Rising Hope: Birth Of The Transcendents

HitchCaw's Ranch. 17:00 hours.

''So,'' Rainbow Dash questioned, uncertain of herself. ''In order to meet the Queen and see what she wants...we have to squash 5 tasks set before us?''

''Correct.'' Hina confirmed, her wings slightly ruffling as she stopped to look to the speedster.

''And the first one involves...this?'' she swept a hoof in front of her as to show off the sight before her.

''Also correct,'' Rina replied professionally. ''These were specifically chosen by the Queen herself as best suited to prove your willingness ton continue along the path before you, why do you-''

''But.'' Cadence interrupted. ''This seems to be a little underwhelming to what we expected.''

''Well, what did you expect?'' the twins spoke at the same time.

''Honestly, I almost had the inkling feeling I would have to fight some crazy deformed creature or something,'' Jamir deadpanned, leaning against the wooden fence, rubbing his thumbs.

Hina and Rina looked at one another in confusion, almost as if a foal asked them what was the formula for inter-dimensional travel and the answer was apparently so simple, a frog could write a paper on it.

''I think we speak for everyone in Chronomid when we say: you can hold your own, no problem: so why would fighting help push your chances further? If there's one thing Queen Titania values over all would be intelligence and practical skills over brute power.'' Rina replied in a patronizing tone.

''But really?'' Applejack sighed, facehoofing. ''Why this?''

''You have a issue with wrangling small animals? Aren't you, like the best at the best at that? This should a breeze for you.'' Hina asked.

''It's just that...oh forget it, let's get this over with,''

In front of the group sat a spacious ranch, complete with a reinforced wooden fence to the entrance. Beyond that hung a sign that read: HitchCaw's Ranch, Home Of The Spectral Trailers. A red farmhouse immediately took the bulk of one's vision, adorned with mud and scuffs along the edges to the ground, no doubt from animals prancing about. A bell hung from the top a beam on top of the open attic. Farther over, a orchard of regular apple trees stood proudly to the right, and pale blue astral trees to the left with a different variety of different kinds of produce strewn about with bits of magic lingering around. Stables, coops, and a track lay behind the barn waiting.

''But what's the point in wrangling?'' Flashing Deck asked.

''A most valid question: but the answer is so simple: a major aspect of character that the Queen likes is patience. You see, when we bore witness to how Jamir's incarceration went, he didn't have a lot of options open to him, namely having the patience to out-wait his mistakes of rushing a plan that led to his time in solitary. She wants a confirmation that you all, more so Jamir can hold patience when faced with danger.'' Hina opened the gate, leading the inside.

''Danger?'' Chrysalis's voice took on a apprehensive tone, her horn lighting up. ''Of what ilk?''

''You will see soon enough, just a word of advice,'' Rina tossed everyone a rag. ''It would be in your interests to do this in increments of two.''

''For what?'' Renoir sat on her haunches, curious.

''Oh, HitchCaw!''

Coming out from inside the barn, a unicorn with a light brown coat trotted up the group. Deep blue eyes stared back at the group with a warm embrace. Her mane and tail were done in the fashion of a pony who has seem so time of the high life, but displayed more of a rugged sense of exploration. A cutie mark of a grape bundle with the stalk attached was proudly displayed.

''Yes?''

''Our guests have arrived,'' Hina embraced the mare in a hug while Rina hoof-bumped her.

''Ah, most wonderful: I thought they would never show up,'' the mare chuckled. ''From what Rina and Hina told me, this must be the Princess of Love,'' she gestured to Cadence. ''Then, Applejack Apple and Rainbow Dash, the Element bearers of Honesty and Loyalty.''

''Greetings.''

''Howdy.''

''What's up?''

''Then, you must Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings, nice to make your acquaintance.'' she shook hooves with the changeling.

''The feeling is the same.''

''After that, we have Zareran, the Griffon leader of this little group, Flashing Deck, the Unicorn Trickster, Battering Ram, The Muscle, and Renior, The Shaman.''

