Persistence is Key 01 - Beginnings (OLD VERSION)

by KosmikTym

Rating: everyone
Tags: Alternate Universe, Drama, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Mystery, Adventure
Length: 106139

After his coronation is crashed, Covet Dawndrop, now as three normal ponies, has to try and reform his Alicorn body whilst being pursued by attackers, danger and new experiences.

When two Alicorns show up to crash Prince Covet Dawndrop's coronation; he wakes up after the incident as an Earthpony... And a Pegasus? And a Unicorn! He's become three! But how? And where even is he?! Follow the beginning of the adventure that changed his life in Persistence is Key: Beginnings!

Cover by myself

Published 2023-02-28 15:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2023-11-04 14:51:42 UTC

Chapter 02: A coronation crashed

It had been about a month since the vacation weekend. To Covet, it honestly felt as if all the good that happened during that time was but a distant memory once more. After losing access to flying thanks to the spell that had hit him, his emotions had reached a high several times. This, in tandem with the fact that he was told to keep his condition between his brother and his father meant that many arguments had occurred. He'd often be shouting at his father or brother, and there would always be a reaction. It was stressing to say the least.

However, today would be a big day. Specifically, his big day. He’d waited many months for this, and it was finally going to happen. It was the day of his coronation. A day all about him- And nothing but him. Even if Stardew was angry or upset with him, he couldn’t do anything to Covet without angering their father. Covet found this to be a somewhat acceptable trade off to the fact that this coronation was something that he couldn’t refuse (considering he didn’t want this to even happen). He took what he could get given the circumstances.

The day started as any normal day, waking up and very slowly getting himself together. About a week earlier he had been fitted for some armour and a cloak that he was supposed to wear on this day. The cloak being made of a very luxurious fur whilst the armour was made of what appeared to be completely pure gold. The armour covering his chest and legs. It didn’t feel complete to him, but he knew that, soon, the crown would be the finishing touch of it all. The cherry on the top of this, already highly anticipated day.

Over the course of ten minutes, he put it on to try it out. He had obviously tried it beforehand, but just wanted to see if the perspective of time would have changed his viewpoint; given that last time he thought he looked slightly ridiculous. To his delight, the perspective of time had fully managed to allow him to see the full set from a different and more positive view. The only issue that kept popping up in his head from that point onward was the crown being absent. He didn’t like it. But again, he had to reassure himself that, yes, everything would be great by the end of the day. That’s when he put the armour and cloak back where it was before heading outside of his room.

The castle, once he stepped out of his room, was fully operational. He’d noticed an increase of security measures after him, Stardew and his father had gotten back to Coltney Castle, but today was exceptionally annoying. Everywhere he went, he saw guards trying to escort him off to his father. It irked him to know that they were so keeping such an annoyingly close distance to him. He tried many times to just fly up and down the stairs, but to his unfortunate reminding, his wings were still locked by the spell that had hit him. So, every time he almost fell off the stairs many times, the unicorn guards would always have to rescue him. No matter how many times this happened though, he would never get used to it.

It had been about another good twenty minutes before Covet managed to get peace when he tricked the guards, using his magic very slightly to produce a sound that replicated his fathers voice in their heads. Once they had all galloped away, he slipped into one of the other corridors and managed to find himself outside of his brother’s room. He almost banged his head on the door out of keeping watch for the eventual time that the guards would have been fooled, but he figured it was worth it for his own peace.

With a flicker of his magic, he opened the door. Even though his brother had told him many times that he was absolutely forbidden to enter, he proceeded to do it regardless. It’s not as if he would find out, he was busy planning things with his father as far as he knew. When the door turned, he saw a neat room. One with a cozier atmosphere than his. Infact, as he walked around, he noticed it was the stark contrast of his room. Whereas he kept his curtains mostly closed all the time, his brother seemed to embrace the sunlight and it was clear from the breeze that he also embraced the cool ocean air.

He also, however, happened to notice an open box. Inside the box, was something he didn’t quite expect. It was the posters they designed for the Alifests they had planned together. All in near mint condition too. The Apples versus Oranges poster. The Pegasus versus Unicorns poster. The first festival they hosted which was the Early Morning versus Late Night poster. Then, of course, he saw the final festival they hosted which was the Covet versus Stardew poster. There were four others as well, but before he could reminisce on the memories he held from those festivals, he felt a rather harsh smack to his head. Something rather big and heavy had hit his head. Not hard of course, but enough to cause him to turn around in an instant.

When he turned around, he was met with a very angered Stardew. He knew why Stardew was angry of course, entering his room was something Covet shouldn’t have been doing in the first place. However, what happened next was something Covet didn’t expect. Instead of shouting at him, Stardew used his magic and pushed Covet out of the room, with the simple words of “Get. Out.” Coming from Stardew’s mouth. Then following a slam of his door. “Well that was polite” Covet said to himself sarcastically as he slowly got up. He shook his head slightly as he turned to leave the corridor; and that’s when he let out a slight groan of annoyance.
“Ah, there you are”.

Covet looked at his approaching father. When he got closer, Covet could see that his father wasn’t too happy to say the least. “You know, I’ve just heard from the guards that they swore they heard my voice calling them. Strange, considering I never said any such thing. Makes me wonder who’d do something like that” Crimson said, with a very big hint in his voice that he knew it was him. Covet however tried to play into the conversation. “Oh yes, it was very strange when they suddenly ran off. Obviously it’d make you wonder when we think about who decided to increase security”.

Both of the stallions in the hallway stared at each other as neither spoke past that point for a good and solid moment. That was, until Crimson spoke. “I did that to ensure you were safe. Attacks like that don’t just happen out of nowhere. I have a very bad feeling about what’s to come. Can’t you understand that at least?” he asked. There was a tinge of concern hidden in his voice, as well as some anger at the fact that Covet was ignoring his words, increasing as the question ended. Covet didn’t respond to the question as he rolled his eyes and tried to change the topic.

“So, in terms of the coronation, it starts around three, right?” Covet asked his father in a louder tone than previously. Crimson responded with equal loudness. “Yes, It does. Now if you’ll be so kind as to follow me to the throne room so we could get through the rehearsals I’d appreciate it”. It seemed as if Crimson’s patience was wearing thin at this point. Before anything bad happened between the two of them, Covet decided to trot onward. “Well come on then, this coronation isn’t going to perform itself now is it?” he said as he passed his father; and so the two found themselves trotting off to the throne room. No words exchanged for the entirety of their walk.

About an hour later, both Crimson and Covet were inside the throne room rehearsing. The throne room being decorated in gorgeous and vivid scarlet banners; that hung with the outline of gold. The emblem on the banners resembled that of a sword in front of a shield, with a simple fire outline. This, too, was covered in lovely golden colouring. On the floor, a perfectly laid red rug was spread out; reaching from the entrance of the room to the throne itself. As for the throne, it was of a lovely golden hue in the outline of the plush red fur that inhabited the back and the sitting area of the throne. Above that, the sword and the shield in the banner hung. Almost as a symbol of great achievement. Covet however, didn’t think it was such. How could a rusted sword and shield be so momentous? It was baffling to him.

As he was thinking about this, Stardew entered. He seemed to have calmed down from his initial anger when he saw Covet in his room and proceeded to trot past Covet to their father. “Alright, so what do I have teh’ do?” Stardew asked their father. “Oh honestly Stardew, yer getting as bad as he is!” Crimson replied with some semblance of joke in his tone. “Just stand to the side, that’s it” Crimson then added as Stardew did just that. “Now, let’s go over this once again Covet. I’ll start speaking and one of the guards will escort you from the room down the hall. From there, you’ll walk up. I’ll do my speech and then the crown will be placed on your head. That sinkin’ in boyo?” Crimson then asked Covet.

“Got it”

“Good. I don’t want you ruinin’ this for yerself or us!” Crimson responded to the two worded sentence that Covet had formed in response to Crimson. Stardew however, looked slightly lost, but spoke nonetheless. However, it wasn’t about what had just been spoken about. Instead, it was about something else.

“Father, there’s been reports”

“Ey’? Reports of what? The guests drinking Apple Cider already? It’s only two in the afternoon!” Crimson jokingly said.

“No, not about something like that. About ponies seeing what they could only describe as a blue alicorn in the shadows of the streets of Coltney. Specifically over the last few days. I… I’m worried” Stardew responded. The last word he said was specifically quiet. Whilst he wouldn’t admit it, he did care for Covet. He just couldn’t, in his mind, get rid of the lurching feeling that something would go wrong today for his brother.

“A blue Alicorn?” Covet asked with intrigue. Stardew rolled his eyes. “Yes Covet. A blue Alicorn. Like the oceans. Like the sky. Like you when you lose. Blue” he then smartly shot as he held heavy degrading tones in his words. Meanwhile, Crimson was dead silent. It was all adding up now. A blue alicorn suddenly appearing. His son hit with a spell that locked his wings. It couldn’t have been anyone but him.

