. Eventually, I had to start using my Iron Tail to knock away the monster's attacks by the dozen to avoid getting tangled up by it.

"Mother fucker," I growled, stabbing a tentacle with a piece of crystal held by my Extrasensory. "Fine! if that's how you want to play, then let's play!"

I sent my energy through my body just like I did in the Breezy Forest and ran towards the center of the monster. Just like last time, flames surged around me and that weightless effect came over me. I jumped, dodged, and weaved around the mass of appendages and teeth, all the while spreading the flames around me as much as I could. I did it again and started moving even faster. A cluster of eye stocks tried to corner me, but with a combination of Flame Charge and Zen Headbutt I was able to bash my way through.

This creature wanted to hurt Autumn, my new home, and everything that came with it. I was not going to let this thing have a chance to do that. It was going to burn, even if I had to go down with it!

"DIE YOU BASTARD!!!" I roared, belching as much fire as could all around me as tentacles writhed and screamed.

I stopped for a moment to breath, but I guess the thing was waiting for that. A second later, a swarm of tentacles burst out of the ground and wrapped around me. I tried to use Flame Charge to escape, but I couldn't gather the energy needed to do it. A cluster of eyes gathered in front of me as the monster towered over me, hundreds of burns covering it from every angle. I growled as I struggled against my restraints, my hate for the creature growing by the second. I wasn't scared, even when a large cluster of mouths started to move towards me. I refused to let this thing know I was afraid.

"Fucking die in a ditch," I growled, tapping into what little energy I had left in my core.

The creature let out a furious scream, but never got the chance to go beyond that. It froze as a strange purple mist surrounded us. A pained screech filled the room as all of its burns glowed a sickly black. I panicked for a second, then relaxed when the mist washed over me. It felt the same as the energy from my core, but more...etherial, I guess? it was hard to explain. I watched as the mist poured into the infected burns, said infection spreading all across the creature's body. When the creature's entire body turned a rotten shade of black and purple, it slowly started to swell.

I slowly backed up, not really sure I liked where this was headed. This just in, I fucking didn't. The creature let out one last wail before it popped like a zit, dark-green slime flooding the whole room.

"Fuck my life," I muttered, just seconds before a literal tidal wave of shit pushed me out of the room.

All I could see was slime as the tide pushed me through...I don't know how many god damn doors and hallways before I eventually got washed through the front door. I hacked and wheezed as I staggered to my feet, every curse and a few I just made up falling out of my mouth. Trust me, nothing I could say in any language could be worse than the slime I was trying to spit out. When I eventually looked up, I saw Starlight Glimmer, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and about three hundred armored ponies and fifty dragons standing on the castle's front lawn. They all looked surprised, but I didn't really dwell on that for very long.

Frowning, I staggered towards my boss and said, "I want a raise, tomorrow off with pay, and a barrel of the strongest drinks in this whole god damn country."

They nodded and I started heading towards town. Needless to say, I had plans to get drunk tonight and I sure as hell didn't want to do it looking and smelling like I crawled out of a sewer. Especially if I wanted Kirin cuddles tonight. The thought brought a small smile to my face.

What the hell kind of world did I get dumped into?

Ch.18 Run Fox! Run! "Wait, WHAT?!"

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Turns out it was a pretty good idea to ask for paid leave. Thanks to the abominable hentai monster, most of my boss' house got totaled. Apparently, magical eyesore crystal takes a while to fix so I had a few days to kill. That wasn't so bad at first, but after about two days of wandering around I found something out real fucking quick; there was almost nothing to do here! Sure, there were shops and stuff like that, but that didn't do me any good when there wasn't anything I really wanted to buy! I also found out that the technological advancements in this world were all over the place! They didn't have things like computers or internet, but they had arcade cabinets and turn tables. They didn't have cars here, but they had trains, cranes, and fricking helicopters! I mean, sure, when you have magic some tech doesn't need to exist, but what the hell?

It all wouldn't've been all that bad if I could spend some of my free time with Autumn, but she needed to sort a few thing out at the theater. So, while she was doing that, I was killing time the best way I knew how; chilling at one of the bars I found a few days ago.

The Tipped Barrel wasn't that bad a place to get away from the world. The dim lighting set up a pretty mellow atmosphere while a jukebox in a far corner of the room played some smooth jazz. The smell of cheep tobacco and sawdust brought me back to the good old days when my friends and I would shoot the shit over a few cold ones after work. If I closed my eyes I could almost see Sid sitting next to me at the bar, the scrawny dork wearing some wanna be goth outfit from Hot Topic with a cigarette sticking out the corner of his mouth and a mop of messy silver covering his eyes. He'd probably be laughing and telling me about this one girl from his job he was flirting with or some shit like that. Dahlia would be sitting on my other side probably telling him to get a clue before taking a long pull from a mug. Like Sid, she had long silver hair and a pair of sharp blue eyes. She never wore anything fancier than a white tank top and blue jeans and refused to wear any make up. Not that she really needed to. She was just the right mix of pretty and tough, something I think made it easier for her to keep her gym job back home.

For a few minutes I let the whole thing play out in my head. Yeah, I know it wasn't real, but I didn't care. I fucking missed those knuckleheads. We were a team, a total unit that could stand up against any kind of shit the world decided to throw at us. If one of us got hurt or needed help, the rest of us delivered. We were practically family! It... really tore me up when they disappeared.

I sighed and opened my eyes, a Ninetales staring back at me from inside my mug. I took a long pull, the two empty bar seats at my sides making me feel even lonelier than they really should've. Some movement and an aggravated groan to my left caught my attention. Turning my head, I saw Rarity take the stool looking like total hell. Her mane was a total mess and she looked like she hadn't slept in a few days. She also looked like she was a step away from ripping someone's head off as she floated a couple bits out of her right bag and slammed them onto the bar with her Force powers.

"The hardest cider you have," she growled. "And leave the bottle."

The bartender just nodded, took the money, and walked off to get what he needed. While he did that, I took a swig of my drink and decided to gamble a bit. Wouldn't be the first girl I talked to that looked like she wanted to strangle someone.

"Long day?" I asked, still staring at my mug.

I saw Rarity give me a glare out the corner of my eye only for it to shift into a tired smile a second later.

"Oh! Alex. I am so sorry, darling. I didn't see you there."

I turned my head towards her and raised a brow.

"Rarity. I'm the size of a sofa and bright gold."

"Oh...right," she said giving me a sheepish smile.

"Whatever," I sighed. "So what's eating at ya'?"

She let out an annoyed sigh at that before glaring at the bar.

"I believe you are familiar with my line of work, yes?"

"You make clothes, right?" I asked.

"A rather blunt description, but yes," she muttered. "Over the years, I have managed to expand my brand to two major cities across Equestria. While my Canterlot manager has been an absolute delight to work with, the manager of my Manehattan branch has been... difficult as of late."

"Are they giving you shit?" I asked, swirling my mug.

She grimaced at me and said, "Not...exactly the kind of words I would use, but something to that effect."

"What are they doing?" I asked, shrugging off her looks.

She sighed, then said, "The pony running that particular branch is named Plaid Stripes. She's a sweet young mare with lots of energy and passion, but her fashion sense is... lacking to say the least."

"How bad are we talking?" I asked taking a swig.

"Her name suits her perfectly," she said flatly.

I nearly choked on my drink at that. Don't get me wrong, I'm no fashion guru. If you put two dresses in front of me, I couldn't tell you anything more than what color they were, but even I know that stripes and plaid do not go well together.

"Th-That bad?" I coughed.

She nodded.

"She's come a long way from how she was in the beginning," she continued. "But every now and then she will send me a large stack of designs she thinks will sell for approval."

"How many of them make the cut?"

"Out of a hundred? Two or three," she sighed, a tired smile forming on her face when the bartender put a shot glass and bottle in front of her.

"Yikes," I cringed. "Must not've been a lot of fashion ponies in Manehattan."

"Oh, no, there are plenty, darling," she grumbled. "Plaid was sort of... forced on me."

"Huh?" I blinked.

"Her father owns the building that particular branch occupies. In order to keep that from changing, I let her become the manager."

I tried to respond to that, but all I could do was sputter random gibberish. I didn't.... of all the....WHERE THE FUCK DO I EVEN START?! From what I've heard, this pony was a national hero. Why the hell is someone pulling this kind of crap on her? Hell, why is she letting him?! Is this kind of thing legal? What the nine circles of hell?

"Has she done anything fire worthy?" I finally asked.

She shook her head.

"No dear," she groaned, floating her glass to her muzzle. "Aside from making me come here every other week, she hasn't done anything bad. As I said, she is improving. It is just a slow process."

I nodded at that and took a swig of my beer. It wasn't my business what she decided to do with her business. Sure, the way Plaid got the job was total bullshit, but if Rarity wants to put up with it, that's on her. I just hoped she didn't become too much of a regular to this place. That's my job damn it!

"Now then," she said giving me a smile that kind of gave me the creeps. "What brings you to this dark corner of town?"

"Boredom mostly," I shrugged, doing my best to ignore the look she was giving me. "Starlight Glimmer's place is getting patched up and Autumn's busy with things at the theater. Not too many things to do around here, so here I am."

She nodded, but that damn smile of hers seemed to grow a little as she leaned towards me.

"That reminds me. Just how serious are you and Autumn?"

I frowned at her and said,"Excuse me?"

"How many dates have the two of you been on?" she asked, a clarifying inflection in her tone.

I relaxed slightly, turned back towards my drink, and muttered, "None of your damn business," as I drained my mug.

"I see," she said in a contemplative tone. "Perhaps I could be of some assistance?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, again turing to face her.

"Oh, nothing much," she smiled. "A few reservation tips, some local picnic area recommendations, perhaps a suit that will make her swoon more than usual. Nothing too strenuous.

I mulled that over for a minute.

Not gonna lie, I had no idea what the hell I was doing here. Sure, I've been on a few dates back home, but this wasn't earth. I noticed a few similarities, but the people....ponies....fuck it....people here are a completely different ball of wax. On top of being approachable, the people here were so used to freaky shit that a Pokémon can walk down the block and no one bats an eye. I had no idea what kind of places would work here or where someone could go to set the mood. In short; I'm fucked.

"Sure," I shrugged.

She giggled and said, "Excellent! Oh I promise you won't regret this."

"If you say so," I sighed, raising a paw to get the bartender's attention.

"None of that darling," she smirked. "Trust me. When I am done with you, not even Discord will be able to get Autumn off of you."

I blinked at that as my empty mug got replaced with a fresh one.

Wait. This world has social media? Fuck. I wonder how long I have before this place falls into the shitter.

***

You ever had one of those days where everything started out okay then by noon you wondered why you even got out of bed? Yeah. Welcome to my life right now. After we threw back a few drinks (probably the only way she talked me into this. You'll see what I mean in a minute.) we "walked" back to the second gaudiest building I've ever seen. Seriously, the thing looked like a wedding cake got drunk one night and hooked up with a merry-go-round to make a three story building. The inside was set up like some sort of fancy clothing store. I know. Shocking, right? The pony that talked my ear off for what felt like hours about fashion runs a clothing store. Ten mugs of beer made me a lot more surprised by that than I had any right to be. Then again, I'm pretty sure most clothing stores don't have runways, but I digress. Though, I could've been black-out drunk and still known what a locked door hidden in a far corner with a big eighteen plus painted on it with black paint had behind it.

After spending god knows how long getting measuring tape put in places I didn't even know existed, Rarity sat me down to start talking strategy. I'll give her credit, for a mare that downed a whole bottle of hard liquor, she was holding herself up pretty well. That became more apparent to me when I started coming out of my buzz. That, and she was a bigger drama queen than Vermillion. Aside from a few tips on were to go based on how many bits I had, she spent who knows how long acting like a drunken theater performer. It was....yeah. Why the hell did I get out of bed again?

"And then," she slurred, hooves up in the air in a dizzy/dramatic fashion. "You bring her to an open field to watch the stars."

"Uh-hu," I nodded, way too sober for this shit as I stared down at a town map on the table. "Where should we do that?"

She giggled and swayed on her hunches for a few seconds, stared at the map, then jabbed a hoof into a spot on the north-east part outside of town.

"R-Right *hic* there!"

"I see," I nodded, floating a quill over to mark the spot.

Rarity giggled and...the fuck? Why was she floating a bottle of wine over?

"Trust me darling," she slurred, pulling the cork out of the bottle. "When this is all over, it will be a small miracle if she doesn't start looking for a wedding dress."

"Right," I chuckled, leaning back from her.

That sure as hell is not gonna happen anytime soon. Maybe way later down the line if things go well. Unless Autumn figures out how shit I really am. Just dating is.... no, I'll see how this plays out. One day at a time. I just need to take things one day at a time. When it happens.... I'll deal with it. It's not the first time someone close to me left, right?

"You know, darling," Rarity purred, snapping me out of my thoughts with a look that said, take me right now. "If Autumn is fine with it, I am more than willing to spice up both of your nighttime experiences."

Great. She's a flirty drunk.

"I'll, uh, bring that up with her later," I coughed with an awkward smile.

"Oh please do," she sighed, floating a wine glass towards the table and filling it. "Things have been *hic* lonely around here. I hate to use such crude language, but *hic* a mare has needs, you know."

I nodded.

Okay. Mental note. NEVER go to a bar with Rarity.

"I, uh, can't see how you could have a problem there," I chuckled stiffly, giving the room a quick scan with my eyes for an exit. "You're a national hero, famous fashion designer, and pretty easy on the eyes. Getting a guy's attention should be pretty easy for you."

"I've tried!" she whined, resting her forehead on the table. "But every single solitary stallion I try to attract either has eyes for another or are complete toads!"

"That's, uh...um....that sucks," I floundered.

"Yes," she growled, her head raising off of the table. "Yes it does."

You know that crazy smile the Cheshire Cat has from the old Alice in Wonderland cartoon? Turns out Rarity can give that glorious bastard a run for his money. My fur stood on end as she stared at me with hungry eyes. At the same time, I wracked my brain trying to think of some way out of this that didn't involve blowing things up.

Any ideas Brain?

We have the data. Abort mission and return to base for further instructions.

I spotted a window just big enough for me to hop through.

Understood. Agent Alex, signing out!

I gave the window a quick glance, stared at the absolutely smashed and super thirsty Unicorn mare, and said the greatest five words ever spoken.

"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!!!"

The last ten seconds was a blur. I think I at least opened the window before booking it down the block as fast as my legs could take me. I noticed a folded piece of paper floating next to me and I hoped that was the town map that was on the table.

Fuck the suit. I'll take Autumn on a date in the buff like a REAL Ninetales.

I chuckled at that, only for my smile to drop off of my face as the sound of pounding hooves came from behind me. I looked over my shoulder and a wave of terror ran through me. About twenty feet behind me and gaining was a royally pissed off drunk Rarity. I let out a yipe then fired off a Flame Charge as I looked forward.

FUCK-FUCK-FUCK-FUCK-FUCK!

I think that's what she has in mind.

SHUT THE FUCK UP!

Just saying.

A cart pulled up in front of me about fifty feet, but that was very quickly decreasing by the second. Thinking fast, I jumped and holy shit can I get some air! Not only did I clear the cart, but I got an extra fifty feet past it before I came back to earth. I didn't stop running though, good call considering Rarity decided to use her Force powers to hurl the cart out of her way. I swear I heard someone say "My cabbages!" in the background somewhere, but I was too busy saving my own ass to check.

"Trouble in paradise?" a familiar smug female voice at my left asked.

I let out a sigh of relief when I turned my head towards the voice. Flying next to me was a dark purple dragon about the same size as me with orange spines and eyes. If it wasn't for her smile and colors, I probably wouldn't've recognized her, but good god was I glad to see her.

"Help!" I gasped.

"Already ahead of you my dear," she winked then put a claw up to the side of her head. "I've found the target. Get ready for things on your end. Over."

***

Several blocks away from the fleeing Ninetales, two creatures stood. One was a male dark green Changeling with yellow eyes and matching neck fin and tail. The other was a jet black Earth Pony with a spiky red and orange mane. A round cartoon bomb with a lit fuse decorated his flanks. The Changeling put a hoof up to his ear and nodded.

"Understood. See you later Vermillion," he said then gave the Earth Pony a nod.

"Bout time I get to do something fun," the Earth Pony chuckled, pulling a small, round, blue object out of his mane. "Right Zeal?"

The Changeling, Zeal, gave him an impassive look before he shifted it down the street.

"So long as you do your job, I could care less what you do in your free time Flash Bang. You know that."

"And that's why everyone calls you a stick in the mud," Flash Bang sighed, rolling his eyes.

Zeal rolled his eyes at that, the Changeling numb to his coworker's eccentricities as he watched Alex and Vermillion run towards them.

"Be ready," he intoned.

"Just say the word," Flash Bang chuckled, a wide smile plastered across his muzzle.

After about twenty seconds, Zeal nodded and the Earth Pony threw his ball at the path ahead of them.

***

I was just about to run around a corner when a loud bang made me freeze. A second later, a dense cloud of purple smoke surrounded Vermillion and I.

"Th-The fuck?" I coughed.

"This way," Vermillion whispered, grabbing my shoulder and practically dragging me out of the smoke cloud. When we got out she brought me over to an Earth Pony that looked like he belonged to a Punk band and a lime flavored Changeling. Before I could ask, the Changeling turned into a copy of me and ran back into the cloud while Vermillion and Punk dragged me further down the street.

"Operation Fox Trot: success!" Punk cheered, the guy pumping a foreleg as he laughed.

"Indeed," Vermillion nodded. "Hopefully Zeal can keep her busy long enough for us to get to the theater."

"Not that I'm not grateful for the save back there, but who the hell are you guys?" I frowned.

Punk chuckled at that and said, "Right, you haven't met all of us. Name's Flash Bang. I'm Autumn's Special Effects Artist."

"More like Arsonist," Vermillion muttered.

"Hey! I was not responsible for that!" he snapped, pointing a hoof at Vermillion. "That mare the boss hired to watch things is a natural klutz! She breaks things just walking past them!"

"Excuses, excuses," Vermillion frowned waving Flash Bang's comments aside before turning her head towards me and adding, "As for the Changeling that switched places with you earlier, that was my mate Zeal. He's an actor just like me, only, he covers the male roles of course."

"Right," I sighed. "Guess I owe him a few drinks later."

"Perhaps," she chuckled. "Though he isn't really a fan of alcohol."

"Damn," I grimaced. "I'll figure something out later, I guess."

Both of them laughed at that with Flash Bang giving me a playful nudge in the shoulder. I let out a snort and smiled at that. Looked like I'm not the only oddball in Autumn's life. Damn. I wonder what I'm gonna have to do to stand out?

Sleep with the director?

Shut up.

"Now," Vermillion smirked. "Care to explain why we had to save your flank?"

"I was asking Rarity for dating tips."

"That doesn't sound all that bad," Flash Bang shrugged.

"This was after a few dozen shots of hard cider," I said flatly

He cringed and said, "Yeah. Bad move bro."

"I hope it was all worth it in the end," Vermillion frowned.

"Yep," I smirked, floating the folded paper up to them. "Autumn's gonna love it."

Flash Bang laughed at that while Vermillion gave me an approving smile and nod.

Get ready Autumn. I'm gonna give you a night to remember!

***

Dahlia was not a happy Ninetales. Two days at sea and three days out in the wilderness had done nothing to improve her already strained patience. Sid's mood wasn't much better, the feeling that something ominous sat in the distant future sitting at the back of his mind like a bad itch. As such, neither of them were really in much of a talking mood when they got to the Diamond Dog town, the local tavern practically screaming their names the second they entered Ore Town's borders. They stared dully at their mugs of cheep beer as they tried to decompress from their long journey, but the stares they got kept them from making a lot of progress in that venture.

A deep growl grew in Dahlia's throat as she felt all of the eyes in the room on her back before she looked over her shoulder and roared, "WHAT?! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU ALL WANT?!"

All of the Diamond Dogs in the room quickly looked away from her, most of them looking sheepish as they tried to avoid the Ninetale's ire. Dahlia let out a frustrated growl as she went back to glowering into her drink before she took a long pull. Sid just sighed and did the same. At the same time, he tried to think of a way to gather the information he needed. Naturally, they were going to need to rest a least a day before they could make any notable progress on that front.

"Boy, are all Kitsune this snippy?" a minotaur grumbled taking a seat next to Sid. "Iron Will hopes the first one that came through here is in a better mood with his mate."

Sid blinked at that, then gave the Minotaur a passing glance. Surely things couldn't be that perfect, right? He gave his brooding sister a quick glance before turning his head towards the Minotaur. It wouldn't be the first time he put his hopes on a gamble.

"Sorry about that," he said behind a tired smile. "My sister and I have been traveling for a while and she's a little snippy. Did you say another Kitsune came through here?"

Iron Will eyed Sid critically for a second then said, "Yeah. A few days ago, a Kitsune came in here with a Kirin Doe."

Sid nodded, that much already reported to him from the rumors Harpoon heard before they left.

"I see," he nodded. "Did this Kitsune say what his name was or where they were going?"

"Depends," Iron Will frowned. "What do you plan to do to him?"

"Just confirm a few things," he shrugged, taking a swig from his mug. "We have been hunting someone for a long time now and we think that this Kitsune might know something. All we want to do is ask him a few questions and then take it from there."

Iron Will locked eyes with the Absol sitting next to him, the intensity of said stare barely leaving a dent in Sid's unreadable pokerface. It wasn't a lie, not entirely anyway. He did want to ask this Kitsune questions, especially if they would help him and Dahlia close in on Sandra. If it turned out that this Kitsune was in fact their target, then this Minotaur would've just managed to save them months of shadow-chasing. It was all a win as far as he was concerned, but that all depended on whether or not Iron Will played ball. That, and if the lead they had wasn't a waste of time to begin with.

Iron Will sighed, then turned back to his mug and said, "Iron Will's friend took them to Ponyville."

Sid blinked at that, shocked by how easily the Minotaur relinquished his knowledge.

"Thank you," Sid nodded. "I promise not to abuse your trust in us."

Iron Will burst out laughing at that.

"Trust you? HA! Iron Will just met you. Iron Will knows that if you tried to hurt Alex, his friend would destroy you."

Sid's eyes widened, Dahlia freezing just short of floating her mug to her lips as they both let what Iron Will just said set in. It wasn't possible. There was no way the universe could be that cruel.

The Ninetales set her mug down and in a voice as fragile as glass asked, "What was this Kitsune's name?"

Ch. 19 A Really Hot Night "Show time!"

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I think Ponyland wants to make me bash my head through a wall. First, I almost get molested by a super (thirsty) drunk national hero, then I had to spend three days after that just to get a god damn reservation at some place called The Silver Spoon. Sure, Vermillion helped me get everything worked out, but I still had to sneak off to a nearby bar for a few drinks to steady my nerves.

Then there was Autumn.

I swear she can tell I'm up to something. Off and on I'd catch her staring at me out the corner of my eye. It was like she was....reading me or something. I don't know how to put it, but she didn't look pissed at least. She was also being a lot more affectionate lately, practically trying to wear me like a coat each night. I'm not complaining or anything, but it was a little weird.

Now that I had everything all set up, I was stuck nervously pacing like a high school dingus on the backstage side of the theater's curtain.

"Hope she doesn't know too much," I muttered to myself as I paced. "I want to 'wow' her for peet's sake."

All kinds of ways tonight could go wrong ran through my head. I could dump something on her. I could get in a fight with someone. I end up boring her. I say something stupid, er, more stupid than normal and we get into a fight. A UFO shows up and we end up getting probed! Hell! The apocalypse happens and we get attacked by demons from the fiery pits of hell!

I letted out a frustrated groan and slumped to my haunches.

"I don't want to mess this up," I muttered, staring at the ground.

A faint hint of movement at my left caught my attention. When I looked up I let out startled yelp and jumped to my feet. About three feet away from me was a dark brown pony, only, it had a pair of bat wings sticking out of its back. It had a short and messy black mane and tail. It's eyes were gray and cat-like with a faint glow around them like a dim set of flash lights. It was smiling at me in a way that showed me its fangs. They weren't as big as Vermillion's or Zeals, but they still put me on edge.

"Who the fuck are you?" I stammered, crouching low and getting ready to send an Extrasensory at it.

The ....Bat-pony(?) laughed and in a relaxed male voice said, "Chill bro. Just thought I'd get a look at the boss lady's main squeeze."

"...Huh?" I blinked, letting my guard down a little.

He laughed and stuck a foreleg out towards me as he said, "Name's Gangplank."

"Alex," I nodded, shaking his hoof. "And you're Autumn's...?"

"Stagehoof," he chuckled. "I'm the stallion keeping this place from collapsing on itself."

"Uh, huh," I nodded.

Made sense to me. I kind've figured the place had someone keeping it in shape. It also made me want to strangle the guy for making Autumn's job more difficult. I didn't know all of the specifics, but apparently a lot of the theater got recked while she was gone. I guess he knew what I was thinking because he gave me an annoyed frown and put a hoof up like he was trying to cut me off.

"If you want to give me grief about all of that, take it up with Flash Bang. He's the one that blew up half the theater. It's thanks to me that the building survived."

"Quite the claim, don't you think?" a posh female voice said from the shadows.

"Yeah! We helped too you know!" a bubbly female voice said as well.

Gangplank sighed as two figures stepped out of the dark behind him. One was a dark gray Unicorn with a straight jet-black mane and tail with silver streaks running through them. She held herself with the same kind of poise nobles from those old period movies had. The difference is that it seemed to come naturally to her. Her dark blue eyes seemed to shoot straight through me. Next to her was a bright yellow Kirin with a fluffy green mane with little flecks of pink in it. She was a bit shorter than Autumn and had this really energetic feel to her. She had a really big smile and teal eyes that practically glowed in the dark.

"Uh, hello?" I said, waving a paw at the two of them.

The Unicorn gave me small bow and a faint smile as she said, "Greetings. I am Lunar Symphony. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Same," I nodded, not sure how I was supposed to act around her.

I blinked and jumped back five feet when the Kirin popped up in front of me like a god damn popup ad. No, seriously, is this a Kirin thing or something? Are they half Weeping Angel or something?

"Hi! I'm Spring Waltz," she said with the biggest, brightest, most diabetic-shock-inducing smile I've ever seen.

"Alex," I sputtered.

"Thought so," Spring Waltz said, her smile turning mischievous. "Autumn's sooooooo lucky! I want to meet a cute Kitsune too!"

My fur fluffed up at that and a strange tingle shot from the back of my head to my core. A second later, a clear green barrier formed around me. I blinked in shock at that while everyone else jumped back from me, looking freaked. Well, Spring and Gangplank looked freaked while Lunar looked mildly annoyed.

"Must you be so forward Spring?" she sighed, putting a hoof to her face.

I blinked again and she suddenly appeared next to Lunar again, only now she looked like a kicked puppy.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered.

"N-No biggie," I chuckled weakly, the barrier slowly fading away. "So...are you two Autumn's friends or..."

"While I would consider myself as such," Lunar smiled. "My role is Music Director. I provide the music for the shows when Autumn can't find a band to perform instead."

"All by yourself?" I asked, some of my tension bleeding out of me.

"It is my special talent after all," she said, smiling proudly as she shifted herself to the side just far enough for me to see her magic tramp-stamp.

It looked like a collection of silver music notes circling a black cluster of instruments.

"Isn't that like trying to draw ten different pictures at the same time?" I asked.

"Perhaps," she chuckled.

Spring went "Ooo! Ooo!" as she frantically waived a hoof in the air.

Chuckling, I pointed a paw at her.

"I'm her Dance Choreographer!" she beamed. "I make sure everycreature in my cousin's plays stay in rhythm."

"Cousin?" I asked.

"She's Autumn's cousin," Gangplank snorted playfully.

I nodded in understanding at him then shifted my attention back to the pair in front of m- and she's right in my face again.

"Did Autumn show you her dance?" she asked.

"Her what?" I stammered, taking a step back.

"Sounds like a no if I've ever heard one," Gangplank shrugged.

"Quite cautious of her," Lunar mused, putting a hoof up to her chin in thought. "I'm impressed."

Spring let out a happy squee as she...pranced? Yeah, I think that's the word. Anyway, she let out a happy squee as she pranced in place for a few seconds before she stared skipping around us.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! She found one! She found one!"

"Found what?" I asked, a bit of annoyance and worry starting to settle in my gut.

"Nothing to worry about," Lunar smirked. "At the moment anyway. For now, let us worry about your date tonight."

"Wait, how do you know abo-"

"Vermillion and I spend a lot of time together," she said evenly. "Now, what are your plans for the evening?"

***

"Oh geez, oh geez," Autumn fretted, the doe pacing restlessly back and forth through her office.

The poor doe had been a nervous wreck since she woke up that morning, her face sporting a bright blush as she tried to get her wild thoughts under control. The morning had started out the same as it always had since Alex moved in. They had a simple breakfast of eggs and bacon with coffee. She knew that he had been up to something for the past few days, but that barely braced her when he said he had their first date set up tonight. She was on cloud nine for a couple hours after that, but that quickly shifted into dread when she realized just how unprepared she was for it. She didn't have a dress, any accessories, or enough time to head off to the salon to get her mane done. Having been single for longer than she was willing to admit, she didn't see the point of having such things in her life, salon not included. As such, she had to call in her mane and makeup artist and her costume designer to help her out. A perfect solution? Absolutely not, but the best option she had at her disposal.

A soft knock on her door made her jump before she let out a frazzled "Come in!"

The door creaked open to reveal one of the oddest pairs in Autumn's theater. One was a tangerine dragoness, her spines and earfins a rich magenta while her horns were curved like a bull's and a lighter shade of orange. Next to her stood a tall and gangly teal Pegasus stallion. His yellow mane and tail were done up in a messy bun that, combined with his five o'clock shadow gave him a rather sloppy appearance. Both of them let out short yelps as Autumn's magic yanked them into the room and slammed the door shut.

"Zephyr! Smolder! Thank you so much for coming!" Autumn stammered, her demeanor frantic as she beheld her guests.

"No prob boss," the Dragon, Smolder, chuckled.

"Yeah," Zephyr nodded. "We've always got your back. So, what do you need us for today?"

"Well, I've got a date tonight and I want to look good for it."

"Makes sense," the Pegasus shrugged, then smirked as he added, "So you called in a natural genius to clean you up?"

Smolder rolled her eyes and said, "Careful Zeph, your ego's showing again."

"Hey, its not my fault the boss lady knows brilliance when she sees it," he boasted, puffing out his chest as he buffed his hoof on it.

"That's why everyone thinks she was drunk when she hired you," she chuckled, giving his shoulder a playful punch.

"Guys! Focus!" Autumn squeaked, fidgeting in place. "I have three hours to not look like a total dork for my first date and I need all the help I can get!"

"Nuff said," Smolder winked. "Zeph, work your magic."

"No need to tell me twice," he smirked. "Just let me get my tools and I'll make you look like a million bits!"

"Thanks Zephyr," Autumn sighed with a smirk. "I owe you."

He "tsk"ed and waved her off as he stepped out of the room.

"No prob boss. Just name the kid after me later," he smirked.

Autumn sputtered, her face bright red as the Pegasus made his exit. Smolder rolled her eyes as she approached her frazzled boss. With a trained eye, she scanned the Kirin's figure as she ran through her mental list of available costumes. Sure, most of them were made for performances, but the Dragoness was nothing if not adaptable. A feature she was proud to introduce to her costumes. Having a rough idea of what might work, she placed her claws on her boss' shoulders and gave her a firm shake.

"Boss, breathe. Keep it up and you'll set off the smoke detectors again."

"R-Right," she stammered, smoke already starting to waft off of her mane and horn as she took deep breaths.

Slowly, her nerves started to settle, the smoke fading away with her anxieties. When she finally leveled out, she gave Smolder a small smile and nodded in thanks. Crossing her arms, the Dragoness stepped back to give her boss some space.

"This guy must be something special to have you this freaked out," she smirked. "Spill. Who's the lucky stag?"

"He's, uh, n-not a stag," she giggled sheepishly. "He's a Kitsune. His name's Alex."

"The guy Headmare Starlight hired?" she blinked in shock, then gave her a mischievous smirk. "Nice."

"Thanks," Autumn mumbled sheepishly, her face turning a bright shade of red as steam leaked out of the tip of her horn.

"Did you show him your dance yet?" she asked.

"Why does everycreature keep asking me that?!" she whined, pressing her forehooves to her face and falling to her haunches.

"So that's a no then?" Smolder smiled, raising a brow.

"We agreed to take this slow," she moaned, hooves still pressed to her face.

"Fair enough," she shrugged.

Letting her hooves fall from her face to the ground, she let out a sigh as her gaze followed them.

"I just hope I don't mess this up. This might be my only chance to show him..."

"Show him what?" Smolder asked, her playful smile replaced by a concerned frown.

"Nothing," she smiled, locking eyes with Smolder. "It's not important. Anyway, do you think you have any costumes that can save me?"

"I might have a few things," Smolder snorted, a confidant smile forming on her lips. "I'll grab them while Zeph fixes up your mane."

"Thanks," Autumn sighed. "I owe you both big for this."

"Anytime boss," Smolder chuckled.

***

The cool night air felt nice on my coat as I stood outside the theater. After a couple of hours of etiquette lessons from Lunar, I just couldn't stay still and needed some air. That, and Spring was way too much for me to keep up with right now. Seriously, is being freakishly adorable a Kirin thing or do I have a new fetish now? My nerves weren't helping either. Like I said, this wasn't my first time taking a girl on a date, but its been such a long time that it might as well've been. I let out a frustrated sigh and I leaned my back against the building behind me.

"I'd better not screw this up," I muttered, staring up at the night sky.

You really need to have more confidence in yourself.

"Shut up," I sighed.

Seriously dude. Chill. She's clearly nuts about you and you aren't out to hurt her, right?

Of course I'm not.

Then quit moping. Just lean back and enjoy the moment. Let things play out and have some fun for a fucking change.

"Right," I sighed, a small grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. "I can worry about whatever shit happens later when it happens. I've got more important things to do right now."

Or does to do, right?

"Shut up!" I growled, my face heating up at that.

The sound of the front door opening caught my attention and I turned to face it. What I saw made me... wow. Autumn was wearing a really nice looking nightgown. It didn't have any sleeves and the part that covered her barrel looked like it was made of some weird mix of fabric and tree bark. The train was made of a patchwork mix of yellow, green, red, and brown fabrics woven together in a way that made them blend together perfectly. A pair of small silver studs glinted at the edge of her ears along with a thin gold chain starting at the tip of her horn and coiling down to a matching clasp at its base. Her normally curly mane was brushed into a wavy braid that came down to her right shoulder. All of that combined with the shy smile she was giving me took my breath away.

My tails fluffed as I struggled to find my voice. After a few seconds of trying to get my fucking brain to reboot, I finally managed to pull it off.

"W-Wow," I stammered. "You look great!"

"Thanks," she giggled. "No suit?"

"Long story," I sighed.

"Alright," she giggled, then blushed as she added, "I like you like this anyway."

"Thanks," I chuckled, coming up to her left and nuzzling her cheek. "Suits suck anyway. You spend way too much money on them and you only wear them once."

"Bet you'd look great in one," she giggled as she leaned into me.

"Probably," I shrugged, wrapping some of my tails around her as I lead us down the street. "Too bad you won't ever see me in one."

"We'll see about that," she smirked.

I chuckled at that and nuzzled the top of her head.

***

The Silver Spoon was a pretty good place. When Rarity and I were picking restaurants, I told her I couldn't really afford anything too formal. Luckily, The Silver Spoon was just the right balance of formal and casual. The low lighting and lightly ornate dark wood circular tables did a great job at setting the mood. As we were waited for our food, I told Autumn about my first day at work and why I was covered in green slime when I came home that day.

"That's what happened at the castle?" Autumn asked, jaw sitting on the table.

"Yep," I frowned. "And let me tell you, monster slime tastes a hell of a lot worse than it smells."

She made a fake barfing sound and said, "I'll take your word for it. You smelled horrible!"

"Three hours and four bottles of shampoo later?" I asked, giving her a crooked smile.

"I got in bed with you, didn't I?" she asked with a matching smile.

We burst out laughing at that just as our waiter brought us our drinks.

This was going a hell of a lot better than I thought it would. With my luck, I half expected a meteor to come crashing through the ceiling or Satan himself come out of some portal by now. Wait. I'm a Pokémon now. Wouldn't that mean Giratina would be the one coming out of a portal? Eh, whatever. The point is, I was having fun and shit hasn't hit the fan yet. I'm calling it a win.

"I met some of your employees today," I chuckled, taking a sip of my wine.

"Which ones?" she asked, doing the same.

"Gangplank, Lunar Symphony, and Spring Waltz."

Her smile wilted when I mentioned her cousin.

"Family drama?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Sort've," she sighed. "Spring's a great dancer and a really nice Kirin, but she can be a bit much at times."

"Yeah," I cringed. "Wasn't gonna say anything, but I think we should set up a bomb shelter at some point. It's only a matter of time before she finds the coffee maker, y'know?"

She burst out laughing at that.

"Oh trust me," she smiled wiping a happy tear out of her eye. "That's already happened. Apparently, coffee has no effect on her. All of that hyper just comes naturally for her."

"I don't know if I should be glad or worried," I mused, earning another cute giggle out of my date. "Oh yeah. When we met she asked me if you showed me your dance or something. Is that code for something around here?"

Autumn's eyes widened and her whole body went rigid.

"Did she ask you to see hers?" she asked, tone just as stiff.

"No?" I said, dread setting in my gut. "She just acted all happy about it and started saying "She found one!" for a few minutes."

"Good," she sighed, all of the tension falling off of her.

"Something I should know?" I asked, raising a brow.

Autumn leveled a serious look my way and said, "When a Kirin finds somecreature they...care about, they do a special dance for them. It's a really big deal for us and we don't just do it for any creature we meet. It's almost sacred for us."

"Oh," I blinked, the severity of the situation starting to set in.

I gulped then nervously asked, "Do you want to... dance for me?"

Her face turned bright red as a look of shock spread across it.

"I-I-I mean hypothetically," I sputtered, my own face burning up as my brain caught up with my mouth. "I'm not trying to rush into anything if you're not ready for it or anything like that. Just curious is all, y'know."

"R-Right," Autumn nodded, her eyes locked onto the table as she fidgeted in her seat.

After a few minutes of awkward silence (and me mentally kicking myself) Autumn took a deep breath and nervously said, "Maybe, if things work out between us down the line and you're okay with it, I-I-I'll dance for you."

"Really?" I asked.

She nodded, a bit of steam coming off of the tip of her horn.

A smile returned to my muzzle and I said, "Looks like I have something big to look forward to."

"Y-Yeah," she stammered, a bright smile growing on her face. "I guess you do."

***

Dinner was great, but it was nothing compared to what happened next. A wide smile was spread across my muzzle as I guided Autumn through town. I couldn't wait to see the look on her face when we got there. Sure, it wasn't going to be anything fancy, but it was just the thing we needed after everything we've been through recently.

Autumn let out a happy hum as she nuzzled into my side and said, "That was great. We should really do this again sometime."

"Don't go talking like its all over yet," I winked. "I've still got one last thing for you."

"And what would that be?" she asked, giving me a sly smile.

"You'll see in a few minutes," I chuckled.

She giggled and rested her head on my shoulder.

Slowly, the streets and houses were replaced by trees and grass. I'd catch Autumn giving our surroundings curious glances out the corner of my eye every few steps. Hadn't she ever come outside the town's borders? Maybe she just hadn't been to this part of the town outskirts yet. I didn't get to think too much about that before we started to close in on a clearing and my surprise for the cutest doe in Ponyville.

The second we entered the clearing, a look of wide-eyed wonder popped onto Autumn's face to match my growing smile. Hundreds of fireflies drifted lazily through the open field like little stars while a fluffy white blanket just big enough for the two of us was spread out at the center with a wicker basket set on it. Autumn gave me a giant smile before she threw her forelegs around me in a tight hug. I laughed as I hugged her back, then wrapped my tails around her the second it ended and walked with her towards the picnic.

"You really pulled out all the stops for this," she giggled, sitting down by the basket.

"Hey, you wanted all of this," I shrugged, spreading out across the blanket. "Dinner, drinks, and a show, right?"

"I guess," she said, giving me a shy smile. "Are you having fun too?"

You know, there should be a law against being so god damn cute. I felt all of my fur fluff up at that while my face did a damn good impression of a tiki torch. I nodded and used my Extrasensory to float a familiar bottle out of the basket. I watched Autumn's smile turn mischievous as I pulled the cork out of the bottle with my teeth.

"It's just like the day we met," she giggled.

"Yep," I nodded. "Except you were the only firefly at the time."

"You sweet-talker," she smiled, giving me a soft shove in the shoulder. "Did you bring any shots?"

"Nope," I smirked, taking a casual swig straight from the bottle.

