Fact or Fiction

Chapters

1) What Happened? Hunker down kid, this'll be a long one... (part 1)
1) What Happened? Hunker down kid, this'll be a long one (part 2)
2) Strangers in Paradise (part 1)
2) Strangers in Paradise (part 2)
3) A Book called 'Forces' (part 1)
3) A Book Called Forces (part 2)
4) This isn't what I Wanted (part 1)
4) This isn't What I Wanted (part 2)
5) How Did I Get Caught Up With You? (part 1)
5) How Did I Get Caught Up With You (part 2)
6) Departing is Such Sour Joy
7) Row, Row your Boat...
8) Happy Campers
9) On another note: Tuff's School Life and Equestria Now
10) The Hellion is Back!
11) Six Weeks in (part 1)
12) Six Weeks in (part 2)
13) Control Yourself (part 1)
13) Control Yourself (part 2)
14) Hello, Dew Berry
15) Hearth's Warming Eve
16) One More for the Road
17) Winter's First Bite
18) Captured!
19) Red on Rainbow
20) When Lightning Hits the Ground...
21) Into The Holy City
22) Dinner with the Prophet
23) Break Down
24) Inside a Haunted Forest...
25) What makes a Red Cloak?
26) A Job Well Done
27) Princess' Night
28) Blood Sickness
29) Broken Chains
30) Back on Track
31) Bloody Friday
32)Hail to the Chief of Police
A Crappy Mistake
A Ray of Hope
Planning An Assault
Starting a journey
Rainbow in the Sky
Rainbow in the clouds

1) What Happened? Hunker down kid, this'll be a long one... (part 1)

1) What Happned? Hunker down kid, this'll be a long one...

Even though a warm spring breeze blew through the trees, Pea Gravel kept wrapped in a ruddy wool blanket. Pea was a mare with grey fur and a short orange mane. Her muzzle was peach colored and the rest of her face had a few freckles. The Equestrian moon glowed like a silver eye over the quiet forest and the small campfire where two ponies lay under the dull green canopy. The other pony with Pea was a young colt, nearing ten years old now. She thought back to how he looked the first day she saw him as a newborn. She looked across the low crackling flames to see him snuggled in a blanket similar to her.

"Auntie G?" his chirpy voice called out softly in the night air. Pea was rather surprised to find out he was awake.

"Yes sugar cube, you need something?" Pea asked, only her head could be seen out from her blanket.

The colt stuck his head out from under his. His fur was such a deep red it was almost purple. His blue eyes and hair shown out in the fire light,"I don't know if I need something or not...I'm just having trouble sleeping," He lay his head on the grass,"I...I had that dream again."

"Aww, come here Tuff," The mare said.

Obediently, the colt drug the blanket with his teeth over to Pea. Tuff shimmied around their stocky saddle bags and made sure his blanket didn't get to close to the fire. He sat next to her and put the wool blanket over his slim shoulders. She looked up at him with a sleepy expression,"What, ya not laying down? You know my stories take awhile to finish."

"Actually, I was wondering...Auntie..."The colt seemed to be holding something back.

"Well, spit it out. If you take any longer I'll fall asleep," Pea yawned.

"I-I...don't know how to ask this..." Tuff turned his muzzle to the ground.

Pea sat up. The wool blanket slid off her back and fire light glistened off her one tear shaped hoop ring in her ear. What made Tuff a bit more nervous were the mare's mechanical fore arms. She turned toward him and put one of her metal arms over his shoulder. The ends of her cybernetic arms could be considered hooves, but instead there was three stubby fingers. Tuff kept his eyes on the ground.

"Now you listen here Tuff Boulder, you can ask me anything. It's not like you're gonna ask me where babies come from...right?"

Tuff was quiet for a moment,"What...what happened that made you loose your legs?" He had a worried look on his youthful face.

Pea made a wry grin and pulled him closer to her,"Which ones? The front or the back legs?" The mare asked as she rubbed her steel knuckles in his hair.

"Auntie, I'm being serious!" Tuff complained while in a playful headlock,"What happened to you?"

The mare released her grip and sighed,"It's a terrible secret," she rose her arms slowly in the fire light with a wild look,"I sold them to the Devil! Ha ha ha, now I can kick anypony's ass!" She laughed dramatically.

"Come on, that can't be it," The colt said. Pea's face pouted in response. "Did you lose them in a fight?" Tuff pried. Pea groaned and stuffed her face into her blanket for a moment.

"Do you want me to tell a story or not?" Pea folded her artificial arms and pouted.

"How about a story on how you lost your legs?" Tuff grinned.

"No damn it! Your such a pain when your persistent!" Pea said as she punched Tuff's shoulder.

"Ouch! Why'd you hit me?" The colt complained.

"That was a love tap and you know it," Pea snickered.

"Stop playing with me and tell me already!" The colt nearly shouted.

Pea's smile faded. She began to look into the fire with a vacant, statue-like expression. The mare flexed the finger-like ends of her forearm, each making metallic whirrs as the metal replaced what flesh had done before. Then tears built up on the mare's face, Tuff almost regretted asking. She kept her gaze at the fire and flexed her fingers in and out of a fist.

"You asked if I lost them in a fight? Well, that part is true...sad but true," A few tears rolled down her face but her expression remained neutral," The worst part though...the worst part is that I thought I could've won. I had it in my head that I could've conquered anything," she raised a metallic hand close to her face,"Look how that turned out."

"So...so you lost?" Tuff asked quietly.

"In a way, yes and no. I lost my legs, but...actually no. Nothing good came from it...damn."

Tuff leaned over and hugged Pea. She had been taken completely by surprise and it took her a few moments to pull back into reality. The colt hugged her tight and she patted the top of his head lightly.

"It's late Tuff, you should try and get to bed," Pea sighed.

"I'll sleep here," Tuff smiled. He still held on tight with his childish forearms.

"Fine," The mare stifled a laugh as she wiped the tears from her face,"But loosen your grip eh? Your gonna break my ribs!"

A few minutes passed and Pea heard the small sound of Tuff snoring. She looked down at the colt and tucked his blanket around him. She lay the sleeping colt next to her and she stood up to get more firewood. The forest was dark and the brush was unforgiving. Eventually she found a dead tree that had jutting branches. One that was especially good fuel seemed to taunt her. She clamped her cybernetic hand onto it and twisted violently. It splintered where she grabbed and the rest landed heavily down onto the leaf covered ground. She bit onto a part of it and carried it back to the fire.

There she broke the branch into several small pieces and placed a few onto the fire. Once done billowing it into a cracking miniature pyre she pulled her blanket back over her and lay next to Tuff. She lay awake with her eyes shut tight for awhile. Her mind swam around faces of her past, some good while others made her skin crawl. Pea couldn't stand how her mind was so active, so she reached into her nearby pack and rummaged through it. She pulled out a glass jar with a cork top and an old yellowed paper label. The words, though worn down, read; JADE CACTUS FRUIT.

Pea opened it and popped one of the kiwi looking fruits into her mouth. As she closed the bottle and put it back into her pack, it's effects were already kicking in. Her vision blurred and her senses numbed. Her once overactive mind now slowed comfortingly into an angelic swirl of color behind her eyelids. She lay back onto the ground and passed out happily in moments.

Pea woke up to Tuff putting dirt over the embers of the campfire, not to mention his blanket already rolled and strapped onto his saddle bag. The morning sun shown through the trees above and the mare rubbed her eyes. She yawned while Tuff took her blanket and began rolling it up. She looked at him with a sleepy but proud smile. While he strapped her blanket to her pack, Pea grabbed a vest from the same pocket her cactus fruit was in. She held it out and looked at it's worn edges, thick stitching from skirmishes passed on, and the mismatched buttons. Only a handful of the original brass buttons were still on the brown vest. She slipped one mechanical arm in then another, the fact that it was authentic leather didn't seem to bother her these days.

"That's my boy. All ready to go before breakfast," The mare yawed again,"Speaking of breakfast, I'm gonna eat one of these granola bars, you want cinnamon or...apple with cinnamon?"

"I already ate Auntie, thanks anyway."

"Huh, more for me I guess," She stuffed one into her mouth,"So you ready for a walk?" Pea said with a mouthful of granola.

"Yep, so where are we headed?" Tuff asked as his aunt munched away.

"Were gonna go...ummm that way. North East."

Tuff hopped on his hooves, ready to go. Pea was still chewing while the carbon tendons in her limbs pulled and pushed as she stood up. She hoisted the larger of the saddle bags onto her back and began walking through the trees. The two earth ponies were walking through the forest for some time until a knobby looking tree with only two windows and horse head masks outside. Tuff had a skeptical look but Pea put on a smug smile and trotted to the door.

"Wait, what if somepony dangerous lives there?" Tuff whispered loudly.

"Pffft, what? You think there's gonna be some Voodoo Magic pony in there that'll curse us? Come on Tuff, your Auntie has seen enough to handle some woodland hermit," She said as she neared the door. She knocked loudly on it several times.

"Who is making that noise?" A feminine vice called from inside the tree,"Are you a soap sales pony or some pesky boys?"

Pea looked back at Tuff with squinting eyes of confusion,"Did...did she just rhyme?"

Suddenly the door opened and a zebra stood in the doorway,"Yes, and I do all the time."

"Ahhh, hey there," Pea said,"Me and my nephew are on our way somewhere and I was wondering if you could give us some directions?"

"Of course! Now where are you trying to get to, horse?" The Zebra smiled.

"Y-you're gonna just keep talking like that...aren't you?" Tuff said. Pea just now noticed how close he had followed her to the stranger's door.

"The only places near by this forest of green, are Ponyville, Sweet Apple Acres and Canterlot, the home of the princess so keen."

"Ponyville, you said Ponyville?" Pea asked intently.

"Yes I did, is that where you are trying to get to with this kid?" the zebra asked back.

"That's exactly where I'm trying to get to, can you tell me the way? Please?" Pea leaned toward the zebra, who in turn leaned back.

"It's down the lane," the zebra pointed to a path beaten through the brush,"But first, can I learn this stranger's name?"

"It's Pea Gravel, and this is Tuff Bolder. Thanks so much, but we should get going," Pea said as she went for the path,"Thanks again!"

The zebra waved with a puzzled expression. Her eyes widened when she saw that Pea had no natural legs,"Here legs are made of metal? I hope by Celestia she doesn't work for the Devil..."

Pea trotted at an energetic pace through the overhanging foliage while Tuff had trouble just keeping up behind her. As they sped through the forest path Tuff began slowing down and wheezing. Pea stopped, rolled her eyes and lifted the colt onto her back. Pack and all. She tried to keep branches from smacking into her and Tuff while she advanced. A bright light shown through the trees and Pea's heart lit up. She began sprinting towards the edge of the forest and burst out of the wood's borders with a flutter of leaves following her.

The sight of the valley almost overwhelmed the traveler. Her knees buckled slightly as she walked through the lush green field. The blue sky yawned above and clouds with visible swirls floated in loose patterns. Tuff jumped off the mare and gasped as he touched the ground.

"The grass! It's the softest thing I've ever felt!" He giggled as he rolled around in it.

Pea leaned down and bit some of it. Her senses tingled at how sweet it tasted, she chomped down on more of it while Tuff rolled around giggling. Pea stopped stuffing her face when her nose hit the dark brown dirt. She rose her head up and saw the sloping Equestrian mountains in the distance, and a cluster of rooftops with a very shiny house beyond them. She motioned Tuff to follow and the two advanced for the pony town. Once details of the outlying houses could be seen, Pea lowered onto the grass.

Tuff cocked his head to the side,"Aren't you gonna go in?"

"I can't," Pea sighed,"I'm afraid that they'll be too scared of me."

"Why's that...oh," Tuff's voice trailed off when Pea rested her chin on her metallic forearm. The colt shifted his weight around nervously,"So you want me to go in there...alone?"

"Sugar cube, It's probably the safest places on the planet. I need you find a dry place for us to stay awhile. Ask for a hotel room or something if you have to. Say your getting a room for a few nights and leave the window open," Tuff's lip quivered. Pea smiled reassuringly and rustled his mane,"You'll be fine. Oh, and don't fight anypony okay? Even if some of them may pick on you, don't fight'em."

"Why not? Fighting is how you fix problems."

"Well, not this time okay? Anypony who would be mean around here is just a crabby old geezer, some up-tight brat or a dumb bully. You don't need to fight those kind of ponies."

"Okay. Get a place to sleep, leave the window open and no fighting. Got it," Tuff listed off with glee. He scooted closer and hugged his aunt,"Love you, Auntie G!"

"Aww! love you too, Tuff," Pea said. She kissed his forehead and he trotted off. Every few feet he would look back and wave. She'd wave back with a proud smile, even tough Tuff couldn't see it. After he was out of sight Pea grabbed another Jade Cactus fruit and slept the wait away.

Tuff trotted through the street and looked with wonder at the clean buildings and lovely ponies. Their smiles seemed contagious in the early noon sun. Near a fence, the sight of five fillies caught his attention. Two of them seemed to be picking on the other three. The colt's curiosity took the better of him and he moved over into earshot.

"Looks like the Blank Flanks aren't going to make it to the festival. Even though anypony who's important is going to be there!" said one of the bullies. She flicked her silver braid.

"It ain't our fault!" a yellow filly said to the bullies,"Rarity has got a cold so she can't make us dresses."

"Then why don't you make your own...oh that's right!" The pink bully said,"You cant make your own and you're too poor buy them yourself!" the bully mocked.

Tuff had heard enough, he trotted over to the group of girls and sat in the gap between them. All five stared at him with looks of bewilderment. He turned his body toward the pair of bullies and looked at them with his big blue eyes.

"Why are you making fun of these fillies?" she asked flatly.

"What are you doing?" the bullies cried in unison. The pink one walked toward Tuff with a smug smile,"I've never seen you before...are you Chicken's new colt-friend or something?"

"Nope, I don't know any of you. But I know an asshole when I see one," Tuff folded his forearms. The trio of fillies began snickering.

"H-how dare you?!" The pink filly asked aghast," How can you talk to a lady like that?!"

"I've seen ladies, you seem like a whiny brat," the colt stuck out his tongue.

"Do you know who I am?!" the filly screamed,"Do you know the ponies who answer my beck and call!?"

"Don't know, don't care."

The pink filly fumed. Her face turned a lovely shade of angry red as she stamped around. Tuff smiled at the sight of her tantrum. She stamped off down the road and Tuff stood back up. He looked at the trio of fillies with a warm smile.

"Morning girls, my name is Tuff. Tuff Bolder, if you want to write it down."

"Tough is right," the yellow filly said,"Nopony back talks Diamond Tiara but that was-"

"That was awesome!" the orange filly blurted,"What is a colt like you doing here?"

"I'm looking for a place to sleep," Tuff said as he brushed himself off,"What are you three doing?"

The unicorn filly answered for the group," We're working on our Dragon Repellent Cutie Marks."

Tuff looked around at the sky and the streets with admiration,"You're doing a very good job at it. I haven't seen a single dragon here."

He shifted his saddle bags and waved good bye to the fillies. He only walked a few feet before they caught up to him, he rolled his eyes playfully as they trotted beside him.

"Why are looking for a place to crash?" The orange filly asked,"Are you from out of town or something?"

"Yeah, yeah we are from out of town," Tuff said thoughtfully.

"How far out of town?" The unicorn filly asked.

"Have any of you been to the ocean?" Tuff asked the trio.

"Not me," the yellow one said,"My sister has been to Applewood...that's close to it isn't it?"

"I...guess," Tuff nodded,"Say, what are your names? You know mine."

The fillies lined up with bright eyes. Blocking his path, they looked like they were about to recite something.

"Sweetiebell..." the unicorn announced.

"Scootaloo..." the orange filly spread her tiny wings.

"Apple Bloom..." the yellow filly stood proudly.

"...And we're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" they shouted in unison.

"Huh...neat," Tuff said.

The colt began walking again. They looked to each other then followed him again. Apple Bloom offered her barn as a place to stay, but she had to ask her family first. She told him that Sweet Apple Acres wasn't so hard to find and would show him the way if he got lost. Tuff happily agreed and said he would be just outside of town by the forest if they needed to talk to him. The three fillies scampered off to find the earth pony Applejack. Tuff watched them run down the road and felt odd. He was used to strangers being scornful or at least indifferent to him and Pea, but he felt as if his presence here was noticed...maybe even appreciated?

Meanwhile, Pea lay in the soft grass blissfully unconscious. In the air, a brown pegasus with a black and grey mane flew towards the town. She wouldn't have paid attention to the grey dot of a pony in the grass below but the glint of metal in the sunlight made her curious. She made sure the saddle bags full of books didn't spill out in her decent. The pegasus landed near by the mysterious mare and her reaction was similar to the zebra's at the sight of Pea's cyber legs.

"Uhh...excuse me," She said politely,"I'm here for the Literature Festival and..." Her voice trailed off while the cyber mare snored.

The pegasus blinked her ruby red eyes in thought of how to wake the stranger up. If anything she needed to know why somepony like her would be in Equestria at all. She picked the most expendable book in her bag and tossed it lightly at the mare, it landed oddly heavily on the stranger's head. The pegasus was answered with an annoyed groan.

"Wha...a cook book? Where the hell did that-" The grey mare's eyes met the book carrying mare,"Why in God's name did you throw a book at me, I was taking a nap!"

"I-I'm sorry," the pegasus said as she moved closer to Pea,"I was flying over head and you just...stood out and I had to see what or who you were. My name's A.K Yearling, and you?"

"Me? My names Pea Gravel. Here's your book back," Pea said handing the cookbook back to Yearling,"So what stood out about me, eh?"

"Oh...n-nothing, it's just that I'm not used to seeing mares just laying out in the field..."

"Uh huh," Pea snorted while folding her arms,"Let me guess, by all those books ya got there you either really like reading or you really, really like writing." The pegasus seemed a bit nervous of Pea's critical glare.

"Yes, I'm a writer," Yearling said, now happy the subject changed,"The books series of mine, Daring Do, is quite popular in this part of Equestria. Perhaps you heard of them?"

"You know, I'd love to be able to just sit and read for hours at a time. But books take up space and I'm never in one place for long. You understand don't you?" Pea said twiddling her metal fingers.

"I understand," The tanned mare nodded,"I'm here for a Literature Festival in town, is that what you're here for?"

"I could...is there gonna be free food?" Pea grinned as she stood up.

"I'm pretty sure there's going to be a buffet. I take it your hungry?"

"Damn right," the grey mare said with vigor.

"Well, there's a certain pegasus in town whom I'm planning on staying with. She's a big fan of my books you see."

"Oh, 'she' huh?" Pea made a wry smile,"So you swing more to left field, if ya catch my drift?"

"No, no," The writer blushed slightly,"I'm not interested in mares, she's just a friend!"

Pea shrugged,"That's what they all say. So will I see you later or what?"

Yearling was taken back by this,"Who, me? Where, I'll be at the party later if that's what your asking."

"Alright, that'll help me when I walk in town,"Pea waved her hand like a fan,"With such a popular mare to talk to, nopony will think I'm dangerous."

The pegasus became quiet for a moment. Her ruby eyes now seeing Pea in a different light,"Should anypony think your dangerous, Pea Gravel? If that is your real name."

The cyber mare examined her metal fingers very intently,"Only if they give me a reason. Besides, there's a festival soon. We should be in a happy mood, right?" Pea said with a sweet smile to Yearling.

"You're a piece of work Ms. Gravel," Yearling smiled nervously.

"Eh, that's one among many things I've been called. You put it rather sweet," Pea crinkled her nose.

The pegasus nodded and said good bye rather quickly. She took off into the air and flew into town. Pea wondered if the writer would cause a racket over Pea's presence. She shrugged it off and lay back in the grass.

As noon sun Pea had fallen asleep to was now beginning to set, she woke to a more recognizable pony. Tuff poked Pea's side and she tried to block it but he kept moving around. She threw her self into a sitting position and scowled at the colt.

"Alright, alright! I'm awake," She softened her expression,"So, what did ya get?"

The colt held out a shiny green apple,"Here, they're really tasty!"

Pea eyed Tuff with a maternal glare. She grabbed the apple and examined it,"Don't tell me you stole it, did you?"

"Go on eat it, I already ate one," Tuff smiled.

Pea munched on the green apple and tried to hide how much she liked it,"Damn it Tuff, you can't keep stealing food when we go into towns. It's gonna get you into trouble sooner then later."

"Sorry Auntie-" Tuff sighed and was smacked upside the head.

"You admitted it too? Tuff, tell me you at least found a dry place for us to sleep." Pea stuffed the remainder of the apple in her mouth.

"I did, a little filly named Apple Bloom said she was gonna ask her sister Applejack if we could stay in the barn."

" 'Jack'? Why is 'Jack' in a girl's name?" Pea scratched the back of her head,"Oh well, a barn you say? It's probably old and leaky...with my luck the straw would be full of nails."

"Aw come on," Tuff groaned,"You're one of the luckiest ponies I know."

"I'm one of the only ponies you know," Pea corrected with a huff.

"She said she'd be here later," Tuff said as he scanned the town and the field," She had a unicorn and a pegasus with her...they seemed to be real good friends."

"I saw a pegasus too," Pea recalled,"I guess they are in bunches around here, eh?"

"Ehhh...I guess so," the colt said flatly.

"You're a bit young to be full of teen angst," Pea scowled.

Suddenly Tuff's eyes lit up. He jumped and pointed to a hill near the town,"I see them! Look, look Auntie!"

The mare strained her eyes to see the three fillies. Sure enough, there they were, and a mare with a wide hat. Pea stood up and followed Tuff who was already trotting over. She didn't have to wait long to meet the natives. Tuff already ran ahead and joined up with the fillies, who bounced around like they did. Pea saw the orange mare with a cowpony hat and wanted to be as friendly as possible.

"Kids, I don't know where they get all that energy," Pea said. She extended a mechanical hand to shake,"Hi, my name's Pea Gravel."

"Howdy," Applejack said slowly. She didn't raise a hoof but kept standing,"Ah've never seen you or your boy here before."

"Oh, no he's not mine. He's my...sister's kid," Pea grinned while Applejack scowled,"So my nephew told me that you were considering us staying at your barn?"

"Him maybe...but I dunno 'bout you," The cowpony eyed Pea's legs,"Ah've never seen a mare like you before."

"I'm not a threat, if that's what your wondering."

"Mmhm, sure ya are. Ah'll let yall sleep in the barn...for now. You don't seem like too much trouble."

"Thank you!" Pea sighed happily,"Applejack is it?"

"That's me, Miss Gravel. Ah don't know how Big Mac is gonna act when he sees ya though."

Pea waited for Applejack to turn around before sticking out her tongue. She followed the mare and Tuff ran in random direction with the Crusaders as the walked to Sweet Apple Acres. As the town grew further away, the barn and a farmhouse ahead grew closer. It was the nicest farm the outsider ponies had ever seen. They were used to rundown wood barns with stone walls to rebuild on when they burned down, this one though. It was painted bright red like the apples in the orchard next to it. The cowpony lead them toward the barn's door but stopped in front of it.

"Now I'm gonna let you two in on the rules. Ah don't want yall messin' with things that don't belong to you, inside or outside the barn. Dinner's at seven if yer interested and lights out at nine. If ya need anythin' just ask an Apple that lives here."

Tuff eyed the orchard,"Does fruit talk here?"

"Naw, kid," Applejack groaned,"Ah meant one of the ponies livin' here. There's Granny Smith, Big Mac, Apple Bloom and I. If ya'll didn't notice we're very enthusiastic about apples," The orange mare said as she opened the barn door.

Tuff went inside and examined the hay within the pristine barn while Pea stayed outside to chat with Applejack.

"So tell me, Applejack,"Pea said as she leaned against the wall,"Are you the landlord of this place? It's such a beautiful plantation," The orange mare gave her an annoyed glare. Pea continued,"You're not a slave here are you?"

"Ah don't know what you're yammerin' about. 'Landlord'? 'Plantation'? 'Slave'? This here is a farm. A normal, everyday, pony owned farm," She started walking to the bright red farm house,"Plantation my flank! What the hay is wrong with that mare?"

Pea took a deep breath and went into the barn. The dieing light from the sun left a warm glow to the inside of the barn. Inside there were crates, barrels, and stacks of fresh hay. Next to a stack of crates with apples painted on them she found Tuff laying his blanket out in a little cave he dug into a straw pile. He hopped over to his aunt.

"I checked Auntie G, no nails!" the colt smiled.

"Thanks sugar cube! Say, did you hear what the mare in the cowpony hat said?" Pea asked the colt. She moved over to the hay and slipped her pack off her shoulders.

"Applejack? No, what did she say," the colt asked.

"She said this wasn't a plantation or anything. This is a farm, an every day normal farm. Can you believe it?" The mare awed as she lay in the straw.

"Really? It's so clean and...and nice," Tuff said looking up at the apple labeled crates,"How can a pony put so much effort into her farm? Aren't they afraid that something may come by and break it or steal all those apples?"

Pea sighed happily,"You know, I don't think ponies have to worry about that here...I hope to god it's like that. It'd be a shame if someone raided a place like this."

Tuff lay in his cave near Pea,"I hope so too, everypony is so nice here. I even met some bullies in town but they weren't after money or trying to beat somepony else up, they were just being mean to some fillies. Calling them poor or something like that..."

Pea sat up,"You met bullies in town? Tuff tell me you didn't fight em."

Tuff nestled a little deeper in the straw cave,"No...one was just being mean and...I..."

"Tuff, tell me. Now," The gray mare commanded in a maternal tone.

"I called her an asshole okay, I'm sorry!" Tuff had a moment before he saw his aunt's reaction.

Pea reached over and grabbed Tuff's ear and drug him out his little nest. He squirmed as she pulled him closer to her face. Pea kept her grip on his ear as she interrogated him.

"You called a girl what? I thought I told you not to get into trouble!"

"I didn't! Nopony came after me at all!" Tuff pleaded.

"Yet. What do you think her daddy's going to think about your little smart ass comment or her brother? She's bound to tell somepony what you said and they sure as hell not gonna like it!" Pea fumed.

"She's just some rich brat, Auntie! Rich ponies don't fight!"

"Doesn't matter. Rich or poor you should treat your kind with respect!" Pea finished. She let go of Tuff's ear and the colt promptly began rubbing it.

Part of the open barn doorway's light was blocked by the shadow of a large red stallion. Pea and Tuff looked up to see him, both assuming he was Big Mac due to his size. He leaned on the door frame with a piece of straw in his squared off mouth.

"Ya sure know how to talk to kids," he chuckled," Mah names Big Macintosh. But most just call me Big Mac. So Ah hear that yall are...new in town?"

"Yes sir," Pea said. She brushed her mane to the side.

"Ah really didn't have much to say, just wanted to get acquainted. Somepony else wanted yall's attention," He said and the Crusaders slid into view. Sweetie Bell was holding something aloft with her magic.

"Howdy!" Apple Bloom said,"Me an' mah friends brought a little something for ya!" the yellow filly motioned the little unicorn over.

"We baked you a pie!" Scootaloo declared,"I...er...we hope you two will like it!"

Big Mac chuckled to himself as he walked out of view with his heavy set hooves. The pie floated over to Pea and Tuff while the three fillies trotted toward the two guests. They sat in a semi circle in front of the grey mare and the red colt while the pie landed in between. Pea eyed the pie suspiciously while her nephew eyed it hungrily. Pea brushed a hand on her vest before taking a slice. She bit it cautiously while the young ponies watched her intently. She chewed then swallowed the morsel.

"Very good! Did you three make this your self?" Pea asked. Tuff took no time to stick his face in the pie pan.

"We had a little help from Granny Smith," Sweetiebelle admitted. The other two squinted at Tuff with puzzled squints.

"So Miss Gravel," Scootaloo looked up at the grey mare with bright eyes,"Where did you and Tuff come from? He said something about being across the ocean...but that's just not possible."

"Why not," Pea asked,"I've seen a lot of impossible things."

"Well...it's just not," Sweetie rubbed the back of her neck,"There isn't any land out there...at least nopony ever told us there was."

"That's silly!" Pea laughed,"Yous didn't think Equestria was the whole world...did you?" Her smile faded when she saw the almost hurt looks from the fillies.

"It's not out fault," Apple Bloom said,"Nopony ever told us there was," she pursed her lips,"Could you?"

"Do what?" Tuff asked from the pie pan.

"Tell us where your from, your home town?" Scootaloo asked excitedly.

Pea rested her chin on her steel knuckles. She looked at different things in the barn as she thought. She then pulled her legs under her torso on the straw,"My home town? Well, to be honest...I lived out in the middle of nowhere with my parents. We all lived in a mud brick house in a scrub desert. We loved that house," Her eyes began to water," Oh, I'm sorry girls. It's just been such a long time since I thought about that..."

"Then why did you leave?" Applejack's voice could be heard from outside the barn,"If it was so nice, why are you here?"

Pea sighed,"Oh...we were run out of it. A big dragon drove us out and wrecked it."

"You have dragon problems out there?" Applejack asked with angst," Why don't you just yell at em? It works here."

Tuff happened to look up from the pie pan when this was going on. He shrunk down when he saw the dark look in his aunt's eyes. She lifted her self up and her metal feet thudded against the ground as she walked outside the barn. The young ponies thought it was best to leave the mares to themselves.

Applejack was leaning on the barn wall with a less than impressed look as Pea moved into the open. The orange mare flinched slightly when she saw the same look that Tuff saw.

"What's the matter? Did Ah strike a cord that Ah shouldn't?"

"Look lady. I'm appreciative that you let me and my nephew stay in your barn but if you want to fight me just ask."

"Beg your pardon?"

"You and these...Equestrians. You all live so sheltered. 'Yell at a dragon"? Are you trying to piss me off? Where I come from, dragons would rip you apart as much as look at you," Pea snarled. Applejack's once stone like face now had hints of fear on it.

"Me sheltered?" Applejack stood straight up. She looked Pea straight in the eyes,"Ah'll have you know, Ah've had my share of hardships. Ah've helped reform Discord, defeat Nightmare Moon, and dethrone King Sombra to name a few," Apple jack smiled confidently.

"Heh, that's sweet,"Pea made a predatory grin,"Helping the kingdom, eh? Well Applejack, have you ever heard another pony scream in agony? Do you even know what the word 'famine' is?"

The orange mare's face went pale. Pea stamped a metal hoof into the dirt,"I doubt you ever had to watch another of your kind get eaten alive before you eyes. Has a 'farmer' like you had to kill another equine for food?" Applejack shrunk back from the stranger's words.

"Get out!" Applejack cried frantically,"Get out of my farm!"

Applejack stood breathing heavily after shouting at Pea. The stranger stared back at Applejack with eyes that made the hair on the back of Applejack's neck stand on edge.

Pea drew her chin up and snorted,"Tuff, come on. We're leaving," The colt walked slowly out with their saddlebags in tow. They strapped their bags on and walked away from the barn. The three fillies looked out from it with shocked looks.

Before leaving ear shot Pea turned her head back,"Thanks for the pie, girls!" And then she and Tuff were gone.

Apple Bloom was the first to look at her sister who was slumped against the wall shaking. The stranger's words still burned painfully in her mind. The yellow filly rushed over and untied the bow in her mane. She wiped the sweat from her sister's face and called for Big Mac. In moments the burly red stallion rushed over from the orchard.

"What's wrong?" Big Mac panted,"Where did those two go?"

Applejack threw her weight on her brother's forearm. She looked up Mac with wide eyes,"That...that mare...she scares me!"

Mac huffed,"Her? Scare you? Ah know she's got freaky legs but that ain't no reason to be scared of-"

"Those eyes! She looked at me with the same green eyes as a...a timber wolf!" Applejack cried.

Mac sat down and hugged his trembling sister,"There, there. She didn't hurt you did she?"

"No..."the orange mare sniffled,"What she said though...it can't be true can it? Ponies...killing each other...over food?"

Big Mac smiled comfortingly as Applejack rested her troubled head on his shoulder,"And...and dealing with famine! She must've thought we were some sort of rich family...she said herself that she mistook it for a plantation. She thought I was a slave for Celestia's sake!"

"Shhh....she was probably just trying to scare ya. You just need to calm yerself down," Big Mac said as he helped her to her hooves.

"T-thank ya, Mac. Ah need you to stay here, Ah'm gonna go tell Twilight about this Pea Gravel...she'll know what to do!"

Before Big Mac could even say good luck his sister was already racing down the road to Ponyville. He stood up slowly and watched his sister run off, praying that the things the stranger spoke of were just lies.

Applejack ran through the streets of Ponyville in the light of a sunset. Only a few ponies were out in the warm evening air and watched the orange mare run like a freight train. Applejack panted as her hooves pounded the ground on her way to Twilight's castle. Her head swam as she tried to keep her sprint up until she reached the door. Eventually she made it to the crystal structure and skid to a stop at the doorway. She stood out of breath and her knees shaking.

Twilight opened the ornate door and gasped when she saw the cowpony," Applejack!? Come inside, tell me what happened."

Twilight led her tired friend inside to the parlor and to the cowpony's surprise, Zecora and A.K Yearling were inside too. The two mares sat at a table in the princess' parlor and had a mug of coffee between them. Twilight had Applejack sit down with the others while the princess sat at the head of the table.

"So tell me," Twilight said with concern,"What is the matter?"

Applejack shook her head and smiled meekly,"Ah...Ah don't really know. Apple Bloom met some colt taday and asked if he and his aunt could stay at the barn. I wasn't too keen on teh idea...then I saw her, she had...metal legs. Ah've never seen anything like it..."

"Neither have I," Yearling said,"Yet I saw her today, like you did. She's frightening if you provoke her, isn't she?"

"From what I've heard, dangerous would be a better word," Zecora said as she sipped calmly on her coffee.

Twilight looked over to Applejack with a comforting smile,"Come on Applejack, I'll talk to this...Pea Gravel alright. I'm the princess of friendship after all, aren't I? I'll see what's going on and sort it all out by tomorrow okay? Now, before I go looking for her, make sure you three don't tell anypony about her alright? I don't want the situation to get out of hoof."

The three mares nodded and the alicorn smiled weakly. She bid goodnight and made her way to the doorway. The mares were leaving the castle as Twilight lifted herself into the evening sky in search of the stranger. She circled the town several times until she found two ponies she didn't recognize in the town park. They were laying next to a tree well out of view from anypony on the ground but not from Twilight. She descended to the ground with little sound from her wings, and landed a few feet from the strangers silently. The colt was leaning against the mare in question, both dozing off in the coming night.

"You, outsider,"Twilight said in a commanding voice. Pea's eyes snapped open and gawked at the lavender alicorn,"What are you doing in Equestria without permission?"

The mare lowered her face to the ground,"Your grace...I am but a humble earth pony looking for a place to keep my nephew safe. Is this task not in your liking?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow,"From what I heard, you didn't speak like that to the other ponies you met today. You scared my friend Applejack half to death!"

Being the mare she was, Pea tied to keep the 'humble subject' act going as long as possible. She had talked her way out of trouble many times and planned on it again. She didn't expect to hear that a farmer was friends with an alicorn, she sat up and looked with wonder.

"You're friends with a farmer? Isn't that...uncouth?"

"Not here it isn't," Twilight said with a smile,"Now, are you and your nephew going to sleep out here in the cold?"

Pea wasn't sure if she was being scolded or invited to something,"Is that alright with you?" she asked.

"Absolutely not," Twilight said promptly. Pea sunk down a bit,"You and your nephew can stay with me."

"Y-you mean it? Even after I scared your friend?" Pea asked in awe.

"She's a tough mare,"Twilight reached out a hoof to Pea,"Now, pick up your bags. We're going to my castle."

"Are you sure...I can't repay you in money," Pea said meekly,"I can work. Do you need any labor?"

Twilight sighed,"Perhaps, but you know what I'd rather be paid in?"

Pea kept her eyes on the princess as she put a sleeping Tuff and her saddle bags on her back. The grey mare made sure Tuff wouldn't fall off her back before she followed Twilight,"What would you rather be paid in...if I'm so bold as to ask."

Twilight began walking to the edge of the park,"You can tell me of your adventures from the outside world. No matter how happy or tragic, a mare like yourself is bound to have done some interesting things," Twilight said as Pea followed her.

"I suppose...but doesn't somepony like you know the events of the outside world?" Pea pried.

"Me? No, I don't. Discord or Celestia maybe, but not me," Twilight smiled sheepishly,"Oh, Pea? Have you ever teleported before?"

Pea grinned,"By my own will, no. I haven't had much experience with that kind of magic."

Twilight stopped her while her horn began to glow,"You can trust me. Besides, it doesn't hurt."

Before the grey mare knew it, she was in a glossy throne room with the lavender princess. A chandelier was overhead in the high ceiling and six chairs were set in a circle with a table at the center. Twilight began walking down a nearby hallway and Pea took a moment to follow her.

"Some place you got here,"Pea gawked at the gem-like walls,"You live here alone?"

"Yes, my friends come to visit alot though. Now, I have a few guest rooms down this hall, you can take your pick."

Pea was bewildered that a princess invited her to a castle and was giving her a room. She followed the princess to a group of doors and opened the first to the left. Inside she found a dresser and a soft single bed. To the right was a door leading to a small bathroom. A window was at the far end with the moon's light showing through. She turned to thank the Princess but she was already half way down the hall.

