Flowers for the Beast

Flax looked up the hill in front of him. Although small, it looked like a mountain in his exhausted state. Having to pull a wagon full of supplies and another pony for half a night took its toll on him.

He took one more breath and pulled with what strength he still had. The wagon's weight pulled twice as hard, each bump felt like a quake, and the top of the hill seemed farther each time he looked. Despite all this, he continued upwards, determined to reach the top.

Finally at the summit, Flax took the last few heavy steps and stopped. He looked around, trying to take in the scenery as best he could. Even with a surprisingly scenic view, everything looked too blurry to make out. The need for rest clouded his mind, and fighting the urge only made it worse.

"GAH!"

If Flax wasn't hooked up to the wagon, he would have rolled off the hill. He looked back and saw his brother sitting up, awake and breathing heavy. "Oh, you're up," he said, "You okay?"

Star darted his head around, panic in his eyes. He acted like the world was going to collapse on him until he saw his brother staring. Memories of leaving Somnambula came back and he remembered why everything didn't look like home. He calmed his breath and said, "Yeah. It's just..."

"Nightmares getting to you again?"

Star tried to think back through his dream. "Actually, I don't think I had a nightmare. I don't think I dreamt at all. In fact..." He stretched his legs as much as the wagon would permit. "That was the best sleep I've had in my entire life."

His brother looked at him with tired, baggy, and unamused eyes. Star avoided making eye contact and tried to find something else to talk about. "So, uh... I see we finally made it," He said, looking past Flax.

Confused, Flax used his dwindling brain power to focus on what Star saw. In the distance, there was a whole town of wooden buildings and thatched roofs. Ponies of all kinds moved about, both on the ground and in the air. Further away looked like a barn overseeing a large orchard dotted with a familiar red fruit he has seen imported to Somnambula. What caught his eye the most, was the large tree-like structure on the other side of town. "P-Ponyville?" Flax said, his mouth agape.

"Umm, yeah. I thought you already noticed the town with the HUGE castle over there," Star said. He saw his brother start swaying side-to-side as he stared, almost falling over if it wasn't for the wagon. "You feeling alright?"

"Yes... I'm fine." Flax tried to take a step forward, but his combined fatigue and lack of sleep prevented him from even lifting his hoof. Desperate to get going, he proved his magic was just as weak when the wagon's wheels glowed yellow and nothing happened.

"Uh, Flax. Hey Flax."

He stopped when he felt a hoof on his back. Looking to his side, he saw Star giving him a concerned look. He tried pushing him back, saying, "Stay in the wagon. The medicine won't metabolize as fast if you're not active."

Star easily put his brother's hoof down. "Normally, I'd be fine with that, but we would be wasting more time. Also my life is on the line."

Flax thought for moment and realized Star was right. He let out a sigh-turned-yawn of defeat and released himself from the harness. With some help from his brother, he got up on the wagon to get cozy. Even as his body begged him for sleep, he held his head up to tell Star not to get distracted. "The zebra and the unicorn horns first."

Star rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah. I know. Go to sleep."

Hearing nothing else from his brother, Star turned towards the town to take in the sight just a little longer. He wished he had more time to appreciate it, but the harness around his barrel reminded him of more pressing matters. As well some voice...

The earth pony's ear twitched, and he thought to himself, Where the hay am I going to find a zebra?

"I know we said we would help... Rraa... but why are we carrying... Nyaa... so many apples?"

A white unicorn filly with a pink and purple styled mane flopped, her legs given way to the tremendous weight. The two baskets on either side fell to the ground with a loud thud, possibly crushing the produce at the bottom. Miraculously, the tower of too many apples wobbled slightly, but never tipped. In between huffs, she said, "I agree... with Scootaloo..."

"Oh c'mon guys, they're not that heavy," Apple Bloom said as she walked over to the pony being crushed. She offered a hoof and the unicorn pulled herself up, but not before taking several seconds to lift the baskets off the ground. "Plus, Granny says we just gotta get them to Grand Pear and he'll take care of the rest, easy as that."