“Dad… You look like you’ve just seen a ghost. You alright?” Is what Covet then asked their father, who did indeed look like he had seen a spirit or a ghost of some kind. Crimson, snapping back to reality after being lost in his thoughts, simply muttered “I’m… Fine” before properly replying. “Covet, you and Stardew go to your room. Get yourself ready for the coronation. The guards are going to start letting guests in soon and I want you to be as good as you can look” he added, then using his magic to move Stardew next to Covet. “Father, you alright?” Stardew then asked with some concern. However, before an answer was given, they were moved outside the throne room and the doors then proceeded to slam shut.

“Well, THAT went well” Covet spoke as he began trotting in the direction of his room. “Come on, you heard the stallion” Covet then added on. Stardew soon thereafter following. It took them about twenty-five minutes for them to walk to Covets room. The time seeming to get longer the farther they traveled. The walk was quiet for the most part given they were far away from the entrance by the time the guests started rolling in. When they reached Covets door, Stardew used his magic to open in. “Get in. Get in that getup. Get out.” He spoke as he had a look of slight concern.

“God you and father have gotten so concerned about me lately. I highly doubt that blue alicorn is real and even if they were-“ but before Covet could finish his long monologue, he was magically moved by Stardew into his room, before Stardew closed the door. Behind the, now closed door, Stardew shouted “JUST GET READY!” before an air of silence fell around Covet. He used his magic to lift the armour and cloak off of the stand it was on, before putting it on again. When he got out of his room five minutes later however, he was shocked when he saw Stardew now in his own formal attire.

“How did you manage to get from your room to here AND put that on in FIVE minutes?” Covet asked, with a legitimate sounding surprise to his voice. Stardew rolled his eyes however, responding. “Oh really Covet, you should know what I did. I used a spell to transport what I wanted and then I put it on. If you paid attention in magic class back in college, you’d know that spell!”. Covet frowned. “Oh come on now, that class was boring! Just like Magical Theory, Potionology and the other one! Egh… What was that one called?”

“If you mean our math class-“

“No, no I actually enjoyed that one. I mean the other one… The one-“

“Oh, so you mean our Magical History class?”

“Yeah, that one. Anything with magic bores me” Covet then finished the back and forth off with. It was true, Covet hated unnecessary magic. To him, a simple levitation spell is all he needed. Although, it never stopped him from being surprised by more advanced spells. Nevertheless, the theory behind the spells and the vast history was what bored him. The techniques were something he found to be hard, and too complex for his brain to comprehend. So, instead of confronting the task, he’d often skip the classes back in his college days. It just wasn’t for him.

“You were always better with the physical stuff. But I do think yeh should practice some of the other spells we learned in college” Stardew added on. “It’s not like you’d have to write about ‘em like you hated doing. Just learn them. For your own sake”. “I don’t need to learn what won’t help me. I don’t need to know how to turn a cup of tea into a cup of coffee. We have a readily available source of that. I don’t need to turn a mouse into a crystal flask. I don’t need to-“ but before Covet got carried away with his rant about the magic he hated, Stardew cut him off.

“Alright, alright I get it! Let’s just… Go” Stardew responded. Covet took a sigh before trotting ahead. “Right…” he added before the pair of them trotted off to the throne room. Covet hearing guests as they got closer and closer. By the time they reached the throne room hall, Stardew stopped him. “Did yeh forget what dad told us? Get in there, the guards’ll fetch yeh” Stardew said, almost forgetting that he needed to be in that room. Covet used his magic to turn the doorknob, and then proceeded to wait in silence; sitting in the chair and taking the last few moments of peace before the big event to think.

When he was sitting down, thoughts started cropping up. From the small ones that simply made him think of the food that would be served at the feast after the coronation, to the larger ones. Ones that screamed in his head that he was going to fail. That his decisions would be flawed once he started to rule the kingdom. That he would end up dooming the kingdom. All the self-doubting of himself coming into full-effect as he heard the words practically screaming at him at this point. He tried to ignore the voices, focusing on breathing and nothing else. But it had no effect or success.

The voices overriding any senses he had, he could practically see the words now. His mind jumping from failed outcome to failed outcome. He felt like he was about to faint until he was tapped on the shoulder. His head jolted in the direction of who had tapped him and, to his fortune, he was able to distract himself. It was the guards. Two of them. One a Pegasus and one a unicorn. The Pegasus being a lavender colour, whilst the unicorn radiated a pale dark-blue colour. Both their manes were also a shade of the coat that they had. For the blue unicorn, he had a darker, more vivid and vibrant blue. For the purple, a more saturated purple. “It’s time, Prince” the blue unicorn said. Covet could’ve sworn that he heard a slight taste of resentment toward him, but he didn’t have time to focus on that.

He followed the two guards, both in unison regarding their speed. Covet trotted with the speed after realizing he was slowly being left behind, and with that the three of them were at the throne room door. The unicorn opened the door with their magic, and suddenly about fifty unknown faces had hit him; staring. Some excitedly, some curiously, some concerned. The unicorn and the Pegasus then stayed on either side of the door as Covet started trotting in.

With each step Covet took, he felt more and more eyes beaming at him and shunning him all in unison. He didn’t expect everything to be as silent as it was either. No noise except the hoof-steps he was taking and the sound of light breathing from the crowd. It was as if you could hear the pins dropping on the floor; if there were any of course. Every step he took, he felt like an hour had passed. Was he really as slow as he was realizing he was? At the point of him asking that question in his head, he had reached his father.

When he looked up at his father, he saw what could only be described as some doubt in his face. Covet could see it. It was written all over his face. To his right, he saw Stardew with an expression of both boredom and concern. He didn’t know what to make of this, but that’s when he heard his father speak. With the clearing of his throat, he gave his speech.

“Friends and continent-wide subjects, we are gathered here as mentioned prior, to crown the next of our royal line. The one who stands before me known as Prince Covet Dawndrop, is about to embark on a momentous journey with both himself and this continent. By accepting the crown of the crimson dawn, he will hereby be crowned the official heir to my throne, and when the time is right he will ascend to becoming ruler” was the huge speech Crimson had prepared for this moment. With the flick of his magic, he grabbed the crown from his own head, and simply said one sentence.

“I now pronounce you, Crowned Ruler of Manestralia”

Covet took in the moment. It was finally happening. The thoughts he had were building, but he looked towards the floor as he lowered his head. Then…

ZAP

A strange bolt of what felt to be ice cold magic hit the crown, enough so that it fell out of Crimsons control and became nothing more than a block of ice. Covet turned around and looked at who had cast the spell. To his shock, there wasn’t just an Alicorn where the blue Unicorn had stood, but an Alicorn where the Pegasus stood. Both now in slightly different forms. The purple Alicorn looked like an exact replica of him, but in purple hues. His eyes being a piercing turquoise colour. Whereas the blue Alicorn held green eyes. Piercing, vivid, green. Before another word was uttered, the blue unicorn cast a spell and before anyone could stop it, a ring of ice cold around the pair of them had formed.

Screamed erupted from the room, guests were fleeing as the two Alicorns entered further. They seemed to have no regard, nor care for any of the guests. Instead, focusing on both Covet and Stardew. The purple alicorn, like his blue friend, had cast a spell that kept him and Stardew in an arena together; surrounded by fire. Two fights were about to begin, and before Crimson had the misfortune of finding out what happened if somepony tried fighting past the barriers of fire and ice, two guards paid that price.

One guard, who’s instinct was to break into the ice arena, froze solid, shattering on impact after he fell. Whereas another was eaten up by flames before he could enter. Crimson sat, horrified. He couldn’t do anything to help his two children. He tried teleporting within the confines, but magic threw him back outside the arena.

“Scared, Bounded? You should be” the blue alicorn asked. Covet had no idea who this Bounded was. “What in the-“ but before Covet could ask, a spell was shot at him. He dodged barely, and the blue Alicorn spoke again. “It’s not your fault, after all him sending us is like giving you mercy. Your last moments will be with those of us who actually care!” he then shouted with obvious madness and twisted joy in his voice as more than five spells were shot at Covet at once. He avoided the first four, once again barely. But the fifth caught him. Within a second he was paralyzed. His body falling and becoming numb. The only thing that worked were his eyes, that looked up as he desperately tried to get up.

Meanwhile, in the fire arena, the purple Alicorn seemed enraged. Not uttering a word, but spewing mass amounts of fire toward the other brother. Stardew, being more skilled and adept than Covet, reacted with equal firepower. His spells being a blinding blue light. Fierce clashes of red and blue hitting one another, until the purple alicorn uttered one single incantation.

“Tormentius Totallio”

Without warning, a stream of magenta hit Stardew, and before he could comprehend what had hit him, his mind and body fell into immense amount of pain. He’d never heard of this spell before, yet already knew what it was for. He writhed on the floor as the spell took total control of his body with almost unbearable pain. By the time the spell had concluded, he could barely breath. That’s when the purple alicorn wandered over, his gaze and eyes looking as if they were filled with the hateful fires of Tartarus themselves, uttered another sentence.

