Secrets

Chapter 14: Are We There yet?

"Would thou mind stopping? We would like to rest." Wildfire checked the sun's position.

"Really? It's not even noon."

"I know, but we usually sleep in the daylight and do our activities in the night." Wildfire sighed inaudibly,

"If you must, then yes. We can rest until nighttime." Luna stood by, looking around. "What?"

"Do you have a shelter of some sort? Surely you do not expect me to sleep in the middle of the open." Wildfire clicked, Paranoia.

"Hmph, I understand. But I honestly wonder why you're fine with sleeping on the ground?"

"On the moon, there wasn't anything better than craters to sleep in."

"If I keep watch, will that be good?"

Luna gave a quick look around, she then sighed, "That will suffice for our current circumstances. But I hope we will not always be unprotected in our sleep." She then proceeded to pace around the area, looking for a softer patch of grass. Well, at least I won't have to worry about getting swan feathers to make a bed. Rather odd that she does not mind sleeping in the middle of a forest, but is afraid of sleeping without a safety blanket...

Without warning, the Princess shot up straight into the air, dissapearing behind the canopy of the woods. Wildfire was puzzled by the sudden outburst, what could she gain from flying off? His answer came when Luna sank back towards the ground with what seemed to be a large cloud. Noticing Wildfire's incredulous stare, she stuck out his tongue at him briefly. After fetching a few more clouds, the princess had amassed herself what looked like a very comfortable cloud mass. Wildfire resisted the urge to jump in and roll around in it. Instead he stretched and slumped at the base of a tree. He unsheathed a dagger as he occupied himself with sharpening his claws. Trying to be as quiet as possible, Wildfire could not help but smile as he heard quiet snoring. Looking up, he could barely see Luna's horn above the clouds. Wildfire closed his eyes, and yawned.

**********

Something's not right here. Wildfire cracked open an eye, before looking up. The sun was setting, and not so surprisingly, Wildfire's presence had been enough to keep the dangerous critters away. However, his sixth sense told him that something was coming. Rising off the ground, he was relieved to still see Luna in her cloud. Looking behind him, Wildfire noticed why he had felt so agitated.

"Hey there big guy..."

A manticore stood a short distance away, obviously dissapointed in not having a stealth kill. The manticore growled menacingly, not fazing Wildfire in the slightest. "Kid. If you don't get out of here I'll tear you a new one." This only seemed to coax the hybrid further as it pawed at the ground like a bull readying a charge. Wildfire wasn't in the mood to fight the manticore, so he decided to do the next best thing.

**********

Ugh, Tia, five more minutes. Luna groaned inwardly as something woke her up. Something was... Snarling? Immediately her eyes shot open and Luna raised her head out of the clouds. Lying before her was a scene that looked rather impressive. A manticore was challenging Wildfire, who was standing with an unimpressed look on his face. The manticore suddenly inhaled a deep breath, before loosing it in a violent roar. It blurred the air around her as the roar lasted several long seconds. After the manticore closed its maw, it was surprised to see Wildfire still standing. The latter yawned before he himself took a deep breath. Rearing his head Wildfire stood up. He slammed his feet at the ground as he roared in return, all the while releasing a burst of necrotic energy to wither the plant life around him. Wildfire also deactivated his illusion spell, leaving a blackened version of himself. Tentacles whizzed around, smashing down trees as they sprouted from his back. The noise sounded more like a large amount of metal being crushed and bent instead of a lion's. As Wildfire ended the unearthly moan he took it upon himself to hurl his extra appendages around the manticore, carving holes in the ground around it. The terrified feline whimpered before bolting into the brush. Wildfire turned around and saw Luna staring at him with wide eyes.

"Well, considering I haven't been thrown into the nightmare realm again I'm guessing I look rather normal to you?" Luna laughed heartily as Wildfire resumed his pony form.

"'Tia has done worse. That is all you need to know."

"Ew."

**********

"Interesting..."

"Well?"

"I don't know... I like the specs but I'm a bit worried about field effectiveness. After all, this is an experimental correct?"

"It is an old war artifact from before the Takeover. However, I assure you that it has been tested plenty of times by myself and qualified researchers to guarantee victory, especially in hands such as yours. Which look rather lovely dear."

And if you want to keep yours, I suggest you bug off. "Alright I'll take it. If I could find him I'd be able to know who's it is."

"Pardon?"

"Those carvings. They're in Itian."

"How do you know?"

"My Father taught me."

**********

"What was the most uncomfortable experience in your life?" Wildfire asked to break the ever-present monotony of incessant walking in the unknown. And to think it took me two weeks non-stop to get to Equestria. Wildfire estimated it would take twice the time to reach the nearest village. And a few days to cross the Dead Zone. Without counting the time they would take to get back, he guesstimated four months would be adequate in the amount of time they would be gone. For he had every intention to return to Equestria, even if it cost him another limb. I hope it won't get to that point, however.

