The Lunar-Winged Caballus'sby LunicStream1105ChaptersPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6PrologueAt the top of the tower, four ponies were taking in the landscape that surrounded them in full, the sunset shining back at them, and the bright city below that was known to be surrounded thanks to a connecting bridge to the main land. The wind was a bit harsh, but the elevation only counted toward that. "Colas... do you wonder about the night?" Colos asked, his sister looked at him in the eyes. "What do you mean, brother?" she asked. Colos stuttered a bit, never thinking he'd have to back it up. "Well-" he continued nerved. "Oh, brother..." Twister teased Colas' earlier statement. JetStream snickered. "I do, for sure." Twister looked at JetStream. "And what do you mean?" he redirected the question to him. His hooves were hanging over the raised edge of the Belfry they were standing in, they started to swing as JetStream wondered. "They're mysterious being that we bet haven't even seen... and they might as well delve into the forest to see even one." JetStream responded as he turned back to Twister. "I think of stuff that can barely happen, unlike what are already in Equestria... what if the sun and moon were in the same spot... er, or at least both in the sky?" JetStream groaned. "Don't worry, I think about that too." "So, Colas? What do you think of it?" she was struck with nervousness as they all watched intently for her answer. "I, think it's nerve-wrecking..." she said as she watched the sun touch the horizon. Colos sighed. "I guess I'll never get too much of you..." everypony went silent as the sun finally went under the visible landscape for the first second of night has come and gone. Twister just about spoke up, but JetStream saw something blink on the roof above. "Did you guys see that?" he asked. "See what?" Colos wondered. "I just saw a red light blink up there..." JetStream sat himself on the edge to see if it was anything, there he got on his hind legs to peer over the roof to get a look. "JetStream!" Twister jumped to the edge and looked over to see what he was intending to do. "I saw a light, Twister! I must a get a look!" he shouted back down, only to look back up. That's when Twister noticed JetStream's ring on his upper arm. "What's with that ring you're wearing, JetStream?" "That's not important right no-." JetStream froze when his vision met with the object, "What are you?" they heard him say. "What are you talking about?" they asked. JetStream was looking at a figure striking similar to a pony, yet the pony figure was transparent and a red color all the way through. "Hello?" he tried to get it's attention, "This things eyes are closed, yet it looks a lot like a pony itself..." suddenly the eyelids of the figure opened, and revealed no iris or pupils, the figure was still entirely red. It didn't look like a hollo-gram either, it seemed to actually be clinging on to the white, cemented-filled roof. Everypony paused as it started to make noises, and then shocked everyone when it started to speak. "A one with an all-around eye can see such a wry coming. If that pony can see it, the grit of many will come to challenge. After a fortnights pass, these rare ponies will come in mass." "Who's speaking up ther-?" it suddenly made a hissing noise. And from it's defensive crouched position on all fours, it suddenly leaped into the air, showing wings JetStream's never seen before just before it disappeared right in front of the moon. "...?" what was left was some sphere object that he couldn't get a good glimpse of it as the half moon was out. The object rolled its way down the roof, and rammed into JetStream nose. "Agh!" and catching him by surprise, his grip slipped. "JetStream!" Twister bent over the edge shouting as JetStream fell. The ponies around looked toward Altamare Spire and gasped. Even though JetStream was panicking for his life, he suddenly remember the bush he spotted on his look downward before he helped himself up. 'That bush can break my fall! But yet, not the whole thing is just leaves!' and with a sudden smack he hit the bush below, involving all the sounds of cracking from the bushes stems. JetStream looked to the right as his fur began to fade purple a bit, "... Oh no..." he slowly looked back to check on the sphere, and there it goes, falling down. As it did JetStream realized the sphere actually looked like some orb, it was turquoise colored and some designs on the inside. And from the looks of things, it was about to pummel the left of his stomach from where it'll land, he took one breath, '... JUST STOP IT!!!' he shouted just before it hit him. His heart still racing, he waited for the orb to hit him unconscious. "...?" he took a longer look around and noticed that he was getting light shined on him. Breathing at unsteady beat he looked at the orb and his eyes suddenly widened, "...!" from where everypony else was standing, the bush itself was glowing for no reason. "Hurry! There's no time to be hanging around here, let's get down there!" Colas ordered, as she herself went down first. "Right!" the others responded. One witness saw Twister back away from the edge, and gallop to the door there with an angry expression. "Wait a moment..." he had a sprouting thought that the others might need to know, and that's what he intended to do. "What did you do, Twister!?" Colos exclaimed. "I only tried to see what he was doing, don't blame me for this!" he responded. The rhythmic beats of the three's hooves hitting on the wooden stairs didn't seem to help, as it did indeed feel like he was to blame. Suddenly JetStream started to shift, hearing the leaves and stems sort of woke him up, "What's going on?" he asked as he noticed a couple glows forming around JetStream. The leaves just seemed to fly away on their own, as what it seemed to be. But instead, JetStream was lifted off from the bush as well, "What?" "JetStream..." 'That voice...' he turned his head to realize Corolla was galloping her way here. JetStream turned back around and thought again, 'If she's already seen me like this, what do I do now?' the other glows around were citizens trying to help out, which Corolla thanked a bunch for. Suddenly the door to the Spire opened. "JetStream?" Colas called, JetStream huffed. "Of course she's the first one out..." "Over here." one pony pointed out to a bush around the corner, the Spire's interior was circle, while the walls' exterior was a square. When Corolla had it, she set him down on the ground and embraced JetStream around his neck. "I'm so glad you're all right!" "Thanks, Mom..." he smiled and noticed the orb dimmed, and it dropped when she saw Corolla's expression. "I take that back..." she saw the cut from the earlier fall. The ponies on the right of her could've seen it as well. She let go and took a closer look at it. "It's nothing much..." Corolla looked at him. "You must be joking, you have to get that fixed up JetStream..." she paused, "Doesn't that hurt?" the blood lines shined by the orange lights that surrounded the area. "Actually-" Corolla grabbed JetStream's right hoof and forced him to come back home. As it seems JetStream's witness is the moon itself, as it still glows until it hides behinds the very building that is their home. The orb glowed it's brightest anyone has seen as the blood running from JetStream cut suddenly disappeared like the sun to water vapor. Corolla finally let go of his hoof when they were half-way there, and the Spire was visible once again. As their home is on a raised part of the city, it's a plentiful view if one looks close enough. "... I know you look just fine, JetStream. But the Spire is around 65 feet tall, and you're saying that medium sized bush was there to take it all away?" JetStream was silent, but he shrugged. "I do feel it, but it doesn't hurt, sting or anything..." he frowned trying to look at it, JetStream finally got a sense everything has calmed. JetStream looked back to the right, "My friends were back there as well..." Corolla's eyes shined by the moon's light as she looked to JetStream. "Were they the ones coming from the door earlier?" he nodded. "Yes." Corolla looked ahead of them. "Are they okay?" "I'm perfectly sure they are." he sighed. "Listen, JetStream, you and your friends are not in any trouble." "I figured they weren't, but there were ponies roaming around when I fell. I'm just hoping they didn't get blamed for happened..." he looked a bit worried, "And to be honest... they just might be-" JetStream was about to speak up. "Up, up, up-" she said as if it was some admonitory gesture, "But it's something we can set out later." "Alright..." "Hey!" a pony raised his voice. All three looked at him, "What were you three doing up there when that one fell?" all of there expressions burst with life, especially Twister, who felt like he could go hide right then. "We were looking out in the Spire..." Colos pointed to the 55 foot high ground. "You were, huh?" the pony replied. "Of course, we're just up there!" Colas exclaimed, that surprised both Twister and Colos. When it hits night at Altamare, the main colors you'll see are lonely-looking blues and oranges, and some shining white partly from the moon over-head. This town is never as small as you think, as ponies would. The small, thin alleys that detour around the buildings, but while the main paths are wider than any alley, there were also filled with tons more natural light, as where the alleys are scattered with orange lamps. That's where JetStream built this interest into a blue and orange tints, they seem to make a good mix in the arts as well as JetStream has seen before, but it's still only the stuff he passes. This blue and orange phenomenon was something JetStream kept in mind. The orange was the main light source, while the blue could've been the shading behind it, is what he thought as he looked at the moon. The orange... 'The orange represents that courageous side of you, it's adventurous, stubborn to know what's well... it's rather creative... and the blue. It would obviously add some trouble, with important self matters... but at the same time it's the calm, and collective part of you... the one that's sensitive, the one that tells you to turn your cheek, depending on the pony's personality I think... blue and orange. Kind of like the sun and moon too. Sun has a great strength, it helps aid your vision, and look in your darkest places. But soon to all burn out for a moments notice, that's when the moon comes in, let's the sun take a break... although it may still need to be helped, as the younger is still inexperienced. The moon will still be glad to help others even though it's not well known... now. I'm probably thinking over this at a wrong time, but it helps one to wonder... I suppose. I only need to think on mysterious things, yet I hope I'm not the only one.' that's when JetStream remembered the earlier conversation, 'I can't be... we often to nearly all the time. Because with all the topics in world, combined with everypony thinking mysteriously, it's an odd chance to run into the same thing, but all in all is an equal ratio, and I suppose it's the best thing you're looking for if you do find the same interest...' JetStream sighed as their house was just behind another, "I'm no love doctor though..." Corolla turned around. "What was that, JetStream?" his straight face broke into a sheepish smile. "It's nothing..." he smiled. Corolla opened the door, 'Whether or not I make progress, it tends to help either way...' Myriad appeared from around the corner of the hallway. "Hey, buddy." he smiled. 'With all that's happened so far, it's only another reason to be wary in this big world we live in, and you'll be glad to figure there are a web of ponies who'll support you, and not just me...' he smiled back at Myriad. "What happened here?" Myriad asked. JetStream was silent as he looked to Corolla. "No, I need you to, JetStream." JetStream willed himself to stop rolling his eyes. "I fell..." he raised his head for him to continue, "... from the Spire." "What? What could've possibly urged you to do that!?" Corolla shushed him, the building a lot closer than those in Ponyville and Canterlot. He flinched and continued to look at his son until he received an answer, the flames from the oil lamps were flickering their light. "There was this circle looking thing that was on the roof-" "-It didn't slip off? The roof is sloped." Myriad interrupted as he looked at Corolla. "Actually it did afterward, I looked up there because I saw something glowing red..." Myriad gasped. "Glowing red? You never check something out that's glowing, and it's red. That's a double whammy!" JetStream and Corolla gave him an unamused expression. "It started to roll off when I checked on it, my friends were with me too. It hit me and I fell after that... and only a bush broke my fall." Myriad smiled. "Don't be downed by that, JetStream. It's a surprising story. And you're rather a lucky one for that bush to be there." that's when JetStream jumped from his parents grasp. "What is it now?" Corolla asked. "I left it back there!" he exclaimed looking out the door. "I got to go get it!" he turned back to them. Myriad and Corolla looked at one another, they turned back after a couple of seconds and Corolla said. "Fine, if you know where it is then go fetch it real quick. Please don't lose track, we'll keep the lights on, just hurry so we don't wake the neighbors." she smiled. "Thanks, I'll be ba-" he turned around and slammed right into the door. Corolla snickered after she saw JetStream expression. "You alright, champ?" Myriad asked smiling. He violently shook his head from the pain, then turned to slowly open the door. "I'm fine." he said rather quick. "I'll be back!" "And be a bit more observant too!" Corolla added, in fact, Corolla spotted the cut from the bush, as she remembered. But it wasn't bleeding, it was suddenly gone. JetStream blew raspberries as he rushed into the dark for the orb. "I hope it's still there." he said with the cool, crisp wind rushing into his muzzle. JetStream was breathing heavily by now, as if he thought each trip back and forth made it longer every time, "Now that I think about it-" he paused, "-That fall was pretty big... agh, I'm so tired out I can't even-" he slowed down to a walk when he reached the Spire in Altamare Plaza, and looked around to, "I'm sure it is still in the bush..." he trotted up a bit. Twister was still waiting for JetStream to come back. He thought over what he heard from that thing speaking earlier, and thought it might be a thing to come, and the orb on the other side, in front of him, he never touched the orb, heck, he never even looked at it. But he knew JetStream would be back for it, but the other two decided to head back home. When Twister saw him, he called out for him with the 20 foot gap in front of them. He turned to his left, his head raised and a open smile emerged, but that's what caught Twister's attention. The orb glowed white, and JetStream's eyes shined faintly, as if the moon's light were hitting hit, even though the moon was behind him. "JetStream?" "Twister!" he galloped over in a quick jolt. "Woah!" JetStream hit by the orange light from the post that Twister stood under, "You look really tired..." Twister pointed out. "What do you mean?" he looked out himself, and yet his fur seemed to be more ruff than how it used to be, "Hmm..." he hummed at the thought, "No, I still feel wide awake." he turned around to grab the orb from the bush. Twister trotted up to him. "Wait, how are you going to carry that?" "Wha-?" JetStream looked at it, 'He's right, the orbs bigger than what it was hours ago...' "..." he stared at it for a second, "I can roll it home!" he placed it on the ground, and placed his hooves on the orb and started to roll it away from him, and it started to glow again. JetStream noticed it's progress was rather slow, Twister was at a walking pace to keep up with him. "Where is your home, exactly?" he asked. "It's near the edge at the most top point of Altamare, why?" Twister's eyes opened wide. "Are you kidding? That would a take a Stallion full gallop to get here in five minutes!" "Hey, I know I'm still a colt, but it took me about five minutes." he responded. "That doesn't matter, JetStream. How long it takes is how fast you're moving this thing-" he pointed to the orb, "-not how fast you can tread with nothing on you..." the orb sparked when JetStream looked back to Twister, his eyes with a faint glow shown again, "W-what's doing that?" JetStream paused. "Actually I felt that... it was a warm feeling..." they both noticed his fur standing on edge, "Ehh..." JetStream looked at himself. Twister nudged the orb. "This isn't an ordinary obje-" "Stop it!" JetStream snarled back, Twister recoiled, "... You might break it..." he finished, lovingly stroking the sphere. "Sorry..." Twister and JetStream paused for the longest time, "... Are you sure this is the only way?" Twister asked. "Of course it is..." they both walked under an orange light post, "... but if you get something. I don't know a saddlebag could help, I've already gone the distance..." Twister felt a cold wave down his back. "Are you okay? I think it's fine to say you're acting weird for you acting weird..." he frowned. "It's nothing much, Twister. Only thing I do feel different though-" he looked at Twister, "-I'm more awake suddenly." he looked at the orb glow again, with Twister watching that happen. "... Are you starting to drink coffee?" Twister asked. JetStream rose an eyebrow. "Who under Celestia's watch drinks coffee?" JetStream replied. Chapter 1Part 1 JetStream continuously rolled the sphere back and forth in the middle of his room as he was sat down next to it with a meter stick next to his hind legs. The sun poured into the window from the eastern horizon, and the orb stopped glowing as well. "I just can't figure out why though..." he sighed, still rolling it back and forth. Hearing the crumbs of the soft concrete move around, "This thing just appeared, and on the roof of the Spire... why way up there?" JetStream turned to the sun, the light hit his eyes and face and he recoiled, "Sun's bright today..." he turned back to the orb, "Did it stop glowing because of how bright the daylight is? Yeah, maybe I just can't see it at day, because the sun's bright... the glow must be too faint." he stopped rolling it and stood up, pushing the meter stick away from him a bit. He walked to the window and looked outside. His eyes squinted, "It's a little bit brighter out in general." he said, "Is that what I get for staying up late?" he asked himself as he looked away form the window. He turned back to the sphere, "Speaking of last night, what was that holo-gram of a pony doing with this sphere? And where did it go after it hissed at me?" JetStream huffed and sat down next to it and picked it up, "Ugh, this thing feels slightly heavier too." he grabbed the meter stick for the moment and put it next to the sphere and sighed, "Twister was right, this thing is getting bigger..." he set the meter stick down, "But for what purpose?" reading the meter stick the sphere was three centimeters bigger in diameter than it was when they first saw it. At the beginning it was small, to where it could've fit in a human palm, but it seems to be expanding from there, 'There so many things to do with this...' he thought noticing it doesn't even shine from the sun, even though it's getting hit with it's light. And the thing seems to be mostly of what looks like glass, but it seems a bit light to be glass, 'Maybe crystal?' he tapped on it, it did make the sound it was made to do though, as everything else, other than that, was just fine. He paused as Myriad passed his doorway, and soon looked back to it. He went to touch it with his right hoof, with it still in the sun, his hoof went into the orb, "What?" the orb glowed like it did last night, just before he stuck it back out in the the fresh air he breathes, his hoof started to feel a burning sensation, "Ah!" he stood up and blew on it to cool it off. Myriad was suddenly at the door. "You alright?" "I stuck my hoof into the orb somehow, and now it feels like a furnace..." he closed his eyes tight from the pain, but in all panic from this sudden reaction, his Auric sight kicked in without thought. He saw multiple thin strands of different colors that involve the night, as it seems, there were dark blues, purples, some rare whites too. He opened his eyes with the unique sight active, and looked at his dad, who looked like somepony he's never seen. But after a look for a bit more he figured it looked like the same looking red pony from the orb. With the effect of the Auric sight, JetStream's eyes were wavering like a fire from the middle to the top of the eye, and a bit more blue Aura on the outside of his eye looking like a flame itself. "JetStream!" Myriad was worried, but the figure JetStream saw looked angry, and for the instinct in ponies all around Equestria it's common for them to try and come up for a reason why. But since this is happening out of nowhere, it's starting to scrape away at JetStream sanity since it has nothing to work with. Without another seconds hesitation Myriad kicked the orb out of the sunlight. Now JetStream's hoof felt cool, yet still uncomfortable. "Are you all right?" he looked at JetStream right in the eye with a hoof on his shoulder. "Thirteen days... we're coming..." the figure said in a viscous tone and expression. "No..." he responded to the figure. "No..." he responded to Myriad. Suddenly the figure JetStream saw with his Auric sight, unfolded his wings, '...!' JetStream tried to escape the grasp of the figure in front of him, he shoved the figures left arm up and turned all the way around. Suddenly JetStream shoved Myriad's left arm and turned completely around. But as he did, his hoof touched sunlight on the very end of his hoof. That's when Myriad saw a purple transparent gas of some kind release from JetStream. His Auric sight went away then, and with his eyes still closed, all he saw was the dark. Myriad could sense this was the point of calm. "What is going on!?" Corolla walked in at a steady pace after all the noise. Her voice suddenly opened JetStream's eyes, he turned to them in surprise. "What?" he turned to the orb, and it was over on the other side of the room with Myriad between them two. "Are you alright, JetStream?" he nodded. "I was... startled..." he looked at the orb as the glow fainted. "I think we need to get rid of this thing..." Myriad stated frowning. JetStream jumped up. "No! We need to keep it, I need to figure out what it's purpose is!" Myriad still looked skeptical, he looked at Corolla. "It's been only a night, let's let it go for a bit longer." she replied. JetStream rolled the orb back into the middle of the room as Myriad walked out. "Things thing isn't bad-" JetStream said, "-I just need to be more cautious..." he looked back to the orb, wondering what he'll do for the day. Suddenly Corolla appeared from the door way. "Why don't you come in here, JetStream, and come get something to eat?" "Alright, I'll be there." he said thinking that it has been a while since he has eaten. Part 2 JetStream sighed after he told Twister everything earlier the same morning as they walked through a shaded path near the outside of the city. "Wow, so that figure you saw on the Spire looked like the one that came out of nowhere." JetStream nodded. "To clarify, yes." Twister looked up at the roofs of the building directly next to him. "I gotta say, JetStream. That orb's been doing something strange lately..." JetStream sighed, looking at Twister. "Yeah, I know... It's just the fact that these ponies I see aren't Pegasi. They have wings but they don't look like the normal fur covered ones we do..." Twister paused before looking back down. "Like Colos, and Colas?" he asked slowly, as if he wanted to not guess things wrong. "Yeah, Twister, that's what I mean..." Him looking at Twister that way reminded how passivly-aggresive JetStream was. "I have to admit, one of those strange things is the way you're acting. When I just poked it you went over that like you had the thing for years." "I'm sorry, I didn't know I was being that forceful... if that's the word..." they both had to squint there eyes as the buildings stopped following the path, as this lead to a wide road. "You think there will be a moment when we decide to go back to the Spire?" Twister asked. They both looked to their left and saw more than half of the Spire from the buildings closest to them. The sun's bloom on the Spire was a great value. "Of course we will." JetStream responded, "So, where are Colos and Colas anyway?" Twister rolled his eyes as JetStream had to bring something up, he started walking along the road they just found. "I don't know, but I thought they were doing something for their parents... or something." JetStream suddenly looked behind him. "I feel like I want to go back home..." JetStream hates cutting out on these kind of walks, but that orb made him feel otherwise. "Don't you think you're caring about a bit too much?" Twister asked. They both would soon have to realize that they weren't the only ones on the road around Altamare. Many ponies passing looked at them curiously "Some orb?" "Acting strangely?" they'd probably think to themselves. "No, it's not that, I think their might be some involvement of day and night with this orb, Twister!" ponies noticed the melo-drama every now and then, "I remember during the night I found it, it was glowing for some reason. But now since it's day and really bright, it stopped glowing-" he looked at Twister, "-And there has to be a reason for that..." "It's agreeable..." he wondered puckering his lips a bit. "And I hope it is, because that figure I told you about also has to do something with the way I use my Aura ability..." Twister's eyes opened wider. "Yeah, I know what you're talking about there. That incident with getting lost in the forest?" JetStream nodded. "Of course, yet that happened seven years ago." Twister shook his head. "Don't know why you bring that up all the time." he frowned with a questioning tone. "Because I think it's safe to say that everypony has Aura. Even an non-living object has one." he stated, "Now about something else." JetStream continued as the town's bridge was just barely visible, and looking left would show the whole town rising from the ground as it was built from the ground, "I remember what that figure said about the fortnight thing." Twister shrugged. "Sorry, but I don't know what that is..." "I think I've heard of it before..." JetStream scratched his head, then turned to Twister, "-or something like it. And it talked about some group coming in that amount of time." "So, a fortnight must be some amount of time? I guess that's one thing." Twister said. "Okay." JetStream nodded. Suddenly Twister stopped. "What is it?" JetStream asked when he turned around. "Think we should ask the ponies here what it is?" "It does seem like an easy question..." JetStream continuously tapped his chin, rather nervous on the inside, he put his hoof back on the cemented road, right on a blue rock under its place, "Sure we can give it shot, there has to be somepony who can know about it." Twister looked at JetStream before taking off. "But how where we know to catch up to each other?" Twister asked. The Altamare Spire behind him beamed light, and JetStream smiled. "It's simple, we'll meet at the Spire." he said pointing a hoof. "Right." he replied just before he galloped off. JetStream turned around as he decided to go the other way, and started galloping. "This city is rather busy, I don't know who to ask." he grit his teeth. He had to be careful, unlike Canterlot, ponies were on either side of the road going either direction than to Canterlot, where one side would go a fixed direction. Therefore in Altamare, roads and alleys were a concrete river, dodging ponies left and right. Making sure you would have no slip-ups, and why it's much easy at night, where 75 percent of the ponies during the day were gone. JetStream continued to gallop as building flew by, 'Who am I going to ask?' he opened his eyes and noticed a pony in front of him, "...!" he side-stepped to the right and into the building. Losing his balance, and fell to the concrete raising dust. He slid until he hit a pile of cardboard boxes, which a couple of ponies were bringing them into a store. The box JetStream slipped into was facing his direction, and a stack of others were on the right. He slammed into the box, it tilted over from momentum and hit the store they were pushing the boxes into. The stack to the right started to shake, and with JetStream's box now facing up-right. A box with a bigger size fell down facing toward the ground, "Oh n-" his sound was cut from the box going over the one JetStream sat in. He groaned as he heard a couple ponies chuckling as they passed. A pony currently being outside, he looked at the pony chuckling, then decided to look down, and notice their stacking was completely off. "What?" he jumped when the box suddenly pushed upward, it felt like it was air tight. The box covering would go up, but wouldn't budge enough. He took the cover box off and gasped, "How did you get in there?!" JetStream sheepishly smiled as his ears went back. He exited the box and never took eyes off the worker. "I was on my way to ask ponies what a fortnight was..." JetStream then raised his hoof. "No, never heard of it. Now go try and ask somepony else..." he gestured to go away, "Be careful next time!" he said as JetStream went off. "That was not worth it!" he said to himself as he turned the corner and into an alley. He slowed down and sighed. "I don't nopony will understand..." the sky started to turn a tint of red, which soon filled the alley way he was in. He noticed a shadowy figure down the alley in the sun, "Hey!" he called out as he started to gallop. He turned the corner and the sun was right in his eyes, he held as hoof in front of his eyes, and his Aura began to glow, "It kind of burns..." after a while he set his hoof down and looked around, "She's gone..." JetStream looked around while a quiet figure chuckled in some sort of coat of clothing. "He has it..." she said recognizing. Her eyes glowing an pure yellow as she analyzed the pony she saw, She was standing on a nearby roof. JetStream snapped his look toward where she was. "Who's there?" she swiftly went behind the roof and turned around to walk through the city. "Only a bit longer. He's one of them..." she smiled as ponies kept walking below on the paths made for them. "Who was that?" he tried to get a look from where he was, but it seemed like no use as the sun got lower and lower. "It is getting a bit late, I better get to the Spire." he huffed in disappointment. He galloped back to the road and looked for the Spire. The pony over the buildings saw him once again, every time she saw him her interest grew. JetStream looked to the Spire and followed it along the way, by the time he followed the roads to get there, it was much darker. JetStream noticed he caught himself going faster without the noticeable push he needed, as if it was natural, "Twister!" JetStream called out. "Oh, hey! Did you find the answer?" JetStream shook his head. "No?" Twister sighed, "Me neither..." Twister looked up to notice JetStream was suddenly taller than him, his coat was a bit darker than usual, "Have you done something in the past 10 minute-?" JetStream suddenly bent down, holding his stomach with his right arm. "Is that...?" the pony from the roof watched this even happen, "This can't be, yet it must..." Colas and Colos suddenly appeared from behind Twister. "You guys are too slow..." Colos said. "Ah!" Twister turned around, When did you two-!?" "We came from the building over there..." they pointed to a green roofed store, "We know what a fortnight is..." Colas said, but slowed down to the fact that JetStream was having a bit of a struggle. JetStream's pupils went blade thin, his mane and tail were disoriented with the fur, and extra fur formed in tufts on the sharp edges of his body. "Twister! Behind you!" Colos shouted. Twister thought he was going to get dizzy from it. He gasped when he saw what looked like JetStream. "What happened?" he was looking into the thin pupils of JetStream eyes. The coated pony groaned. "It's the Werepony transformation." she said out loud. All but JetStream looked at her. "And who are you?" "That's not important, now. But your buddy there has somehow found the key to transformation. What blows is the fact that it's not complete." her tone still stood serious, it was her lewd word choice that caught them off guard. "That isn't the complete?" "Yes, it's not. And I so wanted to see it for the first time." the figure's yellow eyes closed in the thought of actually seeing it. "I can't stand..." JetStream said, "I... feel dizzy..." he suddenly went ragdoll to the floor. "The transformation takes a lot of energy. Therefore one without enough will more than likely pass out on the spot." "If you know so much then do something to help us!" Twister snarled. "Please..." Colas added. "I pity the new, but one must have to learn." she opened her eyes. She turned around and was gone. Twister bent down. "JetStream can you get up?" all they heard was a moan, "Damn her..." Twister couldn't handle the thought of it. "Twister..." Colas said. "This could be life threatening for all we care. If she knows something she should tell us!" "Come on, let's try to get JetStream at our place." "Right." Twister and Colas replied. "You two lead the way..." Twister said, looking a bit shameful. JetStream's eyes opened to the noise of conversation, "-Would be horrible if that happened when nopony was around." JetStream noticed he was in some sort of room, but no room he recognized. He felt tired until he moved a muscle, where he was suddenly able to stand. "Mom?" he wondered. "I don't remember this room..." he looked around a bit more. He walked to the door and looked out to see a group of ponies in the room ahead. "JetStream!" Corolla called out, she embraced him after so long. "...?" his mouth was slightly open in confusion, "What happened?" JetStream asked his friends slightly across from the room. They all looked at one another and said. "A lot..." Part 3 "That mare, she knew something." Twister echoed from thought as he looked at Colos. "Well that's obvious. But she would rather stay hidden for some reason..." Colos replied. Myriad and Corolla both sat near toward a window with Colas on the other side. "What did she even look like, Twister?" Color Contrast asked. "Dad..." Colos looked at his father in question. JetStream sighed and kept trying to relax. "She..." they all looked at him, it's something he guess will not get used to. And as he tried to confess, his Aura grew brighter, "She was wearing a coat, a brown one. Her mane and tail looked like a blue-grey-ish color." Colas put her hooves around her eyes. "And her eyes were glowing yellow!" she made ghostly boos for effect. "That's the one detail I can't get my mind off of..." JetStream responded. "Was she the one that did the thing to you?" Corolla asked. "No, Mom, she wasn't it was the..." JetStream paused, his mouth opened wider and wider, "I need to get the orb!" Color Contrast jumped to the door and slammed it shut. JetStream looked up to make eye contact, "What!?" "...They prepared me for this outburst. Colos, is this what you were talking about?" JetStream groaned as Colos nodded. "What's wrong?" Myriad asked. "JetStream's got some over-obsessive bond with that orb..." Colas responded. "No I don't!" JetStream exclaimed, he examined the looks he received afterward, his eyes glowed the same color as his iris'. "Right there, Dad. Her eyes glowed like that!" Colas pointed out. Everypony gasped. "It's not like I'm cursed or anything..." JetStream sighed. Colos and Twister snickered, JetStream looked at them intently. "What we saw yesterday? I think of it as a curse..." Twister said. "When did you find this orb anyway?" Color Contrast asked looking away from JetStream, only to look back at him. "We found it three days ago..." Color Contrast still held the door shut with a single hoof. JetStream looked a bit dreadful, "... I don't like seeing you guys act to me this way..." they all looked at each other. "What do you mean?" Myriad asked. "Am I, or you, the ones that are scared!?" he exclaimed. He slowly walked back to his parents, where they embraced him. His Aura fainted a bit and turned blue. With his eyes closed shut. "Mom... please let me go get the orb..." Corolla suddenly looked at JetStream in surprise. "Color