I floated the bottle towards her as I let the drink warm my core. God damn was this shit good. Autumn gave me a sassy smile as she took a swig of her own and set the bottle down between us. The next few minutes were like that, the two of us playing a game of Dragon Tar chicken with fireflies drifting around us. Soon, the bottle ran out and with a really good buzz going on between us, we laid side-by-side staring at the stars.

Maybe it was the drink, but I just felt so... I don't know... relaxed? Everything in my life has felt like one big disaster after another. After a while, I just stopped looking forward to shit and did whatever I could just to survive. Now, here I was, totally at peace with the world staring at a sky full of stars with the greatest girl in two worlds. All it cost me was my humanity and my old life. Best fucking trade ever.

"Hey Alex, can I ask you something?" Autumn asked, eyes still locked onto the sky.

"Shoot," I shrugged.

I could see a nervous smile form on her muzzle out the corner of my eye as she said, "Could you....close your eyes?"

"Why?" I asked, turning my head to face her.

"I...um...want to give you...could you please just do it?" she stammered out, her face gradually turning redder by the second.

"Alright?" I said, quirking a brow as I complied.

For a few seconds, nothing happened, then, my eyes popped open when I felt a pair of soft lips meet mine. My whole body tensed for a minute, but that slowly melted away as instinct took over. I wrapped my forelegs around her and leaned into the kiss, my whole body curling around her as she hugged me back. My energy surged through me as our kiss ended, my now glowing coat showing me the loving smile on Autumn's face. Neither of us said anything as we curled into each other, whatever power I was using burning away the night's chill. This was something I needed for... I don't even know how long. It felt like a new kind of fire was burning inside of me, something completely different from the one I use for my moves.

I want her to have it.

Before I could figure out what that meant, a snapped branch brought me back to earth. Irritated, I raised my head towards the sound and froze. Standing about fifteen feet away from us was an Alolan Ninetales. Aside from the scar coming from its eye down to its chest, it looked exactly like the one from the games. That, and the shocked look on its face made me stand up. I had no idea what this Ninetales wanted and you don't get a scar like that from running with scissors.

"Can I help you?" I growled, standing between my mate and the other Ninetales.

My anger turned into shock when a familiar female voice came out of the Ninetales' mouth. A voice I thought I would never hear again.

"Alex? Is that really you?"

It took me a few minutes to remember how to work my mouth, but when I did, I could only get one word out of it.

"Dahlia?"

Ch. 20 A Foxy Reunion "This Is Gonna Be...Complicated"

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Magic horse world is definitely trying to kill me. Or drive me insane. Hell, maybe both! I don't know! All I know is that my brain felt like it was going to jump out of my head and do a breakdance right in the middle of the street. The damn thing was moving a million miles an hour in too many directions as I made my way towards the café Dahlia told me to meet her at. That was pretty much the only thing that happened last night, not that I could get myself to have a complete thought, let a lone a full conversation. As the early morning sun washed over me, hundreds of questions filled my head. How did she get here? When did she get here? Was Sid okay? How did she get that scar? Why did she leave?

That last one hit me the hardest. I still remembered the empty days I lived through when they disappeared. Days I spent doing anything I could think of to push the loneliness to the back of my mind. I...I think it was also part of the reason I saw everyone as potential enemies on Earth.

No! I am NOT going to blame them for my own fuck ups! But...no. It's not their fault! But they left me to die! NO! They tried to help me after Sandra nearly killed me! They're my family! They left me to rot!

I fell to my haunches and covered my head with my paws, my torn mind trying to eat itself as I tried to get my thoughts in order. A frustrated growl passed my lips along with heavy pants. I could feel my core pulsing against the inside of my chest along with my heart. This was all getting to be too much!

A hoof on my shoulder helped me pull myself back, my paws parting just enough for me to see Autumn's eyes. I could see her lips moving, but I couldn't hear her over the pounding in my ears. Slowly, my breathing leveled out and I could hear again, the pulsing from my core also started to fade as I started to come down from...whatever the fuck that was.

"Can you hear me?" Autumn asked, concern heavy in her tone and posture.

"Y-Yeah," I gulped. "W-What the hell happened?"

"I think you were having a panic attack," Autumn sighed, resting her forehead on mine. "We don't have to do this now, you know. We can go back to the theater and I could send Vermillion or Spring to tell Dahlia that now isn't a good time."

"Nah," I sighed, leaning into her. "That'd just make her worry about me. She'd probably bash the front door in and tear the place apart looking for me."

And that's not taking into account whatever crazy powers she's gained since you last talked to her.

Right.

"Besides," I groaned, dragging myself to my feet. "I'll just drive myself even crazier if I don't get a few answers out of her soon."

Autumn didn't look too happy about that, but gave me an understanding nod and smile as she moved back to my side. My whole body felt like lead weights were tied to each of my legs, but I managed to force them to move me forward. A few passing glances at Autumn helped keep me from spiraling again, which I was glad for, but I felt kind of bad about that. It wasn't fair for her to have to keep being my fucking emotional pillar. I need to keep all of this crap under control for shit's sake!

Soon, the café came into view and a new wave of anxiety washed over me. I guess Autumn noticed, because I felt her wrap her tail around one of mine. A small spark shot through me, but it was different from the one I felt when that baby Kirin chewed on me. Instead of a surged of rage, I was filled with a warm comfort. All of my nerves started to settle as the warmth ran through me, a relaxed smile replacing my grimace. Again, I had a strong desire to give that warmth to Autumn, but I had no idea what that meant or how I was supposed to do it.

Worry about that later, I thought, my eyes narrowing at the café. Let's get this shit figured out first.

Wrapping my tail around Autumn's, I took a deep breath and opened the place's front doors with my Extrasensory. The first thing I did was try to see if I could spot Dahlia. Not the hardest thing in the world since everyone was avoiding her booth like the plague. You'd think that after all the time I spent in this town everyone would be used to seeing a Ninetales, but they all looked like they were a step away from pissing themselves. Then again, that was probably because of the...yep...that's an Absol sitting next to her. In Ponyville. A town that was apparently know for its natural disasters. Yeah, that's not ominous at all.

I started to move forward, but a tug on my tail made me pause. I turned my head back a bit and my heart sank. Autumn looked like she just saw a ghost, her terrified eyes locked onto Dahlia's table.

"Autumn?" I asked, waving a paw in her face. "Are you okay?"

"B-B-Bai Ze. Why is there a Bai Ze in Ponyville?" she whispered.

"A what?" I asked, staring back and forth between her and the Absol at the table.

At that moment, said Absol saw us. It smiled as it raised a claw and waved it at us like it was trying to get our attention.

"Yo! Alex! Long time no see bro!" it said in Sid's voice.

My jaw dropped at that.

"Sid?" I sputtered.

"Who the fuck else?" he called, a crooked smile sitting on his face. "Get your ass over here bro!"

I laughed and started walking towards the table, Autumn practically clinging to my side as we walked. My happiness dimmed when I felt how bad my girlfriend was shaking. I had never seen her this scared before, not even when we were in the Breezy Forest. When we finally took our seats, she clung to me for deal life and acted like someone had a gun up to her head. I wrapped all of my tails around her and pulled her into a one-armed hug for good measure. Her shaking slowed by a lot, but when I looked down at her I could see she was still scared shitless.

A sigh from Sid pulled my attention away from Autumn towards him.

"Happens every time," he muttered, then flashed a reassuring smile as he said, "I promise that nothing bad is going to happen today. I'm just here with my sister to meet Alex, that's it."

"A-Are you sure?" she gulped.

He nodded.

Autumn closed her eyes and let out a slow sigh, all of her terror seeming to leave her with her breath. When she opened them, she gave him a thankful smile as she relaxed into my side. Now that that whole crisis was averted, I gave the two of them my full attention. Like before, I had a million questions running through my head, only now they weren't shooting around so much that I felt like it was going to explode. The tricky part was trying to fucking pick one. After a few minutes of awkward silence, I guess Dahlia decided to break the ice instead.

"So, found yourself a mate, eh?" she asked, giving me a sly smile. "You guys banging yet?"

Well, that's one way to get my brain to freeze. While I sat there sputtering like an idiot, Autumn looked like her head got replaced by a steaming cherry. Dahlia busted up laughing at that while Sid just rolled his eyes. Even though a part of me wanted to strangle her for that, I couldn't fight the smile growing on my muzzle.

"Jealous?" I quipped, planting a kiss on top of Autumn's head.

"A little," she shrugged, then gave me a softer smile as she added, "I'm just happy you're doing okay. You are doing okay, right?"

"I'm...making progress," I frowned. "How did you guys get here? What happened?"

They traded looks, then Sid sighed as he said, "We didn't have a choice."

"Huh?" I blinked.

Dahlia gave Autumn a quick glance then said, "It took us a while to figure out the whole story, but a portal decided to pull us away from home while we were dealing with...her."

My heart sank straight to my ass at that.

"Is she the one that gave you that scar?" I asked.

She nodded, a feral growl coming out of her as she brought a paw up to the scar.

"You should see the one I gave her," she growled.

A heavy silence fell over the table as I let all of that set in.

Sid cleared his throat, probably to break the tension and asked, "So Alex, how did you end up in Equestria?"

I gave him a small smile and nod to thank him. My eyes went distant as I tried to remember what happened that night. Key word being tried.

"I don't really know," I sighed. "All I know is that I went to a bar that night after a shit week of work and then I woke up in a pony's animal sanctuary."

"Typical saturday happy hour?" he asked, brow quirked.

"Not really," I frowned. "I was in a pretty bad place that night."

***

Everything was spinning. Nothing was real aside from the blurry colors and muffled noises coming from all around me. Those, and the table I sat at with a mug clutched firmly in my hand. How many drinks had I drank before this one? Who the fuck cares. It's just one more thing I wanted to forget. That's all I really wanted to do tonight. Forget. Forget the crushing loneliness that waited for me at home. Forget the faces of all of the people that wanted to use me for some shit. I just wanted to forget for a few minutes. I wanted to let the numbness in my heart fill my veins for a change, something the god knows how many drinks I've had was already doing a pretty good job at doing.

That was fine. It made what I had planned later all the easier. If I can't feel the pain, if I can't think, then I won't be able to stop myself. I'll finally be done with all of this shit. All of the pain and cold will be gone and I can finally find some peace. What happened after that? Who the fuck cares? Anything, even hell would be better than this fuck hole.

I dragged the mug to my lips to take a long pull, but froze at the last second. The whole bar was dead silent, yet I could still see the blurry shapes of all of the people still around me. What made a flicker of fear fill me was the fact that none of them were moving. I sighed and set my drink aside. Looks like someone decided to slip something funny in my drink. That's fine. I really didn't care how I left this world at this point. I just hoped that whoever drugged me would let me enjoy my high before they dragged me off to do fuck knows what.

"My, my, quite the melodramatic, aren't we?" a male voice said from...somewhere.

A chair pulled up to my table and a man took a seat. He looked tall and thin with black and gray hair styled in a messy combover. He wore a good looking gray suit with a red tie and fancy white gloves on each hand. He gave me a wicked smile as he looked me over with red eyes.

I sighed, took a swig of my drink, then said, "So, you here to take me?"

"Pardon?" the man asked.

"Don't fuck with me," I growled. "Most people don't have red eyes. So, do you go by Satan or Lucifer or what?"

The man chuckled then said, "Please Alex, I like to think I have more style than those stiffs."

I rolled my eyes at that, then said, "Fine. Who are you then?"

"Is that really important?" he asked.

"Whatever," I muttered, downing more of my brew. "If you're not here to kill me or take my soul, then fuck off."

"Quite the tongue," the man tsked. "I bet it makes everything taste bitter."

I let out a growl and slammed my fist onto the table.

"That's cuz the world's nothing but shit!"

"Oh?" he asked, raising a brow.

"It's everyman for himself," I snarled. "Family. Friends. Love. None of that shit's real! If you want to get anywhere in this world, you have to tear down every person stupid enough to get in your way! That, or find someone dumb enough to follow you around long enough to stab you in the back!"

Cold dread shot through me as memories of that very same thing flashed through my head. Panicking, I grabbed my mug and chugged almost all of what was left of it. I needed to forget. I needed to stay in the present. The man waited for me to set my mug down, a deep frown on his face as I panted my trauma away. When I started breathing normally again, he started talking.

"You want to die?" he asked, tone empty of theatrics.

"I don't see any point not too," I sighed, too emotionally drained and drunk to beat around the bush.

"So you don't care what happens to you."

I nodded.

A smile spread across the man's face as he said, "Then let's make a wager. What if I show you that friendship, family, and, oh what the heck, love is real?"

"I'd say you're full of shit, but what the hell, why not? If I win, I get to die."

A somber look fell across the man's face as he said, "And when I win, you must live."

"When?" I snorted. "If you can pull that shit off, I'm a fucking Ninetales."

"As you wish," he said, then snapped his fingers.

***

"And that's the last thing I remember," I sighed.

Everyone looked at me in horror, Autumn even crying a bit as she hugged me. Not gonna lie, I was starting to tear up a little too as I leaned into her.

"Y-You wanted to kill yourself?" Dahlia stammered.

I reluctantly nodded,

"D-Do you still-"

"No," I smiled, pulling Autumn further into my side.

"Good," Sid sighed, then smiled impishly as he added, "You still owe me a drink."

I chuckled at that, offering Autumn a napkin to wipe her tears away.

"You fucking better not kill yourself," Dahlia growled. "If you do, I swear to god I'll find a necromancer to bring you back just to smack some sense into you!"

"Got it," I nodded, still smiling. "Not like we really need to worry about that. I've got Autumn and you guys here and the one person that wants me dead is out of my life for good."

Both Dahlia and Sid traded looks that instantly killed my good mood. These were the "should I tell him something bad" kind of looks. I braced myself as best as I could while I waited for them to come to a decision, something that I didn't need to do for vary long.

"Alex, I want you to stay calm, okay?" Dahlia asked, cautiously.

"Trust me," Sid added. "I wish we didn't have to tell you this."

"Tell me what?" I asked, dread filling my gut.

Dahlia took a deep breath, then said something that make my heart rate spike.

"Sandra's here too."

The world seemed to pause at that point. The air became heavy as lead. I felt my heart pound in my chest harder than it did on the way here. My core felt like it was shrinking and expanding every second. I couldn't breath! Everything was spinning! Air! I need air! Why was everything so hot?! I-

Everything turned black.

***

Dahlia and Sid sat in quiet contemplation just outside of Alex and Autumn's bedroom. They knew that he wouldn't've taken the news well, but it was better that he knew. The severe panic attack he had in the café hit them hard, though Autumn took it the worst. In a matter of seconds, the foul mouthed Kitsune she had fallen for was reduced to a gasping, seizing mess on the floor. Had the Kirin not been so terrified, she might've tried to torch the two creatures responsible.

"So, what's the plan sis?" Sid asked.

"Do you really need to ask?" she said coldly.

He shrugged.

She sighed, then said, "Obviously, we're going to be staying here. It wasn't that hard for us to hear about Alex, so it's only a matter of time before Sandra hears about him too."

"Right," he frowned. "I'll see if there are any places open for rent tomorrow. Hopefully none of them act like I'm going to burn them at the stake while I'm doing it."

"Good," she nodded. "While you're doing that, I'll stick around here to keep an eye on Alex."

"Not gonna happen," Autumn growled, stepping out of the room.

Both siblings turned to face her, most of the Kirin's mane and tail a writhing mass of blue and pink flames. Sid took a cautious step back, but Dahlia closed the gap between her and the irate doe.

"Want to run that by me again hot stuff?" she growled.

"You heard me," Autumn snarled, her form shifting further into its Nirik state.

Dahlia's glare sharpened as she lowered her head down to Autumn's level.

"What's your name?" she asked in a frigid tone.

"Autumn Blaze," she growled.

"Well, Autumn, have you ever tried to kill someone before?"

Autumn blinked, the shock of the question almost reverting her back to her normal form.

"I'll take that as a no," Dahlia frowned. "Then let me make this simple. If you try to stop Sandra, you and Alex will die. Period. Now, I've just seen my friend for the first time in years and I am not going to let some psycho take him away from me again. I'm glad that you're willing to stand up to me for Alex like this, but if you can't kill, then you'll just be one more body on the ground when Sandra shows up."

For a long, heavy moment, they stared each other down with Sid the only witness to the stand off. As Autumn stared into Dahlia's eyes, she could see her conviction in them as clear as day. Her eyes drifted briefly towards her scar, only to realize that it wasn't the only one the Ninetales had on her. All along her legs, her neck, even the thigh of her left hind leg sported inconsistencies in their fur that matched the patches that hid Alex's scars. While not as large as the one that ran from Dahlia's eye to her chest, they still showed that she had been through many deadly situations in her life.

"Okay," Autumn sighed, her Nirik form vanishing with a puff of smoke as she stared up at the Ninetales with teary eyes. "B-But on one condition."

"And that is?" Dahlia asked, raising a brow.

Wiping away her tears, the Kirin said something that made the two siblings trade shocked looks.

"I want you to teach me how to fight."

***

The forest was as silent as a tomb, blood and viscera painting the trees and grass like a macabre art project from hell. At its heart stood the one responsible for the desecration of the forest's sanctity. The creature was bipedal, its fur as black as night as it seemed to devour the few rays of moonlight that made it past the forest's canopy. It's claws were as red as the blood that soaked the ground while its eyes were a deep shade of blue. A massive wavy black and red mane came out of the back of its head that trailed down its back down to the point of almost giving it a tail. At the end of this mane was a pale blue bead tying that part of it into a faint semblance of a pony tail.

Three grown manticores laid at the creature's feet, deep gashes covering their bodies. The beasts stared up at the creature with faint breaths, the life fading from their eyes as their lives colored the grass beneath them.

"Shhhhh, don't worry," the creature whispered, it's feminine voice soft as a cloud as she stared down at the dying creatures. "It will all be over soon."

Ch. 21 Cold Hard Truth ,,,,,"The Pack is Back!"

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The air was cold as hell from where I stood, the dirt under my paws shifting between my toes. The sky was still dark since I woke up at the ass crack of dawn. Nothing but loose dirt and shattered boulders surrounded me from all sides. Just the way I wanted it. The Ponyville Quarry was just the kind of place I needed to get my shit together. No plants to burn or buildings that anyone would care about if shit hit the fan. Nothing to hold me back. Perfect.

A wave of blinding hot rage shot through me, my core surging as I let my anger burn. Since about an hour ago, my mind kept running through what my pals told me. Not gonna lie, I was scared out of my fucking mind. The bitch that almost killed me back home had somehow ended up here too. Who wouldn't shit a brick? But then I thought about Autumn and I got more furious than I've ever been in my entire life. This was worse than the few times someone grabbed one of my tails.

I let out a howl of pure hate and shot out a Flamethrower so hot, it melted a hole through a nearby boulder. I acted mostly on instinct, lashing out at everything around me with every move in my arsenal. I cleaved and crushed rocks with my Iron Tail. Chunks of stone bigger than my head got flung into cave mouths by my Extrasensory. I Zen Headbutted everything in range into rubble. I threw a Hex at whatever burnt stones I came across, turning them into dust. I let myself go more and more wild, more things getting fucked up every second I let it all happen.

When I finally ran out of things to break, I fell to my haunches and yelled to the sky with everything I had.

"WHY THE FUCK DID THAT BITCH HAVE TO BE HERE TOO!!!"

I let out a frustrated growl as I pounded a paw into the dirt, heavy pants coming out of my muzzle. I let myself go limp, most of my anger gone.

It never fails. Something good decides to finally come into my life and I get kicked in the nuts. Can't I get one fucking break for a change? Can't the universe give me that much for fucks sake?

"I need to get out of here," I mumbled, staggering to my feet. "If I'm here, then Autumn's going to be in danger. If I head out now, then maybe-"

"No fucking way bro," a familiar voice said flatly.

I jumped and spun around. Sure enough, standing about five feet away from me was a frowning Absol. Looks like the dick's still good at sneaking up on people. That or its a dark-type thing.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked, slumping down to my haunches again.

"Keeping an eye on you," he frowned, walking up to me.

"Right," I sighed.

Neither of us said anything for...I have no idea how long. This was still a lot for me to take in at once. My old friends coming back into my life. Finally having a happy life. Finding out my psycho ex is in this world too. My emotions were running in so many directions I didn't even know which way to go! Well, except for one route at least.

"I can't stay here," I sighed.

"Why?" Sid asked flatly.

I blinked, then glared at him as I said, "I know you're not stupid. You know why."

"Tell me anyways," he said, giving me a flat look to go with his tone as he settled onto his haunches.

I let out a frustrated sigh/growl and said, "If I'm here, then Sandra's gonna show up too. When she does, you and I both know she'll do something to Autumn. If I'm not here, she's safe. Period."

Sid just raised a brow at me (Huh. Didn't know Absols even had eyebrows.) and said, "Okay. Let's say you run off. What's stoping her from running after you?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Honestly, I hadn't even thought of that. Would Autumn stay in Ponyville if I left? Probably not. I guess Sid could tell I figured that out too, because he flashed me a cocky grin before he started talking again.

"Take it from someone that's been in this world for a few years. Once the girl's here like you, they will run through hell covered in kerosene to get to you."

"Talking from experience?" I chuckled.

"You have no idea," he snorted. "Anyway. The way I see it, you have two options."

"Which is?" I asked.

Sid's smile took on a more sinister edge as he said, "Let sis and I take care of Sandra or get strong enough to settle the score."

I leaned back a bit at that. I hadn't thought of that. Why was running my first thought anyway? I fought a fucking tentacle monster a few days ago for christ sake! Sandra's just a step above that. My jaw clenched tightly as a wide smile spread across my muzzle. When Sandra comes, I will not let her take away my happiness again. Let's bury the bitch.

"I'll take option B."

"Thought so," Sid chuckled, standing back up. "But first, let's see what you have to work with."

"Huh?" I blinked.

"Your moves, dork," Sid sighed, rolling his eyes. "What moves do you have?"

"Oh," I said, chuckling awkwardly. "Well, I've got Flamethrower, Extrasensory, Hex, Zen Headbutt, Iron Tail, Flame Charge, and I think Protect, but I'm not sure."

Sid nodded, a small frown on his face as he stared at me.

"So three Special Moves, three Physical Moves, and maybe one Status Move. Guess you haven't found your Mana Move yet."

"My what?" I blinked.

"Don't worry about it," he sighed, waving off my question with a claw. "What about your ability?"

"I....don't know," I mused, putting a paw to my chin. "What are Ninetales abilities again?"

"Are you serious?" he said flatly.

"Hey! Give me a break! There's like eight hundred fucking Pokémon out there and four times as many abilities to keep track of!"

Sid rolled his eyes and said, "Does fire still hurt you?"

"A little?" I said, raising a brow.

"Do you glow every now and then?"

"Yeah?" I said, wondering where the hell he was going with this.

"Then congratulations! You have Drought!" he said with the cheesiest smile I had ever seen, before it shifted back into a deadpan.

"Huh," I blinked. "How about that?"

Yep," Sid chuckled. "Can you turn it on and off at will?"

"Nope," I sighed.

"Then I think we should start there," he smiled. "Should make your better moves pack a bigger punch later."

"Right," I smiled, then frowned as I looked around and asked, "Hey, where's Dahlia?"

"Getting to know your girlfriend better," he chuckled. "Don't worry about it."

***

Dahlia was no stranger to training others, a consequence of years of working as a gym coach back in her previous life. Through grit, discipline, and a lack of compromise, she managed to turn limp noodles into titans and supper models with a very small margin of error. One would think that similar tactics would translate well into teaching Equestrians how to fight. While not wrong, it was significantly more difficult than back on Earth. Humans didn't have magic as a crutch to lean on when their bodies couldn't hack it and their world was a lot more cruel. To put it simply, Dahlia saw Equestrians as soft with only a handful of them not being total pushovers. Turning someone that lived that kind of life into a warrior was an uphill battle with the hill covered with oil and soap.

That aside, she saw a bit of potential in Autumn. As they made their way towards one of the many open fields surrounding Ponyville, she could see a fire burning in the doe with each passing glance. It was solely for that reason that she was even entertaining the idea of training her in the first place. What it really boiled down to was whether of not that fire could survive what Dahlia had in store for her. After all, guts could only take Autumn so far when Sandra came to town.

By the time they came to an open enough clearing, the sun had moved long past the horizon into a clear late morning sky. Nodding, Dahlia turned to face her student with a shark-toothed grin that made the Kirin audibly gulp.

"Alright hot stuff, let's make a few things clear," Dahlia said with a wild edge in her tone. "First off, I'm not going to pull any punches here. The whole point of this is to make you strong enough to take down a psychopath that can and will fuck you up in a split second. I'm gonna drag you through so much hell, you'll beg me to kill you just to make it stop. You got that?"

Autumn nodded, lips pulled into a resolute frown with eyes that burned with determination. Dahlia liked what she was seeing. A small part of her felt bad for what she was going to put the Kirin through, but she knew that there was no getting around it. She needed to remind herself that this was the only way to make sure that Autumn survived what was to come.

"Good," she smirked, backing up from the doe.

Once she was a good five feet away from the Kirin, she continued.

"First, I want to see what you can do right now."

"Okay," Autumn nodded. "How do you want to do this?"

Dahlia's smile turned cocky as she said, "I want you to hit me with your best shot."

"Wh-What?!" Autumn balked.

"I won't know what need to work on if I can't get a feel for your power level," she shrugged. "Besides, I doubt a light weight like you could hurt me anyway."

"R-Right," she gulped.

A orange glow surrounded Autumn's horn as she gathered magic into it, but before she could do anything with it, a force slammed into her chest and sent her flying. She gasped, the air getting knocked out of her before she fell into the grass. She staggered to her hooves and leveled a glare at Dahlia, only for it to turn into wide eyed shock when the Kitsune seemingly appeared in front of her. Dahlia's tails took on a metallic sheen as she spun them towards her. Autumn had just enough time to put up a barrier before she was knocked to the other end of the field. She dug her hooves into the ground to stop herself at that point, just as Dahlia opened her mouth and shot a white ball of mist at her. Autumn dropped her barrier and rolled out of the way at the last second. A quick glance back showed what would've happened to her if the had attack connected. What had once been a tree was now a solid ice sculpture in the shape of a tree, the plant's shriveled and frost bitten remains trapped in its core. She looked back just in time to see her opponent close the gap between them, a violet glow covering her forehead. Thinking fast, she put up a barrier just before Dahlia rammed her head into her. The barrier shattered like glass under the force of the Kitsune's Zen Headbutt , stunning her just long enough for an Iron Tail to knock her across the field again.

"First rule of fighting," Dahlia said, tone even as she slowly moved towards the gasping Kirin laying in the grass. "Never give your opponent an opening. That means, if your best shot takes a while to charge, don't stand around like an idiot. Do it while your moving and when its ready, always go for the throat."

Autumn coughed, breath heavy as she staggered back to her hooves. Dahlia let a smirk creep onto her muzzle as she watched small flames start to cover Autumn's body.

Almost there, she thought, a small twinge of guilt filling her over what she was just about to do. Please don't hold this against me too much.

"Hell, if you're this much of a wash out, maybe I should be Alex's mate."

"What?" Autumn asked, eyes and mouth wide with shock.

"I mean, hell, we've known each other for years and I am trying to gut the bitch that hurt him. Plus, we're both Ninetales, so I've got that going for me. What do you say hot stuff? Mind if I take a shot at it?"

Autumn let out a roar of rage, her body blasting into a raging inferno of blue and pink flames as she assumed her Nirik form. Dahlia was given no time to brace herself for the charging rocket of flames and a furious Autumn Blaze that blasted into her. She bit back a pained scream as she hit the ground, rolled, and got back onto her paws in one practiced motion.

"Now that's more like it!" Dahlia cried, smiling through the pain that she knew she earned. "Now for rule number two."

Before she could finish, Autumn let out another furious roar as she charged towards her. Ready for it this time, Dahlia gathered some of her energy into her tails and spun. Instead of turning into metal, torrents of water surrounded her tails as they slammed into Autumn's side. All of Autumn's fire went out on contact before she was sent flying again, now feeling as if she had just been hit by an ocean wave as opposed to a wrecking ball.

"Never loose your cool," Dahlia continued, eyeing the fallen Kirin with a small smirk. "Still want to keep going?"

Autumn let out a deep growl, random patches of her body returning to her normal form as she glared at her opponent.

"Th-That was a dirty trick," she growled, her voice an off echo of her normal tone and a demonic growl.

"Got you into battle mode, didn't it?" she shrugged. "Now, come at me again and fucking mean it this time!"

Autumn let out another roar as she charged towards Dahlia. The Ninetales snorted as she tapped into a different core in her body. A second later, Autumn slammed into a light green barrier that stopped her dead in her tracks. Autumn's glowing white eyes grew wide with shock while her opponent gave her a bored frown.

"What did I just say?"

Before Autumn could answer, a pink orb about the size of bowling ball formed on the end of one of Dahlia's tails and hovered over them. A second later, the orb fired a matching beam of energy down on Autumn. The Kirin had just enough time to scream in shock before she was blasted away.

"Your Nirik form is your battle mode," Dahlia explained, banishing her Protect and Moonblast as she strolled towards a dazed and normal Autumn. "You need to learn to use it with a cool head or you're dead!"

"H-How?" Autumn groaned, dizzily dragging herself to her hooves. "Kirin can only turn into Niriks when we're angry."

"I didn't say not to get angry," Dahlia sighed, her smile dropping into a cold frown. "I said to keep a cool head."

"What's the difference?" Autumn frowned, finally managing to shake off her daze.

"In a word? Control."

"Huh? What do you mean" Autumn asked, sitting down.

Dahlia sighed, taking a seat as well.

"When my brother and I visited The Dragon Lands a couple years back, an Elder Dragon taught us how to be better fighters. One of the things he taught us was that the best way to make our attacks stronger was by controlling our anger. The way he put it was any dragon can breath fire when they are angry, but only a great dragon warrior knows how to use that anger to fire a narrow stream of flame."

"Okay, I think I know where you're coming from," Autumn nodded, only to frown in shame as she added, "But how do I learn to control it? No Kirin can really control themselves when they go Nirik. All we can do is throw a tantrum until we cool off."

"That's what practice is for," Dahlia chuckled, swatting Autumn playfully in the shoulder. "Once you learn how to aim that temper of yours, that bitch won't know what hit her."

"I hope so," Autumn sighed.

"Hey! None of that defeatist crap!" Dahlia snapped, her smile dropping into a frown. "You will get control of your Nirik form and you will be ready when Sandra comes! YOU GOT ME?!"

"Y-Yes ma'am!" Autumn stammered, jumping into attention like a Guard.

"Fuck that ma'am shit," Dahlia hissed, her eyes glowing with a cold rage that made snowstorms look warm. "Call me Dal or nothing at all."

"Yes Dal," Autumn gulped.

"Good," Dahlia smiled, her cold glare gone so quickly that it gave her student mental whiplash. "Now, let's see if we can get you to transform without almost breaking one of my ribs this time."

***

Crickets chirped in the otherwise quiet Everfree Forest, the night air chilled by the full moon reining supreme in the sky above. Moving in the deep shadows of the forest was the last thing most would expect to see at this time. A jet-black Earth Pony mare walked confidently through the treacherous woods, a proud smile gracing her muzzle in spite of the potential dangers that surrounded her. Her deep blue eyes scanned the trees with mild interest, her mane and tail a pair of waiving black masses with red tips that covered her back and almost trailed across the ground respectively. Her cutie mark was a turquoise peal in front of a mirror with no reflection.When she crossed the tree line, an unexpected sight replaced her relaxed smile with a confused frown. Standing in the middle of the path leading towards town was a light green mare. Her mane and tail were amaranth dreadlocks with light vermillion highlights. An orange bandana covered with white flowers kept what few bangs she had out of her eyes. Her eyes, normally a light purple and worn in a dreamy fashion were now wide with glowing yellow irises.

The forest mare reclaimed her smile and approached the mare.

At about two feet, she stopped before her and in a soft voice said, "Good evening. I hate to bother you, but I think I'm a little lost. Could you tell me which way Ponyville is?"

"You are not welcome here," Treehugger intoned, voice as cold as ice and heavy as stone.

"Well that's rude," the mare frowned.

"You may fool others, but not my eyes," Treehugger frowned. "Leave now Skinwalker or I promise you will not live long enough to regret it."

The mare blinked in shock, only for a sinister smile to don her muzzle a second later.

"Looks like Alex has been telling people about me. Nice to know he still thinks about me."

"Leave," Treehugger growled.

Sandra chuckled, then in a voice that was a perfect mix of soft venom and sugar said, "Make me."

Treehugger reared onto her hind legs, but instead of bringing her forehooves down for a stomp like Sandra was expecting, the mare assumed a bipedal stance and reached into her mane. With a single fluid motion, she pulled a six-inch long metal cylinder out from behind her bandana and flicked it. With a series of loud clicks, the cylinder grew into four foot long silver staff. Sandra had just enough time to look shocked before the mare swung the staff at her. She ducked under the blow, only to receive a hind-hoof to the face for her trouble. Blinking she stars out of her eyes, her form flickered as she rose to her hind hooves as well. With a furious growl, her left foreleg turned into black furred arm with red claws, said claws tightly gripping a blade of pure darkness as she charged towards the mare.

Treehugger's brow furrowed into a wide-eyed glare as she twirled her weapon, her movements an elegant dance of death as she moved into striking range of her opponent. Sandra had no chance to strike, Treehugger's attacks coming in a constant barrage of spins and thrusts that bruised, battered, and rammed into her body from every direction. Treehugger's attacks came faster and faster, her dance like movements becoming a rhythmic blur as Sandra screamed in agony. As her attacks grew in speed, they too grew in power, turning her barely perceivable attacks into hammering blows powerful enough to shatter boulders into pebbles. Sandra could do nothing as her bones shattered like dried sticks, the pain too much for her to properly register before a flat forehoof strike sent her battered body flying into a tree. When she slumped to the ground, she raised her head just in time to see Treehugger before she chucked her staff at her like a spear. And just like that, the metal rod ran clean through her chest and the tree behind her.

Sandra let out wet gasp, the rest of her illusion falling away to reveal the Zoroark beneath. She laughed, blood trickling out the corners of her mouth as she stared at her killer.

"Looks like Alex has made some scary friends. I'll need to be a bit more careful this time around."

"You say that like you're going to live through this," Treehugger frowned.

"I won't," Sandra chuckled. "But the real me will."

With that, Sandra's body fell apart, what had once been a Zoroark now a pile of dirt and leaves with random clumps sculpted into the shape of one. Treehugger sighed as she casually pulled her weapon out the tree, her eyes going back to their normal look and color while she frowned at the pile. Of course she would use a decoy. This was the kind of thing monsters like her would use to test the waters. With a small grimace, she reached into her mane and pulled out a sprig of dried Poison Joke. She popped it into her mouth, slowly savoring the herb's sweet and sour flavor as it settled her nerves. It looked like she was going to have to step out of retirement for a little bit.

Author's Notes:

And we are back people! How are you all doing? Have a great Thanksgiving? I hope so. If not, well, there's always tomorrow, right? Anyway, here are some updated stat sheets for everyone here so far. Enjoy!^-^

Name: Alex
Pokémon: Ninetales
Type: Fire
Ability: Drought
Special Moves: Flamethrower / Extrasensory / Hex / ???
Physical Moves: Flame Charge / Iron Tail / Zen HeadButt / ???
Status Moves: Protect / ??? / ??? / ???
Mana Move: ???

Name: Dahlia
Pokémon: Alolan NInetales
Type: Ice/Fairy
Ability: ???
Special Moves: Freeze Dry / Extrasensory / Moonblast / ???
Physical Moves: Zen Headbutt / Iron Tail / Aqua Tail / ???
Status Moves: Protect / ??? / ???/ ???
Mana Move: ???

Name: Sid
Pokémon: Absol
Type: Dark
Ability: ???
Special Moves: ??? / ??? / ??? / ???
Physical Moves: ??? / ??? / ??? / ???
Status Moves: ??? / ??? / ??? / ???
Mana Move: ???

Name: Sandra
Pokémon: Zoroark
Type: Dark
Ability: Illusion
Special Moves: ??? / ??? / ??? / ???
Physical Moves: Night Slash / ??? / ??? / ???
Status Moves: Substitute / ??? / ??? / ???
Mana Move: ???

Name: Treehugger
Pokémon: N/A
Type: Fighting/Grass
Ability: Aura Eye
Special Moves: ??? / ??? / ??? / ???
Physical Moves: Hurricane Dance / Gaia's Lance / ??? / ???
Status Move: Poison lull / Rage Dance / Zen / ???
Mana Move(?): ???

Name: Autumn Blaze
Pokémon: N/A
Type: Dragon/Fire
Ability: Nirik Wrath
Special Moves: Levitation / Flame Tempest / ??? / ???
Physical Moves: Berserk Comet / ??? / ??? / ???
Status Moves: Shield / Rampage / ??? / ???
Mana Move(?): ???

Ch.22 Absol-utely Fed Up "Yep... We're Going There Now..."

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One week. One week of hell. One week of hell given to me by a fucking grinning Absol. The same fucking asshole sitting next to my desk in the Castle of Bullshit Tentacle Fuckers' main library. Oh sure, I knew getting into fighting shape was gonna be hard, but I didn't think it was going to make me feel like I got kicked off of a cliff. Hell, that'd probably be an improvement over how I feel.

I let out yet another groan as my head rested on my desk, no idea what hurt more or what I was groaning more over.

"How ya feeling?" Sid asked, still reading a random book.

"Like shit," I growled. "Same as yesterday."

"Eh, you'll get used to it," he shrugged, turning a page.

I snorted bitterly at that.

"How's the house hunt going?" I asked.

"Slow," he huffed. "Not a lot of places are big enough for sis, so we need to figure out a way around that."

"I hear ya," I sighed, forcing myself into sitting up straight. "Just getting a job around here isn't easy for people our size."

"Maybe we need to get together with cute Kirins too," he smirked at me over his book.

"Maybe," I smirked back. "I heard Autumn's cousin is single if you're interested."

"Nah," he chuckled, looking back down at his book. "Unlike you, I'm not fireproof."

"You're loss," I shrugged, flinching as a sharp pain shot down my back.

"But that does put another thing we need to figure out on the table," he sighed. "Any idea where we could get some work around here?"

I closed my eyes and mulled that over for a bit. Dahlia could probably get a job at one of the gyms in town, but Sid was a bit of a wild card. Back home, he could do pretty much any kind of job put in front of him, especially if involved working with customers directly. I swear, the guy could've become a CEO in retail if he really wanted to. Something Dahlia and I practically screamed at him at every turn. Thing is, he always had a thing against working in an office and would do almost anything to avoid it. Back home, that would've made this a bit tricky, but here?

"I could ask Starlight if she has any openings," I shrugged. "Would be nice to have some back up next time a tentacle monster shows up."

Sid froze for a second, blinked, marked his page, closed his book, and looked at me.

"I'm sorry, what?"

I was about to fill him in when the doors to the library flew open. I reflexively sat up straight (HOLY FUCK MUFFINS DID THAT HURT!!!) and dawned a pained version of my salesman smile. I loosened up when I saw who was trotting in. Well, saw and heard considering who it was. Bright blue coat? Check. Horn? Check. Long silver mane and tail?" Check. Gaudy as hell purple cape and wizard hat covered with moons and stars? Checkerooni. All that's missing is-

"Make way! The Great and Powerful Trixie has come to do business!" she cried, stepping proudly towards my desk.

Huh. No David Blaine fireworks display this time. Guess she's on a budget and doesn't want to have to replace three thousand bits worth of books. Again. This week.....my boss is way too fucking forgiving.

"What's up Trix? Come to check out an other porno?" I smirked as she approached my desk.

"Trixie does not read porn!" she barked, face turning red as she huffed, "She reads exotic romance novels."

"Whatever," I shrugged. "Though, I don't know how "exotic" a book entitled Romancing the Horn can be."

"Uncultured swine," she huffed.

"Don't need to be cultured to be a perv, Trix," I smirked.

"Just a library card, apparently," Sid snorted, going back to his book.

"Oh mind your own busi-," Trixie barked, then froze the second she saw Sid.

I swear these ponies are part cat or some shit. In the span of about three seconds, Trix screamed and then jumped straight to the top of the nearest fifty foot tall bookcase. Proving my point, she was clinging to the top like her life depended on it, shaking so bad that a bunch of books were falling out of it. Books that I was going to need to sort back later. Great. Hopefully some H. P. Fuckcraft monster doesn't pop out of those. Fuck it, I'll give her to it as a peace offering for a few hours if it happens.

"Bai Ze! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!"

Did I say hours? I meant WEEKS!