"Once your done setting up, I'll be waiting in my room. It's in the hall past the throne room," Her voice echoed off the reflecting walls,"We have much to discuss."

Pea felt like she was in a dream as she entered the simple room. She was used to sleeping under the stars or under bridges, not under sheets. She lay Tuff on the bed and placed the blanket around him gently. She smiled as he subconsciously snuggled deeper in the covers. Pea placed their bags next to the dresser and went to the small bathroom.

She looked into the mirror and saw her face was a bit grubbier then it should in the company of royalty. She fiddled with the faucet trying to figure out which knob was hot or cold but eventually just splashed water in her face. She saw the clear liquid fall back into the sink brown and looked over to the shower. She closed the door and opened the shower curtain. She fiddled with the shower knobs like the sink's, mostly due to the fact that she was more accustomed to bathing in rivers, not bathrooms.

After learning the mystic ways of modern plumbing, she took off her vest and lay it on the sink. She stepped in the shower on her hind legs and the hard rubber tips of her back legs kept her from slipping. Pea turned the water on and flinched as the warm water hit her bare torso. If anyone was with her in the room they would see the array of scars on the mare's back, and one that looked more like a brand of a compass rose on her chest.

She found a soap bar and washed her mane in the relaxing shower of warm water. She looked to her feet and saw how brown the water was and smirked,"I was talking to all those ponies with this much dirt on me? No wonder none of those encounters ended well..."

Pea didn't realize how long she was in the artificial rain until it began to run cold. She squealed and threw the curtain open to escape the now icy water. She reached her metallic arm behind the curtain and shut the water off. One of the few times she was glad her arms couldn't feel anything. She shook her body like a dog out of a storm to dry off, she laughed sheepishly when she saw a towel hung on the door. She dried what was still wet on her body and slipped her vest back on, not bothering to button it. She checked on Tuff before heading off to Twilight.

She entered the throne room and found another hallway she didn't notice before. She went down it and found a door with a crack of light shining out beneath it. She pushed it open gently and found Twilight sitting in one of three cushy chairs next to a fire place with her muzzle in a big book, a sizable bed was at the other end of the room and the walls were covered in stuffed bookshelves. Pea expected that this was Twilight's private library and the fireplace was a magic one that didn't require a chimney. Twilight looked up from her book and giggled.

"So that's what took you so long, you washed up. You know, your mane is quite lovely when it isn't dirty."

"Thank you princess-"

"Please, call me Twilight," the alicorn interrupted. She gestured to another cushioned chair,"Come and sit. I want to talk to you."

Pea moved to the chair furthest from Twilight and sat up with her hands in her lap. She looked at Twilight's friendly smile,"So...what do you want to talk about?"

"You said you wanted your nephew to be safe, correct?' Pea nodded. "Well, I'll let him stay here and educate him if you like. From what Applejack told me, you two have it pretty rough out there. Famine and ponies killing ponies you said?"

Pea was taken aback at the generosity of the princess. She leaned into the chair,"I can't thank you enough...what can I do to repay the offer?"

Twilight's smile faded. Her gaze went to Pea's torso,"Tell me what happened that made you loose your legs."

Pea sat quiet for a moment,"I can't say anything but the truth to you, Twilight. I owe you too much for a lie," Pea looked into the fire,"His...no...it's name is Volm."

"Volm? I've never heard of him,"Twilight said cautiously.

"No one did, he just swung in out of the blue. Teriek's Crusade stopped short and Belial just-"

Twilight stopped the mare,"Wait, wait...Teriek? My friends and I put him back into Tartarus! There's no way he can be fighting."

"He's not, in fact when news of his short time on the surface reached the rest of the centaurs like him, The Torrent as they call themselves, the profit Belial rallied an army and searched for the gates of Tartarus-"

"Wait, wait...there's more like him? Do they all consume magic like he does?"

"Yes, but Teriek is worshiped like a god by them. Somehow he obtained a higher level of power then the rest did, and Belial is looking for it-"

"How did you get mixed up in a holy war, Pea?" Twilight asked bewildered.

"Well...that 'higher level of power' is what I was looking for. If I found it, I could keep it from the grip of evil like Belial or others. It's not just him though, there's a dragon named Borox who's in league with him."

"And how does this...Volm fit in?" Twilight asked timidly.

"It found the power before everyone else. That thing...took everything from me," Pea said with a pale face.

"You still have your nephew, don't you?" Twilight said comfortingly.

"Yes...but the worst thing is...Volm separated me from my friends," Pea wiped a tear from her face,"I'm not sure if they are still alive or not."

"So what brings you here, is the 'Higher Power' you mentioned in Equestria?" Twilight was now sitting on the edge of her seat.

"A part of it maybe...but I really came here to speak with the Sun Goddess, or Celestia as you call her."

"Why?" Twilight asked wide eyed.

"Our kind is cannon fodder out there, food or slaves and what is she doing?" Pea gritted her teeth,"Sitting here playing princess."

"Pea, calm down. I'm sure she's doing something about the war-"

"No, I've only seen the sun out there. Never her. If she wanted to protect her kind like she does here, why not everywhere else?"

"I'm not sure....but this story is getting confusing," Twilight groaned,"How did you learn about the 'Higher Power'?"

Pea's face softened up,"Oh, I was still back in Peron. My crew and I went to a harbor to get a boat after escaping a bunch of dragons and we got mixed up in a situation with pirates...that's where I met Rochi," Her face warmed up when she said his name.

"I take it you liked him?" Twilight giggled. She was glad the mood became brighter then talk of war and monsters.

"Like him? I love Rochi...he was a slave for the pirate captain Gumbo then, but when we came around his thirst for adventure came back and he left them. Turns out they were after 'The most beautiful' thing in the world', which is what Rochi went to sea to find."

Twilight rubbed her eyes sleepily. Her horn glowed and a stack of paper and pen poofed next to Pea. The grey mare blinked in surprise but Twilight yawned. She placed the paper and pen onto Pea's lap.

"That's some story, but I need to know the whole thing. You should just write it all down while you stay here."

Pea smiled sheepishly,"I'd love to, Twilight. But I'm...I can't write."

Twilight looked at her for a moment,"You see," Pea continued,"A nomad like me doesn't have space in her pack for books, I just keep the stories in my head."

Twilight got off her chair and headed for the bed,"I'm tired. I suppose I can teach you to write tomorrow and Tuff if he needs it. I'm off to bed, Pea Gravel. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, princess,"Pea said quietly as she got off the chair and headed for the door.

Twilight slipped into her bed and Pea walked over to the guest rooms. Her heart was fluttering, I'm safe and so is Tuff, she thought,but what about them? I need to find them...

Pea tread over to the room Tuff was in and moved to the center of the moonlit room. She lowered to the floor and sprawled comfortingly on the it. She felt tired mentally and physically, she welcomed sleep but was prepared for the big day tomorrow.

1) What Happened? Hunker down kid, this'll be a long one (part 2)

2) Strangers in Paradise

The morning sun shown bright in the guest room in Twilight's castle. Pea rolled onto her back to look up at ceiling while she thought about her situation. She lifted herself up and wandered into the throne room, following the smell of freshly made breakfast. The scent of things she had never eaten led her to the sight of Tuff, Twilight and Yearling sitting at the main table with a breakfast fit for a princess. Tuff had a pile of muffins and candied fruits in front of him as he chugged his third glass of orange juice. Twilight and Yearling had never seen a young colt eat so much.

"He can sure pack in in, can't he?" Pea chuckled as she sat at the other end of the table.

"Ah, Good morning! Did you rest well?" Twilight said as she sipped on a mug of coffee,"Funny, I found you on the floor instead of a bed."

"Yeah, I slept pretty good," Pea eyed Yearling who was eating a doughnut quietly,"What's she doing here?"

"Twilight told me you were going to write of your life in the outside world, being an author I couldn't help but offer my assistance." Yearling smiled.

"But I told her already, I can't write. I can barely read,"Pea said scanning the breakfast banquet,"How am I going to write a whole book?"

"Tell you what, you tell me and I will write it for you," Yearling offered," That can't be hard, can it?"

"You'd really do that?" Pea asked. She rubbed her shoulder sheepishly,"Even then....all books need a name don't they? What would you call mine?"

"The title can come later, right now you need to eat up," Twilight butted in,"We have a few things we need to do today."

Pea grabbed a muffin and took a bite,"What kind of things, if I'm so bold as to ask?"

"If you're staying here awhile, which I'm sure you are, you need to meet some of the locals."

Pea half choked when she heard this,"I've already tried that, you know where that went."

"True, but be a bit more...gentile this time. Yearling will be with you to make the ponies here a bit more...accepting of you," Twilight said.

She noticed that most of the food was gone now, thanks to a certain colt, and used her pink cloud of magic to move the dishes to the kitchen. Yearling thanked Twilight for the food and headed for the front door with a satchel in tow while Pea and Tuff stared at the spaces that were once occupied by plates and tea cups.

"Now Tuff," Twilight said,"Have you ever gone to school?"

He thought about the question for a moment,"School?"

"Oh dear..."

Yearling called from down the hall,"Pea Gravel, aren't you coming with me?"

"Sure, give me a sec!" Pea called. She looked over to Twilight,"Now look here, I appreciate you wanting to teach him but...I don't think a school room environment would be best for him."

"Why? Is he shy or have problems with bigger children?"

"No, he'll be fine. I'm more worried about the other kids," Pea looked to the colt,"Now look here, you be nice to Princess Twilight and do what ever she tell you, got it?," And with that Pea trotted off to meet up with Yearling.

Twilight looked at Tuff's youthful face for a moment. She wondered what a young colt like him could be so dangerous.

"Tuff, have you ever been in a fight with another colt?"

"No, I did have to help Auntie fight a big armored pig though. He had blood all over his axe, it was so cool!" Tuff smiled at the princess.

Twilight laughed nervously,"Well, umm...that's...wonderful! Let's change the subject, alright?"

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?"

"Do you know how to read or write at all?"

"Nope," Tuff said with a cocky smile,"I never had time for it."

"Figures," Twilight said under her breath,"Well today is your lucky day, Tuff."

Yearling seemed nervous walking next to the cyber mare. In fact, everypony on the streets they passed gave odd looks. Pea noticed how unsettled she was and offered to buy her a drink.

"We just ate," Yearling protested,"And besides, why would you buy me just a drink?"

Pea smacked her forehead,"I'm sorry, let me be more specific. Would you like a hard cider?"

"No, I don't drink alcohol...much" Yearling blushed slightly.

"Well let's get a little and talk about our book," Pea grinned.

"I do know a place outside of town...and I suppose a drink or two wouldn't hurt."

"Alright, lead the way!"

Yearling led Pea down a road leading to the far end of town, there the houses became less packed together and eventually no houses at all. The two mares were in the field outside of the town and a small crowd of ponies followed at a safe distance. Yearling looked behind them and noticed the curious ponies with cameras. The more Yearling thought about it, the more the crowd looked like an mob from a monster movie.

"Ummm...I think we're being followed."

"It's not an angry mob is it?" Pea asked without turning her head.

"I think so, should we do something about them?" Yearling asked.

"Well unless you have a pair of wings...oh," Pea looked at Yearling's wings as if they just appeared there. She looked at the pegasus with a wry smile,"You think you can lift me up?"

"Umm...I suppose, why?"

"Why not?"

Yearling sighed and shook her head with a smile,"Well, we need a running start."

She spread her wings out and sprinted forward. Pea threw her head back and laughed as her cyber legs pounded the dirt after the tanned mare. The crowd behind them began running in pursuit and came about twenty feet behind the two mares. Pea looked at the Pegasus who was breathing heavily.

"Is this as fast as you can go?' Pea called over the rushing air.

"Cors not! It's just been awhile!"

Yearling jumped on Pea's back and locked her fore arms under the cyber mare's. Yearling pumped her wings and sent them into the air, the ground and the crowd shrank under them as they climbed into the sky. Pea held onto Yearling's hooves tight as she tried not to look at the ground.

"You know, I thought you'd be a little heavier," Yearling chuckled.

"Hey, you calling me fat?" Pea looked up at her with a sour look.

"No, don't be silly!" Yearling said.

"Well...now what?" Pea looked back down at the ground. She had never really been this high up and giggled at how the ponies looked like ants.

"Hey, is that who I think it is?" Yearling peered off into the oncoming distance. Pea looked in the same direction and saw a trace of a rainbow line in the sky.

"Funny, I thought rainbows made an arc, not a straight line."

"That's not a real rainbow. That's the trail Rainbow Dash leaves behind when she flies, I wonder if she's coming over here."

"Well I can see why they call her that," Pea said as she saw the blue pegasus fly in arcs and loops. She began flying toward the mares and Yearling began descending.

"Hey! Where are we going?" Pea said covering her eyes.

"I can't carry you forever, Pea. Besides I was meaning to talk to Dash today," Yearling said as they grew closer to the ground.

They landed and Pea sat with her arms folded while Rainbow Dash followed up at the rear. The blue pegasus trotted up to the other mares and smiled to Yearling. Dash then cast a sour look to Pea.

"Daring Do...er...I mean A.K Yearling, I'm so glad your here!" She glared at the cyber mare,"I see you caught the freak."

"Hey," Pea cast a similar look back at Dash,"I have skin and blood just like you. If anypony here is a freak it'd be you, I've never seen anything with a mane like yours."

Dash ignored the cyber mare,"We've been looking for her all night. You know she scared Applejack to death and the colt of her's got Diamond Tiara's dad pretty upset."

"Dash, I don't think you understand. Pea Gravel here is a very...interesting mare once you get to know her. Oh, and she was staying the night at Twilight's."

Dash shook her head,"No way! I asked Twilight about that mare and she said that she already looked for her..."

"You've got the wrong idea about her. If it makes you feel better, she and I are writing a book soon! Isn't that exciting?"

"B-but...you write...you are Daring Do! How can you write something else...let alone with her?"

Pea stood up which caused Dash to inch back,"Kid, I've got plenty of stories if your willing to listen."

Rainbow Dash was dumbfounded, completely flabbergasted. Her favorite author...no, her idol was sticking her neck out for a complete stranger and a rather unsettling one at that. Dash's knees buckled and she fell on her haunches. She looked from Daring Do (Pea didn't know Yearling and Daring were the same mare...yet) to the cyber mare with her jaw hung open.

Pea closed it with a smirk on her face,"You better keep that mouth of yours closed, something may crawl in and eat your brain."

"Thanks lady," Dash smacked Pea's hoof away from her face,"But you need to leave. Equestria isn't meant for somepony like you."

The grey mare pulled her metallic fingers in and out of a fist,"Well then...why don't you make me?"

Dash made a cocky laugh as she stood up into an aggressive position,"So you want to do this the hard way?"

"Show me what you got."

Yearling looked from one mare to the other,"Hey, nopony is in the wrong here! What are you two doing?"

Pea's emerald eyes were now almost mint in color and met Yearling's in a cold stare,"I'm showing this punk how we 'outsiders' handle our problems."

In a flash the blue pegasus rocketed to Pea with a hoof ready to swing at the cyber mare's face. Pea watched as Dash swooped toward her and felt the impact of Dash's swing on her jaw. Pea staggered back and Rainbow stood on her hind hooves rubbing the one she swung with.

"Heh heh, a little taste of Dash Fu a bit much for-"

Dash didn't even see the cyber mare spring back at her. Her boastful words and the rest of her hot air was forced out as Pea rammed a fore hoof into the pegasus' diaphragm. Dash fell like a split tree on the ground gasping for breath. She looked up at the cyber mare with wide eyes as her attacker had a hand ready to pull her up. Dash began breathing normally again and accepted the cyber mares assistance up. She stood breathing hard for a moment and looked at Pea from head to toe. She stood smiling as if nothing happened even with the trickle of blood running off her lip.

Pea wiped some blood off her muzzle,"You got some arm there, if you swung any harder and I might've lost a tooth!"

Yearling looked to the cyan pegasus,"Are you alright? No broken bones?"

"She'll be fine. I hit her diaphragm with about fifty psi. She's probably hit the ground harder then that from a flight crash."

"Is that all you can do?" Dash asked. On the outside she still looked ready for a fight, but she was screaming at herself from the inside.

Pea twiddled her fingers again,"I don't want to have to dig my fit back out of another chest alright?"

Dash backed away from her with a pale face. Yearling stopped her,"Dash, don't go! Just stay for a moment, please," She looked over at Pea with an icy look before stamping to her face to face.

"If you want that book written you're going to have to be more tolerant with others," She whispered severely,"No more scaring and fighting with ponies, alright?"

Pea clenched her face up as she was about to counter Yearling's threat but sighed in stead. She looked over Yearling's shoulder to Dash who was waiting nervously. Pea rolled her eyes and groaned before trudging over to the pegasus.

The cyber mare rubbed the back of her neck,"Look...I'm sorry, alright? I shouldn't have been so quick to violence, can you forgive me Rainbow Smash...er Dash?"

"Only if you let me help out on the new book," Dash said quickly,"I've helped Daring Do before, I could help you too!"

"You recovered quick, Rainbow Dash," complimented Yearling,"I hope we can all get along now," she glared at Pea.

"Wait, isn't Daring Do a character in Yearling's books?" Pea asked,"Wait...is she," The cyber mare pointed to the tan pegasus,"Is she...Daring Do?" She looked to Dash who nodded.

"You got me," Yearling smiled bashfully,"You haven't even read my books and you know. The Daring Do books are my personal adventures here in Equestria hunting rare and important treasures. From what Twilight told me you were looking for treasure too, and with some war going on every waking moment...that must be such an adventure."

Rainbow Dash was dumbfounded, completely flabbergasted. Her idol, Daring Do, was putting this stranger on a pedestal like Dash had done for the ruby eyed pegasus. Rainbow feinted and landed on the grass face first. Pea and Daring looked at her with wide eyes.

"You know, I think a drink can wait. Let's just hang out here in the field, what do you think Yearli-...I mean Daring Do?"

"I...I suppose?" She replied and Pea promptly lay on her back in the grassy field. Daring looked around in the empty field, she saw the mountains, forest and Ponyville all comfortably away in the distance. She lay on her legs near Pea while Dash lay unconscious near by.

Daring reached into the satchel she had carried with her and pulled out a note book with a pen clipped to it. She opened it and Pea held her torso in a crunch to see the book. It was blank for the most part, a few scribbles on the first page. Daring held the pen in her mouth and looked closely at Pea. The cyber mare felt almost embarrassed under the writer's keen eye.

Daring made notes of the way Pea's mane reflected the sunlight like the orange of a morning sunrise, how her torso fur on closer inspection hid a well toned muscled core, the metallic legs had a plated look and seemed to be designed for more then just helping a pony walk again. Out of her vest's v neck a hint of her circular brand could be seen and then Daring's eyes went the mare's flank, Pea pulled her tail over her flank's bare skin.

"Hey missy, were not writing a smut book!"

"Really Pea?" Daring asked with a groan,"I was looking at your cutie mark, not your butt!"

"For you, I'll take that excuse," Pea moved her tail to reveal her cutie mark. It was a sandstone colored heart with a cracked center and a compass behind it. Daring made a note of it and looked with worry at the cyber mare.

"Why do you have a broken heart for a cutie mark?"

Pea lay down again on her back. She folded her arms behind her head and looked up at the slow rolling clouds in the sky. Dash had regained consciousness at this point but kept her head low and watched the two adventuring mares through the short grass.

"Rocks are beautiful, yet I have a heart of stone," Pea said mostly to herself,"I've been forced by chance or maybe fate to be a wanderer, the crack is from my first kill. I was an alright kid before then but after...."

Daring was writing down everything Pea said,"Go on, tell me what happened," She encouraged.

"She was a Carnahorse. I was eleven years old. She kidnapped me when I was in the mountains and was going to eat me...I'll never forget those green eyes. They looked just like mine..."

"How did you escape?" Daring asked mesmerized.

Pea sighed as a breeze flowed over the lush grassy field. The mares who listened to the cyber mare were whisked away with Pea's words. They felt as if they were with her as she described the dry heat of the pine forest that covered the low mountains.

They saw Pea as a young mare, no more then a filly. She was hog-tied across a big stick attached to a large leather back pack on a husky looking yellow pony. The 'carnahorse' carried Pea up a mountain path to a shabby log cabin. Pea kept quiet because far more dangerous creatures then ponies like her captor lived up here. They arrived at the cabin and the husky yellow mare placed the stick Pea was tied to over two wood tripods that were on either side of an ashy pit. Pea inhaled sharply when she saw bones peaking out of the old coals.

The grey filly looked around desperately at the complete mess around the cabin to try and find a way to escape. The carnahorse was busy with a few small sticks and a ball of cotton for the beginning of a cooking fire. Pea waited until the captor had moved to the other end of the house before she attempted an escape. The rope that had kept Pea on the stick hadn't been very well tied and after some careful wiggling the filly was free of the binding cords. Her captor hadn't seen her escape, but something kept the filly there. A strange kind of hunger she had never felt before.

"She thought she had me tied up pretty good when she left me in her fire pit," Pea's voice was dry as she retold the event,"I got out of the rope and found her not to far from the house at a big tree stump. She was so busy swinging that ax splitting wood she never saw me sneak up behind her. I kicked out her leg and she staggered, dropping the ax. For my age the ax was heavy, but something inside made me stronger.

I took my chance and held it ready to swing, she stood on her hind legs looking at me with false confidence. I remembered what she said about ponies like me, how we were weak and meant as food for creatures like her. I swung it and it sunk into the side of her face and her blood splattered against mine, she still wasn't dead though.

I looked at her with the same cold green eyes she looked at me with when she when she told me I was just food, a fluke of existence. I had split wood before but when I looked down at the sputtering mess of that carnahorse I couldn't help but laugh in her face. I lifted the splitting ax over my head and swung down at her thick neck, it stuck in and I had to kick it free before swinging again. Oh, the look in her eyes was...something I'd rather die then have in mine," Pea fell silent as Daring scribbled the remaining words onto the page with watery eyes.

Dash's voice broke the silence, "But...how did you get there, weren't your parents looking for you?"

"No kid, a dragon named Wiktet came in and smashed my house. Actually this 'carnahorse' is a bit after that. Once our house was gone, Wiktet grabbed my mother and ripped only one her wings off like a doll's arm. My padre and I tried to find shelter and keep her from getting sick. A whole winter passed while we lived in a cave close to the mountains. My mom was healed from injury but being stuck on the ground made her mind very sick, she always kept her eyes in the sky after that. We managed to find a small town with a doctor and when we told him about her condition he prescribed a kind of fruit called Jade Cactus Fruit.

Once she had been eating a small piece for every meal for a while her mind recovered...slightly. Only four months had passed and she took bigger and bigger doses each time. One night after seeing a flock of birds fly overhead she stuffed a hoof-full of the fruits into her mouth. Padre and I woke up to the sounds of her strangled, foam clogged breathing. Padre tied to help but she kept convulsing and then every muscle went limp... "

Dash held her hooves over her mouth in shock. Daring stared at Pea with her mouth slacked open. Pea pulled her neck up and rested her head over her hand. The pegsi were silent in shock and remorse, Pea had a small smile as her closed eyes held back a tear or two.

"How can you smile?" Dash asked frantically, "You watched your mother die in a horrible way, is that funny to you?"

"No kid. I'm smiling because I'd rather remember the mother that raised me then the one I saw die. If she saw me sulking over something as common as death after so many years she'd never forgive me. But a pony like me has seen a lot of it...caused a lot of it," She sat up and looked at Dash's shocked magenta eyes with a soft and almost worn down look, "Living as long as I have through the things I've brought on myself, smiling is one of the only ways I have left to not go crazy. Besides, it takes more muscles in your face to frown."

Daring made a shaky breath and the cyber mare looked over to the writer, "Is that all true?" The tanned pegasus asked, "Did you really see all of that while you were so young?"

"I wouldn't lie to you, or anypony here for that matter. You all are so sincere and innocent, I'd feel like I would be cheating you if I wasn't honest," Pea smiled. She motioned Dash to sit closer and the pegasus was hesitant for a moment," Come on Dashy, I won't bite."

Dash got up from her spot in the grass and walked over to sit with the adventuring mares. Pea moved her hind legs into a criss-cross position and had her fore-hooves on her knees. She looked at the two pegsi like a school teacher would while reading a story to her class.

"You've got more room in that note book right?" Pea asked pointing to the book in front of Daring.

"Do you have more of your story to tell?" She asked ready to write.

"You bet your ass I do!" and Pea began where the event in the mountains had left off.

She told them of how she began wandering from town to town. As Pea talked and talked, Daring and Rainbow Dash were pulled into the story more and more. The tales of struggling for survival and the idea that you were only worth a piece silver for the opponent in the battlefield. Hours passed and the three mares didn't notice the time go by, the clouds and the sun rolled west in the sky. Daring found it hard to keep up with writing down everything the cyber mare was telling but she scribbled and scraped her pen across the paper to preserve the words that flowed into her ears. Pea was so wrapped up in talking that when somepony came in from behind to tap her shoulder she swung a fist behind her along with a startled look.

Tuff ducked his head easily and stared at his startled Aunt with a grumpy face. Pea drew her fist back and folded her arms across her chest. Tuff did the same.

"The hell are you doing?" Pea said through her teeth,"I thought you were learning or something."

"You've been out all day Auntie. I had to listen to Twilight yammer about boring history and this 'chemistry' thing," Tuff frowned.

Daring looked up at the sunset,"Oh road apples! It is late," She scrambled her to her hooves and shoved the note book into her satchel,"I'm going off to Dash's place to write the rough draft of this. I'll let you know as soon as I'm done," She said excitedly. She had the light of a fresh idea burning in her eyes,"Come on Rainbow Dash, we don't have a moment to lose!"

The two pegsi took off into the air and the two earth ponies watched them fly off,"So what did you do today, Auntie?" Tuff asked.

"I told them some of the things I did when I was younger. Man, I'm hungry! Let's go back to Twilight's," Pea said happily after she had stood up,"I got about to the Morton part."

"The Pig knight who you fought for?" Tuff asked as they walked back towards town.

"He was one ugly son of a sow. That fort was almost as ugly as he was," Pea laughed.

They walked through the outlying streets as not to frighten any of the pones enjoying the warm evening air. They arrived to Twilight's castle and found the aroma of several tantalizing dishes came from behind the door. They walked down the main hall following the trail of sweet air through corridor after corridor until they found a large room with Twilight and five other mares sitting at a long table with an array of food they were dining on. A white unicorn looked over to the two earth ponies with a mildly disgusted look.

"Ah, Twilight? Your...guests are here."

"Is that the pony who beat up Rainbow Dash?" A pink pony said popping up next to Pea.

The cyber mare inched away from the hyper pony," 'Beat up' isn't the term I'd use. I would go for...a small lesson is self defense."

"There's a seat fer the both of ya," Applejack said flatly," Come on over an' eat up."

Tuff accepted quickly and hopped on his seat, looking at all of the food before him. There were cakes, pies, sandwiches, smaller pies, cupcakes, fresh fruit and other foods Tuff couldn't recognize. He dumped a hefty portion of everything his side of the table. Pea walked over to her seat next to the ravenous colt and looked at each of the mares. She stopped at Dash who kept her gaze from the cyber pony.

"Hey Rainbow Dash? Where did Yearling go off to?" Pea asked.

"She's at my cloud house writing your book. She might've come over to eat but when she's excited about a story, she gets really excited about it. I don't think we're gonna see her for awhile."

"Oh no, what about the festival?" Twilight groaned,"This is the first festival I've organized and one of the panel guests wont be there? It's in a few months and writing a whole book will surely take longer then that. At least I still have the other Authors from Canterlot..."

"So umm...how long are you two planning on staying in Ponyville?" A shy yellow pegasus asked from across the table from Pea.

"I'm not sure, I've been looking for a safe place to raise Tuff and this is the closest to perfection I've found."

The pink mare popped up next to the cyber pony again,"Oh! So you two are going to LIVE here?"

"If you all are willing to put up with me, I'd be grateful if I could stay," Applejack and Dash cringed when Pea said this.

Pea became quiet as the six mares went back to chatting, what about she didn't know. She thought about how much Daring became enveloped in Pea's past stories. Even Dash seemed enthralled by them. Would a book about me be accepted in a place like this? She asked herself. Pea wasn't sure.

Several minuets passed and Pea ate a few bites of food, she was to worried about how a book about her might ruin Tuff's chance at a normal life. She sighed as the six mares around her just smiled as if nothing was wrong and envied it.

Quite suddenly Daring flew into the room panting. She had a pit helmet on and sweat beads on her face. Pea jumped off her chair and rushed next to the pegasus.

"Daring, you alright? You look like something's after you!"

"Look at this," she wheezed as she pulled something out of her satchel,"I've never seen anything like it before!"

She held in her hoof a glossy, almost marble like gem. It was teardrop shaped and dark turquoise with milky swirls around it. Daring looked up at Pea with a confident smile,"Auizotol...he's gone crazy over this thing. Take care of it...please." Then she feinted onto the floor.

Pea saw a bruise looking spot on her chest. Her mind snapped into action. She put the gem into her vest before she looked to the six shocked mares.

"She's got internal bleeding. Damn it...alright ladies, I'm going to need all of your help," she pointed to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash," You two, get her to a hospital now. You, fancy unicorn, watch Tuff for me and stay in here. You, jumpy and Applejack, make sure this Auizotol guy doesn't get inside the castle. You, princess, brief me on Auizotol." Pea commanded and each mare looked to Twilight.

"Well...don't stare at me, do what she says! This all seems really dangerous!"

With that each mare went off to their task. Fluttershy and Dash lifted Daring gingerly and flew out the door. Pinkie pulled a ninja suit from nowhere and somersaulted out the door. Rarity and Tuff sat at the table with nervous faces. Twilight teleported herself and Pea to the front door of the castle.

"Pea, we've dealt with Auizotol before, but...he's never been so violent..."

"How big is this guy?" Pea asked flatly.

"He's much taller then a pony," Twilight recalled,"He's got arms like a gorilla's and a long mouth full of sharp teeth, I've never seen a pony fight him and win before...you're not...you're not fighting him are you?"

"That's the plan, sugar cube," Pea said grimly.

"Well, how are you going to find him?" Twilight asked desperately.

"I'm going to need a bird's eye view, fly up and do a perimeter check. Teleport back to me if you do or don't find anything."

Twilight's heart was pounding. This was all so sudden and yet this mysterious mare kept her head cool while something was thirsty for blood. She flew skyward and her head was swimming in different emotions as she scanned the now night covered land. She flew almost six hundred feet up and found a slew of torch fires in the Everfree forest. She poofed back to Pea who was ridged with a cold look that hid red hot anger.

"I found several torches in the Everfree forest-"

Pea butted in,"Take me there, now."

"Like...carry you?" Twilight asked sheepishly.

"And drop me in there, you got a problem?" Pea's cold eyes pierced Twilight's.

"N-no...alright, let's go," Twilight stammered. She fluttered her wings and lifted up Pea in a cloud of magic. They teleported in the air close to the forest and a low din could be heard. Twilight was breathing quickly and had trouble keeping her elevation.

"Shhh,relax. It's easy," Pea encouraged,"Just fly close by and drop me right in. You've played ring toss haven't you?"

"Y-yes, but I don't see h-how it helps here!" Twilight panicked.

"Just pretend that I'm the ring and the gap in the trees is the goal. The prize you win is your town's safety."

"I'm not sure that made me feel any better, but...okay," Twilight nodded.

She flew the cyber payload over and saw a gap in the trees where torch light leaked out. Twilight looked to Pea with frantic eyes but Pea just looked up at her and nodded. Twilight bit her lip hard as she let go of the mare. She watched with awe as Pea waved back to her as the grey mare fell to earth.

Pea grabbed the top branches of the nearest tree with all four limbs. She moved her hands and feet one after another silently as she made her decent. She saw the big blue beast that was named Auizotol, he fit the description the princess gave her. She made her way to the the branched just out of view. There were several tribal looking ponies and a variety of bruiser ponies as well. They all held torches as they looked at Auizotol.

"Treasure hunters! Stallions of Fortune! The greatest treasure in Equestria is in that town. I want it and will pay any price to whoever brings it back to me!" He shouted and the stallions cheered.

Pea saw an unnatural look in his small eyes. She had seen that look before, it was on Gumbo when he talked about the 'most beautiful thing in the world', it was on Borox when he was dominating on the battlefield, and it was on Belial as he hunted for the gates of Tartarus. Pea knew that a look of greed like this led to lives being smashed like grapes for that beast's wine. She readied herself for a surprise attack on the blue ape like monster.

The crowd began to rush to the edge of the forest and Pea took her chance. She jumped off the tree and slammed her hind hooves into Auizotol's shoulder blades. He coughed as he slammed onto the ground. He spun around and grabbed Pea with a meaty hand. His eyes had the look of murder in them, as did Pea's. The ape's crowd stopped dead in their tracks and watched the brewing fight.

"What are you, a PONY doing to stop me getting the King's Tear?" He hissed.

"I don't give a damn what is or who you think you are. There are innocent ponies out there and I won't let you get that mcguffin even if that means killing you."

"And how will-" Auizotol smirked but stopped short.

Pea squeezed both fore-hooves on his thumb and bent it back in a nasty direction. The ape screamed and dropped Pea. She landed like a cat on the ground and wasting no time tackling the ape's legs and pulled his ankles in awful positions. Auizotol squealed and grabbed an ankle with his free hand. Pea stood on her hind hooves ready to strike again. Out from the ape's back his tail ending in a fist whacked Pea in the gut. She grabbed it only for a moment then looked into Auizotol's eyes.

"What did you do to Daring Do?"

"She tried to take the King's Tear. I stopped her with a mace to the chest!" He cackled wickedly,"She'll only have a few hours to live! The mace had a contact poison from the dreaded Red Ring Octopus, I shall be finally rid of her by morning!" Despite his injuries Auizotol coughed up a laugh.

Pea pulled her arm into a twenty five degree angle at her side and stomped on her hind legs up to the blue ape. He swung his tail again but his fist was caught by Pea's free hand. He squirmed as her metallic fingers wrapped around his tail's fist and the crunching of his finger bones was audible. She moved next to his long torso and her coiled arm sprung out. It nearly sunk into Auizotol's chest and Pea strained to pull her fist out of the crater she made in his ribs. He coughed up blood on the ground and the look of murder was gone. He curled up as his damages would allow and rose a hand up to Pea in desperation.

"P-please...spare me! I'm but a gold hungry fool,"His plea were silenced when Pea's hind hoof pushed his bottom jaw to the ground causing him to piratically kneel. He tried to push Pea off his jaw but she stood like a rock against his struggle. Pea's grim face curled up into a smile.

"You think just because your bigger and stronger then ponies that you can just take what ever you want. I'll tell you what. The pigs and Gnolls I've fought would kick your candy ass for breakfast, these days they tuck their tails and run when I walk into town. You though...you tried to kill one of these ponies here. They were nothing but nice to me so I'll do them a favor..."

Auizotol growled in denial at the mare's words. She slid her hands between the ape's teeth on his top jaw and pushed up slightly. He pulled back and screamed as the mare used her mechanical limbs to lift the ape's top jaw. The higher she lifted the more the sides of the ape's jaw ground in a unnatural way until there was a loud crack and the ape went limp. Pea stepped to the side and Auizotol's jaws smacked together, completely out of alignment. His once berserk eyes had rolled back into his head leaving them blank and lifeless. Pea rolled her shoulders and cast a frighting glare at the torch bearing crowd. The ape's followers were completely dumbfounded. They had never seen such brutality in their lives and whimpered as Pea waled over to them. She had a grim smile on her face.

"Alright boys, I'm going to need you to busy yourselves and bury our poor friend who has passed on. Better make it snappy, or I'll make your necks go 'snappy'," she said.

The stallions ran in a mindless mob around the ape and frantically dug a trench next to the dead monster with their bare hooves. Pea sighed and walked to the edge of the forest. She emerged into the field outside and found Twilight waiting for her. The princess sprung next to Pea with a barrage of questions.

"What happened? I heard a lot of screaming, are you alright? Is Auizotol still in there? Is he coming out?"

Pea held a hoof up to quiet the alicorn. She looked at the purple mare with a tired but pleased look,"You and your friends won't have to worry about Auizotol ever again. Before I go lay down, tell me about Daring. Is she alright?"

"Yes, the doctor said she came in just in time. If she was any later a poison would have stopped her heart!"

Pea began walking back to town,"How many times have I walked to this damn town?"

Pea's mind was half asleep as she made her way for the town. Twilight teleported them both back to the castle in the guest room Pea had slept in the night before. The grey mare glanced around for a moment before flopped onto the bed. Twilight wondered what made the mare so tired, but didn't want to ask. She left the room an gathered her friends back up.They all sat outside Pea's room in the hallway. Twilight seemed the most shaken up of the troupe.

Applejack comforted the princess,"We got Daring Do safe with the doctor. Did that mare tell you what happened with that ape fellah?"

"No, she didn't tell me, she seemed so tired. Is her nephew alright?" Twilight asked. Tuff jumped out behind Rarity.