Contrast, could you please let JetStream through? I think he needs it now..." "What?" he was shocked. He looked at Colos, who just shrugged. "If you must..." he let his hoof off the door. "Thanks..." JetStream said smiling. He galloped out the door and into the fresh air, "But first I need to go check if that mare is in the same spot." he frowned and turned away from the house. He passed the Spire and headed in the west direction, to the same alley as well. When he got there he called out, "Hey!" as he did last night, 'It's day number three of the fortnight. Just how much longer?' but instead of her appearing on the roof, she appeared behind him. "Boo." he jumped and turned around. "There you are!" "So we meet again." She said, JetStream even noticed a smile, "So-" she continued still covered, "What brings you back here?" "Is there any other time you don't where that coat?" the question shook her, as JetStream looked a bit cocky. "If we were to meet during the night, it would be a different story. The sun burns, and so can animals. And if you were to be so easily surprised-" JetStream saw her coat shift on the sides, where it seemed to bulge outward like Pegasi wings, "-It would feel like a new world." her eyes continuously glowed, JetStream shook his head to get rid of looking them. "How come your eyes glow?" now she just looks annoyed. "If we meet at a later time, that would help answer more than that question... now." she paused. "If you came here to the same spot, why have you?" "Because I needed to see you again." the mare in front of him made a relaxed expression, and JetStream blushed. He shook it off, "I need answers!" he changed the answer. "You know what? How about we meet her again in nine hours." "Nine? That's past sun-down..." "You scared?" she asked turning around. "No!" JetStream went to exit the alley. "Oh, by the way. Bring the orb as well!" she added. "Gotchya." JetStream responded as he suddenly went into a gallop, "I need to get that orb back to Colos' place." Minute by minute more scattered clouds started to roll in, eventually covering the sky at the moment JetStream came rolling the orb back in. "I'm back." he said. "Took a bit longer than usual..." Myriad said. "I rushed a bit, I didn't want to get rained on." he responded, 'And this thing's getting bigger each day...' "So-" Colos said, "-What did you have in mind for this?" "I don't know..." he started to roll it back and forth. "It looks slightly different than I remember..." Twister thought. JetStream looked down at it, then toward Twister. "It's growing in size since we found it..." with the way telepathy works, what ever thought was echoed can be heard by the messenger as well. "I was hoping I could find a way to stop that transformation, whenever it happens..." JetStream said. He looked at Colos, "Maybe we can find that fix, or cure... maybe we can before we get an answer from that pony we met." JetStream paused, 'Although, she does sound like she knows what she's doing... but when she saw me. She said she never saw it before, and yet still said it wasn't complete. How is that?' JetStream closed his eyes tightly. "Hey, Dad, it's starting to sprinkle outside!" Color Contrast turned around to the window Colas was near. "Well don't keep the curtains open too much, we don't want it flooded in here." "Of course." she responded with a smile, and tugged on the wooden, blue curtains and stopped just before they were closed completely. Twister noticed the orb glowed from before. "JetStream did you see that?" "No." he replied. "Colas, could you open them up again, just for now?" Colas looked at her Dad. "Well, if it's to find clues to this here mystery, I guess it can go for a while." Colas then opened the curtains, as the rest realized the orbs glow fade away. "Whoa..." JetStream said in all wonder. As Colas looked back from the window, a pony was in the corner of her eye, she blinked her eyes as they darted to the right, only to figure it was gone. "Why don't we go ahead and go back home. I'm sure you're feeling fine now, JetStream." Myriad stood up. He nodded. "Yeah, I am." Colas sank. "You're leaving already? It was nice to have you guys over..." Corolla smiled. "Oh I'm sure it was nice to have company over, but there will be a time where you'd be back at your own home." she said as Myriad went out the door. "Every home is welcoming, but the one kept to your birthparents are a treasure." Myriad waved them goodbye. "Until next time." JetStream smiled, with a nervous expression. Corolla was the last one out as she lifted the orb with her telekinesis. She waved them goodbye as well and prepared a red-colored, water-proof shield. She turned around and snickered. Both Myriad and JetStream soaked by the rain that started moments ago. "Do you mind?" Myriad asked. Corolla walked up to them despite being dry herself. "I don't." she smiled. Raw unicorn magic was the best tier of product, it seemed like it could do anything. Although JetStream had the stress to keep up with Corolla, he'd rather see what he is seeing. He started to look around. And see what everypony was doing now. Let's see, rain in Altamare. It comes often, and leaves with a smell that nopony can cease to understand. Everypony takes cover from it, yet they think it's the most beautiful thing they've seen all day. I even heard it's capable of creating those rainbows too. It's not too dark outside, it's still a little past noon. The rain covering all the concrete make almost everything reflective if light is in the right spot. And with Altamare being a color-centric city, where there are green, blues, and reds. The grass, sky, rain, and the sunrise and sunset are all things that the colors refer to. This world seems to be heavily on colors. Because each one seems to have its own meaning. Maybe that's why grey clouds bring fear, yet the rain appears blue only to calm and comfort the ponies that are encountered by it for such an amount of time... only to show a bigger, broader, blue sky later. A failed surprise is a surprise either way, I'll just be glad with what I can come up, and what other ponies can give me. We all live on that one world after all. ~~~Chapter End~~~ Author's Note I guess there's always room for narrative... Thanks all you out there reading this! Chapter 2Part 1 JetStream sighed as he looked outside through a window. The sun starting to touch the horizon, his little thoughts start to whir. JetStream quivering a bit, he looked at himself as a certain warmth took over him. "That feeling is back..." he stood up from where he sat. He turned around and walked to the orb, looking at the window, "If this transformation happens again, I'm going to try to make it work..." he paused, "Me being a Werepony... never guess the thought of it. Maybe she'll finally feel lucky if I showed me to her like this... er what I will be like." he shrugged over, 'This transformation takes energy right? What if I used my Aura to help me?' he couldn't help but to smirk at that. He felt that warmth get warmer, it was weird considering he got warmer as the sun went below the horizon, "Now that I think about it, this doesn't happen until the sun is down, why is that?" he asked looking at the twilight in front of him. The orb glowed as JetStream suddenly lost energy to stand, "Why does it hurt!?" his voice was muffled from gritting his teeth as he slowly kneeled down. His pupils went from a circle to a thin strip with pointy edges, and his fur started to get darker, "Come on!" he got his Aura back into this, hopefully he could pull something it only does when he sleeps, restore his energy. His fur then became rough and jagged, as well as a tuft of fur on his chest. But what caught him by surprise is the sudden growth of fangs, which seemed to replace is normal teeth. The tip if his ears became a sharp point. At this point JetStream's Aura went grey, but it didn't stop him. JetStream also noticed patches of a white-blue mixed across his body, like the color of the moon. His mane and tail were tousled, "Heugh..." and just like that, the warmth was gone. The feeling he had was gone, and it ended like a long echo in a tunnel, "I did it-" he paused to soak in how much his voice has changed as well. Although it seems he did, he was still lying on the floor with his eyes half-open. His voice sounded a lot more sharp, a lot less smooth than what it was, "Even my voice has changed..." at this point he knew it was done, now he just needed to see if it was possible to stand, he did make enough to at least stay awake. JetStream closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, but nothing was fooled, he sighed. He tried to stand up. One hoof after the other he put them flat on the ground, once he got them all planted. He tried to stand tall, in his normal stance. After a minute or so of keeping himself up, he was successful, "Yay!" it did not sound right coming from a voice like that, "Now I need to get to that mare... exact same spot, is what she said." he looked at the orb, "Come on, you're going with me." he started to roll it, and be quiet for his Mom and Dad sleeping, he was lucky to stay up tonight, they probably didn't expect to fall asleep so early. With JetStream's appearance changed dramatically, he made his way outside, and to the point where they'd meet for the third time. He rolled the orb into the middle on the alley, "I'm here!" he exclaimed looking around. "Keep it down would ya?" she said, "They're trying to sleep." she suddenly saw what he looked like with the orange light nearby, "... What?" she wondered surprised, as if she couldn't believe her eyes. The first thing she noticed were JetStream's changed and now glowing eyes, his fur and everything afterward. She went into the air and got closer, as in a hoof away. "What are you doing?" JetStream asked. "Oh!" she jumped, and looked critically pleased, "Your voice as well!" she circled him, "I can't believe it, you were able to pull it off already." "What's the big deal?" he asked. "Well, this is the complete transformation." she looked at JetStream in the eye. "Wait, are my eyes glowing?" "Yes, that's with all lunar ponies." she smiled. "Alright-" JetStream sighed, "-I brought the orb as well, I come to you again looking like this, can you please take that coat off?" the brown coat disturbed him for some reason. She noticed playing with his teeth, only to figure those are fangs themselves, she was so thrilled to see it. After she took that coat off, she threw it at JetStream, "Hmgh!" he tossed it down, and saw a new pony. Her eyes were yellow, her fur was a light purple, and her mane and tail were the same with pink. She wore a blue band to hold back her mane, and had a wall of it on the back of her head, but she wasn't bald. Het tail had thin streaks of blue, and looked close to what her band did. And lastly, what caught him by surprise. Was her wings, which he wouldn't stop staring at. She giggled. "Have you ever seen us before?" JetStream slowly shook his head, "We're called batponies, and we live off of Equestria." JetStream suddenly snapped out of it. "Then why are you here?" "I'm the look-out, you can call it." she turned around to the moon, and walked away for a little while with a swizzle in her movement. She turned around and looked at JetStream, "My name's Picket Prosechos, and I'm a scout for migration." she smiled. "Prosechos?" JetStream wondered. She smiled. "It's some sort of nickname they gave me, and it ended up being official, I liked it, so I kept it. And I thank them for it. JetStream's rugged voice still held true. "Them?" "Yeah, other batponies who fly from spot to spot, with their family and lead by the lunar guard. The only reason why I'm here is because I need to find any of them that get lost around here, and point them out on where they need to go." "Heh, there is some good in you." he smiled. She paused, then walked back up. "I must let you know that transformation can do to you, other than make you look like that one scary monster in the forest...." she hung on to the final word. "... JetStream." he responded. "JetStream, alright. Think I've heard of somepony with that name before but, it's rather weird to meet you." she held out her hoof, in which case JetStream bumped hers with his. "You too." "Now, I think it's about time we get into detail about this. Because if used correctly, it can work with you." JetStream shrugged. "I don't know, I still feel pretty tired, it feels like the last time I slept was nearly a day ago..." "Don't get uncomfortable wearing that transformation, JetStream, it only hurts you. And that's one thing, you need to not feel any embarrassment whatsoever if they see you like that. Only if you trust completely of this transformation, then it will work wonders for you." she said. JetStream nodded in a convincing way. "That's a good start." Picket walked next to the orb. "This orb here, JetStream." he she had it shift for his attention, yet she started to look downward "... I was supposed to look for it." "What? Do you know why it was on top of the Spire?" Her mouth opened, her wings unfolded. "That's where it was?" her tone a bit louder. JetStream took a couple steps back. "Well, yes. That's where I found it." JetStream answered, "What does this orb do anyway?" he asked. "It's a source of location, if you will. Certain batponies have this connection with it, and therefor can sense it's location, it's useful to these leading a flight group across the sky." JetStream nodded. "Yeah that helps." he smiled, but then Picket wondered why he dropped it, "But if that's true-" he pushed his right hoof against his chest, "Then why did it do this to me?" they both stood there in the lit orange tinted light, besides the moon, as their way to see, until she spoke up. "If I must try to answer. Somepony like you, who I guess would think is either not a batpony, obviously-" they both thought, "-You weren't... experienced enough?" she hanged on the end like it was still in question. "I need to ask you a question though, ever sense I found myself like this. Were there be a point in time this will be permanent?" she didn't say anything, "As if in a certain amount in time?" he added. She smiled. "Don't worry, it's not that." JetStream sighed in relieve, "But-" he could feel himself start to shatter, "-It is permanent..." "What!?" JetStream pounced right in front of her, "What could I have done to deserve this!?" Picket held herself back for a moment, and she went silent. '... Don't cry... just don't, please, Picket be strong...' she grit her teeth and came back with her best effort, "... But there is a way with some, purification cleanse..." JetStream backed down. "Sorry for that, for me being so jumpy, should've let you finished. But just to let you know..." JetStream felt the color swell in her. Picket looked at him as the darkening feeling went away, "-I only needed to see if there was something to fix the way I look, we can fix me later anyway." "Don't worry too much, you'll go back to your normal self after the sun rises." JetStream gave a look at her. Picket could feel the hiding desperation those new eyes had, "Now that, I can tell I know." she smiled. "... Are you the only one here?" JetStream asked. "Yes." Picket replied, "But there will be that day I'll be gone..." she frowned, "If you'll miss me when I leave of course." JetStream nodded. "Let's see, us finding the orb was... four? Four days ago." JetStream tried to recall. Picket was silent, and looking at the ground again. JetStream looked at Picket with his head facing the sky the way he was. "JetStream..." she huffed, "It's a bit weird of me to ask you rather than my own kind. But what is the day like?" she tried her best first time around. JetStream was a bit puzzled. "Weren't you in it the past couple of days? The bright daylight?" she nodded sluggishly. "Yeah..." she walked closer with a sincere expression, "But the way it warms you up, a never ending source of warmth. I have to wear that coat all the time." she pointed to the mess of a coat on the wall that JetStream threw off of him. "That's what you mean." JetStream said. "I don't know what'd I'd do if I was able to walk around in broad day just soaking it up, looking into the sky at the sun-" she imagined while looking at the moon, and then went back to JetStream, "-You ponies do that right?" she asked. "Eh-" he was a bit nervous to answer, "Not exactly. Not even us, the ponies who don't mind being in the daylight, can't look at the sun for more than 5 seconds." "Wow." she responded, "It's like we live in different worlds." JetStream nodded. "Yeah." Picket was the first to speak up again. "... JetStream, that little moment during when you were confused on why you deserved turning into a Werepony. When you said that. I was actually, scared...-" she looked at him in the eye, "-And I know why too, because we were specifically told about that." "Getting scared by a shortage of answers?" Picket shook her head slowly. "No... It's because right then, I was facing my own kinds anger. It's something even the strongest batpony can be broken by..." Picket paused realizing what she said. JetStream stared at her with his mouth slightly open. 'Wow, there is a whole lot to this transformation than I thought...' "And because I told you about that, please don't go using it on us. I just, needed to explain those pauses, and I wanted to get it off my mind." JetStream looked right and left before continuing. "Was the other information necessary?" he asked, she shook her head. "No. And I think we should end this conversation here." JetStream stood up. "Alright..." "JetStream, just a reminder, when the batponies fly by in ten days, make sure the orb is back in it's place before then, okay?" JetStream nodded. "Yeah, will do." "Okay then, I'll see you when ever." she back off into the dark of the night, leaving JetStream to sneak back home with the orb. After another 25 minutes, JetStream finally got back in his bed, 'Out of all the bad things that seem to come off of this, like the fangs I have, this form is actually kind of comfy...' he smiled and waited for this form to be gone in the morning. Part 2 "What? ... I'm a dreaming?" Twister said as he looked about a pitch black open space, "Hello!?" he cautioned to look around, yet he kept seeing the same thing. Until he saw two ponies standing side by side, one a bit taller than the other. One was wearing some navy blue cloak and the other looked like he wasn't wearing anything. "Come closer." a voice came booming through the open space. Taking a couple of breaths, he urged his hooves to walk to these figures. There was a pause. "Hello?" he tried to get their attention when he was just nearly a dozen steps away. He tried looking up at them from a low perspective because of some reason they were both look-. Twister jumped when the one on his right looked shifted upward. As the figure started to loom over, something caught Twister attention, he's seen those blue eyes before. It was a mare with glowing turquoise eyes. "This is Twister-" she flipped the hood off her head, "-Is it not?" "You again..." Twister was shocked. It was that mare with the moon cutie mark to visit her dreams once again, "Y-yes. I'm Twister. Why are you here again?" he asked. She paused and looked at the pony next to her, about Twisters height. "Because the same fear boiling in this ones heart, you two have this specific connection." this pony finally lifted his head. "... JetStream!" "Hey ,Twister..." he smiled. "And as I would appreciate to see you both come together and fix this betimes." "Wait..." JetStream looked at this mare, "What about all that's going on right now? The Batpony movement coming in either ten or nine days when they fly over out town." she paused. "I do believe you're referring to the Batpony trek that will move across southern Equestria?" Twister and JetStream both nodded. "Yes." they answered in unison. "That's not for me to take care. For whatever is made has a purpose. And although I do have some involvement in their work, I would not like to change the subject this late before they fly." "No we don't want things changed, we would like to know more about it." Twister said. "Well, let me tell you two this-" JetStream and Twister stopped what they were doing to look at her, "If I'm not mistaken, you to must be the best of friends-" they couldn't help but to smile, "-If you to help and work with each other, and in sync, you might just find your answers. And me myself can be more than just a help, you two have your own families as well." she suddenly paused. "I think that's the confidence we need right there." Twister curled his right hoof, "What do you say, buddy?" he looked at JetStream, kind of catching him off guard. "Uh-" he knocked off the puzzled expression with a more prepared one, "Right!" they hoof-bumped. "As you two must." she made a gesture like they just gave her some order as she faded away. "I guess I'll see ya when we wake up then." Twister looked at JetStream, "Let's do this!" JetStream raised his hoof again. "Together!" they said in unison as they bumped one more time. They both were awoken abruptly to a thunder clap. "Hope they didn't call for rain..." JetStream said as he looked outside, "It's raining again..." he sighed as he looked away, his expression was rather of slight annoyance then distress, "Actually..." his ears rose back up and he looked out the window again, "Is it even daytime yet?" "It is." Myriad answered as he walked past the doorway. 'Oh, yeah. My voice is back...' he realized before he looked down at himself, "Back to myself..." he paused as he watched the rain just pour from the clouds, "I guess it is day, it does look bright enough..." he paused again, until he finally decided to crack open his window a bit, followed by a strike of lightning. JetStream immediately covered his ears, waiting for the thunder to come, "..." only for it to be a faint rumble. He sighed again, "Must be farther away." he walked out of his room and looked into the short hallway, looking right gave him his Mom and Dads room, and the door to the huge backyard. Looking left gave him the counter-of-a-bar looking living room with a coffee machine behind the counter. Where blue shelves were hanging on the walls. Turning to the right in that room would give you the front door. Turning left would give you some storage room, it's not much to see, especially that one broom. He went toward the front door to get a look out the window next to it, by using a bench like seat below. "The storm caught your interest?" Corolla asked as Myriad looked on. "It's been raining a lot more lately, is all." he turned back just as lightning struck. "You know what?" Myriad stopped what he was doing and walked in, "JetStream, have you heard of old pony tales before?" he asked. JetStream looked at his hoof on his shoulder. "Yeah, because this Aura thing that I'm involved in has it's own part into those." he smiled, acknowledging how smart he sounds. "There were pony tales of when it would get cloudy, there would be millions of other ponies watching you from behind the fog, or how some ponies could use power to manipulate water to their every whim. It was something along the lines of water bending." he tried to recall. "That reminds me." they both looked at her. "One I was told a long time ago, was that there were these secret ponies that looked like anypony else could. And when it rained, they would suddenly grow and grow so massive to show their true position in Equestria, as a guardian of their city. It was said that each city had its own guardian. Yet it's still unknown." JetStream thought about how deep it sounded, where as if some pony were trying their hardest to search for this unique, pony-looking creatures. "Did they look like a pony when they were their biggest?" JetStream asked. She shook her head. "I don't think I ever asked that. Now I wish I would've though..." they paused as the rain continued to fill their silence. "What if, JetStream, had his own name to be written down in Equestria folklore?" Corolla asked. "What do you mean?" he asked. "If you had some sort of title, like a superhero name, what would it be?" Myriad asked, both his parents were curious for the answer. 'Well, that would be tough to choose. Let's see, a hero name. Oh! I could be a hero with Aura... yeah! That book I have explains a lot about it. And I'll piece things together to create it...' it was a little while before a couple seconds pass, "... I think it would be. The Wave-Guiding Hero" "Corolla, I think we have something to mark down." she suddenly spawned a pen and paper with the glow of her horn and pretended to write it there. The pen and paper then disappeared, never to be seen again. "There! It's marked down. Sorry to dismiss, but we must get back to our doing." she said with a playful tone. "When do you think the storm will be over?" he asked Myriad, he looked at his wings shuffling them. "Don't know, it may be a while. We'll just have to wait." JetStream paused. "... Dad, did you know there are other cities that have pegasi controlling the weather?" she nodded. "Yes, I do. There's no weather controlling here, JetStream, because of Altamare. It was build directly into the ground, therefore nopony ever messed with the weather. As if the ponies from long ago decided that too much of their alterations would disrupt something vital to them." JetStream nodded in response, "Known that ever since we moved in to this town." Corolla looked at Myriad. "Which is still only a decade ago." she smiled. JetStream's head rose. "Actually, what was it like, before we moved here? Where were we before, here?" Myriad smiled, as Corolla looked at him. "We lived more up north we both met there, in Hoofington, before we went to Altamare together. Then a couple of years later, you joined." JetStream was silent, why not here more about your own parents? "If you'd like, JetStream, you can listen. As I will start to recall what I can remember before we moved to Altamare. ~~~Chapter End~~~ Chapter 3"Oh, boy." Myriad said with a sigh that he was getting himself comfortable, "The story before we moved to Altamare." he said looking at the ceiling. "One we won't forget." Corolla said. "Not in a long time." Myriad responded smiling. He paused before he decided to start. JetStream tried to listen cosely. 'I bet this day is going to be one of those quicker ones...' he thought. "It was roughly 15 years ago." he said looking at JetStream. 'Yeah, I wasn't around then...' he thought with a straight face. "Back in Hoofington, it was a big city. I'm pretty sure it's more populated than Altamare. That was part of it." Corolla nodded. "True, it was a shame everypony was grudgy while they were." she shrugged. "Yeah-" Myriad responded, "-Most ponies there didn't have the brightest expressions on their faces. But that didn't stop them from having a healthy attitude." JetStream smiled, "It were those who'd become friends with, and your mother, JetStream." "... How did you two know eachother?" JetStream went and asked the question. Myriad decided to step in first. "I was on, delivery. It wasn't much, and yet the same for its pay. I wasn't exactly out on my own just then, I was still young and lived my own parents. I just thought it'd be nice to pull out my own bits for a change. Anyway, I deliver from a building much smaller than most of them because it only had one floor." "Exactly, most buildings seemed to have atleast four floors." Corolla said. Myriad nodded. "How much I got would be dependent on how big the object is, including weight, the only thing helping me were my wings." he paused before he got too off track, "The road I was walking along had sharper and more cleansed look to it. I was surprised what difference there was while I looked around. The building I was carrying it to was around the corner, so I knocked on the door. And waited every wait I seem to actually dread through." Myriad sighed. "The last one for the day. I'll just give them this and I'll be good to go." he smiled thinking about his work being over. He wiped his hoof over his forhead to clear the sweat, "I gotta admit, this part of town looks neatier and tidier compared to the part I live to." he stated looking at the door handle alone. Myriad jumped when the door opened, and was greeted with a mare. "Oh, hello!" she exclaimed. She opened the door more than what I thought she would. "What?" I wondered silently trembling from the weight of the object. "Do come in..." she looked at the tag Myriad was wearing, "Myriad Alacrity, and welcome." she smiled, Myriad looked puzzled on what to do. "I'm slightly confused-" he said, "-I didn't know I was going to be walking in." "I hope it's no trouble. But We'd like the lamp in a specific spot." "A lamp?" Myriad looked back at the box he carried. He turned back to her and nodded, "Alright then, could you show me where?" "Of course." they headed in as another mare walked in the room, noticing this stallion suddenly entering her parents home. "What's going on?" she asked. "Oh nothing dear, the lamp we got has arrived." she answered her daughter. "Wait, a lamp?" JetStream asked. Myriad smiled nervously. "Yeah, I didn't know what I was carrying until it got opened at the destination. And the name tag I wore was obviously for personal usage." "You know what, I'm still a bit curious after all this time." Corolla finally brought a question. "Were there more worker ponies like you going around?" she asked. Myriad sighed at all the work he would've done. "Oh, no. I was some of the dozen, actually I think I was the thirteenth!" he laughed afterwards, "No, I wasn't the only one, and the buisiness was rather friendly, barely no drama. And there can sometimes, but it would only make things uncomfortable." he recalled for his own enjoyment, and JetStream could tell, Corolla looked like that didn't need to be added. "Anyway, I saw your father walk in at that time." Corolla continued. And I was a mommies girl as well. Corolla looked practically startled as she looked at this stallion entering the red-bricked building. Myriad tried to avoid her. 'Why is she staring at me like that...?' he thought as he followed what seemed to be her mother. 'Oh, he looks a lot like my brother...' she thought, she would never forget his white coat that shines in the sunrise sun. She hasn't seen him in a couple of months now sinse he was off, doing whatever it was, she may have not been listening. "It's up here on the next floor." she said looking up. "Gotchya." he responded, he continued at a slight faster pace than before. When he got up there the room was almost empty, with much contrast compared to the lower floor. "Why's it so bleak in here? If I can ask." he said looking around. "I'm embarresed to know the room looks like this, but there was a hoof-ful of stuff to get upgraded, if you understand." she pointed to a corner infront of her, "You can set in that corner over there. "Okay..." he said a bit huffy. He settled the box to the floor and walked back. "Thank you for the delivery." she smiled. "No problem." he responded as they started for the stairs. Myriad paused as they both gave him a look, "It-It was a really straightforward job... The only tough factor that would add would be the weather, if it was bad of course." he stated raising a hoof. "How much exactly did you get paid a day?" Corolla asked. "It veried with each object like I said, but average if I was working hard... it'd give me about 28 bits each day, on average of course." JetStream smiled. "That's more than I make in a year..." Myriad gave a fake laugh as he tussled JetStream's mane. "Of course it is." he went to fix it right after. After letting loose another chuckle, he continued. When they started to head down the stairs, they both heard the front door open again. "Dad!" her mother heard Corolla squeal in joy. "Her father must be back." she told Myriad. "Little sis." Corolla said as they embraced eachother. "I saw so many other ponies today." she said, "Thanks Daddy for taking me with you." she smiled. He playfully blew rhaspberries on her cheek, only to be surprised to what come out from the stairs. "Oh, hello." he said rather confused, and suddenly nerved. "Hello, sir." Myriad responded, "I'm here for the delivery of the lamp you have ordered." he smiled. "Well, then I thank you for making it safely. What's your name?" he asked after a quick pause. "Myriad, sir. Myriad Alacrity." he kept staring at Myriad, only for him to curiously wonder why. Only up until the point Corolla's father asked. "I don't mean to bother on such a subject, but do you go to the local school?" "Yes, I do." Myriad replied. This answer suddenly caught Corolla's attention away from her sister. "Well, on my way through town I overheard about some sort of dance soon. I'd would like to get more information about that." Corolla seemed kind of embarrased for her father to ask a local student rather than a teacher, or more on charge in the first place, a principal. "What would you like to know?" Myriad responded. Corolla's embarresment was suddenly washed away, and replaced with curiousity. After that, they got information on when it starts and ends, and a little bit in how you'd get there as well. "Do you plan to go to the dance yourself, you look pretty nimble." he winked. "Heh..." Myriad tried to smile. "Dad!" Corolla called out. "Alright, alright." he replied. "I don't dance..." he smiled half-heartedly as he went for the front door. "Well that's a shame." "Well... not much..." he said before exiting. Corolla's father broke a smile. Corolla looked at Myriad as he exited. But she didn't budge herself before he closed the door. He suddenly breathed in, having a mix of a yawn and a sigh, "Alright, I think it's time to head back..." he started walking down the road, "I don't dance much, and if I ever had it was that one time when we were screwing around... honestly screwing around. Bein bored out of our minds..." he muttered the last bit as he looked at the many different things passing by, "But this is what pays off in trading from emotional exaustion. The sweet walk home with the sounds of the city..." he paused, "That aren't too great sometimes." he didn't let that bother him though. "And well, after that, or when the dance started. It turned out you showed up yourself." "Yes I did. It was because during them we moved in a couple days ago." Corolla replied standing up. "That must be why the second floor was deserted." he assumed. "Yes." Corolla looked at him, "And that lamp was the first thing we ever had for that floor. It was a great contribution." "Thank you." Myriad responded. "So that's how it all happend?" JetStream asked. "Basically." Myriad responded, "She decided to willingly go to the school dance she enrolled in only a couple days before. That's when we started talking, and it unfolded from there." he smiled. They all looked outside. "Looks like the rain stopped." Corolla said looking out the window. "Really?" JetStream snapped his look to the window, then dashed to the front door, "I can't beleive it's gone already-"as soon as his muzzle reached the out doors. He felt one rain drop hit his snout, making him jump slightly, "No..." he went to answer, "It's only sprinkling..." he answered walking in, wiping his nose to clear of the rain. Either way, JetStream knew he'd be going outside. ~~~Chapter End~~~ Chapter 4Part 1 It was sprinkling, but it obviously wasn't raining. If it's dry enough to traverse, then JetStream can walk it. He glad to see the sun nearly out again, the clouds were spread since the past hour, and although it could get a bit to warm here, clouds that rolled by colled it for a moments notice. About halfway of his walk to Altamare Spire, he heared something different. Something was wrong, he didn't here the echoes anymore. This slight difference in hearing tempted him to turn around, and if that urge was true, then sompony must be behind him. He quickly darted behind him, making Picket jump. "Picket? What are you doing here?" JetStream realized. Her jump forced her to hover in mid-air, it seems she was wearing her coat again, "Can you not be directly in the sunlight or something?" he asked looking at her flying around him. "No, I can't. But I'm okay with a shaded areas... atleast." "Why's that?" JetStream asked as his cyan fur being hit by the sun shined into her eyes. "How about we sit down?" she considered. JetStream watched as she looked around, he huffed. "Alright, but where?" "Over there, where there's tons of tables covered by umbrellas." JetStream didn't mind that, he would go there if he did want to go over something, and secondly, the building close to the tables is a resurant, so he could think about and eat and drink all at once. "Yeah, okay." he started walking over there, Picket finally touched ground, folding her wings. And suddenly started to breath in releif. "What was that?" JetStream turned to look at her. "The ground is so warm, it feels cozy." she smiled. Just before they got to the table, Picket popped another question, "... So, is this what you usually look like?" JetStream almost stuttered. "Yeah-" he stepped back into the sunlight beforethey sat down at a table, "-this is the real me... pretty cool, huh?" he slightly posed. A couple of passerbyers giggled to themselves, JetStream paused. Having one eyebrow raised and smiling. "I assume you're well known?" she laughed internally. "Uh. Heh, only my friends know me best." he said with a determined smile. He went down to the seat and sat down, there was a pause before Picket spoke up. "Now-" she lift her hood up, surprising JetStream, "-I know why batponies aren't that good in sunlight. It isn't like all of us, only some are effected." "Some?" JetStream wondered. "There's a specific rule, that I was lucky enough to hear, that this trait follows. It was that to whoever was born during night, and a full moon would have no tolerence aggainst sunlight, they absolutely could not go in it..." she paused, silently moaning, "I guess that's how I ended up." JetStream was shocked. "You were born on a full moon night?" he asked. "Yeah, I was." "Is there one for who's born during the day?" she rolled her eyes. "But does that ever happen, I think that one born during the day will be..." "Is it the opposite of the full moon night?" "I'm pretty sure it wasn't, but close." She suddenly thought about lengths of time, then that's when it clicked, "It was that you could stay the longest in sunlight without it... stinging..." she sounded unsure. JetStream's head rose. "Like a sunburn?" he asked. "Sunburn?" Picket wondered. "You don't know what a sunburn is?" "... No, I don't." "It's when you stay too long in the sun, and your skin hurts from below your fur whenever you move it around like this." he put his hoof on his chest and moved it around in circles while Picket just watched without a clue, "Also the spot of the sunburn is tinted red too, so you know where it is." Picket's mouth opened in enlightenment. "Yeah, JetStream, it's something like that. But instead of moving it, you don't have to and it hurts. It doesn't feel burnt or warm, it just stings..." she said looking into the sunlight, "Sometimes I wish I could walk in the sunlight..." she turned to him, "Like you, your family, and all the other ponies that live in this town..." JetStream was stunned. 