The Scroll of Exalted Ponies

“Ok now, please – let me do the talking. In fact, don’t speak unless spoken to, and even then do not say anything before conferring with me” Cash implored to the rest of the circle, communicating without words that defying or upsetting the councilors was usually the same signing your own death sentence in Nexus, even among unicorns, god-blooded and the occasional local god that came before the council

“Hold on, how would the council kill gods?” Red wondered.

Sullen Hoof pointed towards a large painting of the Emissary. The date on the plaque under the old and somewhat faded painting claimed that the painting itself was over five hundred years old – but the cloaked and masked pony in the picture looked exactly like the Emissary that Speaker had seen several weeks while fighting the demon pony.

The chamber that the circle was ushered into by oddly pale ponies who did not speak was cavernous, if judging from the echoes that the circle’s hoof-steps made on the stone tiled floor – for the room was shrouded in darkness, with nine alcoves encircling the center chamber in which the circle stood only dimly lit by what seemed to be a lone flickering candle at the very back of each alcove.

Once the circle was in the center of the chamber a ring of light came to be around them – and eight silhouettes of ponies stepped forth in the alcoves, leaving only the middle one empty… because that was the seat of the Emissary, who was well known to only rarely join actual council meetings. To the circle on the silhouette of each councilor could be seen, cast up on the alcove wall by the dim light source – making each councilor’s shadow look ten feet tall… a very imposing sight
“Does this gathering before us have a name?” one voice, an elderly female pony’s voice, called out.

Cash Charmer stepped forth and cleared his throat: “Honorable council, if it pleases: Our circle has no formal name”
Speaker found Cash’s quite cautious and meek behavior very weird.

“Very well. Sunrise Glow, you have been attempting to re-establish a presence in Nexus for the Cult of the Illuminates. What is your intentions regarding this effort” another voice, a grown stallion’s deep voice, inquired.

Sunrise stepped forth with short hesitant steps after Cash briefly whispered in her ear: “I… I wanted restore the cults presence here and spread the worship of Celestia”

Many pony voices mumbled for a brief moment, but it wasn’t possible to hear what was being said, before a single adult mare’s voice declared that Sunrise’s answer was acceptable.

“Bright Machine Speaker. We have seen the results of you medical practice. You will become the council’s private physician and surgeon” a young mare’s voice announced.

Cash quickly whispered to Speaker: “Say that you’ve already declined multiple concierge medicine contracts, and that if they want to enslave you as doctor it would mean revoking the civility forbidding the taking slavery of citizen ponies in Nexus… add that if that is done then the rest of us will demonstrate how that can same enslavement practice can be used against the councilors”

“Uhm, Cash – you sure it’s a good idea to threaten them?” Speaker wondered, especially considered how Cash had been so fearful of the council before the meeting.

The merchant pony gave Speaker a stern look: “Yes I am sure – you have to be absolutely clear that you won’t let them dictate how and where you do business”

Turning to the councilors – at least the ones in the direction were the voice requesting Speaker’s services had originated – Speaker cleared his throat: “You can’t tell me how to do business. I’m not a guild toady you can order around. If you try to enslave me I will fight for my freedom – and between me and my friends here you will all suffer endlessly on that account, both financially and physically, Celestia as my witness”

There was a strange garbeled murmuring among the council members – clearly some kind of sound distorting device was in use to allow the council members to speak without the ponies in the center of room hearing it properly. Given the brief reprieve Cash nodded to Speaker: “Not what I wanted you to say, but I think it got the message across none the less”

“They’re arguing whether to kill you or ‘one of his friends’ to make you cooperate Speaker” Sullen Hoof noted, his perception-enhancing charms allowing him to hear through the scrambled noise presented to the circle. A split second later he added that the councilors had stopped talking, indeed the noise died away just then.

“It is both unwise and unhealthy to make enemies of this council” another voice stated, a mare’s voice.

Cash perked up, turning around as he spoke so as to in theory face all the councilors at least once: “So I’ve been told – indeed before I came in here I was quite afraid of you all, but this? I’ve seen more skillful intimation from the foals I get gossip from about my neighbors”

There was more scrambled murmuring. Sullen Hoof noted that they were talking about whether or not to send the circle away while they deliberated since Sully could clearly pierce their ‘privacy veil’.