An orange pegasus filly with an unkempt purple mane turned around as carefully as she could until she was able to turn her head the rest of the way. "Maybe for you, but Sweetie Belle and I don't have the super strength you apparently have."

"Oh this?" Apple Bloom glanced at the apples towering from her baskets. "I've just been helping my siblings out in the field more."

Sweetie Belle heaved once more when they continued their way to the market place. At the end of the street, they could see the town square with the town hall in the center. "Speaking of which, where is Applejack?" asked the panting unicorn. "I know Big Mac is delivering apples to his special somepony again, but shouldn't your sister be able to do this?"

"Nah, she and her friends got called up to Canterlot again. Something about finding some old wizard's diary. You should know, you're sister should have gone too."

"Sounds boring," Scootaloo added.

"Well it must be important if they got summoned, again."

"I wish it wasn't. Now my hang-out session with Rainbow Dash is gonna have to be cancelled. She should have denied the summon if it was all for a dumb book."

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal," Sweetie Belle said.

Scootaloo turned her head around just enough for the unicorn to look her in the eye. "This is Rainbow Dash we're talking about. Celestia would have given her a pass since she's already saved Equestria a hundred times by now. If I was her, I would only go to really cool, world-saving adventur--OOF!"

Just as the leading orange filly was entering the square, an earth pony pulling a wagon appeared from around the corner and bumped into her. The tower of apples she carried started to lean a little too much, causing her to follow in the same direction to try and regain her balance. The other fillies and the pony released themselves from their restraints to help the little pegasus from crashing and dropping the produce.

After a good five minutes of running around, trying to stop the accident that could be, the three fillies were sprawled out on the floor, breathing heavier than when they were carrying the apples. The gold-colored earth pony walked up to them after he threw away the last squashed apple. He scratched the back of his head as he said, "So, uh, I'm really sorry for causing that... but I'm also in a hurry, so... here."

The crusaders, still eye-level with the ground, suddenly saw at least ten bits fall near the pony's legs. A pair of hooves slowly pushed them closer to Apple Bloom, and after another second, they were pushed even closer. The apple filly's eyes went wide and with one grunt, she lifted herself up.

"W--wait, sir! We can't take this, we didn't sell you anything!" Apple Bloom said, holding the stack of bits.

The earth pony was already by his wagon when he heard her. "Just take it for the damages."

She looked around. "But, nothing's broken."

"Your apples got squashed didn't they? Pretty much the same thing if you ask me?" He saw the filly approach, a serious look in her face. "Look, kid, it's free money, just take it."

Apple Bloom, now in the pony's way, stamped her hoof down and extended the other hoof holding the bits. "I'm sorry mister, but we apples have a policy."

The pony looked at the bits, then to her. He groaned and took the money back into his hooves. "Fine, don't take it. I have a zebra to find anyway."

Her ears perked from his response. "Zebra?"

Scootaloo, helping Sweetie Belle off the ground, said, "Hey, don't we know a zebra?"

The pony stopped checking his harness and stared at Scootaloo, dumbfounded. Bits still in hoof, he ran up to her, brushing past the apple filly, and bringing his face uncomfortably close to hers. "Tell me who he is," he demanded, grabbing her hoof and putting the bits in them. "Where does he live?"

"Uh..."

"Zecora lives in the Everfree forest," Apple Bloom said. She walked between them and placed the bits back into the pony's hooves. "And he is a mare."

The pony rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever, can you just take me to her? She's the main reason why I came here in the first place."

"I don't know... You've been acting pretty rude all of a sudden."

He sighed and pocketed the bits, saying, "Alright, let me start over." He put on a barely genuine smile and extended a hoof, while speaking in a sarcastic tone. "Hello, my name is Falling Star, but you may call me Star. I apologize for almost causing a mess earlier, could you please find it in your hearts to forgive this clumsy stallion and lead me to the one called Zecora?"