“You and that father of yours… Took him from us…”

Stardew, being confused at this, responded with the rightfully justified question of “W-what…?”. Before he got his response however, the purple Alicorn uttered another spell; at least Stardew assumed it was a spell given what happened afterwards.

“Tepalethium Undermensia”

Just like that, another spell hit him. This one, an aqua coloured spell. Before Stardew could comprehend what had hit him next, his vision went black and all traces of his existence in the room vanished. The purple Alicorn, seeing that what he had clearly set out to do was done, used his magic to combine both arenas and had their arenas open and then close around Crimson; trapping him in with them. “And then there were two” the purple Alicorn then said, still holding fury.

“Bounded is down. That leaves him” Arcane said as the blue and purple pair turned towards the King. Crimson, with his magic, had gathered the sword and shield from above the throne. The two shot at the King, but when he put up the shield the spells started rebounding. “Dallasite, take care of him, I’ll deal with Bounded” the blue Alicorn then said as he noticed the shield glimmering with a strange light. Crimson swung the sword once, as a golden beam of light slashed at the purple Alicorn.

Before Covet knew what was happening, he had felt something. The blue Alicorn seemed to be performing some kind of spell. His body felt as if it was falling apart and as if his very existence was being… Broken. That’s the only way he could describe it. He saw two lots of everything, and then three. Then, before he could even see what had happened, everything went black for him. The blue Alicorn simply muttering “can’t kill him here, let’s have some fun then” before Covet’s conscious faded from the waking world. Fading into fleeting dreams and starry mind-made skies.

Author's Note

Alright so I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I put a fair bit of work I like to think into that. Won't be able to release the next chapter until I get some free time, i'll try and write Chapter three over the week but I do have college so bear with me. I also have a busy weekend ahead of me after Friday so lol.

Chapter 03: The Soul that was Split into Three

Whether it had been hours, days or weeks, the time when Covet awoke was unclear. The fresh air of the world around him blew over his body quite graciously. He didn’t notice it at first, but when he opened his eyes, the silhouettes of two other stallions were in view. Both seemingly also waking up, as if the three of them had been unconscious for the same length of time. Around him, the open space of grassy plains stretched around them for some miles; mountains towering in the north with a forebode to their presence. Above them, a blue sky stretched for miles as the sun shone most brilliantly.

Spotting the other two stallions, he got up quickly. He didn’t know them; barely only having known ponies beyond his father and brother. However, they looked familiar. One was orange, clearly a Pegasus from the wings that were sprawled on the ground. His mane and tail matching in leaf green. Like the leaves on an oak tree. The second of the two being green. At first it wasn’t obvious that they were a unicorn, but when they turned to look around he saw the horn. It was curved just like his was; although he hardly ever gave the curvature of his horn any attention. The mane colour of this unicorn was almost identical to the Pegasus as they both shared the same hue of green for their manes and tails.

Once the pair of ponies found out that they were indeed not alone, they stood up as well. All of them taking the time to notice the similarities between the three of them. Whilst the Unicorn looked immensely concerned, the Pegasus looked somewhat happy. Whilst he didn’t feel as if he was either. He was very much in a state of confusion. His mind started bouncing to question after question, before the Unicorn broke the silence with a question. “Who’re you two…?”; the question being laced in tension and hesitation.

“Well I’m…! Actually I don’t know who I am!” the Pegasus replied. The other two began to look at eachother as they took in what the Pegasus had said. That is before, this time, Covet spoke. “Well, to start off I suppose, I’m Prince Covet Dawndrop. Covet for short. Although to commoners such as yourselves I would PREFER ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Your Highness’ if you wouldn’t mind” he said. In this speech, he had what could only be described as immense arrogance. The other two quickly looked at eachother with confusion and astonishment as the Unicorn spoke.

“But I’M Prince Covet Dawndrop!”

The Pegasus then chimed in.

“No, I AM!”

“Enough of this!” Covet then responded, equally as protesting. “The REAL Prince Covet Dawndrop is an Alicorn! That would be me! See!”.

The other two however, looked at him, up and down. Then, they looked at eachother once again. “But… you’re an Earthpony” the Pegasus then said. At first, Covet got EXTREMELY offended at this remark. “HOW DARE-“ is what he started with. That is until he noticed his evident lack of magic usage. Alongside the fact that, instead of not being able to fly due to the spell cast on him, he was just unable to feel any existence of his wings at all. His offended feelings quickly turned into uncontrollable panicking. His wings and horn gone!? But how?! It was all such a quick realization. The other two also felt a sense of panic within themselves, but managed to hide it when they saw Covet, or rather themselves having an overreaction.

The Unicorn then chimed in, speaking with some reason to his words. “Well the last thing I remember is feeling like I had become three ponies at once. Maybe the spell that blue alicorn cast on us did something to us. Although honestly for me, I’m fine with it. It’s not like it should be a problem for either of you, after all being useless is what Earthponies and Pegasi are for!”. The Unicorn adding an emphasis on the word useless to add sting to his words. Both the Pegasus and the now slightly less panicked Earthpony looked at the Unicorn with very obvious surprise.

“Is that what I sound like?” the duo then responded in unison. Both of them didn’t quite believe what the Unicorn had just said, but the Unicorn simply scoffed. “Oh please! Where’s your sense of pride! I suppose that went with any sense of rational thought as well!” the Unicorn then added at the end; specifically targeting those words at the Earthpony. The Earthpony gave the Unicorn a look of shock as he processed the words that were said. His mind bouncing to a small realization about himself quite quickly.

“Well there’s no use standing here, I propose we follow the path through the mountains. Gives us adventure, eh?” the Pegasus then responded. His words seemed to be an attempt to diffuse the tension that had built up in the conversation. When the Earthpony and Unicorn took a moment to think about what the Pegasus had said, they reluctantly just nodded. Although the Unicorn remarked “It’s not like we have a choice” as he began trotting toward the nearest path that he could find. The Pegasus and Earthpony followed right behind. That being the start of their trail up the mountain and the start of their journey of exploration; however reluctant any of them was about said journey.

By the time they had reached the beginning of the mountain path, it had been well over what any of them could’ve presumed to be the afternoon; the sun moving accordingly. The path, from the appearance alone, looked rough and unmaintained. Although when they gazed at how far it went, they could see that the fact it jutted out from the mountains itself showed it didn’t really need to become pretty. “Shame, it could use a touch up” the Unicorn commented. The two others simply rolled their eyes. “The vanity clearly went to this one” the Earthpony smirked to himself.

The trio started their journey along the mountain path, taking care to stay away from the edges of the path. None of them talked for a little while. Their hooves kicking rocks down the cliffs of the path to just test how high in altitude they were going. At one point, the Unicorn kicked a rock down the cliff to watch it roll down. When he did, he tried to use his own magic to levitate the rock back down; wanting to keep it for himself as a reusable rolling rock. However, he couldn’t do it. No matter what he tried, his magic wouldn’t activate. “Come on!” the Pegasus then shouted as both the Pegasus and Earthpony focused on trotting ahead, much to the Unicorn’s shock at not noticing.

Eventually, after trotting around the first few mountains that were connected by the path, they noticed a diversion in the road. The left part of the path winded up the mountain until it couldn’t be seen, whilst the right path ended up winding down and under the left part of the path that was presumed to eventually have winded around to a bridge far above the right side of the path. This path seemed to then lead to an old cave that was held up by aged wood from a faraway glance. “I vote the left” the Pegasus instantly said as he waited for the other two to give their input on the situation. “Well, I pick right” the Unicorn then responded. “Oh, so you want to sit there and go into a cave that could be home to a beast do you?” the Pegasus then asked.

The unicorn then got defensive about his position. “It’s better than chancing it on that old bridge! Look at it! It’s… Almost coming apart!”. The Pegasus rolled his eyes, and then simply turned to look at the Earthpony, who seemed to be raising an eyebrow. “What do you think then? Left, or right?”. “Excuse me?” the Earthpony then asked the Pegasus in response. “Oh don’t tell me you tuned out! You clearly heard my question!” the Pegasus then snapped back, clearly getting agitated. The Earthpony was about to argue back, when he looked upward after a snowflake touched his muzzle.

The other two looked up as well, noticing that a snowstorm had brewed above them. Before any of them could question the presence of a snowstorm however, a familiar bolt of ice magic hit the ground between the three of them. They all jumped backwards as a voice spoke; one they all remembered all too well from the coronation.

“Ah, there’re my three targets”.

Instantly, the three of them looked in the direction of the voice, and saw him. The blue alicorn that had crashed the coronation had come back for them. Instantly, the Earthpony felt an extreme fear taking over himself, and shouted “RUN!” before galloping up the left path, the other two swiftly following him in a mad dash to get away from the blue alicorn. Behind them they heard a repeating shout of “ICICLIUS!” which hurled numerous spiked icicle shards toward the three of them. The force of the icicles hitting the ground almost causing miniature earthquakes in their wake.