"Here lady, is Auntie G alright?" he asked.

"She's just sleepy, like the rest of us. We'll talk in the morning," Twilight assured the group of ponies.

They dispersed back to their houses with few words to each other, each shaken up by the sudden events. Twilight made her way back to her room with a head full of one thought, what did Pea do in that forest? She groggily opened her bedroom door and slumped to the bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

She awoke the next morning oddly refreshed. Twilight walked to the guest room with a tray of breakfast in tow ready to surprise Pea. She swung the door open to find an empty room. She checked the room next door and found Tuff snoring. Twilight left the food in Tuff's room and searched the rest of the first floor in search of the grey mare. She spent almost an hour looking around before checking Pea's room again. She went inside and found something she didn't notice before, There was a small piece of paper tucked into the blanket with a cross inside a circle. She slapped her forehead in response.

Of course! Pea had left the night before to visit Daring in the hospital, and since Pea can't write she made a red cross symbol on a note. Tuff was behind Twilight when she found this and beside startling her he found out where his aunt was. Twilight asked if they should go and see what they could do. Tuff shook his head, he told her that it was best to leave Pea alone at a potential death bed.

A few days had passed and Twilight found out that Pea refused to leave Daring's bedside until she got better. As Daring heath returned to her she immediately decided to begin writing Pea's book again. Every morning a nurse would come into the hospital room with a syringe she injected into Daring's arm and a cup of syrup she had the pegasus drink. The shot was an anti-venom and the syrup was for keeping the anti-venom in check. It was Red Ring Octopus venom they were dealing with after all.

While Pea stayed at the hospital with Daring Tuff stayed at Twilight's castle. She was so excited about having a pupil of her own, much the opposite of how Tuff was feeling. Almost two weeks had passed since the event and Daring was released from the hospital.

Pea greeted Daring as she left the building and the tan pegasus was desperate to get some fresh air.They left the grounds and Daring decided they should sit in a reclusive spot in the park on a tree covered hill, so Pea didn't gather any unwanted attention. Pea had brought Daring's satchel along for the trip, along with her own saddle bag. The park had a few ponies and foals playing in it's confined fields completely oblivious to the stranger that sat among the trees. The two mares sat enjoying the sun and silence for a while. Daring broke the silence.

She kept looking out at the park,"Pea, what did you do to Auizotal?"

"Excuse me," the grey mare snorted,"What makes you think I did anything?"

"He is one of the most persistent creatures I know. That night he had a look in his eyes I've never seen before, he'd never just give up. It doesn't help that I know what or somewhat of your...abilities."

Pea smashed a fist into the dirt,"I got rid of him, alright? He's been after you since day one of your treasure hunts and now he's gone. I thought you'd be grateful." Pea spat at the grass.

"Is he locked up somewhere or did...did you kill him?" Daring asked quietly.

Pea gritted her teeth,"And why is it so bad that I killed someone who was a problem for everyone else?"

"After all you said about Equestria...how perfect or innocent it is..."Daring hugged herself remorsefully,"You bring something like murder into it. I thought you knew better...maybe you're just some brute from a warring kingdom after all."

Pea grabbed Daring's shoulder to make the mare look at her,"Look, what I did may have...was wrong. Once I saw your injury-"

Daring smacked her hand away,"I don't need your pity! I only decided to write you a book is...is because I needed to make more money! I need it and ponies are suckers for things they don't understand."

Pea grabbed Daring by the shoulders and slammed her weight onto a tree. The grey mare was on her hind legs and held Daring against the tree with a vice grip around her slim torso. Daring had a panicked look only for a moment. She looked at the furious mare with a wry smile.

"You...you were going to use me?" Pea fumed under her breath,"I was going to be a means to your end for money?"

"So, what are you going to do this time? Hit me, brake my nose?" Daring wheezed out of the vice grip.

Pea's arm was shaking, not because of the mare's weight but because of her words. Pea gritted her teeth.

"Just...just shut your mouth! I've been bought and used all my god damn life, I will not allow that to happen again. What's wrong with killing that bastard ape anyway?"

Daring placed a hoof onto Pea's gripping arm,"This is a place of caring souls and shelter from the cold. Bringing a thing like murder in here will taint that, do you want this place to end up like where you're from?"

Pea let go of Daring and the tan mare slumped against the tree. She sat and looked up at Pea who was shivering, the cyber mare's knees buckled and her weight toppled to the ground. Her green eyes stared out wide and afraid.

"All those ponies...they...they saw me," She pulled up her hands to her face,"You were right! I murdered him...and...I enjoyed it," her lip quivered.

Daring rubbed a bruise on her neck,"So you're sorry?"

"W-what? Of course I'm sorry!" She lay on her back nearly sobbing. She held her hands in the air to look at the palms as if the blood was still there. Her face twitched and flinched as she held back a barrage of tears,"It's these arms...these things! Before I lost them I had to think my way out of fights I knew I couldn't win...but now..." She pulled her arms back to her chest,"I'm just like them...a monster..."

Pea curled into a ball and shivered. Daring had never thought that a mere like Pea Gravel would cry, not like this. The tan pegasus scooted over and ran a hoof through Pea's mane. Pea looked up with watery eyes.

"Pea, if you're truly sorry...well...I'm not sure there's anything we could do," She smiled. Daring placed a hoof on either side of Pea's head and pulled the grey mare to her chest. Pea was shocked and blinked in disbelief.

"Shh, if you need to let anything out, go ahead," Daring said hugging Pea.

The cyber mare wrapped her arms around Daring's waist and hugged tight. The pegasus patted her head gingerly as Pea let out choked sobs, for her recklessness here, for the pain out there. It had been awhile since she had cried like that and it calmed her nerves to let out what was bottled up. How much time passed there the two mares didn't know, but neither cared. Pea had only hugged a handful of ponies in her life, she felt safer in Daring's arms then any other. Eventually, Pea pulled herself into a sitting position up next to Daring.

"Thanks...I needed that," the grey mare sniffled.

"I'm sorry I lashed out at you," Daring sighed,"I...I was scared. For you and of you a bit. When I said I was going to use you to make money...you know I didn't mean it right? But we've put that in the past, so no hard feelings?" Daring smiled with a hoof around Pea's shoulder.

"Yeah, no hard feelings," She sat for a moment with Daring's arm over her shoulder,"Oh, oh I meant to tell you," Pea said wiping the wetness from her face with her vest,"That thing you found, it's called the King's Tear. The ape mentioned something about it being a invaluable treasure...have you heard of it?"

Daring leaned on Pea looking up through the tree leaves,"The King's Tear huh? Very poetic sounding," she sighed. Pea looked down at the tanned mare leaning on her, the cyber mare blushed slightly.

"I heard of it," Pea said,"It's something Volm is looking for, something I'm looking for." with this information Pea seemed suddenly euphoric. She stood up and held Daring into the air,"I got it before he did! I got it, not him! Can you believe it?" She laughed.

Daring couldn't help but laugh along with Pea's spastic joy. Pea spun in a circle with Daring like holding a child and once she became dizzy she set Daring back on the ground. Pea's head bobbled as the world spun around her. Daring laughed again.

"You're a crazy mare Pea Gravel! It's refreshing in such a calm place like this," Daring giggled.

"And you're not to bad yourself,"Pea smiled. She reached into her saddle bag and pulled out Daring's book. She tossed it to the tan pegasus and then a pen,"Now, we've got a book to finish. Let's get to writing!"

It was the night before the Literature Festival. Daring Do and Rainbow Dash sat in Rarity's boutique picking different dresses for the festivities. Next to the door was Daring satchel with a thick, newly bound copy of Pea's book. While Daring was having her hair fixed up into a bun a knock came at the door. Dash got up to answer it and once she opened the door Pea was standing outside with a sheepish smile.

"Are you here to try out for a dress?" Rarity called from inside.

Pea eyed the cyan pegasus,"I dunno. What do you think Smash, would I look good in a dress?"

"If it was made of sheet metal," Dash joked,"Come on. I think getting a dress for you will be a...interesting job."

Rarity looked up from behind Daring's mane,"Oh goodness! I'm certainly glad you came here, I'd simply die if you went to the festival with that on," She cried pointing to Pea's worn vest.

The grey mare chuckled,"Yeah...some ponies would find it rather silly huh?"

Rarity proceeded to look over at all of the other dresses she had out in case one ripped or got dirty. They all were beautifully colorful and ornate, each a work of art. Rarity and Dash piratically had to drag her over to them to see what she looked like in them. They went through most if not all of them, each making Pea feel less and less comfortable. When Daring saw her being stuffed into and pulled out of dresses she couldn't help but laugh, Pea wrinkled her face at the mare in response. After what felt like forever they had gone through every dress Rarity had in the mare's size and bigger. The cyber mare simply didn't feel fit to wear such beautiful things.

"Umm...Miss Rarity?" The cyber mare asked putting a hefty necklace back into a drawer,"Do you have something...perhaps more, I don't know...humble?"

Rarity giggled,"Well, I suppose. Awhile back Zecora came in asked me if I could make her another cloak-"

"Could you?!" Pea asked excitedly.

"But it's so simple...alright, I'll do it," She trudged over to her fabrics and reached behind a stuffed shelf case. She pulled out a dark green fabric that looked like it had never been rolled out. She drug it over to her work bench and began making the stencils necessary for the cloak.

Daring was in a dark blue dress when she walked up to Pea,"Do you think this one looks good on me?" she asked.

"You look...daring!" Pea smirked. The pegasus chuckled.

Rainbow Dash's voice called over from the door,"Hey, what's this?"

Daring scrambled over to the mare and snatched her bag that contained the novel,"Hey, no peeking!"

"Peeking at what?" Dash with a puzzled tone.

Pea waved a hoof for the mares to walk back over into the main room. Daring held the shoulder strap in her teeth keeping the contents away from Rainbow Dash. Pea grabbed the bag when she had the chance and pulled the book out. She and Dash stared at how simple the brown and red bound book looked. Pea handed it over to Rainbow Dash who blinked in disbelief.

"Go ahead, read it."

"Pea! I wanted you to see it bound first," Daring said.

"She wanted to help, so I'll let her by listening to what she has to say about it."

Dash took the novel and held it as if it were gold. Pea smiled back at the pegasus as she lifted the cover to see the first page. Dash cocked her head to the side when she saw there was no title.

Pea smacked her forehead,"We forgot to name it!"

"You know...I had an idea if you two want to hear it," Dash said quietly. Pea and Daring leaned forward with their ears tuned in. Dash put the book safely under her wing,"Pea, you told me that there was so much out there a pony couldn't control...that creatures like us are at the bottom. Since this book is probably going to have a lot of that...how about Forces?"

Pea and Daring gasped,"That's a great idea!"

Dash stood in a proud position,"Of coarse its a good idea, I thought of it!"

The night wasn't getting any younger and a tired look came over the two mares involved with the books creation. Dash thanked the two mares very much, and Rarity. The unicorn was to busy muttering over the silliness of Pea's cloak request to pay much attention as Rainbow Dash exited the boutique. Once Rainbow left Pea slumped onto the floor with heavy eyelids, Daring with an equal fatigue lay as gracefully as she could without ruining the blue dress she had on.

Rainbow held the mysterious novel in her arms as she pumped her wings through the night sky. She raced through air currents and clouds on her way back to her home, the perfect place to read the book she had waited almost two months for. She slowed her pace once the door of her house was in view, once next to it she threw it open and kicked it closed on her way to her room.

Not very many ponies knew of her book collection. It was in her 'sports' room on shelves hidden by various banners of sports teams or wonderbolt members, but in the center of that literature was her very own LazyBuck recliner. Dash flew into the room full of dart boards, pool tables and hidden books and landed on the wide cushioned chair. She took a moment to catch her breath after the race home.

For some reason she couldn't calm down. She vaguely remembered the things Pea Gravel said in the field outside Ponyville, but to see it all and more there in black and white, the mare felt nervous about reading it. She tried settling herself more comfortably into the chair. Dash lifted the cover and turned to the first page with text.

For anypony with a thirst of freedom and a will to pay the price.

Rainbow Dash's grip on the book slacked,"Price? What price dose freedom cost?"

2) Strangers in Paradise (part 1)

3) A Book called 'Forces'

Rainbow Dash sat in her LazyBuck chair being anything but comfortable. In her hidden study she had only a single lamp illuminating the book in front of her. It was written by A.K Yearling (or Daring Do as she prefers out of formal events) along with the short tempered mare Pea Gravel about the journey the stranger had from a dismal childhood to when she arrived on Equestria's shores.

The title page had nothing except the authors names; A.K. Yearling and Boatswain. Dash was puzzled of the seemingly random name. She soon realized it was just a pen name like Daring's. She flipped to the first page and began reading the book she had waited two months to hear about.

Hello, my name is Pea Gravel. This may seem strange but the world you know of cupcakes, rainbows, princesses, even friendship is noting but a dream for ponies like me who don't live alongside with you. If you'll let me, I'll explain it the way I lived through it and maybe you'll appreciate the world you live in a bit more when you put down this book.

I was born like everypony, into poverty. My father, orange hair and red fur with a face that shown the labor he did to feed my mother and I. She was a pegasus, a rare thing to find as a free pony, and he was an Earth pony like me. Both were nomads until they met each other, my mother's fair grey fur and platinum mane caught his eye and the fact she had wings meant her children could. Sadly it didn't but what came out of it was a little grey filly with a grey coat and an orange mane...me.

Having a family to care for was no easy task in the world we lived in. Both were from the desert which was full of things similar to diamond dogs (but scrawnier and in larger packs) , deadly scorpions, and worse of all Carnahorses. Now for you kids at home, yes a Carnahorse is exactly what it sounds like. Its a pony that can only eat meat. With all of these dangers and a brewing territory dispute with the Ridge Dogs and the Sand Boars, my father needed to find a place as close to safety as we could get.

We found a rancher in the Sand Boars territory who was willing to let a family of ponies stay and work. Now again for the kids who don't know, a ranch (out here at least) is a farm-like place but with live stock. Along with barley or wheat they raised practically brain dead horses, pigs and cows for carnivorous buyers. Unfortunately, ponies who couldn't keep up with feeding and tending the herds were turned into glue, food and leather while their bones were sold to the Coyotes who made art from any bones they could find. My father didn't want this this to happen to me so he made a deal with the rancher pig, he dose the whole family's share of labor while my mother and I clean the pig's house and cook. The pig accepted happily.

I know what your thinking,"Pea Gravel! That's a horrible trade, what happens when your father can't work anymore?"

The truth is, my father would rather work out in the fields under sweltering heat then fight the Ridge Dogs. These diamond dogs have a massive, well organized pack. All they would do with a pony is eat it or 'play' with it awhile, the Sand Boars on the other hand are a much more lenient to other hooved creatures. This band of wealthy pig land lords would rather pay ponies to work for them until their use is out, then eat them or 'play' with them.

I was about eight when I started noticing differences with my parents. My father became thinner and sun bleached while my mother came back to our house on the ranch later and later from the Pig's house. The later she came home, the more silver she came back with. This was a reoccurring thing and at the time I thought nothing of it, the only thing that kept the two going was the stories dad would tell late at night. They were of fantastic things like wish granting fairies and ponies who could slay dragons, tales of hope for the pitiful things we were. I became fascinated with things outside the norm and I was often caught daydreaming when I should have been scrubbing or dusting, but I

wasn't the only one. He often told stories to the sore ponies and cows that worked with him and his stories gave as sense of hope...and sometimes purpose.

One night not to soon after I turned eleven everything changed. The desert air was hot for the time of night while all of the tired ponies, bulls and whatever else unfortunate enough to be stuck in the ranch all slept dreamless, except me. I lay wide awake between my parents on our dirt floor with a single wool blanket over the three of us. I stared at the mud brick ceiling with a sense of unknown fear. I tossed and turned for awhile until I decided to go to the glassless window night sky and gaze at the stars. I got a wood crate to help me reach the windowsill and poked my head out the window. My heart froze and my eyes blinked in disbelief at what I saw slinking through the other ranch houses. It was a dragon. Each pueblo was thin and about two stories tall, the dragon was crawling and shoulders almost met two thirds up.

I would later come to know that this dragon's name was Wiktet. His body was long and a rust red color with porcupine quills running down his wavy back but no wings like the ones I heard of in stories. His teeth jutted out to make his mouth look like it was in a permanent smile. Wiktet slithered through the ranch houses like a snake through a gopher tunnel. He peered his pale yellow eyes into the mud brick houses with a hungry look. He licked his lips as his arm carefully into a window and shuffled his talons through the room while the small grey filly watched. His eyes lit up when he grabbed something, he pulled his tawny arm back out and held a labor worn pony between his talons. Wiktet licked the sleepy pony who cringed from the unnatural touch. She opened her eyes for only moment before the dragon shoved her neck back with a push of his thumb, causing the mare to go limp. I couldn't believe what I saw but what came next was just as shocking.

The pig rancher hobbled his fat girth down the path that ran along the fronts of the pueblo houses. Wiktet crawled out to meet him and his massive size dwarfed the fat pig. I saw an almost...mutual look between them.

"Gracias, cerdo," the dragon drooled,"Your workers have a...sabor especial."

"De nada, Jefe," The pig looked around in the darkness nervously,"I have a favor to ask of you if you'll listen," the rancher said through his fat.

"For a few bites, I may take it. What dose my little cerdo want?" Wiktet hissed.

"I have this one familia in a pueblo," The pig pointed to my house and I ducked out of view,"The Padre in there fills my workers heads with stories full of azúcar y mentiras, sugar and lies. If he keeps going they might get ideas."

The dragon wheezed an awful laugh,"You want me to eat some caballitos?"

I could hear the dirt scrape against his belly and claws as he crawled closer. I had to think fast, I ran over to my parents and shook them awake.

"Mamma! Padre! Wake up!" I cried.

"Eh, what is it pequeño? My Padre asked groggily. He saw how frightened I looked and held me close in his arms,"You just had a bad dream, Pea. Come back to bed-" His eyes shot open when he saw the talons of Wiktet's hand slip through the window.

Rainbow Dash left the book open on her lap and leaned back into her cushioned chair. She remembered Pea Gravel, or Boatswain now, telling her about this part of the story. Dash leaned forward and fluttered her wings, her stomach felt sick when she thought about what happened to Pea's mother. That pegasus was 'clipped' for life, she went crazy being stuck on the ground. Dash turned a few pages and found a part where Pea was wandering alone away from the ranch. She ended up in the mountains as the weather began to drop.

Dash found where Pea wrote of her...'encounter' with the carnahorse. The pegasus grimaced at the daunting paragraph telling of the meat-eating-horse's untimely end. Rainbow Dash skipped past that part and found a paragraph a little ahead and found it much less relenting.

...the snow was heavy on the other side of the mountains. Nowadays I know the reason the desert I spent my young life in was so dry and relentless, it was in a rain shadow of these mountains. From what supplies I took from the carnahorse's cottage I was fed little for several weeks. In the pine forest that covered this side of the mountain I spent many sickened nights only being kept warm by leather and wool coats I took from the cottage.

I about a month I reached the foot of the mountain range and found a thick pine forest with trees I had never seen. These trees had leaves much bigger then pine needles. I gazed at the forest and embraced the sight of the most green I had ever seen. I walked through it, it's cold wet ground feeling alien on my hooves. As I walked I found a ridge that led to a small cliff face. I heard the sounds of clanging metal and the occasional grunt of anger.

I crept to the ridge and saw thirty feet down in a rocky clearing a pony I could only describe as stretched. In her suit of dark iron armor I could see she had long legs, a long snout, long ears and a long tail. She even had backwards facing horns sticking thorough her helm. From my point of view I thought the set of tan bat wings on her back was a cape. The long armored pony had a group of bandits attacking her from all sides.

The group consisted of four rams with spears and a massive pig with a heavy flail. All of them had thick leather hide armor with occasional pieces of iron as protection. But the part that frightened my young self the most is that they seemed to be having fun as they were attacking the pony from all sides with a sword in both forehooves. I was amazed by how quickly she moved with all of that armor. One of the rams threw a spear but missed the pony, unfortunately it hit some loose dirt I was leaning on and I rolled down the cliff. Both sides watched me roll down the hill with amusement.

I landed right in front of the pig. He looked from me to the armored pony. He kicked me in the ribs then used one of his forefeet to keep me on the ground. The armored pony looked at me through her visor with shocked pink eyes. With the pig's hoof on my back I could barely breath.

"Heh heh heh, wacha gonna do now?" The pig snickered with the mace's handle in his mouth.

"Ya fat swine!" the mare's muffled voice called through the helm,"I'll slash the fat off your damned bones!" It was an accent I had never heard in the desert.

"Pit down yer swords...and yer armor too an' I let 'er go," The pig licked his lips,"I bet yer a squishy 'un under all dat armor!"

The mare was standing on her hind hooves and stamped a foot closer,"I'll warn you only once...get off."

The pig leaned more on to me and I cried out in pain under his crushing strength. He laughed only for a moment. The armored mare's wings rocketed her toward the pig, she readied her swords as the pig simple brain tried to register what was happening.

He didn't have long. The mare's swords dug deep into his adam's apple and as she pulled the two apart his wide neck split open gushing blood out onto me and the ground. His weapon fell to the earth and I scrambled to get out of the way of his falling body. He landed with a wet thud and his ram followers scattered. I sat panting and afraid while the pony looked at me through the visor.

"Is the wee filly injured?" She asked with her accented voice.

"A-a little. That bastard was heavy on my back. But...thanks for saving me, Miss," I responded. I rubbed the thick blood off my jacket.

"What a mouth on such a young lass," She said sheathing her swords. She walked over to a large rock and lifted a large pack from behind it and placed it between her wings. She looked back to me for a moment,"Oi, there's a river over yonder. If you don't want some wolves or worse chasin' ya, I'd suggest you wash the blood off of you," She sniffed the air,"Actually you need it any way. I kin smell you from here."

I felt a little offended at this. I looked down at my hooves and saw not the skin tone hooves I have, but mud crusted nubs. I pulled some of my mane in view and saw it was matted and had bits of sticks in it. I glared at the mare, I knew I was a bit dirty, she didn't have to be so blunt about it.

The mare was walking away to a thicket of trees and I rushed up to her to follow. My chest aced from the pig's attack but I didn't want the armored mare to know it really hurt. She stared straight ahead as if I wasn't next to her.

"So yer followin' me now?" she asked.

"I-is that a problem?" I asked as bravely as I could. I could sense a smile from her inside that helmet.

I followed her for a little and listened to the sound of cicadas and singing birds. The armored mare broke the silence,"Do you have a name, lass?"

"Pea Gravel, miss," I said meekly.

"Tsk! Ya don'y have tah call me Miss. If you're going tah be formal say 'mam," Her voice grated,"And I have a name too, Alia Bufordox."

I giggled when I herd her name,"Bufordox? What kind of name is that?"

"S'a traditional name for Dragon Ponies like myself," She replied flatly.

"Dragon pony?" I asked vacantly.

"Are ya that stupid lass?" Alia groaned,"Look at me wings! They aren't a-covered in feathers are they?" She said lifting her bat-like wings.

"Is that all that makes you a dragon?" I asked.

"When we stop at the river I'll show ya. I'd rather not carry this here armor unless it's on me back."

After a small walk through the pine and leafy trees I heard the sound of moving water. Once out of the woods I saw a small river, up until then it was the biggest body of water I had ever seen. I threw off the leather coats on my back and rushed to the river. Jumping into the shallows the cold water felt amazing on my grubby skin. I rolled around and dunked my head under the water while Alia moved to the shore undoing some of the leather straps on her armor. I had figured out a strange form of the doggy paddle until I looked over at Alia. I trotted to shore with a soaking coat of fur.

Alia was undoing the leather under her chin and I realized something terrifying at the time. Alia had fingers like a dragon's. She slid her horned helm but the streamline horns stayed on her head. Alia held the thick iron helm in her hands and looked at me with her pink iris eyes which complimented her burgundy mane that flowed out between the horns. She had very smooth skin that almost looked like fish scales in the tree dappled light and a scar ran across her muzzle cheek to cheek. Alia lay her helm next to the rest of her armor and stretched her arms and wings out with a yawn.

"So you really are a hybrid!" I exclaimed.

"What a daft lass, did my wings really not give it away?" She groaned.

I sat near her examining her alien appearance, she didn't take it to well.

"Am I funny lookin' to ya?" She growled.

"No, just different," I smiled.

"Pea was it?" She asked picking her sharp teeth with a claw,"I've got to say, either you're the bravest wee pony I met or the stupidest."

"Why?" I asked whimsically.

"Cuz most ponies turn tail and run at the sight of me. Ya see...most ponies think I'm some sort of monster or something cus my father was a dragon," Alia said.

"I don't think your scary. I've seen a real dragon and you're nothing like him."

Alia threw her head back and laughed loudly,"Really? Ah, what kind of dragon did ya see lass?"

"He was long and redish black. He had creepy yellow eyes and porcupine quills on his back," I recalled with a chill.

Alia's face grew serious,"Did he have wings?"

"No, that's the weird part! All of the dragons I've heard about have wings like you."

"That's no good. From what ya told me, that one sounds like the Lamb Cruncher, Wiktet. He's one of Borox's cronies," Alia said with a frown.

"Borox? Who's that?"

"Ah child, you lived under a rock didn't you? Borox also known as the Serpent Father or The Bloody Bastard by non followers, is teh head of some cult for wingless dragons," Her wings twitched,"I could never imagine being stuck to the ground like an 'earth crawler'...no offence."

"S'alright Alia," I smiled.

There was a silence between the two of us for a moment. Alia looked around impatiently,"You washed up, why are ya still here?"

"I want to follow you," I said bluntly.

"Come again?" Alia itched the inside of her ear.

"I want you to teach me to fight like you did back there," I asked with bright eyes,"Could you?"

Alia bit her lip. She folded her arms and scanned my size for a moment,"You? You learning to fight like me? Don't make me laugh."

"What have you got to lose?" I asked.

"Well...yer a pony. Ponies aren't the fighting type," She grumbled,"Most of the things out there would eat ya alive!"

"I escaped a dragon and killed a carnahorse," I said flatly.

"Bullshit you did. I've seen carnahorses, their as tenacious as a mule is stubborn. There's no way in heaven or hell a filly would kill one."

"So you don't believe me?" I asked.

"Hell no I don't. Don't go trying to swell your story to make it sound better, that's not how it works out here," She piratically scolded.

I stood up on my hooves,"Alright, I'll fight you for it."

Alia rolled on the ground laughing. She whooped and hollered while I stood with a uneasy glare. Her fits of laughter subsided and she sat up and looked at me with an amused look.

"Oh lassie, you'd really fight me even knowin' I'm a mercenary that's killed more creatures then ya have teeth? Even knowin' I'm a carnivore?" She grinned devilishly.

"Yes," I said simply.

She got up and walked over to a nearby tree. She broke off two staff-like branches and tossed one to me. The stick landed in front of me and I looked from Alia to the staff. She held her staff in her mouth and walked back to her sitting spot on the shore. She sat down and smiled with the stick between her teeth.

"Alright, I'll go easy on ya. Just try to land a hit on me," She grinned.

I picked up the staff with my jaw and looked at how Alia was sitting. She sat like a cat would waiting for her prey to come closer. I shifted my hooves around looking for a vulnerable spot while her hot pink eyes stared me down. I took my chances for her left side. I jolted off the ground and had my staff mid swing but something blocked my strike. Her wing was splayed out like a shield and I was swept away like a dust bunny. Rolling back, I went for the other side. This time a smack in the face from her tail. Targeting the center. Crack on the head with a staff. I put my staff in my fore hooves and stood on my hind ones, this made Alia's eyebrow raise a little. I went in for a downward strike and was blocked by her staff. Strike, block, strike, bock, kick...

She spat her staff out when my hind hoof went towards the base of her jaw. She headbutted me and I went sprawling back. I was about to push myself up when a stick poked my throat. I looked up and Alia had an annoyed look as she stood over me.

"Look lass, it's been fun an' all but I've got things to do. So if ya don't mind, kindly bugger off."

I've been told my eyes turn a mint green when I'm especially angry. This was one of those times,"There's only one way to use your mouth in a fight," I growled and bit the staff at my throat. Somehow I pulled it out of her grip and made a full 360 turn before cracking it hard on her muzzle.

I stared wrathfully up at her breathing heavily. Alia stared down at me with a shocked look and a nose dripping blood. She held a hand up to her nose and sat down blinking wide eyed.

"Never I'm my life have I seen a pony with such pain tolerance and...and drive for combat. Ya didn't even notice the blood dripping from your forehead did you?" She asked breathlessly. She held a hand up to block the streams of blood from her nose.

I dropped the stick and placed a hoof on my forehead then held my now blood covered hoof in front of my face. Now that I thought about it, my whole forehead was feeling warm and wet now. My adrenalin had subsided and I sat across from the dragon pony my head aching from Alia's strike. We sat in a few moments of pained silence.

"Alright, I'll teach you what I know...or at least some of it," She said with a grin behind her hand.

I hugged the dragon pony. She seemed shocked and shoved me off her torso.

"I'm your mentor not yer mum! Don't go huggin me like that!" She scowled.

"Sorry...so what's my first job?" I asked excitedly.

"First up, we both need to wash off again. Can't walk around like some blood covered cannibals, eh?" Alia chuckled.

We both went over to the river and dunked our heads into the cool water. The flow if it felt amazing on my head that now felt like it was spit in two, thankfully it wasn't.

Alia smiled wryly. She pointed to her stack of armor and chain mail,"First I need ya to sort me armor inta two piles. One that the armor isn't cracked or rusted and one that is. Then once you're done with that take the grindin' stone out from the bag an' sharpen my swords."

I jumped to the task while Alia slipped into the river and let the cold water relax her sore muscles. I had sharpened farm tools before but never swords. A few hours passed and I scanned and checked Alia's armor while she swam through the river bend. It was almost dark and I stopped working to get a fire started. Alia saw me make a small flame started with some flint and tinder I stole from the carnahorse. The dragon pony jumped out of the river and shook the water off her mane onto the fire. I was about to protest but I remembered that I was under her lead now.

"Ya can't make a fire here you idiot!" She hissed a whisper.

"Why not? Fire scares off animals, right?"

"Yeah but not Ridge Dogs, fire would be a beacon to 'em," She looked over at her armor which still looked like one stack,"I thought I told you to put the good and bad armor in two piles."

"I did, all of your armor is beat up," I sighed as I scattered the ingredients for the fire,"Your going to have to find a real good black smith or pay for a whole new set."

Alia lumbered over to her belongings and cursed under her breath. She pulled out a blanket and bagged up her armor. The dragon pony tied a rope at the end of the bag, flapping her wings she settled the bag on a thick branch on a tree above and tied the rope to secure it. Alia lay on a branch adjacent to the burdened one and called down to me.

"I don't think ya want to sleep down there, some Dogs may come by."

"Could you help me up there?" I called back.

"I'm already laying down, come up here yourself."

I muttered under my breath as I hoisted my belongings onto my back and tried climbing the tree. It took awhile but I managed to get a decent height. Even tough made it up abut twenty feet, Alia was still higher up. I grumbled as I used the jackets to make a makeshift rope to tie myself to the branch with a wool blanket for warmth. Once secured, I tried to sleep.

"Ya not used to sleepin' in trees?" Alia asked sleepily.

"No, not really...it's weird," I groaned.

I heard her chuckle before I fell into a dreamless sleep.

In the days that followed we went toward Alia's manor. She wore her armor almost the entire time, even sleeping in it. For 'safety' she said. At first I thought the idea of a settlement run by a mercenary was silly but it would be my home for some time. The fact that a settlement run by a pony, even a hybrid, was impossible to me.From what she told me it was in an old river basin and was the first farm to get the spring thaw's rain. Now I knew she was crazy, a pony having such a good spot for a manor?

We walked through the pine forest and eventually the mountains were behind us like a pack monolithic giants. The land away from those towers of rock was patched green and flat . A dirt road led us away from the mountains to some mounds in the distance. The rocks were the only landmarks in the tall dry grass, save the occasional tree which grew in patches. The mounds in the distance was a town with windmills and was full of griffons. They called it Breeze because of the powerful air current that plowed overhead; they used the town as a rest stop for fliers, merchants and messengers.

Alia told me her manor wasn't to far past the town. I asked her why she didn't fly over to the manor in stead of walking, she pointed to the cracked suit of armor and I smiled dumbly. As we went through Breeze, I got a lot of grimaces and dirty looks from the griffons and even ponies. Almost every pony I saw had a collar or a bridle on their muzzles. A few had a blank glossy stare like some washed up fish, I knew for a fact those ponies were the...'livestock' kind.

A three week journey came to an end and Alia's manor was in view. It had large wood structure at the center and a few small fields with an orchard next to it. The closer we got, the more detail I could see. The manor house had a simple but strong looking design and a few smaller houses around it in a grid pattern. On the east side were the small fields and on the west side was the orchard.

I felt a little sick when I saw her workers, they were slaves like the ponies in town. I saw four mules in her field with heavy plows in tow with that fish-like stare. Alia lead me to one of the smaller houses that had a hefty brick chimney. Going around the corner I saw it was a blacksmith shop. There was a barrel chested sand yellow stallion behind an anvil pounding on a piece of metal with a hammer. Behind him hung several metal things such as ax heads, pitch fork heads, sword blades, all decently made. Alia took off her helm and waited for him to look up.

Eventually he did and I saw a forge and time worn face of an older stallion with a graying ginger mane. He put down his hammer and wiped soot from his face,"Afternoon Lady Bufordox," His voice was gruff," I'm glad to see you back, is there anything I can do for you today?"

"Aye, Smelter. I need ya to repair my armor. It's been cracked since last time I was here."

"Oh dear. I'll do what I can but you've really gone and banged it up...if your lordship permits, we don't have very much coal left for this kind of thing...my apologies."

"Oh shut it. Just tell me what else the manor is running low on."

Smelter shifted his weight,"Well...there's flour, salt, coal, iron, lumber and wheat seeds." The blacksmith muttered.

"Wheat seeds? Flour? I've got a whole wheat field out there," Alia fumed.

"Bad season last year. Didn't rain for a whole four months...dried the whole thing up. I'm surprised the apple orchard is still alive." Smelter smiled.

"I understand that but why are Sammy and his brothers still tilling the field?" Alia groaned.

"While you were gone I planted barley. Those mules wanted ale so bad they've been tending the fields even with the drought we've had."

"Alright, alright. There's a few things I need to catch up on," Alia said hurriedly,"Pea, help me get this armor off. I miss my bed in the big house and I'm rather worn out."

Undoing her armor straps was rather easy and once she left Smelter went to work. I leaned on the framework of the shop while Smelter heated up the forge. It was a few moments before he decided to chat.

"So, your name's Pea Gravle?" Smelter asked eyeing a forearm piece.

"Yes sir," I said quietly.

"No reason to call me sir, I'm a slave. You don't seem like your...how would the best way sound...owned."

"I guess not, Alia called me her 'squire' on the way out here," I said bashfully.

"Squire huh?" He said holding the armor close to the forge with tongs to heat it up,"You're a lucky one. The best a slave like us here can get is stuff to call our own. Or just have an owner like Master Bufordox, she's very kind despite her...jaded attitude."

"Us? How many slaves are out here?" I asked with a grimace.

"Well...there's me, Jimmy and his three brothers, Sweet Summer, and Dew Berry. Sometimes critters looking for work stop by during harvest time with the mercenaries Alia hired to keep us safe when she's gone," He chatted while merging the crack in the armor,"Come to think of it, I think you'd like Dew Berry. She's about the same age as you...I think..."

"Where is she," I asked attentively.

"She's the house maid and Alia's personal cook. I'm pretty sure lil' Dew would be in the Big House making something for the mistress to eat. Don't bother waiting here or anything, I'm going to be just working on this until curfew so go ahead."

"Okay...see you later Smelter!" I giggled as I headed for the Big House.

"One more thing," He called before I went too far," The well is beside the big house, you should wash up before going inside."

I took his advice and found a small well near the big house. I fished out the bucket inside to wash the dirt and grime off me. After that I went for the inside of the house. The door was unlocked and the 'receiving' room had an ornate carpet under a rafter filled ceiling. There were a few doors and the one at the far end had tantalizing smells coming from it.

I followed the wafting oder to a brick layed kitchen. Dried vegetables hung from the ceiling along with pots and pans. There was a long table at the center covered in a cook's mess. A young red mare with a sky blue mane chopping turnips. She had a deep blue patterned bandanna keeping her long straight hair from her face as she worked.

"Food's not going to be done for another few hours Sweets," She din't even look up from her work,"No snacks either, you'll spoil your appetite," She said in a collected voice.

"Ummm...I'm not Sweets. I'm Pea Gavel, Alia's squire," I said.

I saw her teal eyes when her face shot up,"You? Alia told me you were some kind of natural born fighter."

"Yeah...and?"

"Well, ponies are more...domestic creatures," The red mare said,"Ponies are born to work, not fight."

"I've worked on a ranch. I hated it," I grumbled.

"A pony not wanting to serve is like a bee avoiding flowers. It's plain silly," the mare huffed.