"Oh for fuck's sake," Sid growled, slamming his book shut. "I'm just here to read a book and talk with my friend! The sky isn't falling today! Chill the fuck out!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, chill," I sputtered, putting up my paws in a placating manner.

"Right," he sighed as he stood up. "I'm gonna go...do something."

As he said that, he walked towards the library doors looking like he was the one put through hell training. The second the doors closed behind him, I tried to glare a hole through Trix's head. He didn't tell me all that much about what Dahlia and he did sense they got here, but he did mention how people tended to react to him. Apparently, Bai Ze are kind of like Moth Men over here, in that they're bad omens or something like that. The really fucked up thing is that they're not completely wrong. Sid told me he could sense when disasters were going to happen and for a while he tried to use that to help people. No specifics on how that went other than badly. It apparently still eats at him, but he won't tell me more than that.

"Not cool Trix," I growled.

"What did Trixie do?" she blinked, still clinging to the sides of her perch for deal life.

"Gee, it couldn't possibly be that you took a look at someone and assumed the end was nigh," I deadpanned, then flatly added, "Just. Like. Everyone. Else. In. Town."

She cringed, then wilted with each word I spat at her.

"Is....Is it really that bad?" she asked, turning her sad eyes towards the door.

"Yeah," I sighed. "Dude can't even get a job because everyone's too freaked out around him."

"WHAT?!" Trixie screamed (Fuck! My ears!) "This cannot stand! The Great and Powerful Trixie shall fix this travesty!"

As she said that, she struck a dramatic pose, then gulped when she looked down.

"As soon as she figures out how to get down."

"Starlight doesn't pay me enough to put up with this shit," I grumbled, readying an Extrasensory and strongly fighting the urge to use it to fire Trixie off of the bookshelf.

It's bad enough that she knocked most of the books out of it. I don't need to add "Hide a body" to my work load.

***

Wallflower Blush was a simple mare. She liked having a quiet life in a quiet place with lots of quiet plants that she could tend to. It was better than the rude stuffiness of Canterlot and the suffocating atmosphere of Manehattan. While Ponyville had its moments, most of her time was spent in self-induced isolation far outside the town's borders and its occasional insanity. Not that anypony seemed to care or take notice of the Earth Pony's absence or even presence for that matter. She didn't blame them all that much. It was her special talent after all. As such, the light green Earth Pony seldom bothered going into town at all, making due with anything she could grow or find in her surroundings as much as she could afford. The same as she had since she moved out of her father's house at eight teen. Nothing in her life ever changed. Just her, her plants, and silence.

So imagine her shock when she found an Absol lounging on its side with its back towards her in her favorite meadow a good ten feet away from her cottage. She didn't know what to make of the creature at first, mouth wide as she brushed her messy dark green mane out of her brown eyes. Naturally, she had heard the legends about Bai Ze, but instead of fear filling her at the sight of the creature, a sense of wonder ran through her. She had seen Dragons and various other creatures pass through Ponyville since Princess Twilight opened The School of Friendship, but she had never seen one quite like this one.

Unable to fight her curiosity, she walked closer to it to investigate further. Like always, her presence was completely ignored by the creature, allowing her to do a complete loop around it without any resistance. It seemed to be lost in thought, its red eyes blank as it stared unseeingly at the grass with a frown. Another thing she noted was that it was very much a male, a fact that brought a bright red shade to her cheeks when he stretched one of his hind legs and rolled over.

"It's no big deal," he muttered to himself, tone tired and bitter. "Get a grip Sid. You're use to this shit."

Wallflower tilted her head at that, concern mixing with her confusion as she watched the Absol talk to himself. She flinched back when he let out a frustrated growl and slammed a claw into the grass.

"This is so stupid! Do they really think I bring shit with me everywhere I go?! Stupid fucking morons! SHIT! FUCKING! HAPPENS!"

Sid laid there panting, his rage slowly mellowing out with every couple breaths. Eventually, he managed to mellow out with an irate sigh, flopping bonelessly into the soft grass. This happened every time he went to someplace new. While a minor inconvenience at first, it gradually became something of an exhausting routine for him over the years. It was always the same song and dance. Come to a town, be a social pariah, be blamed for small disasters, prove himself to the townsfolk, be accepted, then leave. When it was just towns that he and Dahlia passed through, it wasn't that much of an obstacle. Now that they were settling down in Ponyville for the foreseeable future, he found himself trapped in the tedious pattern yet again.

"I wish I could just skip to the end already," he sighed, rising to his feet. "I need some tea."

"Umm, excuse me," Wallflower said, tone soft and timid.

Sid jumped and spun to face her, eyes wide as he shifted into a defensive stance. When he saw Wallflower, he let out a relieved sigh and relaxed his posture.

"Jesus, you scared the hell out of me," he chuckled.

"Sorry," she muttered, fidgeting awkwardly in place.

"It's okay," he shrugged. "My fault for not paying attention."

"No it isn't," she sighed.

"Huh?" he blinked.

"N-Nothing," she stammered.

Sid's mood dimmed slightly when he took in Wallflower's demeanor. The mare was trembling and struggling to look him in the eye. Just about everything about her screamed, "I don't want to be here," so loudly, he could almost hear it. He mentally screamed behind his kind smile. Even when he tried to be alone, he find's ponies that he has to prove himself to.

Fuck. This. Noise.

"Well, I'll just get out of your hair now," he said, smile stiff as he turned away from her.

"Wait!" Wallflower cried, eyes widening and hoof flying to mer mouth in surprise of her own volume.

Sid flinched, then leveled curious glance over his shoulder at her.

"U-Um, Name! What's your name?" she frantically blurted out.

"Sid," he said simply. "You?"

"W-Wallflower Blush," she stammered meekly.

He continued to stare at her, face frozen in an unreadable expression. The weight of his stare held her like a vice, but not with fear or dread. Intrigue was what she felt as she stared into those sharp crimson orbs. At the same time, Sid found himself feeling the same thing when he gazed into Wallflower's dirt-toned ones. He could see apprehension and curiosity, but not the mind numbing terror he was use to seeing at this point.

A genuine smile spread across his lips as he said, "Good name. It suits you."

"H-Huh?" Wallflower blinked.

He chuckled and turned back to face her fully, his demeanor much more relaxed.

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving away her question with a claw. "So, out here taking in the sights?"

Wallflower sheepishly pawed at the ground and with a small frown said, "Not exactly."

"Hm?" he said, tilting his head.

"I....um.....live out here," she muttered, shyly pointing at her cottage ten feet away from them.

Sid looked over at it, then frowned as he said, "How the hell did I miss that? God, I must've been really out of it."

"Not really," Wallflower giggled. "I...Everything about me sort of fades into the background."

Sid chuckled at that.

"Maybe. Wish I had that problem."

Wallflower's smile fell at that.

"No you don't," she sighed. "Trust me."

"Try being an omen for every evil in the world," he huffed bitterly.

"That...That's awful," Wallflower frowned.

"You get used to it after awhile," he sighed, then smiled wearily as he added, "Helps that I have my pal back."

Even if the situation around that is a completely different brand of fucked up.

"It's still not fair," she huffed.

"That's life," he frowned. "It either throws you a bone or decides to bone you when your back is turned. Simple as that."

Wallflower blinked at that, then giggled as she said, "I don't know if I would put it quite like that, b-but yeah."

He chuckled, then said, "But seriously, I should probably head back. Last thing we need is my pal or sis charging in here."

"O-Oh. Okay," Wallflower said, a slight wilt entering her demeanor. "I-If that's what you want to do."

"Yeah, sorry," he sighed with a smile. "I'll see ya again tomorrow though."

"R-Really?" she squeaked.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "It's pretty peaceful here."

And it's nice to talk to someone new that isn't afraid of me for a change

"That's good with you, right?"

"Y-Yes!" she happily cried, then blushed as she said at a much quieter tone, "I-If you want to. I-I don't want you to think you have to, you know."

"No problem," he chuckled. "See ya tomorrow."

"Yeah," she smiled.

With that, Sid turned and went on his way, a pair of brown eyes following him the whole way. When he moved out of view, Wallflower's smile slowly fell. Again, she was surrounded by a familiar silence. A familiar peace. A peace that for the first time in a long time felt hollow to her.

"See you tomorrow," she whispered, then turned towards her home and the small flower garden growing in front of it.

***

The open field Dahlia and Sid chose to set up camp in wasn't anything special. A simple clearing close enough to Ponyville to keep the commute from being a slog, but far enough away to keep them from being bothered by too many locals. Trees surrounded them from all sides except for an opening that led to an nearby stream. Two large tents and a campfire stood at its heart, said fire nothing but smoldered logs under the bright afternoon sun.

Sid hummed a random tune to himself as he strolled into his tent, what few things he owned confined to a single pair of saddlebags next to a pillow and blanket. Letting out a tired sigh, he flopped onto the makeshift bed. A dull tingle at the back of his mind brought an anxious groan out of him; the same tingle that had been bugging him since Dahlia and he decided to come to Equestria. Off and on, it had grown and shrunk at random points throughout the whole week. That combined with the constant stigma that was a part of his life had done nothing but put him on edge. He still had nightmares of the last time he felt this shift. The screams. The pain. The smile she bore as she di-

He shook his head, desperate to rid himself of the foul memories that haunted him. All they needed to do was remind him of what could happen if he lets his guard down. Of what he needed to do to prevent something like that from happening again.

Acting more out of habit than desire, he reached a claw into one of the side pockets of his bags. When he pulled it free, a gold heart-shaped locket was held tight in its grip. Smiling sadly, he pushed a button on its side and it popped open. The right featured an ornate brass clock face ticking away with reckless abandon, while a picture was cut into shape to fit the hollow interior of the cover. In it, three figures smiled goofily back at him. Him, his sister, and a jet black Hippogriff with teal eyes and wings. A sharp pain shot through him as he snapped the pocket watch closed, his jaw clenched tight to keep his tears at bay.

"Never again," he muttered, gently returning the treasured keepsake to its pocket. "I'm not going to let anything like that happen again."

His mind briefly drifted towards Wallflower and a rueful smile spread across his lips. One more person he needed to protect from whatever disaster sat on the horizon. A tired chuckle fell past his lips as he rolled onto his back. It seemed like no matter how hard he tried, he always added more burdens to his shoulders. It was maddening. Stupid. Exhausting. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"Stick a fucking fork in me," he chuckled, staggering to his feet. "I hope Dahlia still has more of that tea."

As he stepped out of his tent, a single mantra echoed through his mind for the thousandth time since he came to this world.

Fuck the ease of solitude. Surround me with friends to draw blood for instead of the crushing cold of standing alone.

"After all, I made a promise, didn't I?" he said, flashing a sad smile at his bags.

Ch. 23 Stone Cold Vixen "And Proud Of It!"

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The Twin Dragons was a new addition to Ponyville's restaurant line up, the establishment favoring a more omnivorous clientele as opposed to most of its neighbors' vegan menus. A natural addition, considering the recent influx of carnivores that had taken up residence in the town recently. As the name implied, the place was built with an oriental theme. Scenes from Neighsia and less visited eastern regions of the Dragon Lands were painted on the walls with two serpentine dragon statues coiling into a spiral towards each other on the ceiling. Ponies and various other creatures sat at tables that matched the theme, the clinking of glass and laughter filling the air with mirth along with the smells of food rarely seen in this part of the world. Two creatures in particular occupied a far corner seat, one a cheery Alolan Ninetales and the other an exhausted Kirin using their shared table as a pillow.

"You're an absolute demon," Autumn groaned, forcing her head to raise just enough to glare across the table.

"Sweet talker," Dahlia smirked with a wink. "Keep it up and Alex is going to have a Skulk on his hands."

Autumn straightened her posture and with a sharp glare, pointed at Dahlia as she said, "If he's going to have anything it'll be a herd!"

"So you're open to the idea?" Dahlia smirked, raising a brow.

Autumn's face turned bright red as her brain caught up with her mouth. Dahlia burst out laughing at that, the Ninetales struggling to keep herself from falling out of her seat. Even in a restaurant built with Dragons in mind, she failed to find a seat big enough for her.

"Relax," she sighed. "I don't think Alex would go for that kind of thing anyways."

"Right," Autumn huffed, her cheeks still red as she glared at her.

"Not like I have a shot anyways," Dahlia muttered, floating her menu up to eye level.

"Huh?" Autumn blinked.

"Don't worry about it," Dahlia snorted. "So, have you been to this place before?"

"Nope," Autumn frowned, pushing Dahlia's comment to the back of her mind as she looked down at her own menu. "I'e always wanted to, but work kept getting in the way."

Dahlia chuckled at that and said, "Not too many Neighsian places in Equestria. Normally, Sid and I have to go to the Dragon Lands to get anything close to the real thing. Hope this place can do the same."

"You've been to Neighsia?" Autumn asked.

"A few times," she shrugged. "We've been pretty much everywhere at least once."

"Define 'everywhere'," Autumn said, raising a brow.

"The Dragon Lands, Mount Aris, Saddle Arabia, The Bad Lands, Yakyakastan, The Crystal Empire, Ore Town," she shrugged, listing off each name on her paw as if they were written there. "Like I said, pretty much everywhere."

"Must've been nice," Autumn smiled. "Getting to see the world like that."

"I guess," she sighed, shoulders slumping. "It wasn't like we could really enjoy it all."

Autumn's smile fell, all too aware of what the Ninetales was talking about.

"What kind of creature is she?" Autumn asked.

"A bitch straight from the pits of hell," she snarled.

"I know that," Autumn said evenly. "But what kind of bitch specifically? All everycreature tells me is that she's evil, but no creature will tell me any more than that."

Dahlia gave her a hard stare, then sighed.

"To put it simply, she's a manipulator. She likes to find ways to turn people against each other and if she can't, she'll screw with you're head directly. She's also a brilliant negotiator and an expert actress, things she's used dozens of times against us in the past to get away. Add a dash of sociopathy with her powers and you get a terrifying fighter that won't think twice about killing you. Hell, she'd probably do it with a fucking smile on her face."

Autumn tried to digest all of that, but it was hard. What Dahlia described was, in short, a monster of truly nightmarish proportions. Sandra sounded more than bad or just simply evil. She sounded twisted to her in a way that even the leaders of The Battle of the Bell would shy away from. She shuddered as she imagined what such a being would look like. A Kitsune vixen with a twisted smile and eyes that glowed with bloodlust-filled madness.

"What could make a Kitsune like that?" she muttered, staring blankly down at her menu.

"She isn't," Dahlia frowned, her eyes narrowing as she did the same.

"She isn't?" Autumn blinked, looking over her menu at her. "But Alex said-"

"She, uh, looked like one when they were dating," Dahlia grumbled, the slight hitch in her tone hidden behind a small cough.

"So she's a Changeling?" she asked.

"God no," Dahlia snorted, still looking at her menu. "Sid, Alex, and I call her a Zoroark, but the rest of the world calls her kind Skinwalkers."

"A Skinwalker?" Autumn blanched. "That's what we're dealing with?"

Dahlia nodded, then in an uninterested tone said, "Oh, they have plum wine here. Wanna split a bottle?"

"I think we have bigger problems here!" Autumn squawked.

"Right," Dahlia muttered, still staring at her menu. "We should probably figure out what our entrées should be. Do you like eel?"

"I'm not talking about food!" she snapped, flames creeping up her back.

Dahlia's coat took on a faint silver glow and the space around them took a sudden drastic drop in temperature. Autumn squeaked, shivers overtaking her as the sudden cold washed over her. The shock snuffed out her flames along with her frustrated panic, replacing it with confusion as she looked around for its source. It didn't take long for her to piece it all together when Dahlia's glow faded and the space around them returned to normal.

"Chill out or I'll make you," Dahlia said, smirking over her menu at the Kirin.

"But Alex-"

"Has Sid and a ton of other people watching him. Sandra may be clever, but we haven't been sitting around with our paws up our asses either. Plus, you're mate isn't helpless. Don't know if you've noticed, but he's been getting his ass whipped into shape this whole week."

He has been coming home more tired than usual, she mused.

"But what about her illusions? Aren't Skinwalkers really good at those?"

"Yes and no," Dahlia frowned, glaring at her menu. "From what we've been able to gather, Sandra's illusions have a few rules she has to follow."

"Such as?" Autumn pressed.

Dahlia set her menu down and in a dead serious tone said, "First, she needs to be near her target and they have to be in her line of sight. Second, she cannot make herself or others invisible. If she wants to sneak around, she would need to do it by making herself look like someone or something else. And finally, she can only affect senses that she has full access to."

"What do you mean?" Autumn blinked, tilting her head.

Dahlia let a small smirk form on her muzzle as she said, "It took awhile, but Sid found out that Sandra has a weak sense of smell. Probably had to do with me banging her head into a wall in one of our fights. Anyway, ever sense that day, her illusions failed to mess with that sense and we use it to keep track of her in a fight."

Autumn visibly relaxed at that. While not as common in the more central parts of Equestria, Autumn had grown up to countless legends about the ever elusive Skinwalkers that staked claim to the more wild parts of the world outside the country's borders. While they tended to shift back and forth between portraying them as either clever tricksters or lethal boogymen, they never failed to put her on edge all the way up to adulthood. To know that Alex's friends had a way to deal with one that was several levels more deadly than the ones she grew up hearing about was a massive weight off of her shoulders.

"Enough of this depressing shit," Dahlia smirked, propping her forelegs up on the table and resting her head on her paws. "Spill."

"Spill what?" Autumn blinked, smiling nervously as she leaned back.

"Come on," she snorted, rolling her eyes. "How the heck did Alex get a hottie like you to give him a shot?"

"It's.... um.... not that exciting," Autumn mumbled, her face turning bright red as she fidgeted in her seat.

"Bull. Shit," Dahlia said, her smile steadily growing the more the Kirin squirmed in her seat. "Now spill."

Autumn whined pitifully under the Ninetales' gaze.

"It... Alex...we agreed not to tell anycreature unless we're together for it."

"Even better," she chuckled, leaning back in her seat. "Lord knows its been a while since I busted Alex's chops."

Before Autumn could respond, a red Dragoness dressed in a gold kimono approached their table with a notepad in her claws.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked, clicking a pen.

Dahlia's poise took a sudden formal shift as she said, "Yes. I will have a large bowl of pork ramen with extra noodles and shrimp dumplings on the side."

Autumn blinked, taken aback by the vixen's sudden shift in demeanor. Instead of slouching or leveling a rough look at the waitress, Dahlia's back was straight and she bore a more dignified smile. Even her tails seemed to be effected by the shift, the nine appendages coiling elegantly around her on the ground in a manner similar to a patch of freshly fallen snow.

"Autumn? Do you know what you want?" she asked, tone eerily similar to a Canterlot noble.

"Uh, yeah!" she stammered, shaking her head to rid herself of her mental whiplash. "I'll have the same, but with extra bean sprouts."

"Alright," the Dragoness nodded. "Anything to drink?"

"I'll have a bottle of plum wine," Dahlia nodded.

"Same!" Autumn chirped.

Their waitress nodded, jotted down their orders and went on her way. The second she left, Dahlia's formal demeanor completely collapsed. The Ninetales eyed the Dragoness with a cheeky smirk, propping her head up on the table with a paw as she tracked her with her eyes.

"She really rocks that uniform. Think I could pull that off?"

Autumn blinked dumbly at her for a second, then spat out a quick, "Sure! Maybe we could see if they have any openings here on the way out."

"Would be nice," she mused, still watching the waitress. "Maybe I could make a few friends around here."

"Aren't we friends?" Autumn asked, actually hurt by the lack of possibility.

Dahlia chuckled at that, gave her her full attention, and said, "Not that kind of friends. Unless you and Alex are cool with the whole Skulk thing."

"Herd," Autumn huffed.

"We'll see," Dahlia smirked.

***

"Ohhhhh, I think I gained ten pounds," Dahlia groaned, as she stepped out of the restaurant into the mid-afternoon light.

"I told you not to get that fourth bowl," Autumn giggled, not far behind her.

"But it was all so gooood," she sighed, then groaned.

"I'm surprised you could afford all of that," Autumn frowned, looking back at the Twin Dragons.

"We did a few odd jobs when we could while hunting Sandra," Dahlia shrugged, shaking her saddlebags. "Some of them paid really well."

"Really?" Autumn blinked. "What kind of jobs?"

"Bounty hunting mostly, but we basically took whatever jobs we could get at the time."

"Bounty hunting? You're a Bounty Hunter?" Autumn gawked.

"And a Chef, a Bodyguard, an Exotic Dancer, an Ice Cream Maker, and a Demolition Expert."

"Is that all?" Autumn asked, half joking.

"I wish!" Dahlia laughed. "That shit was all just the tip of the iceberg! Give me a year and I'll still need more time to give you my resumé!"

Autumn didn't even know where to go with that. Since the moment she met her, Dahlia always left this cold impression on her. When she wasn't strictly dragging her through the mud in their training, she seldom showed any kind of kindness beyond harsh encouragement. The fact that she wore so many hats before, some more hazardous than others in addition to hunting Sandra, gave some justification to that rough approach. It was slow, but as Autumn progressed in her training, the Ninetales' attitude towards her slowly started to soften. Now they talked in a more casual manor, she smiled more, and changed her aggressive egging into playful teasing. It made her wonder just what kind of adventures her and her brother had been through up until this point.

"Now, what do we do now?" Dahlia muttered, scanning their surroundings.

"Huh?" Autumn blinked.

"It's still pretty early and I want to treat ya to a few more things before its all over."

"What?! Oh, no no no! You don't need to do that," Autumn stammered.

"Need? Fuck no. Want? Fuck yeah!" she chuckled. "I've put you through hell and you've more than earned all of this. Like it or not, I'm treating you to a day Hot Stuff."

Autumn rolled her eyes at that, a small smile forming on her muzzle as she said, "I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?"

"Nope," she chuckled. "Now lets see what we have to work with."

She gave the businesses around them another quick glance over and found something that caught her attention. It was a large elaborate building painted a soothing mix of blues and lavender. Hung over the entrence was a silver sign covered with pink lotus petals, Ponyville Spa printed proudly across it in finely drawn calligraphy.

Perfect, she thought, already looking forward to what was to come.

"Hope you're ready to get pampered," Dahlia chuckled, floating her reluctant friend to her side as she made her way towards the building.

"Are you sure you can afford that?" she asked cautiously.

"Let me worry about that," she winked.

Seeing that she was not going to win any kind of argument, Autumn decided to sit back and just let things happen. If things went south, she could always send a message to Alex to send them some bits later. Besides, what better way to learn more about her teacher/friend than in a hot tub or while they were getting massages?

A bell over the door dinged as it opened, Dahlia finally setting Autumn back onto the ground when the door shut behind them. They were immediately hit by a strong wave of lavender with a subtle hint of the other scents the spa used in their products. Autumn barely reacted to the shift while Dahlia had to fight to keep a straight face, her sharper sense of smell struggling to adapt to all of the flowery scents. A powder blue Earth Pony mare with a long pink mane and tail manned the front counter, her dark blue eyes widening with wonder the second they landed on Dahlia.

"Welcome to the Ponyville Spa," the mare smiled, a thick Prench accent coloring her voice. "How can I be of service to you?"

Dahlia's back straightened as she once again spoke in a more formal manner.

"Good afternoon. My friend and I would like to sample your complete package, if that would not be too much trouble."

"No trouble at all," the mare smiled. "That will be two hundred bits."

Dahlia nodded, then floated a large diamond out of her bag onto the counter. Autumn's and the mare's jaws hit the floor. The Ninetales daintily laughed behind her paw at their reactions.

"I'm sorry if this isn't enough," Dahlia said behind a bashful smile. "I left the rest of my money back at my camp and wasn't sure how much of it I would need today, Miss....?"

"Lotus Blossom," the mare chirped, her actions a lot more animated as she took the diamond and placed it under the desk. "Two complete packages coming right up!"

"Excellent," Dahlia nodded. "But fare warning to everypony working here. Under no circumstances are anypony to touch my tails without permission. I fear doing so will cause....problems for everypony here."

"Understood," Lotus nodded. "Just let me fetch my sister and we will begin your sessions."

With that, she turned and made her way further into the spa. A second later, a voice very similar to Lotus' could be heard shouting, "ALOE! GET THE GOOD EVERYTHING!" A momentary pause, then "I SAID EVERYTHING!"

Dahlia chuckled at that, her posture visibly relaxing as she said, "Looks like we're in for a good time. Hope they know what their doing here. I've got a crick in my back that could drop a fucking Dragon."

"Uh...sure," Autumn blinked, again taken aback by her friend's seemingly schizophrenic nature.

A moment later, Lotus returned with a near identical mare at her side. The only difference between them was the fact that this mare had a pink coat and blue mane and tail. The mystery mare gave Dahlia the same shocked look Lotus did moments ago, before a relaxed smile took its place a few seconds later.

"Sorry for the wait," Lotus said with a small bow. "My sister and I shall personally see to your care while you are both here. I hope we will preform to your satisfaction."

"I am sure you both will preform admirably," Dahlia said, again donning a more formal demeanor as she bowed back. "Shall we begin Lotus Blossom and..."

"Aloe Vera," the new mare, Aloe, said with a slight bow.

"Thank you," Dahlia smiled. "Shall we?"

The twins nodded and guided them further into the spa. The second the mares turned their backs to her, the Ninetales dropped her formal demeanor and leisurely followed them. All the while, Autumn gave the vixen a concerned frown as she lagged behind her.

***

The time spent in the spa was better than Autumn thought it would be. Granted, she didn't have too many experiences to compare it to, what with her job taking away most of her free time, but it was still a very pleasant experience. It would've been better if she didn't spend half of it worrying about Dahlia. Every so often, the vixen would shift back and forth between her usual rough self and a Canterlot noble. So much so that by the fifth time it happened she started to see a pattern. Every time Aloe or Lotus talked to her, she would shift into her Nobel persona, but the second she was out of their sight, she shifted back to her normal self. While a bit of an unnerving distraction at first, it gradually became too much for Autumn to ignore. After letting it slide by through massages, seaweed wraps, and steam rooms, it was time to get to the bottom of this.

Dahlia let out a content sigh as she eased herself into the hot tub, her muzzle pointed at the ceiling as she leaned her back against the pool's inner walls. Autumn sat on the opposite end of the tub, but her attention was centered on the vixen. While she tried to find her words, Dahlia let herself enjoy the rare moment of peace. Between hunting, training Autumn, and trying to find work, she was a giant pile of nerves. Add to it the fact that Alex was in this world too and it was a small miracle that her head was still attached.

Alex. Right. What the hell am I going to do about him? God damn it! This would've been so much easier if he wasn't here! If he didn't have to see me like...this...

She mentally cringed as her mind drifted towards her scars. While she wasn't the type to overly worry about her appearance, that didn't mean she didn't care on some level. While a part of her took pride in her scars, another one couldn't help but see them as ugly. Especially when Alex came to mind. While he was on Earth, she could fight without any worries about him seeing her. She could get cut, stabbed, even lose an eye if it meant putting Sandra in the ground without any worries. She didn't give a fuck if some random nobody on the street saw her as ugly, but Alex was a different story. She actually cared about him. Always had and aways would all the way until she was six feet under.

A soft cough from Autumn pulled her out of her musings and she gave the Kirin her full attention.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Can I ask you something?" Autumn asked behind a concerned frown.

"Shoot," she shrugged.

"Are you....bipolar?"

"Huh?" Dahlia blinked.

"I-It's fine if you are!" Autumn stammered, putting her forehooves up in a placating manner. "I just wanted to know..."

"No, why?" she frowned, raising a brow.

Autumn fidgeted nervously for a moment, then said, "Well...you've been acting weird all day."

"Weird how?"

"You keep acting all formal whenever you talk to Aloe and Lotus."

Dahlia blinked once, twice, then groaned out a frustrated "Ffffffuck!" as she face-pawed.

"Okay, here's the deal," she sighed, letting her paw flop into the water. "Alex, Sid, and I didn't grow up around other Kitsune or Bai Ze. The place we lived in was a bit of a melting pot; lots of creatures from all over the place living together. It wasn't perfect, but everyone managed to make it work for the most part. Anyway, After our first fight with Sandra, Sid and I got split up. He ended up in some backwater place called Clung Town and I got dumped in a Kitsune village called Shirinui. It was kind of like the Kitsune version of Canterlot except it was ruled by a King and Queen.

"That's....weird," Autumn blinked, struggling to wrap her head around such an arrangement.

"Not that different from how the Crystal Empire is run," she shrugged. "Anyway, I had no idea how Kitsune did things and this dick weed noble thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of that. He put me through all of these stupid etiquette exercises, trying to make me all prim and proper. He...mostly succeeded. Now if I run into someone that talks or acts formal in some way, I just lapse into doing it too. The worst part is that its all so hardwired into me that I don't even know when I'm doing it!"

"That's... awful," Autumn frowned, then growled as she said, "I hope that jerk gets whats coming to him."

"Oh, he did," Dahlia smirked.

"How?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Before Sid helped me get the fuck out of there, I made the fucker eat his own tails after I Iron Tailed him in the junk. I think dogs heard him scream all the way to Canterlot!"

Dahlia burst out laughing at the memory while Autumn just let out a sigh. It seemed she was destined to always be surrounded by crazy. A small smile spread across her muzzle as she came to an, in itself, maddening realization. She wouldn't have it any other way.

Ch. 24 I S^e Yo# N&w ( e u o)... "...The Fuck Was in That Drink?!..."

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Silence held command of Wallflower's living room, a dull ticking from a grandfather clock the only thing standing in defiance. The mare sat nervously on a lime green cushion, her eyes darting at said clock sitting in a far corner of the room every few seconds. Standing in front of her was a simple wooden coffee table her parents gave her as a house warming gift, a green cushion similar to the one she occupied set up on the opposite side for her guest. She tried not to look at it, the dust stains covering the fabric more than enough to make her feel ashamed of the accommodations she was planing to share soon. While it was going to only be for a day at most, it still bothered her that Sid would see just how poorly she kept what few possessions she owned.

She sighed pitifully at the tea set she had laid out across the table. Simple brown cups with small spider cracks on the sides with an equally tattered brown teapot. It wasn't until last night, when she finally finished dusting her home, that she was even aware that she had more than one cup. The thought brought a sad sigh out of her as she slouched in her seat. It was not the only meager thing in Wallflower's life. Her home was practically a standing embodiment of that word, a simple one bedroom one story cottage with a somewhat roomy living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. The walls were dark brown and bare save for a handful of round picture frames showing her and her family or open fields. What few bits of furniture she had was the bare necessities, all of them made of raw wood with not a single drop of stain or varnish. The most advanced things in her house were the pluming, the self-charging mana crystal lamps that stood in each room, a gas stove, her grandfather clock, and a record player that she seldom used.

Her eyes drifted towards the meager tea set and a few anxious thoughts ran through her head.

I wonder if he'll like my tea. He said he liked tea, right? Maybe I should make some snacks to go with them. What do Bai Ze eat? Ugh, I knew I should've gone to the library yesterday. Maybe it isn't too late?

She shook her head, a determined frown forming on her muzzle as her thoughts continued.

No! What if he comes by while I'm out? No. I need to make due with what I have on hoof and hope for the best.

She nodded to herself resolutely, only for her nerve to falter as she glumly muttered, "If he even shows up anyway."

Her eyes drifted shut as a familiar silence washed over her, the clock's ticking lulling her into a calmed state. All the while, her mind wandered through random thoughts. For a while, the only things to come to her were the smell of wood and the ticking of her clock, but that didn't last for very long. Naturally, her thoughts eventually drifted towards her possible guest. A hint of anger fluttered in her heart when she recalled his words, the frustration he spat in regards to something he couldn't change. It brought a small sense of kinship to in a way, her special talent putting her in an inverted version of Sid's plight. Then, the anger turned into butterflies as her thoughts drifted towards his eyes. More often than not, what looks she got where the kind that barely focused on her. The Bai Ze's sharp red eyes saw her and didn't veer away from her. He saw her!

A small series of giddy giggles slipped past her lips, their corners pulled up into a small smile. It wilted slightly when the weight of the silence around her pressed down on her. Her eyes drifted towards the living room windows, her meadow shining brightly under the late morning sun. The bright colors warmed her heart, the lovingly tended flowers adding one form of life to her life. A light blush grew on her cheeks when the image of a Bai Ze lounging on them entered her mind. It made the silence all the more suffocating.

"What's wrong with me?" she groaned, resting her head on the table.

Of course, there was no answer given to her. Instead, the sound of footsteps crossing her front window graced her ears. Said appendages twitched, them and her head shooting straight up and turning towards it just in time to see the tip of a blade-like blue tail pass out of sight on the window's right side. A few seconds later, a knock came to her door.

"He's here," she blinked, then jumped to her hooves and with a wide smile cried, "HE'S HERE!!!"

She practically ran towards the door, took a moment to compose herself and put a hoof through her perpetually messy mane, then slowly opened it. Sure enough, Sid stood on the opposite side, the sun shining brightly off of his snow-white coat. He sported a roguish smile as he nodded towards her, his sharp eyes locked onto her and her alone. The complete gaze brought a shy smile to Wallflower's muzzle.

"G-G-Good morning," she stammered, pawing a hoof lightly against her hard wood floor.

"Same," he chuckled, then sheepishly added, "Sorry it took me so long to get here. I...uh...had a hard time finding your house."

"Th-That's fine," she smiled. "The fact that you tried means a lot."

More than you know, she thought hollowly.

"I guess," he sighed, then worriedly looked over his shoulder as he muttered, "I'm usually pretty good with directions."

"A-Anyway," Wallflower stammered. "Would you like to come in? I have tea."

"Tea sounds good," he shrugged, then downed a serious frown as he added, "Are you sure you want to let me in though? What if I'm some nut job?"

"Then there's nothing I can do," she smiled, a sad edge pulling at its corners.

A beat of silence passed between them before Sid broke it with a laugh.

"A gambler eh?" he smirked. "I like that."

With that, he let himself inside. All the while, his smile hid the heavy concern that sat in his gut.

Too soon to make any assumptions. Maybe she just has a morbid sense of humor? Let's see if there's any other red flags before we jump to any conclusions.

He didn't need to wait long to find them. One of the first things he noticed was how dark the house was. Aside from the living room window, all of the other windows he could see on his way towards the said room where covered by heavy curtains, filling the room with a gloomy darkness. The lack of personal decoration was another red flag. Aside from a few hung pictures, a record player, and a grandfather clock, he couldn't see anything beyond the bare minimum of comforts or necessities. The faint sent of dusk and the condition of the tea set laid out on the coffee table ticked off another box in Sid's mental list. While he saw nothing wrong with the chips and small cracks, the fact that one of the cups seemed to be in significantly better shape than the rest of the set made him slightly raise a brow.

He kept his thoughts to himself as he took a seat, his worry almost breaking through his happy mask. Wallflower did the same, her smile bashful with a matching blush coloring her cheeks. The two sat in awkward silence, neither sure how they wanted to proceed. Wallflower didn't entertain guests often (she could count the number of creatures with one hand if she had one) and had spent most of the morning bracing herself for Sid's inevitable absence. At the same time, Sid didn't know what verbal paths were safe yet. As he sat in front of the mare, a new tingle sat in the back of his head. While it was not as large or sporadic as the one that had been bugging him for the past few weeks, it's presence filled him with just as much dread.

Test the waters, then see what's under the surface.

"Nice place you have here," he said, making a show of looking the room over.

"Oh, um, y-yes," Wallflower stammered, avoiding eye contact as her blush deepened. "I-It's a lot better than my old place."

"Really now?" he smirked, expertly poring them each a cup of tea. "Where was that? If you don't mind me asking, anyway."

She giggled behind a hoof, then smiled into her cup as she pulled it towards herself.

"It's no place special. I grew up in a small town mining town called Coal Brook. My parents ran one of the town's biggest quarries."

"Sounds like they had a pretty good thing going on," Sid said, blowing some steam off of his cup.

"They still do," she said, a hint of pride entering her eyes as they finally locked with his.

Sid chuckled at that, then asked, "And you? What do you do around here?"

Wallflower wilted slightly, then said, "I grow and sell flowers to the Flower Sisters."

"Sounds nice," he smiled, casually taking a sip from his cup.

"It is," she sighed, frowning as she yet again stared into her cup. "Not that anypony notices."

"What do you mean?" he frowned, raising a brow.

For a few seconds, Wallflower didn't answer, the mare struggling to find her words. It wasn't easy for her to tell others about her special talent. The last few times she did, they acted like she was crazy or making it up. Even when she presented evidence of how her talent worked, others refused to believe her. As such, when she finally found her nerve and words, she took a breath and explained.

"My special talent makes me invisible. I don't know how else to put it. I could stand in an empty room and still go unnoticed to anypony looking in."

"I see," Sid nodded, taking a sip of his tea.

She blinked, taken aback by the Absol's reaction before she continued.

"I-It's not just me," she stammered, her hooves trembling. "My home is invisible too! I-I had to set up a P.O. box in town because mail ponies couldn't find me! It's like.... I don't exist..."

A heavy silence filled the room, broken by a shocked gasp when Sid put a claw on her hoof. She looked up from her cup towards the Absol's face. Hers turned a little pink as his eyes locked with hers, again focused on her and not the space around her.

With an air of concern he said something that brought a genuine smile to her face.

"You exist."

Again, silence filled the room, but now it was a lot less heavy. Less empty.

"Maybe," she giggled. "But I don't think you'll remember that tomorrow. It's a miracle you remembered your promise to me as it is."

"No maybes here," he smiled, taking a sip from his cup. "I came back, didn't I?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "You did."

***

"Explain to me why the fuck we're doing this again?" I asked, staring through a pair of binoculars from behind a bush.

I heard Trix groan next to me before she said, " Trixie already told you. Trixie is trying to find a way to apologize to your friend."

"I got that part," I frowned. "What I don't get is why we're spying on him from behind cover like a pair of creepy stalkers."

"Trixie is not a stalker!" she snapped."What she has planned is a surprise and for it to work, she needs information."

"O-kay," I frowned. "I'm going to pretend spying on him is a good idea for a minute here. Why the hell did you talk Starlight into giving me time off for this?"

I gave her a side-glance just in time to see her stare at the ground with...a guilty look.

"It's to make sure Trixie doesn't do something even more boneheaded."

I....didn't know how to react to that. Look, Trixie was not my favorite person. She's obnoxious and makes my job more difficult just by being there (With or with out fireworks). It's because of her stupid antics that I almost got eaten by C'thulu's left nut a few days ago. However, as much as she might give me a migraine, I'd be a special kind of asshole not to see that she was at least trying to fix her fuck up.

I sighed and shifted all of my focus back through my binoculars as I said, "Fine. I'll do my job and you do yours."

"Thank you," she said, the hum of her force powers telling me she was using her own pair.

I smiled a little at that, before letting a confused frown take its place. As much as I was against Trixie's methods, I had to admit, I was a little curious about what Sid was up to. He seemed a little out of it during my training this morning, only making me do fifty laps around the quarry instead of a hundred and barely managing to dodge my attacks in our sparring match. Hell, I had to remind him to put the boulder on my back before I did squats (the closest thing to push ups for four-legged creatures). After Trixie dragged me into this, we spent a good two hours watching him wander around the open fields way out in the outskirts of Ponyville until he went inside some house.

A house that seemed to pop into existence from out of nowhere. No. Seriously. The damn thing just...I don't know how! He just walked past this giant tree, knocked his claw onto something, and the damn thing just melded out of the shadows! Maybe it was some kind of magic camouflage thing or something. The place was painted green, so...maybe? I have a literally smoking hot talking Kirin for a girlfriend and a body that could get me charged for copyright infringement back home. At this point, I'm willing to believe almost anything,

I did (not) almost crap myself when the door opened on its own though. After that, he started talking to...something. Hear me out! I know that something was there, but I couldn't see it properly. Whatever it was just sort of...flickered in and out sight. I could hear it talking, but I couldn't make out what it was saying. Sid could apparently, since he was talking back to it, calling it a gambler or something. Freaky, but I wasn't too worried. Trust me, Sid could more than take care of himself if shit ended up hitting the fan.

When he walked into the house, we quickly changed our hiding place to one that gave us a perfect view into the house's front window.

So here we were, a Ninetales and an annoying pyromaniac hiding in the bushes watching my friend have tea with some sort of I-have-no-fucking-clue-what like a pair of creepy exes.

I can't believe I'm getting payed to do this.

I'd say "Just pretend you're 007," but we both know you're not suave enough for that.

"No shit," I muttered, adjusting my binocular's settings.

"Huh?" Trixie asked.

"Nothing," I sighed.

Some movement on the table caught my eye so I shifted my binoculars towards it. What I saw...I think my brain broke. There was a mare sitting across from him, I think? It was kind of hard to tell. She kept, flickering in and out of sight. It was like there was some kind of glitch or something and she would disappear for a few seconds at random points. The thing that freaked me the fuck out was that each time she did I...who was I talking abo-HOLY FUCK SHE'S BACK!