"Hmm. I would have to go with either trying to raise the moon for the first time or trying to fly prematurely. The former felt like using a limb that was never used over a lifetime before, and the latter was terryfying. I had thrown myself off a cliff hoping it would be enough to get me going. But alas, 'twas a failure. You?"

"Mine, no doubt about it. Was drowning. Never again have I let myself get wet if I can help it."

"How does thou clean thyself?"

"I just pat myself down with a wet towel or something."

**********

"Will that be all?"

"What do you have that could interest me?"

"I got a Hyperion rifle."

"No thanks, I got my sister's."

"How is Rose doing anywho?"

"How much do I owe you?"

"I see, that'll be four grand total."

"Four grand?"

"You resupplied as well as buying the bow remember?"

"Sounds about right." Ivy then dug into her pocket and threw out a medium sized bag, which made a satisfying jingle as it hit the counter.

"Thank you for your transaction, miss Ivy. I hope we see each other again."

Ivy reached for the doorknob, but not before looking outside a hole in the wall. It wasn't illegal to carry weapons, it's just that she thought that looking like a fully loaded mercenary wasn't a good idea.

**********

"Necromancy is illegal in most countries, is it illegal in Equestria?"

"I do believe it has been outlawed. But seeing as you do not seem to leak the energy all over the area, then you should be fine if you abstain from using it in public."

"Alright."

"So what is the route we are supposed to take?"

"We are going to arrive at Asthea in a few weeks, then I will load up on weapons before crossing the Dead Zone, then we will arrive at the eastern hive. After that, if we are not attacked immediately, then we will travel to the central hive to do whatever reasonable business Chrissy wants me to do. Then we can take the air currents home and arrive at Equestria's borders in a few days." Wildfire was hoping that the jet stream he could currently see stretched all the way to the hive. It seemed powerful and high, if the two took that route then the travel time would be halved from a quarter of a year to two months.

"Dear Faust that sounds like it will take a long time."

"It will take a little over two months, or about four moon cycles."

The two continued in silence for a short while, before Luna turned to Wildfire.

"What is this Dead Zone?"

Wildfire unconsciously clicked of annoyance, but then reminded himself that she wasn't aware of the plague that was ravaging his country.

"The Dead Zone is the name we have given to the areas that has been abandoned due to the plague. It is a super-virus that cause hyper-aggressivity, decreased bodily functions and complete loss of control in the hosts. In other words, it pretty much creates zombies."

"And I take it there is no cure?"

"Not that I know of."

The travellers were engulfed in silence once again. Wildfire noted that Luna kept casting furtive glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking.

"Don't you have a moon to raise?" He snapped impatiently. The last thing he wanted was pity from her of all ponies.

*********

The duo arrived by the cover of night at a particularly thick clump of bushes. Following Wildfire's beckoning, Luna quietly placed herself in the bush. Wildfire took his hand and parted the foliage aside.

"Welcome to Zarynthia! Former land of the glorious, now reduced to poverty and widespread crime."

Luna noticed how run-down most of the buildings were. Yet there was one large manor that seemed to be perfectly conditioned.

"Why is that manor so well maintained? You would think that the nobles would take better care of the peasants, correct?"

"Eh, this is a special case. The fat pig who run this district has major hoarding issues. I would kill him, but no one had asked me to." Wildfire motioned to a back alley that contained a large metallic door. "And that is the local black market. I don't need anything from it, however I'm not sure I have any gas masks that would fit you."

"Normally I do not associate myself with this kind of organization, but if you insist..."

Wildfire gave a short chuckle. "I see that you finally stopped with the third person."

"I adapt well. The language is not as different as I thought it would be. Though if thou prefers us with the ancient dialect, we can comply to that request quite easily. After all, you understand it perfectly."

"Hey, I'm not that old!" Within the next few minutes, the companions had managed to sneak to the black market's entrance. Wildfire walked towards the blast proof door, which had runes carved into it. And gave four dry knocks.

"The thousand eyes that see truth..."

"...Have come about for the great journey..." Responded a voice from the other side of the door.

"... To end the evil that plagues this land."

The door gave a few subtle clicks before grinding open, revealing a heavily scarred Orc on its other side.

"Evening." Wildfire tipped his hat towards the Orc, who returned the gesture before waving them in.

"You know. I will say that I was quite surprised at your reaction towards seeing me uncloaked, Miss Luna."

"What? You expected the queen of the night and the creature of nightmares to be afraid of a little lizard?"

"Point."

"On the subject, when will you reveal yourselves to the others? It is unhealthy to do what you are doing."

Wildfire heaved a long, heavy sigh. "When they are ready."