The Unicorn took a moment for himself whilst galloping. He looked around and, to his delight, he saw boulders on a higher cliff; above the path. “Oi! Flappy! Fly up there and push those boulders down!” he then shouted at the Pegasus as he and the Earthpony continued galloping. The Pegasus looked up and, after seeing the boulders, began flapping his wings. To his amazement, his wings worked and quickly he flew up to the cliff. Once he landed on the cliff above the path, he pushed himself against the boulders. They were big, but slowly moved the more strength he used. With a final big push after a moment of struggling, the boulders fell. Crashing into the path below and creating a wall that the icicles then hit. The Pegasus sighed in relief as he flew back down to the other two, who cheered to themselves in triumph.

That triumph ended however, when the ground behind them rained a violent and bitter blue storm of frost. The air around the spot being frozen completely from the cold the blue brung. Before they could rightly guess that it was the blue alicorn again, the three made a run for it to the bridge. One by one they galloped across to the halfway point, when flames suddenly circled the other side. “You aren’t going anywhere” another familiar voice then echoed from the flames. As if a nightmare had come true for the three on the bridge, it was the purple alicorn who then stepped out of the flames.

“Why’re you two trying to kill us!? What did WE do?!” the Earthpony asked in protest. “SILENCE!” the blue alicorn roared as rage seemed to fill both alicorns. “You couldn’t even put up a fight in that throne room, it’s sad! You had ALL this time to learn magic in a safe and encouraging environment, yet you didn’t! It’s a waste of Time, Bounded Time!” the blue alicorn then added on. The three of them looked shocked. They knew they had a conversation with Stardew before the coronation about their lack of studying magic, but how did the alicorns know about that?

“Arcane. if I recall, he said he only needed a levitation spell. Isn’t that a lovely delusion?” the purple alicorn then responding with a surprising cold to his words; given his usage of fire. “Arcane and… Dallasite was it?” the Earthpony then asked. The other two looked at the Earthpony as if it was alien to ask about names of all things in the situation they were in, however the two alicorns humored him. The blue alicorn responded “Oh look at that! Someone was paying attention!” in a snide tone.

“I doubt knowing our names will help you now, after all death is knocking on your doorstep. The path below, if you hit it, is certain to break every bone in your bodies upon impact for an instant death” Dallasite then responded. “Oh you’re highly mistaken! We’re not dying!” the Pegasus then retaliated. “Dallasite, demonstrate that new spell you learned from him from the tome he gave you” Arcane the interjected. As if rhythmically timed, Dallasite then uttered a single incantation.

“Disapperium”

Within an instant, the bridge as if by complete erasure, vanished. Making the trio fall into the supposed abyss. The two alicorns looked down as they fell into a newly formed fog. “Was that fog always there?” Dallasite asked Arcane in a curious tone. “When I used my teleportation spell in anger the cold magic must’ve naturally formed a fog. My magic is powerful after all" Arcane the responded. After a moment of seeing no movement, the two alicorns headed off, presumably back from where they came.

Meanwhile, down below, the three were lying on the floor. In the nick of time, the Unicorn had managed to gather enough magic to perform a spell that stopped their momentum before they hit the ground. The three of them waited as they heard the two alicorns teleporting away. Slowly, the fog lifted enough for them to see the entrance to the cave that the right path wound up to.

“How did I pull that off…” the Unicorn asked himself as he got up. “Probably something to do with Magical Theory. I remember us reading about intense emotions unlocking magic or something along those lines…” The Pegasus then responded. “Well let’s get in there and see where it leads before those two come back. Last thing we need is to die before we even know where we are.” The Earthpony then chimed in; trotting into the cave. With a slight struggle, the Unicorn was able to illuminate his horn enough to light the way as the other two entered the cave.

To the Unicorns surprise, the cave was not a dead end. The path within the cave continued for a long time, unlit torches and wooden pillars stretched across the roof of the cave. Most likely for cave-in prevention. It was unnaturally warm for somewhere so high up. It didn’t appear as if the path they were following was sloping downwards, although they caught a glimpse of the eventual inside of the caverns as it opened up. The wind couldn’t reach this place so far in, so the torches within were lit. However, unlike the warmth of the red flames of a fireplace, a flame akin to aqua blue flickered patiently. Minecarts seemed scattered about within the open space; strewn from the minecart tracks from where they were once situated upon.

“Pretty big for a shoddy mine” The Unicorn spoke in surprise.

“But it’s so stuffy in here!” The Pegasus remarked.

“Let’s focus on finding a way out you two” the Earthpony then responded. The Earthpony noticing that the open area also held a second floor, as well as a path that definitely led downwards from the look of the torches descending downwards. However, he saw no immediate path up to the second floor. “Maybe you could fly up there? Hey, pompous arrogant unicorn, you take the lower route, I’ll check around here” the Earthpony proposed; with a joke tone to the part targeted at the Unicorn. The Unicorn seemed to take offense to this however, responding to the Earthpony with “As if I wanted to hang around with the mud lover and the airhead anyway” before storming off, little static bits of magic surrounding his horn as he went off down to the lower level.

“Was that the best thing to add on?” The Pegasus asked, some concern in his voice. “It’s not my fault he’s acting like he is!” The Earthpony chimed in. However, before he could continue, the Pegasus responded quickly. “That doesn’t mean we have to stoop to his level. We’re all worried, and to be honest seeing him is a bit of an eye opener. I assume you already know that”. The Earthpony took a moment to roll his eyes as he took a heavy sigh. “Look, I’m not saying you meant to do damage with what you said, even I could tell you were joking. But he’s going to take time to receive his wakeup call. He’ll come through… I hope” the Pegasus then added on.

“Do you really believe that?” The Earthpony responded, immediately catching onto the tone of doubt in his voice. “Well, I…” However the Pegasus couldn’t think of a response. It was true, he didn’t know if that was actually something that would happen. Still, he had some hope. If he could receive that wakeup call, what’s was stopping him from receiving it too?

In the Earthpony’s mind however, he counted the Pegasus’ failure to finish his sentence as him being right. He trotted off, simply muttering “Just find a way out of here”. The Pegasus took a moment to himself as he flapped his wings and made his way to the second floor. Once he landed, his gaze was immediately drawn to a plaque on the wall, reflecting the light from the blue torches around them. When he got closer, he noticed that it read:

WHISTLEHEIGHT MINES WEST BRANCH

“Whistleheight Mines…? Never heard of it before” the Pegasus said to himself. In Manestralia, the three main islands that made up the continent were fully explored. Ponies on the islands were content with their lives. There was little of value in regard to exploring the wider world. However in this new land, the ponies seemed to have abandoned this place altogether. Was it a result of getting what they wanted from it? He didn’t know.

He took a further look around on this second floor. The Pegasus seeing that there were indeed other pathways. He flew quickly through each one only to be disappointed by cave-ins and dead ends. What he did find however, at the end of his third pathway, was a filled minecart. This minecart held raw gemstones in the dozens easily; all in different colours. Reds, yellows, blues, purples, pinks and the occasional white. He didn’t know how he was going to show the others, but he took a few to show the other two so they knew he was telling the truth.

Meanwhile, the Earthpony was on the ground floor. He had found some old bags lying around and figured they would come in useful if they needed to travel constantly, finding some leftover things in the bags. These bags containing things like money pouches, with a few gold coins in each of them. He counted a total of twenty-seven gold coins in total as he sorted the silver coins and bronze coins out that were also in the money pouches. It was hard to see because of the blue, but he counted roughly sixty-four silver coins and thirty-nine bronze coins in total. Another thing that the Earthpony found was a mirror. Whilst cracked, he was finally able to get a look at himself. From what he could make out, he was pale yellow in coat colour. His mane matching the others in green, albeit in a more dull shade. It sort of reminded him of a lemon.

Which is when he got an idea. He didn’t know what to call himself in this Earthpony body. He couldn’t waltz around as Prince Covet Dawndrop. He’d probably be looked at like some crazy individual. He realized the other two resembled fruit in their colours too. The Pegasus as an Orange, whilst the Unicorn a Lime. It was his little way of at least trying to see if he could adjust to the body he was in. So, he opted for his own name of Sour Lemon, Whilst he kept the names Sweet Lime and Acidic Citrus in his head; noticing that the Pegasus could’ve easily also resembled a Clementine or a Mandarin. All fruits that still counted as Citrus fruits.

At the same time, the Unicorn had found his way down to a dead end. A door stood in his way that was made of stone. Adorned with a heart shaped gem in the center of the door. The Unicorn looked around, trying to see if there was a clue as to how to open the door. That’s when he caught the sight of a sign he had missed on his way in. He quickly trotted over to the sign and read it to himself. The sign reading:

Only one with the mastery of Body and Mind can tame the door to the Mountain Soul

The Unicorn thought about this for a moment. “Mastery of the Body and Mind…?” he frowned to himself as he couldn’t work his way around opening the door. After a few moments of failing to open the door, the Unicorn just dismissed his attempts. Realizing that, for what he saw, he had indeed reached a dead end. He then began trotting back. He was still angered by the Earthpony’s comment about his pompousness. He couldn’t be pompous! Or Arrogant! He couldn’t possibly be wrong about what he said! To him, he was very much in the right, admiring that he still had access to his magic.