Ultimately the murmuring ended and an old stallion’s voice spoke: “We find your presence in Nexus a liability. We do not want worker riots when they hear of anathema operating in the city, nor more realm hostilities no matter what your intentions are – and the immaculate will instigate such riots if they run out of ways to kill you. That said, then your abilities are undeniably useful, and thus potentially profitable… and we will find a way to profit from your presence here, no matter what – how that will happen depends in part on what you as a group choose to do”

“What do they mean by what we choose?” Red wondered, not liking the sound of the councilor’s statement… nor the fact that she couldn’t see who was saying what.

Cash took a deep breath and exhaled partially, addressing the council: “Ok, what do we have to choose between then?”

“We are aware that quite a few solars emerge with grave goods in the form of valuable first age artifacts – along with their powers. Thus, we’re giving you the choice to help form our civilities on that subject: You, as a circle, will grant Nexus a service – and continue to do so once per annual calibration cycle. If you do well we shall decree by civility that all other anathema groupings who wish to operate in and out of Nexus shall perform similarly for the council. If you fail us we issue a different civility: Ownership and use of orichalcum artifacts will incur a seasonal tax to the value of eight hundred pounds of guild standard silver or equally valuable currency” The same stallion voice announced.

Cash nearly tripped over his own hooves at the mention of such a large amount of money . Speaker took this as eight hundred pounds being a lot of money – After steadying himself Cash explained that it wasn’t that it wasn’t so much, but that it was a seasonal tax… that you’d have to pay it once every three months, which made it a ludicruis amount of money per year, far more than any newly exalted Solar could ever hope to muster – unless they were all as business-minded as Cash Charmer himself: “…also, that much money would roughly be the going rate of an orichalcum daiklaive among artifact dealers… so it’ll be an effective way to disarm solars coming into Nexus”

“Will we have time to choose?” Shimmer asked out loud.

A resounding “No” from several of the councilors boomed out around the room, echoing slightly.

The assembled exalted ponies fidgeted uncomfortably in the silence that followed. None wanted to speak up in a way that could be construed as an answer to the councilors.

“What kind of ‘service’ do you want from us?” Sullen Hoof inquired.

There was a silence. It lasted just long enough for the circle to feel quite an amount of unease.

“The season of air has ended. Spring is coming. The spring floods will come soon, which disrupt trade and sicken the workers, which impacts production. You will solve this issue and prevent further floods from happening. Your solution may not violate the dogma” a mare’s voice bellowed. It was loud and forceful, and sounded very much like she was reading from a script – which sort of made sense, if the councilors had debated possible tasks for the circle in advance…

Cash Charmer nodded as he gestured for the circle to huddle together: “Ok, we have to choose now – and depending on what we pick we can end up screwing over a lot of other solars that might come here seeking refuge”

“I know – and doing the job sounds like the best solution, but that would also mean agreeing to basically putting ourselves and all other solar circles up for annual servitude. I really don’t like that” Shimmer noted.

His forehead a sea of frowny wrinkles, Speaker wondered: “Is the tax they’re proposing really that bad? We could just pay them for me having Gift and then be out of here”

“We could, but right now I don’t have the money for that and I don’t know how much time they’ll give us to pay it – I still haven’t sold any of the merchandize I bought on the Denzik, but that would more than cover the tax. The real problem would be that its due once every three months, and that will bleed us dry in less than a year… assuming that we stay here that long, especially if we pick up more artifacts along the way” Cash countered.

“You’re assuming that these flankhats are going to stay in power much longer with all the solars they seem to think are running around” Red said with no small amount of suppressed hostility in her voice directed towards the councilors.

Cash nodded to Red’s point. It wasn’t something he’d speak up about, at least not considering who was listening, but it was a very valid point: “True, and since we’ve seen the Emissary bleed… it might only take one determined solar to down that thing, and then all bets are off”

“You have seen the Emissary bleed?” One of the councilors rumbled, interrupting the circle’s little chat.

Cash turned around and nodded: “Yes indeed – during our fight with the demon rapist of Harlotry the Emissary was injured. I doubt anyone beyond us saw it, especially with how much Shimmer bled after being dismembered towards the end of it – but it happened. Say, how much are you willing to pay for that piece of information to remain just between us? I mean, it’s not like we would have any reason to speak ill of you – not like you’re basically trying to either enslave or extort us…”

Speaker wasn’t sure what he was most surprised of: Cash suddenly turning the situation into the circle blackmailing the council, or hearing that Shimmer had been dismembered. Well, Shimmer didn’t seem to be missing anything right now – but this was definitely something he’d have to ask about later.

“You will not mention any such thing to the public!” A young stallion’s voice roared.

