Author's Note

Hello everypony! This chapter will introduce some of the traits of my character. I always found it to be more interesting when the characters themselves told you of the main character, makes it seem more realistic. Thank you also for all the likes and follows to this story, please keep this up! Now without further ado please sit back, relax and enjoy chapter 2 of Spirit of The Mountain!

Canto 2: Unexpected Developments

It did not take me very long to climb down the 4 flights of stairs to the wide open atrium at the bottom of the school. Currently it stands somberly quiet and still, evidence that it is in fact the beginning of summer break. However, I still keep my eyes on a swivel looking for anything that was out of place. In these instances it has always been a favorite thing of Pinkie Pie to pull a fast one on me, scarring me so that my wings would fly open and it would always end like that...always.

"Hey you guys still here?" I ask questionable, taking light steps towards a few tables that me and them would always hang out at during lunch time. There is no response to my question, instantly causing my body to tense up and for my wings to start to flutter slightly behind my back. The atrium is so quiet now at this point that not even the hum of the white florescent lights enters my ears as I spot a pair of light blue eyes quickly dart into a set of folded up tables in a shadowy corner of the room farthest away from me. "Come on Pinkie Pie cut the shit I saw you!" I say in a mix of relief and irritation as I completely forget about trying to be cautious and start to fast walk towards the wayward corner, a slight silly smile starting to make its way onto my face.

"Aw you found me guess I should have hid better!" Pinkie Pie says in a fake depressed tone, jumping out of the shadows and looking to me with a warm smile. "Hey Clay its good to see you, too bad you caught me I was going to prank you!" The energetic pink mare says bouncing up to and throwing her arms around my torso, giving me a very soft and very affectionate Pinkie Pie hug. The sudden contact causes me to blush slightly as I feel my wings start to shiver with happy pleasure at being this close to one of the mares I felt was special and I quickly find myself putting my arms around her as well, bringing her into a soft but tight hug. My heart flutters at the contact of her soft pink coat to my sun tanned skin but that is not the only reason it flutters. I could only feel it for half a second, but I felt something that I had both never felt before and at the same time was completely know to me. It was the feeling of something very pure that practically radiated the feeling of revival and rebirth. At first I thought it was Pinkie Pie and I even put my cheek to her mane to see, but found that her energy was the same as it always is, lively and bright but not what I was currently feeling. So out of curiosity I started to look around the room as to try and ascertain the location of this energy. A quick sweep of the room reveals nothing and I am about to shrug it off when something outside one of the atrium windows catches my attention.

Staring dead at me through one of the bottom corners of the glass is something I had never before seen. She was not a pony as there was a lack of equine facial features but yet stood up on two legs and even seemed to resemble me in some sorts. She wore clothes just as I did, an oddity considering that I was one of the very few who actually wore clothes most of the time. Her "mane" also looked quite different than most ponies. Like mine hers only was on the top of her head, but it was much longer than mine that descended down her body in one giant straight wave. It was also a different color, a almost healthy grass green compared to my sun bleached blonde. Also like me from her back she supported a set of massive multicolored wings that made it appear as thought I was viewing the changing of the seasons. All in all considered what I was looking at I was stunned as never before had I seen something like this.

"Hello earth to Clay, you still there?" The silly voice of Pinkie Pie breaks me from my almost trance like stare and I quickly look back to the pink colored earthpony.

"Yea I am still here how come?" I attempt to ask plainly, however this does not work as I see Pinkie Pie furrow her brow at me in a playful manner.

"You looked out of it for a second, like you saw something strange out the window I could see it in your bright blue eyes." This statement at first makes me consider telling her about the strange looking thing I had seen out of the window, but I quickly decide against it due to the fact that Pinkie Pie may not simply have any answers.

"Nah, just wanting to get out of this building, it's summer time and I am ready to cut loose a little bit!" I say energetically in a thorough attempt to switch the conversation before she could ask anymore questions because once Pinkie Pie started asking questions then she would never stop until she got a straightforward answer. At first this does not seem to work as Pinkie Pie looks at me with a raised eyebrow but after a second or two her expression changes back into her normal happy go lucky and she quickly releases me and then bolts towards a few massive sets of metal doors leading to an outside picnic table where I can see Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy all sitting and having what appears to be a conversation.

