Carmino

Joe's weight on Oza's shoulders seemed heavier then it should, the wingless dragon thought. They were trying to find a back street route to the train station they entered the city in. It seemed so far away, the buildings and crowds merged into one grey, loud  blur. They tried their best to keep out of the view of police and when Pegasus or Griffons flew over head they his Joe behind the nearest dumpster. Some time had passed and the street lights lit up the cold, empty alleys. Joe blinked out of his dreamless, rather painful sleep.

"Hey, dragon...your shoulder is jabbin' into mah ribs."

Oza let him down on the rough pavement. The mule flinched slightly, his limbs still battered and bruised. Dew looked at the mule with critical eyes, Pea din't even look at him. She seemed to be absorbed at a street lamp across the street.

"Why did you three get me out of there?" the mule asked," I told you not to. The mob is after me.. they'll kill you if they see you with me. I'll just hide out here, go on ad leave the city without me."

Dew mustered a smile,"Were doing something that these two did for me," she gestured Pea and Oza," Helping you when you need it the most."

Oza smiled a big toothy grin, Pea kept her face from the others. Joe sighed heavily," You two really don't know do you?" Dew and Oza looked at him puzzled," You don't know what happened..."

"That's not important," Pea called over her shoulder," What matters right now is getting out of this god forsaken town."

"That's good and all," Joe chuckled," But i'm kind torn up at teh moment...My legs can barely stand on their own and I'll weigh Oza down if he carries me."

The dragon promptly spat on his hands and rubbed them together. He had the crew's bags under the mule and put them to the side, pulling a flask out of one. He dripped some of the dark liquid in his mouth and it made acidic hisses when it landed in his mouth.  Joe blinked in confusion as he sat while Oza put his cyan saliva on the whip lashes on the mule's wide back and and other lacerations. Oza then snapped his fingers and the cuts shrank into oblivion, Oza then puffed out a small green fire ball that hung in the air like a ghostly balloon. Joe winced as split into four smaller ones that floated to his battered legs. They now looked as good as new. The mule couldn't help but laugh, he looked at Oza with a beaming smile;

"Oza a coral dragon, they good healers. Oza really good though."

"Thanks dragon," Joe said," you really didn't need to do all that though," he now looked crestfallen," You should just leave me here in the ally now."

Dew glared at the mule. He noticed her stare when she moved closer to him. She raised her brows cynically,"That's the thanks we get? Oza here got you out of that pit, and patched you up and you don't even want to repay the favor?"

Joe looked to other things as he spoke," Trust me sweetie, It's best you leave be....I'm only trouble."

"What's your deal," Dew asked harshly," What the hell did you do that would be trouble for us?"

Joe slouched his shoulders and kept his eyes to the ground. His lips moved but no words came out. Dew tapped her hoof impatiently.

"If I could...just..." Joe choked," Just talk to Amber and her boy...apologize...I know they won't forgive me but," His shoulders quivered from the sobs he was holding back. Dew's face showed that she, or Oza had no idea about what the mule was talking about.

"Who's Amber?" Dew asked quietly. The mule's answer was an unexpected explosion.

"I CAN'T STAND IT!" he shouted," Every night since their faces have haunted me, I can't sleep. Even looking at  Pea...Amber looked...well...like her in a way..."

"I bet we can find them," Pea said reassuringly from her spot," but you'd have to come with us if you want to find them."

Dew had been seething through out Joe's refusal to leave. Her deep blue eyes shown out venomously, as she lurched up on towards Joe.

"No! I've had it with your stupid pride, Joe!" She held her face inches away from His,"If you wan't to go apologize so damn badly..then get off your ass and DO IT!"

"Its not that simple..."

"Is that all? Are you going to do something or do I need to get physical for some reaction from you?"

"Hit me, I'm no good for anything else."

Dew clenched her teeth in rage as she stood face to face with Joe. Oza spoke up;

"What Joe do to make Dew so very, very angry?"

"What did he do?" Dew mocked,"He's a dumb ass mule that won't repay a favor! You saw that he can fight and isn't afraid to take a bullet yet when the Mob is involved, he runs off like a pussy! These Borgota guys after him are the real deal and he's not doing anything to stop them! These guys are complete bastards, they kill for the highest bidder and whoever they don't murder...get sold off... "

"Miss Dew," Joe said, "If your so angry at me take it out on me, don't hold back. Its all I can really do to help."

Dew stood shivering with rage. She raised a hoof to smack Joe and as she did she saw a hopeless look in Joe's eyes. He seemed careless, fearless but didn't have the look of a killer. They seemed more like a victim's eyes. Dew shut her eyes and swung her extended hoof at Joe's head. It seemed to absorb Dew's strike much to her dismay. She opened her eyes again and looked at Joe. His nose had a trickle of blood coming out of one nostril, but Joe smiled.

"You happy now?"