'Do-do I have anything to respond with that? Here comes that feeling I haven't even heard of again...' it felt like his heart was skipping a beat, like he got to the end of a story and wanted it to end as slow as possible, what was this feeling? 'What do I say...?' sometimes it will only come out to speak the truth. After a while Picket looked at him. "...I'm speechless..." he frowned to make anything at all work. "I bet you're freezing up." Picket said. JetStream cooled down and looked at her. "What?" "You can't say anything about, don't worry. I understand." she put her hooves on the table. "...?" JetStream looked in confusion. "Me and you, we're different. We weren't meant to expierience the same things." "I can't say anything because I haven't expierienced what you have... I can't comfort you because I never have, dealt with such a thing before..." he frowned looking at the ground below, "I'm sorry, but I could if I would have." his tone increased. He waited for a responce from her, but instead got a gesture. She slightly nodded her head down at the table where he hooves were. Without saying a word, JetStream put his hooves on the table. "Here, and now, we'll make a promise..." JetStream nodded, as he started to smile, "To never outshine eachother a-" the memory faded fast, but the promise remains until they depart, as they confirmed. Twister walking at a outer edge of Altamare, taking in the view of the ocean. Watching the noon-day sun's reflection off the water carelessly cross over his eyes. He looked up when he heard hoofsteps, "...?" he turned around, only to notice it was only passerby. But beyond that JetStream was galloping in the distance. "Twister!" he beckoned. He stopped next to him catching his breath, "How... how did you do so far today?" Twister looked confused. "Do what?" "Just in general." he answered. They both paused. "Actually, I've been wondering around now for a little while. I haven't seen Colos or Colas yet..." he looked at JetStream. "I've been catching up with Picket lately..." "Picket?" Twister wondered. "Oh, I forgot-" he scratched his head, "-The mare's name is Picket Prosechos..." "That's a name." Twister confirmed. "I never heard of one like that before either, maybe it's just how batponies get their names." JetStream suggested. His pause made him think about their conversation earlier. "Twister?" JetStream asked. "Yeah?" "... Do you ever look at the sun?" "What?" he was puzzled head to hoof. "I hope Twister and JetStream are doing okay." Colas said. "I'm sure they're fine." he responded looking through books at the local library, it wasn't as big as Canterlots, but it was nessecary. Colos turned to her sister, "We've made it this far..." he said. Both their tones were calm, as a library should, but nothing could stop them from talking loudly, that's what made this library a bit different. Some still decide to change it, and yet there are some that didn't even know it was not a rule in the first place. And some completely abuse it, but those aren't worth much to mudder over, "Ugh, I can't seem to find batpony in these books." "Found it!" she exclaimed from a couple isles away. "What?" Colos looked through the shelves. Colas showed it to him, "Oh, how was I supposed to know?" she scoffed. "I wouldn't know if I was in the Equestrian mythology section... Come over here instead, it might help." Colos cleared his throat. "... Good job, Colas. We found it." she rolled her eyes as she headed for the tables. "Let's look into this..." "Yes, let's." Colos responded. "Ha-ha, JetStream." Twister laughed in a sarcastic tone, "That was funny the 11th time..." JetStream looked at him in confusion. "That was the seventh time..." "Exactly, you haven't said it yet. When did you make that joke anyway?" JetStream looked around at the blooming buildings in white cement. "A week ago? I think. New habits die not as quickly." Twister sighed. "That's not how it goes." JetStream smiled. "Exactly my point." he started to strut with his eyes closed. Twister suddenly stopped, a cold wave went through JetStream's spine as he took his next step, he ended up walking into a pony. "Uh..." he opened his eyes again, and it was a stallion. He had a dark blue coat with a blue-greyish mane and tail with the same color of his coat going down the middle of it. His eyes were a red-grey color that oddly looked pink. And his cutie mark was barely visible. It's base color was close to his coat, and it was hard to see because of it. He made a slight cough as he walked continued to walk away, "Sorry." he called out. The pony just waved his hoof slowly and passively back at him, "Hope I didn't budge his mood." his expression at a slant. "Come on, JetStream-" Twister got his attention, "I see Colos and Colas over there." JetStream went up to his side. "Right. What do you think they've been doing the past couple of days." Twister shrugged. "I may not know, but it looks like Colas is carrying something." they noticed an object between Colas's right wing and body. "They can can carry things there?" JetStream just asked as he was tugged by Twister. "Com' on!" "Alright, alright!" JetStream struggled to get on his own hooves. "Colos!" Twister called out. He looked up, and to his left. "Twister, come here. We found a book, one that may be the more helpful." when Twister stopped in front of them, he finally let go of JetStream, causing him to wobble in place getting his balance back, he looked back up after he did. "W-what's it about?" JetStream asked. "Batponies in general." JetStream's mouth suddenly opened, he turned his head in realization. "I need to get the orb back in its spot before the bats fly over Altamare." he paused. "JetStream, that's still about nine days away, it's still some time..." "Sure, it is. But I rather get it up there now, in case if I forget..." he bit his lip. "How about you try later today? When we are all less busy?" Colas suggested. They all went quiet, and looked at JetStream. "...! Yeah... I can do that." he smiled an unsure smile. "Alright, now let's go somewhere else so we can look at this." "How about the Spire? It's right there." "It's towering over us right now, no pun intended..." Colos looked at everypony else, they just shrugged. "Okay, let's go." Twister exclaimed as he trotted toward the blue wooden door. "Right!" they responded. "I wonder how the orbs doing anyway..." JetStream thought out loud. As soon as they got to the top, the put it on the ledge that would be in the sunlight, and as of right now, the ledge on the right was mandatory, it faces the sunset. It was still only twenty past noon though. Colos and Colas went in front of the book, Twister was to the left, JetStream was on the right. "So where did you both find it?" JetStream asked. As Colos silently shifted with his eyes closed, Colas nudged him. "We got it at the library of course." "Right, didn't think you'd find something like that there. I don't check that library often..." Twister snickered. "Well, neither do I." "The book says they fly in groups." Colas said. "Yeah, Picket told me that." "Picket?" Colos and Colas asked in unison. They suddenly hear a tap on the concrete, and a wall of air come at them from their backs, followed by the ryhtmic beats of hooves. "That would be me..." they turned around. "You're back!" JetStream exclaimed. "You're Picket?" brother and sister in perfect unison. A chill went down there spine. "Yes, Picket Prosechos, it is full. The batponies to be seen by-" "We know." Colos said. Picket huffed. "Alright, but why are you guys here? Whatchya doin'?" she started to ask. "Colas and Colos found a book in the library about your kind, Picket." JetStream smiled. "What? Why look at a book when you can ask the very flesh and mind of such creatures?" she tried to show her self again, but she had her coat on again, "JetStream..." "Yeah?" she took her coat off, she was in shade anyway, and it surprised Colos and Colas. "You know that promise we both decided to keep?" he nodded. "Yeah, of course I do remember..." "... You are keeping it... are you?" she was a bit curious in her tone. "Yes, Picket. We're keeping that promise until we say it is broken or until otherwise." he smiled. But Picket went quite. 'Here we go again... I don't want to embarrese myself again. It really isn't all that liar-proof back at home.' "Eh, yeah, of course you are-" she finally responded, "-Just checking." "Alright." JetStream guessed and steered away from that conversation to another, "Why don't we just figure out what's relevent to this scene now? Instead of going over everything?" Colas smiled of her guilty pleassure. "Actually, I got this book for that specific reason, it boosts my interest." "Well, uh-" it seems like Picket couldn't make it anymore clear, "Here I am... a well-alive bat-pony before your very eyes." she held a hoof outward. Holding an awkward smile. "No, I trust you completely, Picket. I guess I'm not certainly willed, to ask other ponies for other information." Picket's eyes and mouth opened wide. "I was just like that. When I was just a young mare." "Aren't you still?" Twister asked by her appearence. "Based on other ponies, sure. But batponies, if you didn't know of course, age slower, about two times the normal Equestrian." she smiled stating a rough estimate. "Sooo...." JetStream made a little point with his hoof. "Since we age slower, whatever we look like physically, we're actually double the age." "Wow..." Colas wondered in her enlightenment. JetStream was quietly counting to himself before he exclaimed. "Then I would be around 26 years old..." his friends looked at him weirdly, "My batpony age of course." Everyone paused before Picket continued. "I may look like this, but I'm actually 76 years old." "Really?!" Colos exclaimed. "You look like a school teacher at the most." Twister stated. "Picket, we're both going to agree that we're obviously different." just as Picket was going to nod, Colas bumped him out of the way. "Of course we're different, JetStream that's what research's for!" she said in an odd pace. "Sorry about that-" Colos said as he turned to her, "-But this is basically my sister being cranky..." he smiled nervously. "It's no big deal..." she got a look at the mare staring back at her, "-I'm sure we can both handle it..." Picket looked at JetStream with the look she was receiving, "... Anything wrong...?" "It was a bit surprising to see you show up so early. I'm a bit curious why you are here..." his expression was not a bit suspicous, but more of a flat-out question. "Oh! My apologies I forgot. Them back at home have told me that they are coming earlier due to weather, they said, unfortunately..." "What!?" they exclaimed in unison, while the other three flipped out, JetStream was able to get the question out of him. "When are they flying over now?!" "Three to four days..." JetStream bit his lip. "The weather precedure worked... excellent." JetStream felt a spark like shock go through his mind. 'The Aura's, they shifted suddenly.' his eyes went into a blaze once again as a fire like flame went around the egde of his eyes. "JetStream?" Picket wondered with the sudden show JetStream unexpectedly. He felt it in front of him, a warmth, a warmth that stung. Surprisingly like Picket said. He looked closely as a blob a blue started to form in front of him just behind the walls. 'Hey...' he thought, "..." it then suddenly burst itself into a defense, "Hey! What are you doing eaves droping on us!?" the pony suddenly shifted and galloped down stairs. JetStream tightly closed his eyes and violently shook his head to get rid of the Auric sight, "Somepony was spying on us!" he stated as he galloped down the stairs. Twister, Colos, and Colas followed. Picket put her coat back on and treaded after them. Part 2 It seems the door was shut when they got down, JetStream still galloping, carefully, down the stairs and he rammed the door open. "...?" he looked around as soon as he got his balance back. The bright sun shone down on him as his confusion seemed to rise from the ground, "Where'd he go?" JetStream's right ear twitched with all their voices going on in the background, he turned around and noticed Colos tripped around the last step, causing Colas, and Picket to fall over him. JetStream snickered and trotted back, "Are you okay?" "Actually, JetStream-" he was puzzled to hear that tone of voice as Picket picked her self back up, "-What were you doing chasing an innocent by-stander? You probably startled him." JetStream's eyes widened. "What? No, he was not your passerby, he was there for a reason..." he took a deep breath and relaxed. "And I must admit on the note. That actually was me... panicking..." he sort of flinched as he blinked. "You? Acting like that, was you panicking...?" Picket questioned. "It's a I-got-to-know-what-that-is responce. I sometimes can't help it." they both hear the promise gears turning again. "Actually..." Colos looked up as he began to stand on his hooves. "Where did he go?" Colas gasped. "He vanished!" Picket walked up to JetStream, hoof on his shoulder. "You can't win them all... trust somepony like me. I've tried again, and again." she smiled. "No, he's still around I know it. I bet he wants to mess with us..." "Don't mind to budge in-" Picket said with a raised eyebrow, "-But you might want to watch that paranoia..." JetStream sighed on the spot. 'Something about that word shakes me to my core...' Colos was still breathing heavily. "All that adrenaline can take it out of you..." "... What time is it?" JetStream asked Picket. "Not much the keeper of times, but it could help to look at a clock..." "Thanks." JetStream was unsure about his responce, and he looked around anyway, "I'll go to the library!" he galloped to the building with the only green roof, 'Three days left because of weather...' he paused to look at the sky, 'It seems to be okay here. Maybe it's just wacky over where Picket lives...' he looked back down, 'However it looks like...' JetStream knew to turn on the right up ahead, he knows enough to get around. But purposly straying off the path will get him lost. He turned right and took notice of the library ahead, and he started to gallop, "Still, that pony is suddenly being everywhere we go..." he said to himself in the rushing winds. He pushed the doors opened and went to a fast walk to the counter, but just as he was about to speak out, the pony behind the counter spoke up. "Welcome to the Altamare Library, the time two-fivety-three in the afternoon. All the books shown on the shelves here are free to look at. But you must check them out in order to bring them back to your place of living." the pony stated. "Uh..." JetStream mentally stutterd as he turned around, looking back at her with a hoof in the air as he was about to start galloping back. "That's actually all I needed. Thanks!" he exclaimed as he went out the doors, the tiny bell rung once again as he exited, startling a couple ponies on his way out the door, "Okay, it's nearly three o'clock." he looked in-directly at the sun, towards the sky, "That's still a good amount of time..." while Twister and rest got their questions out of the way, JetStream appeared from the corner and made his way toward the Spire, "I figured the time..." there was a puase before Picket spoke up. "Well?" "It's nearly three, so that's out of the way." 'What could that pony possibly be doing, anyway? It's not like this for him to show up and not explain why.' Maybe that's what JetStream has picked up on. 'Somepony doesn't usually do something out of the ordinary and not tell the other why...' Picket thought as JetStream waved to his friends. "I'm heading back home, there's something I have to take care of still." "See ya later" they'd say as they waved back, "Want to come along, Picket?" JetStream offered. "I have the weather to look after, I have to make sure the movement is safe when they start and finish." she would shift her head down at an angle every now and then in understandment. "Actually, Picket, what is it that they're moving?" JetStream stood up and looked behind him before he went off. "They're just a bunch of batponies alike who want to move across Equestria safely. Some only go to see family that they haven't seen in a while." "Sweet. But..." Picket stopped just as he continued. "Why can't they just fly? On their own? Like the Pegasi do? I know there may be some fillies and colts. But, why does it seem you all have to be so cautious?" Picket sighed. "For the sake of understandment, JetStream-" JetStream felt it wasn't as light as it was moments ago, he shivered as the cool winds lazily went by, "-We aren't really that trusted enough..." JetStream noticed her wings sank a bit. "Not trusted?" JetStream was puzzled. "But, you're with me and my friends, right? How is that not trusting?" "...Some time ago, during a different part of the world. We made a first impression during a wrong time. Since then we weren't really confirmed trust worthy." she turnd around, and talked without her head shifting. "... We can meet up later, alright?" "Of course." JetStream smiled. They both went there ways, and soon JetStream's smile dropped, 'I need to get the orb back to the top of the Spire, like Picket said before.' JetStream is practically reminded about the orb everytime he laid eyes on Picket, something about those batponies is so soothing. It feels so unerving, every second counts as night gets closer, every tapping hoof, every word a tongue makes. It's all a contribution to it all ending up to night, and when that all burns out it's daylight once again, only for it to loop at the thought. And at the thought of starting here, you got to give something. JetStream huffed as he made it back home, yet only to think about the walk back to the top of the Spire. Too much thought that goes into this new and surprising night, werepony transformation, and just the thought of his shadow getting taller would scare him, but as of right now, he rolled his eyes in the thought of how far off it sounds. The front door to his opened in a calm manor. He walked straight to his room. "Welcome back, buddy." Myriad said, JetStream just smiled. "Thanks, I'm going to get the orb, I need to bring it to the Spire." he said, 'Whoa!' he jumped as he looked into his room. The orb was under his bed, and it was still noticable, as it pushed right in the middle, it seemed to have grown bigger since then, "I need to get it there now, I probably won't be able to..." he worried for the sake of it breaking his bed. He ducked under and tried to scoop the orb out under the bed. As he tried tugging on it, it didn't seem to budge, "Crud..." he then tried to push his bed up on the side closest to him, he sighed as he should've done this the first time, he then tried to roll it out of the way. And he uncontrolably let go of the bed from exhaustion. He fell backwards onto his back, and let his hooves rest for a couple of seconds, only to quickly get up and take another look at it. As JetStream went to his sitting-on-the-floor position, he was finally able to look at it, "It's as tall as me sitting down now..." which would be just below two feet. JetStream pushed his parents momentary worried aside as he began to push it with both his hooves now like some big box that was too heavy to carry, which JetStream still remembers when it could still fit in his hoof the last time he saw this weird and, mostly still, unexplained object he has ever encountered. Actually, he shook his head as he thought of it, the ring he wears will still be as mysterious as ever, but the orb atleast he'll know he will get answers. Only if the thing would budge through the door frames... Part 3 JetStream was now in front of the house as he waved his Mom good-bye. The orb stood just below his chest when JetStream stood, "Without any regrets, I'm rolling this thing back..." he said quite confidently. It was a bit later in the day, the world JetStream saw was the slightest more yellow. He'd usually have to bend to the side to see what's ahead, up until the point JetStream could see the tower, he stopped doing so. When JetStream got to the door entrance of the tower, he ragdolled in exhaustion, causing him to slip off the orb and collapse facing skyward. "... What are you doing?" Colos popped up from the bottom left corner of his eye. With as much will power has he had, he lifted his right hoof and started to shift around when neccesary. "This is the orb right here. I had to roll it all the way back from there. But I still have to hope I can get it to the roof." Colos jumped. "What!? How did you manage to get that through your house, the doorways aren't that big..." he exclaimed eye-balling how wide the orb was to himself. Colos paused before he spoke up again, "Are you sure you can put it back up there?" Colos looked up to the roof, some for JetStream as his already skybound vision looked shifted to the left a bit. "... I don't think I can..." he admitted. "Right..." Colos responded. Suddenly this brisk cold air washed down from what it seemed to be behind Colos' legs, like a fan. JetStream looked behind him. "Did you feel that? Where did that cold air come from?" JetStream finally getting up, yet as he did, a second shadow, darker than the whole Spire's shadow flowing over them, was connected with Colos, "... You... see that too?" he asked pointing toward the darker shadow. "What?" his eyes opened wide when he realized. "Whoa... I'd never seen a shadow do this..." the orb started a faint glow. Colos paused, while JetStream continued to look down at it. "Could it be some sort of optical thing we can't see?" JetStream asked. Colos didn't respond. But instead he bent down. "What... what if I touched it?" JetStream shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Then you'd be touching a darkened part of the world I suppo-..." Colos was able to silence JetStream. Like pepper against soap, when Colos touched the darkened shadow that Colos seems to cast the area around it quickly retracted. "What?" Colos curiously looked it over. "Hel-!" Colos exclaimed as the shadow formed around him, to what looked like consumed him. "Colos!" he thrusted his hooves onto the black orb. "This is somthing I've never seen a shadow do..." Colos stated. JetStream had to take his hooves off soon, the black thickness what seemed to be an odd shadow was uncorfatably cool, he couldn't keep his hooves on it for long. "... Anypony out there? JetStream!" Colos exclaimed. Yet on the other side of that, JetStream was deaf to whatever he had to say. "Colos? ... Why hasn't he said anything?" he asked himself. "It's really cold in here..." he started to take a quick look around, yet like a hamster in a plastic ball he was trapped. Ponies passing by started to stop and take a quick look around. "Can you here me!?" JetStream exclaimed, trying to reach him from within the orb, "... Can't you here me?" soon after he closed his eyes, "If he can't get to me, then I'll get to him..." he said to himself. On a hightened level of Aura, JetStream called out to Colos through telepathy, "Colos! Can you here me!?" Colos was releived at the sound of his friends voice. "I can now..." he said quietly, sighing in releif. "It seems to sound makes it through, so I'm talking to you in other means..." JetStream paused, "Colos..." JetStream's Aura glowed as he went into Auric sight, he saw Colos' outline, and told him to turn counter-clockwise slowly until he told him to stop. When he said stop, they were facing eachother through the shadow wall, "I don't know what this will do. But can you put your hooves on the wall in front of you?" JetStream asked. "Sure... it seems like you're doing something." he pressed against the hollow orb. JetStream carefully put his hooves on the other side in the exact same place. And with everything else that wasn't being used, he used practically everything to inflate his Aura, suddenly the ends on his hooves became really warm, as did the same for Colos. But times in, there was a hole formed where their hooves were pushed. "What I thought's working!" Colos was able to hear again as he heard the same. When suddenly the cause of this shadow orb and his Aura have met, these purple particles suddenly oozed out from JetStream, "What?" the shadow orb suddenly dissapeared, fading rather slowly until it was completely gone. JetStream suddenly heard something from somwhere. "So you are the one, my mistake..." "Hey!" Colos exclaimed as he saw the some weird dark substance flying through the ground at a high pace, "Where ya going you big blob!?" Colos got back from what it recently did. JetStream watched the purple particles fade as his Aura faded. 'What is that stuff? Why does it look like it's part of my Aura as well?' he then opened his eyes, yet had to squint from outside becoming suddenly bright, it soon faded, but the night was coming soon once again. He knew he needed to get it up there somehow. Picket watched from a couple building away. "It seems something I've avoided is not wanting to forget. I hope those boys are introduced the least. The less the better..." she said to herself, she'll never be more serious, other than watching her own. "Are sure you can get it up there on your own?" Colos asked as he looked directly skyward his neck started to hurt. "No. I need a Unicorn to help..." he turned to Colos, "...or atleast magic in general..." Colos tapped on the orb a bit. "How come this thing is getting bigger?" "I don't know, but it's an inconvienence..." Picket sighed. "There will come a time where everypony who lives in Equestria will come to realize that the magic that saturates the land before them doesn't exactly come from their Unicorn horns..." JetStream sighed as he lazily pressed his head against the orb, his Aura and the orb glowed in unison. He noticed and swallowed. "You know what..." he got back up. He gained his reckless-smile, "I bet we could." Colos' sudden wave of shock was all JetStream needed. "... I must not tell a lie when I say the orb is it's own natural messager..." "How in Equestria would you think you could pull that off?" he asked. That's when JetStream paused. "You're right, that's crazy. But... I don't think it'll work if it's just me..." he put his right hoof on his chest. "I think... Picket said something, about the orb compressing power inside itself...?" Picket smiled as she was hearing this a couple buildings distance away. Colos looked closely as JetStream's Aura sparked, "My Aura... yet not just mine-" he turned to Colos, "-could we... turn it into power? Like magic?" JetStream wondered. "Is that possible?" Colos asked back towards JetStream. "... Maybe... the slightest budge could work for now..." he put one hoof on the orb, as it started to make waves pulsating away from the hoof's contact. His sky blue Aura flared as he concentrated. When he closed his eyes, the orb finally shifted direclty upward a few inches, only to fall back down. His eyes instantly opened again. "Whoa! It happened, it went up a bit!" Colos exlcaimed. "I guess it is a possibility then..." he smiled. Picket couldn't help but to grin, it was sort of like the first encounter she had with the thing. A see-things-push-random-buttons kind of attitude. Next thing she saw was JetStream pushing Colos to try it on his own. Although it did budge, it did slightly less. "Did it work?" Colos asked. "Yeah, but it didn't seem to do as much as last time..." "Wonder why..." JetStream paused before saying anything. "Maybe because you're a Pegasus, and I'm more down to earth..." they both shrugged on it, and continued. "I think we should get the others!" "I'll get my sister!" "I'll find Twister!" they both seperated. 'Like colts in a playground...' she thought. "So what you're saying is, we need to come together. And lift the orb? Together?" Twister asked still tring to grasp the situation. "Yes, of course." JetStream looked out of the corner of his eye behind him. Twister rolled his eyes. It felt like he was practically being pulled by a rope with no way of knowing what their destination was. "Colos tried on himself and it worked as well!" JetStream jumped at the excitement, Twister shrugged. "Okay... I'm assuming Colos is bringing Colas?" "Of course. It wouldn't be full without her too." Twister pointed north-east. "There's the Spire." "Okay let's speed it up a bit." they went to a paced gallop, around this time there seems to be the most ponies about. After and before this time of the day ponies don't seem to appear as much as they did. Soon after they entered the plaza, "There they are." JetStream pointed. They all met up at the orb. "So my brother told me that you two figured we should try and lift this together. Are we?" she may have paused, but she is still curious. "Right. Even Colos budged it too." his sister gave her a look as Colos boasted a gesture. JetStream walked up closer, and put his right hoof on the orb. "... I say we try this now..." JetStream suggested noticing how tall the shadows were getting. "Right..." Colos replied as he did the same, Colos following after him on his right. Twister walked up on JetStream's left. "Where are we going to take this?" continously letting no eye contact letting go from the orb, as if a stare down from his own reflection, he said. "To the top of the Spire, the roof. Where it was originally before I nocked it down..." Everypony out of these four would see this never ending white soft waves coming from their hooves. Twister smiled, then turned to put his hoof on it as well. After watching the other two, Twister and Colas shut their eyes too. "What do we do now?" they asked. "..." JetStream had to think for a moment, "Imagine yourself trying to push something, but don't psyhically push it. Focuss on your hoof touching the orb..." and then the orb suddenly glowed, and shined right in front of them, "Keep your eyes closed..." JetStream warned, "Act like you have a grip..." the orb slightly went off the ground, and is now floating slightly above, "Now lift!" the 82 lb orb was lifted by four hooves of four ponies, "Open your eyes, I need you Colos and Colas to now try to lift it by flying. They all opened their eyes, Twister went under and started pushing upward, and Colos and Colas got their best grip they could muster and thrusted their wings aimed for the sky. "What ab-about you!?" "Don't worry!" JetStream was suddenly closing his eyes again, 'I want that same feeling again... Corolla, my Mom. She using telekenisis...' it all suddenly flashed in his eyes as his Aura surrounding his body was sucked to the top of his forehead in the shape of a unicorn horn, 'There it is!' JetStream knows this false magic isn't strong enough yet, that's why he decided to position himself under the object and help his friends with lifting this thing. "JetStream, you're-!?" Twister slipped a bit, in shock. He opened one eye and looked directly at him, in the bent-hoof-in-the-air-and-horn-pointed-backwards. "Please don't lose your muster!" he begged. Twister we configured and got to a more anchored stance. "I can't take it! You two up there, I'm going to force it upwards all in one push!" he pushed upward with it resulting in climing much faster then they yeilded, Colos and Colas ended up lying on the orb from the sudden gravity change, and with the bit of force from JetStream false magic. Colos and Colas quickly regained control and pushed it to the side of the roof. "What if this falls!?" Colas exclaimed, she didn't hear an answer, but. "Then we'd have to try again..." JetStream remarked. Colos and Colas pushed it towards the Spire, now all they have to hope for is that awful sound. Suddenly there was a dull tink sound, Colos and Colas were speechless at what they saw. "... It, it made it!" Colos waved, Twister ,and JetStream sighed and high-hoofed. Picket sighed in releif as well. Despie the dibree that fell on them afterward, everything went well there. JetStream frowned as he looked at the setting sun, those times where you'd know you wouldn't completely relax... it's one of those times. He suddenly held a confident smile. It helps either way... Chapter 5Part 1 For a split moment, JetStream looked up as he remembered, "Colas, Colos! Is it staying up there!? Is it notched in place?" he requested an answer from them near them hovering the roof. They carefully checked the bottom of the orb. "It made a slight dent, I don't think it's going anyway!" Colos replied, he gestured towards his sister to come down with him. Picket neared them at the same rate. "Awesome, I thank all you for returning it to it's planned spot." she smiled. "Thanks..." they all replied. JetStream paused. "Picket..." "Hmm?" she wondered. "... Were you watching us?" he asked curiously, she sighed a short sigh and nodded. "Yes, I didn't want to bug your hardwork in getting that orb back in its place." "Thanks for doing that, but... you know what, nevermind..." he smiled, "I'll be asking too much." "What do you mean?" Twister wondered. As JetStream was actually about to respond, he noticed his shadow extending to the horizon faster and faster. With a sudden heavy feeling in his chest, those purple particles he saw earlier started to form around him once more. JetStream looked at the moon once more as his pupils when blade thin once again, and his transformation went off before everyone. Over grown fur, fangs on the inside egde of his mouth. His hooves seem to have barely ripped some fur there, as some of his hooves were now showing bare. Overall he seemed to have gained a purple tint over his entire body like transparent paint. The particles went away, and JetStream came back after he may have lost his vision for a moment. "JetStream..." Picket spoke up. "Huh?" there's that deep wrinkled-up-paper voice again. JetStream turned to Picket as she noticed his thin yellow eyes shone from the moon. "You... this is called Lycanthropy..." they all paused. "I panicked and, decided to give them a message back home." JetStream's friend's ears perked up as they awaited the answer. "They say that they won't dare to try until they have formed a solid ground with you..." "... What does that mean?" JetStream asked. "... You would most likely have to see him face to face... that's the thing I'm afraid of..." "That's no fair!" Colas exclaimed. "This happend on accident! How come we have to go through such depressing concequences?" Picket shook her head. "Sorry, I can't do anything about that..." she opened her eyes to strange looks, "It's... not in my authority..." "It's something to worry about!" JetStream exclaimed. Everypony jumped like they were some prey he was chasing. "But it won't really help to idle by and worry until the major happends..." he had a worried smile, winking toward Picket as she got the message. "JetStream's got a point you guys..." she said, "You all did push the orb all the way back to the Spire's roof. That should clear something up between you all." she looked back down from the roof. "This is a glorious setup you have here..." everypony gasped as JetStream pointed. "It's you again!" his eyes glared to JetStream as the others watched, Picket's heart started to pump. "Surprised to see me? Why, I thought you were the one chasing me..." JetStream's head went down as this stallion took the spotlight. Just the area around this pony was chilling to the spine. But with his werepony fur it didn't seem to bother as much. The stallion looked behind him toward the roof of the Spire, he smiled with the glint of his teeth showing. "Did you all bring the orb back to its spawn?" he asked like he was their dark, twisted father. "All, except me." Picket stated. The stallion noticed the others looked at her in worried expressions. "... Not a single unicorn from these four, and they're able to lift it all the way back there?" his voice was soft, but felt like it would never stop poking you. "We did it with friendship!" Colas suddenly exclaimed. Colos jumped. "Colas, what are you doi-...?" the stallion gave an amusing look. Twister grit his teeth. "Who are you? What's your name!?" with a deep thought, you could tell there was little worry. "..." he looked at Picket, "Phamevem... Fantosme..." Picket flinched and looked at the ground. "Stop doing that!" she closed her eyes tight, then only to suddenly hear the others. "Where'd he go?" "He just turned into a cloud of smoke..." she opened her eyes again. "It's just an illousion, just watch your shadows closely..." "What?" JetStream raised his head to look the opposite of the moon. There's JetStream, or atleast in inverted, non-psyhcal him. Even though his shadow wasn't moving, his heart started to pound. Suddenly where his eyes would meet on the shadow suddenly glowed white, same with everypony else making Colas jump and gallop out of fear. Also causing JetStream to jump as a domino effect, the white glowing eyes went away as Colos called out for her sister as he went after her. "What the heck was that about!?" Twister exclaimed. "Picket-" JetStream caught her attention. "Do you know that stallion?" 