The Vidaverse.

"Mmm..."

I wake up.

I feel so weird. Like i just sat in aloe and Lotus’s hot tub for a week straight.

I feel something warm on me, and bring a hoof up to my forehead to find a wet rag below the base of my horn.

Why do I have a wet rag on my face?

I try to open my eyes, but regret it immediately after.

So instead, I bring my forehooves back and try to push myself up.

But a firm hoof hold me down.

"Ah ah ah, lie still now." I hear a voice say.

I feel the wet rag lifted off my face, and replaced with a cool one.

I would have asked why I was here, but a bottle was pressed on my lips.

Without thinking, I begin to drink.
Sweet moist water trailing down my throat.

Sweet, holy Celestia that feels good.

"We thought you dead, traveler." I hear her say, as I finally begin to sit up.

Damn I feel so weak.

"Generally when finding two unicorns half buried under sand its more abound arranging to contact their kin."

Her voice was lilting, a calm cadence to her voice.

I finally sit up and open my eyes, squinting a little from the light.

Standing over me is a Turquoise mare with a red, gilded headband on her forehead.

Her darker blue mane partially hung off the edges of her face in bangs

And she wore large, round rings on her ears.

She was the spitting image of a saddle Arabian.

At this is jump onto my hooves and quickly trot outside the tent.

...only to find a sea of dunes.

Wait...what? But then why is she here?

Why am I here?

I rush back into the tent to come nose to nose with the now very alert mare.

"What happened? Where am I? Whereas Ender!?"

The turquoise mare gently pulls me back onto the small cot, shushing me quietly the entire time.

That's gonna get annoying fast.

"Calm, calm. Now I know you might be confused, but you're safe here dearie."

"I found you and yer friend a short time ago. And the two of you have been resting up since."

She says, like a mother trying to calm her child.

For some reason I can't focus on that usually annoying detail.

My mind is buzzing like the changeling queen is hovering over my head.

"Now, try not to move to much, you hear?
You've suffered heat exhaustion and need to get some water in ya before you even think of trying to go back outside.

At this, she pulls out a canteen and hoofs it to me.

I greedily snatch it from her hooves and chug it faster then a stallion at a beer contest.

"Ah...", I sigh as I feel the refreshment working through my system.

I look back to her again, mind much more clear now.

But still a hell of a lot confused.

"So where am I now?" I ask.

I'm not really thinking about how we got caught by that-

Oh! Yes. Now I remember.

Some crazy sandstorm blew up and hit us before Ender could bring up a shield.

Hmm...wonder why that doesn't concern me more? Must be the heat exhaustion.

“So...who are you?”

"I’m Zaimare, the headmaster of this caravan.."

"Okay..."

Zaimare...

"Where's Ender?" I ask, a little concern slipping into my voice.

"Ya mean you're black fellow? He's in the tent next to us.

He woke up just not too long ago, maybe three minutes before you."

At this I bolt out of the tent again, this time turning and heading into another tent right beside mine.

Inside, still laying on his cot, was Ender.

He looked up at me at my arrival.

A small smile on his face.

"Ender!" I jump on him, hugging him tight

Then drop it with a peck on his lips.

"Vida! How are you fairing? Did Zaimare tell you how we got here.

"I'm doing fine, and yes. But that doesn't really matter much now does it.
We still gotta get to Arabia and get rid of the pest invading the place."

Ender looks at me weird when I say that.

"What? No Vida. We’re in no shape to travel.
Yet alone slay a monster."

I huff at this, and sit on my flank next to his cot.

"C'mooon!" I whine.

But Ender remains adamant, standing firm on his decision.

I sigh as I relent.

"Fine".

We sit there in silence for a few short moments, before Zaimare trots in.

"Ah Vida. Please do not rush off like that, even this little trek can spell disaster." she says in a concerned voice.

I just glance her way, my usual neutral attitude already taking shape.

"It's not like i'm one of your little ponies, Zaimare.
You don't have to treat me like one." I say sourly.

She seems a little hurt by that, but Ender quickly rises.

"Thank you for your concern, Zaimare. We truly appreciate all you are doing."

That little statement brings her gentle smile back.

“Thank you, Ender.” She says in her lilting tone.

We stand there for a while, none of us saying anything.