Cash shot a bemused look in the direction of the voice: “Or what? You’ll issue a civility saying that I can’t talk about how I’ve seen the Emissary bleed? No, here’s what’s going to happen: If you want us to fix your flooding, fine – that sounds like a fun challenge, but you will pay us accordingly, and you will levy no tax on orichalcum or moonsilver artifacts what so ever. Those are our terms, and they are not up for discussion”

The scrambled muttering began once more. Sullen Hoof again relayed what he could hear, although he noted that this time the councilors seemed to be whispering as well, making it really hard for him to hear anything meaningful: “…but it is clear that they’re discussing Cash’s proposal – some of them want to just kill us all, but apparently Red’s reputation precedes her, plus Speaker and Shimmer being able to hold their own against something that even the Emissary had trouble defeating, so that’s off the table… for now…”

A moment later a mare’s voice announced: “If you can solve the issue of the flooding before the flooding sets in you will receive payment out of our annual flood containment and repair budget equal to how much damage you manage to prevent – that is your deadline. The waters have already begun to rise, but flooding of the lower parts of the city usually doesn’t occur for another three to four weeks. As for payment, what did you have in mind?”

“How about those eight hundred pounds worth of silver you were talking about? I’ll be generous and even let it be a one-time lump sum payment, in silver or jade” Cash smilingly suggested.

To Speaker’s surprise the council accepted Cash’s payment instantly – but again noted that the circle only had about three weeks before the waters rose above the lowest piers. The circle was then quite unceremonicously told to leave, the platform sending to the bottom level waiting for them – and dropping at a very rapid speed, much faster than it had gone up, and almost going so fast that it was uncomfortable.

Back at the town house the circle debated just how you could stop flooding – and Speaker inquired into Shimmer’s injuries… It turned out that the demon pony had ripped Shimmer’s wings off after Speaker had been bucked off into the distance – but then the Emissary finally managed to end the fight: “I just had to wait a few feeks in my war form for my wings to grow back… that’s why it took so long before I could send you a message”

“Makes sense… I guess – but ok, so what are going to do about this flood thing?” Speaker wondered.

Cash pointed out a very quick solution to at least half the problem – except it would violate the dogma, which wouldn’t work: “The yellow river bridge, I mean dam – it’s the biggest and sturdiest bridge crossing the yellow river, about twenty miles east of Nexus…”

“Well that’s great – lets pop it and be halfway done” Red urged on.

Speaker shook his head: “No, I’m familiar with that dam, we used it in the first age for this – it would mean forming a lake that would span hundreds of miles, and drown out Great Forks… so using that ‘solution’ would only create a ton more problems”
“Not to mention it would kill half the river traffic in creation! The council would never accept a solution that would disrupt trade that badly” Cash noted.

With that quick and ‘easy’ solution out of the way, the circle began discussing in earnest the source of the problem: What exactly caused the flooding in the first place… which really wasn’t hard to pinpoint, considering the driving monsoon rains that had started up while Speaker had been gone.

“We can’t stop the rain – and Nexus sits where the Grey and Yellow rivers meet, so all that excess water has to go somewhere… so it goes up” Speaker thought out loud, looking exceedingly pensive.

Sullen Hoof, his knowledge of geography chiefly limited to his very intimate and detailed knowledge of Nexus’s districts and neighborhoods, couldn’t really see why water would even do that: “Shouldn’t it all just flow down the Yanaze river? I mean, that river is huge…”

“Well the Yanaze has to be able to put that water somewhere too – and the inland sea is already full of water. Say, Speaker, why not just use your singing staff and raise the city up a bit?” Shimmer suggested, her knowledge of how water worked and flowed coming from having spent quite a few years as a fish back west.

Sunrise advocated against using the singing staff in public, at least in Nexus – there would be far too many who would recognize it for how much it would be worth, and try to steal it, even if it means trying to kill Speaker for it. A tool like that would land you a king’s ransom if you sold it to the guild or the realm”

Speaker nodded, but not because of what Sunrise had said – but because of what Sullen Hoof had said: “You know… that might actually work – getting the Yanaze to take the excess water. We would just have to work together with the god of the river to find somewhere to put the water, and I think that’d be a lot easier and faster than having to raise the city up above the flood line”

For the lack of any better ideas, the circle adjourned. Cash and Sunrise went out to learn about the god of the Yanaze river, while Speaker and Shimmer visited the clinic to see how it looked. It didn’t look good – but thank’s to Speaker having made the whole building out of seamless ‘played stone’ then it at the very least hadn’t been burned to the ground – and that wasn’t for a lack of trying.