"Okay, I take it you're One of the newer 'helpers' around for this time of year then?"

"No, I'm Dew Berry. Their tending the orchard," She glared at me," So were you after something?"

"Food, I'm starving," I giggled greedily.

"Absolutely not. Just because you're a squire doesn't mean you can eat before the rest of us. The soup should be done in about two hours."

"Gaaah! Two hours?" I cried,"What have you got to eat that isn't soup?"

"You could go for an apple outside," Dew went back to chopping turnips,"If you want to help you could put bit of ginger into the pot," She nodded to a fire spit with a cauldron over it at the far end of the kitchen,"Spices are in the pantry cabinet near the cauldron."

"Tsk, nah. I think I'll pass," I said turning to leave. Once I was facing the main door again a wiz then a thud was heard from my right ear. I looked and saw the knife Dew was using stuck in the wood door frame. I spun my head in her direction.

"What the hell...are you out of your god damn mind?!" I shouted.

"Sorry...I thought I saw a fly. My bad," She smirked and put the vegetables on a plate to put in the pot.

"You bet your bad," I grumbled.

Later that day Alia showed me to my cabin. It was small and quaint but dry. She let me place my things inside but had devilish smile.

"Kiss your old self good bye," she grinned,"Tomorrow we start training."

In the days that followed Dew and I became more...mutual, we both were in our thirteenth year now. In a open part of the orchard Alia began training me how to use a sword. We used some of the spare lumber to make wooden paddles we used to batter one another. Once sword practice was over I had to do laps around the manor, fields and all. My daily schedule became a organized hell.

-Wake up at the crack of dawn and scarf down what was left over from the day before or cook something my self. Alia and I were the only one's up then.

-Ten laps around the Big House.

-Multiple exercises that would 'bulk me up like a mule', according to Alia.

-Once the sun had been out for awhile we would start sword practice. Every week we switched weapon types; axes, spears maces, that sort of thing. She told me to use everything that wasn't nailed to the ground to win.

-At noon I was granted a break, after a run of coarse. Every ten laps meant an hour of break time, so I pushed myself to twenty laps around the manor property.

-At break time I lay under a tree or inside depending on how hot it was. Here Dew would bring me a cool rag for my head and some apples. I felt bad, I was so exhausted most of the time I couldn't even thank her. She didn't seem to mind.

-After break time I tilled the fields or tended garden and orchard. Here I got to spend time with Sweet Summer. She was a ditzy green mare with a blonde mane and a sun hat on every day. Her nectarine eyes seemed paranoid somehow and she always talked about and issue with the weather, even if it was a pleasant day outside.

-Once it grew dark dinner came around and I wolfed down my rations. I was allowed three hours of a 'night break' before curfew at eight. Here I got to spend more time with Dew. She always was ready to listen to what I had to say, even if it was a smart ass remark. She'd just throw another right back. Occasionally if I had the remaining energy, I would tell on of my father's stories about grand adventure and larger then life ponies being heroes, Dew found them unlikely but entertaining.

-Curfew hit and I crashed into sleep until the grueling cycle continued.

This went on for two years. In the later part of the first year I had to wear Alia's armor in every exercise, let's just say I'm more of a leather kinda gal.

One night while small clouds of fire flies droned through the hot night air, Dew visited my cabin. I was laying on my straw filled nap sack drained of the day's work and seemed a bit surprised when she came in. In the two years of my training she had slimmed out and...puffed up in certain places. I felt a bit awkward being as muscular as most fit stallions while she was becoming well endowed .

"Pea, do you have a moment?" she asked quietly.

"Sure bud, come on inside," I said sitting up. I hung my hind legs over the edge of the bed and patted a spot next to me. Dew walked over and sat down slowly.

"You seem bummed out Dew, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"I overheard Master Bufordox talking with a shady looking griffon. He told her about a raiding mission being funded by the Sand Boars to get a foot hold on this side of the mountains...she's bringing you with her."

"That's great!" I slapped her on the back,"My first mercenary job, this'll be a cake walk!"

Dew had a solemn look,"Didn't you hear me? I said 'Sand Boars', as in the ones you lived under and parents died because of. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

I sat in thought,"I don't have anything against them, just the one at the ranch. Once I see his flab of a face I'm going to make it a pancake," Dew groaned at me," What? You don't believe me?"

"Oh I do it's just that...were only fifteen and I've seen you pull a plow almost as good as Jimmy. All I can do is cook and clean...and a bit of sewing."

"Hey, I can't sew shit and I'd probably burn a salad if I was cooking," I smiled reassuringly.

"Thanks Pea, but you're not the least bit worried about the mission?" Dew sighed.

"Nah, I'll be fine. You better make me a good victory meal though," I smirked.

Dew seemed amazed at my lack of worry at the upcoming event. She bade me good night and went back to the big house. I knew it was nine because all of the porch lamps on the cabins were dimmed out, curfew time. I lay back on my straw bed looking up at the ceiling in thought. "What's going to happen?", I asked myself,"Am I going to survive this or was Alia right, am I just going to get eaten alive out there?"

A knock came from the door.

"It's curfew Dew," I whispered,"You'll get in trouble if your out here."

"Aye, she would,"Alia's voice came from behind the door,"But she's not here. It's just ol' Alia."

I scrambled to the door and opened it for her,"Yes mam'? What can I do for you?"

"I came to tell ya about a job opportunity. I've talked with a client about a fort this side of the mountains that a certain fort that a Sand Boar noble has his eyes on. Interested?"

"When do we start?" I asked brashly.

"We set off tomorrow. Get some rest, that's the last bed you're going to sleep on for a while." Alia yawned.

"Alright, see you tomorrow," I said. Alia nodded and walked through the hot summer night back to the big house. I went back to my bed and now seemed much more tired.

The next morning, or before dawn, Alia drug me out of bed. She was in her full suit of armor that was freshly polished. I stared groggily at her and she tossed something heavy at me. It landed on my lap and I saw a set studded leather armor. I blinked with disbelief at it.

"I've been meaning to give this to you, but now you need it," Alia said.

"So we're leaving?" I asked.

Alia nodded," Put it on, I'll wait outside for you. I got one of the mules already packed up with supplies."

The dragon pony left my cabin and I began putting on my new armor. It felt confining on me but not so much I couldn't fight in it. I left my cabin with a dizzy head. I was really going to do this. I saw Alia standing near by with one of the mules who had several packs, bags, spears and swords. He had a bridle in his squared off mouth. I met up with them and we set off with the sun rising behind us. Before we were to far away I turned to look at the manor again and found a surprise. There was Dew Berry, Smelter, Sweet Summer ans the other three mules all waving to me. I felt a swell of pride and a bit of sadness. I had to make it, for my mentor and for them.

I looked back at Alia,"So how much are we getting paid for this?" I asked.

"What a greedy pig ya are," Alia chuckled,"If you survive theirs forty pieces of silver waiting for you. Their's also a twenty gold piece award for the commanding dog in the fort. He's a gnoll from the south."

"A gnoll?" I asked vacantly.

"You know what a Diamond Dog is right?" Alia sighed.

"Yeah, it's like a dog but they walk on two legs and talk like us."

"Eeeh...close enough. Well a gnoll is like one of them but bigger and heartless. I'd rather fight fifty Dimoders then a big gnoll like the one in that fort."

I cringed. Something that makes Alia intimidated? That's no good, but I can't disobey her. She already signed up for the job and I'm her squire.

"How far away is the fort?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Its close to the mountains about a hundred and sixty miles north west from Breeze. It'll be a good long hike," She chuckled.

It took about three days of no conversation to reach the rendezvous camp where the rest of the mercenaries we were going to work with. It was a massive camp with a thousand mercenaries. Alia had her mule set up a tent while she led me to the center of the camp to confirm we were fighting. We walked through the makeshift alleys with several angry eyes looking back on us. I saw goats, caribou, pigs, and a few minotaurs and griffons. The only ponies I saw were several carnahorses that smiled at me with their razor teeth. We reached the center tent that had two minotaur guards. They were ready to stop us from entering but a learned voice called from inside.

"Ahh, Bufordox. You've come at last! Come in, come in!"

The guards stepped away and we entered. Inside there was a large pig with a purple robe trimmed in gold. He sat on an immensely cushy green pillow with several ponies fanning him. In his hoof he had a goblet of wine and a elated grin on his face.

"You haven't changed a bit, Bufordox. Tell me, who's your little friend? Is she your slave or are you just being unnecessarily kind to me?' He asked eyeing me.

"Nay, she's not a slave. This pony is my squire," The pig half choked on his wine hearing this,"Her name is Pea Gravel."

"Good afternoon your Excellency," I bowed,"I'll be honored to aid in the capture of the admirable fortress you've set your ever keen eyes on." I said humbly. Alia raised an eyebrow at my smooth talking.

"How wonderful! You've taught your pet well. I think it's fascinating a pony can speak so eloquently!" The pig chortled.

"Your lordship, when do we begin the siege?" Alia asked.

"The siege itself has already been afoot for several weeks, I called upon your services because the whole thing may go out of hoof. Now that your here we can start our assault upon that mutt infested fortress. I wouldn't want to begin without my favorite dragon pony!" The pig smirked after a sip of wine,"Now if you want to socialize with the rabble be my guest. With the skill of that dammed gnoll I don't believe most of them will survive."

With that we nodded and left the pig to his drinking. Being in a mercenary camp made me feel uncomfortable but I had to tough it out for Alia, for everyone at the manor, for Dew.

It was now mid morning in Ponyville and Rainbow Dash was in an exhausted sleep. The half open book lay in her lap as she rested her head back. At her door a familiar voice called inside the house.

"Rainbow Dash? It's me, Daring Do. Are you awake?"

Outside Daring Do stood on the cloud porch. She looked down to earth where Pea Gravel waited patiently.

"Daring the festival is about to start, just go inside and get the book. I don't think she'll mind," Pea called.

Daring shrugged and went inside. She eventually found the sleeping mare with the book in her lap. The tan pegasus took the book silently and quickly left the house. She swooped down to the ground to meet up with the cyber mare.

"Did she finish it?" Pea asked.

"I don't think so, she was asleep in a big chair-"

"You don't think she found it boring do you?" Pea blurted.

"No, she doesn't read to many books. She pretty excited about this one," Daring smiled,"Come on, we've got to get to Rarity's and get all dressed up for the festival."

2) Strangers in Paradise (part 2)

4) This isn't what I Wanted...

The noon sun shone brightly over the Ponyville Literature Festival, the first of it's kind. A bit thirsty from the summer heat Tuff Bolder wandered the tent filled park. Among the stretched tarps were a variety of ponies; Rich, poor, smart and not-so-smart. Each tent he passed by advertised some author's newest book or additions to a series. The colt didn't much care for books, even with Twilight's tutoring he could barely read. He passed a mellow drama series about a misbegotten fictional princess and yawned. When he opened his eyes the orange filly Scootaloo was standing in front of him, alone.

"Uuuh...where are your friends?" Tuff asked puzzled.

"Looking at some kids books. Not me! I found one so much more...awesome!" Scootaloo grinned slyly.

"Like what?" Tuff blinked.

"Well...uum," the filly looked around at the other ponies nervously,"Promise you won't tell anypony I saw it?"

"What book is it?" The colt sniffed nonchalantly.

"It's back in the grown ups spot...it's called Forces," Scootaloo said quietly.

"That's the book Auntie...er...Boatswain is writing. I know her pretty well," Tuff nodded but was interrupted.

"Really?!" Scootaloo gasped with amazement,"There's a lot of ponies looking at it!"

"I don't see why they find it amazing...I've done some cool things too..." Tuff huffed.

"Like what?" The filly asked bright eyed.

"I...I...saved a princess and beat up a dragon!" The colt puffed out his chest.

"Really? Wow...you must be really strong!" Scootaloo beamed.

"Yeah," Tuff brushed off his arm casually,"I might have to write a book about my adventures."

A familiar voice came from behind him,"Quit it Bluff. I won't have you making an ass of yourself."

"Aaw...what?" Tuff groaned,"I thought you were showing off your booky thing."

Standing behind the colt was Tuff's aunt with a tired look. She was wearing the cloak Rarity made her and her mane was tied back away from her face. The long fabric covered her metallic legs easily. Tuff scuffed the grass below with his hoof.

Pea rose an eyebrow,"I am...or was. I'm just taking a breather and found you telling tall tales to Scoots here,"Pea put on a maternal look,"And that she was in a part she's not old enough for."

Scootaloo stiffened,"N...No way! I was b-back here, I didn't see anything about Forces!"

"Mmhm, I'd buy that for a dollar. I can't be gone for long," She glared at Tuff then at Scootaloo," Stay outta that part of the Fest. Tuff, you keep her from it too."

She drew close to Tuff and spoke in a harsh whisper," Remember, Pea Gravel isn't real here. She lives in a book, your Boatswain's nephew as long as we're here now. Okay?"

The colt nodded with a bead of sweat on his brow.

Pea turned and walked briskly back to the 'Grown Ups' side of the Book Festival with an annoyed look. Scootaloo groaned once the grey mare was out of ear shot.

"Come on! This isn't fair!" Scoots pouted.

"Why? She told us and you not to go back there,"The colt snorted.

"But it's such a cool story!" Scoots buzzed,"I skipped through a bit but once Pea Gravel got into that Ridge Dog fortress it got CRAZY!"

"Yeah I know, a big gnoll was killing Count Dobervitch's mercenaries left and right, blah blah." Tuff turned and began walking.

"That was so...hey! Where are you going?" Scootaloo called after him.

"It's boring here, I'm going somewhere else," Tuff said sourly.

"But books aren't boring, well...some aren't," Scootaloo said as she trotted up beside Tuff.

Tuff ignored her. He kept walking as Scootaloo followed. They made it through a few alleys of tents before bumping into Sweetie Bell and Applebloom. They seemed surprised to see Tuff.

"Well lookie here, it's Tuff!" The farmer filly giggled.

"We haven't seen much of you since we met you at Sweet Apple Acres. Whacha been doing?" The young unicorn asked.

"Bleh...Twilight's been 'tutoring' me. Reading, writing and some other stuff like that."

Hearing this the three fillies giggled playfully. Tuff took a defensive air.

"What's so funny?" He squinted.

"You're a little old to be learning to read aren't you?" Scootaloo snickered.

"Aren't you a little old to not be able to fly?" Tuff asked harshly.

The fillies' smiles faded. Scootaloo seemed shocked and became teary eyed. She took off running away from the quiet festival. Sweetie Bell ran after the hurt pegasus and Applebloom gave Tuff a look of disbelief before she followed her friends. The colt stood angry for a moment...then crestfallen. He slumped like a wilted flower.

"What did I say...why did I say that?"

He couldn't muster the courage to face them so he wandered back to find his Aunt and ask for advice. He eventually found the way by looking for odd looking ponies reading odd books. Ponies who read tragedies or extremely violent ones. He eventually found the tent and even in his saddened state he was surprised.

Standing behind a counter was 'Boatswain' and A.K. Yearling with business pony smiles as curious ponies looked at copies of the grey mare's book. Tuff remembered about something involving Twilight copying the words from the original to more paper, she was ready to teach him but he was an earth pony...he'd have to use a printing machine for the same results.

In small clusters ponies noses were stuffed into the book copies as they sat near 'Boatswain's' tent. Tuff navigated through them and silently moved behind the two mares.

"Auntie...I think I messed up," Tuff whimpered.

Pea spun around,"You bet you did. I thought I told you not to be back here," She paused," Where's your friend?"

"That's just it...I think I hurt her feelings. Real bad..." Tuff slouched to the ground.

Pea knelt beside the colt,"What did you say?"

Tuff rubbed his shoulder,"I was talking with Scoots and her friends. When I told them Twilight was teaching me to read they laughed at me...said I was too old to be a beginner."

"Ahh...I'm sure they didn't mean anything bad by it," Pea said reassuringly.

Tuff leaned on his aunt, hiding his face in her cloak,"Then I said Scoots was too old to not know how to fly."

Yearling gasped,"Tuff! That's a horrible thing to say to a young pegasus!"

"I know, but...but how can I fix it? I hurt all of them."

Pea stroked the colt's mane with a heavy hand,"Tuff you're going to have to apologize. It may be...well tough but I know you can do it. Your names Tuff Bolder, live up to it!"

Tuff stood up timidly,"Okay...I'll try."

Pea stood up as well,"There's my little stallion! Go on now, before they get too far away."

Tuff scampered off through the crowd, feeling more confident with his aunt's reassurance. Navigating through the alleys of tents and out into the open space of the park, the air grew sour somehow. He looked around at the open field and trees in desperation. His eye caught a sea green shape sitting in a tree whistling like a song bird. The eerie whistle grew louder as Tuff trotted up to it.

It looked like a pony but instead of hooves it had hands and feet like a monkey, even the tail was a monkey's. The fact that it had five or six fingers on each hand and foot intimidated him. It's head had wide ears and a bald scalp, it's eyes were closed. It sat upright like a cat sitting on a branch ten feet up the tree. Tuff reached the base and looked up at the stranger. It continued whistling, eyes closed.

"Excuse me," Tuff called,"Have you seen three fillies run by here?"

The stranger stopped whistling, keeping it's eyes closed it sighed,"Why?" It's voice was male with a sound of sour carelessness.

"Well...I made one upset and I need to apologize," Tuff replied,"Can you please help me?"

"It'd be may you but yes. Yes I can," He reached behind his back.

A blue green hand like his slid out of the ground like a groundhog a few feet away from Tuff. It pointed to a hill in the distance with a feint sign of a tree house,"Your little friends went that way, now run along Tuff."

"Thanks mister," Tuff smiled as he started off,"Wait...how do you know my-"

He turned around to see that the whistling stranger was gone. Tuff shuddered and headed for the tree house in search of the fillies. In the park a small breeze blew over the festival. It did little more then flip pages much to the reader's dismay. It glided gently through the tents, a feint cheery whistle could be heard. Pea stood with Daring in their tent rather bored of how slow the day was going. The breeze finally crept to them with the whistle in tow.

Yearling gazed at the ponies reading the paper backs of their new book. It had already sold twelve copies in a few hours, much to Pea Gravel's surprise.

The tan pegasus sighed happily,"This is one of my favorite parts of being an author, seeing everypony so happy with my work. Say, you see that unicorn mare in the suit?" Yearling pointed to a very official looking white mare with a bun in her blonde mane.

"Yeah, is she a mortician or something?" Pea grimaced.

Yearling giggled,"No silly, she's a famous book critic. She's given honest reviews on all of the books she's made articles about...some not so nice, but fair. She even wrote a review on my first Daring Do novel."

"Did she like it?" Pea asked.

"I'm famous aren't I?" Yearling laughed.

"So if she liked your stuff...them maybe she'll like mine?" A greedy smile crept on the grey mare.

Yearling nodded childishly. The two mares held their breath as they watched the mare flip through a copy, her eyes went from word to word behind a small pair of reading glasses. She stopped at a point near the end of the book and a small, almost undetectable smile was on her lips. Pea and Yearling sighed with relief. In a moment she was walking to the tent.

"Excuse me ladies," Her educated voice said,"My name is Golden Word and I have a question or two for you about your most recent novel. Do you have a moment to spare?"

Pea grinned,"All the time you need, mam'."

"Splendid!" Said the suited mare,"Now, I have been looking though your book. The title Forces fits in with the struggle you portray in the novel. I do have a comment though..."

"Go right ahead, The Boatswain is ready for what you say," Pea said proudly.

"The idea of ponies like us being well...on the bottom of the food chain. It's a frightful thought, and the idea of pigs being smarter then ponies is outrageous..."

Pea and Yearling looked to each other hopelessly. Golden straightened her suit collar,"...but not unwanted. You've brought up something few other books I've seen do. Not the violence part, that's a genre of it's own. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes Miss Golden?" Yearling asked.

"The ending. The protagonist, after defeating the gnoll creature, is known by many to be a fighting pony...but that's it. It just stopped."

"Are you requesting a sequel?" Pea asked smoothly.

"If there is more I'd like to read it, I'm wondering where Pea Gravel will end up in the world you made," Golden smiled.

Hearing her name like that made Pea's stomach churn. She kept a smile on her face but felt a sinking feeling.How will I end up? she asked herself,Will I end it with me showing up here?

"Thank you very much, Miss Golden," Yearling's voice broke Pea's trance," If somepony like you want's more, then there's no reason not to write it."

"Excellent," Golden said turning away,"I'm looking forward to it."

Once she was out of sight the mares celebrated. Pea wrapped her arms around Daring and hugged tight, both were giggling like school fillies. Some of the readers looked up at the two but then returned to their books.

Pea released Daring and sighed,"We did it! Forces is a hit!"

Daring was elated as much as her friend,"It's great! I know this sounds funny but when you were hugging me I felt something poking my chest, do you have a necklace on?"

Pea smacked her forehead,"I knew I forgot something!" She reached in her cloak and slid a simple necklace with a blue gem of her and into her hand. Daring gasped when she saw it.

"It's that gem, The Tear of the King! You're wearing it?" She asked bright eyed.

"No, you are," Pea said as she slid the necklace over the pegasus' head," You look great with it."

"Pea...that's so sweet! Even though this gem has had some bad history..." Daring smiled meekly.

Pea bumped Daring's shoulder playfully,"Then make some good history for it."

Daring looked at the small crowd around them,"Okay, Miss Gavel. Sweet Celestia I'm hungry! What do you say about some food?"

"Just sit tight, I'll get us some," Pea crinkled her nose," I hope it's any good out here."

"Alright, I'll hold the fort then," Daring giggled.

Pea couldn't help but smile at her. The grey mare said good bye and set off in search of food. She followed different scents of cooked goods for some time, but couldn't find them. She eventually found a pretzel stand that was less then busy. It almost looked empty but she heard ponies at work inside, walking up to the counter she found a platter with one little pretzel and a note with a goofy font ; "Free mini pretzels!"

She picked it up gingerly with her mouth and munched down the whole thing. It tasted wonderful...for a moment. Time seemed to slow with noises and smells blurring. She wobbled for a second then her sight went black. Rubbing her eyes, she fought to regain sight. First came hearing and smell. The air was still and cold with a sour smell. A feint whistle could be heard when her sight finally came too.

Around her was cavern walls glittering with gems. They shown because of an oil lamp, sitting in the far reaches of the lantern was a sea green figure.

The grey mare froze when she saw the blue green stranger. The stranger smiled and leaned back on the rock he was sitting on. Instead of falling he disappeared and slid up in front of Pea's counter. He stood in front Pea for a moment, a dark blue shadow.

The stranger's eyes opened, revealing the small amber pin pricks of irises. He smiled slyly,"Did you enjoy the snack I left you...Pea Gravel?"

Pea's shock turned to rage. Her green eyes turned mint with a wrathful blaze at the stranger,"You...you motherfucker. How did you get here? Where did you take me?"

The stranger winced playfully,"Tsk! Such a mouth on you," He slid his seven fingered hand on the gem encrusted wall,"So you've got some attention with your little biography I see. Have you mentioned me yet?" The stranger's voice dripped like a corrosive poison in the still air.

Pea was shaking. Every muscle in her body and every carbon fiber tendon strained and tensed. She wanted to wrap her hands around his neck and tear his head off. Relief herself by ripping out his still beating black heart. The stranger smiled up at her with crooked teeth as if nothing was wrong.

"Hmmm...I can tell you aren't to happy to see me. I wonder why..."

"Volm...how did you get here?" Pea gritted her teeth.

"It's easy really, just slip the princess' awareness and poof! A paradise island! You did it too," He looked up at the sky dreamily.

"I came here to keep my nephew safe, you're probably here to rape mares or eat children," Pea spat at the creature's demonic smile.

"Only the naughty ones," Volm chuckled,"Speaking of children, I saw yours. Tuff was it?"

Pea lurched forward and grabbed his neck, Smashing him against the wall. She fumed,"If you touched him I'll rip your fucking guts out!"

Volm smiled besides the bone crunching strength of Pea's cybernetic hands. The mare squeezed tighter,a few veins bulged on his head and neck but not a single note of pain shown on Volm's face. Pea's thought became clouded with rage to the creature.

"Quite the sadist these days," Volm wheezed,"Don't stress your pretty little head, I help him find his filly friends. That's all."

He looked from Pea's tensed arms to her eyes,"It must suck hard, not being able to kill me. I don't think you can do it yet," His smile was still plastered on his face.

Pea jumped with her hind legs onto Volm. Her weight toppled him over and she sat a top of his chest, fists clenched in deadly steel bludgeons.

Volm rose a hand up casually,"Calm down lady, I didn't even bring a condom!"

The mare had enough. Her left fist swung down and cratered into the creature's face, knocking out several teeth. He licked his lips with a dark blue tongue as inky black blood oozed from his mouth. He was about to make another remark but a fist kept his mouth from moving again. Each blow lifted the mare's spirit disturbingly. The mare kept swinging her fist's into Volm's head, inky splats covered the grass and Pea. She kept battering as Volm's head turned into wet black mush and her fists hit rock. She stopped eventually while the blue green creature's legs twitched the last bit of life out of the still warm corpse.

She leaned back, breathing heavily. She looked down at her hands stained by Volm's blood, her cloak was ruined by the black ooze. Her breath was uneven and timid. In her euphoric state she didn't notice that the world was still frozen in time. Pea's shoulders shivered with a sick pleasure. Her mint eyes were fixed on the tranquil cavern space. Her cybernetic fingers twitched randomly, unable to detect what the mare wanted to do with them. Minuets, hours passed? She couldn't tell. The fact that he was dead, smashed into mush left the mare with a unequaled elation. Her breath steadied and she finally looked around carefully at where she was.

"I need to find a way out of here, I just hope he didn't take me out of Equestria..." She stood up shakily and grabbed the lantern handle with her jaw. Pea began tracking down the cavern in hopes it would lead to the surface. Noticing the incline motivated the mare, she tread on through the darkness of the cave.

"What did he want? If someone like him can sneak in this kingdom, then maybe others have..."

Pea's thought's spiraled dangerously as she ventured alone. Around a corner ahead, a hint of light could be seen. She moved cautiously around the corner, she shrunk back. An opening in the cave was where the sun's light was coming from, but was it a trap? Pea shook her head, Volm was dead, his tricks were all but gone. She marched to the exit way, squinting her eye's in the sudden bright light. Once her eyes adjusted she found a dry desert mountain range overlooking a small town. She blinked in surprise,"Is this some kind of joke?"

She scaled down the rocky outcropping easily with her cyber fingers, she decided it'd be best to explore the town and see if she could find a way back. Off the rocks she made her way to the town and a sigh came into view; "Appleloosa"

"Sounds like an Equine town," Pea smiled to herself,"I guess he didn't drag me too far...for once he did something generous."

Pea was near the town and as a cowpony walked by she realized how much of herself was stained. She knew it was blood, but he didn't.

"Say there missy, did yall just strike oil?" He asked with a booming voice.

Pea felt relieved,"Yessir Ah did!" the mare said with a convincing Applejack impression," Ah need tah tell mah friends in Ponyville the good news, it there a way Ah can contact 'em?"

"Sure is," He pointed down the wide main street to a small building," Ya can get a train ticket. It's a very reliable thing, I'd say you'd be there by tomarrah."

Pea nodded a thank you and made her way to the building casually. She saw a few ponies waiting for a train. Realizing she had no money on her she decided to bum a ride on the next train. The grey mare sat out of view next to the ticket post and waited like the others for the next train. The sun lowered over the mountains she scaled down earlier.

"A proper tomb," she thought to herself,"I still can't believe he's really gone...and I did it..."

The sun left a parade of orange and purple across the clouds in the sky as it finally sank behind the mountains, letting the blanket of night cast over the sky. A faint train whistle could be heard and all of the passengers-to-be stood up for the train. In the commotion of the conductor calling, steam hissing and ponies moving; Pea crept silently to the top of the caboose car. It had roofing that was easy to grip onto and few prying eyes. Crawling over to the front edge she locked her fore fingers in a clamp over the roof's edge.

The train's whistle blew and the vessel trudged off into the night. Once at full speed, the wind from it flew around Pea. Her hands didn't release their grip and for once...she felt relaxed. She thought up wild plans and ideas;

"Now that he's gone, I can look for the others. Tuff will be safe here and he's got the princess to look after him. Everyone's going to be so excited! I know, what if I brought my friends here, then we wouldn't have to fight for food and noooo holy wars," The idea felt like a message on Pea's stressed mind. She became so comfortable she began to fall asleep.

She awoke a few hours later with a late night sky above her and the train was still racing down it's course. Her confused mind was calmed by the idea of seeing Tuff and her Ponyville friends again. With Twilight's castle towering over the quaint huts the train approached the town quickly without signs of slowing. As the train rattled on the grey mare realized she had to jump off the train. She targeted a grassy knoll with a tree next to the station and released her grip on the caboose roof. She flew off to the right and hit the ground, rolling back several feet she stopped in front of the tree.

She looked down at her brown and black stained cloak,"Rarity is going to have a cow when she sees what I've done with this," she chuckled to herself.

She looked around at the quiet night in Ponyville with the castle looming over the roof tops. She slipped the hood over her head and walked quickly through the streets, avoiding lit windows and open doors. She wasn't really sure where she was going, Twilight's maybe? She continued walking and she came to a street corner, around it Pea spotted the sight of a panicked tan pegasus with a deep red colt next to her. They were looking, searching for someone. Pea walked out in front of them, the now stained cloak and hood made a menacing look.

They stared wide eyed at her for a moment, then she threw back her hood. Both Daring and Tuff rushed to Pea and hugged the grey mare tightly. All three were happy, though one felt more comforted then the others.

"Did you miss me?" Pea joked.

"Of coarse we did!" Daring said still hugging Pea,"We didn't know where you were, we looked every where!"

Tuff sniffled,"I thought you had forgotten me!"

Pea knelt down and hugged the colt,"I'd never forget you, ever. You can always count on your Auntie G."

Daring shed a tear at the sweet sight,"It's getting late...well it's been late and I'm sure were all tired."

Pea and Tuff simultaneously yawned in agreement. Daring laughed,"Well then, let's get you two back to the Castle."

Tuff looked extremely tired, stressed from several hours away from his aunt. Pea waited for him to catch up then lifted him onto her back and after a few steps he was snoring quietly. The two mares walked trough the remainder of the streets until they were faced with the castle's doors. Daring stepped forward and knocked.

Twilight answered the door after a moment or so of waiting,"Ah Daring, you're back!" She looked over at Pea with a elated smile,"And you found our Boatswain! Come in, both...er all three of you." Twilight corrected herself when she was the sleeping colt.

Daring and Pea followed Twilight inside and the princess led them to her guest rooms Pea had used before. The princess looked at the two sleepy mares,"Pea, you take Tuff in this one over here," She motioned to the left door with a nod," And Daring you can stay in this other one if you like," She blinked sleepily,"I'm very tired too, so until tomorrow...or later today, goodnight!"

Daring placed a wing over Pea's shoulder before the grey mare could work her way to the guest room. Pea looked to the pegasus with puzzled eyes. The cyber mare noticed that the tan pegasus was wearing nothing except the sea blue necklace that Pea had given her earlier.

"Yes Daring?" She paused thoughtfully for a moment,"You're probably wondering what happened to me, eh?"

"And how you got your new cloak so filthy!" Daring teased.

Pea grinned,"I was just playing in the dirt! Let me put Tuff here to bed then I'll catch up with you in your room, okay?"

Daring yawned and nodded. She went left for her room and Pea went right for her's. Pea pushed the door open gently and made her way for the cushy bed. She pulled up next to it like a train at a station.

"Choo choo," She whispered playfully as she rolled Tuff of her back carefully. Once on the bed Pea pulled up the blanket up to his little chin.

"Night, little bolder," Pea said placeing a kiss on the top of his head. Before leaving the room she looked back on him one more time, she smiled at how peacefully he slept.

She closed the bedroom door behind her and tip toed across the all to Daring's room. Her eyes lit up when she saw the cyber mare, patting a part of the bed next to her she smiled. She opened her's and found Daring, sitting on her legs, at the head of the bed. The air seemed comforting and still with a small lamp warmly lighting the room.

"Take that off before you sit here," Daring said,"You've gotta tell me what happened to you today."

Pea slid off her cloak and left it on the floor, it was already dirty anyway. Pea walked to the foot of the bed and rolled the covers on her back over. Pea sighed at how relaxing it felt, Daring looked at her intently,"Well?"

"Oh, oh right!" Pea rubbed her forehead,"I was looking for some food for us to eat and I got mixed up with this mare transporting oil-"

Daring scoffed,"Don't lie to me. I know what that is on your knuckles."

Pea shot a look at her hands, a faint stain of black was still there. Pea looked up at Daring with shocked eyes,"W...what do you mean? This is crude oil Daring, nothing more!"

Daring looked hurt,"It's blood. I may have not seen as much as you but I know what it smells like, and it's not crude oil. I could smell it off your cloak and now a bit from you," She leaned over the grey mare solemnly,"Who was it?"

Pea shoved her back in her old spot on the bed,"Quit being so uptight. We've got nothing to worry about."

Daring seemed confused,"Why, what's not to worry about?"

Pea folded her arms behind her head,"Someone's gone that was a BIG problem," she giggled.

"Like Auizotal?" Daring asked grimly.

"Worse then him," Pea waved a hand,"He's the reason for these."

Daring gasped,"You mean..."

Pea smiled,"Yep, Volm."

The pegasus grimaced,"If he's gone that means you can go back out there and look for your friends?"

Pea sat up exhilarated,"I know! I was planning on leaving in a few days, maybe less. Tuff's safe here so all I have to do is find them."

Daring was crestfallen. She stammered,"Oh...well I, um...I"

Pea leaned closer to her,"What? Aren't you happy? He's gone...that's a good thing!"

Daring patted the cyber mare's arm gently,"I know, I know. It's just that..."

Pea scooted up next to the pegasus and put an arm over her shoulder,"Just what? You can tell me, can't you?"

"Well, I was going back to my cottage this week and..." Daring's word were choked up with crushed tears," I was hoping you...and Tuff could come stay with me..."

Pea's hand shrunk back to it's owner,"Stay...with you?"

"It'd be great!" Daring looked over with desperation,"We'll finish writing your book, it's out of the way so ponies wont be frightened of your metal legs," her gaze almost begged Pea,"I have plenty of books we could read to Tuff and there's places near there he could explore and play in."

Pea was wide eyed and shaking. Here was a mare willing to share her home with her and her nephew, no questions asked. This mare who was opening her heart towards a foreigner. The mare who she had killed once for and who help her story become known.

On the other hand, the friends she had known for over twelve years and had killed countless times for, were missing still and she needed to find them, or at least give a proper burial to what would be left of them. Pea Gravel's heart was being tugged in two directions.

Pea's fingers twitched. Daring came over and tried to comfort the torn mare. Daring saw the look of utter confusion and guilt in Pea's emerald green eyes, the pegasus wasn't sure what to do. Pea sat like that for several moments until, with a shaky hand, she reached into an interior pocket of her vest and pulled out a small green fruit. Her favorite narcotic, Jade Cactus Fruit.

Daring blinked in puzzlement as she watched Pea slip it into her mouth and chew softly. Her shocked eyes became much, much more relaxed. Her entire body slacked and her head flopped lazily on Daring's lap.

Her green eyes were half closed and her tongue stuck out through a ditzy smile,"I'll entertain your offer. You know how my day went, fly girl. How was yours?"

Daring's face went a little red,"Minus looking for you? There were a few more book-smart ponies that came by and talked about our book and the money we could make off it. About two hours after you left for grub I grabbed Rainbow Dash and put her in charge of sales. I checked on her around the fest's closing time...and she had to have Twilight make more copies!"

Pea raised an eyebrow,"But we had like...two hundred of them. No way we sold them all!"

Daring poked Pea's muzzle,"Yes way! We made over four thousand bits!"

Pea rubbed her hands together greedily,"Heh heh heh, we sure made a bundle! Think of the new type writer we could get you."

"Or an upgrade for your metal parts?" Daring offered,"Or should we visit a mechanic to spruce them up?"

Pea held out a hand daintily,"I suppose. It's been awhile since I've seen anypony with skills for this kind of stuff. I've probably mangled up the carbon fiber muscle it 'em by now..."

Daring thought about the way her friend's legs worked. She was about to ask but heard a quiet snore from the mare, who lay passed out on her lap. Daring wasn't sure if she should leave Pea there and use her for a pillow or chance waking the cyber's much needed rest to lay down herself. She sat for a moment stroking the grey mare's sun-set orange mane thinking of how her life had been flipped upside down by this very strange mare.

She laughed to herself,"How did I end up with you, Pea?"

3) A Book called 'Forces' (part 1)

5) How Did I Get Caught Up With You?

he pegasus gently moved out from under Pea and lay at the head of the bed. Before laying down she put part of the bed's covers over her friend and then fell asleep herself, hopeful of Pea wanting to stay. While one mare went into a troubled sleep the other slept like a rock sinks in water.

The next morning Pea awoke to her nephew jumping on top of her rather suddenly,"Wake up, wake up!" he cried,"Somepony came to the castle and she really wants to meet you!"

Pea rolled Tuff off her chest,"Do you have to crush my ribs every morning, little bolder?"