'For the promise...' "Yes... yes I do." "How?" JetStream wondered. "I'll go get them then..." Twister announced as he galloped out in the same direction. "He lives, back where I do." "How? He is a pony isn't he?" "He's actually able to take form of anything through some form of shadow... he is actually some batpony. But..." Picket sighed, after a puase, "He's just very mischievous, or trouble maker..." "Doesn't that seem a bit outdated?" 'That's what they should've figured...' Picket went into a paced trot to her left. "Com' on. Let's catch up to your friends." "Right." JetStream responded. The stallion chuckled as they went across the plaza to catch up. "They knew more than I thought..." he looked at the orb right in front of him. Still ever so curious how they have it back up here, it seems more likely that it may have not fell in the first place. "..." Picket was silent on their way after Colos' sister, 'JetStream and his friends remind me of my aquantaces back home... sometimes they'd act almost like this...' "You seem to know a lot about that stallion..." she heard it coming from JetStreams side, but yet another voice was layered on top. "I'm sorry..." she suddenly spoke. "Is something wrong?" JetStream asked as they walked behind Twister. "We know eachother..." she answered in her sudden trance. Her Aura was suddenly colder than a normal pony. "Picket? Picket snap out of it." JetStream clapped his hooves together whenever he was able to. She succcessfully snapped free, as soon as she shook her head she exclaimed. "Sorry, sir!" in a plead-like tone. "Sir?" JetStream and Twister both rose their eyebrow. Like clearing from a grayout, Picket noticably saw JetStream again. "Oh! I, uh..." she looked away, desperatly hoping they'd drop what she just said. "... Where'd that come from?" Twister asked after a long pause, and started walking again. She sighed and started walking as JetStream did. "It's just bittersweet memory." Phamevem reformed to his Earth stallion form and jumped the whole way down the 60 foot Spire. Landing without an injury. He grunted with assumption. "Didn't know I could scare then that easily..." Part 2 Phamevem looked around as he saw ponies walking late in the night with their partners, or who ever they could be. The moon's light shining on their glistening manes and blocking it from hitting their eyes. The night was a canvas to him. And the ponies that spread around in tiny dots are his viewers. He feels this urge of immenent power bubbling, and it will never overflow. He feels as if a professional had been so long, no matter his position in skill would ever reach to elite ranks. This feeling of never climbing higher, the same for stubborn-ness in that feild, makes him eager to never quit in what he does. And all though it doesn't bother him to know every detail of what he does, he enjoys the guilty pleasure of never rising to higher responsibility. But, he stopped his train of thought for another path, these ponies working with Picket have some expierence, higher than a novice is only an ametuar. Phamevem is honestly guilty to catch himself following specific ponies, JetStream and his friends in this case. And from what they have shown, as Phemvem looks from the shadows, they must have a lust for tenaciousness. Phamevem took cover when Twister looked around. "Colas!" he shouted, "Sister, where are you!?" Colos exclaimed. '... So this pony is a sister of the white one? As many should know, white is very distiguisble from the dark of night...' Twister suddeny stopped and turned to JetStream. "Hey, JetStream, do you think you could use your Aura sense? ... If that's what it's called." "Right." he nodded with his fur waving in the breezy summer night, 'I'm going to assume Colas is still worried or scared...' As the Aura visibly formed around JetStream once again, Phemevem was able to take notice. 'This one seems to have a special, amplifide force... but what is it doing?' His eyes suddenly glowed like batpony's eyes do, 'This feels as if it had branched on its own path... like it would be a son or daughter to a relative...' he carefully looked over to Picket, "If they feel so alike, could we disturb it?" he asked himself. JetStream's Aura suddenly pulsed a dark purple color. And without a second notice, he saw something pounce at him from the corner of his eye. "Ah!" his natural entinct kicked it at the sudden change in the envirment. They noticed that JetStream fell to the floor, but that one looks different than the one next to them. "JetStream?" they looked down to the one that got knocked down. Colos jumped when his fur stood on edge. "That's not him!" "I'm right here..." a voice came from his immediate right. JetStream, still in his werepony form stood motionless, as he wasn't even swaying, 'I'm numb... yet I'm not falling limb...' he realized. "Yes, that will fade soon..." JetStream was able to look up, he noticed Twister looking at him. He looked to his left and relized there was a darker tinted, more wicked looking werepony that him and JetStream battled for. "He looks just like you!" Colos exclaimed. "Stop this now, Phamevem!" Picket shouted. JetStream gained the will and looked at Twister. "Go find Colos' sister..." without a word notice, Twister turned around and started to gallop, followed by that dreaded voice out loud. "Stop right there!" Twister stopped on a dime. 'How'd he?...' "What did you do to JetStream?" Colos yelled in fear. "Nothing, actually." he walked up to JetStream at a delecate pace, Twister backed up as he did, "Although his body did go through a massive tempature decrease, it'll soon rise to where it should be." "Why did you form from him?" Picket asked. "Simple, in this case he had the strongest connection to the lunar magic spread through the atmoshpere that they call a sky. It rises during night, and the moon helps to spread it. The stronger the connection-" he gained as devilish as his nose barely touched JetStream, and they stared eye to eye despite the stallions other form, "The more look-alike..." JetStream finally felt the numbness in his hooves. "I can feel my hooves again..." JetStream stated. Phamevem's expression slid back to a neutral and took a step back from him. "You, over there!" he called out, he turned. "Twister!" JetStream called out, "Go and find her, don't listen to him!" Twister turned back a bolted out of Phamevem's vision, JetStream turned around to look at his reflection, "How did you know what I was saying to Twister?" JetStream asked, more curious than scared. They all looked at him as he seemed to walk out into shade in front of them. "The stronger the connection, the better..." he smiled at the last moment before he vanished into the shadows. Leaving JetStream to sigh. "How in the world do you two know each other?" JetStream asked Picket. She just shook her head and said. "We ran into eachother a lot..." JetStream suddenly fell like a ragdoll. "There we go..." "What are we going to do with that pony looking like you, JetStream?" Colos wondered. "Be extra careful..." he responded as he got on his own hooves again. "Let's just go find your sister." Picket suggested. They both nodded and turned around. Part 3 "Hopefully we can find her, we're actually having some difficulty..." Picket nodded. "Even so, this town is 13 or so square miles. Just about the size of Canterlot..." JetStream found themselves turning a corner right. "It will take a bit I gue-" JetStream stopped bumping into Twister from behind, "Wha-?" he looked back up. "Colas is back home..." JetStream opened wide, they seemed to glow as he did. "That's where we're going this whole time?" he asked. "Yeah, I figured if she went home, we'll be done and over with this..." JetStream paused before suggesting. "Should we go in and check up on her?" Picket looked at Twister as well. Twister sighed before replying. "Well, yeah. I will..." his tone went awkward, "I'm afraid you'll frighten Colos' parents if they see you, both of you..." Twister looked just as dissapointed as JetStream and Picket did. "So be it-" she held her head slight up from the horizon, her eyes closed, "-as I was never accompanied into households of this land, I don't expect it to change." her eyes opened, darting to JetStream, "JetStream, let's wait outside then for them to return..." Picket surprisingly didn't sound the slightest bit annoyed. Before Twister closed the door he called that he'd be right out again. "... Honestly that's what I meant. He didn't let me finish..." "What do you mean?" she asked as JetStream went ahead, walked around her to sit down. "I meant that I should've re-worded it, it's no biggy..." JetStream felt a sudden heavy preassure, he flinched, only to come back up when it went away moments later. Picket's expression went to surprise. "What was that? Why did my chest just hurt right now?" he asked rubbing his chest, watching his werepony fur being tussled around. "Don't worry, I felt that too. Practically I can't un-feel it; I'm a batpony so... I'm really surprised. When Phamevem said about your lunar connection, he wasn't kidding about how thick it was, you got a pressure sensation on your chest? Look up." they both did. "The moon's near the top of the sky..." Picket nodded. "Yep, it's almost a lunar noon. That's what that pain was, a warning that time is nearly only half now. You have another six or seven hours until you transform back." "Right." he responded after he looked back down, he paused, "Do you feel that? The wind?" she took a moment to let it flow around and embrace her, like a massage that had little effect, yet still was very cold and awakening to the face. "Yes, and I assume that's the storm they're trying to get ahead of." JetStream's mouth opened in shock as Picket looked to her left, all the way towards the horizon. "Are you... looking at the storm? Ways from here?" JetStream asked. The weird thing was Picket was faintly starting to nod, but suddely stopped the nod and answered. "No, but it 's somewhere in that direction." JetStream closed his eyelids half way. "Getting tired?" Picket wondered. "Just a bit restless..." suddenly Twister walked out of the door, without Colas nor Colos, "Twister-" he got up on his hooves again, and Picket followed JetStream walking up to Twister, "-why isn't Colas or Colos with you?" Twister shrugged. "It's getting really late, and I can agree..." JetStream looked at Picket, who just shrugged. "For my sake, I'll go home and get rest as well." JetStream suggested as he turned around. "Alright then, see you tomorrow!" Twister waved good-bye for tonight. "Mind if I join for the moment?" Picket asked. "Sure, I won't be out much longer though." she nodded. "Fair enough." "... I sincerely hope my Mom and Dad care for me, even with this lunar curse..." he said to himself quitely as he looked out from bed towards the stars beyond. He's been up for ten minutes now, and it still seems to be night. He got up from his bed, '... Hope I'm not shedding...' he suddenly thought looking back with a stoic expression. He shook his head and looked out the window, his eyes glared at the moonlight still hitting the ground. He wasn't able to see the moon directly because of his bedroom window facing the opposite of a sundown. His mouth shifted as he looked around the visible space. He tried bringing up the memory where he found the orb back on the roof of the Spire, and possibly find any evidence as why he's transforming in the first place. Despite the knowledge of knowing what energy is compressed into this form, it does seem to have it's perks. Everything feels a bit more soft, you're warmer one-hundred percent of the time, and especcially for night. But then there was this third reason, a reason somepony would like to understand, know it exsists, yet can't really specify. This third reason is may just be something he his hiding behind himself, take care of it but not bring it home, share something with it so grand it will only have to share something once, except for that small detail you couldn't remember, or fail just to forget, "... A reason beyond the stars..." he thought to himself, "Picket, she's only here in Altamare for reasons that envolve her own, I haven't left here for that reason-" he stated looking at his door, "... Up until the point I decided to check that orb... now it's over-sized, messed with, and practically been dirtied..." he stopped himself when his ring glowed, "...?" he walked over to it, "Why is it glowing this time?" out of the corner of his eye, JetStream noticed the sky turning red and blue, "Is it because of the sun rising?" he took a closer look at where the red buldged more then anywhere else on the horizon. He realized the sun's a bit more to the left than what he thought, and looking at the ground confirmed that it was that time again. He carefully tried to but his ring back on, with all that fur it was a bit tricky. He he snuck his way to the backyard, "..." he paused, "It's been a while, but it's about time to head back to the Glassed Hill..." pulled back, and launched towards the door. Part 4 "... Picket might have been right about that storm, I guess she just may know..." he shivered on his way through the stone and dirt tunnel, 'Honestly, it was suddenly a bit chilly...' JetStream recalled Picket slightly nodding at JetStream's question, only to say no moments later, "Was that by accident, or for a purpose? ..." his before stoic expresion went to a frown of a slant. JetStream swallowed after thinking multiple things, "It was a promise, she'll keep it." he reassured as his hooves kicked the dirt up from the damp soil. He noted getting close as the torches showed up on the walls, they were stone/wood sticks with one end lit with rings going around the flame. "I never really went down here at night time, no wonder I never expected it to get this dark..." those torches were just enough light for him to feel safe galloping at his current speed. He was releived to end up in front of an opening door to the hallowed hill, "Alright, finally back in." he sped up and jumped through with high momentum, causing to throw dirt everywhere, and dust into the air. He coughed, "Most natural thing so far..." he paused when he looked his eyes on outside to see the twilight's dawn, "It's getting close to sunrise..." his right hoof rose from the ground in awareness. "It sure is a submissive thought, isn't it?" JetStream snapped his eyes to the left. JetStream's thin pupils sliced the air around him, his lunar fur standing on edge. "Show yourself! ... How did you get in here!?" his threatening voice demanded. He walked up ahead, more in the center of the area. "I'm much closer than you think, yet still almost never seem to acknoledge me..." a pause made JetStream grit his teeth, his impatience went hoof in hoof with this form, as he has noted. "Darker than space, yet more noticable than any star seen by the pony eyes." 'Closer than you think? I never seem to acknowledge...' JetStream's thought process went to work, with the instant pop as JetStream jumped in the air, "Shadow!" he looked away from the moon and sky, and in the opposite direction. And there he was, still formed as him in his werepony form. JetStream thoughtlessly swung his left hoof in the open air. "Whoa, whoa, what are you doing? I'm down here." "Stop it, Phamevem!" JetStream exclaimed as he backed up. All he was doing was standing on this two-deimensional plane of a ground floor. "What? Can't handle what you can't see?" a sillohuotte of Phamevem walked around like a shadow without an visible pony casting it. It was practically messing with his eyes. JetStream looked down and noticed him casting as his shadow, he gallopped to the other side, keeping on eye on him. Phamevem kept it up as JetStream's activity went in the same direction, soon he even started to emit purple particles from his body, showing it's raw energy, 'There it is!!!' Phamevem screamed JetStream to a halt, he started to scramble backwards as Phamevem rushed him. JetStream suddenly closed his eyes as tight as he could, and for some reason went for his Aura for help. And with all this energy built up, his whole body was suddenly accompanied with a bright, clear red glow. The build up over flowed, JetStream opened his eyes shining red volumetric light, his vision went black close to a gray-out. And a sudden EMP like boom accured, causing Phamevem to form to his original self and fly back to his side of the hill. JetStream pratfalled to the floor as his red Aura faded. Only to inch back up moments later. "Don't... provoke it!" JetStream exclaimation filled the room. With all his strength he got up on all fours, and pushed his right hind leg against the wall he leaned against for a kickstarter as he rushed Phamevem. His surprise for seeing Phamevem like this will only be pushed aside. From the bruises that cover him from hitting th stone side of the hill, a faint smile emerged. JetStream galloped faster to the point he almost tripped, then in sudden adrenaline, he jumped and aimed stright for him. Suddenly, everything went to white. JetStream noticed he jumped passed the sun from the big circular window, "...!" he lost his train of thought as this white blinded him, he tumbled straight for Phamevem. He transformed back into his shadow form and moved along the surface to slither away and avoid bumping into him. JetStream continued to tumble until he hit the stone on the wall with an audibly cough. Phamevem's smile slowly faded as JetStream lied in the sunlight, assuming those pain-felt moans were him transforming back. He huffed and exited the Glassed Hill. JetStream grit his teeth as he tried to climb to his hooves, holding his stomach so he could try to do so, "Pham- Phamevem!" he shouted. As hard as he could try he would suddenly fall back to the floor without any explanation, like it was stunning him every five seconds as he transformed back. JetStream could hear his heavy breathing alone, the white started to fade as he noticed he was back to his bright cyan coloured self. Now, and thankfully he was able to pull himself up as it tugged himself down less every time it did so. When he got to his hooves, he slowly looked at his shadow casted by the sun, "Agh!" he shadow was not there whatsoever, he shook his head, closing his eyes. Only for the shadow to appear like it should when he stopped. He stood completely still wondering what just happend, and decided to flee back to home as if he felt like fleeing a recent crime scene. He felt completely worried. That feeling continued as he saw Picket already outside his home... Chapter 6Part 1 Picket noticed JetStream drunkenly stumbling in the backyard. She gasped and jumped into the air, taking her second leap on the concrete fence. She landed to JetStream's immediate left, causing him to jump, "Agh!" caused him to fall over again. "I sensed a disturbance in power, so I decided to check up... this late..." she noticed the continuous purple particles emitting from him, and covered her mouth. "... And apparently you were the cause of it..." shocked, she seemed more sympathetic than worried. "Still too weak to walk long enough..." JetStream stated as he looked up to his right lying down on his left side. "What did you to for this to come over you?" she wondered peering over him, she would keep looking back towards the house for some reason as well. JetStream paused, and let his heat hit the grass. "Me and Phamevem-" Picket didn't even let him finish. "No, were you two...?" she stopped herself before she could've suggested. Despite his struggle in it, he nodded. "It seems, he wanted the lunar energy that I've been cursed with..." She sighed. And let a hoof towards JetStream, implying him to climb up the best he can. He stood up, but he walked like he had a limp. "It seems like his fervor is increasing by the very mention of his name..." she suggested. JetStream looked around as Picket was the one to be walking him in. "Thanks for walking me in..." she paused, and smiled. "Honestly, that scene would've made me look guilty..." it was weird talking to her with her coat on for the day bright, as if it felt night actually lasted longer than day where they were at, "Hold yourself up with the table." she suggested as she pulled the chair out from it with JetStream plopping onto the chair seconds later. "Thanks, Picket..." he thanked just as Myriad walked in. "JetStream...?" he wondered. He laughed half-heartedly. "Good morning, Dad..." he waved. 'Atleast you can raise your limbs...' Picket thought as she stood there wearing her shaded brown coat. JetStream looked at Picket and smiled, so she decided to take hoodie off, she understood she was in-doors. "It's you again." Myriad said. "Yes-" she responded, "I... I've missed a lot, moments ago." she gave a sympathetic look towards JetStream. "What do you mean?" Myriad asked. 'This is going to be hard to explain, what would he think if I said I was fighting another pony? I don't do that... I...' JetStream clearly remembered he struck first, it was Phamevem's teasing that got him off, '... I did get in a fight...' "I..." JetStream noticed Picket's look, sympathy to a "you-know-you-did-it" JetStream paused, "I fought another... "pony" not too while ago." JetStream saw his father's expression, "But that's not the whole thing! There's actually tons more happening then that." he confessed. Suddenly Picket looked surprise. "Well other things happening aren't that bad either, JetStream..." "The only reason I'm like this is because I got in a conflict with some shadow of a pony..." JetStream hoped that made sense, "... And I'm lucky Picket was there to bring me back inside." Picket didn't respond. The warm summer glow of the sun filtered through the windows as silence began to spread. She kept a blank expression with a soft-kick-of-the-dirt gesture, either that or a stoic smile. "Don't worry, Ms. Picket-" Myriad spoke up, "I'm sure it's a completely different level..." she looked at him in shock. 'I... never been called that before...' after a second or two, Myriad looked around for anything to break her glaring vision. He admitted internally that her eyes frightened him a bit, kept him on his hooves were he wouldn't feel completely comfortable, and even for a second, he thought how JetStream could withstand it. "Isn't this the only reason you're here, Picket?" JetStream asked as he turned around on the chair he sat in. "What?" "You're here only because you brought me in, right?" JetStream responded. "True... but I must address the storm that is going to be flying over this town." "Hmm-" a distant voice came around the corner, "No wonder it went from eighty degrees to the low seventies in a period of twelve hours." Corolla said, and without looking at the expressions, she added, "We may not control the weather down here, but it's an option to watch for safety." "And I have to admit-" Picket said, "There was a good red tone in the sunrise today..." as if she was recalling. "Does a red sunrise mean anything?" JetStream asked. "There's a probability for a decent amount of rain some time in the near future." she answered. JetStream suddenly perked up from his rested position towards his bedroom, as Picket looked towards the front of Myriad and Corolla's home. "Somepony's calling to me..." Picket said. "I just saw the ring glow..." JetStream said looking toward Picket. "Excuse me-" she turned and walked toward the door, "-but I need to get to something." she said. Her tone no longer sounded bouncy and worryless. "P-Picket!" JetStream exclaimed, "I want to come along!" he darted for his room to grab his ring. She stopped, paused at the front of the door, haven't even touched the door with a single hoof. As JetStream almost rammed her plot, he stopped, backed up. And wondered why she was so quiet, "The, promise... for us both to understa-" he was cutoff by Picket. "As awakening this alert is..." she sighed and finally raised it again, "... come along." Excited hoofsteps went about around the door, she opened the door. "We'll be back soon." Picket promised through her brown coat. "Bye, guys." JetStream had a short farewell. He closed the door behind him with the ring on his right forearm. With the final click of the closed door they were on their way to meet up with a pony, as Picket assumed. How this effect JetStream, she hopes the least, because things can get very serious in the bright land of theirs she thought looking at him bounce through her shady hat. Honestly there would've been times she'd be so tempted to just walk in the sun, unprotected as they say, "..." Picket noticed his bouncing suddenly stopped, her expression showed curiousity, "... Picket, you know I'd never force the promise to do something like this, would you?" the question he wanted to ask ever since they just started their little walk to whatever awaited her. "..." she paused looking toward the blue sky, "It's ambiguous, but it never hurts to keep something you know you already have." 'But it may depend on how bad it hurts the other...' she sighed, '... for your safety, JetStream...' Part 2 "... Do you know who called you? How did he, or her, call you?" JetStream asked as the morning sun rose higher and higher. Picket rolled her eyes. "Don't really know until you see, or if you have some higher sense." her head rose, "Like you and your Aura, JetStream." he looked at her, "I suppose..." she added with a nerved expression. "Cool." JetStream responded. He suddenly covered his eyes, as a glare came from above them. JetStream looked up to notice it was only the bell reflecting light. "Light can travel far, travel the fastest of anything we ever see. But yet it even can fall to something." she paused as JetStream looked at her, a bit curious, "An object, found to be, literally, out of this world as been seen to be so powerful that not even light can escape. Something so dense it will turn gravity inside-out. And could crush and destroy any star or planet that comes too close to it." "I've heard of a planet before, they look just like ours, but very far away... but stars, that's a new one for me..." JetStream said. "Stars are those bright points that are dotted throughout the sky at night. They look alot like the sun Celestia controls." Picket stopped JetStream from looking directly at the sun. "How do you know so much about this?" he asked afterward. "It was in a class I took..." she responded. "Class?" JetStream wondered what classes. Suddenly, a deep voice struck them like lightning. "It's about time I see your face again, Picket Prosechos." they both realized they already hit the plaza. "Oh, sir. It's good to see you, as well." "How's the scouting job going for you?" he asked getting a glimpse of the scenery. JetStream stared into his gleaming armor, or it seemed to be. It shined like metal somehow, JetStream wondered. "It's keeping up..." Picket paused as JetStream out from behind Picket. "But I need to note something..." he turned his head. "Is it possibly the storm, that worried you?" he asked. He looked like some of those leaders that Picket could've been talking about. His coat was a dark green that almost looked blue, but his eyes made up for that. He wore a hankercheif or something like a collar. His mane and tail were a dark blue. "Most likely..." JetStream decided to step out. Showing much brighter colors and regular elliptical shaped eyes. And his ring on his right forearm just bursts with curiousity. As the leader thought for a moment, he finally speaks moments later. "Who's this young colt that followed you?" he put his right hoof on his chest, the leader noticed the ring slip down to his elbow. "My name's JetStream, sir. I've actually known Picket for a while..." he suddenly looked amused. "Is that so?" he wondered gazing toward Picket. "When he said a while, he meant it... actually." practically he giggled internally, which he continued after it died. "It's only been a couple weeks. If you insist a while is two weeks..." he just left it at that. JetStream noted all he had on was armor that may have been mandatory to wear, of course. Maybe that burn-against-the-sun's-rays scenario went different for him. JetStream jumped when he looked toward him. "Something you need to ask?" "No. Actually, I don't have anything yet." he shook his head in surprise. "Yet?" JetStream subtly shrugged. "That's more teasing than you did in the whole month." Picket said. "Sure..." he added, then paused as if he adjusted to the approaching matter. They both turned to their left, JetStream behind them, and able to ponder what's going on around as the envirement became more a blue tint as it became closer to noon. The breeze felt a while ago was continously flowing, it's been clocked at three to five miles per hour, so it's not much now. JetStream pushed his ring up back, never noticing that it slipped down. It was glowing again. JetStream had a certain consentration that had your body feel like it was pratfalling. When that jolt would wake ,the Auric sense, like it would if you dreamed of falling, a wave that would sense Aurae around a certain area would come like an explosion. It can't be felt, but it can be seen, yet still so faint it takes a trained eye to see it more vividly. 'I've been taught, or told, about the insight of magic. Makes me think there is more than just Unicorn magic... the magic of insight is a raw form of it, and everypony has a sense of it. But they need to bring it out, stir it up a little.' An Aura planted on the ground had showed itself to him, "Come out, Phamevem!" the other two turned around, 'Then its perks will work in your favor.' The leader's expression showed shock, suddenly realizing this colt knows such a character. Although nerved, Picket decided to keep quiet around higher authority, but he turned to her anyway. "Were you aware of him being in this town?" "Actually-" JetStream inturupted. "I live here, in Altamare." "Picket, were you aware of Phamevem residing here?" JetStream's eyes opened in surprise. 'Oops.' "No, not until some four days ago, sir." "Is he giving you conflict, I would expect him to do such things-" "We all would... sir." Picket replied instantly, followed by a pause. "I'm sensing a bit of anger in that statement, might I have said too late?" Despite him asking these to Picket, she thought he should ask JetStream more. She often looked back to him as well. "... Sorry to drop by suddenly, I couldn't help to hear my name." 'Obnoxious as always...' Picket thought. 'Oh...' JetStream was more worried than annoyed, 'How can Picket take him so seriously?' He walked up on Picket's right side. They were all standing in a triangle shape if you stared directly down. The Spire was just another 10 feet away. And it looked like the sun was just about to hit out of morning too. The leader paused and leaned, looking towards the ominous clouds. "I am a bit curious, sir. How do we plan to evade the storm approaching?" she held eyes worried, a blank, flat mouth finishing her expression. JetStream was minding his buisness, aimlessly wondering the sky and clouds above, then when he looked toward the horizons, he noticed his friends what looked like were covering themselves to hide from behind a corner of a building near the edge of the plaza. He quickly snapped his eyes to the conversation, catching a sudden glimpse of Phamevem. He noticed, and all together JetStream decided to just look toward the blue lit concrete, sement, and stones that make their roads or pathways in this city. Phamevem rolled his eyes. JetStream looked at his friends again, only for them not to conceil themselves, but to gesture JetStream to come closer. "...?" he raised an eyebrow in wonder. Since he thought he was out of the conversation for a while, he decided to go. Phamevem was curious as JetStream went, he hid his Aura which it faded. JetStream has noted that when his Aura was invisible, or gone, he felt incredibly lighter. He assumed it was the same guess as to why most ponies don't know you're there 'til you unveil yourself. JetStream was able to scatter across the plaza without puzzled looks from Picket or her leader. But since Phamevem saw this, he was curious to check it out. But under the eye of higher authority, he didn't want to budge their curiousity, and let foals do what foals do he'd assume. Audibly breathing through his snout, JetStream finally stopped to a walk. "Glad to see you again." he said. "What's going on over there, and who's the one in the armor?" Colos asked. "Uh, The armored one is some sort of squad leader for Picket. That's all I have right now." Colas looked over Colos. "Are they going over something secret?" "Not at all...-" JetStreamn paused, and pointed with his right hoof towards the grey clouds, "There's a storm approaching, and a batpony's flight is going through here. So they're carefully studying on what it'll do." he explained. "Up north in Equestria, the Pegasi would take care of the weather. Is there no Pegasi living here, is that why the weather's such worryful thing?" Twister wondered. Colos executed a fake cough, rustling both his wings. "Well, it's not controlled at all." Colos replied. "And it's expected to keep that way, for the purpose of this town itself." he gave Twister a twisted look, "-Not because there are no Pegasi living in Altamare." "Right..." Twister said, and huffed, and then looked back up to Colos, "You'd think they'll lift that rule for this one storm?" he asked. JetStream shook his head. "This town was known to survive considerably bad storms, from what I read. I'm sure that alone was good enough to convince them to not to." Twister raised his hoof. "You think it'll be worth a shot to tell them otherwise?" he looked at the others surrounding him, they all shook their heads, and Colas spoke up. "By now-" she said looking at those clouds approaching, "I don't think we'll have any ammunition..." the other three looked at eachother in mystery.