Apple Bloom returned his smile with an honest one and shook his hoof. "Hello mister Falling Star, I'm Apple Bloom--"

"I'm... Huff... Sweetie Belle."

"Names Scootaloo."

"--and I will say, that apology does have me convinced."

Star waved a hoof and said, "Yeah, yeah, that's great, can we go see the zebra now?"

"Sure thing! I was planning on visiting her anyway."

He pumped his hoof in approval and mouthed a 'YES'.

"But first..."

"First? What do you mean first?"

Walking over to the basket of apples, Apple Bloom gestured her friends to get to theirs, to which they moaned. "My Granny told us to take these here apples to the market so my Grandpa can sell them," she said, going over the produce. "Then we can visit Zecora."

While Apple Bloom was checking her goods and the other two struggled to lift theirs again, Star went over his own wagon. He moved some things around, careful not to touch one area in particular. When he was satisfied with his rearrangements, he got off and walked up to Scootaloo's baskets. Before she could lift them off the ground, Star took one of the baskets and hauled them into his wagon as quietly as possibly, creating a loud thud.

The noise did not bother Apple Bloom at first, thinking it was just her friends dropping their goods again. Then, when she heard the noise the fourth time, she sighed and turned around. In Star's wagon were the four baskets of apples and both of her friends looking at her expectantly. The pony himself approached her, eyes on the apples. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm doing your job, but better," the golden stallion heaved. "Now give me those and get in the wagon so we can get to the zebra faster."

Before the apple filly could say a word, he relieved her of both of her baskets and took them to the wagon. Despite his legs looking like they could collapse at any second, he was able to make to the side of the vehicle. Apple Bloom went up next to him as he placed them inside, and, without thinking, he also grabbed her and put her next to her friends. She looked to either of them and they both shrugged. Hesitantly, she said, "Uh, thanks... I guess..." Star ignored her and proceeded to put on the harness.

There was a light snore from behind that caught Sweetie Belle's ear, so she looked behind them. Lying inside the wagon was a deep blue unicorn stallion lying on top of several blankets and other strangely patterned tapestries. His legs were tucked in like a cat's and his chin rested against the blanketed floor of the wagon. "Who's this?" She asked.

Star briefly glanced back before putting the reins over himself. "Flax, my brother. Don't wake him up, he's tired."

"Also, what kind of patterns are these?" The white unicorn picked up a loose tapestry and held it up for him to see. "I don't even think my sister knows how to make these."

"It's Somnambulan."

Scootaloo rubbed her chin after hearing the word. "Somnabulan... Oh! Rainbow Dash told me about that place once. She said a lot of the ponies there were backwards--" she saw Star looking at her with a raised eyebrow, "--But then she also told me they were actually really nice and the place was named after a famous pony who solved a puzzle."

Star rolled his eyes. "If you're not giving me directions to the market or the zebra, don't talk."

The wagon shifted forwards and back as Star tried to get it going. This repeated motion made Sweetie Belle lose her balance and fall forward, catching a glimpse of something unusual on the stallion, or lack thereof. She put a hoof over her mouth before she could ask, not wanting to bother him any more. However, her curiosity got the better of her, and as she was pulled back up by her friends, she asked him, "Are you a blank flank?"

The Eye watched the equine through its ghostly screen. A tendril caresses the viewing portal and it utters a word.

A response. The hearing limb of the equine twitches. It can hear. It can obey.

The screen dissipates and the Eye looks down upon a grotesque creature with a scar across the top of its visage.

'EXTRACT'

The creature rears and from it came a thunderous roar that shook the walls. It charges to the outside world, driven only to please its master.

The Eye watches through its screen once more. Of the energies within the equine, it sees a familiar taint. A touch of something long since contained, waiting to be released.