"Uh, Trix?" I asked unevenly.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Do you see the pony he's talking to?"

"What po-what the hay?! When did she get in there?"

"So you see her t-who are we talking about?"

"I do-WHAT THE HAY?"

We traded terrified looks for a second, then we gave the mare our full attention. Turns out, that was the secret to breaking her freaky Matrix Glitch powers. The mare was bright green with a messy dark green mane and dark brown eyes. Cute, but not any more so than most of the other ponies I've seen around town. She seemed like the shy type, kind of funny considering what happened earlier. I almost burst out laughing when the irony hit me. A pony that can make people forget her and an Absol that can't walk into a room without getting eyes on him.

I quickly found that focusing on her didn't fix everything, since she kept...okay, no other way to put it, she kept fading into the background. I swear to fucking god, it's like this pony isn't meant to be seen or something. How the hell can Sid keep track of her? Is it an Absol thing or am I missing something?

"Who is that?" Trixie muttered. "Trixie never saw her before."

"I, uh, don't think I can blame you," I gulped. "Sid seems to like her though."

"Yes. Yes he does," she said, wickedly?

I turned my head towards her and glared at her. She was smiling like one of those old-school cartoon bad guys and rubbing her front hooves together.

"Trix, you do anything to Sid I swear-"

"Trixie would never!" she balked, then gave me a mischievous smile as she added, "Though this mystery mare does make things a bit easier for her."

"What are you planing?" I growled.

"Nothing much," she shrugged. "Just see if you and your marefriend can be free this weekend."

"Why?" I frowned.

"Two words," she smirked, then gave her cape a dramatic flourish as she sang, "Game night~"

I blinked, then shifted my attention back towards Sid in...wait...where the fuck did that house come from?

Ch. 25 Something Great and Powerful This Way Comes..."Here We go Folks..."

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I let out a furious roar as I swung an Iron Tail at Sid, the fucker easily dodging me with that stupid shit-eating grin of his. A couple days ago, he decided I was finally ready for full combat training. After days of luging boulders around and running laps, it was time to focus on combat exclusively. It was about god damn time! Well, that was what I thought at the time anyway. Turns out Sid's idea of full combat training was a game of whack-a-Absol. I could use any move I wanted and I was done with that part of the training if I could hit him just once. Sounds easy eno- oh who the fuck are we kidding , you can all guess how that's going!

"STAND STILL!!!" I roared, Zen Headbutt ready as I charged at him.

He just smiled and sidestepped out of the way at the last second. The giant ass rock that was behind him? Good news? It was now rubble. Bad news? My head hurts and I think I forgot how to do long division.

"Fucking hell," I groaned, sitting on my haunches and clutching my aching head.

"What? Do you think I'm just gonna stand there and take it?"

I turned towards him, still sitting and grabbing my head as I yelled, "DON'T GIVE ME THAT SANS BULLSHIT, DICK WEED!"

He just smiled at me and did a damn good impression of the glorious skelebro bastard's laugh. Growling, I got back up, then set off a Flame Charge before I ran at him. Like the dozens of other times before hand, he dodged , but I used the speed boost to try slipping an Iron Tail past his guard. It missed, but it was a lot closer than my last couple of attempts. A small smile spread across my muzzle. I was starting to get better at this.

"Now we're talking," Sid cheered, just barely dodging another Iron Tail. "Keep it up slowpoke! You'll get there eventually!"

"Wrong Pokémon, ding bat!" I smirked before shooting a Flamethrower at him.

He sidestepped it, just like I thought he would. I shot off another Flame Charge, but stopped at the last second and used the speed boost to fire off an Extrasensory at point blank range. The shimmering aura passed over him like water before it blasted a crater into the ground about ten feet away from us.

He gave be a couple shocked blinks, then smirked as he said, "Almost. Psychic moves-"

Still boosted by Flame Charge, I swung an Iron Tail at him. He...ducked under it. Mother fucker!

"Don't work on Dark types," he continued, still smiling. "Almost had me there. Maybe you'll pick a better move next time."

"Damn it," I growled. "Damn it...Damn it!....DAMN IT!!!"

I felt my core pulse as my anger ran through me, the feeling barely making me get a grip on myself. Sid warned me to be careful of that. Apparently, anger can mess with my moves, make them less focused and blow off more energy than I need. So can fear, but that was something I had a plan to get around. I took a deep breath and tried to get my head back into the game.

I'm getting better. The fact I managed to surprise him shows that much at least. Maybe I should try to come at this from a different angle.

A smile spread across my muzzle as a few ideas started to form in my head. Crouching low, I started to circle him. He smiled as he matched me, the two of us locked eyes as we walked in a wide circle. So, yeah, the direct approach wasn't working (no shit Sherlock). So let's try something a little less direct.

This is gonna be wild!

Damn straight.

We kept circling for a few minutes, then I Flame Charged towards him. He stopped and waited for me to come to him just like the last dozen times I did this. He was going to wait until the last second to sidestep to my left or right to trip me up. Perfect. Just before he could make a move, I jumped up, spread my tails as wide as I could, and flipped an Iron Tail down at him. The ground exploded with a thick cloud of dust and rubble the second my tails hit it. He barely managed to avoid it, eyes and mouth wide with shock as he stared up at me. Not wasting a second, I poured as much of my power as I could into one last Flame Charge the second my paws touched down. What happened next threw me for a loop.

I felt a different part of my core, I don't know, activate? Whatever happened, this new part instantly hijacked my Flame Charge and holy shit was it huge! Instead of fire, I was surrounded by this swirling golden energy. The power I felt from it was freaking MASSIVE. I didn't get more than a few seconds to think about it before I was charging like a fucking freight train! Sid put up a green barrier just in time to block me, but that didn't stop me from pushing him back a good fifty feet on contact. After that, the energy blasted off of me, blew up Sid's Protect, and I fell to the ground feeling like I just had my soul ripped out of me.

"Wh...What the fuck?" I panted, struggling to move. "What was that and why...can't...I move?"

"That," Sid gulped. "Was a Giga Impact,"

"A Gig...I can...What?!" I barked.

"Looks like we'll have to add, move training to your routine now," he smirked. "Should be a good follow up to what else I have in store for you."

"Yay," I groaned.

Sid laughed, then sat down next to me.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, then I dredged up just enough energy to ask, "You still going to Trix's thing?"

"Sure," he sighed, then smiled as he added, "It'd be a bit dickish of me to not to give her a chance if she's going this far."

"Cool," I smiled. "Autumn invited Dahlia to the whole thing too."

"The pack is back," Sid snorted, then gave me a thoughtful frown as he asked, "You think she'll mind if I bring someone along for the ride?"

"Probably not," I shrugged. "Anyone I know?"

"Nah," he frowned. "Just another lonely soul, wandering this world wrapped in a cloak of darkness."

"Right," I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "Anything else I should know about this person, or are you going to get all cryptic on me again?"

Sid laughed, then said, "Sorry. Force of habit. Anyway, her name's Wallflower Blush. She's an Earth pony mare I met recently."

"Oh?" I smirked, finally getting just enough energy back to drag my sorry ass to my haunches. "She hot?"

The dude's mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally said something.

"I...guess?" he coughed, looking away.

I smiled wider and gave his shoulder a playful shove as I said, "Dude! Spill!"

"It's not like that," he smiled, smacking my shoulder. "She's just a friend."

"Whatever bro," I chuckled. "So, what does she look like?"

He put a claw up to his chin, hummed in thought for a second, then said, "Green."

"Green?" I deadpanned. "That's it? Come on, man. I know, like, twenty green mares. Hell, I'm friends with one and I'm pretty sure her name isn't Wallflower Blush."

"Okay okay," he chuckled. "So yeah. Light green coat. Messy dark green mane and tail. Dark brown eyes. Wilted yellow flower in a pot on her flanks."

I thought for a minute, but no mares matching that description came to mind. Not from work at least. At the same time, I felt like I may have seen someone like that at some point. I just couldn't put my finger, er, paw on when.

"I...think I may have seen her," I frowned, rubbing my forehead.

Sid looked genuinely surprised by that for some reason.

"Are you sure?" he asked, leaning towards me.

"Maybe," I grunted, my head getting a little sore. "I don't think it was recently. It's like, I know I saw her, but I can't freaking remember when!"

He just nodded, a thoughtful frown forming on his lips.

***

You know, I thought I had seen it all at this point since I came to Magic Land. I talked to living plush toys. Went on a date with a Kirin. Went to a bar full of dog-people. Got mind-fucked by a magic forest. Got chased by a drunk Unicorn. Getting reunited with my friends after they got turned into Pokémon. Hell, I even stared in a hentai (almost). Throw in meeting a couple of shapeshifting bug-ponies, and I was pretty sure I had seen every crazy thing this world had to offer. So far? I was fucking wrong. At the moment, the weirdest thing to ever happen to me was going to a house I only now remember seeing after it flickered back into existence, followed by all the memories I had of Wallflower sitting at the edge of my memories jumping to the front of my mind the second I saw her. The fact that all of those memories were about how Trix and I spent four days spying on her and Sid did not make the whole thing any better.

God I hope Trix has booze, I thought, giving Wallflower passing glances as we walked through the town's mostly empty evening streets.

One of the things I kept picking up on was that Wallflower was a bit of a chatterbox. Well, she was with Sid anyway. Every time I looked at her, she was yapping Sid's ear off with this big smile on her face. I wasn't the only one that noticed, a passing glance at Autumn and Dahlia showed them giving them knowing smiles. It kind of helped me keep track of her too, since apparently it was easier for me to remember her if I can hear her voice.

It wasn't that hard to find Trix's wagon. Once the four- no wait, five of us got to the part of the town set up for wagons and trailers, it was all a matter of finding the flashiest ride. Good thing Trix had a thing for stars. I had to do a quick double take when Treehugger came out of Trix's wagon with her.

"Yo, Treehugger," I smiled.

"Hello soul brother," she smiled.

"Trix drag you into this too?" I asked, giving the Unicorn in question a raised brow.

"Trixie will have you know that she didn't drag anypony into this," Trix huffed. "Treehugger heard that Trixie was hosting a small party and asked if she could participate."

"Really?" I asked, turning my head towards Treehugger.

Still keeping her dreamy smile, she nodded.

"I heard that some creatures claiming to be your friends came to town and I wanted to get to know them."

"Huh, I guess that makes sense," I shrugged, then turned to face my pals (and Wallflower. God, that was going to take some getting used to.) "Guys, this is Treehugger. She helped Autumn and I get here a couple weeks ago."

"So you're Treehugger," Dahlia smirked, walking up to the Earth pony. "Autumn told me a lot about you."

"Good things I hope," Treehugger giggled.

"The juries still out on that one," she said, a bit of aggression in her tone. "Name's Dahlia."

Either Treehugger didn't catch Dahlia's tonal shift or she ignored it.

Regardless, she just kept smiling and said, "NIce to meet you soul sister. May you're strong aura keep you safe in this uncertain world."

Dahlia blinked at that, looking just as thrown off as I felt.

Sid smiled as he approached her and said, "Nice to finally have a face and name to go with Iron Will's warning. Name's Sid."

Treehugger's smile shrank a little.

Seriously? Even she's scared of him? That's it, I'm gonna start looking for any books the library has on Bai Ze when this is all over!

"Nice to meet you soul brother," she nodded. "May good fortune come to you and all you love."

"As a drifting soul, that is all I ask," he smirked, nodding back.

Dahlia and I both groaned and face-pawed.

"Please don't encourage him," Dahlia groaned.

Autumn and Wallflower both laughed at that (Hey, I remembered her!).

"And you are?" she asked, looking at...Oh yeah. Wallflower.

Wallflowers eyes got big, then she gasped out, "Y-Y-You can see me?"

Treehugger nodded, then said, "There are few things my eyes can't see soul sister."

"I-It's Wallflower Blush," she stammered, blushing

"So it is," Treehugger giggled.

Before anyone could say anything else, Trix cleared her throat and as soon as she had everyone's attention said, "Now that that's out of the way, shall we get to the game?"

"Right," Autumn smiled, shoving herself between me and Dahlia. "What kind of game are we talking about?"

"I hope it isn't Ogres and Oupliets," Dahlia frowned. "All that math really sucks the fun out of the story."

"Says the girl that spent three hours building her character sheet," Sid smirked.

"Bite me Bard!" Dahlia snapped, glaring at Sid.

"Whatever Barbarian," he smirked.

"Anyway!" Trix barked. "To answer...er..."

"Autumn Blaze," Autumn deadpanned.

"Right. To answer Autumn Blaze's question, Trixie obtained a game of great and powerful notoriety in her travels all across Equestria. it is especially popular in Griffin Stone and Coal Town."

I rolled my eyes as I said, "Don't leave us in suspense. What's the game; Poker?"

"Among other things," Trix smirked. "Though Trixie does suppose that would be a good place to start.

***

It didn't take long for us to get everything set up. After I helped her wrestle a round table out of her wagon, Treehugger and...Wallflower! That's her name! Anyway, they helped get the games and drinks set up when we got the table standing. A few sitting mats and glasses loaded up and we were good to go. Starting from the head of the table was Trix, Dahlia, Autumn, me, Treehugger, Wallflower (thanks for reminding me Treehugger), and Sid.

Like Trix said, the first game was Poker. Of course, we didn't bet any bits (most of us didn't bring any for this). Instead, we used a bunch of plastic chips. It was all fine at first, but around thirty minutes into the whole thing we found out that Sid and Wallflower were a lot better at this then the rest of us.

"You two must be cheating!" Trix demanded, pointing a hoof at Sid.

"Nope, just lucky," he smirked, adjusting Trix's hat on his head.

"No body pays attention to me," Wallflower added, blushing a little under Trix's cape.

"Can't argue with that," Dahlia laughed, taking a swig from her glass. "Sid's whole thing is about luck. I don't think he's ever lost a bet, even when the other guy's cheating!"

"No fair!" Trix snapped. "Trixie demands we play something else!"

"If that's what you want," Sid shrugged. "Wallflower and I won everyone's chips anyway."

Everyone else laughed at that while Trix looked like she was about to blow a gasket.

"Trixie demands we all play a game of skill!"

"Such as?" Treehugger asked.

"Hide and Seek!" she cried, looking pleased with herself.

"Wallflower wins," Treehugger and Sid said at the same time.

"Who's-oh...right," Trix frowned. "Then we shall play hangmare!"

"Sounds good to me," I shrugged. "Bet Sid could guess each word on the first shot."

My smile grew as she froze, then let out a frustrated growl. Then a wicked smile spread across her muzzle that made mine shrink a little.

"Perhaps a game with more flare is what we need," she chuckled evilly, rubbing her hooves together.

I gulped.

***

Six dragons took shelter under the land bound remains of their ship, the wild splashes of a raging sea crashing against the coast ten feet away. The sky was pitch black with raging storm clouds, flashes of lightning the only break from the inky darkness. Sun Flare, a bright red dragon covered in heavy golden armor and armed with a claymore peeked past their cover. Off in the distance, past the coast in the deep waters beyond howled a great horror. The water surged and boiled around it, a bulbous and slimy thing with dark green skin. surrounding its round, eye covered body were long lashing tentacles that sliced the waves like a scythe through wheat.

"What do you see?" Snow Flower, a white dragoness dressed in a silver hooded robe asked.

"The thing that's gonna fuck us," Sun Flare frowned, turning his attention back towards his party. "Who's idea was it again to let the cultists complete their ritual?"

"In my defense," Karma, a dark blue dragon with patches of white on his scales and leather armor said, raising a a claw. "I didn't think the ritual would work."

"They were rather unwise," Treeclimber nodded sagely, her light green scales a near perfect match for the hooded cloak.

"C-C-Can we really beat something like that?" Shadow Whisper gulped, her pale green scales peaking out of the gaps in her brown leather armor. She nervously clutched her twin daggers as she peeked past her cover.

"We'll figure something out," Ember Script smirked, the bard's simple purple outfit covering most of her light orange scales. "We always do, right?"

The nervous rogue smiled back, but it was a small and fragile thing compared to her companion's. A small blush added itself to her face as Karma pulled her closer to his side.

"A beast like this is nothing for us," he smirked. "We are the blades that cleave the shadows from this land. This just one more monster for us to end."

"R-Right," Shadow nodded, her blush growing the longer she was held.

"Easy lover birds," Snow chuckled. "Save it for the after party."

The couple broke apart, Shadow's blush spreading to her neck while Karma waved off his comrade's words.

"Any idea how we can kill this thing?" Ember asked.

Sun Flare mulled it over for a minute before a wicked smile grew on his muzzle.

"Plan 3."

Everyone gasped.

"B-B-But leader," Shadow gasped.

"That'll put you at the most risk!" Ember exclaimed, eyes wide as she grasped his claws.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "But it's our best bet."

Their eyes remained locked, Ember's desperately begging Sun to reconsider. The determination that burned in them thrilled her, but also hurt her deeply. She knew that there was no way she could talk him out of this. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes as she nodded, claws letting go of his.

"Please come back," she sniffled. "You're all I have."

"I will," he smiled, caressing her cheek. "I promise."

He turned to the rest of his party, and with a wicked smile said, "Let's make this bastard regret ever coming to this world. Malgomta Mercenary Guild, time to raise some hell!"

They all cried out their assent, then spread their wings to take to the sky. Sun Flare, Shadow Whisper, Ember Script, and Karma flew directly towards the monster, while the rest of the party kept their distance. As soon as they got within range, the monster lashed out at them with its tentacles. The dragons narrowly avoided the limbs and landed as hard as they could on the monster's body. Sun and Karma wasted no more than a second to draw their swords to hack away at the monster's flesh, Shadow using her knives on its many eyes as she ran across its slippery hide.

The beast howled in anger, but before it could lash out at them with its many limbs, giant stocks of seaweed rose from the water's surface and coiled tightly around them. Treeclimber smiled at the sight, her claw glowing as her spell did its job. At the same time, Snow Flower's whole body glowed with a chilling teal light, her eyes closed as she chanted an ancient spell from times long sense past. Taking note of her friend's work, Tree put as much power as she could into her spell.

At the same time, Ember Script weaved her own magic, her body glowing a dull orange light as she strummed passionately on her lute. The monster let out low groans , the music's effects scrambling its senses while her comrades grew more invigorated. A bright light in the sky was the first clue they had that the first phase of their plan was in effect. The immediately halted their attacks and took flight. Seconds later, a massive pillar of arctic magic descended upon the monster, large portions of its body freezing and falling away.

What few lengths of Treeclimber's seaweed bindings that survived the blast grew and tightened their hold on the monster, many of its wounds already starting to heal. Snow Flower slowly drifted towards the coast, heavy pants coming out of her from the strain of casting such a massive spell.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Ember Script played her greatest empowerment melody for Sun. Their leader's eyes widened as power surged through him. A wide smile spread across his muzzle, the beast struggling against its bindings while he channeled his magic into his blade. With a mighty roar, he charged towards the monster with a blade that burned bright with his power. One of the monsters few remaining eyes locked onto him and it opened one of its many maws. A mass of tentacles burst forth from the maw, catching him in their slimy grip before they pulled him in. A sickening gulp was the only hint the group had as to their leader's fate.

Ember, Shadow, and Karma stared at the beast with nervous anticipation, one in particular gnawing her nails off as she waited to see if their plan worked. Just when it looked like Sun's fate was sealed, the monster let out a wail of agony, smoke pouring out of its many mouths. Flames soon followed as the monster slowly turned into a massive bonfire. It tried to guzzle the surrounding water, but what was within reach of its maws had been turned into solid ice by Snow Flower's spell. Agonized wails tore through the sky as the damned demon burned alive from the inside out. When just a smoldering lump of dead flesh was all that remained, Sun emerged. The Magic Knight was covered in slime and melted monster guts, but was otherwise untouched by his ordeal.

A moment of silence settled over the chaotic scene. Then, with a wide smile, Sun Flare raised his sword in triumph and the six heroes cried out their success. With a bit of luck and sheer determination, the six mercenaries came out victorious."

***

Trix stared at us all slack jawed from behind her DM screen.

"H-How did you all roll Nat 20s?!" she sputtered.

"Dumb luck?" Sid shrugged.

"You I understand," she barked, pointing a hoof at Sid. "Everycreature else? HOW?!"

"Dumb as hell luck," I shrugged.

Trix just sputtered at that for a few seconds, then let out a frustrated yell as she took her hentai monster figureen off of the table.

"Fine," she huffed. "After you're party slays the Chaos Spawn, the clouds part to reveal a clear night sky. With little else to do, your party sets up camp on the coast."

"To celebrate, Sun Flare takes Ember someplace private to have some fun," I smirk, side eyeing Autumn.

"She's got no problems with that," Autumn smiled, her face turning red as smoke started coming off of the tip of her horn.

"Snow Flower catches them sneaking off and wants in on the fun," Dahlia said with a giant shit-eating grin.

"NO!" Autumn and I both snap.

"Roll for initiative," Trix said flatly.

"God damn it," I growled.

"Are you having fun?" I heard Sid ask.

I was about to tell him to go stuff it, but then I saw that he wasn't talking to me.

"Yeah," Wallflower smiled, a small blush spreading across her face.

"That's great," he beamed. "Maybe we can talk Trix into making this a regular thing."

I sighed, a small smile forming on my muzzle as I shifted my attention back towards the board.

At least two of us are having fun.

Ch. 26 Use the Fox..."May the fox be with you."

View Online

What...the hell have I signed up for?

That was the only thing rattling around in my head as I stared dumbly at Sid.

When I dragged myself out of bed this morning for my lessons, I was expecting the usual bullshit. You know; running laps, lifting weights, sparing matches, et cetera. Turns out, Sid wanted to mix things up a bit for this lesson. Now, instead of standing in the sandy wasteland around the quarry, we were in the middle of a small dark cave full of lit candles and a few incense burners.

"I swear to god Sid, if we're about to summon C'thullu or something, I'm gonna shove all nine of my tails so far up your ass you'll be able to taste them," I said flatly.

He laughed at that and said, "Nah, that's next week."

"Right," I deadpanned. "So, what the fuck are we doing then?"

He gave me a crooked smile and said, "Today, I'm going to help you unlock your status moves."

That got my attention real fucking fast.

Up until I figured out how to use Protect, I didn't even know I had status moves. Since then, I've been literally and metaphorically banging my head against a wall trying to figure out how to activate them. Why didn't I think to ask Sid how to do it? Because I have a beer-battered chicken patty for a fucking brain.

"It's about fucking time!" smirked. "So, what, we do some satanic ritual to unlock them or something?"

"No," he frowned. "That's after we summon C'thullu. Quit trying to jump ahead in class."

I snorted at that, while he dropped the frown and laughed. Still smiling, he walked into the center of the lit cave and gestured for me to follow. When I did, we both sat down on our haunches, me making sure not to knock anything over with my tails as I waited for Sid to get this thing started. After a few minutes of nothing happening, he ditched his smile, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

That got me a little nervous.

Sid's a pretty chill dude, all laughs and jokes most of the time, but when he gets serious, you know shits about to get real. Back on Earth, I only saw him get like this a handful of times and each time, someone got seriously fucked in one way or another. Someone tried to hurt one of his coworkers? Dude ended up in the hospital the next day eating things through a straw. Try to use a legal loophole to mess with his sister? Dude loses his entire company through over a dozen other even more brutal legal loopholes. You need help getting out of a shit situation? He'll lose sleep trying to help you crawl the hell out of it. Put simply, he's not a bad guy unless you make him into one. It's one of the reasons we're such good friends and it...fucked me up so much when he disappeared.

"I think you know how our moves work, right?" he asked, snapping me out of my dark thoughts.

"I guess," I shrugged. "I tap into my, uh, well, I call it a core, and then just take it from there."

""Core" huh?" he said, letting a small crooked smile show up. "I guess that's a good name for it. Now, does your core feel different depending on what move you use?"

I thought about that for a minute, then nodded.

"How so?" he pressed.

"Well, when I use Flamethrower or Flame Charge, I feel this warm rush of power, but when I use Zen Headbutt or Extrasensory I get this weird tingle running through me."

"What about Hex?"

I shivered and said, "Like some kind of cold oil is running down my back. I really don't like using that move."

"Yeah, Ghost-Type moves feel really weird at first," he frowned looking at one of his claws. "You'll get use to it after a while."

Before I could call bullshit on that, he raised his claw and a dark purple energy flowed out of it. It just kind of wafted off it like some kind of eerie smoke, the energy focused around his nails adding an extra two inches and looked like glowing purple glass. He casually waved it around himself for a few seconds, then flicked it off like it was no big deal before he set his paw back down onto the ground.

"Show off," I snorted.

His smile got a little more cocky before he got serious again.

"If I were to guess, you can feel that these different energies make up different parts of your core, right?"

I nodded.

"Eight parts, Right?"

I nodded again, wondering where he was going with this.

"Is Protect one of those parts?"

I was about to nod, but stopped part way through.

Now that I thought about it, Protect didn't follow the usual pattern. Every time I used it, I would always feel this weird tingle in the back of my mind. Then I'd feel this...blank kind of energy go from there to my core before the shield popped up.

I told this to Sid, and with a knowing smile, he asked, "What do you think that means?"

I glowered at him.

Even when the fucker wants to teach me something, he has to be all mysterious about it.

Fucking edge lord.

Come on dude. It's not rocket science. I know you can figure this out.

Isn't that your job?

Up my pay and maybe I'll do better.

Grumbling to myself, I closed my eyes and tried to figure out what Sid was getting at here.

Okay, so I use my core to make moves. No shit, but Protect doesn't do it the same way the rest of my moves do. What the hell does that mean? Is it because it's a different kind of move? Nah, if that was the case, then the same thing would happen when I use my physical or special moves. Hell, Protect doesn't even have a core piece! So where the hell is it "stored"?

Hanging onto that thought, I tried to use Protect. The same tingle in the back of my mind, string of energy gong down to my corn, and then I could see a faint green light behind my eyelids. I held onto that connection, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. I raised a brow when a thought started to come to me. Curious, I focused on the tingle and tried to see if I could mess with it.

A sharp pain shot through my head and broke my concentration.

"Fucking shit!" I barked, rubbing a side of my head.

"Did you figure it out?" Sid asked.

"Yeah," I grimaced, still rubbing my head. "There are two cores, aren't there."

He nodded.

"Physical and Special moves are tied to our magic cores in our chests. I don't know if that's how it is for every Pokémon, but that seems to be the case for us. Sis and I think it's because our bodies use that particular energy for direct self-defense."

"Don't things like Will-o-Wisp or Toxic count?" I asked, finally managing to rub out my headache.

"Not really," he frowned. "They're more like hinderances or afflictions we can put on others or ourselves."

"Huh?" I blinked.

He chuckled, then said, "Think of them like Blessings and Curses in D&D. When you use something like Toxic on someone, you're basically putting a curse on them to make them sick. When you use something like Sword Dance, you're putting a blessing onto yourself to make you stronger. You basically project a thought or wish onto someone or yourself."

I think I get it," I mused, putting a paw to my chin. "Basically, my normal moves are like attack spells and my Status Moves are support spells."

"Exactly," Sid smiled, pointing at me. "Since they play by different rules, Status moves get a separate core."

"And cuz their based on my mind, its in my head," I added with a smile.

"And the last horse crosses the finish line," he chuckled.

"Fuck you," I snorted, giving him the finger with my tails.

"It also means we need to use a different method to help you unlock them," he frowned.

"Figures," I sighed, letting my tails fall back into place around the candles. "So, what do we need to do?"

"You need to fall deep into you're own mind and bond with the energies needed to use the moves," he nodded. "The incense and candles should help, but his is still going to take a lot of work on your part."

I gave the things around us a leery glance.

The last time something like this happened, I got my ass kicked by some freaky shadow version of myself. Obviously, not the best day of my life, even if Autumn and I got a little closer after that. I mean, sure, I'm not tripping balls right now, so this probably isn't the same shit as the stuff from Breezy Forest, but I wasn't exactly eager to take a hit of any ganja even a little bit close to that.

"Does this stuff...work?" I asked, nervously.

"It's had some results," he smirked. "Right, Wallflower?"

I blinked dumbly at him for a second, then let out a yelp when Wallflower just... popped into existence next to him. And I can remember her now? What the fuck? Anyway, she nodded at him then put some cups of tea down between us. I floated my cup up to my lips as she took a seat next to Sid. She gave me a small smile, I blinked and....what was I going on about agai- HOLY FUCK WHEN DID WALLFLOWER GET HERE?!

"Okay, how is she doing that?" I demanded pointing a paw at the mare.

Sid chuckled, then said, "Turns out, pony magic works a lot like our moves. While Wallflower can't use any "attacks" she's got a real knack for Status Moves. Including one that can temporarily cancel abilities."

"No way," I gaped. "That's awesome! Do you have a name for it?"

He gave Wallflower a small nudge.

Blushing and fidgeting where she sat, she said, "W-We like to call it Blink. B-B-Because I kind of...blink back into creature's memories."

I nodded, all the while thinking, If these two aren't a couple by the end of the week, I'll eat my own tails.

The end of the week? Ha! I'm betting two days tops!

"Now," Sid smiled, brining me back to the present. "Let's see what kind of Status Moves you know."

I smirked back at him and said, "Bring it."

He nodded at me, closed his eyes, and said, "Close your eyes, empty your mind, and let the mist do its work.

I gulped, then did as I was told.

At first, I didn't feel any different, but after a few minutes my head started to feel kind of foggy. Thankfully, it wasn't like the fog from the forest. That shit felt like someone forced a chloroform rag into my face. This felt like I was getting a deep tissue massage in a hot tub. I don't think I've ever felt so....relaxed before. As I started to drift away, a groggy thought ran around in my head.

Let's hope I don't get a bad trip from this.

***

A heavy stillness filled he clearing, deep gashes, dark burns, and flecks of frost taking the place of grass at its heart. Several trees that formed it perimeter were in similar conditions, some of them cut clean in half, burned down to the heart wood, or encased in ice. Dahlia and Autumn stood at its heart, both staring each other down with cold glares. Amber magic surrounded Autumn's horn while Dahlia crouched low with her tails spread wide. Using her peripherals, Autumn took note of all of every subtle twitch her opponent made without breaking eye-contact. At the same time, she mulled over her combat options.

Options that came into play a second later when Dahlia sent an Extrasensory her way.

A wall of fire burst out of the ground just in time to intercept the strike before the Kirin followed up with a burning charge through it. Dahlia canceled it with a Protect before firing off a Freeze Dry at pointblank range. Autumn's body burst into flames, assuming her NIrik form just in time to counter the freezing blast. With a snarl, she threw a flaming hoof at the Ninetales, only to hit empty air when she jumped back a step. Dahlia then followed up with spin and slammed a whole flurry of Iron Tails into Autumn's left side. A weed ago, such a blow would've sent her flying, but now, all it did was force an angry growl out of her as she held her ground. Dahlia smirked at that, as she jumped back to put some distance between the Nirik and herself. Refusing to lose her advantage, Autumn roared as she charged, blue and pink flames swirling around her tail like a small tempest. The second she was in range, she turned to slam her flaming tail into Dahlia's side. The NInetales did the same, only her tails were surrounded by swirling pools of water. A loud hissing bang filled the space as the two attacks collided, a thick fog filling the battle-torn clearing.

Dahlia broke away from the cross counter, her smirk growing a bit as she dashed deeper into the fog.

Alight Hot Stuff. What are you gonna do now?

Pushing her senses to their limits, she prepped a Freeze Dry and waited.

A new stillness filled the clearing, now coated in an alien atmosphere by the fog. Dahlia's ear twitched at the snap of a twig, the crunch of dirt, but she didn't dwell to much on them. She knew the Kirin's steps were light, that in spite of her bulky frame, the creature had a delicate grace to her movements. If any steps could be heard, she would've already moved on before Dahlia had a chance to attack. That knowledge filled her both with frustration and excitement in equal measure, the Ninetales more than eager to see what her student had in store for her.

That answer to that mystery came in the form of a narrow beam of amber magic coming at her from her right. She Dropped the energy she was using for Freeze Dry and used Protect at the last possible second. The beam pressed into the shield, the Ninetales' paws digging slow grooves into the uneven ground beneath her.

"Not bad, Hot Stuff," Dahlia grunted behind a grin. "But what are ya gonna do about this?"

She canceled the shield, side-stepped at the last second, and conjured a ball of pink energy just above her head. A second later, a large beam of shining energy fired out of it towards the source of Autumn's Heat Ray, blasting a clear path through the fog as it went. Through that gap, Dahlia saw Autumn duck under her attack at the last second, now in her Kirin form with magic coating her horn.

Seeing her cover literally blown away, the Kirin returned fire with a flurry of Firebombs. Dahlia knocked them aside with an Aqua Tail and charged towards her, Zen Headbutt at the ready as she quickly closed the gap between them. With a determined fire in her eyes, Autumn met her teacher's attack with a Flame Tempest before she forced her to the other end of the battlefield with a Levitation spell. Dahlia rolled back to her feet the second she hit the dirt and sent an Extrasensory Autumn's way. The Kirin wasted no time casting a new Firewall spell , before shifting into her Nirik form again. With a furious roar, she cast Berserk Comet and rocketed towards her target like a blue and pink burning missile. A black aura surrounded Dahlia and as the same burning energy shot through her that her opponent wielded, she rushed to meet her at the middle of the field. A thundering burst of sound tore through the air when they made contact, heads pressed against each other in a brutal deadlock. The Nirik roared with barely contained fury while the Ninetales sported a near manic smile as they tried to overpower each other. Neither refused to budge, one eager to see how far the other had come while the other tried to push further past her limits. Eventually, limits beat pride as both of their attacks faded away, Autumn's Nirik form going along with her Berserk Comet and both combatants fell to their haunches.

Panting and drenched in sweat in spite of the chilled fog surrounding them, the two fighters traded weary smiles.

"I...hate that spell," Autumn panted, chuckling tiredly.

"Hey...the fact...I have to....use it...Is a good sign," Dahlia chuckled, wiping sweat out of her face. "It means you're getting stronger."

"What was...it called...again?" she frowned, wiping her brow.

"Foul Play," the Ninetales smiled.

"Should be called "Cheating"," she snorted.

Dahlia laughed at that.

"It's only cheating if there are rules," the Ninetales smirked.

"Agreed, Soul Sister," a familiar female voice said from within the fog.

The pair flinched, then turned their heads towards the voice's source. As if on cue, Treehugger stepped through the mist, a long metal staff strapped to her back. While she held her usual dreamy smile, the mare gave of a grim aura that put the pair on edge. Autumn cringed back slightly from it, while a cold glare was the only sign that Dahlia was in any way affected.

"What do you want?" Dahlia coldly asked.

"Be at ease Soul Sisters," she nodded, taking a seat five feet away from the pair. "I didn't come here for a fight. I came to help."

"Funny, cuz that aura of yours says something else," she growled.

"I know," she sighed, reaching into her mane. "I'm afraid that I needed to step out of retirement on the way here.

As she said that, she pulled a dried blue leaf out of her mane. Without a word, she reluctantly slid it into her mouth and chewed. The second she did so, the harsh aura around her started to fade away, the zen that normally surrounded the mare quickly taking its place.

Autumn breathed easy now that the oppressive aura was gone, but Dahlia remained on edge, blue eyes glaring a hole into the green mare.

"What do you mean, 'step out of retirement'?" she growled.

Treehugger sighed, her eyes becoming distant as she stared up at the foggy early morning sky.

"Long ago, an orphaned filly wandered a desert, both of her parents taken by a raging sand worm. Death crept on her like a shadow, waiting for her to make the same mistakes as her parents and be taken by the sands. When such a fate started to close in on her, a group of Minotaur travelers found her. They gave her a home, food, water, and a new family to call her own. Because their life was dangerous, they taught her their tribe's arts of war, gifting her with a staff that could bring down even the mightiest of monsters if it deemed her worthy. Through bitter work she earned that power and received a new gift from her new grandfather as a result; eyes that can see into the hearts of others. In time, the filly became a mare and left her new family to see the world, slaying what monsters dared to harm those too weak to defend themselves along the way. She made friends, she made enemies, but in the end, she lived with no regrets. With no more monsters left to fight, she hung her staff and followed her wandering spirit all across the land, never needing to dirty her hooves with the blood of monsters."

When her eyes regained their focus, she leveled an unreadable expression at the two creatures before her and coldly added, "Until now."

Both of them stared at her in confused worry for a moment, before realization set in and burning anger took its place.

"Where is she?" Dahlia spat.

"I'm not sure," Treehugger sighed. "Every time I find her camp, it turns out to be one of her fakes."

"So she's scouting things out," Dahlia snorted. "Figures."

"Wait, she can make fakes?" Autumn gaped. "That's some seriously high level magic!"

"Not the way she does it," Dahlia smirked. "Their pretty brittle, especially against fighting and fairy type moves. A few good hits and they fall apart like glass. Plus, she has to use some of her life energy to make them, so she can't make a lot of them at once."

"They can still make illusions though," Treehugger frowned. "Best not to let your head get too big Soul Sister."

"I know that much, Heart Eyes," the Ninetales snorted, waving off Treehugger's comment. "I'm not a fancy magical monster hunter, but this is a monster I'm a bit more familiar with."

"And sister Autumn?" the mare asked, raising a brow.

She gave the Kirin a scrutinizing look, then smirked as she said, "A bit rough around the edges, but I think she could hold her own pretty well."

"There is a massive difference between a fight to grow and a fight to kill," Treehugger frowned.

"No shit," Dahlia deadpanned. "That's exactly what I've been teaching her."

"Then, if she met somecreature with murderous intent, she'd be cool?"

Before either of them could respond, Treehugger looked right at Autumn. The Earth pony's eyes widened, their pupils turning yellow and glowing with an eery light. An arctic chill shot down to Autumn's very soul, the eyes of the mare seeming more like the eyes of a raging demon from the fires of the abyss. She was frozen, to scared to breathe under the intensity of Treehugger's gaze. Then, just as suddenly as it came, the terror vanished and Treehugger's eyes returned to normal.

Autumn gasped, hunching over where she sat with eyes wide with terror, breaths coming in and out of her in rattled pants.

"Fucking bitch!" Dahlia roared, jumping to her feet and rushing between the two Equestrians. "Warn us before you do something like that!"

"I'm sorry," Treehugger frowned. "But this just proves my point. She may be strong enough to fight Sandra, but if she can't handle the beast's murderous intent, she won't stand a chance."

"So, what do you suggest?" Dahlia demanded, her anger slightly dimmed.

"Let her spar with me," the mare softly smiled.

"And have you scare the piss out of her again?" the Ninetales barked.

"I can control my intent better than most," Treehugger stated. "I can gradually ease her into tolerating it, just like my master did to me."

Dahlia glared back at the mare, her logic at war with her heart on the matter put before her. She knew that Autumn needed this to have any kind of chance against Sandra, but the thought of putting one of her friends through that kind of terror didn't sit well with her at all. The fact that her own master put her through an exercise similar to what Treehugger was suggesting only further muddied the waters. It made her stronger, sure, but it also felt like she lost a part of herself at some point along the way.

A shaky, yet firm hoof on her shoulder snapped her out of her mental tug-o-war. She turned her head towards its owner and was met with a pair of determined amber eyes. While partially doused with fear, she new what the fire she saw in those eyes meant. Like it or not, Autumn had already made her choice on the matter, a fact that Dahlia new better than to fight against.

"fine," she sighed, then glared at Treehugger as she added, "But I've gotta be present for this. Last thing I need is Autumn turning into a vegetable because I wasn't there to stop you from fucking with her head!"

"Cool," Treehugger smiled. "We'll start tomorrow. I'll meet the two of you here at around six in the morning."

"W-Will do," Autumn stammered, a stiff smile gracing her lips.

With a nod and a smile, Treehugger made her leave, the mare slipping out of sight behind a tree the moment she crossed the tree line. Dahlia and Autumn watched her go with warring emotions, both of their minds moving in several different directions at once. Eventually, Dahlia let out a frustrated cry and stomped in the direction of Ponyville.

"Where are you going?" Autumn cried, shakily running after her friend.

"A bar," Dahlia barked. "I need a fucking drink."

"Isn't it kind of early?" the Kirin asked, trotting at the Ninetales' left.

"With a morning like this?" she flatly asked. "Not even close."

Ch. 27 Feed a Cold, Start a Fire "Oh...My...."

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I let out a groan when I woke up, the fucking sun shining on me from a window I forgot to close last night. I glared at the damn thing and forced the curtain shut with Extrasensory. Grumbling to myself, I wrapped the blanket around myself and tried to get back to sleep.

I had no idea what the hell was in those candles and incense, but it really fucked with my head. My head was stuck in a fog for pretty much the whole rest of the day yesterday. It was like being stuck on the tail end of a trip, but I couldn't remember if it was a good one or a bad one. I had a few dizzy spells, too, but those passed pretty quick if I sat down for a bit. Starlight almost made me call in sick, but I somehow managed to talk her into letting me work through the whole thing.