Dew now seemed depressed, and slumped to the pavement. She sighed,"No...no I'm not."

Oza stood up, Pea and Joe looked up at him. He brushed himself off before he spoke;

"So what do us do now? Is we fighting or is we friends...Dew?"

Dew sat solemnly on the ground. Oza sighed as he reached over for Pea and drug Dew closer. He picked up one mare in each arm and looked at Joe.

"Were leaving now, Oza had enough of city for long, long time," He looked at his bags then back to Joe,"Could Joe carry bags?"

Joe smiled weakly as he rose to his hooves. He hoisted the bags on his back,"Sure Oza, I'll carry you too if you want."

"Eeeeh...no."

Oza lead the crew out of the ally and onto the street. He looked around the barely lit space. Dew gave a melancholy sigh, Pea rolled her eyes and looked up at Oza.

"So how we getting out of town from here? Those cops are gonna be prowling the streets."

The dragon smacked his forehead,"This way!" he smiled like a light light up in his head. He clenched his eyes shut while the others looked at him with more confused glances. The dragon never failed to impress...and leave you confused.

"Hey dragon, just where is 'this way' yer talkin about...I think the fuzz is gonna be here any second-"

"HEY YOU!" a voice called with a shining light in their direction," STOP, YOUR UNDER ARREST!"

Suddenly Oza wrapped his tail over Joe's shoulders and before any of the equines knew what happened the vanished from the street. It took several moments for them to readjust. Partly because where they were was so much darker then the city street. Oza let the mare's down to walk again.

"Wooah," gasped Pea," We teleported didn't we? I always feel woozy when we do this!"

Dew suddenly squealed. Pea's ears shot up,"Dew, you alright?"

"Yeah," she said,"I just tripped over something...it feels like metal..."

The mare's eyes had finally adjusted to  darkness and they could see the train tracks the found almost a week before. It was almost pitch dark and they could barely see low clouds on the western horizon. The sky was full of dazzling stars, the mares gasped as did Joe. Oza stretched his arms and yawned.

"Hey dragon," Joe said," How the hell we get out here?"

Oza shrugged," This dragon knows some magic...Joe feels woozy?"

"Come to think, yeah I do got a bit of a headache..."

"Oza want's to know if mares sleepy," the two mares nodded," aright, here we go."

He cradled one in each arm. Pea remembered which way they were going to go before they left to Big Apple. Oza walked in the designated direction and motioned Joe to follow. The mule wobbled over and stayed to an even pace with the dragon. They walked for awhile and the two mares fell asleep soundly in Oza's arms.

"Joe?" Oza asked.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Oza wants to know...what makes you so sad?"

The mule was quiet for a moment," Well, lets just say I've done some bad things in the past..."

"So has Oza."

"What? Like what kind of things?"

"Don't worry," Oza ignored cheerfully," You be happy soon. Oza promise."

"Thanks..." Joe's voice trailed off. He finally saw Oza's back and gears turned in his thick skull.

"Aren't dragons supposed to have wings?"

"Yes...why Joe ask?"

"Well...you don't have any," He yawned," What happened to 'em?"

"Oza not remember...something bad..."

Joe was half asleep and his slowing pace showed it. Oza was walking by himself until he looked behind and saw Joe sleep-standing. Oza rolled his eyes and used a levitation spell on Joe who now floated like a big ballon behind Oza. The dragon followed Pea's path for a long time and his mind was blazing as it usually was when he was alone.

"Something...bad..." he repeated to himself.

Even though Oza knew they had a lot of ground to cover he didn't feel like walking. When he was alone his mind went to dark corners that are usually closed off. He shook off the sinking feeling griping his chest. He wanted to remember what it was and yet...he didn't. A long, drawn out hour passed and Oza drifted into a kind of dreamless sleep-walk.

Joe woke up slowly, the morning sun blared across the plain. There were small grass covered hills scattered on the wide space the travelers were in. Joe smile as he gazed sleepily at the spectacle. He rolled over and spun mid air. He was floating!

Joe let out a panicked shout and that woke up Oza. The dragon tripped in the grass from surprise and dropped the mares. He summersaulted over their heads and rolled off in the grass as Joe flopped to the ground. Dew groaned grumpily and Pea shot straight up like a panicked rabbit. She saw Oza and Joe rubbing their heads and she laughed. Oza began to as well and then Joe. Dew chucked and then she saw Joe. She quickly looked to Pea who was still giggling. She lounged in the tall green grass. Oza Rolled through it over to the mares, Joe however kept his distance from them. Pea sighed happily and gazed at the morning  sky. She gasped suddenly.

"Hey Dew," she chirped," we don't have to wear all this extra clothing like we did in the city!" She threw off her poncho and sighed with relief,"Ah, much better!"