Daring woke up groggily,"Wha-? What's going on?" she yawned.

"Twilight said somepony called Celestia is here to visit Pea Gravel!" Tuff declared proudly. The two mares gasped.

Daring got off the bed hurriedly and grabbed a metal forearm,"Come on! If the princess, not one of the little ones...the big one wants to meet you, you have to hurry!"

Tuff took the other arm and they both sat Pea up. She pulled her hands away and made a grumpy morning thank you to the assistants. She made her way for the door and Tuff called after her,"She's in the six-chair room with Twilight. I think there's some breakfast ready."

Pea rolled her eyes and trudged through the halls to the main room where the princess were waiting. Seeing the fabled 'Sun Goddess' for the first time snapped Pea to her senses. Twilight sat next to this massive and elegant alicorn as if she had known her for years. Pea on the other hand stood gawking several feet away.

"Come and sit with us," Celestia's charming voice blanketed the air,"There is breakfast waiting here and we have much to talk about."

Deja vu, Pea thought.

She walked forward and the morning sun's rays reflected off of Pea's legs, causing the sun princess to half flinch is surprise. The cyber mare took a seat at the table and found a small but filling breakfast awaiting her, it wasn't as extravagant as her first breakfast at Twilight's. Pea targeted a wonderful smelling bowl of oatmeal with daintily sliced fruits on top of the morning soup, Celestia sipped a mug of coffee tensely. For how pleasant of a morning it was something felt tension between the royal and the foreigner.

"So I've heard that you've made a name for yourself, Boatswain," Celestia said.

Pea half choked on an apple slice,"Oh, so you've read the book A.K. Yearling and I wrote?" She found a glass of orange juice nearby and sipped it," Did it deem tolerable, your highness?"

Celestia chuckled,"I've read it. It's an interesting book, but I'm not to fond of the hoof-full of violent stories some ponies write."

Pea leaned forward in her chair,"My apologies, princess."

"No need," the alicorn smiled. She looked over to Twilight,"I hope you don't mind, faithful student, but I need a word with Miss Gravel...alone."

"Alright Celestia, I'll be in my room studying if you two need anything," and with that the lavender alicorn left.

Celestia's maternal look turned icy. Her magic aura glowed atop her long horn and before Pea knew it they were on the mountain that looked over Canterlot. The sudden thin mountain air lashed Pea's lungs, the alicorn seemed unaffected. The grey mare looked around at the snowy area so high above the rest of the land, and somehow Celestia's stare was as colder then the air biting Pea.

"What is your ploy, Land-crawler?" Celestia said through her teeth.

Pea had heard this term used before, it was when a higher-up spat at the small ponies that labored away. Pea's surprise lashed into a defensive anger.

"Ploy? I haven't any idea of what your talking about, your highness," Pea said slyly.

"Do not play ignorant with me," The sun princess glared,"I know of what hunts you out there. I will have none of that, you should never have come here."

"So you do know what's going on out there," Pea spat.

Celestia smiled,"Indeed. One of my importance must know of such things."

"Have you done anything about them?" Pea dug her fingers in the snow.

Celestia stood silent for a moment,"I'm doing what's right, leaving it alone."

Pea snapped. She lurched forward and grabbed the alicorn's collar,"Ponies like you and I are dying out there!" She shouted," Plague and war is eating our kind alive...how can you do nothing?!"

Celestia looked down at her,"Ponies like you are dying. How dare you say that I am the same as you, Land-crawler."

Her aura grabbed Pea and flung her away in the snow. The mare rolled several feet then shot up to her feet, Celestia had a cold smile on her regal face. Pea gritted her teeth and clenched her fists into the snow.

The princess laughed,"Oh, you plan on fighting me? Don't do that to yourself."

Pea sprung forward with a fist ready for a swing. Her blood boiled as her jump neared her to the 'Goddess'. Inches away from her regal face Pea's dangerous fist was caught with a yellow cloud of magic. Pea moved her other fist but it too became snared, then her feet locked to the ground against her will.

Celestia looked at the angry statue of a mare with a entertained malice,"So this is what a pony must be like to survive out in the world, a bloodthirsty mongrel? How disgusting."

Pea strained her body to move but it was locked stiff, she watched as Celestia paced around her," Now this is a mess, what will I do with it? You've made some friends and removing you would cause an issue, but a pony of your kind would have some valid excuse to become absent. 'Ran away because you didn't belong here' would suffice."

"You pretentious bitch!" Pea shouted,"You have godly powers and yet you keep a few ponies safe while the rest lay in fear...how do you sleep at night?"

"I've grown accustomed to it," Celestia shrugged," Since you'll be destroyed in a moment I suppose I could tell you why I'm so liberal of the foreign ponies. I made a deal when I received the crown."

"A deal?" Pea asked furiously," A deal with who?!"

"Tztalm, the king of Tartarus," Celestia said simply.

Pea was awed at the princess's mistake,"A deal...with the Devil?"

"Indeed. I can't let you live though, Land-crawler," A yellow cloud encased Pea and crushed her limbs against her body. Celestia stood only a few inches away from her victim.

The seemingly innocent cloud pushed against Pea's body like the pressure of the blackest pits in the ocean. The mare could barely breath with the pressure and her body quivered in pain. Celestia had a face of stone as she preformed the dirty deed. Pea's right arm inched against from the cloud's force with all of the mare's might. This strength surprised Celestia so much that her grip slipped only once, much to her regret.

Without the cloud, Pea pounced on Celestia like a hungry wolf. With her legs locked around Celestia's neck Pea rammed a fist into her nose. The alicorn reared and thrashed to get the cyber mare off of her but to no avail. Pea curled with her torso, lifting Celestia over her head and smashing her white face into the now reddened snow. Pea crouched next to the trembling princess with small rivers of blood coming from her nose.

"Been awhile since ya got a real nose bleed, eh?" Pea smirked.

Celestia's wing sprung out and smashed into Pea. She jumped up and jabbed her horn at Pea, barely missing. Celestia swung her horn-ended head skillfully like a fencer while Pea was pushed back, only her forearms as shields. On her hind legs Pea blocked the stabs from the now furious alicorn, the grey mare was pushed back on the snowy peak. This went on for some time until Pea noticed the alicorn was showing signs of fatigue in her jabs. The cyber mare side-stepped and the horn sailed past her, she took advantage with a downward ax-kick to the alicorn's temple. The princess stumbled forward a foot or so an collapsed.

"Funny thing," Pea said popped her neck,"Where I'm from, you're called a god," She knelt next to the dazed alicorn's head with a vicious smile,"I did too, at one point. I can't call you that now...gods don't bleed."

Pea was about to make the finishing blow but a speck in the distant sky stopped her. There was a resounding boom then a midnight blue alicorn rocketed like an arrow toward Pea. The mare had a fraction of a second to react and instead of being impaled she was sliced over the shoulder. The midnight blue alicorn flicked her head and Pea knocked the mare to the ground. She stood closer to Celestia with a dangerous look to the cyber mare.

"Sister, is this foreigner an assassin?" Luna's commanding voice asked.

"No, but she knows of the Deal, Luna," Celestia choked.

"I see, she's a fire that must be quenched?" Luna asked. Her sister numbly nodded.

Pea stood on her fore-hooves with fists ready for the next contender. The midnight princess accepted her challenge. Her dark blue aura produced a halberd with a crescent shaped blade, it began twirling in place as Luna stared down the earth pony.

Pea smirked,"Hardly fair, isn't it? Or are you just scared of me?"

She ducked as the blade swung over her head. Luna stood in place as her weapon became locked in a deadly dance on the snow with Pea. The mare ducked and blocked as the blade was gripped in it's master's cloud of magic, whirling through the air with it's sharp edge. Pea noticed a pattern in the attacks, with the way it was spinning around it could be slingshot Pea's strike back. Once the handle was placed just right, she grabbed it. It swung just the way she thought it would and she went flying at Luna, who was taken by complete surprise.

Her head was knocked back by a kick to the jaw followed by another. Luna staggered back and swung downward with her horn as an executioner would swing an ax. Pea held against the blow with both hands grabbing the blue spear. Her metallic limbs strained against the force of Luna's.

"Surrender, Land-crawler!" Luna growled.

The horn was being pushed until it was level with her neck. Luna expected the mare to plead and beg but a devilish gleam shown in Pea's emerald eyes instead. Without warning she leaned back only half a foot and swung her arm's along Luna's downward strike, causing Luna to smash face first into the ground like her sister had.

Pea looked at the pair with red river noses. Luna grabbed Pea with her magic and forced Pea back several feet as she stood to her regal height. The frosty mountain air whipped around the three fighters. Pea rolled her shoulders and began walking back to finish her fight. Almost in a divinely placed pattern another unexpected fighter entered.

A small black cloud burst ten feet above the ground and a figure in dark wrappings dropped out of it, facing Pea. His size matched that on an alicorn bur far more dangerous looking. Once it stood up the shape was unmistakable, it was a centaur. An assassin from The Torrent. His face was hidden by a bronze mask with many tiny holes under a dark hood. At either side of his horse torso was a long curved sword in it's black scabbard and a hefty crossbow. Along with small bull horns sticking out on the sides of his head, his maroon skin shown out under the black wrappings on him. He seemed taken back that someone was on the mountain top, he turned to the princesses.

He shouted in a foreign tongue and pulled a cross bow aimed to them. Pea took no time on interfering on the shot. In a fraction of a second she jumped on his back and yanked one of his arms causing him to miss fire. He reached behind and grappled the mare with a vice grip. The assassin threw Pea in front of him and reared back, his fore-hooves hammered Pea's torso with his body weight, cracking her ribs. The assassin trampled over the injured mare as he ran to the two alicorns.

Luna was up but Celestia's head wound kept her from a stable getaway. Celestia attempted to fly into the air but the centaur had a grappling rope and latched it to her ankle skillfully. She crash landed like a clipped bird, her sister circled the assassin in the air. He loaded his crossbow and aimed for Luna, she dived at him, horn ready for blood. The crossbow's bolt fired and dug deep into her chest and a moment later she cried out crashing to the ground. She struggled as her life blood oozed into the snow. She looked up to see the shadow of the centaur blocking out the mid-morning sun.

"Lord Terik protects, Lord Terik punishes," The assassin chanted as he drew a curved sword from a sheath strapped to the side of his horse torso. He continued chanting as he readied his sword for an executioner's swing.

While this was going on Pea staggered over with Luna's halberd. As the centaur rose his sword, Pea rose her weapon. Luna winced but no blow came. The centaur cried out, dropping his sword as Pea's swing chopped his back legs off at the knee. His body slumped back and he looked at Pea. His gaze was cut short when the crescent blade became lodged in his horse torso, he pawed at the blade as blood gushed out. Pea ran it further into him as she pushed him to the ground. He grabbed his sword and swung at Pea, she blocked it by pulling up one of his front legs as a meat shield.

The centaur's hands shivered at the sight of his only remaining hoof. Pea pulled out the halberd and without a word threw the fight's last swing, ending with the masked head dropping away from it's body. The princesses looked in awe at the grizzly sight, Pea took a deep breath and smiled at them. The grey mare staggered and then fell backwards, feinting from her crushed ribs. She lay in the snow, the adrenalin ebbing away and the frigid air biting her skin as she fell into unconsciousness.

It was dark and warm, Pea sat in a empty field. Pea knew it was a dream inside her unconscious state so she enjoyed the peaceful scenery, her cyber limbs were gone, the sight of her skin-toned hooves again fascinated her. Her eyes adjusted to the light and she noticed she was atop a hill in a warm, flat island. The hill was steep and high above the field where a small campfire was crackling, Pea's nerves calmed even further as she remembered that the campfire was her friend's. She sat in the warm grass listening to the sound of the breeze and her friend's laughter. The soft sound of hoof-steps met Pea's ear and she shot up.

In the dim night light she saw him, Rochi. His light brown fur shown in the moonlight around his well toned muscles. Instead of a mane to flow in the wind he had a dark green bandanna over the top of his shaved head. Rochi's teal eyes shown like the tropical waters he sailed through his whole life. On his left ear was a hoop ring like Pea had, as a sign that they weren't slaves to anyone. Rochi seemed hesitant, standing before Pea Gravel in the moonlight.

"I'm sorry, I just came up to check on you," His voice though usually brash, sounded sweet tonight,"I'll...I'll be going back to camp now."

"Hang on!" Pea said, reaching out a hoof for him,"Won't you stay, just for a while?"

"If you insist," He smiled. Rochi walked over and sat next to Pea,"Lovely night isn't it?"

Pea scooted closer to him,"Mmhm, lovely."

Rochi looked up at the moon,"It's not the night that's the only thing lovely," He chuckled,"I once heard a legend that's there's a mare on the moon. She fought the sun goddess and was banished there," He sighed," I wonder why somepony would do that."

"Stories are stories Rochi. I know plenty where they are simply used to teach foals morals and to scare them to bed," Pea yawned.

"Did I bore you with just that?" Rochi joked.

Pea yawned again,"No, it's just that...I feel like I haven't seen you in awhile."

Rochi lookeded confused,"I had the sentry shift before you. You saw me an hour ago."

Pea sighed,"It's a long story...more like a dream..."

"We've got time," The sailing stallion said intently,"Don't worry, I wont fall asleep on you from boredom," He nuzzled her cheek.

Pea punched his shoulder playfully,"You big meanie! Alright I'll tell you."

The mare's mind went a bit fuzzy. It was a dream...right?

"I had a dream that I went to The Sun Goddess's Garden. It was just like the stories, a true paradise! I met all of these colorful ponies, each one so nice. There was this author named A.K Yearling, or her alter ego Daring Do and a tom-boy pegasus called Rainbow Dash, those mares were great. I even met one mare named Applejack, she owned her own farm. A pony owning a farm!" Pea words painted a picture for Rochi. One not to different then one he kept close to him.

" 'Jack' in a girl's name?" Rochi rolled his eyes,"Only you'd come up with something like that. So go on, What was she like?"

"To be honest, I was afraid to be around her," Pea grimaced,"I saw a bit of myself in her when we...argued. You know how I can get sometimes..."

"Yeah, a real cutthroat killer!" Rochi made a mock snarl,"The Great and Dreaded Gravel, warrior and farmer!"

Pea shoved him into the grass,"Shut up you!"

Rochi sat back up with a pair of puppy dog eyes,"Awww, did ya have to push me? I think I bruised a little."

"Quit moping, sugar cheeks," Pea stuck her tongue out," Anyways...oh yeah! I met the Sun Goddesses herself too!"

Rochi looked intently on the mare next to him,"Sooo...what was she like?"

"She seemed nice at first, but she called me a Land-crawler like any other noble we've met. She wanted me thrown out because I wasn't born there and taught their ways...she even tried to kill me," Pea went quiet.

"That's a nightmare, not a dream," Rochi said comfortingly,"You shouldn't trouble yourself over it," He nuzzled Pea's cheek.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Pea giggled.

"You looked a bit chilly," Rochi smiled.

Pea rolled away from him and lay on her back, staring up at the sky. Rochi followed and Rolled up next to her.

"Look at those stars," Pea sighed,"They're beautiful...have you ever wanted to know what it'd be like?"

"Hm?" The stallion asked,"Sorry, I was too busy looking at the star next to me."

Pea rolled her eyes,"You're impossible sometimes, you know that?"

"Bah! Everyone is," Rochi waved a hoof in the air,"Anyways, you were talking about...being up there with the stars?"

"Yeah," Pea pointed at a cluster of stars,"There's the Discord constellation you showed me. and over there is the Three Goddesses," Pea looked up at that night sky as if it were the first time.

Rochi chuckled,"You're learning. You missed the Ox King in the west and the Windago up there to the north," He said pointing to each constellation," Don't worry, I'll make a sailor out of you yet."

Pea sighed happily, cuddling up next to the sailor. Rochi rose an eyebrow,"You seem happy tonight. Like, really happy. You didn't eat one of those Jade Cactus Fruits did you?"

Pea rolled her eyes again,"No, Rochi. I'm not doing the jade, alright?"

Rochi scratched his head,"Are you...you know...aroused?"

Pea gasped dramatically,"Why sailor, I do believe you're trying to seduce me!"

"Hey, don't be hating me for asking," Rochi shrugged.

Pea's heart was beating fast, it felt warm all throughout her body and in her well missed legs. Even if it was a dream here, it felt so real. It could feel even more real with a single question. Pea hadn't really been one for sex, she was to busy trying to keep her and her friends from all sorts of dangers...but right here...right now...

She didn't even have time react. Rochi just grabbed her and kissed her square on the lips, she wrapped her forearms around his neck and held tight. After so long, a simple kiss like this...melted all of the ridged defenses she had built up over the years. When Rochi pulled away Pea almost magnetically put her head to his chest.

Pea's face was bright red,"Oh...my god. Rochi you have no idea how good that mad me feel."

"I bet I do," Rochi said suavely. He held Pea close to him, looking back up at the sky Rochi smiled,"We've been through some pretty tough shit, haven't we?"

Pea sighed,"Yeah, but soon that will all be behind us," She said dreamily.

"How soon?" Rochi asked bluntly,"Did you have a dream about it?"

Pea thought about what Rochi asked. Dreaming of paradise wasn't to big on her mind, just making sure her and her crew can get by. After being in Equestria, however, the wish to take them there bloomed.

She nuzzled her favorite sailor,"It's more of a wish...actually."

"I thought I was the superstitious nut job," Rochi teased,"Now miss down-to-earth is talking about wishes?"

"Yeah...for all of us to be away from the fighting, the hunger. Just to live in peace...all of us together," She sighed happily.

"Now I know you're doing drugs," Rochi groaned,"The Pea Gravel I know would get board of a peaceful life. You realize what that means, a job with bosses and taxes to pay," Rochi's mellow voice hardly sounded threatening in his rant,"After a life of wandering and mercenary work, you'd want to be a farmer or a fisherpony?"

Pea pursed her lip. She remembered the reason Rochi went rouge with Pea and her crew, for rising above tyrannical rule. To become a just leader for others of his species, not to be ruled by something that forces work and never dose any. How could a stallion of his type ever want to become a simple farmer, no king was a farmer.

"Never mind, sorry I said something stupid..."Pea said timidly.

"It's okay, wishes are wishes. If you work hard enough...and don't die along the way, I'm sure you'll make it," Rochi said reassuringly.

The two ponies lay together in the grass, held in a lover's embrace. For Pea, this moment felt like it lasted forever and she loved every minuet of it. They were locked together for how long the mare didn't know but she did nothing to stop it. She closed her eyes, completely absorbed in the moment.

Suddenly a slimy feeling rubbed against Pea's cheek, "Ahhh...like a fine wine your taste has heightened with age," a strange voice said.

Pea froze. Her euphoria was shattered in an instant, her whole body went into utter shock, completely petrified. Her eyes darted frantically around to see the wind, island, camp and night sky were gone. Instead she had a cast surrounding her broken ribs as she sat in a ridged hospital bed. The worst thing of all, the heart stopping detail that made Pea's heart skip a beat...

The blue green head of Volm stared Pea from where she dreamed Rochi was.

The mare was at a loss of words, she could only stifle a half gasp as she tried to breath. Pea tried to move but a wave of pain came from her torso, the cast over her chest restricted her movement's to barely sitting up. Volm sat up on the next to her of the bed, wiping off his lips with a six fingered hand. His body looked bigger then the last time she saw him, more vascular and muscular. Pea was furious, violated, petrified and afraid; only faced with this blue-green devil did she feel so helpless.

Volm stared back at the near flat-lining mare with a vicious stare from his demonic eyes. He sat there, waiting for a response from her. The mare was so panicked by seeing him and more the fact being violated by him, it took Pea several minuets to calm down enough to talk.

She opened her mouth to speak,"How...w-why...what are you-"

"I know what you're thinking; 'How can you be alive? I thought I killed you!' " the monster mocked,"Well I'll just tell you one thing," Volm placed his alien hands near Pea's quivering torso and leaned his face dangerously near her's,"I've crawled too long to get where I am now! I will never let my ambition be stopped by a pathetic cunt like you...dear Pea Gravel."

Pea gasped out a few words,"B...but...I...I saw you-"

"-Dead?" Volm finished for her,"I just let you...express your feelings," he snickered as he returned to the foot of the bed,"I came here for something else besides an invitation into your fantasies," Volm's voice hissed.

"You were in my dream?" Pea tried to wrap her head around the idea,"That's...how could you do that?"

Volm placed a hand to his chest dramatically,"Honestly, dearest road pebble. Would you think I'm anything less then that? Besides, we both know you enjoyed it! Even if I had to look like your little boy-toy to get some," Volm's acid voice cackled.

"What do you want, you bastard?" Pea seethed.

Volm scratched behind his ear as a dog would, looking up with a wicked smile,"Can you calm down?," Volm yawned,"You'll have a heart attack if you don't breath."

Pea bared her teeth then spat at the blue-green beast,"Fuck you."

"Now then, I came to tell you about something important," Volm said with a friendly smile, ignoring the mare's angry words. His eyes looked a bit more like a regular pony's at this point.

"Obviously, or you would've gone and probed someone else," Pea folded her arms defensively.

Volm rubbed his alien hands together,"Belial is getting desperate to find Tartarus. That centaur you met, you know him, the one that tried to assassinate the royal bimbos. Since you three were at his drop point though, he didn't have enough time to react and you wrecked that scrub. Oh and the whole princesses wanting you dead, don't worry about that anymore."

Pea was aghast,"Are you...helping me?"

"You...or more specifically, Daring Do, has something that I want," Volm said casually.

"The Egg of the King?" Pea asked venomously.

"Hit the nail on the head, sugar stuff. If you give me that I'll make sure Belial and his subordinates will never see or touch this land and anything in it," He held out a hand," Do we have a deal?"

"You're kidding," Pea stared at the hand,"I don't even belong here, what makes you think I have any say in this country's affairs? Not im a million years."

Volm's hand retracted,"You can understand the weight of the situation out there, the princesses would just send someone...or somepony to go do it for them. I talked with Celestia while you were out, she made a plan ship you out, hopefully to never come back."

Pea rolled her eyes,"I figured it, but a royal pardon and your sketchy protection really doesn't move me. I'm still saying no."

"I know I've done some...bad things but really Pea, must you ignore my generosity?" Volm cooed.

"Generosity?!" Pea shouted, even tough it spiked a fireball of pain though her torso,"You are everything but trustworthy and generous! You took away my friends, my lifestyle," she held her palms out,"My legs..."

Volm growled under his breath. He shook his head and looked back up at the mare,"But look at your new ones! You're much stronger then other ponies, even ones out there. You had the Dragon King Borox after you and I kept you and your crew safe from them-"

"-by scattering them to the wind," Pea finished.

Volm was becoming impatient,"You're so stupid. Fuggin' ponies... Look," He rubbed his forehead," I hate Belial and that dragon prick just as much as you do. Once I have that blue gem your marefriend is wearing I'll be able to wipe them out."

"Then what? What will you do then?" Pea asked, afraid to know the answer.

"I'll make the whole world like Equestria," Volm said happily, his hand re-extended for a closed deal.

"What are you-" Pea asked, dazed.

"Are you taking the fucking deal or not?" Volm barked,"You ponies and all your empty questions..."

"What is it then, why should I trust you?" Pea barked back," How do I know you're no lying?"

"I have made deals of my own. Though I look and act the evil part, my intentions are good...for a price," Volm said dryly.

"Of course, everything has a price," Pea glared at the blue demon,"Tell you what, I'll give you the stone after I find my whole crew. Alive."

A vein bulged on Volm's forehead, "I can't promise that their all alive, pebble. But if that's the way you want it, I'll even sweeten the deal with this," The hand he had extended clenched tightly, his nails drawing blood from his hand. His fingers uncurled and a shiny black, tangerine sized pearl lay in his gouged palm. Volm's inky black blood dripped on the medical bed Pea lay on like thick black syrup.

"The hell is that?" Pea grimaced.

A string stretched out of it as Volm dropped the pearl. Pea was quick to catch it and examined the disturbing object. Volm wiped his bloodied hand on his chest leaving black streaks,"It's a kind of...homing thing. It will help guide you to your friends, in the order you met them. The place where that friend is, a bit of white will point the way on it, the closer you get the whiter it gets. It's simple enough for something as menial as you, pebble."

Pea was hesitant, why had he simply shown up and offer so much help? She remembered his promise to anything that decided to fight him,'You'll walk away different then you walked in', hence her cyber legs. Though he was a complete monster and horridly cruel, he was a beast of his word.

"What will you do with Equestria? While I'm gone," She asked, still catching her breath.

Volm had a straight face for once,"I wont touch a hair on anypony's head. I won't corrupt, deceive or manipulate anything or any one here. I will be the watchdog of this land, you have my word as a bastard of nature."

Pea hesitantly looked at him,"I won't shake your hand, Volm. Never."

"Belial's ships travel further and further out on the sea each day," Volm itched his chin,"They may stumble across Equestria, or your friends. Just think of all the fun they'd have here, dominating these little whelps."

Pea's body shivered,"I won't make a deal. I'll never trust you."

"I already gave you a compass and my word, what more do you want?" Volm seethed.

"My legs back," Pea said bluntly.

The blue green demon thought about this. He itched his chin,"Perhaps...so what do I get?"

"I'll let you stay out of sight and out of mind here, unless somepony is in extreme danger," Pea commanded.

Volm cackled,"Even when you have no position, you still make demands," He shrugged,"Fine, come back with all of your friends alive, and I'll give you your legs back. Then you can live all peaceful and shit here."

Pea nodded simply. Volm rolled his eyes in disgust at the deal he agreed to.

The demon slapped on a business-like smile, "Glad we could come to an agreement! See you when you come back," Volm vanished in a wisp of steam. Pea sat in a numb state of mind at what just happened, a strange feeling of waking up coursed through the mare's body. Her mind was becoming clear and unclouded, sitting up awkwardly she hid her face in her palms.

"That bastard...what can I do to kill that thing?" She asked herself. Pea sat still aside from the faint sound of hoofsteps outside the infirmary.

3) A Book Called Forces (part 2)

6) Departing is Such Sour Joy

The cyber mare Pea Gravel sat in her hospital bed dazed and confused with her face hidden in her palms. The horrific image and feeling of Volm still burned to her, she tried looking at her surroundings. Not to her surprise, It seemed like some kind of military infirmary but nopony else was in it. It was rather a dimly lit room with flickering light fixtures in the ceiling. The clean, white stone-brick wall lined the long room with deep yellow curtains separating each bed. There must have been room for dozens of soldiers in there. Pea saw a little light coming from the wall, which turned out to be a door, thick and metal. Her chest still ached from being trampled by the centaur, so she decided just waiting for somepony to show up would be the best.

She herd the sound of hooves against stone and quiet voices;

"Princess," A dainty voice said. Probably a doctor or a nurse,"What will we do with her? She's committed treason to the crown, correct?"

Celestia's voice spoke quietly,"In a way, but I wasn't thinking clearly that earlier. I must speak to her...alone, nurse," The door opened slightly. Pea tensed up.

"Wait, Your Highness! She could still be dangerous!" The other voice cried.

"Nonsense, she saved us from being assassinated by that thing," Celestia said warmly and she stepped inside the room where Pea lay. The head wound Pea's foot had left was gone, by healing magic most likely.

"Morning, Your Highness," Pea said flatly.

"Evening actually. I came here with some news for you. Due to your...unique situation and you crime against me and my sister I've come to a conclusion. Instead of an execution you will have no choice but to go back to your homeland," Celestia said. Pea scowled at this but the princess continued,"Another thing, a creature from your homeland told me that you had experience in fighting centaurs, is this true?"

"In small numbers, yes," Pea sighed," If I'm so bold to ask, what did the 'creature' look like?" Pea cringed because she already knew the answer.

Celestia pursed her lip in thought,"I suppose a...blue monkey of sorts. His presence felt to have a strong type chaos magic, like the kind Discord has. I take it you know him?"

"I wish I didn't," Pea groaned," When you want me out of here?"

Celestia straightened up proudly,"I may have been quick to judge you and that's my mistake. Since you were rather...jaded but gentile with my subjects, I've been gracious enough to let you live.."

Pea chuckled,"Before you were trying to stab me and calling me names, now you're kicking me out?"

"You're a ludicrous mare, very unpredictable," Celestia looked at Pea, recalling how she held her own against both princesses,"I don't want any more beasts inside Equestria, those centaurs or you."

Pea laughed a bit,"Their leader must have spent months to get just a small view of Equestria, that's probably why only one showed up on a empty mountain top. You know as well as I that he's going to try again, closer next time."

Celestia rejected the warning, "The blue creature, Volm, said he'd aid us if more arrived. He may have a dysfunctional magic but his heart is in the right place," Celestia said with mild interest.

"Okay, so how long till I get out of this?" Pea asked, pointing to her cast.

"Right now if you so chose," Celestia's horn glowed.

"Do it, I'm sick of this shit," Pea nodded to the princess.

In a flash, the Pea felt like nothing happened to her ribs. She ripped the cast off with her cyber hands easily and hopped off the bed. Pea looked at Celestia with a fake smile before she went for the door,"Thanks, I'll get out of your hair now."

Celestia followed her out the door,"You're not taking your nephew with you."

Pea stopped,"What?" She hissed.

Celestia looked down at her like Pea was some unwanted beetle,"He'll be far safer, if not happier in my kingdom. What can you offer him out there? Being dinner, catching the plague?"

Pea leaned against the hall's wall. She didn't mind being kicked out, she practically expected it to happen sooner or later. The idea of having Tuff Bolder living in Equestria looked like a sour promise, good in the long run but leaving painful scars. Pea didn't want Tuff to be subjected to labor or starvation, the idea of 'high school woes' seemed much more conquerable. Celestia watched Pea's clenched, thoughtful face as the cyber mare tried to decide how she was going to plan this out.

"You have no choice, besides, my pupil is celebrating in your favor tonight. I trust you'll enjoy your last little taste of Equestria tonight," Celestia said.

Pea's eyes were blinded by the flash of teleportation magic, once they could see again she looked at her surroundings. With a late afternoon sky above she looked at the building before her, the farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres. Pea cursed under her breath, not particularly wanting to meet Applejack again. From inside, the sounds of a music and laughter met the grey mare's ears. She walked quietly to the door, nervous of who was inside.

"Ahm, goin' to the barn for another barrel of cider," a familiar voice called from inside,"Be right back!"

Before Pea could react the door swung open with Applejack waltzing out, bumping the cyber mare to the side,"Sorry, sugar-cube" Applejack said without stopping,"Didn't see ya there."

Pea groaned and walked inside, finding Twilight and her friends drinking cider and dancing in the main room of the farm house. Balloons and confetti filled the air and Pinkie Pie hopped around wildly to the beat of the quick music, the other mares did their best to follow. Along with the team of six, Spike and Daring Do were present. The adventuress' eyes lit up when she noticed Pea.

Daring Do walked up beside Pea Gravel holding a mug of cider,"You finally showed up!" Pea could see a buzzed look in Daring's eyes,"You were gone all day since you met Celestia."

Pea smiled at the celebration,"Sorry, business stuff. Sooo...what's this party about, or are you all just trying to get drunk?"

Daring scoffed,"Haven't you been keeping track of the days? It's been three months today since you first showed up in Ponyville," She leaned up closer,"I've heard some rumors about you from the villagers, they think of you as some kind of elusive celebrity! Isn't that great?"

Pea blushed slightly,"Really," She shook back into a serious mode,"That's great but I have to tell you something-"

She was interrupted by a mug of cider shoved in front of her face. Applejack smirked behind it,"If you want to be in the party, ya gotta be all social. I hope you fighter ponies can handle mah famous cider,"

Pea took it gingerly, examining it, she said;"You drink apple juice at parties?"

Daring and Applejack stifled a giggle. Pea shrugged and took a big swig of it, the burning sensation of alcohol catching her by surprise. She coughed with wide eyes as the two mares laughed.

"Come on, iron pony," Applejack laughed,"Get over here an' party with us!"

Pea didn't resist being dragged over to the rest of the mares while music blared. They danced in debauchery as mug after mug of cider was drunk. Pea, now ready for the hard cider, chugged mugs of it with the cheers of the other mares. Big Mac walked in unnoticed and drug a buzzed Spike out of the house, not wanting him caught up in something he was too young for. As the night went by, the music track became less and less rambunctious and the mare's dancing subsided. Pea sat on the floor with Daring Do and Rainbow Dash propped up on her, the rest were strewn about on the floor giggling to themselves.

The radio that blared music before now had some late night talk show airing. It had a bubbly mare's voice and a suave older stallion's both talking about current, tediously menial, events. The drunk mares tuned in to the radio, listening intently.

"...I'm more of a book pony myself," The mare said,"Once I find a real page turner, I can't put it down until it's done, duh! What about you?"

"Well, I'm more interested in...alternative novels then the usual cutesy fairy kind of things,"The stallion's voice said through the fuzz of the speakers,"Such as...as...Oh! That new book that A.K. Yearling helped write, do you remember it?"

Pea tuned into the conversation as well. Over the radio the mare was audibly disdained,"Eeeh, that one? It's got...you know...death and stuff. It's gross! Not to mention how bad the language is, I mean come on! Just cuz some mare puts a 'bitch' or something in her story doesn't make it any more edgy," she grumbled,"Go on, I need some more to drink."

"It's only natural," the stallion defended as the sound of pouring liquid was heard,"Fights happen a lot and death is something everypony has to deal with, I think books like that one put a different spin on that we're used to. Oh, thank you,"The stallion paused, drinking some kind of alcohol.

"Ahhh, delicious," He continued,"Back to what I was saying: Looking at Yearling's other works, I think it's great that shes going into different styles in her writing. Could you imagine Daring Do wielding a sword and fighting roving bandits?"

Pea smile proudly, tuning out the rest of the conversation having heard enough. Twilight and her friends began chatting, about what Pea didn't know, nor cared. She lay out on the floor on her belly as Daring was talking to Rainbow Dash. Pea wanted to say to her,'So I guess I am kinda famous, eh?'

But saying that may bring up the dreaded news of her departure. Pea decided it would be best to sit and wait instead and not disrupt the fun night the mares were having.

Pinkie Pie rolled up to Pea with a bubbly grin,"So I heard that you talked with Celestia, like all day. Did you fight her and her sister in a brawl on some desolate place only to be interrupted by some awful monster?" She blinked contently as if guessing the truth exactly was common.

Pea rubbed her eyes,"N...no, what ere you talking about? That's crazy talk," Pea said hiccuped.

Daring Do looked at Pea,"What were you doing then, hmmm?"

The rest of the partying mares looked over eager to hear the gossip. Pea groaned at being the center of this kind of attention. She was about to tell of her plan but the reason of the party, her, made the mare hesitant. Pea put a finger to her lip,"It's a secret."

"Come on," the mares insisted,"You can tell us!"

Pea nudged Daring Do and Rainbow Dash off her so she could see all seven faces clearly, or as clearly as she could. She drummed her fingers on the ground thinking of how she should put the words together.

Fluttershy spoke up,"It's not something bad, is it?"

Pea waved her had at these words like annoying flies,"No, no...did I ever tell you all about my friends, from my home?"

Rainbow Dash rose a hoof up,"Oh! Oh! The book you and Daring Do wrote had somepony named Dew Berry, she's one of them right?"

Pea was about to respond but was intupted by Daring Do,"Yes, that's it! The other three besides Dew are boys. Oza, Joe and Rochi."

"She told me a bit about Rochi,-" Twilight said.

Daring butted in,"-that he was very close to Pea Gravel," a hint of jealousy was in the pegasus' voice.

"Then that leaves Oza and Joe," Pea said happily. It looked like their names brought good memories to her troubled mind,"Oza is a dragon, kinda like Spike. Oh, he had the funniest way of speaking," Pea giggled.

"Well some baby dragons have a hard time talking, it's only natural," Fluttershy defended.

"No, not like that. I meant he was like Spike as in he was friends with ponies, not a baby. He was a teenage dragon when we all were together, he stood almost three heads taller then me," Pea spaced out dreamily then blinked back to reality,"Oh...sorry. Say, save you all ever seen a clown fish?"

"Yeah, did Oza's scales look like a clown fish's?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Yep, he had blue eyes and a blue mouth too, even his blood was blue," Pea recalled with a grimace,"Besides making a good campfire he was an amazing healer, I'd be dead a dozen times over if not for him. He'd always tell me,'Now pony needs to stop being reckless when she fights, Oza grows tired of seeing red on her', " Pea mimicked in a deeper voice.

Rarity chuckled,"Mmhm, Oza sounds like a riot, now you mentioned a 'Joe'?"

"Joe, right. That big lug was our muscle. One of the bigger mules I've seen," She looked more happy reminiscing her old friends then drinking all of that cider by a mile,"It was hard finding him at night because his coat was such a dark blue and his mane was almost black, but you could hear him a mile away," She rose an eyebrow and looked wryly at them,"Dew really liked him, you know really, really."

Twilight looked puzzled,"Is...Joe Tuff's father? I thought mules were...you know...sterile."

Pea looked sad all of a sudden,"His biological father, no. This traces back to Dew and her first owner, the one before Alia."

"So it is bad," Fluttershy said quietly.