I went straight to bed when I got home, but that didn't really help all that much.

The whole night, I kept waking up out of a dead sleep from....something. You know how sometimes you wake up and can't remember what you were dreaming about, but you know it was weird? Yeah, that happened to me about ten times last night. Thank whatever divine asshole is watching me today was my day off. Fuck, I doubt Starlight would've let me clock in today if she saw me right now. Hell, Sid even told me to skip training today and to just "Let things run their course," or whatever.

My head was still foggy and the room wouldn't stop fucking spinning. It was like being hungover, but without the headache and nausea. Good thing too, cuz all of that was the last thing I needed right now. Food and and to take a piss? An absolute necessity of the highest order!

"Fuck my life," I growled, practically dragging myself out of bed.

In spite of my, condition I guess, I had no problem finding the bathroom and doing my business. Shit was still screwy, but the toilet and everything I had to do there came in with HD clarity. It was really freaky, but considering the alternative was me pissing all over the floor, I'm not going to complain.

"Did Wallflower really have to go through this shit?" I mumbled, stumbling out of the bathroom.

I walked over towards a suddenly clearly visible door, but froze just short of grabbing the handle when I realized what I had just said.

"Wait...I remembered her name? The fuck?"

I sat and tried to get my brain to focus long enough to see what else I could remember.

Lets see...she's a mare. She's....blue? Red? Yellow? No that's fluttershy. Uh...she's....green? Yeah, that's it! Green! Okay, what else? Uh......she's....GOD DAMN IT! Aside from the fact that I shouldn't be able to remember her period, I've got nothing!

"I guess its a start at least," I sighed. "I hope this means she's getting that issue under control."

My stomach chose that moment to remind me why I was out of bed in the first place. With a sigh, I dragged myself to my feet and stepped out of the room.

The walk to the kitchen was quiet, but it didn't stay that way for very long. After a few turns through a handful of hallways, I started to hear some familiar voices. It was just sounds at first, but the closer I got to the kitchen, the more defined they became. When I pushed the door to the kitchen open, everyone there burst out laughing at something I missed. Everyone was sat at a large round table at the center of the kitchen laughing over just about every kind of breakfast food you could think of and mugs of coffee. Vermillion and Zeal sat together sharing a plate of scrambled eggs while Flash Bang and Gangplank sat at their left and right respectively eating pancakes. Spring was happily munching on a couple slices of french toast that looked like it was more sugar and honey than bread while Lunar simply shook her head at her over her fruit salad. There were two people I hadn't seen before there too; an orange dragon and a teal Pegasus with his mane done up in some messy bun.

I quietly groaned and put a paw to my head as a dizzy spell started to hit me again. I guess I wasn't quiet enough because pretty much everyone turned to look at me about a second later. I must've looked as fucked as I felt if all the worried looks I was getting was anything to go by. I forced a smile, nodded in greeting to them, and tried to drag myself over to the oven to put something together to eat. What the hell that was going to be, I had no fucking clue yet, but it was going to be something.

The second I was about to use my paw to turn on the oven, Lunar seemingly appeared at my side and pulled it back with a hoof.

"I think It would be wise if you let somepony else make you something," she frowned. "You do not seem well."

I....th.....I think she has....a.....poi.....I think she has a.....point.

Sighing, I nodded and mumbled, "Banana pancakes," as I made my way towards a random seat at the table. I closed my eyes and rested my head on the table, trying really hard to tune everyone out. God, I wished I had a headache over this stupid bullshit. That I could fix with some coffee and some aspirin.

Fucking Sid and his stupid fucking skull-fuck training.

Wanna....bar.....get drunk.....beer?

Can't. Sid said that would make things worse. Should be able to tomorrow though.

Him...buying...

Definitely.

A tapping on my right shoulder snapped my out of my thoughts. I reluctantly peeked open my right eye to see who's head I was going to bite off. Yeah, I know, not fair to whoever was stupid enough to bug me, but it was really hard for me to care at the moment. When my cloudy vision finally managed to clear up, I managed to identify my poker as the orange dragon I saw earlier. I was going to give her some snark, but the worried look on her face killed the urge.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem really out of it."

I closed my eye and groaned.

"Head feels like its full of cotton, everything's cloudy, and if I stay still with my eyes open for too long everything feels like its spinning."

I went back to my own little world after that, doing everything I could to tune out the group. There was some worried-sounding muttering, but I was so far into my own head that I could barely make anything out. That was fine by me. I just wanted some food and maybe some coffee, then head back to my room to wallow in my own misery for however long it would take to shake this shit off.

I came back to reality again when I felt a felt something lightly clatter onto the table in front of my muzzle. My nose told me what it was before my eyes did, a double stack of banana pancakes with some cinnamon sauce on top. Didn't ask for the sauce, but I sure as hell wasn't going to complain.

I managed a weak smile, thanked Lunar, and then tore into my food like I hadn't eaten in months. Normally, I would've used my Extrasensory to cut it up with a fork and knife, but with the way I was feeling, I'm pretty sure I would've cut up the table a few times before I managed to find my fucking plate. As I was ripping into my food, I noticed a large mug of coffee set itself down onto the table to the right of my plate. Once I finished off the pancakes, I gleefully chugged the steaming hot elixir of life, keeping a firm grip on the mug with both my paws.

Fun fact: turns out the whole "fire-types can't be burned" rule applies to all kinds of burns. Plus, we have a much higher heat tolerance than humans. In other words, even though I could feel how hot the coffee I was downing was, it didn't bother me all that much and I wasn't burning a hole through my throat. Unless some ten-year-old smuck with the power of plot-armor and an over-gimmicked electric rat shows up, I don't think I'm ever going to stop loving this new body of mine.

With a satisfied belch, I set the now empty mug down onto the table, thanked Lunar, and got up from the table. I still felt crappy, but at least I wasn't starving. When I started heading for the door, a sudden dizzy spell almost knocked me over. A pair of claws caught me at the last second, giving me just enough time to steady myself again. I mumbled a thanks to the dragon as I staggered past her.

I barely noticed it when Lunar opened the kitchen door for me. All I cared about was getting back to bed for...however long it took for me to shake this shit off. Seriously, what is it with me and getting drugged lately? Is this something that happens to everyone that ends up in Equestria? God, I could see the billboards now. Wanna get stoned? Come to Equestria; the land of freaky mind-fuck fog and lavender-scented LSD candles!

Fuck my life with a sandpaper dildo.

...Kinky...

Go back to sleep brain.

FINLAND!!!

I groaned, wondering when the hell my life became so weird. When I finally made it to my room I threw the door open, staggered over to the bed, and dumped myself onto it. With a relieved sigh, I let my eyes slide close, relishing the silence that surrounded me. The less my overworked mind had to take in, the better. After...I have no idea how long, I finally nodded off.

***

I slowly started to come back to the world, woken up by another weird dream that I couldn't remember. While I was still groggy, I picked up on a few things pretty quick. First, my head didn't feel quite as foggy as it did the last time I woke up. Second, I could hear some soft music nearby, something from some kind of string instrument if I had to guess. Finally, I felt some extra weight set in the bed around me and something being gently ran across my head. Three other people where in bed with me, one on each of my sides and the third near my head. I knew that the weight at my right was Autumn. I don't know how I knew, I just ...did. The other two were a mystery, one that I was ready to find the fuck out about.

I peeked open an eye and looked around.

Sure enough, Autumn was tucked into my right side snoozing. Spring was at my left, humming a small lullaby with her eyes closed with her legs tucked under herself in a bread-roll. The one sitting near my head brushing me was the Pegasus guy I saw at breakfast.

I opened both of my eyes fully and locked them with his.

"What...are you doing?" I asked flatly.

"Brushing ya," he shrugged, going back to doing that. "Helps my sister relax when she's sick and I thought it'd do the same to you."

I glowered at him for a bit, then sighed and said, "I'm way to tired for this shit, so I'm not going to fight this. Stick with my head and do not touch my tails."

"Fair enough," he shrugged. "I mostly work with manes anyway."

Spring let a giggle slip into her humming while just I snorted at that. I scanned what I could of the room with my eyes to see if I could find the source of the music. It didn't take long for me to spot Lunar sitting in a corner with her eyes closed playing a harp with her magic.

"How long was I out?" I asked, closing my eyes.

"About five hours," the Pegasus said, casually. "Smolder wanted to keep an eye on ya after you left the kitchen. Said your temperature was low."

"Oh," I yawned. "That doesn't sound so bad."

I felt Spring flinch against me a little less then a second before her humming abruptly stopped.

"'Not so bad'?" I heard her gasp. "Alex, you were five degrees colder than a fire creature should be before we got here!"

I really didn't like the way she said that.

"H-How bad is that?" I asked, trying to keep my nerves out of my voice.

"Very," Spring gulped. "Did you eat something funny recently?"

"No," I sighed. "My friend told all of this was a side-effect of my training."

"Training? What kind of training?" Spring asked, worry heavy in her tone.

"Some kind of special mind training to help me unlock my...um...magic. Said I'd feel kind of out of it for a little while."

Didn't say anything about my body freezing over, though! Fucking asshole!

"Well, tell him that Autumn want's to have a word with him the next time you see him," she huffed. "It took Smolder lighting you on fire to get her to calm down."

My eyes popped open when I heard that.

I forced myself to raise my head and level a flat glare at the Kirin.

"First, who in the nine fucking circles of hell is Smolder and two, why the hell did they light me on fire?"

"Smolder's the dragon you met at breakfast," the Pegasus stated, picking fur out of his brush. "Name's Zephyr by the way."

"So that's what her name is," I mused, then flatly asked, "So, why did she try to cook me?"

Spring jumped in this time.

"To warm you up!"

"And you guys couldn't just throw a couple extra blankets on me or something?"

"That is what I said," Lunar tiredly added, still playing.

"We, kinda panicked when we checked your temperature," Spring sheepishly smiled.

"And the reason why the bed is still intact?"

"Boss lady has all of her furniture enchanted with wards to make them fireproof," Zephyr smirked. "Heard it ain't cheep, but it's probably less expensive than replacing them every other week."

"You have no idea," Autumn mumbled.

A weak smile spread across my muzzle as I turned my head towards my girlfriend. She let out a cute squeaky yawn and blinked groggily at Zephyr. Chuckling, I draped a foreleg across her shoulders and pulled her further into my side.

"Have a good nap?" I asked.

She groggily nodded, eyes half open as she looked around. She woke up real quick when our eyes met. I think I had about three seconds to brace myself before she tried to hug the life out of me. I felt some tears soak into my chest as she nuzzled into it. I smiled weakly at that and hugged her back, not really sure how I was supposed to take this.

Look, I'm not against Autumn being all lovey-dovey with me. I really like it, but a part of me just can't wrap my head around it. It just felt...weird to have someone care that much about me outside of my friend circle.

"Y-You're warm again," she sniffled.

"'Course I am," I smirked. "Full of fire, remember?"

"Full of something," she snorted, pulling back enough to give me a teary smile, then frowned as she added, "Don't scare me like that again."

"I'll try," I sighed, wiping her tears way with a paw.

"You better," she glared, poking a hoof into my chest.

I just smiled and kissed her just below her horn.

A happy cry to my left broke the moment.

"Sooooooooooooooooooooooo LUCKY!!!!!" Spring cried, little bits of blue and pink flames popping up all over her mane. "I want a super hot mate too!"

"Aren't you dating Gangplank?" Zephyr asked, putting his stuff into what looked like some kind of doctor's bag.

"Ugh, no! We broke up three weeks ago," she huffed, looking away from everyone.

"How come?" Autumn asked, peeking around me at her cousin.

"It.....just didn't work out, okay?" she grumbled, her flames extinguishing themselves.

I cringed at that.

So either they just didn't mesh well, he did something stupid, or trouble in the sack. Brain, thoughts?

Avoid topic at all costs! We've already cheated death once and I don't like the idea of trying again.

Agreed.

Luckily, my stomach decided now was an excellent time to remind me that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. That got a bit of a giggle out of Autumn and I think I saw Spring smile out of the corner of my eye. Zephyr just rolled his eyes while Lunar smiled before she turned off her magic.

"Guess It's time for dinner, huh?" I sighed. "And I'm guessing none of you are going to let me make it myself."

"Nope!" everyone said with a smile.

I sighed, propped my head up on the bed with a paw and asked, "So, what's on the menu then?"

"I believe we will know in a few minutes," Lunar smiled. "Last I checked, the others were down in the kitchen preparing tonight's meal."

"Alright," I shrugged. "Any guesses what it might be?"

"Something hot," Autumn smiled.

Before I could ask anything else, a sudden rush of awesome scents came to me. Seafood, broth, spices, pork, and dozens of other things I couldn't properly identify, but smelled fucking amazing! I swallowed back some drool as I stared at the bedroom door. Eventually, it opened and the rest of Autumn's troupe came in, each carrying a steaming pot of something awesome and some bowls.

"I'm telling you, that's not what Autumn meant when she said hot food," Smolder frowned, glaring at Flash Bang.

"Psh! Whatever," he laughed, pointing a hoof at the pot on his back. "My Seven-Alarm Chilly is more than hot enough to get the job done. One spoonful and he'll be back on his feet in no time."

"Yeah, straight the bathroom," Gangplank snorted, rolling his eyes. "My Shark Fin Stew should do the trick and not make the poor guy have to get a new lower-intestine."

"Whatever," Smolder deadpanned. "He's a carnivore, so my Pork Belly Stew is what he really needs to get better. Nothing better than a dragon sear after all."

"You all do know that he's not going to eat all of this, right?" Zeal deadpanned, a stack of empty bowls and several sets of silver-wear floating next to him.

"And I am not eating that pipe-cleaner you call food, Flash Bang," Vermillion frowned, what looked like a fresh baked blueberry pie floating next to her.

"Wimps!" he laughed.

"Foooooooood," I groaned, my brain starting to tune out everything else.

I barely noticed the nervous looks they were giving me as I floated some bowls in front of them.

"Fill. Feed," I grunted.

***

"I'm alive again!" I sighed, laying on my back in the bed with a big smile. "God, all of that really hit the spot!"

"Glad to hear it," Autumn giggled, nuzzling into my side.

I chuckled as I wrapped a foreleg around her.

The big potluck ended a little less then an hour ago, everyone already way past ready to call it all a night. I mean, if even Spring was starting to use a pot as a pillow, you know it's getting late. So, here I was, finally feeling alive again with a shivering girlfriend at my side. Everything was...wait.

"Autumn? You okay?" I asked, looking down at her.

She suddenly wrapped her forelegs around my chest in a damn near death-grip.

"No."

I nodded, then curled my body around her and hugged her back.

"How about now?" I whispered.

Her shivering slowed, but she still shook her head.

I sighed.

I guess me getting sick hit her harder than I thought.

I kissed the top of her head and asked, "Will you be later?"

"M-Maybe?" she squeaked.

"Anything we can do to get there?"

"Just, stay like this, okay?" she said, smiling up at me.

"No problem," I smiled, kissing her on the cheek.

She kissed me back then laid her head on my chest and closed her eyes. I rested my head on her shoulder and started to nod off. Again, I felt the urge to give her something, but I just couldn't figure out what it was. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind as I fell asleep.

That was Future Alex's headache to deal with.

Ch. 28 A Grim Meeting "Can't We All Just Get Along?"

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If there were any words that could be used to describe Wallflower, it was subdued. While others enjoyed loud parties and flashing lights, she preferred the simple serenity of a quiet afternoon with a cup of tea and a good book. Not that her "condition" left her with much of a choice in the matter. As such, she wasn't sure what to make of the new situation she found herself in.

Sid and her sat in a bar, the Absol smiling widely over a tall mug of ale held tightly in his grip while she shyly nursed a small glass of iced tea. With the clanking of glasses, the smell of tobacco smoke, and the dim lighting that surrounded her, it would not be a small understatement to say that she felt out of place. At least, she did when she looked away from her laughing friend.

Just watching him reminded her of the cavalier scoundrels from some of her more thrilling novels. He was playful and relaxed, but she could see the cunning sitting just beneath the surface. Even now, she could see him dawning a hooded black cloak as he slinked quietly into a dark dungeon for a treasure that had been long forgotten by time. To others, he was a dreaded omen in a town known for its ill fortune, but to her, he was the kind hearted thief Robbing Hood or the pirate king Sin Bad. HIs stories of his life further adding to that image as he regaled her with tails of braving the high seas outside of Equestria's borders. It all added to the small blush he gave her when combined with a far more important fact.

He could remember her.

"And so," he continued, pointing a claw through his buzz at the ceiling. "While we were falling, I stared down at the sea monster and yelled, 'I refuse to die today!' and fired a Thunderbolt down its gaping maw, frying the poor bastard to death from the inside out!"

"Really?" Wallflower blinked. "You managed to kill a Kraken just like that?"

"Hand to god," he smirked, putting a claw up over his chest while letting the other one fall to his side.

"Hand to...what?" she blinked, tilting her head.

He chuckled, then said, "It's a saying. It means, 'I swear I'm telling the truth'."

"Oh," she smiled.

A smile that took on a small mischievous glint as she asked, "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't," he shrugged, taking a long pull from his drink. "And that's half the fun."

Wallflower giggled at that, something she was happy to say she was doing a lot more often nowadays.

"So, have you gone on any other great adventures, or is monster hunting the only thing you've got under your horn?" she asked, taking a small sip of her tea.

"I wish," he snorted. "One time, I had to help a group of pirates save their captain's daughter from a rival crew. Damn near died six times in that job."

"What happened?" she asked, worried excitement shinning brightly in her wide eyes.

Sid chuckled, then said "At the time, I was working as a claw for hire, taking whatever jobs payed well, but didn't involve me getting my claws too dirty. Of course, taking a job from a group of Pirates was a pretty easy way to mess that up. I made it clear that this was going to be a one time thing. I help them raid their rival's ship, get the girl, get out, and go our separate ways the second I had my money."

"I take it it wasn't that easy," Wallflower gulped, taking a nervous sip of her drink.

"Not even close," he sighed. "The pirates that hired me were mostly griffins, with a couple minotaurs and some unicorns. The enemy ship was mostly unicorns, but the captain that hired me forgot to tell me that all of the unicorns were Necromancers."

"N-N-Necromancers?" Wallflower gasped. "B-But that's forbidden magic!"

"Pirates seldom care about laws," Sid grimly intoned. "Be it summoning a demon or raising the dead, if it will help them get what they want, they will do it without a second thought."

He took a long pull from his drink before he continued.

"It was too late for me to back out, so I had no choice but to try to get the job done. Compared to what I had to deal with that day, fighting a Kraken would've been a blessing."

***

Cries of battle, the bangs of flintlocks, and the clangs of swords mingles with the howling gales and sloshing of waves as the two parties clashed. The thick gray clouds above the ship poured rain down onto them like a sadistic fountain, lighting and thunder adding to the already chaotic scene . Steel met bone as the living clashed with the rotting dead under the command to the handful of unnaturally thin unicorns at the far back of the ship. Each of them was garbed in a hooded black cloak covered with sickly runes that gave off an eery teal light. At the heart of the conflict, sporting a similar, albeit more tattered and without ornament, hooded cloak, was Sid. A cutlas made of dark energy was held tight in his claw as he ran it through the desecrated diamond dog corpse. His red eyes held a cold indifference as he let the dark energies of his weapon corrode the zombie from the inside out, looking away from his handy work only to level a withering glare at the monster's masters.

The intensity of his stare and the ease at which he destroyed their minions made the Necromancers flinch back.

Like the reaper himself, the Absol slowly walked through the madness, a quick barrier easily deflecting any flintlock fire that came his way and just a few quick strikes from his blade destroyed what few undead crossed his path. They had heard the rumors, but none of them thought that they were more than that. None of them believed that they, creatures above the laws of life and death, would ever see a creature that could make them feel fear. They had never thought they would meet The Bai Ze of Kluge Port.

Some of the more bold among them fired bolts of necrotic magic at him, but a quick pulse of dark energy from his own horn annihilated them and six more undead before they had a chance to touch him. A few necrotic seagulls were summoned, but were quickly destroyed by his horn as well, a bolt of lightning taking the place of his previous attack. Some among them started to quietly mutter incantations, the words tugging on the souls of the unicorns surrounding them and earning them bitter glares. Glares that turned into looks of shock when the casters let out strangled screams and fell bonelessly to the ground, all of the life seemingly ripped from their bodies. The sight brought a small smile to Sid's lips, a faint lavender shine briefly coming off of his coat before it faded away. All the while, he continued his slow waltz towards his targets.

The unicorns briefly considered sicking the rest of the undead they had on the Absol, but quickly killed that line of thinking. It was only thanks to them that they had only the lone demon to deal with as opposed to him and the entirety of Red Talion's crew. All the same, some among them were not completely sure that the monster closing in on them was the true lesser of two evils.

"Worthless specter," one of the stallions in the group hissed. "Be gone from our sight!"

As he said that, his horn glowed a sickly black, before a large blast of toxic magic burst from it towards Sid. He frowned at the incoming attack before he tried to block it with Protect. The results was mixed, the shield easily protecting him from the blast, but the force of the attack was slowly pushing him back. He grit his teeth as he pushed back against the tide, the strain his shield put on his mind and the effort needed to move forward taking its toll on him. Unfortunately for the unicorn casting the spell, his toll was much more demanding.

Little by little, the stallion's body began to wither away, his figure thinning and bailing by the second as he continued to fire his wretched spell. Blood leaked past the stallion's lips and his flesh started to rot off of his bones, but he continued to push back against the Absol's advance. A battle that his fellow casters knew was becoming more futile by the second.

With a pained wail, the tide of death magic abruptly ended, the spell's caster reduced to nothing but a pile of bones under a cloak. Sid glared spitefully at the pile before he canceled his move and continued his march towards the enemy.

Without the constant distractions, he now had the time needed to get a headcount of the twelve remaining Necromancers. At least, the ones that still had a pulse at the moment. Considering the school of magic these ponies followed, it would be unwise of him to disregard the five intact corpses and the skeleton the ponies now had at their disposal at the moment. In time, he stops his advance three feet away from the group and points his blade at them.

"I could put and end to your ceaseless wanderings, but I have come for another soul. Free Red Claw's daughter and I will allow you all to continue your wretched existences beyond this day. What are your answers?"

The unicorns shared unreadable glances, then nodded as sickly magic started to coat their horns. Sid sighed, but refused to show any other sign of emotion as he primed his blade to strike. Cruel smiles formed on the unicorns' faces as a cold etherial mist surrounded them. Moments later, a screaming mass of ghosts emerged from the mist, rage and pain spread out across their faces like melted wax figurines. The summoned souls surged towards the lone Absol, his face a cold mask in spite to the howling damned coming to claim him. With a flurry of swings from his blade, the ghosts were slashed away with an echoing howl, said blade disintegrating as a result. Not missing a beat, he charged into the heart of the fog, his claws now coated in eery violet energy.

All sound came to a sudden halt, save for the rain and the splashing of the waves as all of the undead froze. The pirates stared at the monsters in confused caution, not quite sure what to make of this sudden turn. They let out relieved sighs when the monstrosities collapsed into piles of ash, most of them being taken by the raging winds.

The pirates traded cold smiles amongst themselves before turning to face the now fading fog at the back of the deck. In time, it parted to reveal Sid with the dead bodies of the Necromancers surrounding him, large puddles of blood soaking into the wooden floor from hideous neck wounds. The Absol took in the sight with a hollow sigh before leaping out of the ring of carnage to rejoin his employer's party.

While the griffins gave him a wide berth, one among them greeted him with boisterous laughter. Captain Red Claw was large, even by griffin standards; the hulking feline raptor standing a staggering seven feet at the shoulder. The bird half of his body was that of a blood-red condor while his feline half was that of a liger, the stripes, coat coloring, and the orange pom of fur at the end of his tail evidence of this rare claim. Countless scars from past battles covered his impressive form, adding to the already mensing aura he exuded. A black and withered tricorn hat with a red feather sat proudly on his head, while a rune-riddled scimitar was strapped to his hip.

The captain stared down at Sid, a strange mix of warmth and predatory pride present in his smile. Sid met it with a blank stare, an act that made Red Claw smile wider.

"Fine work, my boy," Red Claw chuckled, his voice a dry growl. "NIce to see you live up to the rumors."

"They exaggerate," he flatly intoned. "I gave them a chance to exist. They chose wrong."

"Indeed," the captain nodded, numb to Sid's cold responses. "A shame that this is a one time deal."

A faint glare made it past Sid's mask.

"As I have said, I have no desire to become a pirate. That will not change, no matter what you try to use to sway me."

"We will see," Red Claw chuckled. "Every creature has a price, my boy. I just have to find yours."

Sid's glare sharpened further.

The captain's smile fell away as he shifted his attention towards his crew and harshly barked, "What are you sea rats waiting for?! My daughter is on this cursed rat bucket! If she isn't at my side in the next five hours, I'll decorate the ship with your gizzards!"

The crew instantly went to work, most of them knowing full well that their captain may not be posing an empty threat. Sid was less energetic, moving down into the ship's lower deck at a much more relaxed pace. While not as massive as a Carrier, the ship the Necromancers had taken ownership of was still quite large. In addition to the main deck, the ship had seven lower decks along with a massive storage deck at the bottom and several dozen living quarters.That wasn't even taking into account all of the rooms that the sorcerers had used for their foul practices. As such, even with a full crew of extremely "motivated" pirates, it was unlikely that they were going to find Red Claw's daughter in his demanded timeframe.

Assuming she's alive, he grimly mused, wandering aimlessly through the first under-deck.

Moving through the levels were met with far fewer hazards than both Sid and Red Claw expected. Apparently, the Necromancers relied very heavily on their zombies to man the ship in addition to defend it. Hundreds of ash piles found near discarded tools or weapons was the most damning evidence of this fact. Each level was darker than the last, the walls practically oozing with residual necrotic energy. By the time Sid and Red Claw (having long grown impatient with his crew's lack of progress), made it to the bottom deck, it was as dark as night and the air was thick with the chilled aura of pure death. Were it not for Sid's night vision and his natural resistances to the foul energies that surrounded them, he would have let the captain brave the depraved depths alone. Unfortunately, the grizzled griffin held the pursestrings in his deal, a fact that made payment for this disaster of a job more difficult if he died.

A quick glance at their surroundings painted a grim picture.

The Necromancers had turned the cargo hold into a prison, dozens of steel cages filled the vast chamber in neat rows. Some of the cages held the skeletal remains of past victims, souls lucky enough to not become members of their tormentor's crew. In the farthest corner of the chamber, chained to the floor of her cell laid their prize. Waisting no time, Sid ran towards the cell, Red Claw not far behind him.

When they reached the cell, Red Claw let out a relieved sigh while Sid raised a brow.

Laying in the cell bound in chains was a jet black hippogriff with teal wings. Her coat was shaggy, her feathers were in desperate need of a preening, and it looked as if she had missed a few good meals. All things considered, she could've been in far worse shape.

Sid gave his employer a questioning look.

"Adopted," the griffin huffed, giving the Absol a challenging glare.

He shrugged, then shifted his attention back towards the cell. More specifically, the thick steel key lock holding it shut. Not particularly in the mood to take the time to pick the lock, he ripped through it with a Shadow Claw. The door opened with a loud squeak as Red Claw threw it open and ran to his daughter's side. A small smile formed on Sid's muzzle as he watched the normally ruthless pirate lord delicately pick at his daughter's bindings.

An action that roused the haggard hippogriff from her sleep with a savage hiss.

"Fuck off you corpse straddler," she growled, dry voice holding more venom than a nest of vipers. "When I get out of here, I'll use your skull as a chamber po....Dad?"

"Quite the mouth there my little gull," he chuckled, carefully snapping a chain between his talons. "MIght need to wash that beak out when we get to port."

The hippogriff smiled up at him, blinking tears away as she chuckled, "Do it and I swear I'll switch your rum with hot sauce."

That earned a barking laugh out of Red Claw and small snort out of Sid. The small noise dragged the hippogriff's attention towards him, her eyes narrowing the second they did.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"HIs names Sid," Red Claw smirked. "I hired him to help me save ya'."

"Needing a Skag to save me?" she smirked, resting her head onto the floor. "You finally starting to lose your edge?"

Another barking laugh.

"This old hawk ain't ready to leave the skies just yet!"

"Damn," she snorted.

Red Claw sighed.

"Don't worry Storm, your time will come."

"I know," she huffed, then hissed as the chain binding her wings was snapped.

As soon as she had her freedom, Storm staggered to her feet, pleased grunts falling past her beak as she popped some stiff joints. Her smile grew when Red Claw pulled a leather belt out from under one of his wings, a holstered flintlock held firmly onto it. Sid watched her lovingly slip the leather strap around her waist with a barely perceived smirk, the sight reminding him of his sister. Her absence killed the smile almost as quickly as it emerged.

***

Sid stared bitterly at his mug, brief memories of the state he found his sister in flashing through his mind. Taking a spiteful swig of his drink, he forced a smile onto his face as he locked eyes with Wallflower. The mare in question was staring at him with wide eyes, the sight forcing a drunk snort out of the Absol.

"Y-You killed a whole group of Necromancers by yourself?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "My Moves are extremely effective against ghosts and other kinds of undead. It's part of the reason Red Claw hired me."

"But....did you have to kill them?" she asked, a faint quiver coloring her tone.

Sid sighed, then nodded.

"I gave them a chance and they made their choice. I didn't want to kill them, but the Wild Tide region is not a very kind place. Sometimes, it was either me or my opponent. Simple as that."

Wallflower nodded at that, a small frown marring her muzzle. As thrilling as Sid's stories were, she had to remember that they were more than just stories. If she was forced to live the kind of life Sid lived before coming to Equestria, she wasn't sure just how long she would've been able to live. Even with her new abilities, she wasn't very optimistic about the kind of odds she would've had.

Shaking off her discomfort, she forced a small smile and took a small sip of her tea.

"I'm guessing it was all smooth sailing from there, right?" she asked.

"Not quite," he sighed, waving a waiter over to get another refill. "I said this job was more trouble than it was worth, right?"

"Yeah?" she nervously nodded. "What happened."

He frowned, took a swig from his refilled mug, and bitterly growled, "Two words; Captain Basilisk."

***

Having spent as much time as he had sailing through the Wild Tide, the three weeks he had spent aboard The Searing Tide barely affected Sid. What nearly made him want to drink himself stupid, or throw himself overboard, were the creatures he was forced to share the ship with. In spite of being a Skag, or shore-dweller, Captain Red Claw was giving him the royal treatment, a fact that drew much ire from the rest of the crew. Add the less than subtle ways the Pirate King was trying to nudge Sid into joining his crew and his it became very clear where his patience was starting to thin.

As such, in order to hold onto what little fragments of sanity he had left, he hid himself in the cargo hold whenever he had the chance. The fact that Red Claw had a huge wrack of rum bottles stored there was a mere perk at that point.

"Can we please get to port already!? he groaned to himself, laying in a far corner with a half-empty bottle of rum sitting next to him.

He glared bitterly at a wall, the swaying of the ship going well with his heavy buzz. Boredom was the death of any sailer, but it was a better fate than popping a blood vessel trying to politely tell a Pirate King where he could shove his offer to join his crew. Letting out a tired sigh, he laid out on his back and tried to ride his buzz to sleep, the rocking motion of the ship doing a pretty good job in aiding him in this task.

He was just about to enter the land of dreams when something heavy landed on his gut. He floundered about for a moment with a startled squawk, quickly taking note of the withered brown sack laying next to him. That wasn't what earned a sharp glare from him though. That honor went to the black and teal Hippogriff hen standing to his right, a crooked smile aimed at him in spite of his ire.

"Lazing about, Skag?" she asked, pulling a small jar out of the bag, twisting open the lid as she fell to her haunches.

"Very observant of you, princess," he sniped, ignoring the sour smell of vinegar and fish coming from the jar. "Now, would you be so kind as to leave me be?"

She hummed in thought for a moment, then gave him a playful smirk as she said, "Nah," and plucked a pickled oyster out of the jar and popped it into her mouth.

Rolling his eyes, Sid forced himself to his haunches and gave the grinning hen a deadpan.

"Very well. What can I do for you?" he asked flatly.

"How's about telling me why you don't want to join our crew," she said, casually leaning against a nearby create. "I'm sure dad could pay you pretty well if that's a problem."

"He could," he nodded. "I simply have no desire to be a pirate. End of story."

Storm stared blankly at him for a few seconds, then shrugged and popped another oyster into her mouth.

"Fair enough. Real shame though. A creature as strong as you would make a real good First Mate."

"Your father told me the same thing," Sid sighed, then smirked as he added, "Though I don't think he meant "mate" in the same way you do."

"HAH! Doubt that!" Storm barked. "That old buzzard is as straight as it gets."

"I never said it was his crew he was talking about," he snorted.

Storm blinked at that, then face-palmed with an irate groan.

"I take it this isn't the first time," Sid sighed, grabbing his bottle and taking a swig.

"No," she growled, slowly letting her talon slide down her grimacing face. "Damned buzzard. I'm gonna tie his tail to an anchor one of these days!"

Sid snorted at that.

"Planing a mutiny? I'm not sure how well that would go after everything the crew went through to save you," he smirked.

"Might be better than dealing with him trying to match me up with random creatures," she huffed, swiping Sid's rum our of his claw and taking a swig. "I'm my own hen damn it! I can find a hawk on my own!"

He chuckled at that, his mind wandering back to a time his sister had said something similar to him.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, eyes narrowing.

"Nothing," he smiled. "You just reminded me of something my sister ranted about once."

"You have a sister?" she blinked, then smirked as she said, "Maybe we can get her to knock some sense into the old buzzard when we get to port."

"Not likely," he sighed. "We got separated a few months back. Our ship got caught in a hurricane a few months back. I've been trying to find her, but haven't had any luck so far."

Storm's smile fell at that.

A heavy silence settled between them as the Hippogriff gave the Absol back his bottle, an act that brought a small thankful smile to his face. At the same time, her mind was running through just what she could do for him. If his story was true, then the fate of what she presumed was a female Bai Ze was not a very optimistic one. Hurricanes on the Wild Tide were not known for their kindness and even her father knew better than to test his luck with them.

Still, if there was even a chance that she survived...

"Hey," she frowned. "I'm not saying to get your hopes up, but...."

She looked away, her cheeks getting a little warm.

"Dad has a pretty big information network. Since you helped save my hide, I guess I could ask him to ask around for you."

Sid blinked at that, then nodded with a smile as he said, "Thank you. That would be a big help."

Storm's cheeks reddened a bit more at that, some of her feathers fluffing up in response.

"L-Like I said, don't get your hopes up too high," she sputtered, refusing to make eye contact. "Worse comes to worse, at least you can get some closure or whatever."

A bit of pain entered his smile, but it still held a level of thankfulness Storm seldom saw. Before either of them could move further into the conversation, an eery howl tore through the peace around them. Neither of them had time to question or recover from it before the ship suddenly lurched and nearly knocked them over. Storm staggered and looked around in shock, but Sid stood as still as a statue, pure horror spread clear across his face. A frozen tingle was shooting down from the back of his mind to the base of his tail and back again in a rabid-fire continuous loop. It was a feeling he had only felt once and wished that it had stayed that way.

Something terrible was about to happen and there was no way to escape it.

"All hands to station!" Red Claw roared, his voice thundering through the whole ship with a burning rage.

Nodding to herself, Storm drew her flintlock and ran for the door. Only pausing to grab his cloak, Sid ran out alongside her. All around, he could hear all kinds of activity as the crew jumped into their stations. When they made it to the deck, they were greeted by the sight of Captain Red Claw and no less than thirty armed pirates, most of them griffin while the rest were unicorns.

What put a chill down Sid's spine was what they were glaring at.

Rising from the sea like a sickly serpent from the damned fifty feet away from the ship was a ship made entirely out of sun-bleached bones. The bones making up its front was arranged to look like a snarling face, green fire burning from its sockets like a pair of hateful souls. The masts were void of sails, yet the ship continued to keep pace with The Searing Tide with next to no strain. Standing alone on the haunting vessel's deck was a sight that further filled Sid with dread. A dragon skeleton leered back at Red Claw, burning green light taking the place of eyes as the two captains stared each other down. Sacred ornaments covered the dragon from top to bottom, gold bracelets, rings, and necklaces decorated the foul creature like some haunted totem.

"You have a lot of gall to show your face to me, Basilisk," Red Claw growled, his claw nearly strangling the grip of his sheathed sword.

In a voice like grinding two stones together, Basilisk hissed, "Gall? Tell that to your wench of a daughter! She who dared to steal from my hoard deserves no fate worse than to become one with it!"

"Touch her and I swear that not even The Sirens will find your remains!" Red Claw snarled.

"Bold words, old friend," Basilisk bitterly chuckled. "Will you be able to give them weight? On land and sky, you are a king, but in the Wild Tide.....I AM A GOD!!!

As he said that, he spread his wings and a rancid energy filled the air. The screams of an uncountable number of creatures filled the air like a hellish choir, the magic the elder lich commanded blotting out the sun behind a pitch black curtain of energy. Green orbs of spectral energy started to float out of the water in a thick mass only to be forcibly pulled into Basilisk's chest and fineries. Etherial green energy congealed around the lich's skeletal wings before they morphed into transparent glowing membranes. With a flap of his now functional wings and still more souls flowing into him, Basilisk stared down at the defiant mortal crew beneath him.

he called down to Red Claw with a tone full of pride and malice.

"Surrender the wench, or be added to the corpses that litter the sea, mortal."

Red Claw met his stare with a look of determined fury, his claw still gripping his sword. Knowing what was to come, the pirates stepped away from their captains sides. He barely acknowledged them as, in one fluid motion, drew his massive weapon. Its runes glowed a hateful red as matching lightning surged around the blade. At the same time, a fierce whirlwind raged around him that pushed his crew further back from him. Thunder echoed above them as a storm started to take shape, the first few drops of rain already striking the deck.

"Know this Basilisk," he growled, pointing his blade at his foe. "I rule more than the land and sky. All of the Wild Tide is my kingdom. Any who wishes to claim it, be it god or mortal, shall face my blade. But for those that come for my daughter? I WILL SEND THEM STRAIGHT TO THE ABYSS!!!

With a cry worthy of a raptor and a single flap of his wings, Red Claw soared towards the cursed dragon. Basilisk did the same, the lich diving down to meet him with claws surrounded by whirling balls of green spectral fire. A loud explosion of power erupted from their contact, red lightning and green flames tearing into the sky around them in a vibrant display of power. At the same time, a bit of movement from Basilisk's ship caught Sid's attention and his heart sank into his gut.

Cannons lined the deck and side of the ghost ship, seemingly operating under their own power as they aimed themselves at him and the crew. A few of the unicorns noticed as well and quickly moved to the front of the crowd while Sid put himself in front of Storm. Less than a second after they all cast their barriers, a loud series of 'booms' rang out of Basilisk's ship. Instead of cannon balls, screaming orbs of green fire flew towards The Crimson Tide and nearly slammed through the hastily built defenses. One of these orbs flew straight towards Sid, just as he had predicted it would, to try to get to Storm, but his Protect was more than enough to hold it back.

Storm stared blankly at the orb as it faded away on the deck, then clenched her jaw in barely held rage as she pushed Sid to her right side.

"What are you bumbling slags doing!?" she demanded. "Your captain isn't the only one fighting! Unicorns, set up a proper shield before the enemy fires again. Gunners, get those cannons ready in the next ten seconds. GET MOVING!!!"

A loud chorus of "Aye!"s filled the deck as everycreature scrambled into position. Sid moved to join the unicorns, but Storm pulled him back by his shoulder.

"You stay with me," she frowned.

He nodded, then pulled his hood over his head to guard against the growing rain. Storm barely reacted to the downpour, her focus shifting between her crew's actions and the battle raging above them. Sid did the same, the tingling in the back of his mind shrinking and growing in fluctuated waves.

The two captains flew at each other with the ferocity of raptors, neither of them willing to give an inch to their opponent. With a swing of his blade, Red Claw sent a blast of compressed air, but Basilisk counted it with a blast of spectral fire from his mouth. The undead dragon closed the gap between them with demonic speed and threw a punch with a limb burning with rancid green magic. Red Claw blocked it with a crimson wall of lightning then followed it up with an electrically charged swing from his blade. Basilisk split himself in half to avoid the strike then quickly reassembled before he let out another blast of undead dragon fire from his maw. The rain around him quickly turned into a swirling barrier that warded off the hellfire, only to turn into a hail of water bullets the second the fire passed.

Meanwhile, Basilisk's ship fired another volley, this one better defended against, but still enough to shake The Crimson Tide. Cries of irritation mixed with the thunder of cannons as the mortal artillery shattered parts of the undead vessel, only for the bones to reassemble moments later.