When the Unicorn got back, he saw the Pegasus and Earthpony together. “Just sat here talking like old grannies did you?” the Unicorn chimed in as he cut their conversation short. “As if you don’t belong in a retirement home yourself” the Earthpony began to respond. However the Pegasus decided to cut that conversation short with a slight hit to the Earthpony. No matter how right he thought the Earthpony was they needed to stay together. If they all believed they were the same pony and had the same memories, then they all must’ve shared the same body.

“Right, so in terms of exploration, I found a whole bunch of gemstones we could take with us. If we could sell them I reckon they’d be worth a FORTUNE! As for Sour-“

“Sour?” The Unicorn asked, with confusion.

“Oh, right, Sour here decided to give us names! Since we’re technically different ponies right now, Sour thought it was best to give us names! My name is Acidic Citrus, and provided you’re okay with it you have the name Sweet Lime!” The Pegasus responded as he looked at the Unicorn with eager anticipation of acceptance to the new name. “Sweet Lime? What is this, a supermarket??? Surely something like Mint uh…” But before the Unicorn could finish that, he was interrupted.

“So, what did you find?” was what Sour decided to ask. Emphasizing the use of the word ‘you’ as he asked his question. “Well, for one thing there was this weird message about a Body, Mind and a Mountain Soul as well as a door. With a big gem to boot” the Unicorn responded. Acidic then cut in, “I think I saw an exit outside of this place on the second floor? But how are you two supposed to get up there?” he asked to himself, not realizing he was speaking aloud.

“Oh honestly, don’t you remember, we know- or rather I know levitation spells. Let’s see… Ah, these minecarts could be a staircase!” The Unicorn responded. However, Acidic and Sour were focused on something else. Something that had emerged from where Sweet had emerged. When Sweet turned around, he was overwhelmed by the blue light coming from the area. What they were seeing were the spirits of the Mines. “S-spirits…?” Sour asked himself with a very slight chill of fear creeping up the back of his spine like a spider to a web.

“S-Sweet… Get those Minecarts in order… I-I’ll wait on the second floor…” Acidic said to himself as he flew up quickly; but not before taking a bag that Sour had left next to him. Without hesitation, Acidic reached the minecart he had seen before and filled the bag up. Slowly, the bag bloated in size and, whilst it was slow to carry, the Pegasus was able to lift it.

By the time he got back to the other two, a Minecart staircase had already been built. Sweet was already up on the second floor, Sour was struggling to get up as he stumbled his way on upward. What the Earthpony didn’t see, was that the spirits had started moving at a quick pace. Sweet was just able to pull Sour up as the spirits narrowly missed grabbing him. Swiping their hooves at them fiercely.

“Let’s go- What’s in that?” Sour asked as he gazed at the bag that Acidic had. “Our ticket to being rich! To having limitless money so we don’t have to worry! These gems are probably worth a whole fortune!” Acidic responded. Sweet and Sour looked at eachother with a look of concern. Without talking any further, the three of them began heading towards the last tunnel; leaving the spirits behind for the time being.

The tunnel was long and narrow. Torches being unlit as they could start to feel a wind coming from what they hoped was the exit. All three of them galloping toward the direction they were going. That all stopped however as they noticed that the path was broken up ahead. Sweet looked Acidic, and then the gap before speaking. “Lift us over” is what Sweet ended up saying. “Lift you both over!?” Acidic then protested. Sour however noticed the spirits approaching. They had apparently caught up to them as they floated closer and closer. “We don’t have time for an argument they’re right behind us!” Sour then shrieked. “But the gems-“ but before Acidic could respond, Sour interjected.

“FORGET ABOUT YOUR STUPID GEMS WE’RE ABOUT TO DIE!”

“What he said!” Sweet added on.

In Acidic’s mind, carrying the gems was something that was good. It was sustainable and prevented them from going money-less. Still, threat of death was imminent if the spirits caught up to them. He debated in his mind for a couple of seconds, before Acidic snapped back to reality. He needed the other two ponies more than he needed gemstones. If there was any chance of them all becoming one being again, he’d need the other two. “Fine, but you levitate yourself over” he said to Sweet.

“That’s fine with me!” Sweet responded as he used his own magic to bring himself across. He had a hunch about the gems that he had managed to get Acidic to leave behind, but needed to test it. He could’ve probably used his own magic to bring it across and could’ve used his magic to get all three of them across, but decided to relent on that option out of uncertainty as to whether or not it would work. After touching down on the other side, Acidic and Sour floated on over; Sour being carried by Acidic.

“Now then, let’s see if I was right” Sweet said to himself as he watched the spirits. When the spirits got to the bag, they stopped. Simply staring as they all surrounded it. They didn’t seem aggravated by the three ponies anymore, which made Sweet grin to himself. “They wanted the gems. That’s why they were after us. I thought it was odd that they didn’t appear until you had those gemstones and mentioned the rest of them” Sweet explained.

“Before they decide to prove you wrong, let’s get out of here” Sour then responded as he galloped ahead, the other two following. Acidic was upset to have left a fortunes worth of gems behind, but he had to accept the fact that if he hadn’t let go of the gems, they’d all probably be dead. Probably. It took another minute or so to reach the outside, but when they did, they could see the sunlight and could see that they were now near a coast. Not too far off, they saw a city. Which is where the three of them decided to head to now that they were out of the mines.

Author's Note

Alright so I hope you enjoyed this one. This time I want to just say thank you in general? I'm happy people enjoy this. As for Chapter Four, I honestly want to take a little break so I can focus on some art and making some adoptables on instagram. However I will certainly make an outline for the chapter and then write it after most of that is out of the way.

As for Sour, Sweet and Acidic. They're basically three pieces of Covet Dawndrop (or as I assume you've gathered now Bounded Time). I figured it would be interesting for himself to constantly see himself in different lights. Mostly the negative for the beginning.

Anyways, have a great day folks. I have lots to do! Will see you in Chapter Four!

Chapter 04: City and Coast

It had been about an hour since the three ponies had begun trotting; Sweet groaning every so often and complaining about the events in the mines. Acidic and Sour, in their annoyance with this, had told Sweet off for what appeared to be purposeful and disruptive complaining. Sour had also realized that he had forgotten what he had found in the mines during the spirit debacle, but he figured his life was worth far more by default. By the time they made it to the outskirts of the city, the sun had started to lower in the sky. The sky having begun to add a hue of orange to its colour palette.

“Oh thank Crimson we’re here! Now for the love of all things can we PLEASE take a break!?” is what Sweet had shouted out as the other two groaned themselves. Sour and Acidic having become so annoyed, that they began replicating the behavior they experienced out of spite. “You can take a break, but it’s not like we’re going to have a pleasant night out in the cold that’s to come!” Sour responded with sarcasm. Sweet, not catching onto the sarcasm, decided to respond back. “Well, if you two can look for some sleeping bags we can-“ but before Sweet could finish, Acidic had picked up a rock from the ground and lobbed it at Sweet. Sweet yelling out in pain at the force of the throw…

And that’s when something strange happened.

As if it were synchronized, the other two also ended up yelping out in pain. Sour and Acidic quickly looked at eachother. However, to the pairs surprise, Sweet was the one to point out what had happened. “So you two felt that as well? Payback I suppose, although it’s weird, how is a Unicorn like me linked with you?!” he asked both the other two and himself. “I think we already answered that ourselves when we woke up today” Sour ended up responding with.

“Since the three of us are technically one pony, I believe that both our emotional feelings and physical experiences are connected with eachother. I guess that’s how you- or rather all three of us- were able to stop our velocity in the face of certain death. Fear being the catalyst for the magic, I think?” Acidic then hypothesized. When Sour and Sweet had taken it all in however, they just shook their heads in confusion. “Simplify that, uh, Acidic” Sour responded with a great strain on his mind. Acidic, hearing this, took a moment to think about how he would shorten what he said specifically for the other two. “Oh, sorry! What I mean is that we’re all one unit. Any damage to ourselves or any emotions we have are shared with eachother, at least again I think” is what he ended up summarizing.

“You do go on too much” Sweet ended up responding; clearly exhausted from both explanations. Regardless of how exhausting he found them however, he had a certain level of understanding as to what he had heard. “Well at least you managed to make it, well, manageable I suppose” Sour added on. This, in turn, made Acidic continue apologizing as they all trotted into the city. Added with the repeated “Don’t worry about it” from Sour, and the three were certainly headed into interesting times. As they headed into the city they started noticing the streets becoming filled with ponies walking around and trotting to whatever place they needed to go to. It was certainly overwhelming for the three of them.

“You’d think the streets here would be less packed! This place looked so small!” Sour exclaimed; his expression being one of shock. “Yes well unfortunately for me, this city doesn’t seem to have many Unicorns. It’s just filled with Pegasi and Earthponies…” Sweet lamented to himself, adding on a tinge of spite to his words that seemed to be focused toward the other two. The other two simply rolled their eyes with even more annoyance than before as they all trotted onwards.