"Lets go then summer is here and it is time to party like there is no tomorrow!" Pinkie Pie says energetically bursting though the double doors.

"Man I am glad she is so easily distracted!" I say quietly to myself as I also start to make my way towards the door, my mind still wondering slightly about what was looking at me through the window. But once I get near the door and puss them open, I push my thoughts into the back of my mind and instead try to focus on something that I could understand, seeing my best friends and getting a start to the wonderful summer!

"Hey everypony, sorry I took so long but you know how Celestia can talk, not to mention I was trying to avoid getting scared by that mare right there!" I say pointing a finger to Pinkie Pie with a serious look earning me a round of laughter from the entire group.

"Come on now it's not that bad!" Rainbow Dash says flying up from her spot on the table into my face, making me blush slightly and recoil backwards.

"What Celestia's talks or Pinkie Pie's antics with scaring me?" I ask honestly, playing along with the situation as it developed.

"Hey come on now, remember Clay you are a prince and one of her students." Twilight reminds me in a calm tone immediately cutting the laughter from the entire group off as we all look to her with incredulous looks.

"Twi ah think there just playin." Applejack says in a matter of fact tone.

"Really now darling, you did not think they were being serious, well minus Pinkie Pie of course." Rarity chimes in to add support to Applejack. But despite having the two ponies voice what was going on it still does not seem to stick with Twilight, actually it seems to make her upset as her ears turn down to her head and gives all of us a slight scowl.

"Come on guys! He should take being a prince and one of Princess Celestia's students seriously not act like it is just some joke." Twilight replies in annoyance.

"I-I actually agree with Twilight on this one. It is kind of a big deal to be royalty and one of Celestia's students, especially since you lack magic." Fluttershy says in an octave above a whisper, causing me to sigh in defeat as I look up to the sky.

"Alright lets just drop this subject, why are we even talking about this in the first place shouldn't we be talking about how we're going to kick off the summer!" I say jubilantly looking back down, seeing the mood shift from one of annoyance to one of excitement.

"I say we throw a party like we have done since freshman year, it has always been our way of kicking off the summer!" Pinkie Pie states happily.

"I agree with that one, nothing better than strong drink, good food and the company of close friends!" I say metaphorically casting my vote and that seems to get the nod of approval from the rest.

"That sir is 100 percent right and with my new brew I been makin we're gonna be more bucked up than ever!" Applejack states enthusiastically.

"Not only that but we can keep with tradition, something that we specifically do." Twilight says happily, giving me a warm cute smile.

"Well then it looks as thought we have settled on something, anypony got any objections?" Rarity asks happily.

"Actually I got one if yall were thinkin of doin this tonight, cause right now my stock of booze is bone dry." Applejack mutters lowly, causing myself and the others to sigh, every ounce of are happy energy going out the window.

"Aw man, I was looking forward to getting down on the first night of summer! But I think I speak for everypony when I say we can't do that without Applejack's moonshine." Rainbow Dash utters in annoyance and a collective nod from me and the rest of the group confirms to her that she does in fact speak the truth.

"If you want to truly party and I mean PARTY! Then you have to have good drink, it is in the Pinkie Pie code of conduct!" The bright pink mare yells excitedly, causing Fluttershy to eep and quickly shoot up to hovering, an embarrassed blush present on her face that made more stallions heart skip a beat...ergo what mine is doing right now.

"W-well since it seems that this party is not happening then you think we could do something else?" Fluttershy asks in her usual quiet voice.

"What is it you have in mind Fluttershy?" I ask the hovering mare sympathetically to which her blush increases slightly and the rest of the group looks to her with encouraging eyes. This seems to calm the nervous mare slightly as she quickly comes back down to the ground.