PrologueAt the top of the tower, four ponies were taking in the landscape that surrounded them in full, the sunset shining back at them, and the bright city below that was known to be surrounded thanks to a connecting bridge to the main land. The wind was a bit harsh, but the elevation only counted toward that. "Colas... do you wonder about the night?" Colos asked, his sister looked at him in the eyes. "What do you mean, brother?" she asked. Colos stuttered a bit, never thinking he'd have to back it up. "Well-" he continued nerved. "Oh, brother..." Twister teased Colas' earlier statement. JetStream snickered. "I do, for sure." Twister looked at JetStream. "And what do you mean?" he redirected the question to him. His hooves were hanging over the raised edge of the Belfry they were standing in, they started to swing as JetStream wondered. "They're mysterious being that we bet haven't even seen... and they might as well delve into the forest to see even one." JetStream responded as he turned back to Twister. "I think of stuff that can barely happen, unlike what are already in Equestria... what if the sun and moon were in the same spot... er, or at least both in the sky?" JetStream groaned. "Don't worry, I think about that too." "So, Colas? What do you think of it?" she was struck with nervousness as they all watched intently for her answer. "I, think it's nerve-wrecking..." she said as she watched the sun touch the horizon. Colos sighed. "I guess I'll never get too much of you..." everypony went silent as the sun finally went under the visible landscape for the first second of night has come and gone. Twister just about spoke up, but JetStream saw something blink on the roof above. "Did you guys see that?" he asked. "See what?" Colos wondered. "I just saw a red light blink up there..." JetStream sat himself on the edge to see if it was anything, there he got on his hind legs to peer over the roof to get a look. "JetStream!" Twister jumped to the edge and looked over to see what he was intending to do. "I saw a light, Twister! I must a get a look!" he shouted back down, only to look back up. That's when Twister noticed JetStream's ring on his upper arm. "What's with that ring you're wearing, JetStream?" "That's not important right no-." JetStream froze when his vision met with the object, "What are you?" they heard him say. "What are you talking about?" they asked. JetStream was looking at a figure striking similar to a pony, yet the pony figure was transparent and a red color all the way through. "Hello?" he tried to get it's attention, "This things eyes are closed, yet it looks a lot like a pony itself..." suddenly the eyelids of the figure opened, and revealed no iris or pupils, the figure was still entirely red. It didn't look like a hollo-gram either, it seemed to actually be clinging on to the white, cemented-filled roof. Everypony paused as it started to make noises, and then shocked everyone when it started to speak. "A one with an all-around eye can see such a wry coming. If that pony can see it, the grit of many will come to challenge. After a fortnights pass, these rare ponies will come in mass." "Who's speaking up ther-?" it suddenly made a hissing noise. And from it's defensive crouched position on all fours, it suddenly leaped into the air, showing wings JetStream's never seen before just before it disappeared right in front of the moon. "...?" what was left was some sphere object that he couldn't get a good glimpse of it as the half moon was out. The object rolled its way down the roof, and rammed into JetStream nose. "Agh!" and catching him by surprise, his grip slipped. "JetStream!" Twister bent over the edge shouting as JetStream fell. The ponies around looked toward Altamare Spire and gasped. Even though JetStream was panicking for his life, he suddenly remember the bush he spotted on his look downward before he helped himself up. 'That bush can break my fall! But yet, not the whole thing is just leaves!' and with a sudden smack he hit the bush below, involving all the sounds of cracking from the bushes stems. JetStream looked to the right as his fur began to fade purple a bit, "... Oh no..." he slowly looked back to check on the sphere, and there it goes, falling down. As it did JetStream realized the sphere actually looked like some orb, it was turquoise colored and some designs on the inside. And from the looks of things, it was about to pummel the left of his stomach from where it'll land, he took one breath, '... JUST STOP IT!!!' he shouted just before it hit him. His heart still racing, he waited for the orb to hit him unconscious. "...?" he took a longer look around and noticed that he was getting light shined on him. Breathing at unsteady beat he looked at the orb and his eyes suddenly widened, "...!" from where everypony else was standing, the bush itself was glowing for no reason. "Hurry! There's no time to be hanging around here, let's get down there!" Colas ordered, as she herself went down first. "Right!" the others responded. One witness saw Twister back away from the edge, and gallop to the door there with an angry expression. "Wait a moment..." he had a sprouting thought that the others might need to know, and that's what he intended to do. "What did you do, Twister!?" Colos exclaimed. "I only tried to see what he was doing, don't blame me for this!" he responded. The rhythmic beats of the three's hooves hitting on the wooden stairs didn't seem to help, as it did indeed feel like he was to blame. Suddenly JetStream started to shift, hearing the leaves and stems sort of woke him up, "What's going on?" he asked as he noticed a couple glows forming around JetStream. The leaves just seemed to fly away on their own, as what it seemed to be. But instead, JetStream was lifted off from the bush as well, "What?" "JetStream..." 'That voice...' he turned his head to realize Corolla was galloping her way here. JetStream turned back around and thought again, 'If she's already seen me like this, what do I do now?' the other glows around were citizens trying to help out, which Corolla thanked a bunch for. Suddenly the door to the Spire opened. "JetStream?" Colas called, JetStream huffed. "Of course she's the first one out..." "Over here." one pony pointed out to a bush around the corner, the Spire's interior was circle, while the walls' exterior was a square. When Corolla had it, she set him down on the ground and embraced JetStream around his neck. "I'm so glad you're all right!" "Thanks, Mom..." he smiled and noticed the orb dimmed, and it dropped when she saw Corolla's expression. "I take that back..." she saw the cut from the earlier fall. The ponies on the right of her could've seen it as well. She let go and took a closer look at it. "It's nothing much..." Corolla looked at him. "You must be joking, you have to get that fixed up JetStream..." she paused, "Doesn't that hurt?" the blood lines shined by the orange lights that surrounded the area. "Actually-" Corolla grabbed JetStream's right hoof and forced him to come back home. As it seems JetStream's witness is the moon itself, as it still glows until it hides behinds the very building that is their home. The orb glowed it's brightest anyone has seen as the blood running from JetStream cut suddenly disappeared like the sun to water vapor. Corolla finally let go of his hoof when they were half-way there, and the Spire was visible once again. As their home is on a raised part of the city, it's a plentiful view if one looks close enough. "... I know you look just fine, JetStream. But the Spire is around 65 feet tall, and you're saying that medium sized bush was there to take it all away?" JetStream was silent, but he shrugged. "I do feel it, but it doesn't hurt, sting or anything..." he frowned trying to look at it, JetStream finally got a sense everything has calmed. JetStream looked back to the right, "My friends were back there as well..." Corolla's eyes shined by the moon's light as she looked to JetStream. "Were they the ones coming from the door earlier?" he nodded. "Yes." Corolla looked ahead of them. "Are they okay?" "I'm perfectly sure they are." he sighed. "Listen, JetStream, you and your friends are not in any trouble." "I figured they weren't, but there were ponies roaming around when I fell. I'm just hoping they didn't get blamed for happened..." he looked a bit worried, "And to be honest... they just might be-" JetStream was about to speak up. "Up, up, up-" she said as if it was some admonitory gesture, "But it's something we can set out later." "Alright..." "Hey!" a pony raised his voice. All three looked at him, "What were you three doing up there when that one fell?" all of there expressions burst with life, especially Twister, who felt like he could go hide right then. "We were looking out in the Spire..." Colos pointed to the 55 foot high ground. "You were, huh?" the pony replied. "Of course, we're just up there!" Colas exclaimed, that surprised both Twister and Colos. When it hits night at Altamare, the main colors you'll see are lonely-looking blues and oranges, and some shining white partly from the moon over-head. This town is never as small as you think, as ponies would. The small, thin alleys that detour around the buildings, but while the main paths are wider than any alley, there were also filled with tons more natural light, as where the alleys are scattered with orange lamps. That's where JetStream built this interest into a blue and orange tints, they seem to make a good mix in the arts as well as JetStream has seen before, but it's still only the stuff he passes. This blue and orange phenomenon was something JetStream kept in mind. The orange was the main light source, while the blue could've been the shading behind it, is what he thought as he looked at the moon. The orange... 'The orange represents that courageous side of you, it's adventurous, stubborn to know what's well... it's rather creative... and the blue. It would obviously add some trouble, with important self matters... but at the same time it's the calm, and collective part of you... the one that's sensitive, the one that tells you to turn your cheek, depending on the pony's personality I think... blue and orange. Kind of like the sun and moon too. Sun has a great strength, it helps aid your vision, and look in your darkest places. But soon to all burn out for a moments notice, that's when the moon comes in, let's the sun take a break... although it may still need to be helped, as the younger is still inexperienced. The moon will still be glad to help others even though it's not well known... now. I'm probably thinking over this at a wrong time, but it helps one to wonder... I suppose. I only need to think on mysterious things, yet I hope I'm not the only one.' that's when JetStream remembered the earlier conversation, 'I can't be... we often to nearly all the time. Because with all the topics in world, combined with everypony thinking mysteriously, it's an odd chance to run into the same thing, but all in all is an equal ratio, and I suppose it's the best thing you're looking for if you do find the same interest...' JetStream sighed as their house was just behind another, "I'm no love doctor though..." Corolla turned around. "What was that, JetStream?" his straight face broke into a sheepish smile. "It's nothing..." he smiled. Corolla opened the door, 'Whether or not I make progress, it tends to help either way...' Myriad appeared from around the corner of the hallway. "Hey, buddy." he smiled. 'With all that's happened so far, it's only another reason to be wary in this big world we live in, and you'll be glad to figure there are a web of ponies who'll support you, and not just me...' he smiled back at Myriad. "What happened here?" Myriad asked. JetStream was silent as he looked to Corolla. "No, I need you to, JetStream." JetStream willed himself to stop rolling his eyes. "I fell..." he raised his head for him to continue, "... from the Spire." "What? What could've possibly urged you to do that!?" Corolla shushed him, the building a lot closer than those in Ponyville and Canterlot. He flinched and continued to look at his son until he received an answer, the flames from the oil lamps were flickering their light. "There was this circle looking thing that was on the roof-" "-It didn't slip off? The roof is sloped." Myriad interrupted as he looked at Corolla. "Actually it did afterward, I looked up there because I saw something glowing red..." Myriad gasped. "Glowing red? You never check something out that's glowing, and it's red. That's a double whammy!" JetStream and Corolla gave him an unamused expression. "It started to roll off when I checked on it, my friends were with me too. It hit me and I fell after that... and only a bush broke my fall." Myriad smiled. "Don't be downed by that, JetStream. It's a surprising story. And you're rather a lucky one for that bush to be there." that's when JetStream jumped from his parents grasp. "What is it now?" Corolla asked. "I left it back there!" he exclaimed looking out the door. "I got to go get it!" he turned back to them. Myriad and Corolla looked at one another, they turned back after a couple of seconds and Corolla said. "Fine, if you know where it is then go fetch it real quick. Please don't lose track, we'll keep the lights on, just hurry so we don't wake the neighbors." she smiled. "Thanks, I'll be ba-" he turned around and slammed right into the door. Corolla snickered after she saw JetStream expression. "You alright, champ?" Myriad asked smiling. He violently shook his head from the pain, then turned to slowly open the door. "I'm fine." he said rather quick. "I'll be back!" "And be a bit more observant too!" Corolla added, in fact, Corolla spotted the cut from the bush, as she remembered. But it wasn't bleeding, it was suddenly gone. JetStream blew raspberries as he rushed into the dark for the orb. "I hope it's still there." he said with the cool, crisp wind rushing into his muzzle. JetStream was breathing heavily by now, as if he thought each trip back and forth made it longer every time, "Now that I think about it-" he paused, "-That fall was pretty big... agh, I'm so tired out I can't even-" he slowed down to a walk when he reached the Spire in Altamare Plaza, and looked around to, "I'm sure it is still in the bush..." he trotted up a bit. Twister was still waiting for JetStream to come back. He thought over what he heard from that thing speaking earlier, and thought it might be a thing to come, and the orb on the other side, in front of him, he never touched the orb, heck, he never even looked at it. But he knew JetStream would be back for it, but the other two decided to head back home. When Twister saw him, he called out for him with the 20 foot gap in front of them. He turned to his left, his head raised and a open smile emerged, but that's what caught Twister's attention. The orb glowed white, and JetStream's eyes shined faintly, as if the moon's light were hitting hit, even though the moon was behind him. "JetStream?" "Twister!" he galloped over in a quick jolt. "Woah!" JetStream hit by the orange light from the post that Twister stood under, "You look really tired..." Twister pointed out. "What do you mean?" he looked out himself, and yet his fur seemed to be more ruff than how it used to be, "Hmm..." he hummed at the thought, "No, I still feel wide awake." he turned around to grab the orb from the bush. Twister trotted up to him. "Wait, how are you going to carry that?" "Wha-?" JetStream looked at it, 'He's right, the orbs bigger than what it was hours ago...' "..." he stared at it for a second, "I can roll it home!" he placed it on the ground, and placed his hooves on the orb and started to roll it away from him, and it started to glow again. JetStream noticed it's progress was rather slow, Twister was at a walking pace to keep up with him. "Where is your home, exactly?" he asked. "It's near the edge at the most top point of Altamare, why?" Twister's eyes opened wide. "Are you kidding? That would a take a Stallion full gallop to get here in five minutes!" "Hey, I know I'm still a colt, but it took me about five minutes." he responded. "That doesn't matter, JetStream. How long it takes is how fast you're moving this thing-" he pointed to the orb, "-not how fast you can tread with nothing on you..." the orb sparked when JetStream looked back to Twister, his eyes with a faint glow shown again, "W-what's doing that?" JetStream paused. "Actually I felt that... it was a warm feeling..." they both noticed his fur standing on edge, "Ehh..." JetStream looked at himself. Twister nudged the orb. "This isn't an ordinary obje-" "Stop it!" JetStream snarled back, Twister recoiled, "... You might break it..." he finished, lovingly stroking the sphere. "Sorry..." Twister and JetStream paused for the longest time, "... Are you sure this is the only way?" Twister asked. "Of course it is..." they both walked under an orange light post, "... but if you get something. I don't know a saddlebag could help, I've already gone the distance..." Twister felt a cold wave down his back. "Are you okay? I think it's fine to say you're acting weird for you acting weird..." he frowned. "It's nothing much, Twister. Only thing I do feel different though-" he looked at Twister, "-I'm more awake suddenly." he looked at the orb glow again, with Twister watching that happen. "... Are you starting to drink coffee?" Twister asked. JetStream rose an eyebrow. "Who under Celestia's watch drinks coffee?" JetStream replied.
Chapter 1Part 1 JetStream continuously rolled the sphere back and forth in the middle of his room as he was sat down next to it with a meter stick next to his hind legs. The sun poured into the window from the eastern horizon, and the orb stopped glowing as well. "I just can't figure out why though..." he sighed, still rolling it back and forth. Hearing the crumbs of the soft concrete move around, "This thing just appeared, and on the roof of the Spire... why way up there?" JetStream turned to the sun, the light hit his eyes and face and he recoiled, "Sun's bright today..." he turned back to the orb, "Did it stop glowing because of how bright the daylight is? Yeah, maybe I just can't see it at day, because the sun's bright... the glow must be too faint." he stopped rolling it and stood up, pushing the meter stick away from him a bit. He walked to the window and looked outside. His eyes squinted, "It's a little bit brighter out in general." he said, "Is that what I get for staying up late?" he asked himself as he looked away form the window. He turned back to the sphere, "Speaking of last night, what was that holo-gram of a pony doing with this sphere? And where did it go after it hissed at me?" JetStream huffed and sat down next to it and picked it up, "Ugh, this thing feels slightly heavier too." he grabbed the meter stick for the moment and put it next to the sphere and sighed, "Twister was right, this thing is getting bigger..." he set the meter stick down, "But for what purpose?" reading the meter stick the sphere was three centimeters bigger in diameter than it was when they first saw it. At the beginning it was small, to where it could've fit in a human palm, but it seems to be expanding from there, 'There so many things to do with this...' he thought noticing it doesn't even shine from the sun, even though it's getting hit with it's light. And the thing seems to be mostly of what looks like glass, but it seems a bit light to be glass, 'Maybe crystal?' he tapped on it, it did make the sound it was made to do though, as everything else, other than that, was just fine. He paused as Myriad passed his doorway, and soon looked back to it. He went to touch it with his right hoof, with it still in the sun, his hoof went into the orb, "What?" the orb glowed like it did last night, just before he stuck it back out in the the fresh air he breathes, his hoof started to feel a burning sensation, "Ah!" he stood up and blew on it to cool it off. Myriad was suddenly at the door. "You alright?" "I stuck my hoof into the orb somehow, and now it feels like a furnace..." he closed his eyes tight from the pain, but in all panic from this sudden reaction, his Auric sight kicked in without thought. He saw multiple thin strands of different colors that involve the night, as it seems, there were dark blues, purples, some rare whites too. He opened his eyes with the unique sight active, and looked at his dad, who looked like somepony he's never seen. But after a look for a bit more he figured it looked like the same looking red pony from the orb. With the effect of the Auric sight, JetStream's eyes were wavering like a fire from the middle to the top of the eye, and a bit more blue Aura on the outside of his eye looking like a flame itself. "JetStream!" Myriad was worried, but the figure JetStream saw looked angry, and for the instinct in ponies all around Equestria it's common for them to try and come up for a reason why. But since this is happening out of nowhere, it's starting to scrape away at JetStream sanity since it has nothing to work with. Without another seconds hesitation Myriad kicked the orb out of the sunlight. Now JetStream's hoof felt cool, yet still uncomfortable. "Are you all right?" he looked at JetStream right in the eye with a hoof on his shoulder. "Thirteen days... we're coming..." the figure said in a viscous tone and expression. "No..." he responded to the figure. "No..." he responded to Myriad. Suddenly the figure JetStream saw with his Auric sight, unfolded his wings, '...!' JetStream tried to escape the grasp of the figure in front of him, he shoved the figures left arm up and turned all the way around. Suddenly JetStream shoved Myriad's left arm and turned completely around. But as he did, his hoof touched sunlight on the very end of his hoof. That's when Myriad saw a purple transparent gas of some kind release from JetStream. His Auric sight went away then, and with his eyes still closed, all he saw was the dark. Myriad could sense this was the point of calm. "What is going on!?" Corolla walked in at a steady pace after all the noise. Her voice suddenly opened JetStream's eyes, he turned to them in surprise. "What?" he turned to the orb, and it was over on the other side of the room with Myriad between them two. "Are you alright, JetStream?" he nodded. "I was... startled..." he looked at the orb as the glow fainted. "I think we need to get rid of this thing..." Myriad stated frowning. JetStream jumped up. "No! We need to keep it, I need to figure out what it's purpose is!" Myriad still looked skeptical, he looked at Corolla. "It's been only a night, let's let it go for a bit longer." she replied. JetStream rolled the orb back into the middle of the room as Myriad walked out. "Things thing isn't bad-" JetStream said, "-I just need to be more cautious..." he looked back to the orb, wondering what he'll do for the day. Suddenly Corolla appeared from the door way. "Why don't you come in here, JetStream, and come get something to eat?" "Alright, I'll be there." he said thinking that it has been a while since he has eaten. Part 2 JetStream sighed after he told Twister everything earlier the same morning as they walked through a shaded path near the outside of the city. "Wow, so that figure you saw on the Spire looked like the one that came out of nowhere." JetStream nodded. "To clarify, yes." Twister looked up at the roofs of the building directly next to him. "I gotta say, JetStream. That orb's been doing something strange lately..." JetStream sighed, looking at Twister. "Yeah, I know... It's just the fact that these ponies I see aren't Pegasi. They have wings but they don't look like the normal fur covered ones we do..." Twister paused before looking back down. "Like Colos, and Colas?" he asked slowly, as if he wanted to not guess things wrong. "Yeah, Twister, that's what I mean..." Him looking at Twister that way reminded how passivly-aggresive JetStream was. "I have to admit, one of those strange things is the way you're acting. When I just poked it you went over that like you had the thing for years." "I'm sorry, I didn't know I was being that forceful... if that's the word..." they both had to squint there eyes as the buildings stopped following the path, as this lead to a wide road. "You think there will be a moment when we decide to go back to the Spire?" Twister asked. They both looked to their left and saw more than half of the Spire from the buildings closest to them. The sun's bloom on the Spire was a great value. "Of course we will." JetStream responded, "So, where are Colos and Colas anyway?" Twister rolled his eyes as JetStream had to bring something up, he started walking along the road they just found. "I don't know, but I thought they were doing something for their parents... or something." JetStream suddenly looked behind him. "I feel like I want to go back home..." JetStream hates cutting out on these kind of walks, but that orb made him feel otherwise. "Don't you think you're caring about a bit too much?" Twister asked. They both would soon have to realize that they weren't the only ones on the road around Altamare. Many ponies passing looked at them curiously "Some orb?" "Acting strangely?" they'd probably think to themselves. "No, it's not that, I think their might be some involvement of day and night with this orb, Twister!" ponies noticed the melo-drama every now and then, "I remember during the night I found it, it was glowing for some reason. But now since it's day and really bright, it stopped glowing-" he looked at Twister, "-And there has to be a reason for that..." "It's agreeable..." he wondered puckering his lips a bit. "And I hope it is, because that figure I told you about also has to do something with the way I use my Aura ability..." Twister's eyes opened wider. "Yeah, I know what you're talking about there. That incident with getting lost in the forest?" JetStream nodded. "Of course, yet that happened seven years ago." Twister shook his head. "Don't know why you bring that up all the time." he frowned with a questioning tone. "Because I think it's safe to say that everypony has Aura. Even an non-living object has one." he stated, "Now about something else." JetStream continued as the town's bridge was just barely visible, and looking left would show the whole town rising from the ground as it was built from the ground, "I remember what that figure said about the fortnight thing." Twister shrugged. "Sorry, but I don't know what that is..." "I think I've heard of it before..." JetStream scratched his head, then turned to Twister, "-or something like it. And it talked about some group coming in that amount of time." "So, a fortnight must be some amount of time? I guess that's one thing." Twister said. "Okay." JetStream nodded. Suddenly Twister stopped. "What is it?" JetStream asked when he turned around. "Think we should ask the ponies here what it is?" "It does seem like an easy question..." JetStream continuously tapped his chin, rather nervous on the inside, he put his hoof back on the cemented road, right on a blue rock under its place, "Sure we can give it shot, there has to be somepony who can know about it." Twister looked at JetStream before taking off. "But how where we know to catch up to each other?" Twister asked. The Altamare Spire behind him beamed light, and JetStream smiled. "It's simple, we'll meet at the Spire." he said pointing a hoof. "Right." he replied just before he galloped off. JetStream turned around as he decided to go the other way, and started galloping. "This city is rather busy, I don't know who to ask." he grit his teeth. He had to be careful, unlike Canterlot, ponies were on either side of the road going either direction than to Canterlot, where one side would go a fixed direction. Therefore in Altamare, roads and alleys were a concrete river, dodging ponies left and right. Making sure you would have no slip-ups, and why it's much easy at night, where 75 percent of the ponies during the day were gone. JetStream continued to gallop as building flew by, 'Who am I going to ask?' he opened his eyes and noticed a pony in front of him, "...!" he side-stepped to the right and into the building. Losing his balance, and fell to the concrete raising dust. He slid until he hit a pile of cardboard boxes, which a couple of ponies were bringing them into a store. The box JetStream slipped into was facing his direction, and a stack of others were on the right. He slammed into the box, it tilted over from momentum and hit the store they were pushing the boxes into. The stack to the right started to shake, and with JetStream's box now facing up-right. A box with a bigger size fell down facing toward the ground, "Oh n-" his sound was cut from the box going over the one JetStream sat in. He groaned as he heard a couple ponies chuckling as they passed. A pony currently being outside, he looked at the pony chuckling, then decided to look down, and notice their stacking was completely off. "What?" he jumped when the box suddenly pushed upward, it felt like it was air tight. The box covering would go up, but wouldn't budge enough. He took the cover box off and gasped, "How did you get in there?!" JetStream sheepishly smiled as his ears went back. He exited the box and never took eyes off the worker. "I was on my way to ask ponies what a fortnight was..." JetStream then raised his hoof. "No, never heard of it. Now go try and ask somepony else..." he gestured to go away, "Be careful next time!" he said as JetStream went off. "That was not worth it!" he said to himself as he turned the corner and into an alley. He slowed down and sighed. "I don't nopony will understand..." the sky started to turn a tint of red, which soon filled the alley way he was in. He noticed a shadowy figure down the alley in the sun, "Hey!" he called out as he started to gallop. He turned the corner and the sun was right in his eyes, he held as hoof in front of his eyes, and his Aura began to glow, "It kind of burns..." after a while he set his hoof down and looked around, "She's gone..." JetStream looked around while a quiet figure chuckled in some sort of coat of clothing. "He has it..." she said recognizing. Her eyes glowing an pure yellow as she analyzed the pony she saw, She was standing on a nearby roof. JetStream snapped his look toward where she was. "Who's there?" she swiftly went behind the roof and turned around to walk through the city. "Only a bit longer. He's one of them..." she smiled as ponies kept walking below on the paths made for them. "Who was that?" he tried to get a look from where he was, but it seemed like no use as the sun got lower and lower. "It is getting a bit late, I better get to the Spire." he huffed in disappointment. He galloped back to the road and looked for the Spire. The pony over the buildings saw him once again, every time she saw him her interest grew. JetStream looked to the Spire and followed it along the way, by the time he followed the roads to get there, it was much darker. JetStream noticed he caught himself going faster without the noticeable push he needed, as if it was natural, "Twister!" JetStream called out. "Oh, hey! Did you find the answer?" JetStream shook his head. "No?" Twister sighed, "Me neither..." Twister looked up to notice JetStream was suddenly taller than him, his coat was a bit darker than usual, "Have you done something in the past 10 minute-?" JetStream suddenly bent down, holding his stomach with his right arm. "Is that...?" the pony from the roof watched this even happen, "This can't be, yet it must..." Colas and Colos suddenly appeared from behind Twister. "You guys are too slow..." Colos said. "Ah!" Twister turned around, When did you two-!?" "We came from the building over there..." they pointed to a green roofed store, "We know what a fortnight is..." Colas said, but slowed down to the fact that JetStream was having a bit of a struggle. JetStream's pupils went blade thin, his mane and tail were disoriented with the fur, and extra fur formed in tufts on the sharp edges of his body. "Twister! Behind you!" Colos shouted. Twister thought he was going to get dizzy from it. He gasped when he saw what looked like JetStream. "What happened?" he was looking into the thin pupils of JetStream eyes. The coated pony groaned. "It's the Werepony transformation." she said out loud. All but JetStream looked at her. "And who are you?" "That's not important, now. But your buddy there has somehow found the key to transformation. What blows is the fact that it's not complete." her tone still stood serious, it was her lewd word choice that caught them off guard. "That isn't the complete?" "Yes, it's not. And I so wanted to see it for the first time." the figure's yellow eyes closed in the thought of actually seeing it. "I can't stand..." JetStream said, "I... feel dizzy..." he suddenly went ragdoll to the floor. "The transformation takes a lot of energy. Therefore one without enough will more than likely pass out on the spot." "If you know so much then do something to help us!" Twister snarled. "Please..." Colas added. "I pity the new, but one must have to learn." she opened her eyes. She turned around and was gone. Twister bent down. "JetStream can you get up?" all they heard was a moan, "Damn her..." Twister couldn't handle the thought of it. "Twister..." Colas said. "This could be life threatening for all we care. If she knows something she should tell us!" "Come on, let's try to get JetStream at our place." "Right." Twister and Colas replied. "You two lead the way..." Twister said, looking a bit shameful. JetStream's eyes opened to the noise of conversation, "-Would be horrible if that happened when nopony was around." JetStream noticed he was in some sort of room, but no room he recognized. He felt tired until he moved a muscle, where he was suddenly able to stand. "Mom?" he wondered. "I don't remember this room..." he looked around a bit more. He walked to the door and looked out to see a group of ponies in the room ahead. "JetStream!" Corolla called out, she embraced him after so long. "...?" his mouth was slightly open in confusion, "What happened?" JetStream asked his friends slightly across from the room. They all looked at one another and said. "A lot..." Part 3 "That mare, she knew something." Twister echoed from thought as he looked at Colos. "Well that's obvious. But she would rather stay hidden for some reason..." Colos replied. Myriad and Corolla both sat near toward a window with Colas on the other side. "What did she even look like, Twister?" Color Contrast asked. "Dad..." Colos looked at his father in question. JetStream sighed and kept trying to relax. "She..." they all looked at him, it's something he guess will not get used to. And as he tried to confess, his Aura grew brighter, "She was wearing a coat, a brown one. Her mane and tail looked like a blue-grey-ish color." Colas put her hooves around her eyes. "And her eyes were glowing yellow!" she made ghostly boos for effect. "That's the one detail I can't get my mind off of..." JetStream responded. "Was she the one that did the thing to you?" Corolla asked. "No, Mom, she wasn't it was the..." JetStream paused, his mouth opened wider and wider, "I need to get the orb!" Color Contrast jumped to the door and slammed it shut. JetStream looked up to make eye contact, "What!?" "...They prepared me for this outburst. Colos, is this what you were talking about?" JetStream groaned as Colos nodded. "What's wrong?" Myriad asked. "JetStream's got some over-obsessive bond with that orb..." Colas responded. "No I don't!" JetStream exclaimed, he examined the looks he received afterward, his eyes glowed the same color as his iris'. "Right there, Dad. Her eyes glowed like that!" Colas pointed out. Everypony gasped. "It's not like I'm cursed or anything..." JetStream sighed. Colos and Twister snickered, JetStream looked at them intently. "What we saw yesterday? I think of it as a curse..." Twister said. "When did you find this orb anyway?" Color Contrast asked looking away from JetStream, only to look back at him. "We found it three days ago..." Color Contrast still held the door shut with a single hoof. JetStream looked a bit dreadful, "... I don't like seeing you guys act to me this way..." they all looked at each other. "What do you mean?" Myriad asked. "Am I, or you, the ones that are scared!?" he exclaimed. He slowly walked back to his parents, where they embraced him. His Aura fainted a bit and turned blue. With his eyes closed shut. "Mom... please let me go get the orb..." Corolla suddenly looked at JetStream in surprise. "Color Contrast, could you please let JetStream through? I think he needs it now..." "What?" he was shocked. He looked at Colos, who just shrugged. "If you must..." he let his hoof off the door. "Thanks..." JetStream said smiling. He galloped out the door and into the fresh air, "But first I need to go check if that mare is in the same spot." he frowned and turned away from the house. He passed the Spire and headed in the west direction, to the same alley as well. When he got there he called out, "Hey!" as he did last night, 'It's day number three of the fortnight. Just how much longer?' but instead of her appearing on the roof, she appeared behind him. "Boo." he jumped and turned around. "There you are!" "So we meet again." She said, JetStream even noticed a smile, "So-" she continued still covered, "What brings you back here?" "Is there any other time you don't where that coat?" the question shook her, as JetStream looked a bit cocky. "If we were to meet during the night, it would be a different story. The sun burns, and so can animals. And if you were to be so easily surprised-" JetStream saw her coat shift on the sides, where it seemed to bulge outward like Pegasi wings, "-It would feel like a new world." her eyes continuously glowed, JetStream shook his head to get rid of looking them. "How come your eyes glow?" now she just looks annoyed. "If we meet at a later time, that would help answer more than that question... now." she paused. "If you came here to the same spot, why have you?" "Because I needed to see you again." the mare in front of him made a relaxed expression, and JetStream blushed. He shook it off, "I need answers!" he changed the answer. "You know what? How about we meet her again in nine hours." "Nine? That's past sun-down..." "You scared?" she asked turning around. "No!" JetStream went to exit the alley. "Oh, by the way. Bring the orb as well!" she added. "Gotchya." JetStream responded as he suddenly went into a gallop, "I need to get that orb back to Colos' place." Minute by minute more scattered clouds started to roll in, eventually covering the sky at the moment JetStream came rolling the orb back in. "I'm back." he said. "Took a bit longer than usual..." Myriad said. "I rushed a bit, I didn't want to get rained on." he responded, 'And this thing's getting bigger each day...' "So-" Colos said, "-What did you have in mind for this?" "I don't know..." he started to roll it back and forth. "It looks slightly different than I remember..." Twister thought. JetStream looked down at it, then toward Twister. "It's growing in size since we found it..." with the way telepathy works, what ever thought was echoed can be heard by the messenger as well. "I was hoping I could find a way to stop that transformation, whenever it happens..." JetStream said. He looked at Colos, "Maybe we can find that fix, or cure... maybe we can before we get an answer from that pony we met." JetStream paused, 'Although, she does sound like she knows what she's doing... but when she saw me. She said she never saw it before, and yet still said it wasn't complete. How is that?' JetStream closed his eyes tightly. "Hey, Dad, it's starting to sprinkle outside!" Color Contrast turned around to the window Colas was near. "Well don't keep the curtains open too much, we don't want it flooded in here." "Of course." she responded with a smile, and tugged on the wooden, blue curtains and stopped just before they were closed completely. Twister noticed the orb glowed from before. "JetStream did you see that?" "No." he replied. "Colas, could you open them up again, just for now?" Colas looked at her Dad. "Well, if it's to find clues to this here mystery, I guess it can go for a while." Colas then opened the curtains, as the rest realized the orbs glow fade away. "Whoa..." JetStream said in all wonder. As Colas looked back from the window, a pony was in the corner of her eye, she blinked her eyes as they darted to the right, only to figure it was gone. "Why don't we go ahead and go back home. I'm sure you're feeling fine now, JetStream." Myriad stood up. He nodded. "Yeah, I am." Colas sank. "You're leaving already? It was nice to have you guys over..." Corolla smiled. "Oh I'm sure it was nice to have company over, but there will be a time where you'd be back at your own home." she said as Myriad went out the door. "Every home is welcoming, but the one kept to your birthparents are a treasure." Myriad waved them goodbye. "Until next time." JetStream smiled, with a nervous expression. Corolla was the last one out as she lifted the orb with her telekinesis. She waved them goodbye as well and prepared a red-colored, water-proof shield. She turned around and snickered. Both Myriad and JetStream soaked by the rain that started moments ago. "Do you mind?" Myriad asked. Corolla walked up to them despite being dry herself. "I don't." she smiled. Raw unicorn magic was the best tier of product, it seemed like it could do anything. Although JetStream had the stress to keep up with Corolla, he'd rather see what he is seeing. He started to look around. And see what everypony was doing now. Let's see, rain in Altamare. It comes often, and leaves with a smell that nopony can cease to understand. Everypony takes cover from it, yet they think it's the most beautiful thing they've seen all day. I even heard it's capable of creating those rainbows too. It's not too dark outside, it's still a little past noon. The rain covering all the concrete make almost everything reflective if light is in the right spot. And with Altamare being a color-centric city, where there are green, blues, and reds. The grass, sky, rain, and the sunrise and sunset are all things that the colors refer to. This world seems to be heavily on colors. Because each one seems to have its own meaning. Maybe that's why grey clouds bring fear, yet the rain appears blue only to calm and comfort the ponies that are encountered by it for such an amount of time... only to show a bigger, broader, blue sky later. A failed surprise is a surprise either way, I'll just be glad with what I can come up, and what other ponies can give me. We all live on that one world after all. ~~~Chapter End~~~ Author's Note I guess there's always room for narrative... Thanks all you out there reading this!