...why did she come in here if she didn't have anything to say? This silence is getting awkward...

Huffing in impatience I turn to Zaimare to get something done.

“So, Where's our stuff? I assume you found us in some canterlot grade armor, I hope you recovered those to.”

Zaimare looks over at me in thought for a moment, before an exclamation mark appears above her head and she smiles widely.

“Why yes! We weren't sure where to keep them so Silver Tongue offered to hold onto them.”

Silver Tongue...what a lovely, innocent name.

“So, where can I find this “Silver Tongue” if I might ask?”

Ender looks over at me with a pointed glance, but I just roll my eyes at him in disregard.

Zaimare, however, doesn't seem to mind or notice,”He usually carries in as the fourth to the back, In a large cart with a yellow tarp over it.” She says in an instructional tone, as if she were a tour guide.

“I can guide you there if you need?”, She says with a big, eager smile.

I’m about to retort, that I don't need her babysitting me, but Ender beats me to the chase.

“Thank you, Headmaster, I’m sure Vida can find him on her own.”

“yeah...I think i’m good.”

I trot out of the tent and look around, finally taking actual notice of where I am.

Other than the miles of featureless sand, there are several large and small carts parked in a line behind the two tents set up here.

I could probably say the count was somewhere around twelve if the one in the back with a banner waving Is at the end.

I idly wonder what a blue flag with an a pair of wings would symbolize, but shrug it off and decide to ask somepony about it later, for now I need to find this Silver Tongue guy and get our stuff back; We’re gonna bake out here without our weather talismans, I don't know how they do it.
Especially when some of them actually wear clothes.

Just thinking about that brings me back to the blistering heat beating on my back, and I’m briefly thankful that I’m naked, else I would really be baking out here.

I may be a monster slayer, but I’m just not built for this weather.

With that last thought, I trudge on through the line of carts.

After about half a minute, I finally spot it.

A larger wooden plated cart with a yellow tarp over its top and what could only be described as a
“Crib” on the side, acting as a residence for the grey pony sleeping there.

Not seeing many options other then “Politely ask him to wake up”, I trot right up to him, and Violently shake him awake without a second thought.

Let's throw caution to the wind, nopony needs it anyway.

It works, obviously, and he sits up with a start, pulling a shiv from somewhere around his barrel.

“Wha- who are you!?”

I stare at him bemusedly, causally disarming him in one quick motion, then smiling sweetly at him.

“Hey there Silver, your headmaster told me that you...offered to hold onto Ender and I’s armor, so i've come to collect it if you don't mind.”

His mind seems to be running at half a mile an hour, and it takes him a moment to register what I said.

“Wait, are you one of the two ponies we found buried in the sand?”

At my nod he continues, “Oh, well...I guess I’m happy to see your up and active. As for your armor I kept it safe riiight in here…”

Silver, who I know know is a pegasus as he flexes his wings, Gets up from his little cot, and dips his head behind it, opening something so well hidden that it escaped my constant magic radar.

“Here, these the ones?”, He pulls out the Paladin armor and my Hieratic armor and holds them out to me.

“...and the talismans, and our supplies?”

He hoofs over the armors, then dips his head back into the “Secret stash” pulling out a six pointed star talisman and a sapphire one as well.

I wasn't sure where the sapphire was from and I voice my thoughts.

He just shrugs and says I should have it anyway.

“Um...thanks?”

“No problem, and if you're looking for your supplies, Sweet Vigil should have them. She keeps all the perishables and medical stuff, she’s also the caravan’s medic, so I advise you go see her next.”

I nod, and trot back to the tent to drop off the armors and talismans, quickly equipping Enders weather talisman before I go back out there in the scorching heat, My poor burning hooves are going to need moisturizer for days after this little excursion.

“Vida, cool you found our armors and talismans...what about the supplies?”

He floats his paladin armor over to him, but places it next to his cot instead of equipping it.

“Silver told me to go see a pony named Sweet Vigil, apparently she keeps all the perishables and acts as the caravan medic.”

“Ah, Zaimare was just telling me about her before she left to go manage some trade maps. She and Vigil are pretty close friends from what I can gather.”

Oh? Well if that isn't a nice piece of trivia.

“Hmm...well i gotta go grab the supplies, anything else you need? This being a caravan and all, i'm pretty sure I can find something here.”