"The pony that Alia bought Dew from was a carnahorse," Pea recalled,"His name was Black Berry and he's the kind of thing you'd need to watch out for...poor Dew..."

"She was a slave to one of those?" Daring gasped,"Don't tell me that he's Tuff's..."

Pea nodded sadly,"It was a god damn coincidence that we meat again...it was the worst for Dew...Tuff doesn't know about this though, I don't think I'll ever tell him," She saw the cheerless faces of the once gleeful mares,"I'm sorry girls. I didn't want to you know it like this, but...I'm leaving to go find them," The small weight of Volm's pearl felt like a ton of woeful bricks,"I have a ship waiting for me in Horseshoe Harbor," she lied.

The mares grew quiet, the sudden weight of the information taking a few moments to be absorbed. Each of the six mares sat quietly, some more shocked then others. Rainbow Dash straightened up,"So I take it you're going back out there alone?"

Pea was about to say something but the moment Applejack's green eyes caught Pea's, she stopped. Applejack gave a venomous look,"Just who do ya think you are? Everypony 'ere has been nothing but nice to you an', after all the bad things you said about your home, you're going back?"

"I have to. I can't just leave them," Pea pleaded.

'If you have to go, let us go with you," Twilight offered," I'm sure we can help, right girls?" Twilight's friends hesitated an answer,"Well...I'm sure we could try," Twilight encouraged.

Rainbow Dash stood up,"Come on, let us go with you! Nopony can run a ship on their own anyway, you have to have some help," Rainbow Dash made a very good point, a painfully important one. She looked Pea down with a confident look.

Pea put a fist to her temple,"Ladies, I can't thank you enough for wanting to help me," She paused,"But if anypony here has remotely enough experience it'd be Daring Do here," Pea pointed to the surprised pegasus,"But I couldn't."

Twilight became edgy,"So an alicorn isn't good enough for you?"

Pea smacked her forehead,"No, it's just that a princess isn't meant for this kind of work. If you die, who will replace you?"

"What if Daring Do dies," Applejack asked,"Or you do?"

Pea made a predatory smile that sent chills up the other mare's spines,"I stopped worrying about death a long time ago, Applejack."

Rainbow Dash butted in again."We've been on a pirate ship before, we've dealt with buccaneer ponies."

"Did you leave the Dead Ring," Pea asked, knowing the answer,"You have know it, the edge of Equestria's ocean."

Twilight looked puzzled,"Dead Ring?"

Pea sighed,"It's a giant, no enormous still ring of water as a border for your ocean. There's some magic making it do that, it never moves and no wind ever blows. Not to mention the schools sea monsters that breed there."

The Equestrian mares were aghast. They each trusted Pea, in a way, for what she said. But a dead water border around Equestria? How could they not know about it? Besides these warnings, the thirst for the quest still clung to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow stamped a hoof,"I still don't see why we couldn't go with you. Give me one good reason we couldn't."

Pea stood up, being taller then Rainbow Dash the cyber mare's pissed off stare became more intense. Pea smiled coldly,"You're a sporty chick right? So that means you've seen an accident or two, seen a pony get injured...bleed?"

Rainbow Dash felt a lump in her throat. Her friends looked up at her and Pea with extreme concern, causeing Rainbow Dash not wanting to look sheepish. She stepped closer to Pea Gravel with her neck erect proudly,"Yeah, I've seen some serious cuts and broken bones. I've had them too!"

Pea bared her teeth in a smile,"So have you killed anyone, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow fought back a growing fear,"No, I've never had the reason to!"

"Don't give me that bullshit," Pea cast a glare to the rest of the mares,"None of you! You couldn't kill another if your life depended on it. Out there you wouldn't last a week, maybe."

Rarity huffed,"Where did this barbarism come from?"

Pea punched the floor with a growl,"I'm done with this, thanks girls but I'm leaving. Keep an eye on Tuff, only if 'land-crawlers' can fit into your agenda," She stormed outward to the door, ignoring the mare's pleads for her to stay. She had only a few feet left to being outside then Twilight appeared in a flash before her, blocking the path.

"What's the meaning of all this?!" Twilight cried angrily,"After our support and generosity you choose to abandon us and trust us with your nephew? We offer to help you in your journey and you turn away, why?"

"Twilight, I'm sure you'd understand if you were in my place,"Pea said flatly, her face devoid of remorse,"If your five friends were in danger and you were the only one who could save them, would you want anypony else getting hurt while you tried?"

Twilight's anger subsided. She understood, though she didn't want to. Twilight stepped aside and let Pea walk into the night air, leaving the seven mares in a cheerless, shocked state. None of the mares were sure what to do or say, neither did the one walking outside.

Pea knew her nephew was still at the farm, where else could he go? She searched the area, the weight of saying good-bye to Tuff felt like a wrecking ball on her esteem. She heard the sound of children's laughter from inside the barn. She peeked inside to find Tuff and the Cutie Mark Crusaders playing in the hay while Big Mac and Spike snored nearby. Pea opened the door quietly, Tuff looked up bright eyed at his aunt. Her angry attitude melted away looking at the foals.

"Pea Gravel!" The three fillies cheered. The four children rushed up to Pea and each hugged a metallic leg.

"So you were gone with Celestia all day, was she nice?" Tuff asked.

Pea chuckled,"The nicest in the world. You tired, Tuff?"

"No, not at all," the colt yawned.

Pea's stomach churned for the moment she'd deliver the news to her nephew. The three ponies walked though the quiet night on the path back to Ponyville, only the sounds of crickets and frogs were heard. Pea bit her lip when she looked down at the colt.

"Tuff, I need to tell you something..." Pea's voice trailed off at the worried looks from the fillies.

"What auntie, are we moving again?" Tuff asked.

"No, I just..." Pea looked glanced at Big Mac, who was now awake. Under a watchful eye Pea continued,"I'm going to go back...out there," Pea winced, thinking Tuff would begin crying.

"How long will you be gone?" The colt asked rather calmly.

"I'm not sure," Pea was a bit surprised,"...I'll come back in at least eighteen months weather I find my crew or not, to check up on you," Pea smiled reassuringly.

"That's...a while. You said 'I'," He looked at her with a goofy smile,"You're not taking me?"

"Well, this place is real nice. You have some real friends here, Tuff," Pea felt like she was being drug down by the children's worried looks.

Sweetie Bell looked over at Tuff,"So...you're alright with her going away for awhile?"

Tuff nodded,"Yeah. It's been a long time since I've seen mom and pops, Auntie will bring them back safe. Right Auntie?"

Pea sighed with relief,"I was so worried you'd be upset with me," Pea leaned over and kissed the top of the colt's head," That's my Tuff Bolder!"

Pea slid out from their grip and hugged her nephew tight. With one last kiss on his forehead, she turned and walked out into the darkness of the evening. Tuff waved at her until she was out of sight,"Come back soon..."

Tuff's lip began quivering. Scootaloo looked at him with surprise,"Hey, are you okay?" She asked.

Tuff held back a lonely tear and nodded. Eighteen months? How long was that going to feel like?

Pea didn't want to ride a train, she didn't want to be involved with anyone else on her quest. In the dark of the dying night, she grabbed her belongings from Twilight's house hurriedly and headed east to Horse Shoe Bay. With a few provisions, medicine, and mess kit in her pack she moved through the empty streets for what felt like the last time. Pea didn't look back as the town dwindled away and the Ever Free Forest enveloped her. The sound of Pea walking was quiet in the night air, passing tree after tree Pea's mind and body were tearing at each other. She couldn't have anypony to drag her down in her quest, nopony was going to get in her way, even benevolent ones.

Pea's eyes felt dry but alert as she moved through the Ever Free Forest, a small smile crept onto her face. Though the little life she built up here had been shattered, she was beginning to miss violence and the thrill of the hunt, now it wasn't to far away. The trip felt like a blur to the grey mare, she didn't even notice the sun rise as she exited the other side of the forest. Pea walked and walked, her artificial legs carrying her with unnatural endurance. Towns came and went as she traveled east, she became more and more excited the further she went. The environment changed many times in her trek back to the coast and eventually she arrived to Horseshoe Harbor.

The town was a large, busy port with a tropical wet mist in the air. All of the buildings and ponies looked tough and used to the sea air. Pea walked down the market streets with a proud grace as many eyes watched her, she was beginning to enjoy it. Pea neared the harbor and looked out at all of the ships anchored. She sat on the dock as sailors carried crates and packages to and from the ships tied down. Pea's green eyes met a Carrack ship near the end of the dock, It was painted in a dull green and had the bustling of crew members on deck. Only a ship ready to leave would be so busy.

"There's the one," Pea said to herself,"I'll just drop in and say hello."

She began walking to the green ship, avoiding sailors carrying crates she made it to the ship. A ramp connected the carrack's deck to the dock while supplies went in and off the ship. Not to Pea's surprise five armed pirates came down the ramp to meet her. There were rough, tough looking pirate ponies with scars and cutlasses. The ringleader, a dull orange unicorn, stepped forward.

"Pardon me fer blockin' yer path, miss," The unicorn grinned with yellowed teeth,"But me an' me mates couldn't help but notice that you were looking at our captain's ship."

Pea rose an eyebrow," And what's wrong with looking, maybe I was going to hire you. Is this how you treat potential clients?"

The pirate squinted his eyes,"We're pirates miss, don't work for nopony."

Pea smiled,"Well then, sorry to bother you. I'll just take my leave, have a nice day fellas!"

The pirates were puzzled at the seemingly random encounter, shrugged, and went back on the ship. Pea waited on a bench further up the dock until it was dark, eagerly biding her time. As the sun set some lamps were lit on the docked ships, shedding faint light on the dock's planks. Like a panther's shadow, the cyber mare crept expertly to and on the deck of the green ship, completely undetected. She pulled herself onto the deck and past a sleeping guard, tip-toeing over to a stack of crates. Once hidden she controlled her breathing in the sea air of the dark harbor night. She cramped herself further behind a crate stack out of sight and waited, dozing off finally.

After an hour of napping a single off centered creek in the flooring shot her back to her senses. Her heart raced, every little creek sounded like it could compromise her plan. In the quiet ambiance of the ship she feared being found, she could get to where she needed without a crew's labor. Eventually she settled down and dozed back into a light sleep. At the crack of dawn, the rock of a ship at sea woke Pea up. It had been so long since she was on a boat her sea legs were getting rusty, she'd have time to get back into the swing of things. After stealing an apple from the crate she hid behind, the mare decided it was best to wait and plan how she was going to take over the ship.

She heard the hustle of hoof steps on the top deck, some kind of meeting was going on. She peered around a corner at the crew of pirates. She counted about thirty crew members along with the captain and the first mate she met on the dock.

The captain, a young looking orange unicorn with a navy blue cloak, was standing with his first mate at the helm of the ship. The captain was rambling on about being the leader of the toughest pirate crew in Equestria and how they were off to raid some islands to the south east. Pea looked to see how far the coast was, to her delight the land of Equestria was only a faint black line on the horizon. She pulled herself on top of the crate she was hiding behind and bit down loudly on the shiny red apple. The pirates looked to her with shock, not expecting a stowaway like her.

"Morning fellas!" Pea said cheerfuly,"I'm in need of service. Could you big, strong pirates help a poor mare like me?"

The first mate stomped on the deck with a wrathful look,"I told ya, we're PIRATES! Don't work for nopony 'cept the captain!"

The young looking unicorn stood proudly,"Indeed, you're right. Now, boys, capture that mare and bring her here!"

The big crew of pirates turned with dreadful smirks. Pea got off the crate and waited until a pirate drew a sword to her neck. Through his teeth he chuckled,"Come on quietly, missy!" Through the handle in his jaws. In no time, Pea quickly grabbed his sword and wit the other hand smashed the half eaten apple into the pirate's eye.

The pirate reared back and howled in pain, before he knew it Pea had a sword to his throat. He blinked in horror but his eyes became permanently open, once Pea lopped his head clean off. His torso landed on the deck with a thud and his shocked head rolled a bit, leaving a trail of red. The rest of the pirates looked at Pea with petrified looks, she wiped the pirates blood off the sword with the owner's body. She looked up casually,"Now, I'm taking over this ship. Whoever want's to follow this one to Davy Jones, step forward."

The pirates, being from Equestria, weren't used to such brutality. Some dropped their swords with slacked jaws and others scooted away from the deadly mare. The captain however, was unfazed.

"You call yourselves pirates?" He mocked,"Being scared of a mare?!"

The first mate leaned over with a worried look,"Captn'...she may not be a real mare...what if she's some evil spirit?"

Pea caught onto the sailor's superstition, she had a wild look in her eyes as she stepped to the crew.She kicked the corpse out of her way and the once deadly looking sailors now shank back like frightened foals.

Pea put on a predatory smile,"That's right! I'm a demon from another land, I've had my fill on Equestira and now want to go back home," With a false mask of danger on her face, Pea felt sick looking at her victim.

The captain looked to his terrified crew,"Yes, yes. We'll take you...let us put the dead to rest first." Pea held onto the stolen cutlass in her teeth as the crew carried their comrade for a burial at sea. The saddened crew listened their captain give a hurried yet eloquent funeral speech, all the while Pea readied two of the four life boats and turned a loaded deck cannon to the mourning crew. One yelled in surprise at the cannon barrel pointed at all of them, Pea leaned over the primed cannon with a wick lighter in one hand and a cutlass in the other.

"What's wrong with you!?" The first mate screamed,"Is one not enough for you?"

"Sure," Pea had her deadly mint eyes fixed on the crew,"But not really. Now, get of my boat."

The pirates looked to each other in horrified confusion, frozen in place. Pea nonchalantly waved the lighter over the cannon wick and it began sparking. Before all of them could jump over board Pea smothered the wick, chucking as she watched the pirates jumping over board in a blaze of confusion and terror. They shouted and cried in the water, almost landing on top them two life boats fell into the water.

Pea called down to them,"If you all paddle back now, you can make it back to mommy's before dinner!"

The pirates had no choice as to get into cramped life boats and watch their ship being taken, sailing in a direction they were avoiding.

Pea wasted no time in searching the Captain's Room for a map for reassurance in her navigating. Plowing through stacks of paper she found it in a shelf, along with a bottle of fermented Pineapples called 'Sourbite'. She nodded thoughtfully at the strange drink. Going back outside she put her bottle on top of the map and went below deck looking for a hammock.

It was noon now, Pea lay dozing in a hammock tied to either side of the lamp posts on the poop deck with a half empty bottle of Sourbite held to her chest and the cutlass sheathed at her side. The tropical sun beamed down warmly on the lone pony along with her new ship. Pea smiled to herself,"Damn, that was easier then I thought!"

Far into the cargo hold, inside a crate, two frighted souls hid. They were worried about the pirates, or lack there of, on the ship.

4) This isn't what I Wanted (part 1)

7) Row, Row your Boat...

In Equestria though Twilight and her friends were slightly shaken up after the strange mare left, the rest of their quaint little world went on as if nothing happened. Rainbow Dash, almost the day after the stranger left, said she had unexpected business in Cloudsdale. Daring Do returned to her quieter alter ego and left for her home in the forest. Now several days, if not weeks went by as Pea's stolen ship sailed east

Breaking waves on the sea the doomed ship creaked under only one pony's weight, the original crew thrown out single-handed by the cyber mare. She'd spend her days practicing on walking upright on her hind legs, at first her hind legs jutted out stiffly and awkwardly marching up and down the deck. Finding the ship's armory she picked out several flint locks and a pair of cutlasses to practice with.

The firearms were equestrian made, not meant for fingers. They took some getting used to with it's pressure sensitive trigger at the handle and other models were shot via biting down on a mouth guard. She'd line up spare hats on the railing posts and hone her targeting. After all, she had a ship's worth of gunpowder and shot for just one mare. If not shooting, she'd practice swinging cutlasses at dummies she made out of wood scraps from the ship.

Pea tried one sword, one in each hand and even three. One in each metal hand while the third was tight in her jaws slashing skillfully at her wooden targets. She preferred three swords, she figured it would confuse and intimidate the enemy with a mare walking with two swords and biting another down. The pirate's armory was much different then what she was accustomed to, her original training was more about broad sword swinging and dodging arrows. The black powder firearms that the pirates had were a menace but in short supply out in 'The Wild', as she now called it.

During the evenings, she'd make sure the boat was on coarse before cooking dinner. Though there were enough rations to feed a crew of thirty five for almost six months, portions seemed to be slimming when she tapped into the food stash. She paid no mind, she couldn't eat all of this food anyway. She didn't even plan on seeing the boat docking out there, Pea expected it to be sunk inside or near the edge of the Dead Ring. After a salty vegan meal she sat at the helm, checking every now and again on the ship's direction. Pea had a compass in her sight at all times next to her 'Ink Pearl' as she called it.

As the days of sea travel went by, she had become dangerously skilled using three swords. She had fashioned a double sheath that fitted on the her lower back while the third sword was on a sheath strapped to her torso, within her mouth's reach. Within a month the edge of the Dead Ring could be seen. It's waters were grey and the sky a lifeless blue. The sea currents weakened and the wind faded the closer the ship got to the dismal waters. Pea sat at the captain's cabin thinking about how she was going to get across. Checking the deck she found that one dingy was still aboard.

The tiny ship had a large blanket sized sail, also enough room for one pony and four crates of supplies. What she'd be using though, were the two oars on either side of the boat. Going back into the hull of the pirate ship, she hauled two food crates up. She didn't bother to check inside them since every other crate she tapped into had pristine produce inside. Later one for guns and powder and lastly one with any valuables she could scrounge on the ship. The valuables crate had blankets and traveling supplies she'd need for her journey on land as well as salable loot.

Lowering the dingy into the water via crane, the small water vessel landed gracefully. Pea strapped up her leather jacket, tightened up her makeshift sword holsters and jumped to the dingy on the water. It dipped slightly from her weight but bobbed safely in the near mirror waters. She kicked off from the ship and rowed the dingy out into the Dead Ring. After a few hours she had to rearrange the crates so the weight didn't dip the boat over, once that was done she made a make-shift canvas tent from the sail. She'd have to worry about the sun out here, not rain or storms. There was no wind blowing on the dead ring, making a trip across it almost more deadly then a barren desert.

The water was unearthly clear. Anyone afraid of what lurks in the deep would die of shock looking down into the Dead Ring's waters. Schools of fish of every size swarmed through the still water, feeding of each other in a cruel food chain hierarchy. Some looked more like sharks or whales, while others looked like giant spiky squids. The ones that made small hills of displaced water when they neared the surface looked like horribly massive lobsters with gaping maws that swallowed pods of whales whole. If Pea ever got bored of careful rowing she'd watch the underwater circus of fish.

From experience and the way the horizon looked, she only had another day of travel. She sighed with relief. She laid back relaxing as much as she could under her canvas tent. She felt oddly calm drifting over a carnivorous spawning pool, maybe because she was that much closer to where she wanted to be. She would've drifted off in a nap but a small sound from the crates woke her up.

Without warning, Rainbow Dash threw open the crate lid,"Ahh! Finally out of that thing!" Pea held her breath in horror as she watched the lid fly into the air and splash in the water. Time seemed to freeze, then movement in the water kicked up little waves on the surface. Rainbow Dash looked around,"What's wrong?"

Pea grabbed the oars frantically,"ohshit! ohshit! ohshit! ohshit! Go! Go! Go!" She made the oars row at a near speed boat pace.

Daring Do peeked out of same crate Rainbow Dash was hiding in,"What's going on?"

"No time!" Pea shouted,"Grab the mast and haul ass with your wings, now!"

The still water began to churn around where the lid landed. Sharks swarmed around it and soon bigger fish began eating the sharks. The two pegsi held onto the dingy's mast as flapped their wings in a panic. They were confused more then terrified. A shark jumping out of the water over them, nicking their wings, made the two Equestrians fly for their lives. Soon a feeding frenzy trailed behind the speeding dingy with fish of many sizes bumping, biting and almost flopping into the boat. Pea shouted for more speed when the sun's light was blocked out. One of the giant lobsters reared out of the water and began heading back to the bloody waves. The mares held their breath waiting for the impact, luckily it landed far enough behind where a wave lifted into the air on a wall of water. It had biting fish falling out of it trying to get to the boat.

The wave took them to edge of the Dead Ring, a flow of sea monster blood followed them as they drifted dumbstruck into the now blue water of the 'Wild's' ocean. The fish weren't keen on leaving the Dead Ring, so it was just the three mares panting in the dingy. Rainbow Dash looked to the other two mares and began laughing from her first brush with death. Daring Do snickered and too, then began laughing. Pea had a heavy scowl on her face. The two mares relived laughter died quickly, seeing they escaped one big monster only find something just as scary glaring at them.

"Oh come on," Rainbow Dash cooed,"What's the m-"

Pea smacked both mares in the face,"I thought I told you, no one follows me! Do you idiots speak English?"

Daring Do glared,"You would've been eaten if we didn't rescue you back there!"

"That whole mess would've never happened if dumbass over here didn't throw the lid to my food in the ocean and woke all that shit up!" Pea shouted.

Rainbow Dash looked hurt,"We...we came to help you, why are you acting like this?" she said rubbing her cheek.

Pea clenched her fists to her face,"Cuz you two are gonna die out there! That's why!"

Daring Do folded her arms,"Who says we will, there's only one way to find out something."

Pea turned around, facing the front of the ship,"This is just grate, fan-fucking-tastic..."

The two Equestrians looked at the alien ocean. The clouds were in shapes and patterns competently unknown to Rainbow Dash. She began panicking,"Daring Do?! What's wrong with the clouds, their not...swirly! The sky isn't blue...it's not our blue!"

Pea scoffed,"I can tell you two will just love it out here," The two mares glared at her sarcastic comment," If you wan't to survive you'll have to listen to me from now on," Pea said looking out on the horizon.

Daring wiped the sweat off Rainbow Dash's brow,"Yes Captain? What do you want us to do first?"

Pea pointed to the horizon,"Move my boat that way with oars or wings, I don't care."

Rainbow Dash eventually got used to the environment's differences and helped Daring Do push the boat forward. The boat moved through the water with ease from the horse power pushing it. The comforting feeling of Equestria was slipping away the further they went, a new feeling called dread fell onto Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was still looking at the strange clouds with awe while Daring Do attempted conversation with the silent cyber mare.

"Sooo...where is our first stop, Captain?" Daring asked with a forced smile.

Pea was silent for a while. When she finally spoke both Equestrians listened,"You do realize that you hid in what was supposed to be half of my rations? So that means what was for one is now split with three. Not to mention that, once we could get to a harbor, you could be snatched up just because you two look pretty."

Rainbow Dash scowled,"Thanks, I always wanted to be called pretty by somepony."

Pea sighed,"Will red or leather collars look best on you two..."

Daring's attention snapped to Pea,"Excuse me?"

"I have a reputation out there, some things fear me. It's best you act like my slaves then friends...in public that is." Pea said without looking back at the other mares.

"Why can't we just be friends?" Rainbow Dash asked, now regretting the idea of venturing out here.

"I didn't have 'friends' out there, only trusted battle partners and slaves. Besides, if your my 'property' your less likely to be taken...just saying," Pea almost smiled.

The rest of that day was held in silence. Once the sun had set Pea took the oars and told the now exhausted mares to sleep under the canvas tent. They fell into a quick but fitful sleep. Pea rowed with a worried heart, she liked these two. Now she had something to defend while jumping back into the frying pan...

The two equestrians woke to see sea gulls flying over head. They peeked under the canvas to see a small island with a handful of palm trees. Pea was making a pile of food she had found on the white sand beach. Once she saw them she waved them over.

"The best coconuts are at the tops of the trees, could you two lovely ladies go and pick some?" She asked.

Daring Do flew compliantly, Rainbow Dash yawned. The picked well over a dozen coconuts and loaded them onto the dingy. Pea carried two dead green lizards along with their finds. The Equestrians eyed the lizards with a grimace.

Pea smirked,"I'm leaving some more food for you two, I'll eat these." She smiled, holding up her prizes.

Daring Do stuck her tongue out in disgust,"You'll eat those?"

Pea tossed the into the food crate and grabbed the oars,"It's alright, fly girl. I've eaten worse."

The three mares made the final checks for leaks or breaks in the hull before setting they off again, dead east. With the two pegsi sitting under the canvas tarp at the front of the boat, Pea took up the oars. The words of Pea's carnivorous habit burned in Daring Do's mind. She didn't really eat other creatures like a wolf or the carnahorses she had been told about, right? She recalled that of what Pea had told her, not anyone else. When writing Forces they only reached where Pea Gravel and her friend Dew Berry were fully on their own.

Daring Do looked over to the silent rowing mare,"Pea...I think there's some details you need to tell Rainbow Dash," Daring Do requested quietly,"You know...about the natives out there."

"Their just bigger meaner versions of what lives in Equestria," Rainbow Dash said confidently,"Don't tell me...there's other stuff too?" Pea rowed silently, ignoring either of her followers. Daring decided it would be best if she didn't pry at Pea right now, However Rainbow Dash... "Tell me!" Rainbow Dash's shout echoed off the open ocean,"Tell me what I have to deal with out there," She cried.

Pea looked up coldly,"The hierarchy out there isn't who's the biggest or strongest, it's who's the best at stabbing everyone else's back. The most cunning bastard can have killed an army, but he may never need pick up a sword. I'm the only one you could trust out there, past the little horse land on the coast. After that...we're on our own."

The rest of the evening and the following morning was grimly quiet. Eventually there was a black line the distant shore ahead. The masts of large ships could be seen riddled throughout the waters near the land. Daring Do looked in amazement, there was a whole world of undiscovered cultures and relics out there. She'd become the greatest treasure huntress Equestria ever knew. Rainbow Dash was getting fed up wit Pea's warnings, she was beginning to think the whole thing like a Fisherman's story, It gets more amazing each time one tells it. Rainbow Dash was becoming excited to see a new world full of excitingly different ponies.

Daring Do turned to look at Pea,"So how long have you been away from here?"

Pea pursed her lips in thought,"About five years, ever since I took in Tuff," she got a bit teary eyed thinking about the colt.

Rainbow Dash fluttered up into the air,"Alright! This is going to be awesome!"

Pea groaned and went to the crate full of loot. She pulled out a black overcoat for herself and two cloaks for the Equestrians. They looked at the drab clothes with disdain,"If you don't want to get mugged, put these on," Pea commanded.

The distant line was growing into view and the bigger ships were becoming more detailed. Showing out from the mid morning sky, ships shown like trees on the water. When the three mares were suited up Pea pulled out a telescope from the crate of loot and peered out at the distant ships. She nearly dropped the spyglass at what she saw: Torrent Ships.

Daring Do and Rainbow Dash could see them now as well. Each Torrent ship was at least five decks high and had twelve masts holding up dozens of deep maroon canvas sails. The decks were made of black painted timber and had plates of brass bolted onto them, becoming discolored from their time in sea water. Though no cannons were aboard, an absurd amount of sickly yellow torches were lit. The mares saw arrows lit with these flames fly off one of these ships and strike another ship. The target was a ship like the one Pea stole, but this one shot up in flames seconds after being hit by the evil yellow fire arrows.

Pea rubbed her forehead,"We need to play it safe, I had no idea the Torrent would be this far west..."

"What would they do to us?" Rainbow Dash asked timidly.

The cyber mare smirked,"We're bound to meet one...why don't you ask yourself?"

The small dingy brought little attention to any ships that sailed by. Once buildings were in view on the shore Pea maneuvered the boat through a maze of docked ships. Their massive size loomed over them like forests. The dock of the Sea port they were headed to was packed with all kinds of movement. Low buildings were behind a busy stone walkway on the port where merchant tents and workers filled the space. Ships were being loaded and unloaded with supplies or biped creatures in armor. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do saw that not everything was a pony, in fact almost none were. The only ones they saw were carrying most of the cargo. Pea scanned the dock for something, the Equestrians didn't know what.

"Tell me if you see a snake with arms," She said.

Rainbow Dash cleaned out her ears,"Excuse me?"

"Serpent folk, their very rich merchants around here," Pea gestured over to the weapons crate,"I can't just show anybody black powder guns here, their worth their weight in gold," She looked out to the crowd on the port,"They also know lots about...'current events'."

Daring Do spotted on the dock a long purple robed figure. The robes figure had a large crocodile standing on it's hind legs next to it. The figure's back was turned but when it looked out to the harbor it's face was a snakes'. Daring pointed,"Is that one?"

Pea smiled a trouble maker's smile,"Yep, were going to tie the boat at the port. Just keep quiet and follow my lead."

Rainbow Dash's eyes lit up,"Were gonna sell stuff to get gold?"

Pea sighed,"Just keep quiet, okay?"

The boat drifted next to some other small ships tied to the dock. Their's was next to a stone stair case that went from where everyone was walking down into the water next to them. Pea lifted the heaviest crate, the loot one, and told the Equestrians to carry the others. The two pegsi did their best to lift up the crates, while Pea went up the stairs without stress the pegsi strained to fly with their cargo.

Pea dropped her crate in front of the Serpent, and her two out-of-breath followers dropped theirs. Pea straightened up and looked to the shady merchant with a dignified aurora.

The croc guard made a move to shove Pea away but the Serpent stopped him,"You, horsssse. What have you brought to sssell? Or are you interested in...live merchandise?"

Pea shook her head,"I just came from the Dead Ring, looting ships. I believe I have something you'd be interested in."

The Serpent scowled,"The Dead Ring only bringsss death. Don't bring such talk to me," He said waving a had away. Pea took the lid off and tossed a flint-lock to him. He pulled away as if the thing was toxic. He peered at it, picked it up and examined it. Then a wicked smile crept across his green scaly face,"I am lissstening. Do you have anything elssse to sssell me?"

Pea pushed the crate to him, it slid and he gawked at the contents. Inside were two small barrels of gunpowder and nineteen other flint locks. Along with those were five cutlasses, polished to a chrome like shine. The Serpent put the gun Pea tossed him in the crate and folded his hands,"What'sss your price?"

Pea sat back and looked at what the serpent had with him. Five slaves (all mares), ornate rugs, some jewels and a tight locked chest. (probably his gold) Pea pulled the weapon crate back to her and the Serpent almost pawed the air to reach it again.

Pea looked back to her friends,"Me and my gal's need some information. Do you know where I can find some centaurs around here?"

The serpent frowned,"Theresss an inn jussst down there," He pointed further inland to the buildings,"They go there after patrolling the docksss."

Pea put the lid back on the weapons and drug it away,"Thank you, I'll be off now. Come on girls."

The serpent fumed while the three mares headed for the inn. When they reached the entrance Pea mover herself and Rainbow Dash aside and nodded Daring Do to go inside. Pea knew Daring was talented in using words to get around conflicts,"I need you to find a centaur wearing brass armor or a hood with an 'x' on it. Tell him your master needs to speak with a Torrent member."

Daring Do gulped,"...alright captain."

Daring Do walked inside to find a loud commotion of bipeds drinking and eating. Their jarring size and looks intimidated the adventuress, almost more then the late Auizotal. Daring Do's stomach churned when she saw the handed creatures were eating meat. They were ape like, at least some of them were. Others were more like the bipeds from Equestria but they were much more grizzled.

The pair of centaurs at the bar stood out from the sea's rabble. Their size above the other humanoids stuck them out like black and red spotlights. Their maroon skin matched the color of the sails she saw earlier. Over their heads were black hoods with their bull horns poking out underneath. On both hoods was a red oval above at the center with a black 'x' and a dot on each corner. The two centaurs held pints on ale and drunk it rather calmly. Holstered on their backs were pairs of curved swords, each bigger then a pony.

She approached one and cleared her throat polity. Their sunken in yellow eyes and sharp white teeth looked down at her with a grimace,"Ech...Leave us little hoofed one. I am in no need for comfort," The centaur's voice matched his size and the accent was heavy on 'h' sounds.

Daring Do stood regardless,"I'm sorry sirs, my master needs you at once."

The centaurs looked to each other and whispered to one another. They nodded and told Daring Do to led them to her master. On they way out they shoved any drunkard out of their way, even stepping on one. They ducked out of the exit way and Daring Do showed them Pea Gravel. If she didn't have her cyber arms they would've 'confiscated' a lying slave but this metal legged pony was no normal creature. She even sat up like a biped on the crates she had brought.

"Your slave told us that you needed something," One centaur said flatly,"Speak your mind."

Pea tapped her metal fingers together,"I have some merchandise I believe your Arms Dealer would be interested in," She smiled wickedly,"Interested?"

The left centaur pointed to the crate Pea sat on,"Possibly, show us the goods. Make it quick now."

Pea carefully showed them the inside. The sabers could be seen, under them were a few flintlock pistols and a little powder keg,"Beautiful no?"

The right centaur grabbed the crate from Pea and dug his hand inside the crate,"Good. We'll be leaving now."

Pea bowed her head,"Mighty Torrent warriors, do I receive no pay for these weapons?"

The centaurs began walking down the stone street,"You get shit, dirt whore," And they disappeared into the crowd.

Pea smiled wickedly, the two Torrent members walk away. The two Equestrians were confused and still shaken up by the appearance of the centaurs. The two walked away and the whole street moved around them and trying to not touch the ground the centaurs walked on. A few yards down they stopped and left the crate on the ground, examining the tiny guns.

Daring Do glowered at Pea,"What was that all about? You're going to just let them walk away with those?"

Pea smiled and opened her jacket. The rest of the pistols and swords were hidden there. She looked like a walking armory with the swords she already had and the extra weaponry. Lighting a match that went with the package she looked at the tiny flame,"It's a shame how some gunpowder just...leaks."

The two Equestrians slowly caught onto what Pea's plan was. Daring Do and Rainbow Dash watched the match fall onto the ground where a trail of grainy black powder was hidden on the brick street. It ignited and sparked down to the source where two unsuspecting targets sat. The keg left in the crate exploded with a centaur reaching to pick it up again.

There was a loud explosion and cries from the crowd. Both centaurs had shrapnel sticking out of them. One centaur flopped over with his torso missing, spilling his extra guts onto the pavement. The other was missing the arm closest to the crate. His face was numb, paralyzed from the force of the blast and three pistols were stabbed into his torso. They both lay dead n the street while most of the crowd panicked and tried to leave the street. The Equestrians looked at Pea while the cyber mare tried to keep herself from laughing,"I guess that deal ended with a bang, am I right?" she giggled. Watching them at a distance was the Serpent, now with a posse of reptile bipeds of all sizes. Their silted eyes locked on the three mares.

The trio of mares escaped through the commotion. Pea now carried the loot crate while Daring Do carried the food. The Equestrians were culture shocked, walking through the dirty streets filled with the sick or downtrodden. Filthy hands and hoofs alike reached out for a piece of silver or a sliver of food. Rainbow Dash went close to one. The malnourished pony hid under a burlap cloak.

Pea pulled the pegasus away from the beggar and Rainbow Dash promptly protested,"Why can't I help this pony out?"

Pea flipped up the beggar's hood. Her skin was yellowed and lumpy. Her eyes were caked shut and her teeth hid a sandpaper tongue. Rainbow Dash sprung back in horror and Pea sighed,"Being gracious to the poor is kind, but not worth getting leprosy yourself. Sorry you had to see that Dash."

The further they got from the harbor the more run down the city looked. Every now and again they'd avoid eye contact with patrolling Torrent warriors in the slums. Eventually they reached the outside of the city and a bleak dry scrub land lay before them. Pea pulled out the 'Inky Pearl' and saw a white glow pointing forward. That's where Dew was, the first stop. Pea smiled back to the Equestrians.

"Alright ladies, hope you like camping! We're in!"

4) This isn't What I Wanted (part 2)

8) Happy Campers

Before leaving the slums, Pea made sacks for any supplies they were carrying in the cumbersome crates. The blankets fit the bill nicely. Pea dished out the cargo between the three of them with a bit more for herself. They still had many weapons and several pounds of silver. Among other items were rope, matches, a grind stone, compass, spyglass, a few small pans to cook with and extra clothing. They had enough food until they reached Breeze, but water they lacked. Only three gallons in canteens. Daring Do and Rainbow Dash would've traded that money for more food or water, but they'd manage...hopefully.

The slums of the port city became further and further away. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do looked at the scrub land around them, a dismal road led them away from the city. Pea Gravel walked in the lead while the other mares walked further back. The noon sun was much more intense then in Equestria, no pegasus made clouds were in the sky to shelter them. The air was surprisingly dry and flies buzzed around the mares, darting around their faces. They Pea swat big flies away with her tail if they landed to long, the Equestrians copied, never having to deal with horse flies before.

Rainbow Dash shrugged of her pack and cloak. Pea and Daring looked to her while she took off into the air,"I'll try and make a cloud for us to walk under!" She called down to them. Pea rolled her eyes and let Rainbow Dash mill about in the air.

To Rainbow Dash's disbelief, the air wasn't making clouds like it did in Equestria, it just fanned around when she flew. It felt thin and intangible to the weather pony. She fluttered back to the ground, more tired then she ever was and picked her pack back up in defeat. Daring Do grabbed her cloak and the trio set off again, the sun beating down on them.

Pea called back without looking at either of the Equestrians,"So how did you two end up on that boat?"