Chapter 2Part 1 JetStream sighed as he looked outside through a window. The sun starting to touch the horizon, his little thoughts start to whir. JetStream quivering a bit, he looked at himself as a certain warmth took over him. "That feeling is back..." he stood up from where he sat. He turned around and walked to the orb, looking at the window, "If this transformation happens again, I'm going to try to make it work..." he paused, "Me being a Werepony... never guess the thought of it. Maybe she'll finally feel lucky if I showed me to her like this... er what I will be like." he shrugged over, 'This transformation takes energy right? What if I used my Aura to help me?' he couldn't help but to smirk at that. He felt that warmth get warmer, it was weird considering he got warmer as the sun went below the horizon, "Now that I think about it, this doesn't happen until the sun is down, why is that?" he asked looking at the twilight in front of him. The orb glowed as JetStream suddenly lost energy to stand, "Why does it hurt!?" his voice was muffled from gritting his teeth as he slowly kneeled down. His pupils went from a circle to a thin strip with pointy edges, and his fur started to get darker, "Come on!" he got his Aura back into this, hopefully he could pull something it only does when he sleeps, restore his energy. His fur then became rough and jagged, as well as a tuft of fur on his chest. But what caught him by surprise is the sudden growth of fangs, which seemed to replace is normal teeth. The tip if his ears became a sharp point. At this point JetStream's Aura went grey, but it didn't stop him. JetStream also noticed patches of a white-blue mixed across his body, like the color of the moon. His mane and tail were tousled, "Heugh..." and just like that, the warmth was gone. The feeling he had was gone, and it ended like a long echo in a tunnel, "I did it-" he paused to soak in how much his voice has changed as well. Although it seems he did, he was still lying on the floor with his eyes half-open. His voice sounded a lot more sharp, a lot less smooth than what it was, "Even my voice has changed..." at this point he knew it was done, now he just needed to see if it was possible to stand, he did make enough to at least stay awake. JetStream closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, but nothing was fooled, he sighed. He tried to stand up. One hoof after the other he put them flat on the ground, once he got them all planted. He tried to stand tall, in his normal stance. After a minute or so of keeping himself up, he was successful, "Yay!" it did not sound right coming from a voice like that, "Now I need to get to that mare... exact same spot, is what she said." he looked at the orb, "Come on, you're going with me." he started to roll it, and be quiet for his Mom and Dad sleeping, he was lucky to stay up tonight, they probably didn't expect to fall asleep so early. With JetStream's appearance changed dramatically, he made his way outside, and to the point where they'd meet for the third time. He rolled the orb into the middle on the alley, "I'm here!" he exclaimed looking around. "Keep it down would ya?" she said, "They're trying to sleep." she suddenly saw what he looked like with the orange light nearby, "... What?" she wondered surprised, as if she couldn't believe her eyes. The first thing she noticed were JetStream's changed and now glowing eyes, his fur and everything afterward. She went into the air and got closer, as in a hoof away. "What are you doing?" JetStream asked. "Oh!" she jumped, and looked critically pleased, "Your voice as well!" she circled him, "I can't believe it, you were able to pull it off already." "What's the big deal?" he asked. "Well, this is the complete transformation." she looked at JetStream in the eye. "Wait, are my eyes glowing?" "Yes, that's with all lunar ponies." she smiled. "Alright-" JetStream sighed, "-I brought the orb as well, I come to you again looking like this, can you please take that coat off?" the brown coat disturbed him for some reason. She noticed playing with his teeth, only to figure those are fangs themselves, she was so thrilled to see it. After she took that coat off, she threw it at JetStream, "Hmgh!" he tossed it down, and saw a new pony. Her eyes were yellow, her fur was a light purple, and her mane and tail were the same with pink. She wore a blue band to hold back her mane, and had a wall of it on the back of her head, but she wasn't bald. Het tail had thin streaks of blue, and looked close to what her band did. And lastly, what caught him by surprise. Was her wings, which he wouldn't stop staring at. She giggled. "Have you ever seen us before?" JetStream slowly shook his head, "We're called batponies, and we live off of Equestria." JetStream suddenly snapped out of it. "Then why are you here?" "I'm the look-out, you can call it." she turned around to the moon, and walked away for a little while with a swizzle in her movement. She turned around and looked at JetStream, "My name's Picket Prosechos, and I'm a scout for migration." she smiled. "Prosechos?" JetStream wondered. She smiled. "It's some sort of nickname they gave me, and it ended up being official, I liked it, so I kept it. And I thank them for it. JetStream's rugged voice still held true. "Them?" "Yeah, other batponies who fly from spot to spot, with their family and lead by the lunar guard. The only reason why I'm here is because I need to find any of them that get lost around here, and point them out on where they need to go." "Heh, there is some good in you." he smiled. She paused, then walked back up. "I must let you know that transformation can do to you, other than make you look like that one scary monster in the forest...." she hung on to the final word. "... JetStream." he responded. "JetStream, alright. Think I've heard of somepony with that name before but, it's rather weird to meet you." she held out her hoof, in which case JetStream bumped hers with his. "You too." "Now, I think it's about time we get into detail about this. Because if used correctly, it can work with you." JetStream shrugged. "I don't know, I still feel pretty tired, it feels like the last time I slept was nearly a day ago..." "Don't get uncomfortable wearing that transformation, JetStream, it only hurts you. And that's one thing, you need to not feel any embarrassment whatsoever if they see you like that. Only if you trust completely of this transformation, then it will work wonders for you." she said. JetStream nodded in a convincing way. "That's a good start." Picket walked next to the orb. "This orb here, JetStream." he she had it shift for his attention, yet she started to look downward "... I was supposed to look for it." "What? Do you know why it was on top of the Spire?" Her mouth opened, her wings unfolded. "That's where it was?" her tone a bit louder. JetStream took a couple steps back. "Well, yes. That's where I found it." JetStream answered, "What does this orb do anyway?" he asked. "It's a source of location, if you will. Certain batponies have this connection with it, and therefor can sense it's location, it's useful to these leading a flight group across the sky." JetStream nodded. "Yeah that helps." he smiled, but then Picket wondered why he dropped it, "But if that's true-" he pushed his right hoof against his chest, "Then why did it do this to me?" they both stood there in the lit orange tinted light, besides the moon, as their way to see, until she spoke up. "If I must try to answer. Somepony like you, who I guess would think is either not a batpony, obviously-" they both thought, "-You weren't... experienced enough?" she hanged on the end like it was still in question. "I need to ask you a question though, ever sense I found myself like this. Were there be a point in time this will be permanent?" she didn't say anything, "As if in a certain amount in time?" he added. She smiled. "Don't worry, it's not that." JetStream sighed in relieve, "But-" he could feel himself start to shatter, "-It is permanent..." "What!?" JetStream pounced right in front of her, "What could I have done to deserve this!?" Picket held herself back for a moment, and she went silent. '... Don't cry... just don't, please, Picket be strong...' she grit her teeth and came back with her best effort, "... But there is a way with some, purification cleanse..." JetStream backed down. "Sorry for that, for me being so jumpy, should've let you finished. But just to let you know..." JetStream felt the color swell in her. Picket looked at him as the darkening feeling went away, "-I only needed to see if there was something to fix the way I look, we can fix me later anyway." "Don't worry too much, you'll go back to your normal self after the sun rises." JetStream gave a look at her. Picket could feel the hiding desperation those new eyes had, "Now that, I can tell I know." she smiled. "... Are you the only one here?" JetStream asked. "Yes." Picket replied, "But there will be that day I'll be gone..." she frowned, "If you'll miss me when I leave of course." JetStream nodded. "Let's see, us finding the orb was... four? Four days ago." JetStream tried to recall. Picket was silent, and looking at the ground again. JetStream looked at Picket with his head facing the sky the way he was. "JetStream..." she huffed, "It's a bit weird of me to ask you rather than my own kind. But what is the day like?" she tried her best first time around. JetStream was a bit puzzled. "Weren't you in it the past couple of days? The bright daylight?" she nodded sluggishly. "Yeah..." she walked closer with a sincere expression, "But the way it warms you up, a never ending source of warmth. I have to wear that coat all the time." she pointed to the mess of a coat on the wall that JetStream threw off of him. "That's what you mean." JetStream said. "I don't know what'd I'd do if I was able to walk around in broad day just soaking it up, looking into the sky at the sun-" she imagined while looking at the moon, and then went back to JetStream, "-You ponies do that right?" she asked. "Eh-" he was a bit nervous to answer, "Not exactly. Not even us, the ponies who don't mind being in the daylight, can't look at the sun for more than 5 seconds." "Wow." she responded, "It's like we live in different worlds." JetStream nodded. "Yeah." Picket was the first to speak up again. "... JetStream, that little moment during when you were confused on why you deserved turning into a Werepony. When you said that. I was actually, scared...-" she looked at him in the eye, "-And I know why too, because we were specifically told about that." "Getting scared by a shortage of answers?" Picket shook her head slowly. "No... It's because right then, I was facing my own kinds anger. It's something even the strongest batpony can be broken by..." Picket paused realizing what she said. JetStream stared at her with his mouth slightly open. 'Wow, there is a whole lot to this transformation than I thought...' "And because I told you about that, please don't go using it on us. I just, needed to explain those pauses, and I wanted to get it off my mind." JetStream looked right and left before continuing. "Was the other information necessary?" he asked, she shook her head. "No. And I think we should end this conversation here." JetStream stood up. "Alright..." "JetStream, just a reminder, when the batponies fly by in ten days, make sure the orb is back in it's place before then, okay?" JetStream nodded. "Yeah, will do." "Okay then, I'll see you when ever." she back off into the dark of the night, leaving JetStream to sneak back home with the orb. After another 25 minutes, JetStream finally got back in his bed, 'Out of all the bad things that seem to come off of this, like the fangs I have, this form is actually kind of comfy...' he smiled and waited for this form to be gone in the morning. Part 2 "What? ... I'm a dreaming?" Twister said as he looked about a pitch black open space, "Hello!?" he cautioned to look around, yet he kept seeing the same thing. Until he saw two ponies standing side by side, one a bit taller than the other. One was wearing some navy blue cloak and the other looked like he wasn't wearing anything. "Come closer." a voice came booming through the open space. Taking a couple of breaths, he urged his hooves to walk to these figures. There was a pause. "Hello?" he tried to get their attention when he was just nearly a dozen steps away. He tried looking up at them from a low perspective because of some reason they were both look-. Twister jumped when the one on his right looked shifted upward. As the figure started to loom over, something caught Twister attention, he's seen those blue eyes before. It was a mare with glowing turquoise eyes. "This is Twister-" she flipped the hood off her head, "-Is it not?" "You again..." Twister was shocked. It was that mare with the moon cutie mark to visit her dreams once again, "Y-yes. I'm Twister. Why are you here again?" he asked. She paused and looked at the pony next to her, about Twisters height. "Because the same fear boiling in this ones heart, you two have this specific connection." this pony finally lifted his head. "... JetStream!" "Hey ,Twister..." he smiled. "And as I would appreciate to see you both come together and fix this betimes." "Wait..." JetStream looked at this mare, "What about all that's going on right now? The Batpony movement coming in either ten or nine days when they fly over out town." she paused. "I do believe you're referring to the Batpony trek that will move across southern Equestria?" Twister and JetStream both nodded. "Yes." they answered in unison. "That's not for me to take care. For whatever is made has a purpose. And although I do have some involvement in their work, I would not like to change the subject this late before they fly." "No we don't want things changed, we would like to know more about it." Twister said. "Well, let me tell you two this-" JetStream and Twister stopped what they were doing to look at her, "If I'm not mistaken, you to must be the best of friends-" they couldn't help but to smile, "-If you to help and work with each other, and in sync, you might just find your answers. And me myself can be more than just a help, you two have your own families as well." she suddenly paused. "I think that's the confidence we need right there." Twister curled his right hoof, "What do you say, buddy?" he looked at JetStream, kind of catching him off guard. "Uh-" he knocked off the puzzled expression with a more prepared one, "Right!" they hoof-bumped. "As you two must." she made a gesture like they just gave her some order as she faded away. "I guess I'll see ya when we wake up then." Twister looked at JetStream, "Let's do this!" JetStream raised his hoof again. "Together!" they said in unison as they bumped one more time. They both were awoken abruptly to a thunder clap. "Hope they didn't call for rain..." JetStream said as he looked outside, "It's raining again..." he sighed as he looked away, his expression was rather of slight annoyance then distress, "Actually..." his ears rose back up and he looked out the window again, "Is it even daytime yet?" "It is." Myriad answered as he walked past the doorway. 'Oh, yeah. My voice is back...' he realized before he looked down at himself, "Back to myself..." he paused as he watched the rain just pour from the clouds, "I guess it is day, it does look bright enough..." he paused again, until he finally decided to crack open his window a bit, followed by a strike of lightning. JetStream immediately covered his ears, waiting for the thunder to come, "..." only for it to be a faint rumble. He sighed again, "Must be farther away." he walked out of his room and looked into the short hallway, looking right gave him his Mom and Dads room, and the door to the huge backyard. Looking left gave him the counter-of-a-bar looking living room with a coffee machine behind the counter. Where blue shelves were hanging on the walls. Turning to the right in that room would give you the front door. Turning left would give you some storage room, it's not much to see, especially that one broom. He went toward the front door to get a look out the window next to it, by using a bench like seat below. "The storm caught your interest?" Corolla asked as Myriad looked on. "It's been raining a lot more lately, is all." he turned back just as lightning struck. "You know what?" Myriad stopped what he was doing and walked in, "JetStream, have you heard of old pony tales before?" he asked. JetStream looked at his hoof on his shoulder. "Yeah, because this Aura thing that I'm involved in has it's own part into those." he smiled, acknowledging how smart he sounds. "There were pony tales of when it would get cloudy, there would be millions of other ponies watching you from behind the fog, or how some ponies could use power to manipulate water to their every whim. It was something along the lines of water bending." he tried to recall. "That reminds me." they both looked at her. "One I was told a long time ago, was that there were these secret ponies that looked like anypony else could. And when it rained, they would suddenly grow and grow so massive to show their true position in Equestria, as a guardian of their city. It was said that each city had its own guardian. Yet it's still unknown." JetStream thought about how deep it sounded, where as if some pony were trying their hardest to search for this unique, pony-looking creatures. "Did they look like a pony when they were their biggest?" JetStream asked. She shook her head. "I don't think I ever asked that. Now I wish I would've though..." they paused as the rain continued to fill their silence. "What if, JetStream, had his own name to be written down in Equestria folklore?" Corolla asked. "What do you mean?" he asked. "If you had some sort of title, like a superhero name, what would it be?" Myriad asked, both his parents were curious for the answer. 'Well, that would be tough to choose. Let's see, a hero name. Oh! I could be a hero with Aura... yeah! That book I have explains a lot about it. And I'll piece things together to create it...' it was a little while before a couple seconds pass, "... I think it would be. The Wave-Guiding Hero" "Corolla, I think we have something to mark down." she suddenly spawned a pen and paper with the glow of her horn and pretended to write it there. The pen and paper then disappeared, never to be seen again. "There! It's marked down. Sorry to dismiss, but we must get back to our doing." she said with a playful tone. "When do you think the storm will be over?" he asked Myriad, he looked at his wings shuffling them. "Don't know, it may be a while. We'll just have to wait." JetStream paused. "... Dad, did you know there are other cities that have pegasi controlling the weather?" she nodded. "Yes, I do. There's no weather controlling here, JetStream, because of Altamare. It was build directly into the ground, therefore nopony ever messed with the weather. As if the ponies from long ago decided that too much of their alterations would disrupt something vital to them." JetStream nodded in response, "Known that ever since we moved in to this town." Corolla looked at Myriad. "Which is still only a decade ago." she smiled. JetStream's head rose. "Actually, what was it like, before we moved here? Where were we before, here?" Myriad smiled, as Corolla looked at him. "We lived more up north we both met there, in Hoofington, before we went to Altamare together. Then a couple of years later, you joined." JetStream was silent, why not here more about your own parents? "If you'd like, JetStream, you can listen. As I will start to recall what I can remember before we moved to Altamare. ~~~Chapter End~~~
Chapter 3"Oh, boy." Myriad said with a sigh that he was getting himself comfortable, "The story before we moved to Altamare." he said looking at the ceiling. "One we won't forget." Corolla said. "Not in a long time." Myriad responded smiling. He paused before he decided to start. JetStream tried to listen cosely. 'I bet this day is going to be one of those quicker ones...' he thought. "It was roughly 15 years ago." he said looking at JetStream. 'Yeah, I wasn't around then...' he thought with a straight face. "Back in Hoofington, it was a big city. I'm pretty sure it's more populated than Altamare. That was part of it." Corolla nodded. "True, it was a shame everypony was grudgy while they were." she shrugged. "Yeah-" Myriad responded, "-Most ponies there didn't have the brightest expressions on their faces. But that didn't stop them from having a healthy attitude." JetStream smiled, "It were those who'd become friends with, and your mother, JetStream." "... How did you two know eachother?" JetStream went and asked the question. Myriad decided to step in first. "I was on, delivery. It wasn't much, and yet the same for its pay. I wasn't exactly out on my own just then, I was still young and lived my own parents. I just thought it'd be nice to pull out my own bits for a change. Anyway, I deliver from a building much smaller than most of them because it only had one floor." "Exactly, most buildings seemed to have atleast four floors." Corolla said. Myriad nodded. "How much I got would be dependent on how big the object is, including weight, the only thing helping me were my wings." he paused before he got too off track, "The road I was walking along had sharper and more cleansed look to it. I was surprised what difference there was while I looked around. The building I was carrying it to was around the corner, so I knocked on the door. And waited every wait I seem to actually dread through." Myriad sighed. "The last one for the day. I'll just give them this and I'll be good to go." he smiled thinking about his work being over. He wiped his hoof over his forhead to clear the sweat, "I gotta admit, this part of town looks neatier and tidier compared to the part I live to." he stated looking at the door handle alone. Myriad jumped when the door opened, and was greeted with a mare. "Oh, hello!" she exclaimed. She opened the door more than what I thought she would. "What?" I wondered silently trembling from the weight of the object. "Do come in..." she looked at the tag Myriad was wearing, "Myriad Alacrity, and welcome." she smiled, Myriad looked puzzled on what to do. "I'm slightly confused-" he said, "-I didn't know I was going to be walking in." "I hope it's no trouble. But We'd like the lamp in a specific spot." "A lamp?" Myriad looked back at the box he carried. He turned back to her and nodded, "Alright then, could you show me where?" "Of course." they headed in as another mare walked in the room, noticing this stallion suddenly entering her parents home. "What's going on?" she asked. "Oh nothing dear, the lamp we got has arrived." she answered her daughter. "Wait, a lamp?" JetStream asked. Myriad smiled nervously. "Yeah, I didn't know what I was carrying until it got opened at the destination. And the name tag I wore was obviously for personal usage." "You know what, I'm still a bit curious after all this time." Corolla finally brought a question. "Were there more worker ponies like you going around?" she asked. Myriad sighed at all the work he would've done. "Oh, no. I was some of the dozen, actually I think I was the thirteenth!" he laughed afterwards, "No, I wasn't the only one, and the buisiness was rather friendly, barely no drama. And there can sometimes, but it would only make things uncomfortable." he recalled for his own enjoyment, and JetStream could tell, Corolla looked like that didn't need to be added. "Anyway, I saw your father walk in at that time." Corolla continued. And I was a mommies girl as well. Corolla looked practically startled as she looked at this stallion entering the red-bricked building. Myriad tried to avoid her. 'Why is she staring at me like that...?' he thought as he followed what seemed to be her mother. 'Oh, he looks a lot like my brother...' she thought, she would never forget his white coat that shines in the sunrise sun. She hasn't seen him in a couple of months now sinse he was off, doing whatever it was, she may have not been listening. "It's up here on the next floor." she said looking up. "Gotchya." he responded, he continued at a slight faster pace than before. When he got up there the room was almost empty, with much contrast compared to the lower floor. "Why's it so bleak in here? If I can ask." he said looking around. "I'm embarresed to know the room looks like this, but there was a hoof-ful of stuff to get upgraded, if you understand." she pointed to a corner infront of her, "You can set in that corner over there. "Okay..." he said a bit huffy. He settled the box to the floor and walked back. "Thank you for the delivery." she smiled. "No problem." he responded as they started for the stairs. Myriad paused as they both gave him a look, "It-It was a really straightforward job... The only tough factor that would add would be the weather, if it was bad of course." he stated raising a hoof. "How much exactly did you get paid a day?" Corolla asked. "It veried with each object like I said, but average if I was working hard... it'd give me about 28 bits each day, on average of course." JetStream smiled. "That's more than I make in a year..." Myriad gave a fake laugh as he tussled JetStream's mane. "Of course it is." he went to fix it right after. After letting loose another chuckle, he continued. When they started to head down the stairs, they both heard the front door open again. "Dad!" her mother heard Corolla squeal in joy. "Her father must be back." she told Myriad. "Little sis." Corolla said as they embraced eachother. "I saw so many other ponies today." she said, "Thanks Daddy for taking me with you." she smiled. He playfully blew rhaspberries on her cheek, only to be surprised to what come out from the stairs. "Oh, hello." he said rather confused, and suddenly nerved. "Hello, sir." Myriad responded, "I'm here for the delivery of the lamp you have ordered." he smiled. "Well, then I thank you for making it safely. What's your name?" he asked after a quick pause. "Myriad, sir. Myriad Alacrity." he kept staring at Myriad, only for him to curiously wonder why. Only up until the point Corolla's father asked. "I don't mean to bother on such a subject, but do you go to the local school?" "Yes, I do." Myriad replied. This answer suddenly caught Corolla's attention away from her sister. "Well, on my way through town I overheard about some sort of dance soon. I'd would like to get more information about that." Corolla seemed kind of embarrased for her father to ask a local student rather than a teacher, or more on charge in the first place, a principal. "What would you like to know?" Myriad responded. Corolla's embarresment was suddenly washed away, and replaced with curiousity. After that, they got information on when it starts and ends, and a little bit in how you'd get there as well. "Do you plan to go to the dance yourself, you look pretty nimble." he winked. "Heh..." Myriad tried to smile. "Dad!" Corolla called out. "Alright, alright." he replied. "I don't dance..." he smiled half-heartedly as he went for the front door. "Well that's a shame." "Well... not much..." he said before exiting. Corolla's father broke a smile. Corolla looked at Myriad as he exited. But she didn't budge herself before he closed the door. He suddenly breathed in, having a mix of a yawn and a sigh, "Alright, I think it's time to head back..." he started walking down the road, "I don't dance much, and if I ever had it was that one time when we were screwing around... honestly screwing around. Bein bored out of our minds..." he muttered the last bit as he looked at the many different things passing by, "But this is what pays off in trading from emotional exaustion. The sweet walk home with the sounds of the city..." he paused, "That aren't too great sometimes." he didn't let that bother him though. "And well, after that, or when the dance started. It turned out you showed up yourself." "Yes I did. It was because during them we moved in a couple days ago." Corolla replied standing up. "That must be why the second floor was deserted." he assumed. "Yes." Corolla looked at him, "And that lamp was the first thing we ever had for that floor. It was a great contribution." "Thank you." Myriad responded. "So that's how it all happend?" JetStream asked. "Basically." Myriad responded, "She decided to willingly go to the school dance she enrolled in only a couple days before. That's when we started talking, and it unfolded from there." he smiled. They all looked outside. "Looks like the rain stopped." Corolla said looking out the window. "Really?" JetStream snapped his look to the window, then dashed to the front door, "I can't beleive it's gone already-"as soon as his muzzle reached the out doors. He felt one rain drop hit his snout, making him jump slightly, "No..." he went to answer, "It's only sprinkling..." he answered walking in, wiping his nose to clear of the rain. Either way, JetStream knew he'd be going outside. ~~~Chapter End~~~