Having spent the rest of the day cleaning up the muck and remains of broken furniture strewn around inside the obviously ransacked clinic, and cleaning off the very nasty slurs that had been painted on the walls both inside and outside, the two returned to the townhouse finding that Cash and Sunrise had been very successful… and again not so successful… in their search.

It turned out that the god of the Yanaze river was missing – sort of.

“How?” was all Speaker could manage to think of asking considering how odd that sounded. Gods didn’t go missing… they just didn’t work like that.

The circle quickly agreed that contacting Heath Rose in Yu-Shan was the soundest idea. One magical message later and the circle found themselves surprised by a sudden knock on the door. It was a messenger, with a package for Shimmer – a package ordered delivered about a week ago… and it was from Heath Rose.
“Sidereals…” Red said with a bemused look.

The package contained most of everything the circle had just asked for in the message… which made Sullen Hoof wonder just how much the gold faction had the circle under surveillance, but his worries were easily ignored as the others perused the copies of official Yu-Shan documents and notes Heath Rose had scribbled.

Apparently the missing river god was part of one of many bronze faction plots to weaken the guild. The god, whose name was Water Strider, like the insect, (which you apparently shouldn’t make fun of with the god in earshot) had been assigned as overseer on an impossible mission. The task was simple enough: Bring a monk, who had received a heavenly revelation – which was apparently a common way that the heavens sent messages to terrestrial spirits, by having some random mortal get a vision to go somewhere specific and say some particular prayer, with the prayer being the message from heaven to the local spirits – via the waterways from his monestary to a location on the southern coast, not far from the Lap. The problem was that the two other gods he was overseeing – for Water Strider was only in charge of providing transportation and oversight – were quite uncooperative, and thus Water Strider had been stuck at the monestary for almost five hundred years (The god couldn’t leave the place due to the heavenly assignment, so Water Strider hadn’t been able to govern his river properly, causing the annual floods around Nexus to go from around three feet to ten…)

“Ok, am I the only one, or does Heath Rose jam way to many notes into her stuff?” Red said, quite put off by the strange way that notes and other commentary seemed to quite literally have been jammed into the various documents, leaping out and displacing the regular text when you looked at that via some unknown magical method.

Cash nodded. He’d been forced to use quite a few linguistic charms to keep head and tails of the seemingly animated letters and symbols: “You’re not the only one, but I’m more worried that even if we get this Water Strider back, that it won’t make the flooding go away entirely”

“Dealing with three feet of flooding is a lot easier than ten – with three you can at least still trot on the ground, with ten you drown” Sullen Hoof noted, sounding ever so much as if he spoke from experience.

Thinking furiously, Speaker proclaimed that needed topographical maps of the grey river and the lands around it. Cash was quick to point out that asking for something like that was basically impossible: “You want a comprehensive map that shows the height differences in the lands around the grey river?”

“Yes, because I think I… No, I remember something about there being some kind of other flood control system for the grey river, but I cannot remember what exactly it was, or where – but if I get a proper map, or maybe a map of the river’s essence flows, then I should be able to find it” Speaker enthusiastically explained, his head aching with calculations of water flow, depth and other geomantic variables.

Sighing, Shimmer poked Speaker hard enough with a hoof to his right shoulder than he almost fell over: “Sweety, please be realistic – you’re asking for maps of a river almost five thosuand miles long… complex, detailed and I’m assuming up to date maps of that”

Hearing the actual number, even if just a rough estimate, Speaker paused as if to Speak, holding a hoof up in the air as if to rebut Shimmer: “Oh… right… ok – but with a map like that we could find the thing… I just, I don’t know what kind of thing it is”
“We could do a fly-over on Nah, you using essence-sight to look for anything interesting?” Cash suggested, figuring that with Nah’s top speeds and five thousand miles of river it’d take maybe four or five days.

Sighing audibly so as to draw attention to herself, Sunrise pointed out that even if they did that and found whatever mystery device Speaker was talking about then there was no guarantee that it was still there, still working, or within the realms of possibility to repair if broken: “I would have spoken out sooner against doing this for the council, but you were all very quick to agree to do this after Cash started blackmailing them”

“Sunrise, doing this – even if it’s not by the exact terms that the council wanted, this will still earn us a lot of goodwill with them. You want your cult back? They can issue civilities protecting the illuminated from harassment and persecution” Cash replied, his voice calm but hinting of displeasure at Sunrise’s naysayer attitude.

