Rising Hope 2: The Harmony Of Equestria.

Value

The Business District, Jamir's Pov:

The blazing sun peered down on us, making my every footstep just that much heavier. A magic user and martial artist I may be, but even I can get winded from the simplest of things: heat. After walking up what seemed to be 10 flights of stairs, we made it the business district of the second ring of the city. Resting is not exactly a luxury I am afforded right now, not with Aj, Rainbow, and Twilight looking much worse for wear than I am. Panting heavily, mane stuck to their heads with blankets of sweat, and tongue slightly hanging out of their mouths, the girls needed some water. Going into my travel bag, I uncovered three canteens and gave them each one, myself taking the liberty to help Twi drink hers.

''You girls alright?'' I grew concerned. Wiping some sweat off with her hoof, Rainbow spoke albeit slow and somewhat rustic.

''Y-yea, just...this heat is getting on my nerves a little bit: we'll be fine.'' She assured me. Taking that as is, we went over took a respite from our long trek up the stairs and sat a table along the scorched road that looked to span for miles until the third and final ring showed itself, a rather large structure showing itself with a prominent feature nobody could miss: a huge banner with a shredded claw mark and a ring of fire surrounding it. Hearing the sound of desperate gulping and a sigh of relief, Applejack and Rainbow looked to be slightly better, though the sweat was still present. Holding the canteen to her lips, Twilight took very large gulps, the most being depleted  in a few minutes. Gasping in satisfaction, she looked to be slightly upbeat than the rest. Man...looking at that smile just brings a tear to my eye, if I would actually cry. And yet she seems like the whole thing would be actually helping in this case. As for me, I was just barely recovering my breath from that whole and I know whilst I can fly that it would be unfair to Twi and Aj to leave them in the dust like that, plus...we can't fly up to the proceeding rings, only down.

''You feeling okay? Anything hurts, sudden 'urges', something?'' I asked for her well being. Looking down to her stomach, she flashed a even bigger smile which I almost broke down at, but maintained my composure.

''I'm fine: none the listed symptoms come to me at the moment: you want to feel?'' She pointed to her belly. Nodding, I carefully approached and listened...for a sound.

''.....Thump!  Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!'' The sound bounced off my ears and alerted me to slight kicking or the heart beating, though it is a tad difficult. Nonetheless: our child is safe, healthy, and while not completely with their parents. Holding her hoof, AJ and Rainbow came over as well, hearing what I did.

''Do you think?...'' Rainbow asked.

''Yep. Gotta be the baby kicking.'' AJ responded.

''Good, at least I know that our child is doing well: I would hate for anything to happen to him or her.'' Twilight sighed. Getting up, a voice cut through the air like butter.

''Did you say child?! Where, where I must see!'' A gruff voice sounded next to us. Turning around, a dragon around his mid forties to early fifties with a bloody apron and chef hat holding a meat cleaver looked so interested in me that he would have filleted me and slow roasted me if I didn't have my katana pressed to his neck in record time.

''Yes. Our child.'' I growled. ''What is it to you, unless you and my 'other child' want to antiquated right now.'' I threatened.

''O-Other child?'' He asked, his breath going short.

''The one to your eye sockets: so can you 'see' my point?'' I tested his willingness to crack under pressure. To my surprise he did as I would have predicted him to:

''H-Hey, I'm just a simple meat vendor that's it: no need to tear my eyes out.'' He dropped the cleaver. I waited a few moments before setting the blade down but still keeping it tight in my grip, though a few looks from some guards passing by prompted to just settle for putting it in my sheath, never taking my eyes off the dragon and wait. Meat vendor? Could he be?

''Are you Trapjaw by any chance?'' I wondered.

''Yes, how do you know my name?'' Now it was his turn to get defensive.

''We're asking the questions here! So are you Trapjaw or not?'' Rainbow grew impatient.

''Radiance sent us here: we were hoping you could provide us with some meat by any chance?'' Twilight interjected. Taking a step back he grabbed the fallen cleaver and picked it up, my muscles tensing.

''So...Radiance sent you eh? Ha! Looks like that old dog hasn't changed a bit.'' He laughed a bit, followed by speaking to us in a better sense than before.

''So what exactly brings you to my humble little meat establishment if I may be so bold?''

Figuring that it would not do so much harm to inform him of the current issue at least to a degree.

5 minutes later:

Trapjaw certainly was able to understand our current situation and sympathized with us on it and even wanted to help out with tracking Azure but I had all agreed to just...give it a rest. If she truly was the half the mare she left me to believe herself to be then she would face me but then again wimps run with their tails between their legs and I am nothing of the sort: while I can never forget what happened, I can at least set a example and not go after her just because of rage. Letting us go with enough meat to last a few weeks and a word of advice to me, we had to go to the palace to broker the treaty.

''Ya...ugh got tha treaty right?'' Aj cringed at the smell of the freshly cooked slivers of smoked Cockatrice tenders I currently am destroying with my mouth.

''Good point. I should check.'' I thought. Stopping for a moment, the girls looked to see if part of the main reason we're here is, well here. Feeling the thin and rigid parchment in my hand, I brought out of Twilight's saddlebag and viewed the golden seal of Canterlot. Yep, we're good.

''Mmm, it's here.'' I swallowed. ''Let's get a move on, seeing as if Spike gets taken care of quickly then we could be home before the days out.'' Another tender entered my gullet. Turning over, Twilight looked to be exuding one of the many traits of a pregnant woman: cravings. Her eyes tracking the current piece that was about to make its way down my mouth, she was slightly salivating until I shook her.

''Huh? Wha?'' She shook her head.

''You must be that hungry huh?'' I joked. Hearing a slight gagging sound, Aj and Rainbow must really be uncomfortable with this, but they won't have to eat this.

''Y-yea, i'm just a little n-nervous about trying this.'' She looked conflicted. Coming over and laying a hoof on her shoulder, Rainbow and Aj provided support in the midst of this.

''You don't have to do this, don't force yourself.''

''She's right sugarcube: If ya don't feel 100% okay with then take your time.'' For a moment, I almost wanted to just call this off, but she beat me to the punch.

''No.'' She laid her hoof down. ''I have to do this: not only for the sake of our child, but i'm...curious.'' She approached me. Thinking about this long and hard for a minute, I decided she's right: but there's no going back afterwards.

''You do know there's no going back once you do this: you'll technically be a...carnivore.'' I struggled to get the last word out. Eating meat? No problem for me. But Twilight...no. It's just like a band-aid: just rip it off and get it over with. Holding out the remaining 8 pieces of smoked meat out to her, she engulfed it in her magic and eyed for a moment.

''Well...here I go.'' She brought it to her mouth and took a huge first bite, stretching the meat until it snapped and broke off. Chewing it, she closed her eyes and had to be observing the taste, texture, and smell. A minute after chewing, she swallowed. Looking to her, that had to be hard.

''So...how did...it taste?'' Rainbow hesitated with the question. Thinking in deep contemplation, she slowly opened her eyes and said:

''It's...good.'' She decided. ''It's different, but good. Unlike anything I've ever tasted before: the smokey texture, glazed honey along with the gastronomic taste leaves me...speechless. It is just that good: I kinda want more.'' She looked a bit excited and finished the rest, Aj and Rainbow almost being to the point of actually throwing up. With that settled, we made our way to the palace, ignoring the looks I received from a few of the dragons who looked to carry themselves with a higher air.