The sight added to the dread already festering within Sid's gut.

While they could hold off Basilisk's attacks, he knew that they could not hold out forever. They were going to eventually run out of cannon balls and the unicorns wouldn't be able to protect them from the soul cannons for much longer. Even now, just after blocking a fourth volley, he could see the unicorns start to tire. Unless Red Claw managed to kill Basilisk soon, it was very obvious just who was going to lose this battle of attrition.

His eyes shifted to the sky and the two titans clashing.

The sight pushed his dread away with frustration, his mind trying and failing to find a way to put what few options he had into action.

"You've got a plan," Storm stated, her eyes narrowing as a predatory smile spread across her beak.

"Mostly," he nodded, eyes still locked onto the waring captains. "It's a little risky, though."

Storm laughed at that.

"You think I'm afraid of a little risk?"

He snorted at that, his lips pulled up into a small smile.

"First, we need to ground Basilisk," he stated. "I have a few moves that can hit him, but nothing strong enough to do more than piss him off."

"Where do you want him to land?" she asked, fiddling with her flintlock.

"His ship would be good," he frowned. "Less of a chance of him turning the crew into minions and...well....we don't want to lose our ship."

"Damn straight," she growled, sliding something into place on her weapon. "Is that all?"

"Yes?" he blinked, finally looking away from the battle above to the hen at his side.

Said hen was sporting a wild smile as she pointed her gun in Basilisk's general direction, one eye closed while the other stayed locked onto the demented dragon. Before he could comment on the futility of her actions, she pulled the trigger. Two loud bangs filled the air as a pair of silver beams of light fired out of the weapon towards the dragon. Seconds later, Basilisk let out an agonized howl as his wings fell off of his back, the appendages crumbling away into ash long before they hit the deck of his ship. The rest of him was not quite so fortunate, the decorated skeleton slamming hard into the deck with an angered roar.

Sid blinked dumbly, quickly shifting his focus back and forth between his ally and enemy.

"Morgana here is a real fancy toy," she beamed, playfully waving her weapon with the muzzle pointed at the air. "Give her some of your magic and she can fire all kinds of bullets."

Sid rolled his eyes at that.

Two years living in this world and magic still manages to get a one-over on him.

"Now, go get him, Skag," she smirked. "I'll cover your flank from here."

With a smirk of his own, he nodded, braced himself, and bolted to the front of one of the cannons. He laughed at the look the griffon manning the weapon gave him before he used a Protect to shield him from the ball and propel him to the deck of the other ship. As he rolled to his feet, Basilisk did the same, eldritch curses rolling off of his nonexistent tongue. Red Claw touched down onto the deck with all the grace of a wild bull, the griffin's eyes burning with hate.

"Stay out of this," he growled, pointing his blade at Sid. "This filth is mine!"

"I would, but your First Mate told me to take this guy out," he smirked, summoning a Night Slash into his claw. "Sorry."

"Foolish mortals," Basilisk hissed, the etherial energy surrounding him surging like emerald fire. "Neither of you have the power to end me. I AM THE IMMORTAL RAGE! NONE SHALL BRING ME PEACE!!!"

"Let's test that," Sid glared, pointing his blade at the lich

Basilisk roared at that and released a wave of etherial energy towards his two opponents. Sid's dark blade cleaved through the attack while Red Claw blasted through it with a burst of air. Foul words in an ancient language started to fall out of the dragon's mouth, but before his curse could take any effect, a beam of light from The Searing Tide shot his lower jaw off. With hate burning in his eyes, the cursed pirate raised his claws up above his head. Some of his spectral fire broke away from his body and turned into a dozen armed minotaur skeletons, all of then shimmering in an eery emerald light.

In response, a pair of blue etherial swords appeared above Sid's head, the two blades crossing before they turned into a ball of light and flew into his chest. Sid's smile widened as he felt a portion of his core sharply rise in power, his Night Slash suddenly growing an extra two inches in length. He charged into the fray, dark blade ripping through the skeleton's defenses, rotting them out from the inside out. Red Claw ripped through the undead hoard like a beast from the abyss, lightning and blasts of pressurized air decimating the mighty foes that surrounded him.

In spite of the carnage before him, Basilisk refused to relent.

Etherial blades formed in his claws, each wreathed with foul black energy. With a furious battle cry, he charged towards his two combatants. Both met his blades with their own, a haunting howl filling the air as they did. The lich fought as relentlessly as a demon from hell, quickly switching between offense and defense in less time than it took one to blink. Even with the overwhelming power of Red Claw's Storm Blade and the swift precision of Sid's Night Slash, neither of them could find a way to do any meaningful amount of damage. Even Storm's shots failed to change the tide, the lich refusing to take anymore hits from her flintlock if he could avoid it.

A pained yell made Sid risk a look back at the ship.

Laying on the deck were three of Red Claw's ten unicorns, each of them heavily panting with barely focused eyes. He grit his teeth and turned back just in time to block another of Basilisk's strikes. He wracked his brain for some way out of this. They were running out of time and even with the three of them combining their efforts, they couldn't make it past the lich's defenses. There had to be something he could do to turn this around, anything! Anything but....

He shook his head, hating the very thought of using that with so many people around. It was too much of a risk! But what other option did he have?

Both mortal fighters were knocked back by the lich, each of them glaring hatefully at him and winded.

"The beast won't die easy," Red Claw spat, eyes never leaving his foe.

"Not if we keep playing this safe," Sid growled. "I have a spell that might be able to take him out, but i need you to get the crew out of here first."

"What?!" Red Claw balked, still keeping his eyes on Basilisk. "You want me to flee?!"

"I want you to win," Sid corrected, eyes turning cold. "And you can't do that if you or your crew get caught in what I have to do."

Red Claw glared down at him, ready to tear his head off for his arrogance, but paused when he saw his eyes. In them, he saw a creature plagued by a heavy burden. A sight that sometimes greeted the captain himself each morning when he looked into the mirror. The story behind those eyes and many more mysteries were the reason he was so eager to have the Absol join his crew. It was also because of those eyes, that with a heavy heart, he nodded.

"Die and I will bring you back to kill you myself," he grunted, sheathing his weapon.

"I will hold you to that," Sid snorted.

With one last nod, the captain took flight once more.

Seeing this, Basilisk tried to intercept him, but a single Thunderbolt from Sid was all it took to shatter what plan the lich had in mind, the force more than enough to send the cursed dragon flying to the other end of the deck. With a few quick shouts from the gruff griffin, The Searing Tide started pulling away from the monstrosity Basilisk sailed.

Sid watched them go with a relieved smile, before aiming a cold frown at his staggering opponent.

"Sacrificing yourself for Red Claw and his crew? How noble," Basilisk spat in spite of his lack of a lower jaw. "But ultimately foolish. Once I am done with you, I will continue my hunt for the thieving wench."

"No you won't," Sid coldly stated, his demeanor chilling a soul even as rancid as Basilisk's to its core. "And there's a very good reason for that. Do you want to hear it?'

With both blades primed, the dragon gave a stiff nod, curious where this little monolog was headed.

Then, with a voice void of heart and eyes as cold as the abyss, Sid said six words that, for the first time in centuries, struck fear into the lich's heart.

"Because you ran out of luck."

With that, he dispelled his Night Slash and raised his claw to the sky.

"Come to me, Phantome Albatross."

A leather grip formed in his outstretched claw that quickly formed into a jet black cutlass the second he grabbed it, not an energy replica, but a solid metal weapon. Glowing violet eye-shaped markings covered the blade in random spots, each of them pulsing with eery energy. With practiced ease, he flipped the sword around in his claw before he leveled it at Basilisk.

"The real fight starts now."

Refusing to show his fear, Basilisk charged, ready to bring both his blades down onto the fool that dared to stand in his way. Sid met both blades with his own, chilled emptiness never once leaving his eyes. Basilisk roared with rage at the sight, only to let out a confused cry with both of his weapons shattered in his hands. Before the dragon could react further, Sid landed a quick flurry of slashes. Roaring in confused rage, Basilisk jumped back , conjured a new pair of swords, and resumed his attack. The second his weapons made contact with Sid's they shattered as well, further adding to the dragon's ire. Changing tactics, the dragon leapt back and fired a barrage of spectral fire from his claws, only for Sid to casually knock them aside with his sword.

Before the dragon could try a different attack, Sid stabbed his sword into the deck, an act that stunned Basilisk. The sword didn't stab the bone deck so much as it phased through it! A second later, cracks spiderwebbed out from the point of contact, all of the spells holding the ship together failing to function in a vast domino effect. Basilisk sent out a spell to try and fix whatever damage Sid had caused, but it was already too late.

That wasn't the only thing that started to fail.

Basilisk gasped, falling to his knees as one by one his ornaments started to fall apart. With each piece of broken finery, more souls fled from his wretched body. With each soul, more and more of his power was taken away. The lich could only watch in terror charged hatred his strength literally slipped through his bony fingers. As his ship continued to collapse he aimed his hatred at the Absol standing a mere six feet away from him.

"Wh-What have you done?!" he demanded.

Sid stared coldly down at his weapon, barely acknowledging the fading dragon.

"Swords Dance, Night Slash, and Shadow Claw. These, combined with my Super Luck ability create this nasty thing. Thanks to that, all the luck of every thing around me is drawn into this blade. It can even cut through that which cannot normally be cut. A phantom blade made to kill phantoms and the longer it is awake," he pointed the blade at the kneeling dragon. "The more powerful it becomes."

With that, he ran Phantom Albatross' blade through the lich's skull, the last shreds of his magic holding his soul to his bones severed. A pained roar echoed through the darkened sky as Captain Basilisk, The Immortal Rage, died, his soul freeing itself from his bones as a pillar of green spectral fire. With its master gone, what remained of Basilisk's ship crumbled away, Sid's weapon fading away as soon as it left his hand. With little strength left to spare, he fell bonelessly to his side off of the edge of what was left of the deck. Before the depths could claim him, a pair of talons sank into his back and he was pulled into the sky.

Too tired to do more that let out a pained grunt, he forced himself to look over his shoulder at his savior. Expecting to see the gruff face of Red Claw he was pleasantly surprised when he was met by Storm's cocky grin instead.

"You're alive, right?" she called over the rushing winds.

"Unfortunately," he snorted, smiling weakly. "Think you can be a bit more gentle with me?"

"Don't know how," she shrugged. "Just bare with it until we get to the ship."

"Sure thing, princess," he sighed.

"My name's Storm Gale, damn it!" she snapped.

"I know," he chuckled.

Cheeks reddening a bit, she forced herself focus on the ship.

"Stupid Skag," she muttered.

***

Wallflower stared at him with wide eyes, the tea held tight in her hooves long forgotten. Sid smiled wearily in his seat as he took a long pull from his mug.

"And that's how that went," he sighed, setting the mug onto the table. "Luckily, most of the jobs I had to put up with after that were a lot less of a headache. I guess most people didn't want to deal with the guy that put down one of the Wild Tide's biggest fish."

"There's no way you did any of that," Wallflower frowned. "You have to be pulling my leg."

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't, all I can offer is my word and ask for your trust," he smirked.

Wallflower huffed at that as she took a sip of her tea.

"Still," he continued. "Ponyville's a pretty nice place. A lot less hectic than Kludge Town anyway."

A second later, the bar door burst open, a panting Nirik stomping through the opening like a raging bull.

"SID! WHERE THE BUCK ARE YOU?!"

"Is that Autumn?" Wallflower nervously asked.

"No, Autumn's taller," he mused. "Can't think of any other Kirin I've talked to lately, though."

The second the mystery Nirik spotted him, she made a heavy-hoofed beeline straight towards him.

"I'm gonna torch your sorry flank for what you did to my cousin's mate!"

"Her cousin's ma- ohhhhh, she's Autumn's cousin," he mused. "Welp, time to run!"

With that, he dumped a good sized stack of bits onto the table, grabbed Wallflower's hoof, and ran as fast as they could out the door. The green mare blinked dumbly for a moment when she suddenly found herself draped across Sid's back, a slowly growing blush coloring her muzzle as they bolted away from the bar.

"GET BACK HERE YOU ASH STAIN!!!" Spring roared, tailing them like a raging comet.

Yep! Still better than the sea!", he thought, just barely staying out of Spring's reach.

Ch.29 Cold Jelly "....The Fuck?"

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You know, when I got my job, I didn't think it was going to be all that crazy. I mean, how hard would being a librarian be? Well, you try staring in a hentai with C'thullu and then get back to me. So, after that and then later getting drugged by my best friend, it should all be smooth sailing from here on out, right? Maybe; if you consider being trapped in a giant ball of green slime to be an improvement.

Well....at least there's no tentacles this time, I guess.

"Trix, I swear, if I ever get out of this shit, I'm gonna shave your mane off and make you eat it," I growled.

"Trixie has nothing to do with this!" she cried, frantically flipping through a spell book.

"YOU SUMMONED THIS FUCKER!!!" I roared, flames leaking past my lips.

It was about that time that my already fully transformed girlfriend walked away from me towards Trix. She flinched with a small squeak when Autumn's hoof tapped her on the shoulder.

"Trixie," Autumn stiffly smiled. "If you do not get my mate out of that thing in the next ten seconds, I am going to ram a stick up your flank AND COOK YOU ALIVE!!!"

"Trixie understands," she gulped, doubling her efforts.

Autumn nodded then took a seat just out of reach of my new "friend".

"A bit much, don't you think?" I asked.

She gave me a raised brow.

I let out a sigh, then said, "Look, I'm not happy about this either, but you don't need to make her piss all over the floor."

She looked away with a huff, dropping to her haunches as she crossed her forelegs. I sighed, giving Trix a flat look while I waited for her to find a way to fix her screw up. The thing is, the day didn't start out all that bad. After we got some breakfast in me, I headed off to work like usual. Autumn wanted to come along to make sure Sid's incense didn't have any other wacky side-effects. Considering all of the shit that stuff did to me, I wasn't going to argue against having a set of eyes on me. Plus, it's been a while sense we've done anything together and this looked like as good of an excuse as any. So long as we didn't start making out behind my desk, I doubted Starlight was going to make a big deal about it.

Then Trix walked into the library with a spell book and it all went downhill from there.

Could things get anymore irritating? I thought with a grimace.

Heeeey, I didn't know you had Murphy on speed dial.

I didn't say anything, did I?

Do you think that bastard gives a shit?

.....Good point. Welp, let's see how we're all gonna die, then.

Ten bits says we're gonna get hit by a meteor.

I'm thinking zombie plague. Kind'a depends on what Trix uses to try to fix this.

I was thinking the same thing....If I see a tentacle I'm going to find a way to dump your ass and get the hell out of here.

FUCKING TRAITOR!!!

Before I could continue my mental back and forth, the library doors slammed open. Looking up, I saw Sid come running in with....Wallflower (that's her name! God that is never going to stop being weird) slung across his back. Dude was panting and looking like he just got away from the devil as gave the place a quick once over. Both of them gave us confused looks then panic the second they noticed Autumn.

"Nnnnnope," he flatly stated before turning to face the doors.

Then, I shit you not, a ball of blue and pink fire parked itself right at the doorway.

"SIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!" the fireball roared.

Huh, looks like you win the bet.

I was hoping for a tie! Wait, doesn't that voice sound familiar?

"Well fuck," Sid sighed, gently sliding a po- Wallflower off of his back. "Wallflower, do you think you can use that spell we talked about?"

"N-N-N-Now?" she gulped. "A-Are you sure?"

"Should be good practice," he shrugged, putting up a Protect around the both of them.

You can do that? I should ask him to teach me how to do that later.

A second later, the fireball slammed into Sid's barrier. All of the fire blew off on contact, revealing a very pissed off Kirin. Trix and Autumn got in front of me, both of them putting up barriers to protect me. The whole thing was so crazy that Autumn turned back to normal, a look of exasperation all across her face. A second later, a bunch of glowing red symbols appeared all across the walls, floor, and ceiling as a matching aura surrounded the bookshelves.

As for Sid and Wallflower, things were getting a little weird.

While he held the Kirin back, Wallflower closed her eyes and was taking some slow deep breaths. I watched the whole thing wondering what the heck was going on. I mean, yeah, I called Murphy a little, but the bastard usually gives me a hint about what he set up for me. Before I could even try to piece any of this together, I noticed that Wallflower was starting to glow. I quickly tapped into my core, ready to fire off a Flamethrower or Extrasensory at a moment's notice. Slowly, the glow gathered itself together at her mouth. Then, with a determined look on her face, she opened her mouth. A second later, a small green ball of light flew out of her mouth and right into the Kirin's head. The Kirin froze with a surprised look on its face before it fell over. The second she hit the ground, she turned back to normal and everyone's jaw hit the floor.

"Spring?" Autumn gaped.

As soon as everyone dropped their barriers, she ran to the down Kirin's side. I tried to get shake off the shit holding me, but that worked about as well as the last thirty times I tried. When I spotted Trix, she was running over to check on Spring, too. I scowled at that, not because I wasn't worried about Spring, but because the only pony that could get me out of this literal mess was checking on her.

"Well this is new," Sid said, walking up towards me. "Is this some kind of kink you're trying out or something?"

"Long story," I growled. "What the heck did Wallflower do to Spring?"

"Y-You still remember me," she gasped, giving me the second cutest smile I'd ever seen.

"Yes," I frowned. "Now explain."

"W-Well," Wallflower sheepishly started. "Thanks to Sid's candles, I-I've learned how to....well...scramble a creature's memories."

"Couldn't you do that already?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Not quite," Sid cut in. "It's more like she can blink out of someone's memories. The move she just used takes existing short-term memories and mixes up the order. Like taking a playlist on Youtube and hitting the shuffle option."

"So....you're saying your girlfriend mind-fucked my girlfriend's cousin," I frowned.

"First, she's not my girlfriend," Sid frowned. "And second, I guarantee that the Kirin that wanted to roast my ass is absolutely fine. Stunned and maybe a bit confused, but fine."

"Am I your marefriend, then?" Wallflower asked, aiming a confused frown at Sid.

I smiled when Sid looked at her and started babbling like an idiot. Dude could be pretty charming when he wants to be, but it looks like I was right about how strong he was against Pony charms. That goes double for faery magic Ponies like Wallflower here apparently.

Don't give me that look. It makes about as much sense as anything else about this mare. Unless she's secretly some eldritch horror or the kid of one, I'm tapped out of theories here.

"You are a friend that happens to be a mare," Sid diplomatically said. "Anything more....It's complicated."

That made Wallflower and I trade a worried look, but I guess that was enough of a clue from me to get her to drop it.

"Anyway," he continued, getting his smile back. "Why are you trapped in a Hentai?"

"You're late for that episode," I spat. "Anyway, Trix decided to show me a new spell she was working on, fucked up, and summoned this bastard."

As I said that last part, I nodded down irritably at the slime holding me.

"Did you try Flame Charge?" he asked.

"Yup," I sighed. "Fire and heat is like viagra for this shit."

"Well, you're not melting, so we can rule out it being acidic," he mumbled, scratching his chin. "Do you think it's eatable?"

"If you want to take a bite out of this shit, go for it," I snapped.

"Good point," he snorted. " Not like I could eat all of that anyway. Did you guys try electricity?"

"Yes and I want to smack Trix upside the head for it," I grumbled.

"What?!" Wallflower gawked, then....glared at Trix?

Wait, does she actually care about me? I get her caring about Sid, but...me? That's....look, I know I should be used to this kind of stuff by now, but strangers being nice to me still weirded me out. I guess I can't really consider Wallflower a stranger, but we're not really friends either. That....for some reason, that didn't really sit all too well with me.

I....I should probably see if we could hang out sometime after this.

Good call. Odds are, she's going to be tailing Sid most of the time anyway, so it probably wouldn't hurt.

When I looked up to check on Spring, Autumn was helping her up. The Doe looked like she was shaking off a daze, but didn't look like she was in any worse shape than usual. Autumn aimed a few heated glares at Wallflower and Sid, but didn't say anything as she guided her cousin over to us. Trix wasn't that far behind, still flipping through pages in her spell book.

"Are you okay?" Sid asked, giving Spring a small frown.

"Dizzy," she mumbled, putting a hoof against her forehead with a pained groan. "But I think I'll be okay."

"That's good," Wallflower smiled, stepping up to the pair or Kirin. "I really didn't want to do that, but I didn't have a choice."

"I...understand," Spring forced out with a small smile. "I... heard what Sid did to Alex and I...guess I let my anger get the better of me."

She gave Sid a tired smile and said, "I'm really super sorry."

"Apology accepted," he nodded. "To be fair, if what happened to him happened to Wally or Dahlia, I would've reacted the same way."

"Wait, that shit didn't happen to her?" I exclaimed.

Everyone looked just as gobsmacked over that, even Trix for some reason. Well, Wallflower was to busy blushing and giving Sid a goofy smile at the moment, but that's beside the point.

He shook his head, oblivious to Wallflower's bedroom eyes.

"You were supposed to feel really hungover and dizzy, but nothing as severe as what you experienced. I'm really sorry for putting you through that. If you want, you can Giga Impact me later to make up for it."

"That's a bit much," I nervously chuckled. "That move is a bit rough on me, anyway."

Both of us felt something off in the air roughly in the direction of the girls. When we looked, the Does looked nervous while Wallflower had a bright, but chilling smile on her face.

"It's nice to see that everything worked out," Wallflower "sweetly" stated. "But let's make sure something like this doesn't happen again, right?"

"Yes ma'am," they gulped.

"Good," she giggled, her smile becoming a lot less....scary.

She turned her back towards them and started making her way back to Sid. The second she did, Autumn and Spring let out relieved sighs. It was also around that time Trix let out a happy "Aha!" before she ran towards me.

"Trixie has found the section about this summon," she proudly beamed. "According to the book, this is called a Desert Smooz. These creatures thrive in hot and dry environments, often clinging to high sources of heat when they feel too cold."

Well, that answers that.

"So it's weak to cold damage," I snorted. "Cool. Anyone here have any ice powers?"

The nervous looks everyone was giving each other was all the answer I needed.

"Sid?" I beg- I mean asked.

"I should, but I can't," he shrugged. "That's why I asked if it could be zapped."

"Trix?" I asked, eye twitching.

"Trixie is great!" she cheered, then sheepishly said, "But there are feats beyond even Trixie's greatness."

I wanted to say something to that. I wanted to say a lot of things to that. Very colorful things that would make a rainbow look monochrome. But, since that would not make my situation any less infuriating, I decided to be diplomatic and put a pin in them.

For now at least.

Letting out a resined sigh, I looked at Sid and grumbled, "Could you get Dahlia for me?"

"Sure," he smirked. "Think I'll grab some snacks and drinks on the way back."

"Fuck you," I grumbled, watching him and Wallflower head out.

Everyone looked around awkwardly, I guess not sure what to do now that we knew what we had to do. Getting a little irritated by the quiet, I decided to break it. That, and I needed to take a piss and needed the distraction.

"So...Spring, what were you going to do to Sid if you caught him?"

"Huh?" Spring blinked, still looking a little loopy. "Sid? What was I going....? Oh! I was going to ram him through a wall then explode the wall."

The freakishly adorable smile she was giving me as she said that did not make me like that answer. It did make me more inclined to have a long talk with her over blasting her with one of my moves later, though.

I closed my eyes with a dejected sigh.

She's never going to let me live this down, is she?

This is Dahlia we're talking about. Do you really need to ask?

***

You know, I never knew Dahlia had such strong lungs. Sure, I've seen her chew people out loud enough to be heard in a loaded sports bar, but I never really thought about it all that much. So here I was, trapped in a giant jello mold, staring at an Alolan Ninetales rolling on the floor laughing her ass off. We've been doing this for thirty minutes by the way and she was the only one in the room laughing.

"Are you done yet?" I deadpanned.

"A-A-Almost," she cackled.

After a few more minutes she finally got enough of her shit together to get off the floor. She was still giggling a bit, but I'll take what I could get. The fact that she reeked of more booze than an Irish brewery didn't improve my opinions on the matter either.

"Aaaaaalright," she slurred. "L-Let me get this straight. You want me to h-*hic* hit him with an ice move cuz his new butt buddy hates the cold?"

"Don't make this weird," I sighed.

"I'll try, stud," she....smirked then winked?

The hell?

I looked across the room by the door at Autumn. She looked just as annoyed as I was confused about that little comment, but not enough to start setting off the library's wards. Trix, Wallflower, and Sid looked just as confused, Sid especially. That just weirded me out even more when I looked back at Dahlia and noticed that she was circling me.

Why do I feel like a slab of steak that got thrown into a shark tank?

Wrong course my friend. You are the tootsie roll center of a Tootsiepop.

Really not helping.

Just calling it as I see it.

Before I could think more on that, a (God this sounds dirtier than it needs to be) wet slurping sound caught my attention. When I looked to my left, I saw Dahlia get pulled to my side by the Smooz with a very tipsy smile on her muzzle. She rubbed up against me and.....not proud of it, but some part of me liked it. I swear to Arceus that it was some kind of Ninetales thing! Trust me, I'm not that kind of dirtbag. I'm shit, sure, but I'm not on that kind of level.

I'm tellin' ya nooooo~. But your body~. Your body's tellin' ya yeeeees~."

Shut up.

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the Ninetales sleeps tonight~

SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!

"Are ya' ready?" Dahlia hiccuped.

"Can we please just get this over with?" I groaned.

"Killjoy," she sighed.

AFter she said that, her fur started glowing a bright silver light and- HOLY FUCK THAT'S COLD! No joke; one second everything was comfy, then it felt like I was sitting in the middle of a frozen lake. As bad as I was taking it, Flubber here was taking it a hell of a lot worse. The thing was letting out pained squeaks, hugging me like someone getting dragged out to sea. At the same time, it was gradually shrinking down around us at a pretty damn quick rate. After a few seconds, the thing had shrunk down to the size of a golfball.

So here we stood, covered with green slush from the neck down, staring down at a quivering snot bubble standing between us. I wanted to torch the little shit, but I knew that was just going to start things over again. That, and I really needed to take a piss.

"You guys deal with this," I growled, practically galloping towards the library's doors.

***

The second the doors slammed shut, everycreature in the room gave Dahlia odd looks. The Ninetales in question just giggled, poking the Desert Smooz with a paw like a five-year-old with a new toy. Sid and Autumn made their way towards her while the rest of the group investigated the summon. Dahlia barely put up a fight as she was guided away from the summon, still giggling like a fool.

"Sis,what the hell was all of that about?" Sid asked, tone absent of its usual mirth.

"You know Alex and I are in a relationship, right?" Autumn asked, a hint of venom entering her voice.

"Y-Yeah, I *hic* know," she frowned. "Buuuuuut I still like him."

"What?!" both of them exclaimed.

"Sense when?!" Sid balked.

"For....I don't know *hic* how many years," she giggled. "Since....high school, I think? *hic*"

"Then all of those times you were talking about Skulks...I thought you were kidding!" Autumn snapped, flames dotting her mane.

"Yeah...that's all it can be," she sighed, dizzily staring down at the floor. "Just jokes."

The duo traded looks of confused concern, but before they could voice their thoughts on the matter, Dahlia beat them to it.

"I might've had a chance back home, but now? I mean, look at me! I'm covered in all of these ugly scars and....and....."

She looked up at Autumn and, to both of their shock, she started crying.

"I'm no match for someone like Autumn....I *hic*I'm just an ugly freak that couldn't even keep her friend safe! Hell, he almost killed himself because I ran off on him! I don't deserve him! I'm dirt!"

She quickly started breaking down, falling to her haunches as she bawled her eyes out. Sid quickly closed the gap, pulling her into a tight embrace. Dahlia returned the gesture, holding him like her life depended on it as she cried. Autumn watched with wide eyes, flickering flames long extinguished as she stood stunned to her core. To see Dahlia, the smart-talking, seemingly invincible battle veteran, look so broken shook her. It almost didn't matter to her that she had admitted to being a romantic rival or that her jokes weren't quite jokes.

Putting that aside, she moved to her friend's other side and hugged her. Dahlia looked at her, surprise trickling past her drunken teary haze. A bitter laugh made it past her muzzle as she draped some of her tails over the Kirin.

"I'm not drunk enough for this shit," she spat.

"Maybe some tea would be a better idea," Autumn frowned, holding a hoof up to her muzzle. "I've got a special brew back home for stuff like this."

"Fine," she sighed. "I'm probably going to *hic* crash there too. Camp is too much of a bitch to get to like this."

"Agreed," Sid sighed.

After gently shaking themselves out of Dahlia's grip, they guided her towards the library's doors. On the way, Autumn glanced up towards the Smooz and the group tending to it. Instead, she saw Trixie, Spring, and Wallflower looking satisfied as they stared down at a pile of glittering green dust. When they locked eyes with her, their expressions took on an awkward tint.

"This doesn't leave this room," Autumn stated, absolutely no argument present in her tone.

The trio nodded, their faces solemn.

Left with no other reason to be there, she helped Sid open the doors with her magic, and went back to guiding Dahlia out of the room.

Ch.30 Cold Hard Truth "Story Time Folks..."

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Dahlia was still, a familiar pain wracking her brain. Everything was dark. Everything was murky. Her throat was as dry as sand, her tongue tasting like bitter herbs and acid. She heard a dull, steady, thumping, too steady to be her own heart. There was an odd smell filling the air, an odd mix of smoked cedar, jasmine, and some plant that her addled mind couldn't quite identify. When she opened her eyes, the swirling blurs that greeted her was too much for her to handle, forcing her to slam them shut.

One dry cough quickly turned into a fit, a few swears rolling past her dry tongue. Grumbling numbly to herself, she tried to stagger to her feet, but her legs refused to listen. Clenching her jaw, she tried again, only to be halted by a hoof on her shoulder. Reflex took over as she snapped her jaws down onto the limb. Whether it was because of her hangover or because of some strange quality of the presumed pony pushing down on her, her fangs would not pierce their skin.

"Be at ease soul sister," a familiar female voice said.

Dahlia bristled at the voice, her hazy mind struggling to make sense of what was going on. The pony hummed a gentle melody, the sound slowly passing through the vixen like a light pulse of sonar. A gradual grogginess started to fill her, softening the grip her jaws had on her caretaker. A wide yawn was all it took for her to release the limb, her head settling back down onto what she now felt was a pillow.

"S....Sorry," Dahlia croaked.

"You are forgiven," Treehugger said, a soft smile audible in her tone.

A hazy silence settled between them, Dahlia's mind drifting between the waking and dreaming world. It reminded her of the time her teacher used the Mind's Gate Candles on her and her brother. Just like then, she was aware of her surroundings to some degree, but not enough to cut through the fog that clouded her conscious mind. Her primal side was on alert, ready to lash out at anything that tried to make a move on her while she was in such a delicate state. The fact that she was weakened made that part of her rage, making her fur bristle in response.

"You are full of rage," Treehugger stated, concern coloring her tone. "It's, like, scaring your soul."

Dahlia spat out a bitter chuckle at that.

"That's nothing new. Scars. That's all I am; just a mass of scars and anger."

"Are you?" she pressed. "I do not see just rage and scars."

"Then you're not looking at me," Dahlia spat. "Can't blame you. If I had a choice between looking at a rock and an ugly monster, I'd take the rock any day."

"You see yourself as a monster? Why?"

Beyond the steady drumbeats, silence settled between them. Treehugger waded through it, while Dahlia struggled with the mare's question. It was obvious, wasn't it? She sees herself as a monster because she is a monster. How could Treehugger not see it?

Chuckling bitterly to herself, Dahlia went right to work proving her wrong.

"You know about Sandra, right?"

"I do," Treehugger nodded, a hint of venom entering her tone.

"Did Alex tell you they were dating?"

"He did," she again nodded.

"Did he tell you how they met?"

Treehugger paused, a small gap in drumbeats the only sign of her shock.

"Thought so," she spat, bitter humor coloring her tone. "I don't.....blame either of you. You see, way before she even met Alex, she was a coworker at this gym I was working at. She had me totally fooled; made me think she was this sweet little thing. We got real close, almost like sisters, really. We'd head out to bars after work or go on shopping trips when we had the time. We hung out for weeks and I never caught on to what kind of bitch she was under the surface. She even fooled Sid and he's pretty good at spotting bullshit."

"I have heard of her cunning," Treehugger allowed. "To hide such a rancid aura takes, like, a seriously unbelievable level of skill."

"Tell me about it," she spat. "Anyway, I mentioned Alex one night at the bar after work and she asked if she could meet him. Stupid me didn't see any problem with that at the time and...."

Dahlia's jaw clenched shut, searing rage and guilt swirling in her gut.

"It's all my fault," she growled. "I almost killed him. All because I didn't have the fucking guts to tell him how I felt and introduced him to some god damn psycho! Then, when I tried to set things right, he thought I abandoned him and tried to kill himself!"

Forcing past the pain, she opened her eyes and zeroed in on a green and burgundy blur in a sea of brown.

"IF THAT'S NOT A FUCKING MONSTER THAN WHAT THE HELL IS?!"

Treehugger said nothing, the light green blur unmoving as Dahlia glared at it. Slowly, the vixen's vision started to clear, revealing the mare's calm frown and the room that housed them. Plain wooden walls and simple furniture greeted her, a dim lantern on a table the only source of light at the room's center. Thick gray curtains covered the two windows that the room held, adding to the gloomy ambiance. Treehugger sat in a rickety wooden chair at the table, small drum held in her hooves while three incense burners circled the lantern. Dahlia herself was laying on a thick mat on the floor, not dissimilar to the one she slept on in her tent at camp.

Treehugger met the Ninetales's fury with a look of calm, an act that only added to her ire the longer their eyes stayed locked.

"WELL?!" she roared.

Treehugger weathered Dahlia's rage, unmoved by the vitriol in the Ninetales's eyes. After a few seconds of silence, Treehugger calmly voiced her thoughts.

"You are not the one that pulled a knife on Alex, nor are you the one that pushed him into such a dark path. Those actions were entirely Sandra's and Alex's own choices to make. Just like how you are choosing to let your hate destroy yourself."

"That's not-" Dahlia started, only for the rest of her denial to die half way out of her mouth.

She looked away from the mare with a grimace, a small part of her reluctantly willing to admit that she had a point.

"You want to make things right," Treehugger continued, a small smile gracing her muzzle. "Monsters don't do that. You need to make peace with the past and move forward. You can still try to stop Sandra, but you don't need to destroy yourself to do it. You are not alone soul sister."

Dahlia took in what the mare was saying, struggling to digest it like a hunk of over-spiced food.

Jaw clenched, she forced out, "What if I...can't do that. Move past the past and all of that? What if I don't think I deserve peace?"

"Do you?" Treehugger pressed, her smile wilting.

Dahlia opened her mouth to respond, paused, tried again, failed, then let out a frustrated growl as she finally barked out, "I don't know!"

Treehugger raised a brow at that, a subtle nod egging the vixen on.

"I..." she started, then let out a defeated sigh as she continued. "Everything was so much easier before Alex came to Equestria. Up until then, I didn't need to think about all of this bullshit. All that mattered was killing Sandra; nothing else. I was even willing to die if that was what it took to put the bitch down."

"And now?"

Dahlia glared down at the ground, her paws griping her mat hard enough to almost rip the fabric.

"Now....Now I'm not so sure anymore....and that scares the hell out of me."

***

A light haze settled in Dahlia's mind, a marked improvement over the railroad spike of a hangover she had to contend with a couple of hours ago. A sweet-smelling smoke flooded the room, the incense burner sitting on the table housing a dull purple flame. Sitting on her haunches, she stared dully into the flame and let her mind freely wander.

She couldn't remember everything she said when she was drunk, but what she could told her that things were going to be complicated soon. Irritation and sadness settled in her hazed mind, puffing a dejected sigh past her lips. She didn't need this right now. She would never need this. Regardless of how she felt, she knew it was never going to happen, even if Autumn wasn't in the picture. One way or another, she was going to make sure of it, purely for one simple fact.

"I don't deserve him."

"Does that mean you won't look for somecreature else?" a female voice impishly asked.

Sluggishly turning her head towards it, Dahlia watched Vermillion step out of the shadows.

"Where the fuck did you come from?" she asked, groggily raising a brow.

"Well, when a mommy Changeling and a daddy Changeling-"

"That's not what I meant and you know it," she snorted.

Vermillion giggled at that as she moved to the Ninetales's side.

"My apologies; the opportunity was just too good to pass up."

"Whatever," Dahlia chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Didn't answer my question though."

"I have my ways," she winked.

Seeing that she wasn't going to get a straight answer from the Changeling, Dahlia let it drop and went back to staring into the flame. Vermillion took a seat next to her and did the same, a small smile gracing her muzzle. A hint of irritation crept through the Ninetales's zen.

I really don't need this right now, she thought with a sigh. As soon as I can get my head on straight, I'm going to need to set things straight with Autumn. Should probably cut back on the drinking for a while too. Especially sense Sandra might be in the area. Last thing I need is to get caught in one of her illusions with a hangover.

"Bit for your thoughts?" Vermillion asked, not once looking away from the flame.

"Buzz off," she snorted.

"Funny," Vermillion giggled.

"I wasn't joking," she stated, a faint growl entering her tone.

The changeling's smirk took on a pointed edge at that.

Taking a moment to clear her throat, Vermillion straightened her posture and in a prim tone said, "Lady Dahlia, I feel it would be prudent of you to satisfy my curiosity."

"Why is that?" Dahlia frowned, mirroring her companion's manners.

"Denying me this would prevent me from aiding both my employer and yourself in this complicated matter."

The vixen shifted her focus towards the Changeling, glaring down her nose at her smirking guest.

"You say this as if I would want your assistance," Dahlia spat, her tails flicking irritably.

"I would say that you would," Vermillion stated, meeting the glare with her ever present smirk. "She and you are both suffering a wound to the heart. Who better to tend to such a wound than a Changeling?"

Dahlia stared down at her, mulling over her logic and trying to think of any ways to counter it. It didn't take long for her to see just how futile an attempt that particular venture was. Letting out a defeated sigh, she shuffled on her haunches until she was fully facing her.

"You are aware of my feelings towards Alex? How?"

"As I have previously stated, I have my ways," she winked.

"I assume the same could be said in how you know of my "tick"," Dahlia spat, her glare sharpening.

Vermillion simply nodded.

Dahlia's tails let out a small irate flick, but showed not other signs of anger beyond her glare.

"Very well. How do you plan to help?"

Vermillion's smile grew as she rose to her hooves.

"Simple. Some of my friends and I are going to go out to enjoy ourselves tonight. Naturally, you are going to accompany us."

"A night on the town?" Dahlia blinked, rearing back a bit. "How is that going to help?"

"You'll see," Vermillion said, a knowing tint slipping into her smile.

***

Dahlia grumbled to herself as she allowed Vermillion to guide her through Ponyville's entertainment district. She barely registered the full moon's light and the evening chill that hung in the air, things that normally helped her settle her nerves at times like this. Instead, she walked with her senses on full alert, ready spring into action the second something even remotely suspicious happened.

Everything seemed harmless enough, a few bars or nightclubs just starting to open up or bracing for the evening rush as they passed. The only odd thing she found to be odd at this point was the fact that Vermillion wasn't taking her to any of them. If "girls night" wasn't code for "bar hopping" or "clubbing", then what did the Changeling have in store for her?

"Where are you taking me?" she sighed, poise slackening.

"The Changeling District," Vermillion shrugged.

"Changeling District ?" Dahlia blinked. "I thought Ponyville was a melting pot."

"It is," Vermillion nodded, guiding her around a street corner. "But most creatures like to be surrounded by their own kind. As such, the town has a few parts of it that are dedicated to these creatures along with the more integrated sections."

"I guess that makes sense," she allowed. "I mean, I get why a pony would probably feel a little nervous with a fire-breathing neighbor that outweighs them by a few hundred weight-classes."

"True," Vermillion sighed. "Regrettable, but true."

She dawned a knowing smile as she added, "It does grant a few interesting perks, though."

"Like what?" she asked, raising a brow.

The Changeling responded with a giggle and nothing more.

Dahlia sighed, bitterly accepting that she was not going to get an answer any time soon.

This had better be good.

As they moved through the street, she started to notice a gradual change in atmosphere. It was subtle at first, an odd decoration here or strange smell there, but it didn't take long for that to change. Streets of normal homes transitioned into literal single-story treehouses. By the time they closed in on the district in question, they had seemingly stepped into a forest village straight from a child's picture book.

All around them, Changelings of every color flew or walked to and from lit openings in the tree homes and buildings. At the same time, small glowing lights drifted through the air like multicolored fireflies. When a few of them hit her, Dahlia felt a small pleasant tingle run down her spine. It the sensation was difficult to describe, the closest thing she could compare it to drinking an espresso while getting a comforting pat on the back from a loving parent. It reminded her of happier times and nearly brought a tear to her eye. She gritted her teeth as she fought the urge back, refusing to let such weakness creep past her guard.