Chapter 4Part 1 It was sprinkling, but it obviously wasn't raining. If it's dry enough to traverse, then JetStream can walk it. He glad to see the sun nearly out again, the clouds were spread since the past hour, and although it could get a bit to warm here, clouds that rolled by colled it for a moments notice. About halfway of his walk to Altamare Spire, he heared something different. Something was wrong, he didn't here the echoes anymore. This slight difference in hearing tempted him to turn around, and if that urge was true, then sompony must be behind him. He quickly darted behind him, making Picket jump. "Picket? What are you doing here?" JetStream realized. Her jump forced her to hover in mid-air, it seems she was wearing her coat again, "Can you not be directly in the sunlight or something?" he asked looking at her flying around him. "No, I can't. But I'm okay with a shaded areas... atleast." "Why's that?" JetStream asked as his cyan fur being hit by the sun shined into her eyes. "How about we sit down?" she considered. JetStream watched as she looked around, he huffed. "Alright, but where?" "Over there, where there's tons of tables covered by umbrellas." JetStream didn't mind that, he would go there if he did want to go over something, and secondly, the building close to the tables is a resurant, so he could think about and eat and drink all at once. "Yeah, okay." he started walking over there, Picket finally touched ground, folding her wings. And suddenly started to breath in releif. "What was that?" JetStream turned to look at her. "The ground is so warm, it feels cozy." she smiled. Just before they got to the table, Picket popped another question, "... So, is this what you usually look like?" JetStream almost stuttered. "Yeah-" he stepped back into the sunlight beforethey sat down at a table, "-this is the real me... pretty cool, huh?" he slightly posed. A couple of passerbyers giggled to themselves, JetStream paused. Having one eyebrow raised and smiling. "I assume you're well known?" she laughed internally. "Uh. Heh, only my friends know me best." he said with a determined smile. He went down to the seat and sat down, there was a pause before Picket spoke up. "Now-" she lift her hood up, surprising JetStream, "-I know why batponies aren't that good in sunlight. It isn't like all of us, only some are effected." "Some?" JetStream wondered. "There's a specific rule, that I was lucky enough to hear, that this trait follows. It was that to whoever was born during night, and a full moon would have no tolerence aggainst sunlight, they absolutely could not go in it..." she paused, silently moaning, "I guess that's how I ended up." JetStream was shocked. "You were born on a full moon night?" he asked. "Yeah, I was." "Is there one for who's born during the day?" she rolled her eyes. "But does that ever happen, I think that one born during the day will be..." "Is it the opposite of the full moon night?" "I'm pretty sure it wasn't, but close." She suddenly thought about lengths of time, then that's when it clicked, "It was that you could stay the longest in sunlight without it... stinging..." she sounded unsure. JetStream's head rose. "Like a sunburn?" he asked. "Sunburn?" Picket wondered. "You don't know what a sunburn is?" "... No, I don't." "It's when you stay too long in the sun, and your skin hurts from below your fur whenever you move it around like this." he put his hoof on his chest and moved it around in circles while Picket just watched without a clue, "Also the spot of the sunburn is tinted red too, so you know where it is." Picket's mouth opened in enlightenment. "Yeah, JetStream, it's something like that. But instead of moving it, you don't have to and it hurts. It doesn't feel burnt or warm, it just stings..." she said looking into the sunlight, "Sometimes I wish I could walk in the sunlight..." she turned to him, "Like you, your family, and all the other ponies that live in this town..." JetStream was stunned. 'Do-do I have anything to respond with that? Here comes that feeling I haven't even heard of again...' it felt like his heart was skipping a beat, like he got to the end of a story and wanted it to end as slow as possible, what was this feeling? 'What do I say...?' sometimes it will only come out to speak the truth. After a while Picket looked at him. "...I'm speechless..." he frowned to make anything at all work. "I bet you're freezing up." Picket said. JetStream cooled down and looked at her. "What?" "You can't say anything about, don't worry. I understand." she put her hooves on the table. "...?" JetStream looked in confusion. "Me and you, we're different. We weren't meant to expierience the same things." "I can't say anything because I haven't expierienced what you have... I can't comfort you because I never have, dealt with such a thing before..." he frowned looking at the ground below, "I'm sorry, but I could if I would have." his tone increased. He waited for a responce from her, but instead got a gesture. She slightly nodded her head down at the table where he hooves were. Without saying a word, JetStream put his hooves on the table. "Here, and now, we'll make a promise..." JetStream nodded, as he started to smile, "To never outshine eachother a-" the memory faded fast, but the promise remains until they depart, as they confirmed. Twister walking at a outer edge of Altamare, taking in the view of the ocean. Watching the noon-day sun's reflection off the water carelessly cross over his eyes. He looked up when he heard hoofsteps, "...?" he turned around, only to notice it was only passerby. But beyond that JetStream was galloping in the distance. "Twister!" he beckoned. He stopped next to him catching his breath, "How... how did you do so far today?" Twister looked confused. "Do what?" "Just in general." he answered. They both paused. "Actually, I've been wondering around now for a little while. I haven't seen Colos or Colas yet..." he looked at JetStream. "I've been catching up with Picket lately..." "Picket?" Twister wondered. "Oh, I forgot-" he scratched his head, "-The mare's name is Picket Prosechos..." "That's a name." Twister confirmed. "I never heard of one like that before either, maybe it's just how batponies get their names." JetStream suggested. His pause made him think about their conversation earlier. "Twister?" JetStream asked. "Yeah?" "... Do you ever look at the sun?" "What?" he was puzzled head to hoof. "I hope Twister and JetStream are doing okay." Colas said. "I'm sure they're fine." he responded looking through books at the local library, it wasn't as big as Canterlots, but it was nessecary. Colos turned to her sister, "We've made it this far..." he said. Both their tones were calm, as a library should, but nothing could stop them from talking loudly, that's what made this library a bit different. Some still decide to change it, and yet there are some that didn't even know it was not a rule in the first place. And some completely abuse it, but those aren't worth much to mudder over, "Ugh, I can't seem to find batpony in these books." "Found it!" she exclaimed from a couple isles away. "What?" Colos looked through the shelves. Colas showed it to him, "Oh, how was I supposed to know?" she scoffed. "I wouldn't know if I was in the Equestrian mythology section... Come over here instead, it might help." Colos cleared his throat. "... Good job, Colas. We found it." she rolled her eyes as she headed for the tables. "Let's look into this..." "Yes, let's." Colos responded. "Ha-ha, JetStream." Twister laughed in a sarcastic tone, "That was funny the 11th time..." JetStream looked at him in confusion. "That was the seventh time..." "Exactly, you haven't said it yet. When did you make that joke anyway?" JetStream looked around at the blooming buildings in white cement. "A week ago? I think. New habits die not as quickly." Twister sighed. "That's not how it goes." JetStream smiled. "Exactly my point." he started to strut with his eyes closed. Twister suddenly stopped, a cold wave went through JetStream's spine as he took his next step, he ended up walking into a pony. "Uh..." he opened his eyes again, and it was a stallion. He had a dark blue coat with a blue-greyish mane and tail with the same color of his coat going down the middle of it. His eyes were a red-grey color that oddly looked pink. And his cutie mark was barely visible. It's base color was close to his coat, and it was hard to see because of it. He made a slight cough as he walked continued to walk away, "Sorry." he called out. The pony just waved his hoof slowly and passively back at him, "Hope I didn't budge his mood." his expression at a slant. "Come on, JetStream-" Twister got his attention, "I see Colos and Colas over there." JetStream went up to his side. "Right. What do you think they've been doing the past couple of days." Twister shrugged. "I may not know, but it looks like Colas is carrying something." they noticed an object between Colas's right wing and body. "They can can carry things there?" JetStream just asked as he was tugged by Twister. "Com' on!" "Alright, alright!" JetStream struggled to get on his own hooves. "Colos!" Twister called out. He looked up, and to his left. "Twister, come here. We found a book, one that may be the more helpful." when Twister stopped in front of them, he finally let go of JetStream, causing him to wobble in place getting his balance back, he looked back up after he did. "W-what's it about?" JetStream asked. "Batponies in general." JetStream's mouth suddenly opened, he turned his head in realization. "I need to get the orb back in its spot before the bats fly over Altamare." he paused. "JetStream, that's still about nine days away, it's still some time..." "Sure, it is. But I rather get it up there now, in case if I forget..." he bit his lip. "How about you try later today? When we are all less busy?" Colas suggested. They all went quiet, and looked at JetStream. "...! Yeah... I can do that." he smiled an unsure smile. "Alright, now let's go somewhere else so we can look at this." "How about the Spire? It's right there." "It's towering over us right now, no pun intended..." Colos looked at everypony else, they just shrugged. "Okay, let's go." Twister exclaimed as he trotted toward the blue wooden door. "Right!" they responded. "I wonder how the orbs doing anyway..." JetStream thought out loud. As soon as they got to the top, the put it on the ledge that would be in the sunlight, and as of right now, the ledge on the right was mandatory, it faces the sunset. It was still only twenty past noon though. Colos and Colas went in front of the book, Twister was to the left, JetStream was on the right. "So where did you both find it?" JetStream asked. As Colos silently shifted with his eyes closed, Colas nudged him. "We got it at the library of course." "Right, didn't think you'd find something like that there. I don't check that library often..." Twister snickered. "Well, neither do I." "The book says they fly in groups." Colas said. "Yeah, Picket told me that." "Picket?" Colos and Colas asked in unison. They suddenly hear a tap on the concrete, and a wall of air come at them from their backs, followed by the ryhtmic beats of hooves. "That would be me..." they turned around. "You're back!" JetStream exclaimed. "You're Picket?" brother and sister in perfect unison. A chill went down there spine. "Yes, Picket Prosechos, it is full. The batponies to be seen by-" "We know." Colos said. Picket huffed. "Alright, but why are you guys here? Whatchya doin'?" she started to ask. "Colas and Colos found a book in the library about your kind, Picket." JetStream smiled. "What? Why look at a book when you can ask the very flesh and mind of such creatures?" she tried to show her self again, but she had her coat on again, "JetStream..." "Yeah?" she took her coat off, she was in shade anyway, and it surprised Colos and Colas. "You know that promise we both decided to keep?" he nodded. "Yeah, of course I do remember..." "... You are keeping it... are you?" she was a bit curious in her tone. "Yes, Picket. We're keeping that promise until we say it is broken or until otherwise." he smiled. But Picket went quite. 'Here we go again... I don't want to embarrese myself again. It really isn't all that liar-proof back at home.' "Eh, yeah, of course you are-" she finally responded, "-Just checking." "Alright." JetStream guessed and steered away from that conversation to another, "Why don't we just figure out what's relevent to this scene now? Instead of going over everything?" Colas smiled of her guilty pleassure. "Actually, I got this book for that specific reason, it boosts my interest." "Well, uh-" it seems like Picket couldn't make it anymore clear, "Here I am... a well-alive bat-pony before your very eyes." she held a hoof outward. Holding an awkward smile. "No, I trust you completely, Picket. I guess I'm not certainly willed, to ask other ponies for other information." Picket's eyes and mouth opened wide. "I was just like that. When I was just a young mare." "Aren't you still?" Twister asked by her appearence. "Based on other ponies, sure. But batponies, if you didn't know of course, age slower, about two times the normal Equestrian." she smiled stating a rough estimate. "Sooo...." JetStream made a little point with his hoof. "Since we age slower, whatever we look like physically, we're actually double the age." "Wow..." Colas wondered in her enlightenment. JetStream was quietly counting to himself before he exclaimed. "Then I would be around 26 years old..." his friends looked at him weirdly, "My batpony age of course." Everyone paused before Picket continued. "I may look like this, but I'm actually 76 years old." "Really?!" Colos exclaimed. "You look like a school teacher at the most." Twister stated. "Picket, we're both going to agree that we're obviously different." just as Picket was going to nod, Colas bumped him out of the way. "Of course we're different, JetStream that's what research's for!" she said in an odd pace. "Sorry about that-" Colos said as he turned to her, "-But this is basically my sister being cranky..." he smiled nervously. "It's no big deal..." she got a look at the mare staring back at her, "-I'm sure we can both handle it..." Picket looked at JetStream with the look she was receiving, "... Anything wrong...?" "It was a bit surprising to see you show up so early. I'm a bit curious why you are here..." his expression was not a bit suspicous, but more of a flat-out question. "Oh! My apologies I forgot. Them back at home have told me that they are coming earlier due to weather, they said, unfortunately..." "What!?" they exclaimed in unison, while the other three flipped out, JetStream was able to get the question out of him. "When are they flying over now?!" "Three to four days..." JetStream bit his lip. "The weather precedure worked... excellent." JetStream felt a spark like shock go through his mind. 'The Aura's, they shifted suddenly.' his eyes went into a blaze once again as a fire like flame went around the egde of his eyes. "JetStream?" Picket wondered with the sudden show JetStream unexpectedly. He felt it in front of him, a warmth, a warmth that stung. Surprisingly like Picket said. He looked closely as a blob a blue started to form in front of him just behind the walls. 'Hey...' he thought, "..." it then suddenly burst itself into a defense, "Hey! What are you doing eaves droping on us!?" the pony suddenly shifted and galloped down stairs. JetStream tightly closed his eyes and violently shook his head to get rid of the Auric sight, "Somepony was spying on us!" he stated as he galloped down the stairs. Twister, Colos, and Colas followed. Picket put her coat back on and treaded after them. Part 2 It seems the door was shut when they got down, JetStream still galloping, carefully, down the stairs and he rammed the door open. "...?" he looked around as soon as he got his balance back. The bright sun shone down on him as his confusion seemed to rise from the ground, "Where'd he go?" JetStream's right ear twitched with all their voices going on in the background, he turned around and noticed Colos tripped around the last step, causing Colas, and Picket to fall over him. JetStream snickered and trotted back, "Are you okay?" "Actually, JetStream-" he was puzzled to hear that tone of voice as Picket picked her self back up, "-What were you doing chasing an innocent by-stander? You probably startled him." JetStream's eyes widened. "What? No, he was not your passerby, he was there for a reason..." he took a deep breath and relaxed. "And I must admit on the note. That actually was me... panicking..." he sort of flinched as he blinked. "You? Acting like that, was you panicking...?" Picket questioned. "It's a I-got-to-know-what-that-is responce. I sometimes can't help it." they both hear the promise gears turning again. "Actually..." Colos looked up as he began to stand on his hooves. "Where did he go?" Colas gasped. "He vanished!" Picket walked up to JetStream, hoof on his shoulder. "You can't win them all... trust somepony like me. I've tried again, and again." she smiled. "No, he's still around I know it. I bet he wants to mess with us..." "Don't mind to budge in-" Picket said with a raised eyebrow, "-But you might want to watch that paranoia..." JetStream sighed on the spot. 'Something about that word shakes me to my core...' Colos was still breathing heavily. "All that adrenaline can take it out of you..." "... What time is it?" JetStream asked Picket. "Not much the keeper of times, but it could help to look at a clock..." "Thanks." JetStream was unsure about his responce, and he looked around anyway, "I'll go to the library!" he galloped to the building with the only green roof, 'Three days left because of weather...' he paused to look at the sky, 'It seems to be okay here. Maybe it's just wacky over where Picket lives...' he looked back down, 'However it looks like...' JetStream knew to turn on the right up ahead, he knows enough to get around. But purposly straying off the path will get him lost. He turned right and took notice of the library ahead, and he started to gallop, "Still, that pony is suddenly being everywhere we go..." he said to himself in the rushing winds. He pushed the doors opened and went to a fast walk to the counter, but just as he was about to speak out, the pony behind the counter spoke up. "Welcome to the Altamare Library, the time two-fivety-three in the afternoon. All the books shown on the shelves here are free to look at. But you must check them out in order to bring them back to your place of living." the pony stated. "Uh..." JetStream mentally stutterd as he turned around, looking back at her with a hoof in the air as he was about to start galloping back. "That's actually all I needed. Thanks!" he exclaimed as he went out the doors, the tiny bell rung once again as he exited, startling a couple ponies on his way out the door, "Okay, it's nearly three o'clock." he looked in-directly at the sun, towards the sky, "That's still a good amount of time..." while Twister and rest got their questions out of the way, JetStream appeared from the corner and made his way toward the Spire, "I figured the time..." there was a puase before Picket spoke up. "Well?" "It's nearly three, so that's out of the way." 'What could that pony possibly be doing, anyway? It's not like this for him to show up and not explain why.' Maybe that's what JetStream has picked up on. 'Somepony doesn't usually do something out of the ordinary and not tell the other why...' Picket thought as JetStream waved to his friends. "I'm heading back home, there's something I have to take care of still." "See ya later" they'd say as they waved back, "Want to come along, Picket?" JetStream offered. "I have the weather to look after, I have to make sure the movement is safe when they start and finish." she would shift her head down at an angle every now and then in understandment. "Actually, Picket, what is it that they're moving?" JetStream stood up and looked behind him before he went off. "They're just a bunch of batponies alike who want to move across Equestria safely. Some only go to see family that they haven't seen in a while." "Sweet. But..." Picket stopped just as he continued. "Why can't they just fly? On their own? Like the Pegasi do? I know there may be some fillies and colts. But, why does it seem you all have to be so cautious?" Picket sighed. "For the sake of understandment, JetStream-" JetStream felt it wasn't as light as it was moments ago, he shivered as the cool winds lazily went by, "-We aren't really that trusted enough..." JetStream noticed her wings sank a bit. "Not trusted?" JetStream was puzzled. "But, you're with me and my friends, right? How is that not trusting?" "...Some time ago, during a different part of the world. We made a first impression during a wrong time. Since then we weren't really confirmed trust worthy." she turnd around, and talked without her head shifting. "... We can meet up later, alright?" "Of course." JetStream smiled. They both went there ways, and soon JetStream's smile dropped, 'I need to get the orb back to the top of the Spire, like Picket said before.' JetStream is practically reminded about the orb everytime he laid eyes on Picket, something about those batponies is so soothing. It feels so unerving, every second counts as night gets closer, every tapping hoof, every word a tongue makes. It's all a contribution to it all ending up to night, and when that all burns out it's daylight once again, only for it to loop at the thought. And at the thought of starting here, you got to give something. JetStream huffed as he made it back home, yet only to think about the walk back to the top of the Spire. Too much thought that goes into this new and surprising night, werepony transformation, and just the thought of his shadow getting taller would scare him, but as of right now, he rolled his eyes in the thought of how far off it sounds. The front door to his opened in a calm manor. He walked straight to his room. "Welcome back, buddy." Myriad said, JetStream just smiled. "Thanks, I'm going to get the orb, I need to bring it to the Spire." he said, 'Whoa!' he jumped as he looked into his room. The orb was under his bed, and it was still noticable, as it pushed right in the middle, it seemed to have grown bigger since then, "I need to get it there now, I probably won't be able to..." he worried for the sake of it breaking his bed. He ducked under and tried to scoop the orb out under the bed. As he tried tugging on it, it didn't seem to budge, "Crud..." he then tried to push his bed up on the side closest to him, he sighed as he should've done this the first time, he then tried to roll it out of the way. And he uncontrolably let go of the bed from exhaustion. He fell backwards onto his back, and let his hooves rest for a couple of seconds, only to quickly get up and take another look at it. As JetStream went to his sitting-on-the-floor position, he was finally able to look at it, "It's as tall as me sitting down now..." which would be just below two feet. JetStream pushed his parents momentary worried aside as he began to push it with both his hooves now like some big box that was too heavy to carry, which JetStream still remembers when it could still fit in his hoof the last time he saw this weird and, mostly still, unexplained object he has ever encountered. Actually, he shook his head as he thought of it, the ring he wears will still be as mysterious as ever, but the orb atleast he'll know he will get answers. Only if the thing would budge through the door frames... Part 3 JetStream was now in front of the house as he waved his Mom good-bye. The orb stood just below his chest when JetStream stood, "Without any regrets, I'm rolling this thing back..." he said quite confidently. It was a bit later in the day, the world JetStream saw was the slightest more yellow. He'd usually have to bend to the side to see what's ahead, up until the point JetStream could see the tower, he stopped doing so. When JetStream got to the door entrance of the tower, he ragdolled in exhaustion, causing him to slip off the orb and collapse facing skyward. "... What are you doing?" Colos popped up from the bottom left corner of his eye. With as much will power has he had, he lifted his right hoof and started to shift around when neccesary. "This is the orb right here. I had to roll it all the way back from there. But I still have to hope I can get it to the roof." Colos jumped. "What!? How did you manage to get that through your house, the doorways aren't that big..." he exclaimed eye-balling how wide the orb was to himself. Colos paused before he spoke up again, "Are you sure you can put it back up there?" Colos looked up to the roof, some for JetStream as his already skybound vision looked shifted to the left a bit. "... I don't think I can..." he admitted. "Right..." Colos responded. Suddenly this brisk cold air washed down from what it seemed to be behind Colos' legs, like a fan. JetStream looked behind him. "Did you feel that? Where did that cold air come from?" JetStream finally getting up, yet as he did, a second shadow, darker than the whole Spire's shadow flowing over them, was connected with Colos, "... You... see that too?" he asked pointing toward the darker shadow. "What?" his eyes opened wide when he realized. "Whoa... I'd never seen a shadow do this..." the orb started a faint glow. Colos paused, while JetStream continued to look down at it. "Could it be some sort of optical thing we can't see?" JetStream asked. Colos didn't respond. But instead he bent down. "What... what if I touched it?" JetStream shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Then you'd be touching a darkened part of the world I suppo-..." Colos was able to silence JetStream. Like pepper against soap, when Colos touched the darkened shadow that Colos seems to cast the area around it quickly retracted. "What?" Colos curiously looked it over. "Hel-!" Colos exclaimed as the shadow formed around him, to what looked like consumed him. "Colos!" he thrusted his hooves onto the black orb. "This is somthing I've never seen a shadow do..." Colos stated. JetStream had to take his hooves off soon, the black thickness what seemed to be an odd shadow was uncorfatably cool, he couldn't keep his hooves on it for long. "... Anypony out there? JetStream!" Colos exclaimed. Yet on the other side of that, JetStream was deaf to whatever he had to say. "Colos? ... Why hasn't he said anything?" he asked himself. "It's really cold in here..." he started to take a quick look around, yet like a hamster in a plastic ball he was trapped. Ponies passing by started to stop and take a quick look around. "Can you here me!?" JetStream exclaimed, trying to reach him from within the orb, "... Can't you here me?" soon after he closed his eyes, "If he can't get to me, then I'll get to him..." he said to himself. On a hightened level of Aura, JetStream called out to Colos through telepathy, "Colos! Can you here me!?" Colos was releived at the sound of his friends voice. "I can now..." he said quietly, sighing in releif. "It seems to sound makes it through, so I'm talking to you in other means..." JetStream paused, "Colos..." JetStream's Aura glowed as he went into Auric sight, he saw Colos' outline, and told him to turn counter-clockwise slowly until he told him to stop. When he said stop, they were facing eachother through the shadow wall, "I don't know what this will do. But can you put your hooves on the wall in front of you?" JetStream asked. "Sure... it seems like you're doing something." he pressed against the hollow orb. JetStream carefully put his hooves on the other side in the exact same place. And with everything else that wasn't being used, he used practically everything to inflate his Aura, suddenly the ends on his hooves became really warm, as did the same for Colos. But times in, there was a hole formed where their hooves were pushed. "What I thought's working!" Colos was able to hear again as he heard the same. When suddenly the cause of this shadow orb and his Aura have met, these purple particles suddenly oozed out from JetStream, "What?" the shadow orb suddenly dissapeared, fading rather slowly until it was completely gone. JetStream suddenly heard something from somwhere. "So you are the one, my mistake..." "Hey!" Colos exclaimed as he saw the some weird dark substance flying through the ground at a high pace, "Where ya going you big blob!?" Colos got back from what it recently did. JetStream watched the purple particles fade as his Aura faded. 'What is that stuff? Why does it look like it's part of my Aura as well?' he then opened his eyes, yet had to squint from outside becoming suddenly bright, it soon faded, but the night was coming soon once again. He knew he needed to get it up there somehow. Picket watched from a couple building away. "It seems something I've avoided is not wanting to forget. I hope those boys are introduced the least. The less the better..." she said to herself, she'll never be more serious, other than watching her own. "Are sure you can get it up there on your own?" Colos asked as he looked directly skyward his neck started to hurt. "No. I need a Unicorn to help..." he turned to Colos, "...or atleast magic in general..." Colos tapped on the orb a bit. "How come this thing is getting bigger?" "I don't know, but it's an inconvienence..." Picket sighed. "There will come a time where everypony who lives in Equestria will come to realize that the magic that saturates the land before them doesn't exactly come from their Unicorn horns..." JetStream sighed as he lazily pressed his head against the orb, his Aura and the orb glowed in unison. He noticed and swallowed. "You know what..." he got back up. He gained his reckless-smile, "I bet we could." Colos' sudden wave of shock was all JetStream needed. "... I must not tell a lie when I say the orb is it's own natural messager..." "How in Equestria would you think you could pull that off?" he asked. That's when JetStream paused. "You're right, that's crazy. But... I don't think it'll work if it's just me..." he put his right hoof on his chest. "I think... Picket said something, about the orb compressing power inside itself...?" Picket smiled as she was hearing this a couple buildings distance away. Colos looked closely as JetStream's Aura sparked, "My Aura... yet not just mine-" he turned to Colos, "-could we... turn it into power? Like magic?" JetStream wondered. "Is that possible?" Colos asked back towards JetStream. "... Maybe... the slightest budge could work for now..." he put one hoof on the orb, as it started to make waves pulsating away from the hoof's contact. His sky blue Aura flared as he concentrated. When he closed his eyes, the orb finally shifted direclty upward a few inches, only to fall back down. His eyes instantly opened again. "Whoa! It happened, it went up a bit!" Colos exlcaimed. "I guess it is a possibility then..." he smiled. Picket couldn't help but to grin, it was sort of like the first encounter she had with the thing. A see-things-push-random-buttons kind of attitude. Next thing she saw was JetStream pushing Colos to try it on his own. Although it did budge, it did slightly less. "Did it work?" Colos asked. "Yeah, but it didn't seem to do as much as last time..." "Wonder why..." JetStream paused before saying anything. "Maybe because you're a Pegasus, and I'm more down to earth..." they both shrugged on it, and continued. "I think we should get the others!" "I'll get my sister!" "I'll find Twister!" they both seperated. 'Like colts in a playground...' she thought. "So what you're saying is, we need to come together. And lift the orb? Together?" Twister asked still tring to grasp the situation. "Yes, of course." JetStream looked out of the corner of his eye behind him. Twister rolled his eyes. It felt like he was practically being pulled by a rope with no way of knowing what their destination was. "Colos tried on himself and it worked as well!" JetStream jumped at the excitement, Twister shrugged. "Okay... I'm assuming Colos is bringing Colas?" "Of course. It wouldn't be full without her too." Twister pointed north-east. "There's the Spire." "Okay let's speed it up a bit." they went to a paced gallop, around this time there seems to be the most ponies about. After and before this time of the day ponies don't seem to appear as much as they did. Soon after they entered the plaza, "There they are." JetStream pointed. They all met up at the orb. "So my brother told me that you two figured we should try and lift this together. Are we?" she may have paused, but she is still curious. "Right. Even Colos budged it too." his sister gave her a look as Colos boasted a gesture. JetStream walked up closer, and put his right hoof on the orb. "... I say we try this now..." JetStream suggested noticing how tall the shadows were getting. "Right..." Colos replied as he did the same, Colos following after him on his right. Twister walked up on JetStream's left. "Where are we going to take this?" continously letting no eye contact letting go from the orb, as if a stare down from his own reflection, he said. "To the top of the Spire, the roof. Where it was originally before I nocked it down..." Everypony out of these four would see this never ending white soft waves coming from their hooves. Twister smiled, then turned to put his hoof on it as well. After watching the other two, Twister and Colas shut their eyes too. "What do we do now?" they asked. "..." JetStream had to think for a moment, "Imagine yourself trying to push something, but don't psyhically push it. Focuss on your hoof touching the orb..." and then the orb suddenly glowed, and shined right in front of them, "Keep your eyes closed..." JetStream warned, "Act like you have a grip..." the orb slightly went off the ground, and is now floating slightly above, "Now lift!" the 82 lb orb was lifted by four hooves of four ponies, "Open your eyes, I need you Colos and Colas to now try to lift it by flying. They all opened their eyes, Twister went under and started pushing upward, and Colos and Colas got their best grip they could muster and thrusted their wings aimed for the sky. "What ab-about you!?" "Don't worry!" JetStream was suddenly closing his eyes again, 'I want that same feeling again... Corolla, my Mom. She using telekenisis...' it all suddenly flashed in his eyes as his Aura surrounding his body was sucked to the top of his forehead in the shape of a unicorn horn, 'There it is!' JetStream knows this false magic isn't strong enough yet, that's why he decided to position himself under the object and help his friends with lifting this thing. "JetStream, you're-!?" Twister slipped a bit, in shock. He opened one eye and looked directly at him, in the bent-hoof-in-the-air-and-horn-pointed-backwards. "Please don't lose your muster!" he begged. Twister we configured and got to a more anchored stance. "I can't take it! You two up there, I'm going to force it upwards all in one push!" he pushed upward with it resulting in climing much faster then they yeilded, Colos and Colas ended up lying on the orb from the sudden gravity change, and with the bit of force from JetStream false magic. Colos and Colas quickly regained control and pushed it to the side of the roof. "What if this falls!?" Colas exclaimed, she didn't hear an answer, but. "Then we'd have to try again..." JetStream remarked. Colos and Colas pushed it towards the Spire, now all they have to hope for is that awful sound. Suddenly there was a dull tink sound, Colos and Colas were speechless at what they saw. "... It, it made it!" Colos waved, Twister ,and JetStream sighed and high-hoofed. Picket sighed in releif as well. Despie the dibree that fell on them afterward, everything went well there. JetStream frowned as he looked at the setting sun, those times where you'd know you wouldn't completely relax... it's one of those times. He suddenly held a confident smile. It helps either way...