Sunrise’s face grew a mean scowl: “I am simply trying to save us the embarrassment of not being able to prevent the flooding fully – the wording of our agreement didn’t say anything about the council not being able to punish us if we fail to deliver everything we promised”

“True but come on – don’t be such a grouch” Cash retorted, with a forced smile.

Red stepped up between the two: “Knock it off, both of you – Cash, why don’t you go sell some of the loot from the Denzik. Sully, Sunrise hasn’t eaten anything proper in almost a week, take her to the kitchen and give her something good”.

“Yes maam!” Cash said while making a mock salute, quickly heading off while shouting for barkers and messengers as he went out the door.

Looking at Red, who looked oddly tired, Speaker nodded: “Right, you go get some rest – tomorrow we’ll try looking for this Water Strider fellow”

The next day the circle reassembled, Cash looking quite pleased, Red looking very well rested, and Sunrise looking not starved half to death. The circle agreed to go and help Water Strider out first, as that would make the most headway with preventing the flooding. The location of the monastery was somewhere near Lanting, one of many guild mining towns west of the rock river. It was there the guild dug the ore which they sent by barges to Nexus, fueling Nexus’s iron and steel industry – and it was apparently a retired mining pony turned monk who had received a revelation.

“Hold on, didn’t the stuff Heath Rose send say that Water Strider had been stuck at the place for like five hundred years?” Sullen Hoof quickly pointed out.

Checking the paperwork their sidereal friend had sent, an explanation had been found: The monk’s life was apparently tied with delivering the message – the monk could not die of old age until the message was delivered.

“So… us doing this will kill him?” Shimmer said, sounding quite uncomfortable with the thought of doing so.

Sunrise dug through the files: “Yes and no, but I doubt it’s that cruel a fate – this stallion might not have been able to die from old age in five hundred years, but the files say nothing about him not aging. I can’t imagine that there’s that much left him at this point… if he can even speak the prayer he must upon arrival”

The whole circle looked at Speaker: “Ok, sure – I’ll try to liven the pony up, but let’s go there first and survey the damages”
Cash having secured enough funds to keep things running in Nexus from his initial sales of Denzik wares, the circle flew westward.

Almost three thousand miles and week or so later, the circle arrived at the monastery. It was a situated at the edge of a rather plain village near one of the many mines that dotted the landscape. A nearby guild caravan was being loaded with iron ore, while farmers tended to their fields to feed the hardworking ponies that struck at the earth deep underground.

Water Strider was finally spotted twenty miles from the monastery, where he sat in a field – looking rather dejected if not downright depressed – while another god was egging on a third god who seemed to be eating a tree, taking big bites of the half-yard in diameter tree trunk mighty bites. It was a weird sight, made no less odd by the flying yeddim landing next to Water Strider.

The river god thankfully didn’t look insect-like at all – so Cash lost that best. The god appeared to be a pony wrought of swirling waters, cloaked in a soft cloak of water plants. Its mane was of beautiful white and pink water lilies, but the frown on the god’s face revealed the god’s less than serene state of mind.

“Water Strider, god of the Yanaze” Sunrise called out officiously. The god quickly snapped to attention.

Standing up and having a look at the yeddim which he had neither heard nor felt approach – meaning that it startled him a great deal when he turned and saw Nah – Water Strider gave the circle a confused look: “What in the… what do you want?”

Jumping down and landing quite graciously on the moist grass near the god, Cash bowed and introduced himself: “I am Cash Charmer, chosen of Celestia and Solar of the Eclipse Caste – me and my circlemates here are here to help you finish your long overdue mission…”

It was if the water in the god’s body cleared up and even brightened up as the god regained some measure of hope – hope of ever returning to his river: “Oh heaven’s be praised! I thought I’d never get my hooves wet again!”

Looking over at the two other divinities, one appearing as a giant black-coated pig or boar-looking pony in stylish armor who was eating the tree-trunk, and the long-limbed monkey spirit next to him, with its bright red bandana, and oddly banana-themed lamellar armor… well… it was a monkey in armor. It looked hilarious.

“Oh gods no, not him” Speaker said, as if having bumped into an estranged relative that he didn’t want to meet.

Cash shot a few glances back and forth between the monkey spirit and Speaker: “You know that thing?”