Around them, buildings made from red and maroon bricks stood. Most were houses, with few places in the path they trotted through being shops and actual community areas. Some cafes, two bookstores and restaurants were what they saw. They nearly bumped into ponies as they trotted past these places, with Acidic and Sour apologizing about the incidents. However, Sweet just glared at anypony who even so much as got close to him; specifically at the Earthponies and Pegasi that trotted around them. He maliciously repeated his words as he stated, “It’s all just Earthponies and Pegasi!” and the other two looked at eachother. “Can you stop?! So what if they’re just Earthponies and-“ but before Sour could finish his protest, Sweet interrupted. “Oh yes of course I’ll stop doing what we would usually do! Again you lack pride that you’d have in your true form!” he protested in return. Sour loudly sighed in futility as Acidic tapped Sour with his hoof. “What!?” Sour angrily asked, obvious anger that had built up being released; taking it out on Acidic. Sour, immediately realizing what he’d done, tried apologizing. “I-I’m sorry, it’s just-“ but before he could finish, Acidic had begun flying off.

“If you’re going to shout at me then I’m off!” He shouted down at the landlocked pair as he flew towards the beach he saw on the coast. His silhouette disappearing over a building a few streets ahead. Sour and Sweet, looking at eachother with both anger and worry, both took a moment to compose themselves. Sour ended up being the one who spoke first. “Let’s go find him. He couldn’t have gotten far…”. “If we must” Sweet responded. A clear annoyance laced in his tone of speaking. Sour, trying to ignore this, started trotting in the direction of Acidic’s flying.

Meanwhile, Acidic had landed on the beach already. It had taken just that moment for him to find a place he liked on the beach and decided to sit there for a bit. Not too far away from him however, he noticed something; or rather somepony painting on a canvas. A raspberry type of hue to his mane. His tail and parts of his mane were a mess, and he had what appeared to be a brush balancing between his ear and mane. His coat colour being reminiscent of Sour’s coat colour. The resemblance to Sour extended to the fact that Acidic couldn’t see a horn or wings, so he presumed he was an Earthpony. He kept hearing “…Just dash that colour?”, “No, this one for sure”, “Maybe this colour?” as he decided to get up and approach. “Hey, excuse me” Acidic began. “What’re you painting?”.

The Earthpony turned his head for a second, before speaking. “And who’re you…?”. Acidic noticed that, upon a closer look, the Earthpony had lavender coloured eyes. They reminded him of some of the gems he wanted to take from the mines they were in earlier in the day. “Oh, me? I’m called Co- I mean- Acidic. Acidic Citrus. What’s your name?”. “Cluttered Canvas. An artist and owner of the Canvas Corner on Highbuck street. Not too popular but it’s what I like” is what the Earthpony responded with; speaking with passion as he mentioned his store. “Cluttered Canvas? Uh, nice name! I think?” Acidic then responded. Acidic, nor the other two, had any real interactions with anypony beyond their father and brother. Rarely striking conversation with guards back in Manestralia. Even then, as Covet, he’d only speak to the Unicorn guards. Something that started weighing on his mind. That was, until Cluttered spoke again.

“Well, you asked what I was painting, right?” is what he asked. Acidic, snapping out of his own thoughts, responded. “Oh yeah, I did!”. “Well take a look then! After that let me finish it. I’m gonna sell it for a fortune! It’s my best piece yet” Cluttered told Acidic. When Acidic looked at the painting, he could see the coast infront of him, with a few birds flying over the ocean. However, the sky was a horrid shade of brown. This confused Acidic immensely as he went to ask about it. “Is the sky meant to be brown?”. “No, sadly that’s the consequence of adjusting the colouring to the time of day. It was lunch when I started, now the sun is beginning to set” Cluttered responded as he sighed.

“Well, if you could fix the sky you could make this painting really great!” Acidic pointed out to Cluttered. “Here, use the brown to your advantage and try painting with the colour you have now! Using Brown as the edge colour and then, oh you could pass this off as a look at an ex-“ before Acidic finished however, Cluttered interrupted. “And how much do you know about art anyway!? It’s MY painting!” he protested. “I- I know! I was just suggest-“

“There you are!”

Acidic turned around before he could finish his sentence and saw Sour and Sweet approaching. Acidic rolled his eyes as he waited for them to come closer before Sour spoke, now at the same distance as Acidic was from Cluttered. “Why did you fly off?! What if Arcane and Dallasite come back!? You could’ve been killed! If you die, by your words, we die!” Sour shouted, clearly having worry in his voice. Cluttered looked at Acidic and simply asked “Who’re they…?” before Sweet responded. We’re Prin- Ow!”. Sour had hit his front leg as he took over. “My name is Sour Lemon, this is Sweet Lime. We’re brothers. We traveled to this city from a place… Let’s just say far from here" he explained. “Is that so? Well, it’s been nice meeting you three, I’m going to head back to my house and-“ but before Cluttered could finish his sentence, Acidic cut in. “Well, I was wondering if we could stay at your house… We have nowhere to stay is the thing”. Cluttered seemed confused. “Nowhere to stay…? You’re not pulling my hoof are you? Genuinely have no place to stay?!”.

“That’s right” Sour responded. “It’d only be temporary, I promise”. Cluttered looked at Acidic, then Sour, and then Sweet. Then, he took a few moments to think about his decision. The three ponies were anxious for a reply of any kind as they waited; seconds feeling like hours. Cluttered, then looking at Acidic, responded. “Only if one of you can carry the easel. Those things are heavy. Hey pointy, do you think you could carry it?”. Acidic and Sour turned to look at Sweet, who seemed very offended at the question. “You expect me to use my magic to serve the likes of you?!” Sweet began. However he backed down when he looked at Sour and Acidic; who both looked like they could’ve killed with their looks alone.

“Fine” Sweet finally responded as he lit up his horn. The easel, after Cluttered had saved his painting from falling into the sand, moved in the air and hovered next to the Unicorn. “Can you let me take the painting off first!?” Cluttered shouted with anger and panic in his voice. Sour and Acidic looked at Sweet, to which Sweet responded. “Fine” with a severe faked smile coming from his mouth after he had finished. After Sweet had done this, Sour spoke; turning his attention toward Acidic. “Acidic, look, I apologize about what happened earlier. I just…” Sour however couldn’t finish as Acidic, not even looking at Sour anymore, just responded with “Let’s get going” before he and Cluttered began trotting. Sour and Sweet looked at eachother. Sweet, grinning to himself, simply said “Maybe now you’ll see I’m right. Pegasi are too emotion- Hey wait!” he shouted as he noticed that Sour had begun trotting toward Acidic and Cluttered. The Easel lagging a little behind the four of them.

During their trotting to Cluttered’s home, Cluttered and Acidic struck up a sort of awkward conversation about the city around them. Cluttered suggesting places to visit whilst Acidic just replied with “Oh, uh, sure! I’ll consider that!”. Sour and Sweet gave eachother glances every once in a while as Sour made sure Sweet hadn’t fallen too far behind. About twenty minutes passed before the four of them finally reached Cluttered’s house. Sour, Sweet and Acidic seemed surprised at the condition of the house, wood barricading the windows and the front garden being very overgrown and unmaintained. It was thankfully away from most of the houses around it, Sour noticing that they were ontop of a hill looking down at the beach below that they were on. “So we moved up, instead of away. Interesting” he said to himself. Sweet simply rolling his eyes and Cluttered opening his door.

When they got inside, they got an immediate rotted smell. The house was a disaster. Mess everywhere. Plates from months old food, broken decorations that were from many years past and furniture lathered in dust. The three caught glimpses of places in the house and saw that the room Cluttered entered was significantly tidier than the rest. A black armchair and sofa as well as an oak table within. “You call this a house?” Sweet asked with genuine surprise in his voice. “It’s the best I could do. Don’t mind the other rooms, not like I need anything from them anyway!” Cluttered responded. The trio looked at eachother as they looked concerned to varying degrees. “Ok, now put the Easel there” Cluttered then told Sweet as he pointed to the corner of the room. Sweet, after hearing this, used his magic to toss it into the corner. That’s when Cluttered yelled out “DON’T DAMAGE IT FOR CEYONAIT’S SAKE!” as he galloped over hurryingly to the tossed Easel. “Do you have any idea as to how much that cost me?! That costed me Two-Hundred Ceyans!” he shrieked at the end.

“What’re you on about???” Sour asked in utter confusion. The other two sharing the same confusion. “Oh don’t tell me you don’t know what a Ceyan is! It’s our currency! And Ceyonait? Oh you’re kidding I can tell!” Cluttered joked to himself whilst explaining and putting the Easel up in the corner properly. When he turned around, he could tell that they were, infact, not joking. “You’re seriously telling me… You’ve never heard of these terms… At all? Did you flunk school?” he then asked with a look of concern. This made the three in turn shake their heads in unison. “It’s a long story” Acidic simply said in return as he shuffled awkwardly.