Rainbow Dash smiled meekly,"Well...I was following you anyway, left a message saying I was visiting in Cloudsdale back home. I met up with Daring Do near by the dock where you hijacked that ship and we followed you aboard."

Pea didn't respond, at least verbally she didn't. Daring Do cleared her throat polity,"You know, I was like you at one point..." The cyber mare stopped dead in her tracks and looked with an annoyed glower. Daring continued,"I used to think I could do everything on my own. Rainbow Dash helped me realize that you need somepony to watch your back sometimes.

Pea grimaced and spat at the ground,"Sorry, my mouth was getting dry. Let's get out of the sun, okay?"

More time passed and the dry land did little for the mares. Pea's pace was cut down two-thirds from how slow the Equestrians were going. She looked back and saw they ere showing sighs of dehydration. There was only so much water to drink. She took the canteen from her cargo load and the trio stopped. Pea told the Equestrians to sit for awhile and they nearly collapsed with relief. She tossed them the canteen and set off to make them a make-shift tent.

Daring Do had been in similar situations before and knew water was precious, she only drank enough to stop her head from spinning. Rainbow Dash guzzled it greedily, spilling some on the cracked dirt. Pea Gravel stuck her swords into the dirt and had a blanket corner tied to each sword grip. It provided a low but sheltering spot of shade. Pea waved them to go under it and rest. Rainbow Dash crawled under the mock tent and sighed, released from the sun's rays. Daring Do stayed outside and sat next to it, she patted the ground next to her for Pea to sit.

"So, fly girl, I take it you've hiked before," Pea asked playfully as she sat down. Her arms were resting on her knees unnaturally for an equine. She sat like a biped would.

"I have. Equestria has some unforgiving environments too, you know!" Daring Do said sipping more water from their canteen,"I've never dealt with sun like this though, can I at least take my cloak off?"

Pea took off her navy coat with all the pistols inside and put it in her bag,"It's probably a good idea, just remember to cover up when in public."

Rainbow Dash inched to them under the shade,"Why's that? Dose it get colder where we're going?"

Pea snickered,"Kinda. I just...well clothes out here aren't like in Equestria. Back there you'd wear them to be formal or 'cuz you like to. Out here...it's just a inter-species thing to cover up your stuff," Rainbow Dash looked at her with a blank look. Pea sighed,"I your case it'd be to cover up your marehood."

"Why's that a problem, I mean it's normal right?" Rainbow Dash asked naively.

Pea felt like she was telling a small child about the wonders of puberty,"Well let's just say we don't want someone looking somewhere their not welcome, okay?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged off this, the concepts of covering ones privets up alien to her. Daring Do fanned her wings to keep cool,"So...what kind of things live out here?"

Pea rubbed her chin with a metal finger in thought,"Ummm...some coyotes, the Diamond dogs of the scrub lands. We're about four days away from Breeze."

Daring Do's eyes lit up,"That's the trading city you lived near, isn't it? We're visiting your old home?"

Pea sighed,"Yeah. Alia isn't there anymore. I didn't get to tell you what happened to her...did I?"

Daring Do reached over to pat Pea's hand for comfort but the cyber mare pulled away,"Don't touch me!" Daring Do looked almost pained my this but Pea softened up,"My arms are made of metal, I've been walking in the sun all day. They'd scald you." Daring Do laughed awkwardly. Pea's gaze went to the east where the faint black line of mountains were and smiled.

Almost a half hour passed of the trio resting and eating. Daring Do was the only one awake in the noon sun. Looking around at the land, six dots to the west caught her eye. She looked over at Pea and Dash who were both napping. Daring Do fumbled out the spyglass from a pack and looked to the shapes in the distance. She gasped in horror.

"Girls, girls wake up!" Daring whispered harshly. She punched Pea's shoulder and shook at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash looked up groggily,"Ahh...five more minuets..."

Pea was bleary eyed for a moment, but a moment too long. The Equestrians pulled back in terror as two arrows hit Pea. One landing in her gut above the hip and the other caught in the exposed workings of her elbow. Pea dropped, clenching the arrow in her stomach. Rainbow Dash panicked and tried to fly away while Daring Do was close to the three swords, watching the shapes with wide eyes.

Rainbow Dash was only five feet in the air before three arrows whizzed by her. She flew higher up in the air until her blue skin matched the sky she hid in. Daring Do looked to Pea and their cargo, there's no way she could carry them. She was even to drained to carry Pea, a lump formed in her throat when she grabbed one of the cutlasses with timid jaws. Her whole body was shaking, not knowing what would happen next.

The shapes were now in view. There were five monitor lizard looking bipeds in loin cloths armed with machetes or bows. At the head of the attack was a snake with arms holding a knife in each hand, in fact he had a bandier of knives on a leather sleeve of armor around his slithering body. The pack of lizards approached Daring Do, weapons pointing at the scared little mare.

"Your massster cheated my father out of a deal,"The snake hissed,"Now you all ssshall pay for it!"

Daring Do's eyes darted to each lizard, a terrified heart beat in her chest. The snake saw how frighted she was and smiled wickedly,"Ussse your claws, not swordsss. We'll bring her back to port to sssell."

Then a monitor lizard sauntered up to Daring Do. She swung the sword in her jaws but her target simply grabbed the blade and wretched it from her grip. The others circled Pea Gravel, one grabbing a metal limb for himself. They held her up and she just hung there, panting and bleeding. Daring Do's neck was grabbed by her assaulter and watched as the Serpent slithered up to Pea.

The snake trailed a finger around the gut shot arrow,"Ssso thisss is the famousss 'Hellion', the warring pony that'sss killed a dragon? My father's ssight is truly fading..."

Pea strained her neck up to look at the snake,"That's me. If you try anything with my girls I'll rip you a new one," She spat blood at the serpent.

He wrapped his tail around her injured waist and ripped her from the lizard's grip. He threw her to the ground, a puff of dirt and rocks moved from the impact. Daring Do bit her lip, not wanting to see Pea lose like this. The Serpent flicked his tail and the four lizards ponced on Pea Gravel. They swung their fists mercilessly at her injured body and blocked her from Daring's view.

The serpent slithered up and caressed Daring's face,"You'd fetch a good priccce," His long forked tongue licked the side of Daring Do's cheek. She winched which made the serpent even more wicked looking. Daring Do tried to break from the lizard's grip but to no avail. She quivered when the serpent's had began trailing across her sweaty torso, he hissed with fiendish delight.

Daring Do clenched her eyes to try and evade the Serpent's gaze. She half opened them and saw a lizard that had piled on Pea was now laying on the ground, dead. The Serpent groped around Daring's thighs and suddenly his claws dug into her skin from trauma. Daring's eyes, as well as the lizard's that was holding her, looked in terror at the serpent's head. Pea had jumped out from the pile and now had a grip on the snake. One hand clenched around the top jaw, the other crossed against his neck and grabbing the lower one. The armed snake flailed and twisted to get her off. He was a few feet away from Daring Do who was still held up against her will when everyone present heard a bone shattering crack.

The snake's body flopped over dead, twitching and gurgling. His head was twisted backwards with rolled over eyes staring out into space. Pea rose up on her back feet, the detached bottom jaw of the snake in her hand. Her face was shadowed by the sun but the mint irises of her eyes smoldered at surviving lizards. The lizards inched back, not knowing what to do with their leader dead. Pea's gaze went to the one holding Daring do and the lizard faltered a bit.

Pea coughed up a mouthful of blood,"Drop her...now." Her legs seemed to be locked standing.

The lizard looked at her injuries and how she was still alive, they thought it best to turn tail and run. They didn't bother taking their dead back with them and left their would-be victims in the dust. Pea's legs loosed up and she fell on her back with a puff of dirt. Daring Do kicked the dead lizards away and came close to the injured mare.

Pea's face was bruised and suffered a broken nose. Her torso looked bruised too under the leather vest she always wore. The arrow protruding from her abdomen, a little above the hip, oozed out little rivers of dark blood. The cyber mare looked broken and practically dead from the lizard's beating. Despite her injuries she smiled up at Daring Do and patted her shoulder, leaving a hand print of blood on the mare's sweaty shoulder.

"I saw you pick up that sword," Pea coughed,"Good job, fly girl."

"Don't waste your energy," Daring Do said trying to shade her beaten friend,"It's the least I could do."

Pea smiled and slowly slipped back into an unconscious sleep. Awhile later, a guilty Rainbow Dash flew quietly and landed near the others. Daring Do had did the best she could of cleaning off Pea, she knew a bit of first aid out in the wild. What she didn't know is how to fix an arrow wound.

Rainbow Dash slowly crept closer,"I...I'm sorry...I was so afraid I r-ran off...Is she okay?"

Daring Do sighed sadly,"Now she is, we still have to get there arrows out of her," she shivered,"She broke that snake's neck like a twig...but all of that adrenaline pumped a lot of blood out of her."

Rainbow Dash rubbed her tear streaked face,"She was right...when danger came around I...I just ran away. I'm nothing like you two, I'm a coward!"

Daring to look at her with a reassuring smile,"No, you're not a coward. You just got surprised is all, don't beat yourself up. All we can do is trust Pea Gravel now"

Daring put her cloak back on and began tying a bandage around Pea's wound. To her horror it was sunk all the way through and and iron spade stuck out as an exit wound though her back. The sun was beginning to become low in the sky and dread fell upon the Equestrians. Night was an inherently scary thing in their home, what abominations roamed out here at night? Rainbow Dash tried to shake Pea awake but the mare was out cold.

Rainbow Dash grimaced,"Why're you doing that? She's tough as nails isn't she?"

"Maybe, but she's still mortal like us," Daring Do shifted two of the tree bags until the weight rested on her back,"There's no hope waiting out here so we'll just have carry Pea Gravel and our gear."

She loaded one bags and the tent onto Rainbow Dash. She put the swords and blankets along with he bag and curled her hooves under Pea's arms,"I'm gonna lift her on your back, okay Dash?"

The sun was beginning to set now, Rainbow Dash nodded in the dying light. Daring lifted Pea over onto Rainbow Dash's back. She was landing belly down and Daring Do did her best to not irritate the wound. Now the two were loaded up and ready to walk again. Daring Do looked at the black pearl necklace on Pea Gravel, remembering what the thing lead to. They followed the shining point like a compass rose and headed out into the oncoming night.

The moon began to rise, it too looked different. The craters were fainter and smaller, no shames resembling an alicorn at all. The chilled night air was graced by the occasional howl echoing through the emptiness. The Equestrians' teeth were chattering from fear and the frosty air. In the distance they occasionally spotted shapes lurking about and their eyes reflected the moon's light like a cat's. Their trek through the night was strenuously intimidating to the two mares. Rainbow Dash tried talking with Daring Do, it might calm them down.

"So, you spent more time with her then anypony else," Rainbow Dash said quietly,"Do you know what we got into?"

Daring Do was still shaken up from the serpent's exploring hands,"Adventure right?"

"I got an idea since we're carrying her. We'll just sneak on another boat and go back to Equestria, it's not to late," Rainbow Dash said waveringly.

Daring Do looked at Pea then at Dash. A swell of fearlessness came over the adventuress,"She's trying to save her friends, no matter what happens to her. Wouldn't you do the same for your friends?"

Rainbow Dash thought about this,"Yeah, yeah you're right. Where are her's though?"

The tanned pegasus, as well as the cyan one, were growing tired. Daring yawned,"Pea has this pearl, she got it from...somepony she knows and it's like a compass to them."

Rainbow Dash smiled,"Oh, that was nice of them!"

There was much of Pea Gravel's story that Daring Do didn't write. Either because of they simply didn't get that far and of her new 'adventure'. She looked at the frightened look on Rainbow Dash's face, not sure if she should tell why Pea was known as the Hellion out here. It'd be a crime to keep important details in the dark, no matter how morbid to Dash they were.

"Do you remember how Pea's book ended?" Daring asked finally.

"Yeah, she and Alia captured the castle and went back home...right?" Rainbow Dash said.

"Well...that's not exactly how it went. They did capture the castle but it wasn't a happy trip home," Daring began,"Her natural equine nature was conflicting with her abilities to fight. Alia saw this as weakness. I bet you don't know how a 'branding' works according to Pea, do you?"

Rainbow Dash gulped timidly and Daring continued,"It can work on other creatures but it's brainwashing for ponies. They'd either tattoo or brand with an iron an insignia on your cutie mark. It could be a sharpened sword, broken skull or any other kind of violent imagery. As I'm sure you know from experience, changing a cutie mark can mess with a pony's head. Out here it's a way to toughen up our fragile race..."

"Sweet Celestia..." Rainbow Dash breathed,"If that's the truth...then what happened to Pea? She told us that when she killed in self defense that's when she got her cutie mark."

Daring Do bit her lip,"We changed it a bit. She really got her cutie mark when she was very young. It was a compass with a gold pointer then. As a child many were envious of her, one destined for fortune."

Rainbow Dash blinked numbly,"Then why is there a sandstone heart on there now and why's there a crack in it?"

"She's branded to have a heart of stone," Daring said softly,"I'm not sure if the breaking is from rage or trying to love again...it could be either."

Rainbow Dash's stomach churned painfully,"Forcing somepony to change their cutie marks? I've been to that equality place but...making a pony something nopony should ever be...killers?"

Daring scanned the chilly desert night,"It's the cold hard truth. Once Pea had a heart of stone, she would throw herself at her enemies in fights and not care who lived or died. I'm honestly surprised she didn't kill us on the dingy."

Pea groaned,"Ahhh...where the hell are we?"

"Ah, your awake!" Rainbow Dash forced back a smile,"No that you're up you can help us out," Dash stopped and carefully helped her to the ground. Pea lay on her back with a drained look to her. Her skin toned muzzle was pale from blood loss, perhaps poison form the arrow?

Pea patted the ground,"Okay ladies, get a campfire started," She looked at the arrow and chuckled to herself.

"Uhhh...where?" Daring Do asked. A tumble weed rolled past her in the dry scrub-land. There were patched of dead grass and some bushes all around. Everyone an awhile there was a dried up old tree, perfect fire wood.

Pea rubbed her face,"Just get the biggest bushes you can find and dig a hole in the ground."

Rainbow Dash flew up and in a matter of seconds, brought back a bushel of fuel for fire. Daring Do dug a small pit in the still-warm earth and the cyan pony stuffed some sticks in. Daring got the ever so convenient matches and lit one, she dropped it and the dry stick smoked. After a little air was added it swelled up into a small fire. The two pegsi sat proudly at their fire.

Pea grabbed the arrow shaft sticking out of her and snapped it off. She tossed it into the fire and blinked tiredly at the Equestrians,"Have either of you cauterized a wound?"

Both of them shook their heads. Pea groaned,"Alright, I'll do it myself. Get the fire going as well as you can." She commanded while trying to sit up. She unwrapped the bandages around her waist,"Who did these?" Daring Do raised a hoof and Pea smiled proudly,"Thanks doc!" She took off the bloodied bandages and looked back to her friends who were getting out dried food for a simple supper.

"You two should probably eat later, this could get gross. For you two at least," Pea looked to her left elbow that had another arrow in it. She groaned and with her other had attempted to unhinge a part of her arm at the shoulder. Her face tightened in pain from the arrow still in her abdomen,"Nope, nope...that son of a bitch gotta get out first!"

She broke off most of the arrow in her left arm and tossing the arrow into the fire. Though her right arm was stiff she used it to hold her torso up. Pea grabbed a rope from their bags and bit down on it. The Equestrians were greatly confused at what was going on. Pea's free had grabbed at the arrow head sticking out of her back, it wasn't far out enough. She bit down hard on the rope and pushed the broken end of the arrow further inside. She grunted in pain and yanked it out from the arrow head's end. She panted and tossed the rest of the arrow into fire. The wound bled out dark blood until it began pumping cherry red liquid out instead. There was a lack of color in the cyber mare's face and she moved with little energy.

Pea was sweating now as she used her unfeeling hand to grab the coals of the fire. She held them in her had for awhile and pulled out glowing red fingers. Pea bit down again and clenched up. She put a scalding hot finger on each end of the wound, cauterizing it. Her flesh sizzled from the heat for only a painful moment. The ordeal looked painfully impossible to a normal pony, but Pea acted as if it was as common as a scrapped knee. The two Equestrians were sickened by the field surgery but it had to be done.

Pea sat up now, looking less strained,"Alright ladies...you can eat now, I'll just be fixing this."

Daring Do ate and apple that was from the ship they rode in on. Rainbow Dash watched Pea preform a crude mechanic's surgery. The cyber mare reached for the metal panel on her arm as before but it opened now. Among a dark black mass of wires that looked like muscle was a large brass ring. Pea spun the ring like a bottle lid, after a little turning everypony heard a wizz-click and Pea's right side arm dropped off at the shoulder.

Where the arm met Pea's body looked like a metal circle where the base of the arm should be. It looked like a complex mess if pistons and cords but they all retracted when the arm fell off. Pea sat cross-legged at the fire and put the detached arm in her lap. She pulled a cord inside it and the arm failed at bending back and forth. Pea crinkled her nose.

"Can you fix it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Pea rubbed her sore hip scar,"I dunno. The enchantment they came with is starting to wear off."

"Encantment?" Rainbow Dash asked,"I thought things like those were only science fiction."

Daring nodded,"We decided not to mention about where she got them from, didn't we?"

Pea winced when she smiled,"There's this part of the world we live in, overrun with dragons. Further east the more human the creatures look, until you get to the Trenches," Pea saw the puzzlement on Rainbow Dash's face so the cyber mare continued as she fiddled with her dismembered arm," I take it you haven't met a human yet. Don't worry Dash, they're not as bad as they look at first...most of them. Actually their a lot like us, the way we ponies behave and a similar sense of purpose."

Rainbow Dash sat still, shaken by the day's events,"Soo...we're out here for eighteen months then? It's going to take that long to find your friends?"

Pea found a clicking pulley in the arm and messed with it for a bit,"I'm not sure."

5) How Did I Get Caught Up With You? (part 1)

9) On another note: Tuff's School Life and Equestria Now

Several days passed after Pea Gravel left. Almost as unexpectedly as Pea had gone Daring Do went back to her cabin with a heavy heart and Rainbow Dash said she was off to visit family in Cloudsdale, to spend some time with family. As the summer grew older and fall was drawing near, the house Pea was going to have was bestowed to the lonely colt. It was small and lonely but strongly built, just like how he felt. As Tuff Boulder lived on his own, he didn't mind the fact that he had to start go to school along with the Crusaders, he rather enjoyed it.

Off and on again some bullies made fun because of his lack of cutie mark,"What assholes," He'd often think to himself but never became violent.

Day in and day out he had a smile slapped on his face so not worry anypony else. Twilight and her friends felt pity for him but weren't sure what to do besides the occasional visit and meal, since he hadn't gotten the hang of cooking for himself yet. The Crusaders would visit him, ebbing

One day in at the school house, as all of the foals were enjoying recess, Tuff sat in his usual spot of next to a tree in the playground. He dozed off in the shade as the late summer air blew gently through the yellow leaves above his head. A cherry red pegasus colt, almost a junior high student, walked nearby with his little troupe of groupies, including Diamond Tiara. The pink filly pointed in Tuff's direction,"There he is, Fleet Wing! That's the one!"

Tuff opened one blue eye tiredly. He saw the cherry red junior high school colt with a proud, smug grin as he lead his little troupe up to Tuff. Tuff yawned as the foals drew a semi-circle around him, blocking off all exits. Fleet Wing smiled looked down at the deep red colt, Fleet's body blocking the sun from Tuff's eyes.

"So, you're the pony who's supposed to be from across the sea?" Fleet's horse voice questioned.

Tuff yawned in the shade,"Hi everypony. Am I being invited to a party or something?"

"Only if the pinata is your face!" Diamond Tiara said with a weasel's grin. Fleet Wing and the others laughed while Tuff sat stone faced.

Tuff rubbed his chin,"Last time I checked, there wasn't any candy in my head."

Fleet scowled at how unfazed Tuff was. The Junior stepped forward with a malicious grin,"I heard your names Tuff Bolder. Are you as tough as your name?"

The deep red colt rolled his eyes at the challenger,"You want to fight me?"

The troupe became incited, the tension of a fight began building. Fleet Wing scuffed his hooves in the dirt,"Me fight you? This'll be a piece of cake!"

"You're dead meat!" A foal shouted in the slow building crowd,"Kick his butt, Fleet!" shouted another. Tuff stood up and the bystanders almost cheered, this skinny colt was going to get beat to next Sunday.

Fleet steeped up to Tuff, only a foot apart and two feet difference in height. The group began chanting, and the Junior took the first swing. Tuff's wheeled around after the stinging force of Fleet's punch and the junior took no time to go for another strike. The audience was in an uproar, the first school yard fight in Ponyville since anypony could recall. Fleet wing became relentless in his strikes against his smaller opponent, Tuff ducked and dodged the best he could. Fleet was hitting Tuff around like a rag doll. Now the entire class of Ponyville School watched in a shouting ring at the brawl between the two colts.

Tuff's nose dripped blood and his vision was blocked by a black eye. The strikes from Fleet were becoming more glamours. Fleet Wing knocked him to the ground and kicked at his ribs. While the bystanders either cheered or watched in disbelief, Tuff did something unexpected. While Fleet grinned to the crowd Tuff inched back up. Fleet flexed his wings and grinned proudly to the crowd. Tuff's head was aching, throbbing with pain. Three teeth on the left side of his mouth were loose among other injuries. His limbs shook when he tried to stand.

Fleet Wing turned to look at the beaten colt,"You're standing back up?"

"Yeah, are you going to try to knock me down again?" Tuff spat out a loose tooth.

Fleet wavered,"You're not hurt?"

Tuff wiped away blood dripping from his broken nose,"Nah, I've seen worse," The crowd of fillies was speechless. The way Tuff looked, any other child his age would be squealing in pain or running of to their mother. Tuff's small stature was rigid as he looked at Fleet Wing,"Are you going to finish what you started?"

Fleet tried to keep a chilled look,"Beating you up, yeah I am!"

Tuff shook his head,"No. Fighting is only half the job, you need to finish me, if you want to keep going." The concept of killing flew over the children's heads completely.

Cheerilee watched from inside the school house, she had never seen a colt take such a beating and get back up. In fact she was more worried for Fleet Wing then Tuff. She ran out to the mob,"Alright, move kids! Break it up!"

The bystanders scattered and Fleet had a guilty look when Cheerilee walked closer. She looked down at the two colts with a demoting glower,"Alright boys, who started it?"

Fleet Wing blurted,"I didn't! I was just walking along and he dared me to a fight, I couldn't say no in front of all my friends..."

Cheerilee looked to Tuff,"Is this true?" She asked.

Tuff wiggled a loose tooth with his tongue,"Sure, teach. I'll take the sheep's blame."

Cheerilee blinked in surprise. The days Tuff had gone to school there he was always quiet, now he was talking like a pony much older then a colt. The school teacher glared severely at Fleet Wing,"You better run back home before I tell your father you were fighting a colt five years younger then you!" Fleet shifted his hooves nervously. Cheerilee stamped,"Now Fleet Wing!"

The pegasus flew quickly into the air. Cheerilee knelt next to Tuff,"Oh you poor dear! Let's get you cleaned up,okay?"

She led him inside the school house and produced a first aid kit from behind her desk. She told Tuff to sit up on her desk while she wiped away the blood off him. When she wiped over dark purple spots on his head and chest he winched only slightly. She bandaged Tuff up as well as she could,"You took quite the beating out there," she said.

Tuff didn't respond. He just stared off into space. Cheerilee thought about the strange colt. He did decent in his classes but only had three friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who didn't have many friends anyway. He was only ten and lived on his own like a stallion in collage. She looked at the battered clot,"Tuff, is there something bothering you?"

Tuff touched his black eye tenderly,"If a fight broke out like this one back home...somepony would've been eaten."

Cheerilee's eyes widened,"Really now? I don't think your Aunt would be very happy about that."

Tuff smiled a broken tooth smile,"Nah, she's eaten meat before."

The teacher shook off the gruesome comment,"A-alright Tuff, the school day is over. Go on home now...and please try to stay out of trouble?"

Tuff nodded and hopped off the desk. He trotted out the school house without saying a word.

Meanwhile, Discord was in a state of deep thought. He sat in Fluttershy's cottage, his usual quirky self was deflated in puzzling thought. He lay on the couch in her living room like a wet blanket trying to solve a jig saw puzzle. Flutteshy floated in with a tray of tea to try to cheer the mishmash creature up.

Fluttershy set the tray on a little table and sat near Discord,"Dose Discord have a tummy ache? A sore throat?"

Discord sighed,"No Fluttershy. I just...well there's someone in Equestria I've never met before. He's different..."

Fluttershy sipped tea,"You're different and are wonderful company. I think this mystery pony...er...thing could be a new friend."

Discord shrugged,"Perhaps...but I can't find him. I could find anypony anywhere easy, he's just slipping under my radar," Discord said as his eyes blinked like radar screens.

Fluttershy giggled,"Maybe it's like hide and seek, just a big game?"

Discord sat up and took a tea cup. The tea pot sprouted wings and flew up to his cup and poured for him, after the little cup was filled the pot promptly landed. Discord took a swig,"A big game of hide and seek, eh? This'll be fun!" He hopped up and a detective's suit flashed onto him,"Let's round the ol' gang and find this mystery character!"

Fluttershy made a sheepish face,"We can gather up everypony except Rainbow Dash?"

Discord raised an eyebrow,"Why? Is she busy with something?" He asked taking out a note pad to write clues on.

Fluttershy poured herself more tea,"No, no. She's off in Cloudsdale. Family business is what the note said."

Discord pouted,"It just won't be the same with a part of the team missing," A light bulb glimmered above his head,"I know! I'll dress up as Rainbow Dash!"

Fluttershy grimaced,"Ummm...I don't think blue and rainbow are your colors."

Discord grumbled and snapped his fingers. Before Fluttershy could respond they disappeared from the cottage. They were now on a forest path with Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. They all looked around with confused looks until they saw Discord. He had a magnifying glass the size of a beach ball in his paw and paced around.

"What in tarnation are we doin' out here?" Applejack asked.

"On a case," Discord said puffing bubbles out of a pipe,"We're after a mystery character."

"Got any clues?" Pikie asked now wearing a similar plaid coat and hat.

Discord took out his note pad,"Well, I know that he's not from here. He hasn't made any contact with the Ponies of Equestria aaaand...he's got oh! Chaos magic!? Wonderful!"

The others weren't as happy to hear that piece of evidence. Discord floated around the trees looking with his magnifying glass. The mares couldn't help but follow along. They wandered quite a ways around for an hour or two, with no clue to be found. Rarity said the whole thing was ridiculous and said she was going home. She went only a few feet before a headless mouth appeared in the dark of the trees ahead of her. She yelped and darted back to her friends. They looked in surprise and a bit of fear at the smiling mouth.

"So you're looking for me? Am I that interesting?" the mouth chirped.

Rarity had a disgusted look on her face,"What is a...a mouth doing floating in the forest?"

Pinkie scoffed,"Smiling, that's what!"

Discord folded his arms,"Fiddlesticks. That wasn't much of a hide n' seek..."

"Sorry, just wanted to meet you all," The mouth chuckled politely,"The names Volm."

The mares wavered,"Pea Gravel told us about you!" Twilight cried.

The mouth vanished, the teeth turning into butterflies. A pair of yellow eyes and another mouth popped up in another spot behind them. Discord clapped his asymmetrical hands together,"He's got my eyes! How delightful!"

The faceless apparition seemed to nod. He looked to the ponies,"Oh? And what, pray tell, did she say about me?"

"Horrible things," Twilight barked,"You're the reason she has those metal arms. She also said that you separated her from her friends!"

The eyes of the face welled up with tears and vanished again. Next to Fluttershy a blue green pony looking body materialized. It was curled up and it's face was hidden from view."...I have done some bad things...but hasn't everypony?" Volm said," With those new limbs she's stronger then she ever was before and what she called 'friends' were merely meat shields when she was fighting."

The crew drew away from him. Volm uncurled to reveal his monkey looking prowess. Unlike how Pea had seen him, he now looked more like he fit in Equestria. His teeth were flat and white, his skin was smooth and devoid of muscular depth, his once sunken eyes under a thick brow where replaced with two big and friendly yellow eyes. He looked at them like a scolded puppy.

"I will admit I've been bad, but I'm no killer. You've met Pea Gravel, she's killed a hundred things!"

Applejack looked at the stranger thoroughly. She could tell if someone was lying or telling the truth, he was difficult to read. She didn't trust Pea Gravel anyway, even if this thing had been evil at one point He couldn't possibly be as bad as she was, right? She took his word was easy,"Yep, I reckon he's trust worthy."

Twilight looked to Applejack in shock,"Applejack! What are you talking about? Pea said that he's evil! Tirek and Sombra evil!"

Applejack rolled her eyes,"An' how are ya'll sure that metal legged freak isn't evil. She was talking about nothin' else but fightin' an' killin' and then leaves her kid here and takes off in a night without a proper goodbye. Dose that sound like a 'good pony'?"

The mares looked to each other for guidance. Discord seemed to be all aboard for this stranger being safe. He already learned to be careful about his friends, Tirek showed him that. Even if this 'Volm' was bad, being in Equestria probably healed his ways and treating him as a friend would only seal him into recovery.

Volm sighed,"Truth be told, once I came here...I didn't have any friends," He held up his six fingered hands and wagged his tail,"I thought ponies would be afraid of me..."

Fluttershy smiled sweetly,"Don't worry, Mister V. Everypony...er...thing is made different but is special in their own way."

Volm smiled and hugged Fluttershy,"Thank you, little yellow horse!" She looked a bit shocked at first but hugged back.

Twilight and Rarity were still unsure of Volm. Neither had never seen him before but the way Pea mentioned him to Twilight, he seemed like a force to reckon with. They all saw something completely different in the creature in front of them through; a lost pup instead of a ravenous wolf.

Rarity glowered at him,"So...Mister V, being a part of this 'immigration' that seems to be going on, how long do you plan on staying?"

Volm itched his ear like a dog,"Not sure. I suppose I'm just passing through at the moment."

Rarity asked Discord if he could take her back to her boutique due to the fact that she was in the middle of a dress. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie wanted to stay with the new comer while Twilight left for Celestia's castle. Applejack walked through the woods proudly back to her orchard, glad to be rid of that pesky cyber.

Discord materialized a picnic for Fluttershy, Pinkie, Volm and himself. Fluttershy sat on a lounge chair while Pinkie and Volm sat at a picnic table, each had a tall cool glass of lemonade for them. Discord was wearing an apron and grilling flowers for them.

Pinkie stretched Volm's wide mouth,"Wooah, your skin is so funny!"

Fluttershy sipped on some lemonade given by the chaos spirit,"Soo Mister V...what exactly are you? I've never seen a creature like you before," She looked at him with a hawk's eye.

Volm inched the pink mare away from him,"I think I'm the only one of my kind...I'm all alone."

Pinkie smiled,"Don't worry, you've got us!"

Volm blushed,"You all just met me...not to mention that you've heard bad rumors about me..."

Discord walked over with platters of veggie burgers,"Well Volm, I think we all should get acquainted. Hmmm...what's a good conversation topic...Oh, what's your favorite color?"

"CAKE!" Pinkie shouted.

Volm smiled,"I don't think cake is even a color. Mine though...hmm...probably a sunset orange."

Fluttershy smiled,"Oh, that's a lovely color. Mine, if you don't mind me saying, would be blue...o-or green."

The four talked and chatted for awhile, growing a fondness for the new comer's surprising charm. Fluttershy saw Discord and Volm were getting along very well. They both did random feats of magic with their chaos powers, all in good fun of course. Fluttershy smiled at the possibility that Discord was making a new friend like she met Tree Huger. She found Volm mysterious, like any stranger would be. Pinkie thought he was 'a real swell guy'.

It was noon now and Discord poofed Pinkie and Fluttershy back to their homes with a wave,"So Volm, how much of Equestria have you seen?"

"Uhh...not much, why?" Volm asked.

Discord turned to Volm,"Let's go sight seeing! How's that sound?" he said donning a Hawaiian shirt and shades.

Volm chuckled, putting on a similar shirt and aviators,"Alright Disco, lead the way!"

Volm and Discord floated around Equesria, Discord giving the newcomer a grand tour. The posed in front of monuments and played childish pranks on the unsuspecting tourists. Trying all kinds of foods they went from one corner to another. From Applewood to Horseshoe Bay and in between, they playfully terrorized the Equestrians. Using the classic 'chocolate rain cloud', making inanimate things walk or fly and one of Volm's; making ponies float like balloons for a short time. After a crazy day, they wafted into Discord's house i though the random void around his home. They walked in with suitcases and tan lines, chuckling all the way.

Volm set down his suit case,"Rember when you painted Spike's statue at the Crystal Palace to look like cheese? That was classic!"

Discord grinned,"What about when you made all the buildings in Appeloosa into actual apples? That was a real hoot!"

With Discord as a trusted friend, Volm got to chat with the Equestrian Princesses and other royals that came and went. He found Luna interesting since she could walk through dreams like him. He found Celestia fascinating since she moved her own little sun over her piece of the world. He knew it, they knew it but no one talked about it.

Volm became favored by anypony who met him, saying he was a fun loving critter, a real party player like Pinkie Pie. Whenever Tuff saw him, which was very rare, they met with uneven eyes. One didn't trust the other.

Celestia, Discord, Luna and Volm were in the Sun Princess' throne room relaxing as they usually did. Volm looked across the throne room to see all of the royal guards. There were droves of them ever since the centaur incident. Volm found their frowning expressions annoying.

"Your Highness Celestia, are you very worried about centaurs trying to come back?" He asked worriedly.

The Equestrians looked at him with confused glances. Luna lowered her brow,"Yes. More of what they may do to our subjects then us, per say."

Volm made a prideful smile,"Spoken like a true monarch. I must ask though...if it isn't to much to pry into..." He gathered the four of them closer,"Do you know anything about them, their leader?"

Celestia sighed,"We had good relations with the Cerntaur's kingdom at one point long ago. Tirek found something though, before he became king..."

Volm lifted his ears forward,"Go on, what was it?"

"The Tear of the King," Discord said in a low voice,"The missing piece of the Carmino."

Luna shushed the chaos spirit,"We shouldn't speak of this where there are other ears to listen. Let's go somewhere else."

The four beings vanished from the throne room and were now in some dreamlike mist, Luna's magical void. Now that they were alone the three Equestrians talked among themselves, debating if they should let Volm in on this secret. Volm sat quietly and waited.

After awhile Discord turned to Volm,"Do you promise to not tell anyone what we're about to tell you?"

Volm made an 'X' on his chest,"Cross my heart and hope to die."

Celestia sighed and began to recite their long kept secret,"One thousand years ago, Equestria had an incident with Nightmare Moon, a bout of power between my sister and I. A thousand years before that Tirek and his brother Scorpan began living here, in Equestria. They tried to escape the world they lived in to find a better one. Scorpan was willing and happy to accept our ways, but Tirek had the blood of a warrior, not a mild mannered farmer. My sister and I did our best to save our kingdom...remove him from our lands..."

Volm leaned forward intently,"Then what happened?"

"He nearly killed us," Luna said with a shaky voice,"Scorpan died to keep us safe, which made his brother go berserk at Scorpan's death. Tirek decimated miles of land, burning cities and mountains alike. My sister and I were running out of options...we had no choice..."

Volm was biting his lip,"Yes, yes? No choice but what?"

"To make a deal," Luna said solemnly," A deal with something not of this world, or theirs. A curse was placed here, making the deadly ring around Equestria."

Volm was aghast,"Curse? Equestria is beautiful, how is it cursed?"

"Only those with beneficial intentions to our kind can pass through the ocean border," Celestia said,"It's keeping our little ponies safe. You're obviously qualified, since you're a newcomer and haven't died."

Volm gulped, "You're killed if you're not good enough?"

Luna nodded,"This is true. We belive we can trust you and your powers similar to Discord's."

Volm wobbled,"This..this is quite an honor, your majesties!"

Celestia giggled,"He's humble too. I think you'll fit in wonderfully here."

Almost a month after Pea left Tuff was on his way to school, just an average morning. The weather was turning to early winter and the pegsi were busy in the air making snow cloud. Tuff walked down the dirt paths through Ponyville to school. He was looking at nothing in particular, then an orange filly caught his attention. It was Scootaloo nearby the school house and her face was soaked with tears. She was sitting out in the yard with Sweetiebelle and Apple Bloom, they tried to cheer up the crying pegasus.

Tuff came closer,"Hey Scoots, are you okay?"

Scootaloo wiped some tears from her eyes,"H..hey Tuff. I'm just worried...that's all."

Tuff sat next to them,"Worried about what?"

Apple Bloom sighed,"Ah heard it from mah sister. Rainbow Dash is gone!"

Tuff cocked his head to the side,"Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"She means that Rainbow Dash isn't here, in Equestria," Sweetiebelle said,"Discord and his new friend looked all over for her. No one can find her!"

Tuff bit his lip,"Do you think...she followed my aunt?"

The three fillies gasped,"Sweet Celestia, no!"