Dew was about to until she got a glimpse of the mule and she squeaked with embarrassment. Joe's face was covered with a shocked blush at Pea wearing nothing but a vest, leaving her flanks and legs bare. Dew kept her poncho on and made sure her flanks weren't exposed.  Joe coughed lightly and Pea turned to look at him.

"Yes, Joe, what is it?"

"Er...are you um...sure you wanna walk around..." His voice trailed off.

"Go on Joe, I'm listening."

"Well...to be frank...your kinda um...naked Ms.Gravel..."

"Oh Joe. I'm not naked silly!" she gestured to her vest," I'm wearing this!"

"Ahhh...I-If you say so..."

Dew flicked her hair and huffed," Alright mule, YOU are walking in the front. I don't want any funny business going on just because you like to be at the rear."

Oza helped Joe gather up their bags and Pea took out their map to make sure they were on course. Dew had a scowl whenever the mule was nearby. Pea sighed and went on ahead to lead the right way. Dew rushed ahead and stopped her. Pea was about to protest but Dew motioned Joe to go in front. They went on in their destination's direction, enchanted by the beautiful morning sunrise.

"So Ms.Gravel," Joe called back," Were exactly are we going?"

"Were going to some old library Dew here pointed out, its not tooooo far now."

"Ah, so tell me Dew," Joe called back again,"  Whats in the library?"

"Some books," Dew said bluntly.

"Well I know that!" Joe chuckled," Which ones are you three after?"

"Oza knows!" the dragon blurted," more map books! Pea needs one to find Carmino and Ponyville!"

"Ponyville eh? Sounds like a funny place..."

"You really are dense," Dew sneered.

"Dew!" Pea cried," What is your deal?"

"We may need that...jerk up there, but I still don't like him!"

Joe laughed and the red mare scowled.

"So whats a Carmino?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Pea chuckled," What I do know is that I need to go to Ponyville to find it, thats where my dad told me to find it."

"So hows your old man, he must miss you. You going out in the world and such..."

Pea was silent for a few moments. Joe turned his head back to see her. To his surprise her face looked like a emotionless, solid slab of stone. He stopped and she almost bumped into him.

"Oh, I'm sorry Joe..." she whispered sadly," I-I wasn't looking at where I was going..."

"Was it something I said?" Joe said softly.

Pea looked up at him hopelessly," Don't worry about it Joe...its nothing to worry about..."

"He ran out on you, didn't he?" Joe implied rather sternly.

"No...he's dead...I d-don't really want to talk about it..."

"Sorry mam," Joe's sternness withered," I didn't know...you seem tired,would you like it if I carried you?"

"That'd be nice, thank you Joe," Pea's lips curled back into a smile.

Joe helped her onto her back and began walking again. She had made a small bed for herself between the packs on Joe's back. Dew looked at the two with disgust. Oza flicked her ear, much to the mare's surprise.

"Oza! what was that for?"

"Sorry, Oza thought he saw fly on Dew's ear..."

They walked most of the day and rested on a hill top for a meal. Since they were in an area with absolutely no trees nearby to make fire wood, Oza pulled a round brown orb with small vents out of his pack. He rarely ever used it. Pea had seen it a few times before they met Dew and it hadn't been used since. Oza put the round object in a small hole he dug in the ground as a makeshift fire-pit. He breathed a blue flame into one of the vents and slow tongues of blue flame crept out. They slowly became a small fire that was bright for it's size. Joe was amazed by Oza's magic trinket and watched the device do it's simple job.

Dew sat further away from their campfire than usual and would poke her food. Joe and Oza sat next to each other each listening to what the other had to say. Pea looked over her shoulder of and on again to check on Dew who sat at the edge fire's light, sulking. Pea looked at the sky as the sun began to set. She went looked over the big map again looking at the island far away from her own. She rested  her head on a hoof as she gazed at all of them, they looked like scattered pieces of a global jig saw puzzle. She was so enveloped in thinking how they would all fit together, when Dew sat beside her she almost jumped out of her skin.

"Dew!" she whispered loudly," Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry Pea," Dew said almost enveloped in her Poncho," I-I couldn't stay out there, its getting so cold!"

"Oh, yeah...Its getting pretty chilly, lets get closer to the fire."

The two mares crept next to the other two of their party, Pea held out the map in front Oza with glee.

"Look, look, look Oza!" she giggled," Did you notice that all of the island fit together like a puzzle?"

"Oh! Pea is right, the island's edges look like they were one big thing at one point..."

"Holy smokes," Joe breathed," I never really thought 'bout the whole world...that's what it looks like?"

The crew sat together next to the fire and chatted about why the islands look like that, what caused it, what the big thing looked like before. The crew, for the first restful and relaxing night in a long time, almost a life time for some. They all drifted to sleep in a snuggled mound, smiling contently with the crackling fire beside them. They didn't see however, the manny pares of yellow and green eyes watching hungrily from the dark distance...

TO BE CONTINUED...