"I was wondering I-if anypony would want to go explore the crater of Mt. Mazama." This quiet statement from Fluttershy has an immediate resounding affect on both me and the rest of the group as we all look at her wide eyed.

"Shit!"

"Fluttershy, the crater of Mt. Mazama is a place beyond dangerous why on Equis would you want to go there?" Twilight asks in extreme question.

"Not to mention it is illegal, even the EQGS is not allowed inside the crater." Rarity say in a matter of fact tone, reinforcing what Twilight had just spoken and this calms my nerve seeing that at least some are opposed to the idea.

"I gotta agree as well, we already get put in enough danger when we get quests and now you want us to do it...willingly? Sorry Fluttershy I think that were better off stayin put and getting some rest." Applejack says throwing her two sense worth in with what I hoped she would, her great asset of honesty shining through when needed the most. That now left Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash, one of which I knew was going to side with myself and the others and with that it should be enough to avoid an argument.

"You know what I change my mind...I have to disagree with you Twilight." Rarity say honestly, causing my eyes to widen once more and me to rapidly turn to face her.

"WHAT!" We all collectively say at once, looks of confusion spread across everyponies face, even Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie who normally nothing surprises.

"Oh come on now! All this talk of danger is to be expected and not to mention...we have him." Rarity says slyly pointing a finger towards me, causing panic to start rising in my system.

"Wait a minute Rarity is on to something. Yea, yea I remember seeing some photos Fluttershy took of you flying around the crater and sitting on its edge so you must know the area." Rainbow Dash states conclusively. This statement causes me to feel both a feeling of horror and of slight embarrassment at having my picture unknowingly taken and I turn to look at Fluttershy who's nervous eyes shy away from my gaze.

"Damn it Fluttershy!" This was the last possible place that I needed to be, especially with them knowing that I have at least some experience with the crater. Because just like always when they discover I know an unknown they are going to want to know more. Now that would have been alright in another circumstance, but this was one place that I swore no pony would ever adventure to. It had nothing to do with them, but it had everything to do with what could happen if they did. "If they wake mother then that's all she wrote!" But I had to at first see what the reaction of the others was going to be before I started to come up with a counter plan since if it died before it got going there would be no need to figure a plan out.

"Wait hot dog that's true. If Clay went with us then he could show us where to go and what to and what not to do!" Pinkie Pie says enthusiastically cheering on Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

"Okay, so those four are on board, as long as Twilight and Applejack stand their ground I should be alright." I think logically trying to suppress the rising feeling of fear in my system looking to Twilight and Applejack with a silent plea of desperation.

"I-I don't know Twi, it still sounds kinda risky if ya ask me." Applejack say calmly, keeping her honesty intact and not submitting to the unannounced peer pressure that the air was ripe with currently. Twilight nods her head and then looks to me, a look of sympathy shining brightly in her wonderful purple eyes.

"Clay, this whole thing is your domain so you make the call, what do you want to do." As soon as she says this, my body relaxes slightly and immediately I get ready to give a firm no. However, in the process of doing that, I made the mistake of turning so I could face them properly...not the best move I could have made. Instantly I am bombarded with the bright pleading eyes of 4 break taking beautiful mares that without warning start to make my conscious waver into possibly giving up on my resistance to fight them on making this decision. It is small at first but the longer I am draw to their beauty, the more I feel my argument starting to slip away.

"Damn it why did I have to like them. Got to resist...keep them from going to the crater!" I tell myself in a vein attempt to stop from giving into pressure. The silence from also seems to do me little good and as if they could detect the battle in my mind whether it be accidental or intentional, they start applying even greater pressure. The great battle in my mind started to swing more in favor of them being victors, but I fought with every ounce of will power my body could muster up.

"Come on Clay, pretty please." Rarity says to me in her voice that almost no colt could resist and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. From there all my resistance crumbled and the forces of their attractiveness gave cheers of loud victory inside my mind. I knew I was beat and in knowing so, I sigh and cleared my throat.

"Alright...we can go, but on one condition." I say in a firm voice, trying to at least keep some of my will intact.