After a stressed day of school, Sweetiebelle and Apple Bloom met up with their sisters and followed them to Twilight's to discuss the situation. Tuff walked alongside Scootaloo, both missing somepony. At the castle, the five friends were in an uproar. They were debating about attempting to go find Rainbow Dash in the supposedly dangerous world. None of them knew where to start, there were no records of any kind Twilight could find about the 'outside'. This debate caught the attention of the princesses. They flew to the castle to take the matter into their own hooves. When they reached the door, Volm was there. His arms stretched across the doorway, blocking entry.

Celestia narrowed her eyes,"Volm, what are you doing here? I thought you were busy."

"Making flying trees with Discord can wait. I...I can't let you in there,"Volm stuttered.

"What reason do you have?" Luna asked.

"The mares inside and the one missing are very famous correct?" The princesses nodded to Volm's question,"What do you think would happen if everypony heard about this? You know that word would get out right, rumors of kidnapping and more about that centaur incident could be made. It'd be chaos...the bad kind, not the entertaining one."

Luna pursed her lips,"Do..Do you think Rainbow Dash is out with that cyber mare?"

Volm nodded vigorously,"No other place she could be. Trust me your Highness, both of you, Rainbow Dash is in good hands. Figuratively and literally. She'll be back soon and she'll be fine, I promise!"

Celestia smiled,"Alright. I will go inside and tell Twilight and the others that there's nothing to be afraid of. I even heard that A.K. Yearling has gone too," she had a look that needed reassurance,"So Rainbow Dash is in good care, correct?"

Volm side stepped and opened the door for the white alicorn,"Only here would be safer, your Highness."

Celestia, followed by Luna went inside and told the mares what was going on. A worried look came over all of them. Celestia reassured that Rainbow Dash would be fine and there was nothing to worry about. She said it was going to be an exciting adventure for Rainbow Dash, a story to tell all of her friends at home about. Once everypony calmed down the princesses bid good bye and left as they came.

Volm was outside waiting. When he saw the two princesses he bowed low and smiled,"I couldn't have handled it better myself, your Excellencies!" The princesses smiled and said good bye to the blue-green creature and began flying back to Canterlot. Volm vanished from view with his heart racing.

Volm was now sitting on Rainbow Dash's roof. He rested with his arms behind his head,"What is this place doing to me...I feel...wholesome? Happy?"

5) How Did I Get Caught Up With You (part 2)

10) The Hellion is Back!

Daring Do, Pea Gravel and Rainbow Dash were a month's journey into the 'Wild'. They were now on the east of the mountains Pea had climbed as a child to reach greener pastures. While on a ridge overlooking a cliff above a pine forest, the three rested next to a campfire. The two Equestrians were adapted to the change in weather, even the air tasted different to them. Rainbow Dash was using a grindstone like Pea had shown her a few days before and busied herself with sharpening Pea's swords. Daring Do used the spyglass to look out into the forest to see if there was anything interesting to see.

Pea lay against a tree, feeling tense and distant. She was locked in a dream she couldn't wake from, more of a memory then anything else...

When Pea was eighteen rumor of the dragon Wicktet was going around. He was being a menace to anything that had the misfortune of meeting him. Pea ran from Alia one night to try and kill the dragon in a lust for revenge. Armed with only leather armor and a broad sword she followed the dragon's tracks to kill the beast. If Alia didn't follow Pea out into the wild, the mare would've been eaten.

Pea could rember vividly what happened; Through a pine forest she ran, finding into a cave where Wicktet was sleeping. She crept on the slumbering beast, his size clogging up the cavern and his hot rancid breath filing the rest. Pea took up her sword and gouged one of his eyes out. This woke him up quickly with a screech and his mighty black talons scrapped the cave to cut her. Pea moved quicker in the cave then the dragon but it didn't matter, her sword clanged and chipped when she tried to cut the dragon's scaly hide.

With an unseen force he threw her out of the cave where Alia waited. When I looked at her I only saw disappointment to me. Wicktet crawled out of the cave to finish me off. When he saw Alia he cackled loudly. Apparently we were in some sort of dragon haven, upon hearing Wicktet several other dragons came to see what the commotion was about. One of these dragons was (at the time and still to this day) one of the biggest dragons she had ever seen

The dragon was built like a scaly, dust yellow tank. The thick skin of this dragon was covered in scars and like Wicktet he had the deep scars of lost wings on his back. His horns were once shaped like a bull's, only the left one remained while the other was broken off. The same side of the broken horn his face was missing. His interlocking teeth shown out against his deep red gums, his eye socket was deep and black. This giant beast stood thirty feet at the shoulder and was sixty feet long, nearly three times bigger then the dragon Pea was trying to kill. Wicktet turned his rust red head to look at the beast. He called it,"Sidzo,"

Sidzo's voice was like listening to a prop plane take off. He demanded to know where Wicktet lost his eye from, when Wicktet pointed at me. Sidzo suddenly went into a fit of rage. The other dragons fled through the forest as Sidzo grabbed Wicktet. The yellow dragon said he was weak, unfit for living. Alia grabbed Pea and tried to drag her along, but the grey mare demanded to see the fight.

Sidzo had his massive bear-like hands around Wicktet's snaky body, his quills breaking instead of stabbing. The mighty yellow dragon began growling in a strange octave, his eyes (both the live one and the socket) began glowing white and vascular lights glowed fro, under the dragon's skin. Wicktet squirmed and squealed but Sidzo's grip was stronger. Pea saw the rusty red dragon's body begin to swell and shake. After a gurgling shriek explode into a mess of bones and guts. Sidzo reared up on his hid legs, making a shadow that blocked out the sun for Pea and his single eye fixed onto Pea Gravel.

"You do this?" Sidso's voice bellowed.

Pea screamed back,"Yeah I did and I'll take your eye too if you mess with me!"

His maw opened and began to glow. Alia grabbed Pea Gravel as best as she could, thinking she could out run dragon's breath. But this blast was different. Instead of a plume of fire, a concentrated line of energy beamed out of the dragon's maw. It sounded like lightning but looked like a spear of blue-white energy that was shot at Alia.

Pea felt a wave of heat and looked to her left. The sound of the blast made her ears ring and her sight go blurry. What once was the proud warrior Alia Bufordox trying to save her squire was now a smoky, blood stained hole in the ground. Pea stopped and looked at the hole, Pea Gravel was still processing the impact. The part nearest to Alia on Pea Gravel were scorched black from being near the beam. Sidzo laughed like a roll of thunder and walked back into the forest he came from. His foot steps shaking the ground. Pea grabbed her sword and rushed to the walking mountain, not entirely to avenge her mentor but in a blind sense of retaliation. The dragon simply swung his tail lightly and the impact nearly crippled her. His tail smashed into her and knocked her to a tree.

Then...blackness...

She woke up days later under a hollowed out tree. Her bones were mended and burns were gone. She lay on a pile of leaves, next to her was her armor all folded and mended. A few feet away was some kind of hot glowing rock with a pan sitting on it. On the pan was an omelet and she was the only one here...as far as she knew. She bit the omelet and slurped it in her mouth, now blowing on her tongue and teary eyed from how hot it was. She stopped when she heard footsteps outside. From where she lay she looked out of the hollowed opening where daylight shown in.

A mild toned voice called from outside,"Is broken pony awake?" 'He' paused,"Oza guess not," Then the sound of metal scraping could be heard.

Pea inched to the opening to see the healing stranger. Sitting on a tree stump was a dragon. A teenage one, about seven feet tall and shaped like a human. On his legs were baggy blue pants held up by a belt with many pockets and bags. He had tawny arms and a defined but thin torso covered in a white-orange clown fish pattern of scales. His hands had three fingers and a thumb while his bare feet had four toes, they all looked slightly webbed. Instead of ears he had fish like fins and spiraling stubs for horns on top of his head. Even his tail that stuck out from the back of his pants looked paddle-like. He had the look of something that belonged in the water, but the ocean was hundreds of miles away...what was he doing here?

The dragon's vibrant blue eyes were fixed on Pea's sword which now was bent and had dents in it. She watched the dragon bite the sword like a corn-cob, his pearly teeth gnawing against it. On the top of his head, if front of the horns, was a bruised divot in the dragon's skull.

Pea stayed out of view inside the tree hollow. Her stomach grumbled slightly and the dragon looked up. His were were a snake's eyes painted blue, their slits stared at the hollow. Pea shrank back and the dragon stood up,"Ahhh...Pony awake now," He sniffed,"And ate omelet too. Damn."

His long arm reached into the hollow and his fingers grabbed Pea by the scruff of her neck. She threw her arms and legs around and tried to bite the dragon. His long arm kept her from everything else but open air. He held her aloft aye level,"Looks good. Oza can eat now."

Pea screamed,"EAT ME?!"

Oza nodded,"Yes. Oza like meat," He paused,"Dose Oza like meat?"

Pea glared at Oza,"Then why were you trying eat my sword? And why did you heal me?"

Oza rotated so that part of his back was visible. It had two deep gashes where wings once were, a common but dishonoring injury among defeated dragons. He smiled,"Oza good healer. Wings only lost...day ago...week ago? Oza can't put lost wings back though..."

"So you just healed my cuz your a nice little dragon?" Pea scoffed.

Oza itched his chin in thought. He smiled like a eureka hit him,"Did pony try and fight Sidzo?" he said changing the subject.

"You're god damn right I did! He..he killed Alia..."Pea's voice trailed off. Perhaps it was the stone heart she was branded with but loss didn't hurt as much as Pea thought it should. She just felt...upset.

Oza crinkled his muzzle,"Oza not know an Alia. But Oza not liked Sidzo, Oza hates Sidzo. Oza has good plan, pony want to listen?"

"My names Pea Gravel and do you always talk like this?" Pea snorted.

Oza smiled a shark toothed smile,"Yes, Oza talk about Oza like others talk about him, Pea Gravel," He itched his back with his free hand,"If Oza puts Pea Gravel down, will she run away?"

"Nooo, I'd never," Pea said dryly.

Oza giggled and dropped Pea to the ground. She bolted off into the woods. Oza groaned, rolling his eyes. He snapped his long fingers and Pea materialized back in front of him,"Pony said she wouldn't run. Oza not like liars." Pea saw a rare look in Oza's eyes when he said that. The look of a hidden beast not to tamper with.

She sat on her haunches and thought talking her way out would be best,"...So you had an idea earlier?"

Oza slapped his forehead,"Oh yeah! Oza remember now. It actually about memories..."He looked out blankly,"Oza have none."

Pea folded her forearms,"Oza doesn't, eh? How's it you remember to do that magic thing, Sidzo or even your own name?"

Oza pointed to the concave segment in his skull,"Oza hit head pretty hard on something. Out sleeping for days then wake up with these pants and belt. Oza knows some magic from somewhere and knows his name," the dragon shrugged.

Pea rose an eyebrow,"Soooo...you want help in killing him?"

Oza slapped his knee,"Yes! Oza love help!"

The dragon stood up and grabbed the hot rock from inside the hollow. He licked it with his long blue tongue. The rock cooled off then he put it in a belt pocket. He began walking off, Pea grabbed her gear and ran up next to Oza through the pine trees.

"What was that thing?" Pea asked.

Oza patted the pocket he put it in,"Oza's lucky magic rock."

"Adorable. So you're not gonna eat me then?" Pea retorted.

"Nah...Oza not hungry anymore," He kept walking but looked around,"Dose Pea Gravel know where Sidzo is?"

"No, but if you want me to help you I need to pick up my friend first," Pea said. She wondered how Dew Berry would react to the sudden and unfitting death of Alia.

"Oza can help, is friend heavy?" the dragon asked.

Pea giggled,"No, she's actually really light."

They walked to the manor where Pea had lived for years. The residents hid when they saw Oza, Dew tried to come out only because of Pea Gravel. Alia's slaves took the news of her death well, but not heartlessly. Before Pea left they built a memorial for her in the middle of their little community. Pea and Oza stayed for a few days to allow Dew to recover from the impact. Then a little sudden for Dew, she was carried off willingly with Pea and Oza.

That was the beginning of the Breakneck Bevy...Pea's mercenary band.

Pea sat up groggily. The campfire was doused but the embers were still smoldering. The two Equestrians were quiet, looking out into the pine forest they were headed for. Pea moved over to the ledge they sat on to see. Down below was something Pea didn't really want to see. It was a war party. Almost six hundred humanoids were down there. Their skin ranged from tan to brown-ish grey, their knee length arms held crude axes and shields. Some wore animal skins on their heads; wolf, bear, pony and others. They were gathered around waiting for something, the three mares didn't know what though. Rainbow Dash was low to the ground and shaking.

"Pea...what are those things?" She whispered frantically.

Pea took the spy glass from Daring Do and aimed for a closer look,"Orcs," she said,"A war party of orcs."

Daring Do was wide eyed,"Are you going to fight them?"

Pea groaned softly,"There's one me and almost six hundred of them. I may be able to trick two drunk centaurs but I can't fight a war party on my own...without having to worry about you two."

Daring Do flexed her wings,"What's that supposed to mean?"

Pea motioned her to be quiet,"Don't start that again. Has the campfire been doused for awhile?"

Daring looked to the fire pit,"Well...a few minuets. I was afraid if they'd see the smoke and follow it."

Pea looked out to the orcs again,"If they saw it they'd already be here by now."

This eased the Equestrians slightly. The din of the war party could be heard all the way up to where they were. Images and memories of her life before flashed in Pea's mind again...

Pea Gravel was strutting in her new armor along a road between two wheat fields, with Dew Berry was at her left and the dragon Oza at her right. Oza was dragging a cart with all of their supplies behind him via his paddle tail. Pea had gotten much better pay in mercenary battles with a dragon at her side and now she could afford actual good food for Dew Berry to cook. Besides spending money on her friends, she spent money on herself getting all the good stuff.

Pea's new armor was mostly padded leather but it had a solid steel breastplate that barely constricted Pea's movements. It had a scaled neck guard that had leather covering the throat. The helm covered her head save the visor and her jaw. The visor looked like a grill grate and her jaw was exposed so she could hold her sword. Sheathed at her side was a expertly crafted sword who's hilt was specially designed to be a partial face guard and not slip in a pony's jaws.

A pack of orcs ran out of the wheat fields to them. The orcs were a foot taller then Oza, twice as tall as Pea. This was Pea's world now, one where she was knee high or smaller...and she loved it. Dew knew that she stood no chance against them but stood firm never the less. Pea drew her sword with a cold look under her helmet while Oza popped his knuckles. The dozen orcs waved their weapons as they charged. Their drooling maws and muscular bodies would deter their usual prey but It would have to take a lot more to kill this new and upgraded Pea Gravel, not some little pack of filthy orcs.

The first orc that approached Pea Gravle got a height adjustment. Her new sword sliced through the orc's knee joint easily and his torso toppled to the ground. Oza flexed his fingers and parried the club strikes expertly. Any orc unlucky to get caught in the dragon's talons was met with digging claws that pierced the brain. Dew stood back and watched Pea cut through the orcs with only getting kicked five times (a new record low) and Oza was only stabbed in the arm, easy fix.

It didn't phase Pea that being attacked on average was a common thing. The trio began walking again as if the pile of dead orcs was never there. Pea loved feeling strong and after being beaten for so long, she was tired of being weak and embraced the change. Dew still thought of their old master, Alia Bufordox, who had been dead for some time now...oddly though Pea thought it was one of the best parts of her life so far.

"Hey! Hey!" Rainbow Dash yelled to Pea,"Earth to bare butt!"

Pea shook off her flashback,"Yeah, what is it?"

The Equestrians pointed down,"Their leaving now," Daring Do said,"Would they find us if we flew down there?" Pea rolled her eyes. Daring blushed a little with embarrassment,"Oh...oops! We can wait until they leave, is that okay?"

Pea twiddled her metal fingers,"Where the hell is that pearl pointing...Dew's not in Torrent territory is she?"

Rainbow Dash gulped,"Torrent? Like those centaurs you blew up?"

Pea yawned,"Yep. 'Sept the ones in their homeland are a lot more hostile to anything else but them. They don't even like each other all that much..."

Daring Do looked out on the horizon,"How long until we make it there?"

Pea rolled onto her back,"Maybe three weeks or so...maybe four?"

'Three weeks of more walking?" Rainbow Dash cried,"This is crazy!"

Pea smiled,"Yeah. The dragon's have pretty big territories to themselves, were probably in one right now. Their the reason everything so far apart and dry."

"Borox?" Daring Do asked,"You told me about him. He's a king to wingless dragons, right?"

"Yep," Pea gritted her teeth,"That bastard can burn in hell wit the rest of his dragon scum."

"Do you have a beef with dragons?" Daring Do asked.

Pea rubbed her face remembering Oza,"Just...just the bad ones."

The trio traveled on. Going through the pine forest below Daring Do, Rainbow Dash and Pea Gravel walked along a worn path through the trees. The pines loomed overhead dizzily and the ground was thick with underbrush. As they walked, a shape followed them. He was so well hidden in the brush that the ponies couldn't smell or hear him, let alone see him. It was an Orc scout, looking for food to bring back to his camp. His reddish grey skin was painted with mud and leaves. Holstered at his side was a foot long rusty dagger ready to cut down the ponies a third his size.

From the side, his long arm reached out and grabbed Rainbow Dash. She squealed in with his hand wrapping around her torso. Now in full view he cackled maliciously, his head was topped with matted black hair and belt with pouches and knives was on his waist and a loin cloth covered his hominid package.

Pea Gravel spun around to see the orc with a hateful glare. The cyber mare stood on her hind legs, her hands at her sword hilts. Daring Do looked to the two armed creatures, sensing a battle. The orc had a longer face then a human, he smiled with crooked and mis-matched teeth. Drool dripped from his lip onto Rainbow Dash's head.

"Doun't come hany closer 'ellion," The orc jabbered in a oafish voice,"We's thought yous was dead, 'ellion. But yous ain't doh..." He held his knife to Rainbow Dash's neck,"I think the ol' chiefy would loike a visit with ya an' dis priddy likle ting."

Daring Do knew she had to be as much help as possible to their 'guide', even if that meant getting hurt. The stature of the orc was daunting and his smell and butchering of english made Daring sick.

Pea Gravel popped her neck,"I'll only say this once you ass-faced twat wad, put the pony down."

The orc grinned and licked the cyan mare's terrified face with a wide slimy tongue,"Or wut? Yous gonna 'urt me?"

The orc didn't see Daring Do move into a flanking position. Pea winked and Daring Do bolted with all her strength into the orc's back. Her impact left her head ringing but the orc flopped heavily on his gut and ate a face full of dirt. Rainbow Dash crawled away from the orc to Daring Do and shivered with horror from his touch. Daring Do hugged the terrified pegasus, to dazed to move any way else.

The orc spat dirt and curses at the ground as he pushed himself back up and Pea Gravel took no time to gloat. She drew her swords and chopped on the orc's arm at the elbow. The orc howled and swung his knife at Pea's ankles, to his horror they were made of steel and not flesh. Pea Gravel stomped on his hand with the knife and broke all of the bones in it, bringing the orc to tears. He fell belly down again trying to keep his arm from bleeding with a broken hand.

Pea dropped her swords and with one hand grabbed a handful of matted hair to lift up the orc's head. It was almost as big as a pumpkin. With her free hand she grabbed the orc's bottom jaw and held it open like a fisherman hold's his catch. The orc whimpered a butchered plea for mercy.

Pea's hot mint eyes burned into the orc's dull optics. She pulled his face closer,"You tell your boss or any other snot nosed monkey bitches that I'm back."

The orc nodded desperately,"Yesh, yesh! I'll thell thlem evertyhing!" His speech impeded further by the metal hand holding his jaw and tongue.

The metal fist that held the orc's jaw let go. It curled into a fist and Pea smiled wickedly,"Oh, and tell them that the two ponies I'm with...nothing touches them."

Her fist rammed into the orc's face. It punched again and again, crunching his pronunced nose and the occasional tooth. The orc shook his head like a wet dog to throw Pea off. Still griping his hair Pea took her free hand and ripped one of the orc's ears off. She then let go, throwing it after the orc as he hopped up and scampered off into the woods cursing and yelling.

Rainbow Dash was shivering from the unclean feeling still on her face. Daring Do patted her mane comfortingly,"Pea Gravel...was all that really...really necessary? You could've just broke his nose and let him go."

Pea wiped the orc's blood off on some bush leaves,"Orcs are hard to scare. You need to be more violent then them...if Dash wasn't here I'd send a orc with crutches over there but I think he got the message."

Daring Do looked in the direction where the orc ran,"Do you think he'll bring more to kill us?"

Pea still stood on her hind legs. She had her hands at her hips and breathed deeply,"Maybe. He didn't look to high ranking anyway. He's probably gonna get mobbed by the other orcs in his camp, lose all his stuff and probably die."

"That's so...cruel,"Rainbow Dash whimpered.

"Yeah and the sky is blue,"Pea Gravle said dryly," It's just the way things work, fly girl," She looked up into the air. There was less sunlight coming from in between the tree tops,"Alright girls, let's move out."

Daring helped Rainbow Dash stand up. They grabbed what supplies she dropped as did the cyber mare. They began walking again, Rainbow Dash had a burning question,"You never mentioned the Breakneck Bevy to me. Is that some group of mercenaries?"

Pea was walking on all fours again. She had a glassed look,"Yeah, my mercenaries. I had about two hundred core units at the band's peak, that's when Rochi was with us."

Daring Do remembered things only she had heard from Pea, things about Rochi. She said that he was unlike may ponies she met. Whoever listened to him didn't see a pony or a sailor, they saw a leader. Daring Do was a little jealous that a pony like that had Pea to himself. Being out here conflicted Daring Do's thoughts on Pea Gravel, though. The cyber mare had every opportunity to be violent and she did and it made Daring Do's peaceful nature ill.

"Pea? What was Rochi like..for the Breakneck Bevy?" Daring Do asked.

Pea still seemed to be recovering from the little encounter but slowly looked normal again,"What was Rochi for the Bevy? He was...no is a damn good tactician, any plan he made I did my all to bring into effect. No matter if we were up against orcs, humans, centaurs or dragons he always had a plan."

"He sound great," Rainbow Dash said weakly,"Can't wait to meet him."

"We'll meet him soon enough, I promise," Pea said.

6) Departing is Such Sour Joy

11) Six Weeks in part 1

Six weeks. That's how long since Rainbow Dash had been away from home. Darning Do was used to being out on the road but now the cyan mare was growing homesick. Being out in the 'Wild' they had seen things more grotesque then anything in Equestria; farms struck with famine, small colonies abandoned from plague infestations, hiding horrific flesh eating beasts and fields before and after battles.

The trio was now in a humid grass land, walking over the ruins of a battlefield. Rainbow Dash was physically sick from the sight and smell of aged carnage. Even Daring Do was repulsed by the decrepit bodies strewn about on the filthy field. Crows and vultures flew in the sky in droves, while opportunistic wild dogs picked at the bodies. There were more carrion eaters though, ones that made the dogs scamper and birds circle away; A Vulture Dog.

Vulture Dogs were some kind of mammal long ago that was like the little dogs running away, as Pea Gravel told the Equestrians, but with all of the carnage being a common thing they evolved into burly quadrupeds who's jaws became shaped like a snipping beak. They peeled armor of of human bodies by using their front paws and their beak as a wedge, happily gorging on the meaty contents. The trio of ponies avoided the carrion eating hot spots as they walked but in the distance stood another carrion eater, one Pea Gravel snarled at the sight of.

Rainbow Dash asked what it was. The cyber mare told her that it was a creation of Volm, called Lepuerics. Their bodies shaped like a stocky bears with equally stocky necks and a jaw that could swallow an ox whole. At the very front of it's head was it's eyes, small soulless beads that seemed to pick the most opportune target. It's skin was a sickly olive color that covered vascular muscles and scars. It's paws had eight or more little toes on it, it changed for each foot. Pea also said that a bite from these, if you survive the initial physical trauma, caused all sorts of diseases like it's go-to poison Leprosy. Leaving a battle field felt like walking in and out of a nightmare for the Equestrians but Pea Gravel said it was common to for ones such as herself.

Rainbow Dash felt uncomfortable almost every waking moment. She always looked behind her shoulder and could barely sleep from unknown fear. Sombra showed her internal fear but the threat of being eaten, or Celestia knows what else, was much more unnerving. Daring Do felt similar. In Equestria she thought of Pea Gravel as some mysterious and amazing mare but know that she saw Pea act 'normally' Daring wasn't so sure anymore.

They camped in a savanna. They had just entered it and the environment changed from dry to muggy rather quickly. Scattered around in clusters were very bulbous, short trees and tall grass. The three mares made a bed of grass at the base of one of these trees and enjoyed a well deserved rest. Dishing out rations to Rainbow Dash and Daring Do, Pea Gravel ate something else. She had been eating meat for a good part of their trip so far, anything from lizards, rabbits or birds. She didn't let her Equestrian company see how the skinning and gutting process worked, just cooked meat.

The black pearl that Pea had was more white then ever; they were close to their first mission, finding Dew Berry.

Daring Do began resorting to eating the grass around them to conserve food,"So...tell me, or us," she said while chewing uncomfortably,"Tell us about Joe, Dew Berry's guy?"

Pea took a big bite out of a rabbit haunch,"Like what?"

Rainbow Dash tried some grass too. She spat it out from it's bitter taste,"Bleh...," she got back on track,"You know, what was he like. Was he cute with Dew Berry?"

Pea snickered,"I really don't like the word 'cute'...anyway, something about ol' Joe, eh?" The Equestrians nodded.

Pea thought back to the time she found with Joe, then told part of the tale;

. The Breakneck Bevy was growing in number now, a hundred mercenaries with a staff of sixty to feed or repair armor, they were mostly ponies or other smaller creatures who were either so angry they'd fight anything their leader pointed at or were too stupid to know better. Marching down a road they found Joe on the side in a field, pulling a farmer's plow. The farmer was either drunk or just plain hateful because when Pea Gravel saw him he was whipping Joe's back even though the mule was going at a good pace. Dew screamed at the farmer to stop but he just flipped the bird and went back to his business. Pea offered to buy Joe right off the farmer for thirty pieces of silver, weather that was a good or bad deal is debatable.

She remembered how he followed almost blindly to Dew Berry but he did have his own principles. He never fought, maybe shoving things out of the way to move somewhere but he never killed anything. Pea Gravel supposed that is what attracted Dew to him to start with.

Oza healed what he could on the mule and Joe happily agreed to join the Breakneck Bevy. Being around Dew berry though he acted like a big dopey goof, around everyone else he was stern and one-worded. In campaigns he had taken arrows to shield his friends and was sometimes called 'Sponge' by the other mercenaries in the Bevy. Joe was approachable by anyone but watched over Dew Berry like a guard dog.

When Pea was alone with those two she'd hear Dew say,"You've got such a watchful eye I bet you could look after...a foal or two?"

Joe would force a smile,"Dew Berry, I'm a mule. I can't make no kids."

Dew would snuggle closer to him,"I know...you'd be a very good father though, my Joesy~!"

The memory shattered when she remembered Black Berry. Like Pea Gravel and Dew Berry had changed since the days of Alia, Black Berry had changed too...became insane and a rouge. He was the bastard child of a carnahorse and a pony, aka a meat eating mule-ish thing. He wasn't a normal mule in any way. Black Berry was the darkest shade of purple imaginable with beat red irises, his bald head and shark teeth stuck out like stars in a night sky. a thing that made him different then other mules is that he could spread his seed to mares of his choosing and he relished it. This cannibalistic rapist was a problem to roving traders and villagers because he was fast, strong, hungry and usually was satisfied if it smelled like a female...no matter what species.

The Bevy's camp was dark and quiet in a warm spring night in a lakeside forest. Black Berry crept through the tents like a lustful shadow. Silently breaking the night guard's spines so they flopped unnoticed he sought a specific mare. He hungered for the infamously beautiful mare of the Breakneck Bevy; Dew Berry. His red eyes stuck out in the dark while he licked his lips in anticipation. Finding the right tent, he peered inside. There was Dew Berry, sleeping soundly under the comforting arm of her lover. Black Berry lifted his husky body inside through the tent flap and simply looked down at his target. His look could send chills up even the most stabled minded's spines.

Joe awoke to the feeling of drool dripping on him. He looked up in horror to see Black Berry. The dark carnahorse shoved Joe away from Dew and stood over his prize like a show dog. Joe's body shook with sudden adrenaline and rage. He bolted to strike Black Berry. Black Berry however, maneuvered so that he toppled Joe over on his broad back. Winded he gasped for breath. Him surviving wasn't on Black Berry's plans.

The carnahorse put both of his fore-hooves on either side of Joe's head and twisted. Joe's neck bent disgustingly, paralyzing him from the jaw down. He looked with hopeless, tear filled eyes at Dew Berry. She just woke up to be knocked upside the head. Black Berry lifted his prize on his back and looked back to Joe before he left,"Thanks for the sweet meat!"

The next morning the Bevy was in an uproar. Oza had repaired Joe's neck but it would take days if not weeks for Oza's magic to course though Joe's muscles to get them working again. The fact that Dew Berry was kidnapped as well threw the Bevy into a violent mob. Pea did her best to try organizing her comrades but they were to angered to be stopped. They combed the surrounding forest for four days, over an over again. Some used their spears to pole the lake's bottom in case she was drowned. The Bevy's griffons searched the trees in case she was hung or stuffed into a bear bag for later. While the hunt was going on Joe was immeasurably depressed. He couldn't get up to find the love of his life, he had to sit with stiff muscles and joints for weeks. Every time a search party walked by he jumped the gun to ask if they found her and they all sadly said no. If there was one thing Joe hated, it was being helpless.

Eventually one group found Dew Berry, or a mare that looked like her, they weren't sure. Written crudely into the dirt next to her was,'Sweet meat for grabs'.

They carried her back to the camp, delivering her to Pea Gravel's tent before anyone else in case it wasn't who they were looking for. Pea felt a mixture of rage, disgust and sadness seeing the state her best friend was in. Dew now had matted hair, bruised and dirty skin, small but painful looking bite marks on her neck as well as her flank and an all to distinguishable smell of sex still on her. She had been left out in the woods for four days and was unconscious from fatigue.

Pea called in Oza to see what he could do. He cleaned up the unconscious mare and healed her wounds, but Oza sensed something that made him cringe. He looked to Pea Gravel who was just as troubled. Oza sighed, trying to think on how to word the news,"Dew Berry is...she's...she's pregnant..."

The grey mare became even more furious,"Can you stop it? Get rid of the monster in her before it grows?"

Oza shook his head,"To early. Baby is not big enough to even see."

Neither knew how to brake the news to Joe. Oza decided to get up and talk to Joe. As Oza walked across the camp any members of the Bevy that saw him knew that something was wrong. Once Oza entered Joe's tent, the mule was anxious to hear any news,"Did you find her? Is she alright?"

Oza sat cross-legged in front of him. Oza was hesitant in his words,"Shit...Oza not sure how to tell Joe this...ummm..."

Joe had a look of disbelief,"Don't tell me she's d...dead?"

Oza shook his head vigorously,"No, no, no, no! Dew Berry is alive and breathing. Red pony is resting in Pea Gravel's tent."

Joe took an edge in his voice,"Then let me see her."

Oza folded his hands over his muzzle,"Well...she's not alone in tent."

Joe was growing impatient,"Right, Gravel is in there with her, why wouldn't she?"

Oza shook his head slowly,"No exactly. Joe...Dew Berry has...a, um...baby..."

Joe's heart skipped a beat. His face went pale and his stiff body fell to it's side. Oza cocked his head against Joe's chest to see if he was still breathing. Oza used some of his magic to calm Joe's nerves in case he may die of a heart attack. Joe to a gasping breath then shaky ones,"My Berry...is going to have a foal?"

Oza stood up and turned to the tent flap,"This is true. Oza will bring Dew Berry to this tent to be with Joe. Oza be back."

He walked briskly back to Pea's tent and picked up the sleeping red mare gingerly. Pea jumped over to him,"So how did he take it?"

Oza laughed nervously,"Joe's not dead, so Joe took it well. At least that what Oza thinks." Pea sighed with relief.

Oza cradled Dew in his arms as he walked back to Joe's tent. Bevy members gathered around to see if Dew was alright. All to loudly they cheered to see her alive. Oza held a finger to his lips and shushed the cheering mob,"Shhh! Dew is sleeping!"

The Bevy members shut up and let Oza pass. Now he was back in Joe's tent with Dew Berry still asleep in his arms. Joe never looked happier in his life seeing her again. Oza lay her gently next to Joe who looked as if he was beaming. He couldn't move well but he forced a forearm over her as shelter. Oza wiped a happy tear from his eye and smiled as he went back outside. He found the ponies and ect. of the Bevy all around the tent, curious to know what was going on inside. Oza shooed them away from the tent like a broom sweeps dirt.

There was a meeting about finding and killing Black Berry. Word of what happened to Dew Berry got around and they demanded revenge, that or handing the bastard over to Joe so the mule could pummel him into a mush. Their want to kill Black Berry wan't a new one, lot's of local farmers and merchants wanted his head on a pike. The reason why he was so loathed and hunted is because he was an expert at avoiding his hunters. He wan known for biting off faces of those who got too close though...

Pea agreed that they should go after Black Berry. She sentenced him to be split open after pulling his limbs of, trampled, then tied to a tree for the vultures to pick off of. The Bevy relished that plan.

Dew woke up that day but was so traumatized that she wouldn't talk or see anyone, except Joe. In the following weeks Joe's body began working normally and Dew Berry opened back up again, but a different mare. She was more conserved now, hesitant of strangers and friends alike. While the Breakneck Bevy suited up to hunt down the carnahorse, a few stayed behind with the damaged couple. Either because they didn't want to see them hurt or they were afraid of being hurt themselves.

Joe took the idea of Dew having a foal that wasn't his rather well. He was determined to raise the foal like his own, no matter how much of a beat it was. Dew, however wasn't as upbeat about the child as Joe was but she eventually accepted the idea.

"Woah..." Rainbow Dash said,"You didn't lie about Black Berry..."

"He gives me the creeps," Daring Do cringed.

The trio sat quietly in their little camp next to a tree again. The Savannah was quiet...to quiet...

Some large birds flew overhead, they seemed to by fleeing from something. Pea grabbed her swords, ready for the surprise. Meanwhile Daring Do and Rainbow Dash turned, unsure of what was coming. Through the rustling of the grass was heavy breathing and thudding of paws. Pea Gravel commanded the mares to jump, all too much of a close call. Sprinting out of the grass, skimming their hooves, a Lepueric pounced at Pea Gravel.

The cyber mare side stepped and the gnarly beast smashed into the tree they rested next to. The Lepueric was even more repulsive up close, it's skin was warty and wrinkled. The smell of rotting flesh emanated from it's gaping maw. The Equestrians flew up a safe distance and watched as Pea squared off the monstrosity. Pea stood like a human, armed with threes swords and a wild glare in her eyes as the Lepueric snarled ferociously. They circled each other like two predators butting heads. The monster sprung forward with an open mouth full of bone crunching teeth. Pea and the Lepueric were locked in a dance of death, one struck while the other dodged. Rainbow Dash could see that this was no ordinary creature they were dealing with, it was warped...demonic.

Pea's foot slipped only once, but it was enough. The Lepueric's jaws clamped onto her leg. She viciously stabbed at the creature's neck but it still held on. It's dark, almost purple, blood poured onto the ground from the wounds Pea sliced into it's neck. The Lepric bucked and kicked like a rodeo bull with the cyber mare in it's mighty jaws, not afraid to smack it's head against the tree or the ground to smother Pea Gravel. Pea showed no signs of fear, only an cruel drive to win. The two Equestrians were unsure of how long the fight was going to take or who would win.

Pea looked up at them for a fraction of a second and tossed a sword over to them, Daring caught it. Pea took the sword out of her jaw and stabbed with one in each hand. Daring was unsure of what to do. Before she could figure out a straightway Rainbow Dash took the sword and bolted down to the monster. She flew around the Lepueric, slashing and swinging like an angry horsefly. The beast paid little attention to Rainbow Dash, like an ox to a fly.

Daring Do flew around to the Lepueric's eyes and kicked her hooves into the shiny black orbs. The beast opened it maw to snap at Daring Do. Rainbow Dash saw this and tackled Daring out of the way just in time as the clamping jaws shut loudly behind her. One of it's teeth nicked Rainbow Dash's hoof and made a little scratch.

Pea was freed now, and rolled under the Lepuric's belly. With both swords she sunk them into the monster's flesh under it's rib cage. It reared up to swat at her. With the Lepueric standing on it's rear legs Pea had ample opportunity to slide down it's abdomen like pirates slide down canvas sails. It screeched unnaturally as it's body was split open. Pea dropped to the ground wit the entrails and organs falling after her. The beast flopped to it's side and kicked around, pushing out the last of it's energy.

Pea took one of their blankets and wiped off the dark blood from her. She seemed rather calm for just fighting a monster like one of those. The trio was breathing heavy now, relived that the creature was dead. Pea looked over to the pegsi and gave them a thumbs-up.

"You know what girls?" She looked over at the disembowled Lepueric,"Maybe you two really do have the guts to kick with me!"

7) Row, Row your Boat...