“Well I have time for a long story” Cluttered responded as he went into what looked like the kitchen of the house and then poked his head around the entrance. “You three take a seat on there. I’ll make us something to drink. Is tea good?” he asked. They all nodded as they sat down on the sofa and Sour simply asked “How’re we going to explain all this…?” before Sweet looked out of the window; noticing that the night had rolled in. The only light now coming from the kitchen. He used his magic to flick a switch on the wall and, the light shone somewhat. An orangish white coming from the bulb.

When Cluttered returned to the room, he had four cups of tea that he carried onto the table infront of them, before he sat on the armchair adjacent to the sofa. “So, give me the details. Why’re you so clueless about the world around you?” Cluttered asked as he picked up his cup of tea. The trio picking up their cups and beginning the long, LONG explanation from when they awoke in the continent, finding out that it was indeed a continent, to their current point in time.

It took about an hour for the three of them to explain what had happened; or rather Sour and Acidic. Sweet didn’t speak much, but inserting his prejudice comments about Pegasi and Earthponies as he tuned into when they entered the city. After hearing this, Cluttered took a long few moments to just sit and process everything. “Did we break him?” Sour asked Acidic as they paid Sweet no mind. Cluttered, who seemed to have caught onto the comment, responded with “No I’m not I just… Well it’s all so much. Two Alicorns trying to kill you? Mines that I’ve never heard of? A door inside- it just sounds like it was exhausting!” before he put down his cup.

“Yeah, it’s a lot” Acidic replied, with exhaustion and a yawn hitting his voice. Sour continued the conversation as he could see that both Sweet and Acidic were growing tired. “So, we’re basically looking for a spell, or something to help us to… break the connection we have with eachother in terms of… What we told you about our feelings being connected. It’s unusual, right?” he asked Cluttered. Cluttered didn’t seem to have even processed the question, infact it seemed like he had ignored it as he simply responded with “Stay here” before the trio heard banging above them, in the room above there’s from what they could tell. Sour Acidic exchanged looks of slight concern until Cluttered came back; clutching blankets. “Pick one. Tomorrow I need to hop to the Buckgrove library-“.

“Oh THAT’S what this city is called!” Sour interjected.

“I thought I- Nevermind, just pick a blanket” Cluttered cut back in as he put them on a table. “Is he alright?” Cluttered then asked Sour, pointing at Sweet. Sweet, who at first looked like he was just staring out of the window, had actually fallen asleep. Sour took a look at Acidic and they grabbed a blanket; throwing it over Sweet. “Well, if you need the toilet the bathroom is up the stairs, right ahead of you” Cluttered simply said as he trotted away, presumably to sleep given the house remained silent once Sour and Acidic grabbed a blanket and fell asleep themselves. Although, before they did, Sour tried apologizing again; with Acidic just responding with “We’ll talk about it tomorrow” before they fell asleep.

Around the same time, in mountains far off to the north, in the northernmost point of the continent, screams of pain could be heard from two familiar voices. Arcane and Dallasite. Convinced that they had succeeded, they were quickly fact checked by a voice as they had infact found out that the three had survived. Arcane was the first to speak after they had been presumably hit with an unbearably long and concentrated Tormentius Totallio spell.

“Please stop! We didn’t mean to fail you! We just-“

“Silence” the voice responded. Cutting Arcane off completely. “I should clip your wings for your failure. I should just completely rip them from your body. Be grateful that I don’t” they then continued. “W-we can attack them now if you’d like!” Dallasite immediately responded as he seemed quick to want to please this voice. “Attacking them now would be a stupid move. In addition it would be cowardice. Not unlike your style Arcane. Sly and Vicious. I thought you, however Dallasite, would have a sense of honor at least. But perhaps, after all these years, I was wrong” the voice interrupted.

“S-should we try tomorrow?” Dallasite then asked with fear in his voice. “Perhaps. For now, just observe them. If they managed to elude the pair of you, then perhaps he’s not a lost cause to us. Perhaps he’s still there. Hopefully” the voice then responded as they seemed to have left the place they were in. When the voice seemed to have left, Dallasite crawled over to Arcane, both of them extremely weak from the torture they had endured. “Are you-“

“I’m fine Dallasite… Just, get some rest. You need it” Arcane responded. His tone was dismissive of the purple alicorn as he looked out into the night sky from the cave they were in. Dallasite didn’t try to interject as he laid on the stone-cold floor. He did however say one last thing to Arcane. “We’ll get him, and our country back Arcane. We’ll make sure of that” he said, with hope in his voice. Arcane however, ignored Dallasite. When he was sure he was asleep, Arcane simply ended said one thing before he called it a night for himself as well.

“It could be possible… For now, we’ll have to wait and see…”.

Author's Note

Hiiii

I hope you enjoyed this one. I'm debating as to whether to make the next chapter about Stardew and where he is right now, or if I should continue to make this a story solely about the trio. I want to see if I can make this a solely Sour, Sweet, Acidic, Dallasite and Arcane based adventure, with Stardew appearing in the final few chapters and making a story about him after i've finished this one up, but i'm not sure. I feel like it's too overwhelming I guess if I add Stardew's story into this as well as Covet's? But we'll see.

Also, I don't usually ask this of people, but if you could upvote and follow me i'd appreciate it! Thankin' ye!

Kosmik

Chapter 05: The morning of mist

The morning soon swung around. The sun penetrating the windows as Sweet shuffled around, trying to avoid the light. Sour and Acidic were the two to get up, however tired that they were. Acidic stretched his wings as Sour got up and stretched his legs out to wake up; both looking at Sweet with some level of appreciation. “If only he wasn’t so… Unbearable when it came to Earthponies and Pegasi” Acidic said to Sour with a yawn added at the end. Sour nodded as he trotted into the kitchen. Whilst he was in the Kitchen, Acidic attempted to wake Sweet up. He ended up accidentally pushing Sweet off of the couch onto the floor. However, even still, Sweet wasn’t waking up. “Sour, get me a cup of water. We need to splash him" Acidic then requested.

About two minutes later, Sour came back into the front room. “Goodness this place is even worse than our bedroom. Have you seen that kitchen???” Sour asked Acidic with shock in his voice. “Never mind the cleaning problems. Just pass that to me” Acidic responded, pointing to the cup of Water Sour had also brought in. Within a split second a shriek of shock from the cold water that had landed upon Sweet was emitted. Shock turned to anger as Sweet began shouting about how cold he felt due to the water. “Why use COLD water!? Now I’m freezing!” was but one of the many sentences that Sweet uttered.

About two minutes of pure anger launched at Sour and Acidic is where they heard noises above them. “Must’ve woken Cluttered up… Whoops” Acidic muttered, his mind and in turn, Sour and Sweets minds filled with regret at the reaction that Sweet gave. All three having Acidic’s theory from the day prior confirmed yet again. Like an elephant, Cluttered stomped down the stairs. Although, unlike the anger the three presumed Cluttered had, it was instead drowsiness. “W-what’s the racket…?” he asked the three, adding a yawn at the end of his question. “Oh, well, we wanted to wake Sweet up” Sour responded. Acidic however, had trotted over to the window. They left the curtains open all night. When he looked out, he saw something odd. A bit of mist had built up from the outside. Although it wasn’t immediately an issue, Acidic remembered that the day before, mist enveloped them when Arcane and Dallasite were around.

“Mist? In Summer?” Cluttered then asked as he too had looked outside. Sour and Sweet, in turn, also looked at eachother as they recalled the experience and the mist from the day prior. “They could’ve found us…” Sour muttered to Sweet. Sweet however, didn’t seem to think so. “Well the mist ONLY appeared at the climax of our encounter with the pair. If you actually had a brain you’d realize that, Mudlicker” Sweet then responded. The term Mudlicker was a new term for Cluttered. However, he could tell that it was a taboo word as Sour immediately got in Sweets face. Sour having silent rage written all over his face. “Did you really have to say that? You know that word is a derogatory word for Earthponies…” Acidic asked Sweet; with a berating tone to his voice.

“Mudlicker? That’s a new one” Cluttered simply said to himself as he trotted out into the kitchen. “You three want something for breakfast? Acidic, Sour I’ll do us some toast if you want” he then asked the three. Sweet seemed to catch onto the exclusion however, as he instantly responded. “And what about me?” he asked. “As if I’m going to give you breakfast after the word you just used. I might not know what it is but I know it was certainly a bad word. Mudlicker, as if that’s even creative…” Cluttered responded; with a distasteful tone to his voice. The rest of that hour was spent waiting for the toast that Cluttered had said he’d make. By the end, Sour, Acidic and Cluttered ate full meals; whilst Sweet was left with a stomach rumble from the fact he didn’t have anything to eat. The other three saw this as karma for what he had said however; so they just rolled their eyes when he started complaining again.