"Yes! What is it!" Pinkie Pie says energetically, followed by woops from Rainbow Dash.

"You all must follow what I say to the word and when I say word I mean WORD!" I say putting emphasis on the last part, making it completely clear that I mean what I say.

"Sounds good Prince Roc, now lets get this show on the road before it gets too late." Rainbow Dash says quickly unfurling her wings and taking to hovering a few feet off the ground.

"Wait now hold up, how is Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity going to get there, that is if Applejack even wants to go that is." Fluttershy says with a little more confidence than usual, causing Twilight to put a hand to her chin.

"I can teleport myself and one other with me and because of Rarity's recent training she can teleport herself but that still leaves on pony out." Twilight states in her calculating voice making me start to get hope that maybe we will not be making this trip after all.

"Well, actually I would love to but I got some serious stuff to take care of back at the farm. I mean if yall wanna do this party tomorrow and all." Applejack says in her honest voice once more and I give her an approving nod, secretly thanking her that she at least knows this is not the best of ideas. "Alrighty then Clay, will be seein ya tomorrow take care now." Applejacks states warmly as she turns around and starts to walk towards Laburnum Avenue, the heart street of Seaddle.

"See ya later Applejack, looking forward to some of that shine tomorrow night!" I say happily as the rest of the group bids their farewells to her as she quickly rounds the corner of the school and disappears.

"So with Applejack gone, now everypony is set and the adventure can begin!" Rainbow Dash says ecstatically causing me to sigh before giving Twilight the nod to proceed with what she had decided to do. With a reluctant look on her face Twilight steps up beside Pinkie Pie and lights up her horn a bright purple color.

"I will go along with this because you said so, but I still feel this is not a good idea." Twilight says in a worried tone, casting her eyes down to her hooves in an attempt for me to see the reluctance of her doing this but I reply to her with a small smile, silently thanking her for doing this for me. At this small show of gratitude I can see Twilight's mood slightly improve before she and Pinkie Pie disappear in a flash of purple light. Rarity also quickly follows suite, giving me a bright flirty smile as she as well disappears in a flash of bright blue light leaving me with both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

"Alright now, just keep in a descent formation and follow me, the flight up to the summit can be a challenge sometimes and Fluttershy don't feel bad about me being reluctant to do this, I just don't want to see you all get hurt." I say honestly as I unfurl my massive wings and give them three hard flaps, instantly getting me air born beside Fluttershy who looks to me with a deep red blush.

"T-thank you Clay, I promise to be careful." Fluttershy says in a shy voice before adverting her gaze from me to her hooves.

"I know, now lets hope the rest of the group does the same thing." I tell myself as I give my wings several more hard flaps and start to head into the bright mid afternoon sky.

It takes barely 20 minutes before myself, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash find ourselves circling near the summit of the massive stratovolcano. The trip in itself was not the problem, but as I had said it was the climb to the top. I had no problem and was able to make the 14,411 feet climb to the summit where the crater was and so did Rainbow Dash albeit with a little bit of trouble. Fluttershy on the other hand was not so lucky. I had to end up caring her the entire way up to the top which she profusely thanked me for the entire time. Now despite the volcano being extremely tall, the summit was not covered in snow and glaciers as a normal volcano would and this was due to the heat and invisible gas that was rising from within, keeping the would be normally frozen ground a good bit above freezing. The crater is dead calm, except for a slow steady stream of vaporized gas seeping up from small cracks and various extremely hot rocks. All in all the volcano was just as I had viewed it earlier in class, majestic and beautiful, but at the same time deadly and destructive. We quickly land on the large ridge of the crater edge next to Twilight who looks as thought she was having a science field day, picking up various rocks and minerals with her magic.

"Hmm, this pyroclastic material is very fresh, only a few days old...she has been one busy girl!" Twilight say energetically, causing me to sigh.