Sighing, Speaker nodded slowly: “I remember the solar who made it… the Monkey King. Originally meant as a court jester, it turned out to be a little too good at its job, because it drove its maker nuts. It escaped all attempts to catch and kill it, then took to roaming Creation while playing pranks and spreading misery…”

Looking at the monkey in its bright yellow and stylishly curly armor, Cash smirked: “Really, that thing evaded first age solars?”

“Heavens no, unicorns. Monkey King’s makers was above cleaning up her own messes… plus she taught it Celestial Monkey style, a martial art that suits it painfully well” Speaker said dejectedly, recalling more of the quagmires that the Monkey King’s solar creator left for others to clean up.

The other god, some kind of pig-like spirit – seemed to have a voracious appetite. Water Strider explained that it was the god of pigs quite simply: “His proper title and name is the Bodhisattva of Earthly Hunger. He was assigned this mission to get him out of heaven – he apparently made a big mess at some point, even got himself banned from the Jade Kitchen”

“So now he’s eating trees?” Shimmer wondered with a bemused look.

Water Strider shook his head: “He’s eternally hungry. He’s also very strong and not very picky about what he eats, which is the official reason he was assigned to this mission – he’s security”

“And Monkey King?” Red inquired, wondering if there was any official reason for such a supposed annoyance to be with the two other gods.

The river god shrugged: “Well, he was originally the god of some kind of monkey, but I think they went extinct during the Great Contagion – still, he’s used his title to get into Yu-Shan enough time to piss everyone up there off, so he was assigned this mission as well just to get rid of him”

“Why have you not simply left with the monk if your two co-workers are so easily distracted” Sunrise asked in an accusatory tone.

Again the river god sighed, looking almost as if wrought of tears: “I can’t. Dirt-muncher can touch and monve the monk, I can provide transportation and direction – and both of them refuse to obey me, since they both know they’re here as punishment. I told you this whole missing was set up to tie us all up for eternity…”

Sullen Hoof gestured for the circle to step away from the weeping river god and gather round for a quick discussion: “So… what do we do here?”

“Well, if porky likes to eat – You could probably get him to cooperate if you promised to cook for him” Cash suggested to Sullen Hoof.

Nodding, Sullen Hoof asked about this Monkey King spirit. Shimmer gestured that she had something to say on the subject: “I’ve heard of him, the monkey king. He’s taught his martial style to a number of lunar pranksters, provided that they could impress him with their own tricks done on others. Did Heath Rose’s files say anything about what the monkey is supposed to do for the mission?”

Sunrise noted that the monkey king was barely even mentioned in the papers, only that he’d been attached ‘to help’.
“Ok, tell you what – Sully, go talk to porky, give him your offer and see if that can get the ball rolling here – the rest of us will try to distract the monkey. If nothing else we can just try to leave monkey-boy behind” Cash finally suggested.

It took a bit of shouting to get the pig god’s attention, but Sullen Hoof did manage to present his offer. This was done while the rest of the circle chased the monkey king around, a surprisingly futile effort – despite Shimmer using all of her various charms to try to snare or bind the spirit as it darted around.

“How can that thing keep evading us? I’ve chased monkeys around before, and they usually tire long before this” Shimmer lamented as she caught her breath while looking up at the monkey king, who sat up in a peach tree eating said fruits… and spitting peach nuts down on her.

Speaker reminded Shimmer that the Monkey King had been made as a spirit, not as a mortal animal: “He’s born of stone, through some process I don’t remember – and he was made to be a ceaseless prankster and joker… it’s his nature, he can’t avoid it”

Shimmer frowned: “Go chase it some more, try to get it over to that meadow over there…”

Red, Cash and Speaker gave chase – Red leaping up into the tree, only for the monkey spirit to jump out, with Cash and Speaker running after it. It was if chasing a playful foal that just wouldn’t stop, even if yelled at, who moved too fast to be caught…

As the three solars managed to chase the gleeful monkey to the meadow, the monkey made a beeline to the lone peach tree there – climbing it and effortlessly putting itself out of reach of its solar chasers by sitting among dense branches where no pony could fit in.

Looking up at the monkey, Red swore loudly: “Damnit, now we’re just back to where we were a few minutes ago”

“Uhm… I don’t think so” Speaker said, looking a little confused as he peeked back at the other peach tree. That one and the one they were at now looked oddly identical… and Speaker didn’t remember there being any peach tree on this meadow when he had looked at it earlier… and the tree had slightly pink-tinted leaves… and now it was ensaring the monkey in its branches… and now it was cocooning it in iridescent silvery spider web.