''Hey.'' Zareran greeted with a clawshake.

''Hi,'' Flashing smiled.

''Nice to see you,''

''Namaste, friend.''

''And that leaves the main reason for your visit here, the human. If I may, can I call you Jamir?''

''Of course,'' Jamir bowed. ''It's nice to meet you, Hitchcaw.''

''Please, Hitchcaw is just a name that was made up for me since I mostly run the ranch on my own. My actual name is Berry Bunch.''

''Well, Berry, if you would be so nice to explain the rules of our little exercise here, the quicker Jamir and his friends can meet the Queen,'' Rina refreshed everyone's memories.

''Right. Now, as you've been no doubt told over and over again, you will be going through 5 tasks that list the importance of Patience, Strategy, Loyalty, Cunning and finally Compassion. For your first task, you will need to have patience in wrangling very simple game: Chickens. Or more specially a hybrid brand of Pyro-Chickens. You are faced with 10 rouge chickens that need to put back into their special restrainer coops over there,'' Berry pointed to a massive sized coop built with a majority of black, shiny rocks around the more parts that looked be more susceptible to escape. '' Bringing a dirt brown hue of magic to her horn, a spark of magic floated in the sky forming a thin slab of magic with the numbers: 10:00.

''You have exactly 10 minutes to wrangle the chickens into the coop. Each pair will get 2 chickens to themselves, with the exception one of one you having 2 chickens to handle by yourself. So pair up, and good luck.''

''Hold it!'' Rainbow boomed. ''What do you mean Pyro-Chickens?''

''I believe that she is referring to the fire-breathing descendants of Cockatrices,'' Chryalis muttered her displeasure by groaning.

''Wait, so could we die? Cause I am not too fond of being roasted by a bird.'' Battering slowly backed away.

''Well, yes and no. Could you die? No, not from a direct hit. Would you want to? No. Is it possible? Yes, very much so. But you guys should be fine!'' Berry cheered for the group, even though it did nothing to encourage nor deter them.

''Well, let's get to it.'' Jamir cracked his knuckles. ''I mean, how hard could it be?''

8 minutes later:

''Okay!'' Jamir yelled breathlessly. ''I take it back, this is like fighting Spider-Man and The Human Torch!'' he dodged another stream of fire headed for him, only to violently singe a portion of the fence behind him.

''Who's Spider-Man and Human Torch?'' Cadence asked from her place on a hay bale, everyone else doing the same from completing their task.

''Oh, you know! Just a-WHOA! boy who got spider- HEY WATCH IT! powers from a radioactive spider bite! And a literal flamethrower!'' Jamir slide across the ground, rolling with his momentum and steadying himself on the balls of his feet.

''Ya might want to hurry up, ya got 1 minute and 30 seconds left,'' Applejack lazily commented, her hat being over her mouth slightly muffling her words.

''Well aware of that!'' he thought. Pushing off with a powerful charge, he charged an orb of magic, punching a beam that barely grazed the chickens, but forced them further to the right only for them to let a barrage of flames loose, forcing the human to raise his shield just in time to feel the heat behind the attack, making him sweat even more.

1:20.

''Come on, boss: just end this already!'' Flashing complained.

''You try dealing with two of these fuckers when they can copy the same magic you cast on them,'' Jamir snapped back, surprising the unicorn as she sheepishly chuckled. ''I'm trying not to hurt them, but looks like I may not have a choice at this point!'' he growled, throwing another blast, only for his attack to meet one of the same caliber, each canceling the other out.

0:59.

''How come everyone else's chickens were easy?'' he breathed out.

''Sorry, Jamir: the Queen wanted to make things... not so convenient for you. Just gotta go with the flow,'' Berry commented, munching on some popcorn.

0:46.

''Well, I say fuck not so convenient, this is making me a little pissed off.'' he delivered a side kick, propelling another magic blast, forcing the chickens back a few more paces, but only to have to set up another defense as they ran after him, swarming him with fire.