Chapter 5Part 1 For a split moment, JetStream looked up as he remembered, "Colas, Colos! Is it staying up there!? Is it notched in place?" he requested an answer from them near them hovering the roof. They carefully checked the bottom of the orb. "It made a slight dent, I don't think it's going anyway!" Colos replied, he gestured towards his sister to come down with him. Picket neared them at the same rate. "Awesome, I thank all you for returning it to it's planned spot." she smiled. "Thanks..." they all replied. JetStream paused. "Picket..." "Hmm?" she wondered. "... Were you watching us?" he asked curiously, she sighed a short sigh and nodded. "Yes, I didn't want to bug your hardwork in getting that orb back in its place." "Thanks for doing that, but... you know what, nevermind..." he smiled, "I'll be asking too much." "What do you mean?" Twister wondered. As JetStream was actually about to respond, he noticed his shadow extending to the horizon faster and faster. With a sudden heavy feeling in his chest, those purple particles he saw earlier started to form around him once more. JetStream looked at the moon once more as his pupils when blade thin once again, and his transformation went off before everyone. Over grown fur, fangs on the inside egde of his mouth. His hooves seem to have barely ripped some fur there, as some of his hooves were now showing bare. Overall he seemed to have gained a purple tint over his entire body like transparent paint. The particles went away, and JetStream came back after he may have lost his vision for a moment. "JetStream..." Picket spoke up. "Huh?" there's that deep wrinkled-up-paper voice again. JetStream turned to Picket as she noticed his thin yellow eyes shone from the moon. "You... this is called Lycanthropy..." they all paused. "I panicked and, decided to give them a message back home." JetStream's friend's ears perked up as they awaited the answer. "They say that they won't dare to try until they have formed a solid ground with you..." "... What does that mean?" JetStream asked. "... You would most likely have to see him face to face... that's the thing I'm afraid of..." "That's no fair!" Colas exclaimed. "This happend on accident! How come we have to go through such depressing concequences?" Picket shook her head. "Sorry, I can't do anything about that..." she opened her eyes to strange looks, "It's... not in my authority..." "It's something to worry about!" JetStream exclaimed. Everypony jumped like they were some prey he was chasing. "But it won't really help to idle by and worry until the major happends..." he had a worried smile, winking toward Picket as she got the message. "JetStream's got a point you guys..." she said, "You all did push the orb all the way back to the Spire's roof. That should clear something up between you all." she looked back down from the roof. "This is a glorious setup you have here..." everypony gasped as JetStream pointed. "It's you again!" his eyes glared to JetStream as the others watched, Picket's heart started to pump. "Surprised to see me? Why, I thought you were the one chasing me..." JetStream's head went down as this stallion took the spotlight. Just the area around this pony was chilling to the spine. But with his werepony fur it didn't seem to bother as much. The stallion looked behind him toward the roof of the Spire, he smiled with the glint of his teeth showing. "Did you all bring the orb back to its spawn?" he asked like he was their dark, twisted father. "All, except me." Picket stated. The stallion noticed the others looked at her in worried expressions. "... Not a single unicorn from these four, and they're able to lift it all the way back there?" his voice was soft, but felt like it would never stop poking you. "We did it with friendship!" Colas suddenly exclaimed. Colos jumped. "Colas, what are you doi-...?" the stallion gave an amusing look. Twister grit his teeth. "Who are you? What's your name!?" with a deep thought, you could tell there was little worry. "..." he looked at Picket, "Phamevem... Fantosme..." Picket flinched and looked at the ground. "Stop doing that!" she closed her eyes tight, then only to suddenly hear the others. "Where'd he go?" "He just turned into a cloud of smoke..." she opened her eyes again. "It's just an illousion, just watch your shadows closely..." "What?" JetStream raised his head to look the opposite of the moon. There's JetStream, or atleast in inverted, non-psyhcal him. Even though his shadow wasn't moving, his heart started to pound. Suddenly where his eyes would meet on the shadow suddenly glowed white, same with everypony else making Colas jump and gallop out of fear. Also causing JetStream to jump as a domino effect, the white glowing eyes went away as Colos called out for her sister as he went after her. "What the heck was that about!?" Twister exclaimed. "Picket-" JetStream caught her attention. "Do you know that stallion?" 'For the promise...' "Yes... yes I do." "How?" JetStream wondered. "I'll go get them then..." Twister announced as he galloped out in the same direction. "He lives, back where I do." "How? He is a pony isn't he?" "He's actually able to take form of anything through some form of shadow... he is actually some batpony. But..." Picket sighed, after a puase, "He's just very mischievous, or trouble maker..." "Doesn't that seem a bit outdated?" 'That's what they should've figured...' Picket went into a paced trot to her left. "Com' on. Let's catch up to your friends." "Right." JetStream responded. The stallion chuckled as they went across the plaza to catch up. "They knew more than I thought..." he looked at the orb right in front of him. Still ever so curious how they have it back up here, it seems more likely that it may have not fell in the first place. "..." Picket was silent on their way after Colos' sister, 'JetStream and his friends remind me of my aquantaces back home... sometimes they'd act almost like this...' "You seem to know a lot about that stallion..." she heard it coming from JetStreams side, but yet another voice was layered on top. "I'm sorry..." she suddenly spoke. "Is something wrong?" JetStream asked as they walked behind Twister. "We know eachother..." she answered in her sudden trance. Her Aura was suddenly colder than a normal pony. "Picket? Picket snap out of it." JetStream clapped his hooves together whenever he was able to. She succcessfully snapped free, as soon as she shook her head she exclaimed. "Sorry, sir!" in a plead-like tone. "Sir?" JetStream and Twister both rose their eyebrow. Like clearing from a grayout, Picket noticably saw JetStream again. "Oh! I, uh..." she looked away, desperatly hoping they'd drop what she just said. "... Where'd that come from?" Twister asked after a long pause, and started walking again. She sighed and started walking as JetStream did. "It's just bittersweet memory." Phamevem reformed to his Earth stallion form and jumped the whole way down the 60 foot Spire. Landing without an injury. He grunted with assumption. "Didn't know I could scare then that easily..." Part 2 Phamevem looked around as he saw ponies walking late in the night with their partners, or who ever they could be. The moon's light shining on their glistening manes and blocking it from hitting their eyes. The night was a canvas to him. And the ponies that spread around in tiny dots are his viewers. He feels this urge of immenent power bubbling, and it will never overflow. He feels as if a professional had been so long, no matter his position in skill would ever reach to elite ranks. This feeling of never climbing higher, the same for stubborn-ness in that feild, makes him eager to never quit in what he does. And all though it doesn't bother him to know every detail of what he does, he enjoys the guilty pleasure of never rising to higher responsibility. But, he stopped his train of thought for another path, these ponies working with Picket have some expierence, higher than a novice is only an ametuar. Phamevem is honestly guilty to catch himself following specific ponies, JetStream and his friends in this case. And from what they have shown, as Phemvem looks from the shadows, they must have a lust for tenaciousness. Phamevem took cover when Twister looked around. "Colas!" he shouted, "Sister, where are you!?" Colos exclaimed. '... So this pony is a sister of the white one? As many should know, white is very distiguisble from the dark of night...' Twister suddeny stopped and turned to JetStream. "Hey, JetStream, do you think you could use your Aura sense? ... If that's what it's called." "Right." he nodded with his fur waving in the breezy summer night, 'I'm going to assume Colas is still worried or scared...' As the Aura visibly formed around JetStream once again, Phemevem was able to take notice. 'This one seems to have a special, amplifide force... but what is it doing?' His eyes suddenly glowed like batpony's eyes do, 'This feels as if it had branched on its own path... like it would be a son or daughter to a relative...' he carefully looked over to Picket, "If they feel so alike, could we disturb it?" he asked himself. JetStream's Aura suddenly pulsed a dark purple color. And without a second notice, he saw something pounce at him from the corner of his eye. "Ah!" his natural entinct kicked it at the sudden change in the envirment. They noticed that JetStream fell to the floor, but that one looks different than the one next to them. "JetStream?" they looked down to the one that got knocked down. Colos jumped when his fur stood on edge. "That's not him!" "I'm right here..." a voice came from his immediate right. JetStream, still in his werepony form stood motionless, as he wasn't even swaying, 'I'm numb... yet I'm not falling limb...' he realized. "Yes, that will fade soon..." JetStream was able to look up, he noticed Twister looking at him. He looked to his left and relized there was a darker tinted, more wicked looking werepony that him and JetStream battled for. "He looks just like you!" Colos exclaimed. "Stop this now, Phamevem!" Picket shouted. JetStream gained the will and looked at Twister. "Go find Colos' sister..." without a word notice, Twister turned around and started to gallop, followed by that dreaded voice out loud. "Stop right there!" Twister stopped on a dime. 'How'd he?...' "What did you do to JetStream?" Colos yelled in fear. "Nothing, actually." he walked up to JetStream at a delecate pace, Twister backed up as he did, "Although his body did go through a massive tempature decrease, it'll soon rise to where it should be." "Why did you form from him?" Picket asked. "Simple, in this case he had the strongest connection to the lunar magic spread through the atmoshpere that they call a sky. It rises during night, and the moon helps to spread it. The stronger the connection-" he gained as devilish as his nose barely touched JetStream, and they stared eye to eye despite the stallions other form, "The more look-alike..." JetStream finally felt the numbness in his hooves. "I can feel my hooves again..." JetStream stated. Phamevem's expression slid back to a neutral and took a step back from him. "You, over there!" he called out, he turned. "Twister!" JetStream called out, "Go and find her, don't listen to him!" Twister turned back a bolted out of Phamevem's vision, JetStream turned around to look at his reflection, "How did you know what I was saying to Twister?" JetStream asked, more curious than scared. They all looked at him as he seemed to walk out into shade in front of them. "The stronger the connection, the better..." he smiled at the last moment before he vanished into the shadows. Leaving JetStream to sigh. "How in the world do you two know each other?" JetStream asked Picket. She just shook her head and said. "We ran into eachother a lot..." JetStream suddenly fell like a ragdoll. "There we go..." "What are we going to do with that pony looking like you, JetStream?" Colos wondered. "Be extra careful..." he responded as he got on his own hooves again. "Let's just go find your sister." Picket suggested. They both nodded and turned around. Part 3 "Hopefully we can find her, we're actually having some difficulty..." Picket nodded. "Even so, this town is 13 or so square miles. Just about the size of Canterlot..." JetStream found themselves turning a corner right. "It will take a bit I gue-" JetStream stopped bumping into Twister from behind, "Wha-?" he looked back up. "Colas is back home..." JetStream opened wide, they seemed to glow as he did. "That's where we're going this whole time?" he asked. "Yeah, I figured if she went home, we'll be done and over with this..." JetStream paused before suggesting. "Should we go in and check up on her?" Picket looked at Twister as well. Twister sighed before replying. "Well, yeah. I will..." his tone went awkward, "I'm afraid you'll frighten Colos' parents if they see you, both of you..." Twister looked just as dissapointed as JetStream and Picket did. "So be it-" she held her head slight up from the horizon, her eyes closed, "-as I was never accompanied into households of this land, I don't expect it to change." her eyes opened, darting to JetStream, "JetStream, let's wait outside then for them to return..." Picket surprisingly didn't sound the slightest bit annoyed. Before Twister closed the door he called that he'd be right out again. "... Honestly that's what I meant. He didn't let me finish..." "What do you mean?" she asked as JetStream went ahead, walked around her to sit down. "I meant that I should've re-worded it, it's no biggy..." JetStream felt a sudden heavy preassure, he flinched, only to come back up when it went away moments later. Picket's expression went to surprise. "What was that? Why did my chest just hurt right now?" he asked rubbing his chest, watching his werepony fur being tussled around. "Don't worry, I felt that too. Practically I can't un-feel it; I'm a batpony so... I'm really surprised. When Phamevem said about your lunar connection, he wasn't kidding about how thick it was, you got a pressure sensation on your chest? Look up." they both did. "The moon's near the top of the sky..." Picket nodded. "Yep, it's almost a lunar noon. That's what that pain was, a warning that time is nearly only half now. You have another six or seven hours until you transform back." "Right." he responded after he looked back down, he paused, "Do you feel that? The wind?" she took a moment to let it flow around and embrace her, like a massage that had little effect, yet still was very cold and awakening to the face. "Yes, and I assume that's the storm they're trying to get ahead of." JetStream's mouth opened in shock as Picket looked to her left, all the way towards the horizon. "Are you... looking at the storm? Ways from here?" JetStream asked. The weird thing was Picket was faintly starting to nod, but suddely stopped the nod and answered. "No, but it 's somewhere in that direction." JetStream closed his eyelids half way. "Getting tired?" Picket wondered. "Just a bit restless..." suddenly Twister walked out of the door, without Colas nor Colos, "Twister-" he got up on his hooves again, and Picket followed JetStream walking up to Twister, "-why isn't Colas or Colos with you?" Twister shrugged. "It's getting really late, and I can agree..." JetStream looked at Picket, who just shrugged. "For my sake, I'll go home and get rest as well." JetStream suggested as he turned around. "Alright then, see you tomorrow!" Twister waved good-bye for tonight. "Mind if I join for the moment?" Picket asked. "Sure, I won't be out much longer though." she nodded. "Fair enough." "... I sincerely hope my Mom and Dad care for me, even with this lunar curse..." he said to himself quitely as he looked out from bed towards the stars beyond. He's been up for ten minutes now, and it still seems to be night. He got up from his bed, '... Hope I'm not shedding...' he suddenly thought looking back with a stoic expression. He shook his head and looked out the window, his eyes glared at the moonlight still hitting the ground. He wasn't able to see the moon directly because of his bedroom window facing the opposite of a sundown. His mouth shifted as he looked around the visible space. He tried bringing up the memory where he found the orb back on the roof of the Spire, and possibly find any evidence as why he's transforming in the first place. Despite the knowledge of knowing what energy is compressed into this form, it does seem to have it's perks. Everything feels a bit more soft, you're warmer one-hundred percent of the time, and especcially for night. But then there was this third reason, a reason somepony would like to understand, know it exsists, yet can't really specify. This third reason is may just be something he his hiding behind himself, take care of it but not bring it home, share something with it so grand it will only have to share something once, except for that small detail you couldn't remember, or fail just to forget, "... A reason beyond the stars..." he thought to himself, "Picket, she's only here in Altamare for reasons that envolve her own, I haven't left here for that reason-" he stated looking at his door, "... Up until the point I decided to check that orb... now it's over-sized, messed with, and practically been dirtied..." he stopped himself when his ring glowed, "...?" he walked over to it, "Why is it glowing this time?" out of the corner of his eye, JetStream noticed the sky turning red and blue, "Is it because of the sun rising?" he took a closer look at where the red buldged more then anywhere else on the horizon. He realized the sun's a bit more to the left than what he thought, and looking at the ground confirmed that it was that time again. He carefully tried to but his ring back on, with all that fur it was a bit tricky. He he snuck his way to the backyard, "..." he paused, "It's been a while, but it's about time to head back to the Glassed Hill..." pulled back, and launched towards the door. Part 4 "... Picket might have been right about that storm, I guess she just may know..." he shivered on his way through the stone and dirt tunnel, 'Honestly, it was suddenly a bit chilly...' JetStream recalled Picket slightly nodding at JetStream's question, only to say no moments later, "Was that by accident, or for a purpose? ..." his before stoic expresion went to a frown of a slant. JetStream swallowed after thinking multiple things, "It was a promise, she'll keep it." he reassured as his hooves kicked the dirt up from the damp soil. He noted getting close as the torches showed up on the walls, they were stone/wood sticks with one end lit with rings going around the flame. "I never really went down here at night time, no wonder I never expected it to get this dark..." those torches were just enough light for him to feel safe galloping at his current speed. He was releived to end up in front of an opening door to the hallowed hill, "Alright, finally back in." he sped up and jumped through with high momentum, causing to throw dirt everywhere, and dust into the air. He coughed, "Most natural thing so far..." he paused when he looked his eyes on outside to see the twilight's dawn, "It's getting close to sunrise..." his right hoof rose from the ground in awareness. "It sure is a submissive thought, isn't it?" JetStream snapped his eyes to the left. JetStream's thin pupils sliced the air around him, his lunar fur standing on edge. "Show yourself! ... How did you get in here!?" his threatening voice demanded. He walked up ahead, more in the center of the area. "I'm much closer than you think, yet still almost never seem to acknoledge me..." a pause made JetStream grit his teeth, his impatience went hoof in hoof with this form, as he has noted. "Darker than space, yet more noticable than any star seen by the pony eyes." 'Closer than you think? I never seem to acknowledge...' JetStream's thought process went to work, with the instant pop as JetStream jumped in the air, "Shadow!" he looked away from the moon and sky, and in the opposite direction. And there he was, still formed as him in his werepony form. JetStream thoughtlessly swung his left hoof in the open air. "Whoa, whoa, what are you doing? I'm down here." "Stop it, Phamevem!" JetStream exclaimed as he backed up. All he was doing was standing on this two-deimensional plane of a ground floor. "What? Can't handle what you can't see?" a sillohuotte of Phamevem walked around like a shadow without an visible pony casting it. It was practically messing with his eyes. JetStream looked down and noticed him casting as his shadow, he gallopped to the other side, keeping on eye on him. Phamevem kept it up as JetStream's activity went in the same direction, soon he even started to emit purple particles from his body, showing it's raw energy, 'There it is!!!' Phamevem screamed JetStream to a halt, he started to scramble backwards as Phamevem rushed him. JetStream suddenly closed his eyes as tight as he could, and for some reason went for his Aura for help. And with all this energy built up, his whole body was suddenly accompanied with a bright, clear red glow. The build up over flowed, JetStream opened his eyes shining red volumetric light, his vision went black close to a gray-out. And a sudden EMP like boom accured, causing Phamevem to form to his original self and fly back to his side of the hill. JetStream pratfalled to the floor as his red Aura faded. Only to inch back up moments later. "Don't... provoke it!" JetStream exclaimation filled the room. With all his strength he got up on all fours, and pushed his right hind leg against the wall he leaned against for a kickstarter as he rushed Phamevem. His surprise for seeing Phamevem like this will only be pushed aside. From the bruises that cover him from hitting th stone side of the hill, a faint smile emerged. JetStream galloped faster to the point he almost tripped, then in sudden adrenaline, he jumped and aimed stright for him. Suddenly, everything went to white. JetStream noticed he jumped passed the sun from the big circular window, "...!" he lost his train of thought as this white blinded him, he tumbled straight for Phamevem. He transformed back into his shadow form and moved along the surface to slither away and avoid bumping into him. JetStream continued to tumble until he hit the stone on the wall with an audibly cough. Phamevem's smile slowly faded as JetStream lied in the sunlight, assuming those pain-felt moans were him transforming back. He huffed and exited the Glassed Hill. JetStream grit his teeth as he tried to climb to his hooves, holding his stomach so he could try to do so, "Pham- Phamevem!" he shouted. As hard as he could try he would suddenly fall back to the floor without any explanation, like it was stunning him every five seconds as he transformed back. JetStream could hear his heavy breathing alone, the white started to fade as he noticed he was back to his bright cyan coloured self. Now, and thankfully he was able to pull himself up as it tugged himself down less every time it did so. When he got to his hooves, he slowly looked at his shadow casted by the sun, "Agh!" he shadow was not there whatsoever, he shook his head, closing his eyes. Only for the shadow to appear like it should when he stopped. He stood completely still wondering what just happend, and decided to flee back to home as if he felt like fleeing a recent crime scene. He felt completely worried. That feeling continued as he saw Picket already outside his home...
Chapter 6Part 1 Picket noticed JetStream drunkenly stumbling in the backyard. She gasped and jumped into the air, taking her second leap on the concrete fence. She landed to JetStream's immediate left, causing him to jump, "Agh!" caused him to fall over again. "I sensed a disturbance in power, so I decided to check up... this late..." she noticed the continuous purple particles emitting from him, and covered her mouth. "... And apparently you were the cause of it..." shocked, she seemed more sympathetic than worried. "Still too weak to walk long enough..." JetStream stated as he looked up to his right lying down on his left side. "What did you to for this to come over you?" she wondered peering over him, she would keep looking back towards the house for some reason as well. JetStream paused, and let his heat hit the grass. "Me and Phamevem-" Picket didn't even let him finish. "No, were you two...?" she stopped herself before she could've suggested. Despite his struggle in it, he nodded. "It seems, he wanted the lunar energy that I've been cursed with..." She sighed. And let a hoof towards JetStream, implying him to climb up the best he can. He stood up, but he walked like he had a limp. "It seems like his fervor is increasing by the very mention of his name..." she suggested. JetStream looked around as Picket was the one to be walking him in. "Thanks for walking me in..." she paused, and smiled. "Honestly, that scene would've made me look guilty..." it was weird talking to her with her coat on for the day bright, as if it felt night actually lasted longer than day where they were at, "Hold yourself up with the table." she suggested as she pulled the chair out from it with JetStream plopping onto the chair seconds later. "Thanks, Picket..." he thanked just as Myriad walked in. "JetStream...?" he wondered. He laughed half-heartedly. "Good morning, Dad..." he waved. 'Atleast you can raise your limbs...' Picket thought as she stood there wearing her shaded brown coat. JetStream looked at Picket and smiled, so she decided to take hoodie off, she understood she was in-doors. "It's you again." Myriad said. "Yes-" she responded, "I... I've missed a lot, moments ago." she gave a sympathetic look towards JetStream. "What do you mean?" Myriad asked. 'This is going to be hard to explain, what would he think if I said I was fighting another pony? I don't do that... I...' JetStream clearly remembered he struck first, it was Phamevem's teasing that got him off, '... I did get in a fight...' "I..." JetStream noticed Picket's look, sympathy to a "you-know-you-did-it" JetStream paused, "I fought another... "pony" not too while ago." JetStream saw his father's expression, "But that's not the whole thing! There's actually tons more happening then that." he confessed. Suddenly Picket looked surprise. "Well other things happening aren't that bad either, JetStream..." "The only reason I'm like this is because I got in a conflict with some shadow of a pony..." JetStream hoped that made sense, "... And I'm lucky Picket was there to bring me back inside." Picket didn't respond. The warm summer glow of the sun filtered through the windows as silence began to spread. She kept a blank expression with a soft-kick-of-the-dirt gesture, either that or a stoic smile. "Don't worry, Ms. Picket-" Myriad spoke up, "I'm sure it's a completely different level..." she looked at him in shock. 'I... never been called that before...' after a second or two, Myriad looked around for anything to break her glaring vision. He admitted internally that her eyes frightened him a bit, kept him on his hooves were he wouldn't feel completely comfortable, and even for a second, he thought how JetStream could withstand it. "Isn't this the only reason you're here, Picket?" JetStream asked as he turned around on the chair he sat in. "What?" "You're here only because you brought me in, right?" JetStream responded. "True... but I must address the storm that is going to be flying over this town." "Hmm-" a distant voice came around the corner, "No wonder it went from eighty degrees to the low seventies in a period of twelve hours." Corolla said, and without looking at the expressions, she added, "We may not control the weather down here, but it's an option to watch for safety." "And I have to admit-" Picket said, "There was a good red tone in the sunrise today..." as if she was recalling. "Does a red sunrise mean anything?" JetStream asked. "There's a probability for a decent amount of rain some time in the near future." she answered. JetStream suddenly perked up from his rested position towards his bedroom, as Picket looked towards the front of Myriad and Corolla's home. "Somepony's calling to me..." Picket said. "I just saw the ring glow..." JetStream said looking toward Picket. "Excuse me-" she turned and walked toward the door, "-but I need to get to something." she said. Her tone no longer sounded bouncy and worryless. "P-Picket!" JetStream exclaimed, "I want to come along!" he darted for his room to grab his ring. She stopped, paused at the front of the door, haven't even touched the door with a single hoof. As JetStream almost rammed her plot, he stopped, backed up. And wondered why she was so quiet, "The, promise... for us both to understa-" he was cutoff by Picket. "As awakening this alert is..." she sighed and finally raised it again, "... come along." Excited hoofsteps went about around the door, she opened the door. "We'll be back soon." Picket promised through her brown coat. "Bye, guys." JetStream had a short farewell. He closed the door behind him with the ring on his right forearm. With the final click of the closed door they were on their way to meet up with a pony, as Picket assumed. How this effect JetStream, she hopes the least, because things can get very serious in the bright land of theirs she thought looking at him bounce through her shady hat. Honestly there would've been times she'd be so tempted to just walk in the sun, unprotected as they say, "..." Picket noticed his bouncing suddenly stopped, her expression showed curiousity, "... Picket, you know I'd never force the promise to do something like this, would you?" the question he wanted to ask ever since they just started their little walk to whatever awaited her. "..." she paused looking toward the blue sky, "It's ambiguous, but it never hurts to keep something you know you already have." 'But it may depend on how bad it hurts the other...' she sighed, '... for your safety, JetStream...' Part 2 "... Do you know who called you? How did he, or her, call you?" JetStream asked as the morning sun rose higher and higher. Picket rolled her eyes. "Don't really know until you see, or if you have some higher sense." her head rose, "Like you and your Aura, JetStream." he looked at her, "I suppose..." she added with a nerved expression. "Cool." JetStream responded. He suddenly covered his eyes, as a glare came from above them. JetStream looked up to notice it was only the bell reflecting light. "Light can travel far, travel the fastest of anything we ever see. But yet it even can fall to something." she paused as JetStream looked at her, a bit curious, "An object, found to be, literally, out of this world as been seen to be so powerful that not even light can escape. Something so dense it will turn gravity inside-out. And could crush and destroy any star or planet that comes too close to it." "I've heard of a planet before, they look just like ours, but very far away... but stars, that's a new one for me..." JetStream said. "Stars are those bright points that are dotted throughout the sky at night. They look alot like the sun Celestia controls." Picket stopped JetStream from looking directly at the sun. "How do you know so much about this?" he asked afterward. "It was in a class I took..." she responded. "Class?" JetStream wondered what classes. Suddenly, a deep voice struck them like lightning. "It's about time I see your face again, Picket Prosechos." they both realized they already hit the plaza. "Oh, sir. It's good to see you, as well." "How's the scouting job going for you?" he asked getting a glimpse of the scenery. JetStream stared into his gleaming armor, or it seemed to be. It shined like metal somehow, JetStream wondered. "It's keeping up..." Picket paused as JetStream out from behind Picket. "But I need to note something..." he turned his head. "Is it possibly the storm, that worried you?" he asked. He looked like some of those leaders that Picket could've been talking about. His coat was a dark green that almost looked blue, but his eyes made up for that. He wore a hankercheif or something like a collar. His mane and tail were a dark blue. "Most likely..." JetStream decided to step out. Showing much brighter colors and regular elliptical shaped eyes. And his ring on his right forearm just bursts with curiousity. As the leader thought for a moment, he finally speaks moments later. "Who's this young colt that followed you?" he put his right hoof on his chest, the leader noticed the ring slip down to his elbow. "My name's JetStream, sir. I've actually known Picket for a while..." he suddenly looked amused. "Is that so?" he wondered gazing toward Picket. "When he said a while, he meant it... actually." practically he giggled internally, which he continued after it died. "It's only been a couple weeks. If you insist a while is two weeks..." he just left it at that. JetStream noted all he had on was armor that may have been mandatory to wear, of course. Maybe that burn-against-the-sun's-rays scenario went different for him. JetStream jumped when he looked toward him. "Something you need to ask?" "No. Actually, I don't have anything yet." he shook his head in surprise. "Yet?" JetStream subtly shrugged. "That's more teasing than you did in the whole month." Picket said. "Sure..." he added, then paused as if he adjusted to the approaching matter. They both turned to their left, JetStream behind them, and able to ponder what's going on around as the envirement became more a blue tint as it became closer to noon. The breeze felt a while ago was continously flowing, it's been clocked at three to five miles per hour, so it's not much now. JetStream pushed his ring up back, never noticing that it slipped down. It was glowing again. JetStream had a certain consentration that had your body feel like it was pratfalling. When that jolt would wake ,the Auric sense, like it would if you dreamed of falling, a wave that would sense Aurae around a certain area would come like an explosion. It can't be felt, but it can be seen, yet still so faint it takes a trained eye to see it more vividly. 'I've been taught, or told, about the insight of magic. Makes me think there is more than just Unicorn magic... the magic of insight is a raw form of it, and everypony has a sense of it. But they need to bring it out, stir it up a little.' An Aura planted on the ground had showed itself to him, "Come out, Phamevem!" the other two turned around, 'Then its perks will work in your favor.' The leader's expression showed shock, suddenly realizing this colt knows such a character. Although nerved, Picket decided to keep quiet around higher authority, but he turned to her anyway. "Were you aware of him being in this town?" "Actually-" JetStream inturupted. "I live here, in Altamare." "Picket, were you aware of Phamevem residing here?" JetStream's eyes opened in surprise. 'Oops.' "No, not until some four days ago, sir." "Is he giving you conflict, I would expect him to do such things-" "We all would... sir." Picket replied instantly, followed by a pause. "I'm sensing a bit of anger in that statement, might I have said too late?" Despite him asking these to Picket, she thought he should ask JetStream more. She often looked back to him as well. "... Sorry to drop by suddenly, I couldn't help to hear my name." 'Obnoxious as always...' Picket thought. 'Oh...' JetStream was more worried than annoyed, 'How can Picket take him so seriously?' He walked up on Picket's right side. They were all standing in a triangle shape if you stared directly down. The Spire was just another 10 feet away. And it looked like the sun was just about to hit out of morning too. The leader paused and leaned, looking towards the ominous clouds. "I am a bit curious, sir. How do we plan to evade the storm approaching?" she held eyes worried, a blank, flat mouth finishing her expression. JetStream was minding his buisness, aimlessly wondering the sky and clouds above, then when he looked toward the horizons, he noticed his friends what looked like were covering themselves to hide from behind a corner of a building near the edge of the plaza. He quickly snapped his eyes to the conversation, catching a sudden glimpse of Phamevem. He noticed, and all together JetStream decided to just look toward the blue lit concrete, sement, and stones that make their roads or pathways in this city. Phamevem rolled his eyes. JetStream looked at his friends again, only for them not to conceil themselves, but to gesture JetStream to come closer. "...?" he raised an eyebrow in wonder. Since he thought he was out of the conversation for a while, he decided to go. Phamevem was curious as JetStream went, he hid his Aura which it faded. JetStream has noted that when his Aura was invisible, or gone, he felt incredibly lighter. He assumed it was the same guess as to why most ponies don't know you're there 'til you unveil yourself. JetStream was able to scatter across the plaza without puzzled looks from Picket or her leader. But since Phamevem saw this, he was curious to check it out. But under the eye of higher authority, he didn't want to budge their curiousity, and let foals do what foals do he'd assume. Audibly breathing through his snout, JetStream finally stopped to a walk. "Glad to see you again." he said. "What's going on over there, and who's the one in the armor?" Colos asked. "Uh, The armored one is some sort of squad leader for Picket. That's all I have right now." Colas looked over Colos. "Are they going over something secret?" "Not at all...-" JetStreamn paused, and pointed with his right hoof towards the grey clouds, "There's a storm approaching, and a batpony's flight is going through here. So they're carefully studying on what it'll do." he explained. "Up north in Equestria, the Pegasi would take care of the weather. Is there no Pegasi living here, is that why the weather's such worryful thing?" Twister wondered. Colos executed a fake cough, rustling both his wings. "Well, it's not controlled at all." Colos replied. "And it's expected to keep that way, for the purpose of this town itself." he gave Twister a twisted look, "-Not because there are no Pegasi living in Altamare." "Right..." Twister said, and huffed, and then looked back up to Colos, "You'd think they'll lift that rule for this one storm?" he asked. JetStream shook his head. "This town was known to survive considerably bad storms, from what I read. I'm sure that alone was good enough to convince them to not to." Twister raised his hoof. "You think it'll be worth a shot to tell them otherwise?" he looked at the others surrounding him, they all shook their heads, and Colas spoke up. "By now-" she said looking at those clouds approaching, "I don't think we'll have any ammunition..." the other three looked at eachother in mystery.