"Are we there yet?" she growled.

"Not yet," Vermillion sighed. "You know, you really need to learn to have a little patience. Staying that high-strung all of the time Is not good for you."

"Tell me something I don't know," she spat.

"Very well," she smirked. "I keep a crop under my bed for when my mate wants to punish me."

Dahlia blinked dumbly at that, her brain momentarily freezing as it tried and failed multiple times to process what the prim Changeling had just said. Vermillion giggled as she looked over her shoulder at the NInetales' reaction.

When Dahlia finally managed to shake off her stupor, she bitterly barked, "T.M. FUCKING I, BITCH!"

"Language, vixen," she frowned, pointing at a glaring family of Changelings passing them.

"Uh, right, sorry," she gulped, nervously waving at the leaving family.

Vermillion sighed.

"You need this more than I thought."

"Are you ever going to tell me what "this" is?" she growled.

"No," the Changeling huffed.

"Bitch," she softly grumbled.

Vermillion rolled her eyes at that before going back to looking forward and away from her charge. They didn't say anything else after that, the Ninetales of the group taking in the sights to kill time. As they walked, homes started to become less common. After a few minutes, they walked into a huge foggy shopping center. Like the homes, the shops were living trees, only most of them were a minimum of ten-stories tall. A faint pink fog leaked out of these buildings, the haze holding a sweet, yet earthy scent.

Disgust settled in Dahlia's gut, not with her surroundings, but with herself. Whether it was one of her instincts or just a side-effect from the incense she asked Treehugger to leave behind, she found herself longing to be held. As they moved further through the district, that longing began to grow. She shook her head, trying and failing to get a better grip on herself. A steadily growing sense of frustration grew in her along with the dreaded urge, drawing a low growl past her lips.

The fuck is wrong with me? C'mon Dahlia, get a grip!

"Hey! Vermillion!" a rough female voice called from down the street.

Silently thanking whatever god was listening for the distraction, Dahlia looked up towards the voice's source.

A Kirin doe, a Unicorn mare, and a Dragoness just coming out of her teen years stood a little over ten feet away from them. The doe was practically bouncing in place, her spring colors almost glowing in the hazy evening light. The mare was a lot less animated, holding herself in a more dignified manner. The second Dahlia saw her, she unconsciously straightened her own posture. The effect weakened when her eyes settled on the Dragoness. Everything about the Dragon screamed "tomboy", from the gruff way she carried herself down to the roughish glint in her light blue eyes.

Vermillion quickly closed the distance, a wide smile gracing her muzzle.

"Spring! Smolder! Lunar! I'm so glad all of you could make it!"

"Same to you, my dear," the Unicorn nodded, a small smile gracing her muzzle.

"Yeah! We all thought you weren't gonna show," the Kirin beamed.

"I didn't," the Dragon snorted, leaning cross armed against a light pole and sporting a crooked smile. "There's no way she'd miss out on a chance to blow off some steam."

"Like you are any better," the Unicorn smirked, rolling her eyes.

It was then that Dahlia closed in on the group, instantly grabbing their attention. While the Unicorn and Dragon took a nervous step back from her, the Kirin stood her ground. Her eyes traveled all across the Ninetales's form, quickly putting her on edge.

"That's who you invited?" the Kirin gaped, pointing a hoof at Dahlia.

"Yes," Vermillion nodded, unfazed by the doe's reaction. "Believe me when I say that she could really use the services my husband's business can provide."

"If you say so," the dragoness shrugged. "Name's Smolder by the way."

She said this while nodding towards Dahlia.

"Dahlia," she said, returning the gesture before looking towards the mare. "And you?"

"Lunar," the Unicorn smiled.

"And I guess that makes you Spring, right?" she cautiously asked the Kirin.

She nodded, still looking a bit pensive about the vixen's presence.

"Cool," she sighed. "Now, could someone tell me what the hell is going on?"

"She didn't tell you?" Lunar asked.

"No," she grumbled.

"This is gonna be good," Smolder snorted, her lips pulled up into a small knowing smirk.

Spring's face turned a bit pink, her eyes refusing to meet Dahlia's as a sheepish smile graced her muzzle.

"What?" Dahlia asked, taking a nervous step back.

"Well," Vermillion tittered behind a hoof. "I suppose now is as good a time as any."

With a dramatic flourish, she pointed to the building behind her and announced, "Dahlia, welcome to the Silken Web."

Dahlia looked up at the building in question, then audibly gulped.

A vast, three-story tree building towered over them all, pink mist pouring out of dozens of open windows set into the branches and trunk. Decorative lights hung between the branches by thin strands of golden silk that were woven into wide intricate patterns. The tree's leaves were a rich lavender while the bark was a soft sapphire blue that gave off a faint glow.

The fog held the now familiar sweet and earthy scent, but now that she was paying proper attention to it, Dahlia could pick up a few other faint smells mixed in that made her fur fluff up.

"That's a brothel, isn't it?" Dahlia gulped.

"I suppose that is one way to look at it," Vermillion allowed. "My husband and I call it a 'Love Spa'."

Dahlia tore her gaze away form the building to give the Changeling a raised brow.

"You two call it a what now?"

"Well, who would know how to tend to a heart better than a Changeling?" she said with a smirk.

"We all have needs, right?" Smolder shrugged.

"Regrettably," Lunar mumbled, looking away and coughing into her hoof.

Spring continued to look away from everyone, her face gradually heating up as much as the small flame sitting on the tip of her horn.

Dahlia gave the four of them long hard looks, then let out a defeated sigh.

"I.....guess it's been awhile," she mumbled, then bitterly grumbled, "Can't do any more damage to me than drinking, right?"

With a satisfied nod at that, Vermillion turned and led the group towards the love spa.

I better not end up regretting this tomorrow, Dahlia thought, pushing back the growing heat sitting in her chest as she crossed the threshold.

Ch.31 Hot and Bothered..."Let's see where this goes..."

View Online

You know, I've never had a guy's night before.

Not that I had anything against the idea or anything. I just never had enough pals to make a real thing out of it. So, when Autumn's troop decided to take me out for a night of drinking, I didn't really know how to react at first. Well, I said, "What the hell? Why not?", but that's beside the point. Plus, after the whole thing with Rarity and Sid's ball-trip candles, I've been meaning to get to know these wackos. Doing it with a few brews getting passed around was just a bonus, as far as I was concerned.

So there we were, me, Zeal, Flash Bang, Gangplank, and Zephyr sharing a round table at a bar, throwing back mugs and shooting the shit. Well, Zeal was drinking green tea, but you get the idea. We all had our own munchies to go with our drinks, like bowls of small pretzels and a couple trays of hay fries for the ponies in the group. Again, except for Zeal. Not that I didn't try. I offered him a few of my pretzels, but he told me he didn't need them. Maybe it's a changeling thing or a him thing. Either way; if the guy didn't want to eat, I wasn't gonna force him.

"You know," Zephyr smirked, one mug in and already looking halfway gone. "I don't think *hic* I've ever seen the boss lady look as happy as when you showed up."

"I think you might want to slow down there a bit," I snorted, shifting in my seat.

"It's true," Flash Bang chuckled. "That doe's been practically glowing these last few days."

"Even her training hasn't knocked her spirits down," Gangplank snorted, taking a pull from his mug three stools to my left.

That- wait WHAT?!

I looked over to the bat pony so fast, I almost popped a joint in my neck.

"Training? What kind of training?" I demanded.

"Combat training," Zeal calmly stated, sipping at his tea. "Specifically, with your kitsune friend and the green earth pony that brought you here."

"Okay?" I nodded, frowning a bit. "Why would she want to do that and how do you know that?"

"I used to be a surveillance agent for my hive," he said, perfect pokerface still in place. "Seeing as my mate's livelihood depends on Autumn's safety, I use those skills to keep her safe."

"Soooooo, you were a spy?" I asked, then took a long pull from my mug.

"I believe that is the common description of my former job, yes," he nodded.

Huh....so I'm at a table with the Equestrian version of James Bond. You know what? Why the fuck not?

"So, how's she doing?" I asked.

"Fairly well," he nodded, proving to me that the dude does in fact have emotions by smiling. "Both of your friends are keeping her on her hooves and letting her grow at her own pace. Given enough time, I'm sure she will no longer need my protection."

"Good," Zephyr cackled, looking like he was about to fall out of his chair. "C-Cuz *hic* thaaaaaaat's his job!"

When he said that, he pointed a hoof at me......then flopped like a dead fish out of his chair onto the floor.

"And he's out folks!" Flash Bang laughed.

"He's got a point though," I frowned, looking into my mug.

Not wanting to kill the mood too much, I forced a smile and shifted the topic a little.

"So, how'd you all end up working for Autumn?" I asked, taking a swig.

They all looked at each other, then smirked and nodded towards Flash Bang.

"Well, damn, guess I'm first," he chuckled. "As I'm sure you can guess, my special talent isn't something most ponies like. Sure, I'd get payed to do a few fireworks shows here and there, but that wasn't how I kept the rent. For that, let's just say, some ponies payed big bits to make big booms. You get me?"

He smiled and winked at me when he said that.

It didn't take long for me to put two and two together for that.

"So, you were a mercenary?" I asked, brows raising.

"Yep," he smirked, chomping on a handful (hoofful?) of fries.

I let out a chuckle at that. Seriously. What kind of crazy cosmic bullshit would have to happen to get me dumped into a world were I'd be taking shots with pony versions of Spy and Demo-man from TF frickin' 2? Seriously! Give Zeal a french accent and he's golden!

"So, did Autumn hire you for a job or something?" I asked.

"Sort've," he shrugged. "I was doing a job for a circus that was passing through Manehatten when she found me. I guess she liked what I was doing, cuz right after the show, she offered me a job as her special effects manager. Paid me pretty damn well too. Thought I'd give the job a chance and I've stuck with her ever sense."

Huh. I guess that's pretty cool.

Sounds almost like a hero's origin story.

I know, right?

"So, what's your story?" I asked, nodding towards Gangplank.

"Nothing too fancy," he chuckled. "Before I met Autumn, I was a pirate doing night jobs in the Wild Tide."

"Really?" I asked, giving the guy a once-over.

I guess he noticed, cuz he chuckled and said, "I know I don't look like much, but my crew and I could really hold our own out there. Kind've had to be, all things considered. Between sea dragons, ghost pirates, and the occasional random sea monster, your crew needed to be as tough as steel just to make a living out in those waters. The fact that we were all nocturnal made things even more hazardous, but that also made the pile of bits even taller to make up for it."

"So you were all bat-ponies?" I asked, chomping down on a few pretzels.

"Most of us were," he nodded, giving me a cocky smile. "But there were a hoofful of cat and wolf-ponies too. We even hired a zombie-pony as a watchstallion once, but he only stuck around for one job."

"There are cat-ponies and wolf-ponies?" I blinked.

"Yup," he chuckled, munching on a fry. "They aren't very common in Equestria, but you'll find a few islands full of 'em in the Wild Tides. A bit more aggressive than the ponies you find here, but still pretty good folks. Don't set off any of their superstitions and you'll do fine around them."

I nodded, following as best as I could.

You're just going to walk past the fact that he said he worked with a zombie?

Yup.

Just checking.

"So, what kind of jobs did you do?" I asked, casually popping another pretzel into my maw.

"Nothing too fancy," he shrugged. "We shipped cargo between islands. For the most part, we were just delivery stallions that worked the nightshift and had weapons. Heck, my main job was keeping the ship from sinking and to let everypony know if something nasty tried to sneak up on us."

"Huh, sounds pretty legit," I shrugged. "What kind of stuff did you guys deliver? Drugs?"

Nah," he laughed, shaking his head. "Nothing like that. The stuff we transported was legal, super expensive stuff that other nobles and pirates would've sold their left kidney to get. The only reason we were trusted enough to do the job was because our ship, The Nightcap, was the fastest there was and was damn-near impossible to detect. On top of a whole bunch of enchantments getting woven into every single piece of the thing, it was painted with a special black paint that repelled moonlight. Because of all that, only things like ghosts and sea monsters could see us and we had "ways" to deal with those."

"Like what?" I asked, leaning towards him.

"Nothing fancy," he shrugged. "Cannonballs inscribed with sacred runes. Bombs that freeze or shoot lightning when they blow. The usual."

"Right," I nod, giving Zephyr a side-eye.

I pointed a paw at him and asked, "So, is he some kind of government weapon or something?"

They traded looks for a second, then Gangplank and Flash Bang burst out laughing. That got me to relax a bit, pulling a small chuckle out of me. After everything I've been through and all of the crap they dumped onto my lap, I was honestly expecting them to tell me that the dude next to me was something crazy too. Hell, at this point, Zephyr could be the fucking King in Yellow and it wouldn't really surprise me.

Gangplank was the first to get his shit together.

"Nah," he chuckled. "Zephyr's a normy."

"Yeah," Flash Bang sighed, smiling. "The only reason Autumn hired him is because Fluttershy recommended him."

"Pretty good call, though," Gangplank added, taking a swig from his mug. "Guy may have an ego bigger than the moon, but he's a damn good stylist."

"I guess I'll take your word for it," I shrugged, calling a waitress over for a refill.

"You should take more than that," Zeal frowned, gesturing to the waitress for a refill. "He did Autumn's mane for your first date."

"Wait, that was his handy work?" I gaped, pointing at the knocked out pegasus.

He nodded.

I looked down at the snoring lightweight drooling a puddle on the floor. I stayed like that for a few seconds, then chuckled and shook my head. Yeah, I didn't know him all that well and he was pretty annoying, but the guy did both Autumn and I a solid.

He's earned at least this much out of me.

I used my Extrasensory to pick him off of the ground and get him seated up properly. The guy barely reacted, but that was fine. Wasn't doing this for the praise anyway.

"Are you guys sure he's not some secret weapon or something?" I asked, giving them a small smirk.

Zeal put a hoof to his chin and in a thoughtful tone said, "Well, he is normal, but his brother-in-law is able to bend reality over a table. Does that count?"

My whole body and mind froze. I mean, I'm pretty sure a hurricane couldn't have moved my fur with how much I froze. In that one moment, I think Brain blink out of existence. When we both came back, I was....calm? No. I was past that. I think I was even past "Done with this shit". It was around that time that a fresh mug was put down in front of me.

I nodded a thanks to the Waitress, downed the mug, and asked for another refill.

I am way too damn sober for this shit...

You and me both. I wonder what the girls are doing with Dahlia right now?

Probably making her pop a blood vessel, I thought with a chuckle.

Brain chuckled at that, but as I prepared to down another mug, my thoughts drifted towards Autumn. If she managed to get these four wackos to work for her, just what other brands of crazy did she let drag off my friend? I chuckled, the booze helping me get over the bombshell from earlier. The second Autumn's smiling face crept into my buzzed mind, that same strange urge to give her something crept into me. Shaking my head, I pushed the urge back and took a long pull from my mug. When the urge faded, a small, worried question leaked past the haze in my head.

Why she didn't go with them?

***

Sid was an Absol of simple pleasures. After his sister's breakdown, all he wanted to do was spend a nice quiet evening with his not-girlfriend. The fact that said sister was resting at his friend's girlfriend's place was a huge weight off of his shoulders. Not that he didn't care about her. It was just that her confession was a shock that he needed a moment to properly process.

Unfortunately for him, he was not the only one struggling to wrap their head around the news.

Autumn paced Wallflower's living room, frustration and confusion switching places at random with each step. The couple watched her with trepidation at the coffee table, both of them ready to spring into action the second they saw a spark. The Kirin barely noticed, her mind too busy pulling itself in two different directions to fully care.

"Um.....Should we say something or...." Wallflower nervously asked, leaning towards Sid.

"Just....give her a minute," he frowned, not taking his eyes off of Autumn.

A few more minutes of pacing passed.

At its end, Autumn let out a frustrated groan and slumped to her haunches at Wallflower's coffee table.

"Are you good?" Sid calmly asked.

"I don't know," she sighed. "I'm just......I don't know."

"Same here," he said with a rueful chuckle. "And I thought I knew my sister. Hope this is the only surprise she has up her sleeve."

"Same," Autumn chuckled. "I don't think I can handle anything crazier than this."

"Coming from a Ponyville Kirin, that's saying something," Sid laughed.

Mare and doe both joined him, the irony not lost on either of them.

"Goes to show just how crazy this whole thing is ," she sighed. "It....really hurt to see her fall apart like that, but I don't know if I can handle being in a herd."

"I...um.....don't think you'll need to worry about that," Wallflower nervously cut in.

She flinched when they looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Autumn asked, a faint edge decorating her tone.

Wallflower gulped, instantly regretting putting her two bits in. Muscling past her nerves, she took a deep breath and put her thoughts into words.

"W-When she had her....episode, she talked about how she didn't deserve to be with him. She likes him, but she refuses to act on it. If that is h-how she chooses to think, then she won't try to be with him."

Sid and Autumn took that in with conflicted frowns.

"I....know," Autumn nodded, then let out a groan as she added, "but that's because she feels guilty about Sandra, not because he has a mate now."

"She has a point," Sid sighed. "It'd be one thing if sis decided to back off because of Autumn, but this is a completely different sack of rocks. If Dahlia doesn't get this all worked out, she's likely going to end up in a very dark place."

"Oh....." Wallflower nodded, a thoughtful look crossing her face.

"Hopefully, Vermillion can help," Autumn chuckled.

"What did she have in mind?" Sid asked, a protective fragment slipping into his tone.

"Well," she smirked. "If everything went according to plan, she's at a love spa in the Changeling district getting the complete service package."

"A.....what spa?" he blinked.

"A love spa," Autumn repeated, quirking her brows at him.

"I...Heard you," he nodded. "I just have no idea what that is."

Wallflower blushed heavily and stammered out an answer.

"I-I-I-I-It's a pl-pl-pl-pl-place single creatures go to, to.....um......"feel loved"."

Sid stared blankly at his not-girlfriend for a minute, then aimed a flat look at Autumn and stated, "You sent her to a brothel."

"It's a love spa," Autumn smiled. "And yes. Yes I did."

"And you said it was in some place called the Changeling District?" he asked, tone still flat.

Autumn nodded.

"So then, that means the place is run by Changelings, right?"

"Mostly," she nodded.

"I see," he nodded. "In summery, you sent my sister to a brothel full of Changelings."

"Again, it's called a love spa," she chuckled. "and again; yes."

"I see," he nodded, then casually asked, "Just out of curiosity, how hard is it to get an appointment?"

A searing glare from Wallflower was aimed at the Absol the second the words left his mouth. He gave the mare a passing glance, then asked something that made the heat of her stare shift into an equally scalding blush.

"Can we make that two appointments?"

Autumn burst out laughing at that while Sid gave Wallflower an impish smirk.

"I-I'll talk to Vermillion to see if she can work something out," she smiled, wiping a happy tear away. "Maybe it will get you two to stop tiphoofing around each other.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he frowned, raising a brow. "Right Wallflower?'

No response.

Curious, they looked at the mare in question. Said mare was frozen in place, her whole head burning red with a sheepish smile sitting on her muzzle.

Autumn gave him a knowing smirk and asked, "Do I really need to say anything?"

"Says the doe that hasn't made a move," he snorted, raising a brow at her.

"H-How do you-," she sputtered, face heating up.

"Bros talk," he shrugged, grin turning devilish.

Autumn's blush grew, a bit of smoke wafting off of the tip of her horn.

"W-We agreed to take things slow," she sheepishly muttered, staring down and tapping her hooves together.

"I'm not saying that you need to blitz through anything or jump straight into your dance," he chuckled. "But it might not hurt to set the mood for him every now and then."

"Can you....give me some ideas?" she asked, still staring at her hooves.

"I think I can do that," he shrugged, then nervously added, "After Wallflower's brain reboots. I think we might've broke her."

"Yeah," she awkwardly chuckled, staring at the still frozen mare. "We...probably went too far."

***

I hummed a dumb song to myself as I made my way towards home. The night air felt great and everything was wrapped in a fun haze. It all would've been even better, but I didn't feel like getting trashed tonight. A good buzz was just what I needed to get over a few things. That, and I didn't want to wake up with a splitting headache in some alley or something tomorrow. Lord knows what kind of crazy shit I'd have to deal with.

Maybe Trix will summon an elder demon this time. Wonder which sin it would be connected to?

With your luck? Probably lust. Might even have slime-covered tentacles just to really show how much the universe hates you.

"Sounds about right," I snorted.

I took a deep breath, enjoying the buzzed night air. Between that and the chirping of crickets, a soothing lull started to fill my head. It was nice, letting me zone out a bit on the way home. The whole way there, my mind drifted from one thought to the other, never really settling on one topic for very long. It was kind've like I was wandering through a library in my head. At the same time, I was keeping just enough of myself together to keep on the path home. It was....hard to explain how I was doing that, but that was a pretty close description of what I was doing.

After....a few minutes? An hour? Whatever. When I managed to get home, I clicked out of the library and used my Extrasensory to let myself in.

The second I crossed the threshold, I was met with a really.......interesting sight.

All of the lights were off, candles were set up all over the place, and a trail of rose petals went from the door further into the building. At the same time, an earthy-cinnamon like smell was all over the place. It...uh......let's say it was starting to have an effect on me and leave it at that.

Brain; status report.

(dial tone sound) We're sorry, the number you have dialed has been disconnected.

"Figures," I chuckled. "Welp, let's see what this is all about."

Following the petals as best as my drunken ass could, I staggered my way further into the building. At the same time, that same scent became steadily stronger. The....effect was also getting a bit hard to ignore too.

Sometime later, the trail ended at the door to mine and Autumn's bedroom. I....think? Between my buzz and the smell, it was getting a little hard to think clearly. It wasn't like I was high or anything. Whatever was wrong with me felt...natural.

Some kind of ....Ninetales thing? Ugh. Whatever. I just need to.....lay down.

I tried to use my Extrasensory to open the door, but it slowly creaked open on its own before I had the chance. Not bothering to question it, I walked in. When the door clicked shut behind me, I saw something that......(error......error......buffering.......30%........57%...........70%.........96%......100%.......refresh complete) .

The room was filled with lit red candles that did a damn good job setting the mood. Rose petals covered the bed, but that wasn't what made my brain fizzle out. Autumn was laid out across the bed giving me....um....bedroom eyes with red ribbon wrapped all around her body. Her front and rear hooves were bound at the....uh.....I guess you'd call them wrists and ankles. She wasn't hog-tied or anything like that. It was like she was wearing a pair of cuffs. She even had a small red bow tied onto her horn. It was all really cute and.....okay; it was pretty damn hot too.

"Welcome home~," she smirked.

"Uh...thanks," I blinked, trying really hard to...to think. "What's....what's all of this about?"

As I said that, I slowly started to walk towards her. I barely noticed that I was crouching low towards her, licking my chops.

"Nothing in particular," she shrugged, a tiny blush coloring her muzzle. "Just thought I'd surprise you. Did it work?"

I nod, lightly kissing her just under her horn.

"Maybe a little too well," I smirk, struggling to hold back a whole bunch of instincts I didn't know I had. "Are...you sure?"

Keeping her hot smile, she nods at me.

"Good," I sigh, leaning in to one of her ears and softly growl, "Cuz I don't think I can hold back for much longer."

When I pulled back, her blush was a lot brighter and she looked a lot more eager.

"Well then," she smirked. "Do you want to unwrap your present?"

"Yeah," I chuckled, climbing onto the bed, rolling her onto her back as I towered over her. "but I think I'm going to take my time. We've got all night, right?"

She giggled and gave me a nod, her eyes just as beautiful in the candlelight as her smile.

Ch.32 Afterglow "If You Know, You Know..."

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Starlight woke up with a groan, laying on her back and glaring groggily at her ceiling. Mid-dawn light filled her room with a few dim rays from her bedroom window. That was the first thing her slowly-awakening mind registered. The second thing was that her room was swelteringly hot; as if her bed had been set up in the open in the middle of a summer day. At five in the morning.

"What the tartarus is going on?" she grumbled, wiping a sheet of sweat off of her brow.

Grumbling tiredly to herself, she staggered out of her muggy bed.

In spite of the fact that she lived in a giant magical crystal castle, her room was surprisingly mundane. The massive crystal room had a wall completely dominated by bookshelves, some housing simple novels or magical reference guides while others held domes of great and terrifying power. The latter of said shelves were covered with numerous wards and runes, all of them designed to contain the tomes' ancient dark magics as well as repel any would-be thieves. The rest of the furniture consisted of an ornate oak wardrobe with mirrored doors, an equally elaborate vanity, and a steal workbench complete with a few tools and kites in varying states of completion, along with her currently unmade princess-sized bed. In all honesty, the only extraordinary thing about her room, aside from the tomes, was its size.That being essentially an entire upscale apartment in terms of dimension. That, and the giant magically-charged crystal sphere at the center of its ceiling.

With barely even a thought, her horn lit and the sphere activated, filling the room with a soft lavender light. In the same level of effort, her bed was made and her headmare uniform appeared floating next to her with two more flashes from her horn. After a quick shower, she donned her uniform before she made her way out of her room into the crystal halls beyond. To her adding confusion, the air felt slightly hotter the second she did so. A quick scanning spell revealed that this was not normal, but not the work of any particular spell that she knew of. To her relief, it also told her that the phenomenon wasn't destructive in nature or going to increase in power. What made her raise a brow was where the odd magic seemed to be centered.

Cautiously curious, she made her way further into the castle.

"I swear," she mumbled. "If this is one of Discord's stupid pranks, I'm going to feed him his own tail."

***

I hummed a little tune to myself While I floated books into their shelves. It was a pretty huge stack of returns, but I didn't give a shit. I was on cloud nine and nothing was gonna knock me down! Everything was so bright and I was just full of energy! It almost felt like it was falling off of me, if that made any sense.

"Ah, who gives a fuck," I chuckled, looking at the index number on the spine of the next book I needed to put away. "Now, where do you go...."

Before I move from my current aisle to the right one, the library doors slammed open. My smile wilted, but came back when I peeked out to see who came in.

"Hey boss. How's it hanging?" I asked, coming out to greet her.

She gave me this weird squinty look and said, "Good morning Alex. Um...are you....doing okay?"

"Better than okay," I chuckled. "Why? What's up?"

"Well," she frowned. "You're glowing and it's making the castle a little hot."

"I'm what?" I blinked.

I looked down at my foreleg and....yep. When did I turn that on? I guess that explains the whole, "energy flowing off of me," thing.

"Sorry," I chuckled, cutting off the flow. "Didn't know I left that on."

"Right," she sighed, giving me a....knowing smile. "Looks like something good happened pretty recently."

"You could say that," I smirked.

"Enough said," she chuckled, putting up a hoof in a stoping gesture. "I'm glad to see you in a good mood. Usually, you look like you're about to bite somecreature's head off."

"Yeah, sorry about that," I sighed. "I've got a few things hovering over me these days, ya' know?"

"I've heard," she frowned, then gave me a wicked smile as she added, "I think you'll be happy to know that some steps have been taken to take some of that weight off of your shoulders."

"Like what?" I frowned, raising a brow.

She gave me an evil giggle and said, "Treehugger payed me a visit a couple days ago and gave me a few things to help beef up security around town."

"Like what?" I asked, actually starting to feel some lingering tension fall out of me. "Like a barrier or something?"

"Among other things," she said, still holding her wicked smirk. "Let's just say, if Sandra tries to enter Ponyville, she will get a very painful surprise. The same will happen if she enters any of the other surrounding territories under the town's legal ownership."

"Nice," I smiled. "Should make things easier for all of us to get ready to bury that bitch."

Starlight looked a lot less thrilled by that.

"Are you sure you want to go through with that?" she asked. "I'm sure that if you all tried-"

"I'm gonna have to stop you there boss," I frowned, putting up a paw in a halting motion. "Sandra isn't the kind of person that can be talked down or convinced to turn over a new leaf. When she tried to kill me, she enjoyed the whole fucking thing. Hell, she was laughing the whole time. Sid and Dahlia have a whole library of horror stories about the things she did or tried to do to people for the last three years. Things that make what happened to me look like a kid's picture book in comparison."

"L-Like what?" she gulped, her face paling.

I forced back a growl. I really, really, REALLY didn't want to tell her this, but I needed to make a point of just what kind of fucking monster we were dealing with. I just....hope she doesn't go as nuclear over what I was about to say as I did.

"In one of her hideouts, Sid and Dahlia found a dead colt laying on a table."

She gaped at me, but I wasn't done. God I wish I was.

"The kid had all of his organs surgically removed from his body and preserved in jars. They were all around him like some fucked up alter. Dahlia said that he looked like some stitched-together stuffed toy. That's not the worst part though."

"How...How can that not be the worst part?" she gulped, looking a little green.

I took a deep breath, but I couldn't keep the hateful growl out of my voice as I said, "Sid said he gave the scene a full examination and that it looked like the colt was alive during the whole "procedure"."

I spat out the last word like it was a rotten blob of shit.

Starlight was frozen with a look of shock on her face for a second before a look of...yeah. She wants to murder a bitch now. Before I could say anything, she calmly stepped out of the library and slammed the door. A second later, I heard a furious scream followed by an earth-shattering crash that shook the whole library. A little bit later, Starlight came back in looking a little less blood-thirsty. There also may or may not have been a brand new hundred-foot wide hole in the wall just outside of the library doors.

"I want to feed her whatever organ she uses to pump blood and evil through her veins," she calmly stated.

"I'm afraid that there is a line for that," I snorted. "I'm thinking of skinning her alive."

"And your friends?" she asked, still freakily calm.

"Dahl said she wanted to yank out her eyes with a spoon while Sid called dibs of her tongue."

"What about Autumn?"

I was about to answer, but stopped myself at the last second. Not because Sandra didn't deserve what Autumn had in store for her, but because.....well... Let's just says that for such a sweet lovable lady, Autumn has one hell of a dark imagination.

"I'd.....rather not say," I shuddered.

"Enough said," Starlight calmly nodded.

Okay, the fact that she's so calm about this is seriously starting to freak me the fuck out.
Ditto, and I don't mean the pokémon.

"Anyway," I continued. "Thanks for letting me know about the wards and stuff. Seriously, it's a huge weight off of my back knowing that she can't get into town."

"You're welcome," she smiled. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to head off to work."

"Same here," I chuckled. "Good luck with the kids out there, boss."

"Same to you with Trixie," she smirked. "Try not to let her summon another eldritch horror, okay?"

"I make no promises," I sighed.

Giggling at that, she waved goodbye and headed out the door.

As I headed back towards the aisles of bookshelves, I had a hard time keeping a wicked smirk from forming on my muzzle. Especially since I may have heard Starlight mutter something about adding a few more "surprises" to Sandra's wards before she walked out of my hearing range. Of course, there was no way my kind and reasonable boss would ever do something like that.

"Must've been my imagination," I chuckled, floating a book back into its proper section.

***

Vermillion and Zeal were not having a great morning. As changelings, they were no strangers to love. Puppy love, old love, hormonal love, even the primal version called pure lust were all things that they have been exposed to at one point or another. The only time it became too much for them to handle was during the failed first invasion of Canterlot. In many ways, what they were now experiencing was almost on the same level.

The changeling couple watched with strained smiles as their boss happily moved about her kitchen. The kirin was absolutely glowing, humming and giggling to herself as she practically danced around the room. At the same time, small heart-shaped sparks flicked off of her horn and messy mane.

"I take it something good happened last night," Vermillion chuckled, forcing her stomach to settle.

"You could say that~," she coyly giggled, setting a steaming pair coffee mugs down for them.

"About time," Zeal sighed, floating his mug to his lips.

"No kidding," his mate snickered, doing the same. "Any longer and we were sure one of you two were going to do something....drastic."

Autumn rolled her eyes good-naturedly at that, then floated her own mug over to the table and took a seat.

"Just because you two are into weird stuff doesn't mean we all are."

"Says the doe that has a copy of Fifty Shades or Gray in her bookshelf," Vermillion smirked.

"Who told you?" Autumn blinked, burning blush coloring her muzzle.

"You did," Vermillion giggled, her smirk growing as she added, "Just now."

"Are ropes and crops involved?" Zeal casually asked, adding a spoonful of sugar to his coffee.

"No!" she squeaked, then cleared her throat and calmly said, "No, they are not. As I said, we are not into that kind of stuff."

"Right," Zeal drawled. "And I suppose Smolder's roll of red ribbon just happened to disappear last night."

"I thought a gentlestallion never asks and a mare never tells," she huffed, crossing her forelegs with an indignant pout.

"I never claimed to be a gentlestallion," he calmly said with a slight smirk. "Besides, given how she is with her materials, did you really think Smolder wasn't going to notice that something was missing?"

"....Maybe?" she sheepishly offered, avoiding eye-contact with her forelegs still crossed.

"You could've at least swept up the rose petals," Vermillion sighed. "I bet even Zephyr would've figured out what that meant."

"I....was going to do that," Autumn nervously chuckled, scratching behind her head. "But I...um....couldn't....move or...think all that well until about an hour ago."

Both changelings looked at her with wide eyes, only for Vermillion to sport a half-lidded smirk and Zeal to regain his stoic mask a minute later.

"Nice catch," they said in synch.

Autumn could only nod, staring blankly at her mug with a burning blush and steam wafting off of the tip of her horn.

"H-How did Dahlia's session go," she stammered out, in no way trying to shift the focus off of herself.

Both changelings traded odd looks, then silently gestured for one or the other to answer. Letting out a tired sigh, Zeal eventually gave his report.

"According to my employees, Dahlia's heart was severely poisoned. It was soaked with so much rage, self-loathing, pain, and depression that it was a miracle she hadn't....ended herself a long time ago. It is likely that her hatred for Sandra and love for her brother are the only things that are keeping her from doing so."

Worry saturated Autumn's features upon hearing that, the doe already trying to think of ways to help her friend.

Vermillion continued from there, a small frown replacing her usual smirk.

"From what I heard, it took three hours and half of the staff working in shifts to pull all of that emotional poison out of her."

"She was that bad?" Autumn gaped.

"Worse," Zeal sighed. "With so much negative energy pulled out of her, there were almost no restraints left on her positive ones."

"Yeah," Vermillion nervously chuckled. "She was absolutely ravenous. I don't think even dragons going through their first inferno season would've matched her."

"...Really?" Autumn gulped.

They nodded.

"I had heard rumors," Zeal lightly chuckled. "But it seams there is some truth to a kitsune's legendary libido."

"Guess you can confirm that as well, huh boss?" Vermillion smirked with a wink.

Autumn didn't respond, but the flames enveloping her head said more than enough on her thoughts of the matter.

***

Sid sat on a large blanket, face blank as he stared forward and took sips from an aged gray mug. Wallflower sat at his left doing the same, a look of mild shock being the sole exception. The Quarry was as quiet as it normally was, with shattered rock and deep gashes dotting the ground in random places. Both of them barely noticed the midmorning chill in favor of the large crater set before them. In scale, the perfectly round crater was roughly three-hundred feet wide and two-hundred feet deep at its center. Its interior was scorched pitch black with the sharp smell of seared earth still present even an hour after its creation.

"So.....did Alex learn a new spell?" she asked, still staring at the crater.

Sid responded with a simple "Yup," before he took another small sip from his mug.

"I....see...." she stammered, doing the same with her own mug. "Does he....know how to control it?"

"Not really," he calmly stated.

"Oh..." she gulped. "Should I be worried?"

"I'd be if you weren't," he shrugged.

"Okay," she sighed, a very worried smile set firmly in place across her muzzle.

The pair sat in silence for a long moment, the absol enjoying the peace while the mare tried to make sense of the direction her life had taken recently. In the last two months, she had went from a pony that nopony knew existed to one that was surrounded by some of the most exotic creatures she had ever met. For the first time in her life, she had some friends that she could fall back on if things turned dark. She was smiling more. Tomorrow was something to look forward to. On top of that, her curse was now something she could use to help her new friends if the need ever arose.

Even if she had to occasionally see things like this, she agreed that her life had significantly improved. If that meant knowing that one of her friends could obliterate a small apartment, then she was willing to accept it.

"I think now I should put more of a focus on his status moves from this point forward," he mused. "Should be a lot easier now."

"Safer, too," she nodded, sipping her drink.

He nodded as well, but before he could further voice his thoughts on the matter, a familiar cold wind washed over him. Wallflower felt it as well, letting out a surprised squeak as a shiver shot up her spine. Sid chuckled, earning a red-faced pout from her. Smirking and rolling his eyes at her expense, he looked around for the source of the chill. When he spotted his sister, his smile shifted into a confused frown.

Dahlia slowly made her way across the barren wasteland, her coat shining with a dull silver glow. Her poise was relaxed, yet regal in presentation like a noble coming to meet with an old friend. Soft snow covered the ground as she walked, leaving a perfect carpet of white behind and on either side of her as she progressed. When she became close enough for him to see it, he saw that a calm and gentle smile sat on her muzzle. Her scars seemed less pronounced, almost faded in a way similar to aged ones on open skin.

Sid watched her with a relieved smile, while Wallflower struggled to pick her jaw up off of the ground.

With an almost etherial grace, she took a seat on the blanket on her haunches. The second she did, snow covered the ground around her in a quick spread, stopping just short of her brother and his "not-girlfriend". Sid met the cold with little more than a smile while it snapped Wallflower out of her awe with a deep shiver.

Dahlia took in their reactions with a small giggle, then, with a voice as soft and gentle as the snow her presence summoned, greeted them.

"Good morning Sid, Wallflower."

"Good morning, sis," he said, offering her a short bow. "You seem to be in good spirits."

"You could say that," she smirked, then gave the crater a passing glance before asking, "Did Alex learn a new move?"

"Yup," he snorted, taking a sip from his mug. "Wallflower and I are going to teach him how to use his status moves and ability next."

"Excellent," she giggled. "If things stay on track, he should be able to unlock his mana move before Sandra tries anything."

"That's the plan," he sighed, then offered a cautious smile as he asked, "Speaking of, how are you about....that?"

To his and Wallflower's shock, Dahlia sheepishly stared at the ground with a small blush and fluffed fur.

"I'm still......working through it," she mumbled.. "I still need to talk things out with Autumn about....maybe forming a.....herd."

"Not a skulk?" Wallflower asked, taking a nervous sip from her mug.

Dahlia shook her head, a sad smile gracing her muzzle.

"I'm not worthy of that. As much as it hurts to admit, Autumn earned her place as Alex's number one."

"Oh," Wallflower nodded, offering an apologetic smile.

"It's......fine," she sighed."Besides, talking to Autumn is the easy part. Telling Alex is going to be the real horror show."

"I'm sure you'll manage," Sid smiled. "Now, what do you say we head to the bar later to celebrate? All of this sounds like as good an excuse to drink as any."

"Actually," Dahlia reluctantly cut in. "I think I'm going to cut myself off from that for a little while."

Sid's whole body froze, shock practically carved into his face. Both girls stared at him in worry, Wallflower even going so far as to poke him. The lack of a reaction made them trade worried frowns.

"Sid? Are you okay?" Dahlia asked, waving a paw in front of his face.

"I...think you broke him," Wallflower blinked, poking his cheek.

"Seriously?" she deadpanned.

Ch.33 Skulking in the Dark "Well...shit."

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In a mountain cave miles away from any town or city, a being of pure darkness bitterly brooded. She sat in a pile of soil, leaves, and grass shaped into a crude throne. A glowing crystal sphere roughly the size of a golfball floated in front of her, her blue eyes locked onto the image shown at its center.

In said image, she saw a blue earth pony mare casually make her way down the path towards Ponyville. For a long while, nothing of any note happened. That quickly changed when the mare crossed into the legal border around the town. Ten miles away from the town, the front half of the mare exploded, showering the path with blood and gore. A few seconds later, the blood and chunks of meat and bone turned into sap, wood, and clumps of dirt. The back half of the mare briefly turned into the lower half of the creature watching before it did the same.

"Damn it," Sandra muttered, claws carving deep gashes into the armrests of her throne.

She tapped a claw against the crystal and a new scene played out.

A black and red Unicorn walked through what she learned was called Whitetail Woods. Again, nothing of note happened until the mare saw the town past the tree-line. Before she could take a step past that point, a mass of vines and branches reached down from the nearby trees and pulled her kicking and screaming into the canopy. It also pulled the mare out of the sphere's line of sight, a small blessing to her given the wet screaming and the gallons of blood that poured onto the ground a few seconds later. Blood that quickly turned into sap not long afterwords with a rain of dirt and wood falling a few seconds later.

A disappointed sigh slid past her muzzle, arctic blue eyes narrowed into a slight glare as she gave the sphere another tap.