Ender taps his chin as he seems to mull it over, but shrugs in the end.

“No, not really. Except maybe some Sun block, but I honestly doubt they carry that, they are built for this kind of climate, so they don't need it like we Equestrian ponies do. Besides we have our armor and talismans, we should be fine.”

“Mmhmm”, I nod my agreement, the six pointed star gingling a bit around my neck.

“Well then I guess I’m off, don't worry, I’ll be back with some water, It's waaaay to hot out here to not have some.”

While I’m at it, I should also fill my canteen. Faust knows we're gonna need it for our trip.

I exit the tent, taking a right back the way I came and trotting to…

I look around for the nearest pony, and find a green mare hanging a banner on the front of her cart.

“Mhmm, that looks about right...oh hello there, can I help you?”, the mare turns to me with a small warm smile and bright purple eyes.

“Yeah, can you point me in the direction of Vigil’s cart, I have some supplies I need to pick up.”

She tilts her head at me with a frown at the end, but returns to her normal smile a second later, pointing down the row with a hoof,”She’s the fith cart down, just three ahead of mine.”

“Thanks.”

I immediately head in the given direction, passing three more carts before I end up at a darker wood cart.

In fact, if I didn't know any better, I would say that it was made of Drakewood, but that stuff can only be found in a very remote part of the world.

“Oh, hallo there, what can I do ya for?”, A Northern accented voice rang.

I turn to see a bright white mare with a candy red mane poking her head around the corner of the cart. she seemed to have been putting something away.

“I came here to pick up Ender and I’s supplies, Silver told me that you took care of them for us while we were out.”

She returns and walks up to me with a bright smile, fluttering her wings a bit, and with saddlebags around her flanks, covering her cutie mark.

“Oh, you must be the travel’as we plucked from the sand not long ago; Don't worry ‘bout your supplies, I take real good care of them, being the caravan medic an’ all.”

Vigil, walks up to the side of her cart runs her hoof over a few drawers built into the side, stopping on one with an unreadable label.

“Here ya go dearie”, she takes out our saddlebags and packs, and hoofs them over to me.”

“Cool”, I take them in my own magic...but a few questions pop up about this mare inparticular.

“Say, what is it that you do exactly?”, I ask, trying to hide my inquisitiveness.

“ah study and access the environment as well as apply medical aid to the crew.”
Is her short and straight-to-the-point answer.

Finally, a pony that speaks Equish!

“And how does that work out for you?”

She smiles in a ‘good enough’ sort of way, and says, “well, ah’ve been traveling with these ponies for five years and usually have to patch one up every month, or week if it's a bad season. So i’d say pretty good.”

I smile, fighting back a laugh at that.

Wow, sounds like these ponies see some action quite often.

“And you?”

I give pause at that, thinking of what it is I actually do.

“Well, on a normal day I’m out slaying the next world ending evil, or being harassed by Double Dime’s mercenaries. So all in all it works out pretty well. Pays good to.”

She stares at me as if waiting for a punch line, but when she sees I’m being completely serious she bursts out laughing, wings spreading out to balance herself.

“Oh...oh my. And here ah thought I had the hard job…”

I laugh to, both at her and the absurdity of my occupation.

But like all good things, it dies off, and we stand there silently calming down.

Its then that I take notice of the strange wood again.

“Say, what is this made of?” I ask, running a hoof over the rough surface.

She smiles with a gleam in her eyes, and says, “Ya noticed to? A while back our caravan traveled to ___ to make a rare trade, and along the way we bumped into some Drakewood trees.

After about a half an hour of fussing with Zaimare, ah finally got the crew to cut some down, then we found a [Builder] and had him turn it into some wooden planks.

Pretty nice huh?”

I nod my approval, staring at the dark, harder-than-steel wood.

“You know, this wood is gonna come in real handy if you ever run into any trouble.
It's hard. Real hard.”

“Yeah, ah know. As soon as I got the planks carved out, the pony also gave me a book on Drakewood and its properties. I’m honestly surprised he ‘as able to cut it into such perfect planks with how hard it is to craft an’ work with. But ah suppose he really knew what he was doing.”

true.

She stares at the wood too, a whole journey galloping through her eyes, but I got what I came for, and more.