0:30.

''Come on, figure something out. Almost out of time!'' Rainbow yelled.

Jamir had to think of something. No matter what he did, these chickens did not let up. Had it be up to him, he would have just levitated them over, but Berry said that using magic to restrain animals would count as abuse and that did not fly on her ranch, so he had to improvise by forcing them back with close shots.

''Master!~'' Chryalis broke the human's train of thought. ''Use your dice!''

''Oh yeah!'' Jamir remembered. ''I need to be reminded to slap myself after this!'' Grinding to a halt, Jamir reached behind his belt and uncovered the small pouch full of dice. Fishing out a pair of green dice with images of Venus flytraps, he smirked: Adaptium Dice.

0:18.

Holding one between his index and middle finger was the other was held in his ring and pinky, he focused his aim and hurled the dice at their intended targets. The effect was instant. A low thrum sounded, roots and flytrap mouths sprouting in the blink of an eye, capturing the two chickens in their grasp.

0:12.

Jamir then noticed a visible change in the environment. Gray overtook all of the color spectrum excluding the massive carnivorous plants, which were a bright green, and the Pyro-Chickens, pale white and the chicken's coop a bright red. Connecting the dots, the next course of action came sudden.

0:05.

''Return!'' his voice vibrated across the plains, the plants replying almost immediately as they forcefully put the crazed chickens back inside the coop with a bit of difficultly  from having portions of the body charred. Letting his outstretched hand fall back to his side, he felt a ping of relief wash over him in bulk.

''Well, that was not so hard,'' sarcasm laced every word of his statement.

''Hoo-whee!'' Berry was impressed with the human's actions. ''What a colorful way to do things, and you only had 2 seconds to spare.''

''Huh?'' the human looked to the timer. Tried and true, it read: 0:02. Cutting it close certainly seemed to be a growing trend that followed him almost everywhere. Going over and taking a seat on the hay bale, he waited to see the next portion of what he would have to do.

''You all performed a lot better than I thought you would. Marks across the board, props to you especially Jamir for pulling that little dice trick: by the way, how'd you do that?'' Berry inquired, asking to borrow said pouch as she rummaged through it.

''That would be thanks to Flashing: she developed the concept of the dice after I provided her with the necessary materials,''

''Wow, isn't that something,'' Berry complimented. ''Anyhoo: I would say you all passed this little challenge with flying colors,''

''So what next?'' Rainbow asked, stretching her wings.

''You would go with Hina and Rina to the next task, so ya'll should get going,''

''That's it? We can just go?'' Cadence asked.

''Yep, come on, guys: onto the next task: Strategy!'' Hina exclaimed. ''I hope at least one of knows how to play Chess!'' was all Rina said before her and Hina went running ahead and stopping the group. Stomping their hooves to the ground, the sound echoed, their shapes and the resulting area around the group distorted and deformed.

''Wait, why?'' Jamir asked as the group left the ranch, prepping to go into the city, slowly but surely, small specks of trees and cobblestone paths changed, only disappearing for it to change into something else, something else much more...depressing. What looked to be broken dreams, shattered hopes and excluded thoughts.

''What is this place? Where are we?'' Jamir demanded, bringing forth his sword. ''Explain!''

''We just brought you to the 2nd task: an abandoned city that the Queen was able to salvage from peering into your mind,'' Hina calmly stated.

''How?'' came the question from Chrysalis.

''Only way to find that out would be to meet us at the center of the city; if you can make it, that is,'' Rina chuckled. Spreading her wings and taking flight, Hina zoomed to the underbrush of the city, soon fading into the distance.

'''Wait!'' Rainbow tried to rush after, only for her and everyone else to be pushed back from Rina leaping in the air, horizontally kicking against a mid-air barrier that sent a powerful shockwave, blasting back even the most minuscule of things as her body soared like a bullet after her sister.

''Well, damn,'' Jamir cursed, brushing himself off. ''Let's go! And everyone keep up!''