Another scene appeared, this one showing the barren path to Ponyville's quarry. A green and black unicorn stallion walked the path, eyes carefully scanning his surroundings. His caution became more pronounced the closer he got to the arid land. The second he reached the border, the stallion came to a complete stop. He scanned the land beyond with a critical eye, every muscle in his body as tense as a spring held flat to the ground. Staying on full alert, he took one cautious step forward. Nothing happened. Staying on guard, the stallion let a malicious smile creep onto his muzzle as he furthered his advance. Five steps in, a solid stone spike rammed through him from below. Blood flew out of his open mouth before another spike burst out of the ground through his head. Branches of stone sprouted from the spikes, impaling him further from different angles. It didn't take long for the stallion's body to go limp, but by that time, his body was more stone pike than pony. The spikes crumbled away when the body turned into sticks, dirt, and sap.

"Unbelievable," she muttered, scowling at the orb. "First it was that mare with a stick and now I have this to deal with. Stupid magic."

Tiredly taping the sphere, it lost its glow and turned completely clear before drifting off to a pile of rags in a far corner of the cave. A pile set next to the mangled remains of the cave's former inhabitant. The sight of the dead and mostly picked clean grizzly bear made her stomach rumble, reminding her of how much energy she had wasted on her Substitutes and how long it had been since her last meal. Sighing in irritation, she got up from her seat then made her way towards the body. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned her Night Slash as a small pitch black knife as she crouched down to begin harvesting more meat from it.

As she worked, she mulled over how to proceed with her plans.

Clearly, whatever magic that was at work here was aimed exclusively at her. It was also extremely likely that whoever set up the spells had been in contact with Alex or his friends. There was no other way she could explain how ruthless the spells were, given how soft ponies tended to be. Thinking further about it, she couldn't help but to feel a little impressed with this mystery pony's work. Granted, she personally would've made the spells drag out the kill for as long as possible, but she could still appreciate the creativity the caster had put into their work.

"Maybe I can torture some tips out of them later," she giggled, studying a finely sliced slab of meat.

Satisfied with her find, she nodded at the slab then looked down at the ground. Numerous runes and sigils were carved into a perfect circle into the ground around the carcass. Said symbols gave off a faint blue glow, their magic keeping the body fresh and free of rot or flies. Taking a deep breath, an ecstatic shiver ran through her body at the copper aroma of blood.

Fighting down some more seedy urges, she moved to another corner of the room and threw the meat into another circle of runes. The second the flesh fell into its center, the runes shined with a brilliant orange-red light, filling the cave with light and heat. Still holding her summoned knife, she willed it into the form of a short-sword and casually used its flat to flip the meat.

Keeping an eye on the meat, she moved to the bundle of rags. Digging through it with her free claw, she pulled out a small gray jar with a large cork sealing it. Smiling in satisfaction, she returned to her meat, pulled out the cork with her mouth, and carefully tilted it over it. A small stream of white powder fell out of it onto the meat before she flipped it over and did the same to the other side.

"No better salt than pure rock salt," she giggled, reaching for a nearby stone plate. "Isn't that right, Teddy?"

As she said that, she turned her head towards a far corner of the cave.

Occupying said space was a cluster of thick blankets, a sack full of wild cotton serving as a pillow. Set in the middle of the cluster was a cruel mockery of a teddy bear. The small cub's corpse was crudely stitched together, the body void of all but the cotton Sandra replaced its innards with. Its eyes and mouth were sewn shut with large blue buttons roughly sewn over the former. A lone preservation rune kept the flesh intact, its dull yellow light the only thing of beauty present on the corpse.

She giggled at it, a loving smile resting on her muzzle.

Shifting her attention back towards her food, she hummed a merry tune to herself as she worked. Her good mood took a dip when her free claw drifted to her chest. An ugly, jagged scar ran across it from her left shoulder all the way down to her right side. The memory of how she got it sent a wave of white hot fury searing through her veins. The way that bastard Sid slipped past her barrier. How Dahlia took the opening to slice at her with her tails. If she had been just a fraction of a second slower, that damned ninetales would've ended her with that attack. It took her a month to recover from that fight, even with the aid of the numerous magical objects speeding up the process.

Taking a slow, shaky breath, she swallowed down her fury. As nice as it would feel to throw a tantrum, it would be a waste of time and energy. Better to hold onto the hate for when it was needed. Better to channel that hate into how to make her enemy scream.

Slowly, a twisted smile spread across her muzzle. Her body shook as maddening giggles fell out of her like a toxic mist. With bloodlust pumping through her veins, she stabbed her Night Slash into the meat and dragged it towards her maw. Her laughter became more twisted as she tore large bites out of her meal.

"Of course those two fuckers would come to make this more difficult," she cackled, eyes wide and distant with maddening rage. "That cunt of an earth pony is probably a new friend of theirs' too. No matter. I have a way to deal with her, later."

She took another vicious bite out her steak, letting what was left of it slide off of her blade onto her stone plate.

"As for the two twits...."

An annoyed scowl replaced her smile, her maddened glee turned sour.

As much as she hated to admit it, Sid and Dahlia were strong. Not only that, but they had learned to see through most of her tricks in one way or another. If it wasn't for the various magical items she had obtained over the years, much to her sickening admission, she would've died a long time ago. If she wanted to get to Alex, she was going to need to add a couple more pieces to the board. Pieces that she had been building up for a long time just for this kind of situation.

"I suppose it was going to happen eventually," she grumbled, chomping down on the last of her bear steak. "Let's just get this over with."

Grumbling to herself, she rose to her feet and made her way through the cave's entrence. She was instantly greeted by a long dark tunnel, additional openings identical to the one behind her lining the sides in random spaces on each side. Her sharp eyes cut through the dark with ease as she made her way down the natural hallway. When she eventually found the chamber she needed, she let out an irate huff and entered.

The chamber was the same size and shape as the one she claimed as her room, but was empty save for one sole object hanging on a wall opposite the door. The object in question was a small round hand mirror, its frame ornate gold and silver shaped to resemble and intricate spiderweb. The mirror itself was perfectly smooth and devoid of blemishes, its black surface seemingly trying to devour what little dim light could be found in the room.

Glowering at it, she reached forward and tapped it twice.

"Lord Hanabi the Tenth of The Mountain of the First Dawn. Captain Red Claw of The Wild Tide."

Moments later, the mirrors surface started to waver, rippling like still water after a stone was tossed into its heart. While this was happening, Sandra schooled her expression, hiding her irritation behind a kind and placating smile. Not long afterwards, the mirror smoothed out and shimmered a soft silver glow with two dark circles sitting in the middle of it.

"This had better be worth my time, skinwalker," one of the circles huffed, its male voice oozing with pomp.

"Aye," the other circle growled, the slow grind of a stone being dragged across metal filling the cave.

Sandra bit back a retort, then sweetly and humbly said, "My apologies, my lords. I know you're time is valuable. However, I believe that I have knowledge that would be of great interest to you both."

"I highly doubt that," the first circle scoffed.

"Get on with it lass," the second one snapped, the grinding getting more rough to the ear.

"Very well," she nodded. "What if I said I found a certain stray vixen and traitorous bai ze? Would that be of any value?"

A sudden silence filled the cave. Sandra's smile took a faint edge, feeling the piercing gaze from the duo in the mirror.

"Go on," the first sphere said, smile audible in his haughty tone.

Smile turning slightly more pointed, Sandra shared what she knew.

***

The evening mountain air was cold and crisp, a stark contrast to the chilled and stagnant air of her shelter. Sandra embraced it with a blissful sigh. After the hour long chat with her pawns, the miles of foggy forest and star-filled night sky was a welcome sight. While they were useful idiots, that did not change the fact that they were idiots in her eyes. Stroking their egos while subtly placing the needed thoughts to get them to willingly follow her tested her patience more than she was willing to admit.

"It will be worth it in the end," she sighed, reaching into her mane. "After I'm done with them, I'll reward them with a quick death. I wonder who I should frame for their deaths? Perhaps one of the Princesses? Or maybe that Starlight mare? That should make things interesting for a while."

When she pulled her hand out of her mane, a brown bottle with a dented cork was held tight in her claws. Chuckling lightly to herself, she gently pulled the cork out with her mouth, spat it into her free hand, and took a long pull from the bottle. As the pleasant burn of brandy settled into her gut, she took in the peacefully eery scene. An eased sigh slid past her muzzle, a rare sense of peace coming over her while she basked in it all. She smiled up at a star-lit sky, a fine warmth settling in her gut from her drink.

"This is nice," she sighed. "Maybe I'll retire here when this is all done."

"PlEaSe....St..Op," a frail female voice pleaded.

Sandra's smile fell, a frustrated sigh rolling past her muzzle.

She turned her head towards the voice's source.

At the tree-line of the thickly fogged forest, a faint silhouette could be seen. The figure was low to the ground, its form seemingly forced to its knees. The fog completely hid the figure's details, its glowing yellow eyes the sole exception. Heavy faintly glowing silver chains held it to the ground in a painfully tight bind.

"Or what?" she spat, taking a swig from her bottle.

"Y....YoU d-d-d-On'T nEEd to Do ThIs," the figure weeped.

Sandra laughed, a vicious smile spreading across her muzzle.

"Of course I do! Not only did that useless man dare to stand against me, but his stupid friends kept me from finishing him off! Ever since I fell into that portal with them, the've continued to get in my way over and over and over and OVER AGAIN!!! Now that I know Alex is here too..."

The thought of what she had in store for him filled her with glee, manic giggles briefly falling out of her before she reeled herself back in.

"There is nothing you can do to stop me, Sandy," Sandra growled, a sadistic grin aimed at the figure. "So just sit there and watch like a good girl."

Sandy slumped further where she knelt, gentle sobbing her only response. Sandra gave her a satisfied snort and took another pull from her bottle. Slowly, her mania faded into a cool calm as she once again stared up at the stars.

"I...HaTe YoU," Sandy muttered, a hint of fire slithering in her tone.

"Go ahead," she sighed, laying pack to further enjoy the view. "I couldn't care any less."

Ch.34 Learning Things the Herd Way... "Huh. I Wonder How This Is Going To Go."

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Just like the last time I was brought here, the cave was cool and dimly lit. Unlike the last time, the scented candles lighting the place up were normal. Or, if they weren't, then they had a lot less drugs mixed into them than the last batch that Sid used on me. Fine by me, as far as I'm concerned. Last thing Sid or I needed was our girlfriends trying to kill each other over me getting another bad trip.

Speaking of ...

"So, you're going to be teaching me how to use my status moves?" I asked.

Wallflower nodded, a small smug smile sitting on her muzzle.

"Okay?" I blinked. "Not that I doubt you or anything, but why? Is Sid okay?"

"O-Oh! No problem," she sheepishly giggled. "I understand. Sid would be a better teacher, but he's....busy today."

I wanted to ask, but decided to shrug it off and move on.

Sid's pretty cool, but he did get into some pretty shady shit from time to time back home. Not sure what kind of mob stuff happened in "Magic Horse Land", but I'm probably better off not knowing. Did make me wonder if there was a pony version of the Breaking Bad crew though. Was crack even a thing here?

Probably. LSD seems to be a thing here.

No kidding, I thought, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. Buuuuuut just to be sure-

"These aren't the same kind of candles as last time, right?" I asked, waving a paw around the room.

"No," Wallflower sighed. "These are just regular aromatherapy candles. After what happened, we agreed that using those on you again would be too dangerous."

"Good," I smiled, letting out a relieved sigh. "Cuz let me tell ya'; that whole thing was not fun."

"I...heard," she nodded, looking like a kicked puppy.

Goddamn it, why do these ponies have to look so fucking cute?!

Because the universe likes to fuck with you and me in the most hilarious ways.

Noooo kidding.

"Hey, it's all good," i chuckled. "You guys didn't know that was going to happen and I got better. Some harm, but no foul. Right?"

"Do you really mean that?" she asked, a little bit of hope shining in her big round eyes.

I nodded and said, "Yeah. I mean, we're friends, right?"

She looked shocked for a second for some reason, then gave me a meek smile and nod.

Has she...never had a friend before? God I hope that isn't the case. I mean, I guess that whole memory thing would make it hard, but....oh man. And I thought I had it rough.

"So, uh, how do we go about this?" I asked...awkwardly.

Smooth.

Shut it.

Whatever Mr. Sandpaper.

Eat a dick.

I'd tell you to do the same, but neither of us are cannibals.

.....Okay, how is it that you are my brain, but you have better comebacks than me?!

Might help if you used me more. Now, focus.

Taking... my own(?) advice, I forced myself to give Wallflower my full attention. If she noticed the change, she didn't show it. Still smiling, she sat down on her haunches, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"First, we meditate."

I raised a brow at that.

Sure, I've heard about meditation and all of the crazy bull its supposed to do for you, but I never really thought much about it. Shrugging, I tried to imitate Wallflower's poise and closed my eyes. Then....I have no idea what the hell I'm supposed to do. Before I could let Wallflower know what was up, she started to clear that problem.

"Take long, deep breaths," she calmly said. "Let your mind drift into a calming lull, like a leaf floating on a gentle stream. Abandon all of your burdens; push them to the back of your mind as a faint memory. All that matters right now is the peace of this cave and your breathing."

I nodded and tried to do as instructed.

It was a bit tricky at first, but I eventually started to get the hang of it. The whole thing felt... pretty weird. With each breath I took, I felt my heartbeat echo out through my body at a steady rhythm. At the same time, I felt my energy flow through me in a slow, but constant stream. With all of that happening, it felt like I was dreaming, but I was aware enough to know that I was awake. It was all really weird, but also soothing in a way that I hadn't felt in a really long time.

All of that almost got thrown out of the window when I noticed something.

When I let my mind settle on the flow of my energy, it felt like there was a spot that was blocked. I could feel these currents my energy was running through all over my body. Most of them were centered on the core in the middle of my chest and the one at the back of my head. The only place were that wasn't the case was my heart.

When I let my focus wonder there, I didn't feel any energy streams running through there. Thing is, it felt like there should be something there.

That's.....probably not good.

Putting a pin in that, I shifted my focus to the core in my head.

It was smaller than the one in my chest with about a quarter of it having energy running through it. The rest of it had streams connected, but it felt like there was some kind of blockage keeping them from giving it energy.

A loud clop snapped me out of my trance.

"The fuck?" I groaned, rubbing both sides of my now spinning head with my paws.

"S-Sorry," Wallflower cringed, an apologetic look in her eyes. "B-But it's...um....lunch time."

"Lunch ti-?"

My numb thought was cut off by a deep growl from my gut.

"Huh," I blinked, staring down at it. "I... guess....? "

Mental note: time flies when I do this stuff. Do not meditate alone.

She gave me a small giggle, stood up, and stretched like a cat.

As soon as she straightened up, she asked, "Is there a place you like to eat?"

"Not really," I grunted, popping some stiff joints with the same kind of stretch she did. "Autumn usually packs me a lunch or I just grab something from the nearest place on the way to the castle."

"I see," she frowned, rubbing her chin in thought.

That turned into small smile as she asked, "Do you like pasta?"

"Love it," I nodded, licking my chops.

"Perfect," she beamed, walking past me towards the cave exit. "I know this really good neightalian restaurant in town."

"Awesome," I chuckled, tailing her.

While we made our way through the tunnels to get out of here, I mulled over what kind of things I could probably order. I wonder if they even had the same dishes here. Sure, they probably had pun names, but I couldn't really give much of a shit about that. Then again, if Wallflower was recommending it, the stuff was probably pony-centered. Not that I had anything against veggies, but I don't think my body can digest things like flowers or hay.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice that we were stepping out of the tunnels until-

"Fucking sun!" I growled, putting a paw over my burning eyes as I staggered past the threshold.

"Yeah," Wallflower said, bitterly to my left.

After we took a few minutes to get out eyes to adjust, we started making our way down the path back to town.

***

Ever sense Dahlia came to Equis, she had been forced to endure trials that pushed her in ways she didn't know were possible. She went blow for blow with dragons surrounded by scorching active volcanos. She broke away from an abusive kitsune noble. She crossed claws with Sandra in countless fights to the death. She even sailed with her brother through one of the most destructive hurricanes in the Wild Tide to slay an elder kraken. In spite of all of that, the kirin sitting before her scared her more than everything she's faced combined.

Autumn was left in a similar state, staring up at the visibly nervous vixen before her with an uncomfortable frown. She still didn't know how she felt about her. Dahlia hadn't made any moves towards Alex outside of the whole slime incident and even that didn't move past a little drunken teasing. While she was fine with that, the pain she saw in the vixen didn't sit right with her. She genuinely wanted to help her, but she had no idea how to go about it in a way that didn't cause more problems for both of them.

As such, the silence that filled their training grounds was as thick as dried tar, the two of them sitting across from each other at its center.

C'mon, say something! Dahlia stressed, trying to get the words out of her mouth. You practiced what you were going to say on the way here, right? So stop being a chicken-shit bitch and TALK DAMN IT!

Before Dahlia could force out her voice, Autumn found her words first.

"H-How are you?" she nervously asked.

Dahlia flinched, then forced a small smile and said, "Better, thanks."

"That's good," she nodded, a small smile gracing her muzzle.

A familiar knowing tilt formed in Dahlia's smile before she added, "Looks like things have really heated up between you and Alex recently."

Autumn's face instantly turned red, a look of shock flashing across her face.

"Wh-What makes you say that?" she nervously chuckled, looking away from her.

Dahlia just softly chuckled and pointed at her nose.

Autumn's blush grew even hotter at that.

"W-Well, I heard you put some changelings through the wringer recently," she sputtered out with a pout.

Dahlia's eyes widened.

"How the hell did you-?" she started, only for realization to suddenly cross her face.

With a dull growl, paw met face as she asked, "Vermillion told you, didn't she?"

Sporting a smug smile, Autumn nodded.

"Figures," she sighed, letting her paw fall to reveal a rueful smile.

The two shared a giggle, a great deal of the tension bleeding out of the scene.

"You know," Dahlia sighed. "It's good that you two have moved up. It makes what I'm going to ask a little bit easier to say."

"Huh?" Autumn blinked, tilting her head.

Taking a steadying breath, she schooled her expression and stared Autumn dead in the eyes as she asked, "Will you have me as a herd sister?"

Autumn froze, her mind needing a minute to properly process what she was asked.

When she eventually managed it, she could only sputter out a dazed, "Wha?"

"I get that this is a pretty tall ask," Dahlia frowned, her gaze falling to the ground. "But....even if you say no, I...had to at least ask."

Autumn's shock shifted into a concerned frown.

Her own gaze fell as well, mulling over the vixen's request. She thought about all of the time they spent together. About how happy Alex was when she was around. It was plain as day that she cared about Alex, both as a friend and as a crush. It took a lot less time and effort for her to come to her decision on the matter than she thought it would.

With a kind smile, Autumn guided Dahlia's face towards her own with her magic and said, "I accept your request."

Dahlia's eyes widened, before a teary smile slowly formed on her face.

"D-Do you mean it?" she asked.

Autumn nodded, not a trace of doubt or regret on her face as she canceled her magic.

Dahlia took a shaky breath, then said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Autumn chuckled, then sheepishly added, "But don't get too excited. We still need to see if this whole thing is okay with Alex."

"Don't remind me," she snorted, trying to wipe away her tears. "I can only imagine how he's gonna take the news."

"That you like him or that you want to form a herd with us?" Autumn impishly asked, playfully nudging her with a hoof.

"Yes," Dahlia groaned, her whole body wilting like her namesake under the sun.

Autumn giggled at the display, earning a weary smile from Dahlia.

Things were going to be complicated in the near future, but that didn't dim the hope she felt in her heart.

***

Treehugger enjoyed a nice glass of iced tea, the peace and quiet within her wagon matching the zen in her heart. Sid sat across from her doing the same, savoring the moment just as much as his drink. The duo had let the silence own the room for the last hour, neither of them in any real hurry to get into the reason for their meeting. Unfortunately for Sid, the nagging feeling at the back of his mind refused to let him truly enjoy the moment. With great reluctance, he took a slow breath and broke the peace.

"Things are going to be dangerous soon."

Treehugger nodded, her dreamy smile falling away.

"I can see the bad vibes, soul brother," she sighed, refilling her cup. "Hopefully, Starlight's spell can keep them from touching the town."

"It should," he nodded, glaring into his cup. "I can feel that we have a lot of time on our hands, but I fear that the viper's poison will find a crack. She has in the past, and forever will until the fires of hell claim her hollowed soul."

"Indeed,," she frowned, a deep sorrow marring her features. "It will be time to stain my soul for the first time in years."

"It will be a small blot of ink," Sid said, offering a small reassuring smile. "A mare such as yourself has a soul too bright to stay tainted for long."

"Thank you, soul brother," she chuckled. "Your kind words does this old mare's heart some good."

"I speak nothing, but the truth," he smiled, taking a sip from his cup.

"Speaking of the truth," Treehugger smirked. "How long are you going to deny your feelings?"

He raised a brow at that.

"What do you mean?"

Treehugger's smile turned impish, a small chuckle passing her lips.

"Soul brother, I don't need to see aura to know how much Wallflower and you care for each other."

Sid chuckled.

"I do care for her, but that is as far as it will go. Anything more than that is....impossible."

"Because of what you are?" she frowned, raising a brow.

"Because of who I am," he snorted, a flicker of pain creeping in and out of his smirk.

Treehugger's frown deepened.

"More of Sandra's work?"

"It's....complicated," he sighed. "Let's just say, it's safer for her if we don't move beyond friendship."

Taking the hint, Treehugger dropped the topic.

Mostly, at least.

"If danger is locking you out of love, could I try to be the key?" she asked, her smile returning with a slight impish quirk.

Sid blinked in shock at that for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Are...you making a pass at me?"

"Maybe," she shrugged, leaning forward slightly.

"A...bit sudden, don't you think?" he awkwardly chuckled. "I mean, this is, what, the second time we've seen each other?"

Treehugger took a small sip of her drink, a tiny giggle rolling out of her.

"A mare likes what she likes, soul brother."

"I see," he snorted. "You have....odd tastes. Do you know that?"

"Is it odd for a warrior to be attracted to strength?" she asked with a playful wink.

Sid was going to comment on that, but stopped himself at the last second.

He remembered what his sister had told him about his hostess's background. Specifically being that the mare had been adopted by a nomadic minotaur warrior tribe. Keeping that in mind, Treehugger's behavior made a bit more sense.

"Is it not a bit...sleazy to make a move on me?" he asked, taking a sip from his drink. "I mean, you already admitted that Wallflower and I are just short of being an item, after all."

"You also said that you don't want to be more than friends," she stated, still smiling.

Shit. She had me there.

"And you think that would change between us?" he asked, frowning over his cup at her. "Like I said, we barely know each other."

"Both can change," Treehugger chuckled. "Slowly, of course. I am not saying that we should become mates right now. I'm just letting you know I'm interested. I'm fine with being your friend, if you will let me."

Sid raised a brow, internally dazed by the turn this visit had taken. Sure, he did come to her looking for help in the coming battle, but this was not how he expected to get it. He had no problem having a skilled fighter like Treehugger as a friend, though he was sure that Wallflower would have an absolute fit if she learned about her intentions.

Keeping that in mind, he calmly asked, "Do you think Wallflower would take this well?"

Treehugger's smile was unshaken by that. If anything, it gained a tiny air of smugness before she gave her answer.

"I feel she will be open to the idea. Especially if we became herd sisters."

Sid's eyes widened a bit, but no other signs of shock made it past his pokerface.

A resolute frown replaced Treehugger's smile, her posture straightening as she continued.

"Regardless of how things turn in the future, you will have my strength to summon. Be it friend or lover, I will do whatever I must to protect those I care about. This, I swear to you; both as a mare and as a warrior."

Upon the conclusion of her oath, a faint pulse of magic washed over the room, sending a small electric tingle through Sid's body. Even without it, he could see the resolve in the mare's eyes and the unmovable aura her posture radiated. She was serious, absolutely and down to the core of her very being. A well of respect towards her convictions formed within him at the sight.

The fact that the nagging feeling at the back of his mind dimmed significantly only added to his impression of her.

Letting out a defeated sigh, he offered a tired smile and said, "I'm....not ready to date at the moment, but I'm glad to have you as a friend. If things with me change, then you, me, and Wallflower are going to have to talk things out."

"I understand, soul brother," she smiled, her posture relaxing. "Thank you for having me."

"You're welcome," he chuckled. "Though we should probably let Wallflower know about our friendship after this. Last thing we need is to get our minds scrambled because of a misunderstanding."

"I agree," she chuckled. "I like having my thoughts as they are."

Chuckling, he nodded and took a long pull from his glass.

Her impish smile returned with a small eye flutter as she added, "I hope I can be your cow in the future."

Sid spat the rest of his iced tea past Treehugger, the absol pounding his chest as he fought off his coughing fit. Treehugger lightly chuckled before she got up to get a towel, a small sashay entering her walk as did so. While he slowly recomposed himself and watched her tend to his mess, one thing became very clear to him. Things in his life were going to be very, very, very complicated for him from this point moving on.

Ch.35 Hot Topics and Cold Truths "(nervous gulp) Oh Boy..."

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Like you can guess, the kitchen at my place was usually a bit of a circus in the morning. According to Autumn, it was a BYOB-type deal that just sort've happened. It took some getting used to for me at first, but that changed pretty quick. It definitely helped make the whole "candle" incident a lot more bearable.

Weekends though, where a lot more quiet.

While I downed some of my coffee, Autumn was leaning into my side using her Force powers to cut up her plate of waffles. We just let the whole moment sit and enjoyed the quiet together. It was...nice.

At the same time, my thoughts kept drifting towards my status-move training.

While I could use Protect on command, the other three moves were being a giant trio of bitches. I...mostly knew what the moves were, but the damn things refused to activate! I think one of them is fire-type...maybe? It....kind've felt like it ran on the same energy as my Flamethrower, now that I thought about it. The other two felt...weird. One felt kind've hazy and cold while the other felt...sinister.

Before I could really dwell on that, Autumn cleared her throat to get my attention.

"What's up?" I asked, floating my mug down to the table.

She fidgeted, tapping her hooves together while smiling nervously at me.

"Um...do you have any plans for today?"

"Not...really?" I blinked. "Why?"

"Well..." she nervously chuckled. "Dahlia and I were going to the Spa today and I was wondering if maybe...you'd want to come with?"

The spa, huh? Not my usual scene. I wasn't too big on having strangers touching me, even before the whole...incident. At the same time, now that I thought about it, I did wonder what they did in a place like that here. I doubt they gave "happy endings", but I could live with that. Hell, if Dahlia of all people was going to give it a shot, then why not?

"Eh, why not?" I shrugged, floating my mug to my mouth.

"Great!" she cheered, then nervously asked, "Um...totally random question, but...do you know anything about....herds?"

"No?" I frowned, lowering my mug. "Should I?"

Suddenly blushing, Autumn just gave me a nervous laugh before she started shoving pieces of waffle into her mouth.

I raised a brow at her for a few seconds, then let the topic drop and dug into my own stack of waffles.

Must be a woman thing.

Then why would she ask you if you knew about it?

The hell if I know.

***

Sid sat at Wallflower's table, calmly sipping a cup of tea. A look of blank acceptance dominated his face while he stared blankly into the distance. In spite of the bubble of calm that surrounded him, a heavy wave of malice filled the living room. The source of this intense rage sat at the eastern side of the coffee table, the solid green mare smiling stiffly while she slowly stirred a spoon in her tea with a hoof. Treehugger weathered her hostess's rage with a calm smile, her dreamy gaze meeting Wallflower's piercing stare.

Sid let out a faint tired sigh before he took another sip from his cup.

The visit had started out well enough. A couple of hours ago, the two mares were chatting merrily with each other, Wallflower in particular ecstatic to meet yet another creature that remembered her even without deactivating her special talent. Sid watched the whole thing with a smile, happy to see his friend so happy. That all took a sudden turn the second Treehugger revealed the main reason for her visit. The second the word "herd" left Treehugger's mouth, all of Wallflower's friendliness turned into intense animosity.

That vicious aura trapped the room in a heavy silence that lasted for an impressive twenty minutes, one that Sid was smart enough not to break and Treehugger was more than willing to wait through.

I knew something like this was going to happen, he thought, frowning into his cup, feeling a small tingle in the back of his head.

While the two mares continued their silent stare-down, he took careful note of every available exit in the room. Whether those exits were for him or one of the mares depended entirely on what happened in the next few minutes. In the meantime, all he could do was wait for the coming storm to either pass or rage itself dry.

Eventually, Wallflower broke the silence.

"I am not going to accept this," she frowned, letting go of the spoon in her cup. "We don't need to form a herd."

"Do you think I would take your place?" Treehugger asked, taking a casual sip from her cup.

Wallflower's posture stiffened.

Treehugger gave her an understanding smile.

"That would not be the case. You would be the main mare and I would be your herd sister."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Wallflower pressed.

Treehugger's smile turned a bit impish as she replied, "Because the love you share with Sid is too strong for me to take away."

Both Sid and Wallflower blushed at that, the latter far heavier than the former.

"I thought we talked about this already," Sid frowned.

"We have," she nodded. "And we both know what my strength will unlock."

She ended that with a playful wink, earning a confused look from Wallflower.

Sid let out a tired sigh.

"What...are you two talking about?" Wallflower asked.

"It is...simple," Treehugger sheepishly smiled, a tiny blush coloring her muzzle. "I...want to be worthy of Sid's foals, but I also want to help break down the barrier between your's and his hearts."

A great deal of Wallflower's aggression fell out of her, a heavy sense of intrigue taking its place.

"What do you mean?" she asked, raising a brow.

Treehugger gave the both of them a knowing smile, then said, "I think you both know the answer to that, soul sister."

***

I honestly don't think I've ever been this relaxed in my entire life. In the last couple of...hours? Minutes? Whatever. After getting massaged, steamed, and soaked in a hot tub, I was already on a new level of chill. Now, the three of us were laying out in a dim room with smooth jazz and some kind of metal box that was letting out a slow stream of purple mist. Yeah, I was a bit iffy on the thing at first, but the spa pony (I think she was Aloe, but don't quote me on that) reassured me that it was just lavender essence and that nothing sketchy was going to happen. I still had my doubts, but Autumn told me that she could vouch for the mare, so I decided to give it a chance.

I took a long deep breath and laid my head on a pillow on the ground. Autumn was curled up at my side covered with my tails. Dahlia was...doing the same on my other side and had a couple of her tails on my back. That, among other things, was what kept me from fully enjoying the whole thing.

Ever sense we met up with her today, Dahlia had been acting...weird. Not only had she been acting all fancy, but she seemed kind've nervous around me. She was also being really affectionate for some reason. Nothing too crazy; just stuff like leaning into me in the hot tub or wrapping one of her tails around mine in the steam room. That last bit didn't piss me off for some reason, but I just chalked that up to us being old friends. Even weirder than all of that was the fact that Autumn was totally cool with all of this. Hell, it almost looked like she was encouraging Dahlia at some points.

Is this some kind of kirin thing? A ninetales thing? What the hell is going on here?! Brain? Wanna help me out here?!

I'm just as confused as you are here. I think we should wade this out and see where this goes, for now.

Right...

Pushing the whole thing to the back of my mind, I closed my eyes and tried to make the most of the moment. Thing is, with Dahlia this close to me, it was hard not to notice a couple things. The first thing I noticed was that she was smaller than me. Maybe it was because we were different types of ninetales or because she was a girl, but I couldn't help noticing that she was about half a foot smaller than me. She was also colder than Autumn. Not, like, arctic cold or anything like that, but it was enough for me to notice. Even her fur felt a little different from mine; a lot softer and fluffier.

"How are you feeling?" Autumn asked, nuzzling into my side.

"Good," I sighed, too chill to move,

Autumn giggled, then asked something that made my ear twitch.

"Do you...remember what I asked you this morning?"

"About herds?" I asked back, peeking an eye open.

I felt Dahlia fidget a little.

Sneaking a peek at her, I saw that she was hiding her face under a paw and....was she blushing?

Autumn clearing her throat pulled my attention back to her. She...was blushing too. Okay...what was going on here?

Autumn took a deep breath and nervously asked, "Alex, what would you say if I told you that there was somecreature that...had feelings for you? O-Other than me, I mean."

I let out a small chuckle and raised my head towards her.

"I'd say "that's a good one". It's already a miracle that I have you in my life. Other people? Hah! I doubt a hot mess like me could pull that off."

Autumn gave me a worried frown.

I let out a sigh and said, "Right...I know, I know. Old habits. Still, I really can't see anyone being into me. Well, there was that whole thing with Rarity a few weeks ago, but I'm blaming the booze for that mess."

"What?" both girls asked, sounding a little like they wanted to murder someone.

"Long story," I sighed. "I think Vermillion could fill you in on the details, later."

"She better," Autumn grumbled.

Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"Anyway, when two or more female creatures...like the same male, it is possible for them to form a...group with him. For kirin, ponies, zebras, and donkeys, these groups are called herds."

"O-kay, I'm following," I nodded, raising a brow. "So, where exactly are you going with this?"

"Well..." Autumn nervously chuckled, looking at....something over my shoulder.

Slowly, I turned my head towards where she was looking...at a sheepish Dahlia.

It took me a couple minutes to piece everything together. When I did, I could only numbly ask one question.

"For how long?"

Dahlia gave me a sad smile and sadly said, "For...a really long time. I just never had the guts to go for it."

"I-I see," I stammered out, then turned my head towards Autumn and asked, "And you're okay with this?"

She nodded, then asked, "Are you?"

"I..."

I looked back and forth between the two of them, both of them giving me worried looks. I didn't know how I felt about this. I mean, I was just getting used to having one girlfriend, but two? The fact that it was Dahlia of all people just made my head spin even more. My first instinct was to doubt that this was happening, but the looks Dahlia and Autumn were giving me proved that wrong. Still, I could feel the mental tug-o-war between my doubt and facts the longer I looked at the two of them.

Gritting my teeth, I closed my eyes and looked down.

"Alex?" Dahlia asked, worry in her tone.

"I...don't know," I grunted. "A part of me wants to give this a try, but..."

"You don't want to screw up our friendship," Dahlia softly cut in.

I opened my eyes and looked at her in shock.

She gave me a sad smile and continued.

"You're afraid that you're not good enough. That you'll do or say something that will ruin everything and we'll hate each other. Am I right?"

I nodded, still stunned.

"H-How did you-?" I forced out, but Dahlia gently cut in.

With tears in her eyes and still smiling, she said "Because I've been living with those feelings for way too long."

I...was too stunned to say anything to that. So, instead, I just did what felt right. I let one of my tails slide off of Autumn's back and wrap around one of Dahlia's. She took a quick look back, then gave me a bright smile. I gave her one back, but I think mine was a bit more nervous-looking than the one hers turned into. She quickly wiped her tears away and went back to nuzzling into my side. Autumn did the same, while I laid my head back down onto my pillow.

I still didn't know what to think about this whole thing, but I did know how I felt about it. I was going to give this whole thing a shot. Well...I guess we were going to give this a shot.

***

"Another shot!" I shouted, trying to get the bartender's attention.

The stallion gave me a nod and went to get a bottle of rum.

The bar was just as lively as the last couple of times I was there. Everyone was loudly throwing back drinks and talking about random stuff that I didn't really care all that much about. Sid sat at the bar table with me looking like he had a few things on his mind. I probably looked the same, all things considered.

"Sure you shouldn't just ask him to leave the bottle?" Sid asked, nursing his own drink.

"Good idea," I sighed.

When the bartender got to us, I asked him to leave the bottle and then grab three more.

"Long day?" Sid asked.

"Crazy day," I chuckled, downing about half of the first bottle. "Get this. Apparently, Dahlia's had a thing for me for a few years. Autumn found out somehow and the two of them agreed to...share me? I think? Honestly, I'm....still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing."

"She already told you?" he as- wait, WHAT THE HELL?!

"You knew?!" I barked, turning towards him.

"It was on the day you were caught in that slime," the bastard sighed. "Sis had a huge breakdown after you left in front of everyone. Autumn took her back to her place so she could get her head on straight."

"Really?" I frowned. "How bad was it?"

"Really bad," he frowned, downing his drink. "I think....she blames herself for what happened to you."

I froze, my thoughts instantly jumping to what Dahlia had said a few hours ago. Anger slowly boiled into my veins.

"That's stupid," I growled. "She had nothing to do with that."

"That's not how she sees it," he frowned, gesturing for the bartender to refill his cup. "She was the one that introduced you to her. As far as she's concerned, sis is the one that almost got you killed."

My anger got hotter from that. How could Dahlia know how much of a psychotic cunt Sandra was? She had no reason to beat herself up like that! None of us did! If anyone deserves to suffer, it was that bitch Sandra! No one will hurt my mates! I'LL TEAR HER THROAT OUT BURN HER SOUL TO ASHES!!! I'LL MAKE HER PAIN LEGENDARY!!! HER NEXT TWENTY LIVES WILL BE IN SLOW AGONY!!! SHE! WILL! BURN!

Wait...what?

I blinked and whatever-the-hell that was suddenly stopped. Groaning, I rubbed a dull ache out of my forehead with a paw.

"Are you okay?" Sid asked, a worried look on his face.

"I...think so," I groaned, looking at him. "Might need to pace my shots a little, here."

"Right," he nodded, giving me a raised brow. "So, how are you and sis going to do this?"

I let out a small snort then answered with a smile I barely felt.

"Well, Autumn's talking about letting her move into one of our guest rooms until we can get our room set up for her."

"How'd sis take that?" Sid chuckled.

"Uhhh," I chuckled, looking away from him as I (sheepishly) calmly said, "Did you know Dahl looks really cute when she blushes?"

Sid just burst out laughing at that.

Asshole.

"Sh-Shut it!" I sputtered. "At least I'm not bullshitting everyone about my love-life."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he chuckled, sipping his shot.

I rolled my eyes at that.

"If you keep that up, Wallflower's gonna turn into a yandare."

"I doubt that," he snorted.

I reached out to grab my bottle, but froze about half way. I could remember Wallflower, like completely. If what she told me yesterday was right then that meant-

I looked around and, sure enough, Wallflower had just walked into the bar. Treehugger wasn't that far behind, for some reason. When Sid turned to see what I was looking at, his whole body froze. That got a raised brow out of me.

"Are you okay?" I asked, giving his shoulder a nudge.

A second after I asked that, I saw the pair start heading our way in my peripheral.

Sid just let out a rueful chuckle and said, "If you think your love-life is complicated, wait a few seconds. I think my herd and I have a real story for you."

Cold Fire

by Arcanum -Phantasy

Ch.1 So...I'm Foxy...

Ch.2 All Hale the Fox King..."Wait, what?!"

Ch.3 Straight from the Horse's Mouth...."Hey, no fox pun this time."

Ch.4 Well Fox me..."....Seriously?"

Ch. 5 A Sad Tail... "I do have nine of them."

Ch.6 Two Shots of Fire..."....Spicy..."

Ch.7 Shy Embers..."This is NOT what it looks like!"

Ch.8 Bonfire Foxes... "We're doing fire puns now?"

Ch. 9 Blazing Trails.... "Welp...Time to Hit the Road."

Ch.10 Running on a Pyre..."Wow. Talk about Stretches."

Ch. 11 Good Vibes "Uh.....Nope. I've Got Nothing."

Ch. 12 Sparks.... "Huh...A Double Pun this Time."

Ch. 13 Slow Burn ..."Yeah... This Is Gonna Be Messy"

Ch. 14 Autumn Embers "And The Puns Keep Coming..."

Ch. 15 A Fox Among Ponies "Welp...Time To Meet The Natives...Again"

Ch.16 Changing Flares "Here We Go"

Ch. 17 Working NInetales to Five "....Okay, That Was A Good One"

Ch.18 Run Fox! Run! "Wait, WHAT?!"

Ch. 19 A Really Hot Night "Show time!"

Ch. 20 A Foxy Reunion "This Is Gonna Be...Complicated"

Ch. 21 Cold Hard Truth ,,,,,"The Pack is Back!"

Ch.22 Absol-utely Fed Up "Yep... We're Going There Now..."

Ch. 23 Stone Cold Vixen "And Proud Of It!"

Ch. 24 I S^e Yo# N&w ( e u o)... "...The Fuck Was in That Drink?!..."

Ch. 25 Something Great and Powerful This Way Comes..."Here We go Folks..."

Ch. 26 Use the Fox..."May the fox be with you."

Ch. 27 Feed a Cold, Start a Fire "Oh...My...."

Ch. 28 A Grim Meeting "Can't We All Just Get Along?"

Ch.29 Cold Jelly "....The Fuck?"

Ch.30 Cold Hard Truth "Story Time Folks..."

Ch.31 Hot and Bothered..."Let's see where this goes..."

Ch.32 Afterglow "If You Know, You Know..."

Ch.33 Skulking in the Dark "Well...shit."

Ch.34 Learning Things the Herd Way... "Huh. I Wonder How This Is Going To Go."

Ch.35 Hot Topics and Cold Truths "(nervous gulp) Oh Boy..."