I cough, then slowly begin to trot away, “Well that was an interesting story, but I really need to get back to Ender with this water and supplies, so...see ya.”

I trot off back to the tent, Vigil waving behind me

“Ciao!”

I re-enter the tent to see Ender smirking at me.

“What?”

He gets up and takes the supplies from me, placing them down beside the armor, and embracing me.

“I saw the way you socialized with that mare. Maybe you don't hate everypony after all.”

At this I frown, and back away from the embrace and say, “Nah. not at all. She was just one cool pony out of thousands I have met. This doesn't change a thing.”

Clearly, Ender doesn't take it, instead laughing good naturedly.

“Vida, Vida...never change.”

I raise an eyebrow in annoyance, but don't pursue his odd wording, instead taking the talisman from around my neck, and the odd sapphire, and placing them both in my saddlebags.

“Soo...when do we leave?”

Dumb question.

Ender looks back at me with a chiding look.

“Vida, these ponies just saved us from a sandstorm, don't you think we should repay them in kind and heal up?”

I’m about to tell him exactly how I feel about “Repayment” and “Kindness”, but Ender seems to have been able to read my mind and stops me there.

“No, no…*Sigh*...Vida, we’re staying. We’re staying and we’re healing. So please try not to antagonize anypony here, okay?”

I grumble, but accept it.

Ender and his hypnotic persuasion powers! So unfair...

I sigh, rubbing the bridge of my nose, as Vida storms off back outside.

Why is she so stubborn?

Zaimare and I had been talking all day about how we can repay them and she denied every request.

The most I got out of her was helping with trade, but that's not exactly our strong suite so…

I sigh again, and look down at the adamant shield on my flank.

“Protect the pure, punish the wicked.”

I shake the motto from my head.

This isn't the time.

Not seeing how much I can help just sitting here in this tent all day, I get up and move to my bags, searching for my weather talisman, then stop when I remember that Vida had stuffed it in her bag.

Not wanting to bother the tempered mare, I decide that I’ll be just fine and move outside to check out the caravan.

As soon as my hooves touch the boiling sand, I’m immediately sorry for going barehoofed, but I shake it off with my small resolve.

hmm....It really is a nice sight. All these ponies traveling together like a big family, and their carts are pretty much their homes. I know Silver’s is.

I scan the line of carts for somepony who looks like they need help, but frown when it seems nopony really needs any help.

Confound my generosity, It drives me to compulsive amity

“Something the matter?”

I turn around with a start, seeing a green mare staring at me with concern.

“Oh...no, I just really need something to do and nopony seems to need any help.”

I gesture to my cutie mark and she nods in seeming understanding.

“I know how you feel; I’m the caravan Fashioner, it's my job to design and tailor, that's why I mostly carry fabrics and patterns. But the caravan itself rarely needs re-designing. And nopony in their right mind would wear a thread of fabric in this climate.”

At that moment we both watch as a blue stallion in thick purple robes trots off to another tent.

“Well except for a few…”, She adds with dismay.

“...yeah…”

What can I do?

It's just then that an idea strikes me,and I look over to the mare with a jovial grin.

“I know!”, my outburst startles the poor mare as she looks back at me with wide eyes,”You could design something for me. Do you take commissions?”

She seems unsure, and hesitantly says,”I’m not entirely sure this is the right place to…”

I cut her off with a hoof, which causes her to go cross eyed, “No, I mean can you? It’d be nice to surprise Vida with something after this little excursion,and she absolutely loves surprises...from me that is.”

I take my hoof away and she looks up at me with a conflicted expression.

“Umm...I can probably make something in a day or two, given the time, but I’m going to need her measurements; I'm not too sure it's going to be much of a surprise by then.”

I’m completely unconcerned about that, as I think of a million different ways I can surprise her.

“Don't worry about that, I can take her measurements tonight...subtly.”

I’m not entirely sure if she got the message, but then again, I don't really know much about her views of modesty.

“Oh, well then great! This will give me something to actually do since...well a very long time.”

“Thank you miss…?”

“Mellow Devia!”

“Thanks Mellow.”

“No problem.”

After that, she invites me to browse her materials and inquire which stlye I want her to use.

I honestly wasn't sure what style Vida strikes me as, but I try anyways.

I really hope she likes this.