"If only you knew the half of it!" "Yea Mt. Mazama is an active stratovolcano, especially recently but nothing dangerous just a few crater based lava flows and pyroclastic material ejection, again all within the crater not dangerous." I say in a matter of fact tone as I look to a what appears to be a large ball of hardened lava in the center, my feelings of anxiety starting to grow with each passing second.

"I don't understand a lick of what you just said but this is awesome Clay, why did you not take us up here earlier!" Rainbow Dash says zooming down into the crater a little too close to that mass than I would have liked for her to.

"Alright then, if you all want to we can go down into the crater but you cannot under any circumstances touch that steaming mass in the very center, that is a heap of too thick to flow lava and one wrong touch can collapse it and if that happens, it will spawn a pyroclastic flow that will completely incinerate everypony inside the crater." This seems to get the attention of the mares beside me as Twilight and Rarity give me a firm nod before teleporting down into the crater.

"I think I will stay here." Fluttershy says honestly releasing me and sitting down at the inner edge of the crater rim, showing obvious signs of exhaustion. But instead of go into the crater with the rest of the group I decide to take a seat beside Fluttershy, putting one of my wings around her so she can be comfortable and adjusting my vision so I can keep an eye on the entirety of the crater.

It takes a whopping two and a half hours for the group to grow tired from exhaustion, the lack of water and slight heat from the crater floor causing them to sweat heavily. So it was not long before they had told me enough was enough and that they were done for the day. I told them that if they wanted to leave they were free to but since the volcano was close to my home I was going to stay for a while longer. They bought what I was telling them and quickly vanished, leaving me alone on the outside of the crater.

"Alright, now it's time to find out what is going on with mother." I tell myself as I spread my wings and jump off the edge towards the inside of the crater. With my wings spread the way they were I easily floated down to the floor and from there I quickly started to make my way towards the large mass in the heart of the crater.

"Mother? Can you hear me?" I ask tenitivly to which the crater floor shakes lightly and the gas output increases slightly.

"Yes son, it is so good to hear from you!" A sudden sweep voice says from the mass in the center as a pair of bright red eyes appears, turning the rock into pure black smoke. This black smoke then rises up about 6 feet then out of the smoke flames start to emerge. Slowly these flames start to consume the thick black smoke until I can see the form of an eagle taking shape within and then with a quick flap of the eagles massive wings the smoke completely disappears, leaving a massive eagle made completely out of fire standing in its wake.

"Hello mother it is good to see you once more, I know it must be lonely up here without me around all the time." I say in a heartfelt tone as I run up to the eagle and gently try to hug the massive Firebird.

"Yes it is, but recent events have made my life a little bit more active than usual as you may have been able to tell." My mother replies to me calmly embracing me with her massive wings,

"Oh...is there a problem with something?" I ask concurringly, followed by my mother quickly removing its wings from around me, a look of anger present it her eyes.

"She has returned." She says in an angry tone, causing my eyes to open in horror.

"Wait you mean..." I start to say but quickly die off as I see mother nod her head in conformation. "Oh damn that's right, it is summer time."

"Yes and more importantly that Spirit of Nature has her daughter along with her this time!" As soon as she says this, images of what I saw in the window earlier come flooding back into my head.

"Wait, does her daughter look like me kinda just more nature oriented?" I ask in serious question, causing my mother's eyes to grow wide.

"Yes but that...wait, you have seen her haven't you?" The way that she states this question makes me worry about what my answer was, as if I gave it a certain way then it would cause a huge problem.

"Mmhm I saw her this afternoon why is that bad?" I ask honestly, earning me a sigh and light chuckle from my mother.

"It is possible, but for now let us not speak on this, with this revelation I must do some thinking." My mother says in a defeated tone before she slowly starts to from back into her solid sleeping state. "I will speak to you more on this some other time son, please be safe. I love you." As soon as she finishes this last word she completely solidifies back into her original position. Trying to wake her once more at this point was a lost cause so I slowly start to give my wings several hard flaps and rise into the air in preparation to return home for me to sleep as I was suddenly overwhelmed with tiredness.

"What the hell is going on here?! Who is this daughter and what does she mean by this could be bad?"