After Sour, Acidic and Cluttered finished their food, Acidic offered to wash the dishes for Cluttered. Cluttered, thinking about the state of his kitchen with choice thoughts about it, happily allowed Acidic to wash the dishes in the kitchen. Sour, thinking of something for the pair to do together, asked a question to Cluttered. “Why don’t you two clean up the kitchen and any of the, uh, salvageable rooms and us two will head out. I think we need to have a talk. Just the two of us” he asked, looking at Sweet with seriousness in his eyes. It didn’t show after he had eaten, but he was still filled with anger over being called what he was called. Sweet simply rolled his eyes and, knowing he couldn’t really fight back or retaliate, simply responded with “Sure” before he trotted out into the hallway; sneezing at the dust that was prevalent in the hallway from a lack of maintenance or care to the house. “Alright fine. But, be careful. If this is something tied to your attackers, you’ll want to stay together” Cluttered said to the pair as both Sour and Sweet headed off. Neither speaking to eachother.

After the door closed, Cluttered got to work with Acidic in terms of the kitchen. There weren’t many cleaning supplies, but Acidic managed to use his wings to blow all the collected dust out of the small window within; keeping the window open to circulate some air into the room. Although, whilst this was effective, the mist from the outside looked like it was going to try and seep into the building. So, the window was only left open for a bit to get enough air into the room before Cluttered closed it. When they finished in the kitchen, they did the same with the upstairs bathroom and, after doing both of those rooms, they finally rested in the front room. “We should leave this room and the rest of the house to Sweet. I can’t believe he said that!” Acidic suggested; sounding very outraged by the end of his sentence. “Well, you three woke up in a strange place and all three of you were almost killed. Who’s to say that Sweet doesn’t feel scared or fearful?” Cluttered asked. However, he quickly added on to his response. “Of course, that’s not me trying to say him saying that to Sour was acceptable! Absolutely not! I’m just trying to get an understanding for his behaviors” is what Cluttered added. Acidic thought about it for a second or so, before responding.

“It doesn’t help that Sour got angry at me yesterday. Before I met you, he shouted at me because Sweet annoyed him…” Acidic then responded. “I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. Unlike Sweet’s clear distaste of anything without a horn” Cluttered assured Acidic. Although, Cluttered could tell that it was still bothering Acidic even after his words. Acidic looked around as he sighed; his emotions rising slightly. He didn’t know why, but his anger grew exponentially. It’s not like he was angry at Cluttered. That was, until he recalled the fact that Sour, Sweet and himself were emotionally tied together. So, he assumed that something was happening whilst they were trotting together. “We should probably head out… I think the other two aren’t getting along all too well” Acidic told Cluttered. Cluttered nodded as he looked outside and saw that the sun had moved significantly during their cleaning spree. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go to the park, it’s not too far from here. Knowing your situation, they wouldn’t want to stray too far at all” Cluttered responded; and so the pair exited the house themselves and began trotting to the park.

Two hours earlier…

The silence from the pair who had just trotted out of house was deafening. Sweet and Sour refusing to even acknowledge eachother whilst they trotted to find somewhere to just sit and discuss their issues with eachother; mainly with the issues Sour had with Sweet not too long ago as well as throughout the day before. Anger was slowly building up in Sour, and he knew that it was best to let it out before it became harmful and uncontrollable. About twenty minutes later, the pair found a park. The park looked to be incredibly rundown and rust on the park gates only exacerbated that claim tenfold. Opening the gate, with an enormous creaking from the lack of care, the pair trotted in and sat on the nearest bench they could find. The silence the pair had was still deafening, however after about ten minutes, Sour finally decided to speak up.

“How could you say that word…? It was disgusting” he said. His anger finally etching into his words. Unlike Sweet’s prideful demeanor before, he seemed very hesitant to respond. However, he did try. “It’s not like you two helped by throwing the water-“ but before he could finish, Sour immediately interjected. “That’s no excuse for what you said! It was just water!” he shouted out. It was clear Sour wasn’t going to accept any excuses as he got up, pacing back and forth. Sweet however, remained silent. He wouldn’t admit it to Sour, but he knew deep down that, there was indeed, no excuse for what he said. Every reason he tried to come up with was quickly shot down by his own thoughts; scenarios bouncing across and through his head as he tried to take some time to think about his next words. It didn’t help that the mist that they had seen earlier was incredibly strong in the park. They both couldn’t get too far away from eachother, because if they did, they’d be separated by the mist itself; it becoming so thickened and dense. Sweet and Sour remained mostly silent for the majority of their time within the park, only having decided to discuss the matter more when Sour had managed to think of how he would word his next sentence. Eventually, he was able to, as he took a deep breath and spoke.

“That word was hideous. As a prince, we should all know not to act like that. I don’t want to hear anything else about your thoughts about Earthponies and Pegasi. We’re all equal. No matter your- or rather our- old, jaded views on the world” is what he said to Sweet as he took a breath and sighed heavily to himself. Sweet, who had listened to it all, just responded with “It is our views… Regardless of what you say, we were once one alicorn” before he looked away. The words were sinking into Sweets head. However, he just couldn’t get rid of his views as quickly as Sour would’ve like. He knew what he did was wrong and all he could really muster after that was one simple sentence. “If it means anything, I …apologize” he said, with a hesitation to the word apologize. “I don’t accept fake apologies. You should know that… Show me you can change, don’t just apologize” Sour responded. However, Sweet wasn’t on the same thought process as he started getting angry. How was he even supposed to put in change?! It didn’t make sense to him! “I said I was sorry! What else do you want!?” he angrily responded. His mind clearly frustrated.

That’s when Sour responded with something that Sweet found to be, quite frankly, backwards. “If you don’t understand that words don’t mean anything without actions, I can’t help you to put the effort in” is what Sour said. “WHAT!?” Sweet immediately shouted back. His anger getting to him. However, he wasn’t the only one angry at this point. Sours anger had peaked, and he wasn’t about to accept himself being shouted at. “YOU HEARD ME! SAYING SORRY ISN’T ENOUGH! WHAT ABOUT THAT IS SO HARD FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND! AREN’T YOU A UNICORN?! THE BETTER OF THE-“ but before he finished, he paused. He was angry, that much was true. However, he realized what he was about to do and stopped himself. He didn’t want to stoop down to the level that Sweet was at. Instead, he took a deep breath and just responded with “You heard me” before noticing the gate they had come through creaked open again. Both of the ponies turned around and, to their relief, both Acidic and Cluttered appeared. Acidic having a concerned expression from what he had presumably just heard.

“I hope that you weren’t thinking of-“ Acidic began. However, before he could finish, Sour finished it for him. “No, I’m not going to. Nor did I do. He knows how I feel now” Sour responded. Cluttered and Acidic looked at eachother for a minute, before they looked at Sweet and noticed the anger. “So that conversation is what I felt, then” Acidic muttered to himself. The pair trotted properly over to Sweet as Acidic said something very surprising. He began with “Sweet, listen” before pausing. He didn’t know if, given the current situation, if his words would lessen or worsen the situation. However, he had to make his feelings known about what had happened earlier. “What you say, it affects everyone around you. I know you’re scared, probably. But you can’t resort to that behavior… Trust me, we’re all feeling the brunt end of-“ but before he continued, sudden sorrow filled his mind and heart. As he said his words, he recalled his family back in Manestralia; their father must’ve been so worried about them. They didn’t even know what happened to Stardew. Just that he seemed to be gone. The emotions affecting Acidic heavily, he teared up. Streams of sadness and fear coming from him as he blubbered the end of what he was saying. “We’re all feeling the effects of it all. But please, let’s at least respect eachother. If not anypony else. The last thing we need is to be divided and killed because we hate eachother”.

It took Sweet and Sour by surprise. The intensity of Acidic’s emotions seemed to have affected the pair of them as they began tearing up. Sweet took a moment to just think. Acidic had hit the nail on the head without even knowing it. Sour meanwhile composed himself as he spoke to Acidic, simply saying “I think you worded it perfectly. If it means anything to you Acidic, I do apologize about yesterday…”. Acidic smiled slightly. His little spark of relief coming from the words he had just heard. “Just promise me, the pair of you” he started as he cleaned off his tears and also composed himself. “That none of us will sit here and use the other as an outlet of our emotions. We all know what we’re going through. So we should all confide within eachother. We shouldn’t be fighting.” Is what Acidic then ended with.

“I can do that” Sour replied with a smile on his face. Sweet however, didn’t respond. Although, he did silently keep those words in his head. It was as if he was processing what was just said to him and couldn’t fully grasp it. However, in order to not start another argument, that being the last of his wishes at the present time, simply responded with “Alright” before they all turned to Cluttered. Cluttered, not having dared attempted to intrude on the moment, looked as though he had witnessed a major event in history as he stared. “Is he alright?” Sour asked Acidic. Before Acidic could respond however, Cluttered himself responded.

“I’m… Fine. Look, let’s just go. I have to go check on my shop. Even if it’s a day off. Gotta make sure it’s not been burgled or anything!”. Acidic, Sour and Sweet looked at eachother with a thought of unison as Acidic spoke. Saying “Sure, let’s get going” before the four of them left the park. The gate creaking closed as they trotted to the city insides. Unbeknownst to them however, a figure was watching them from the shadows. This figure quickly molded into a physical form from the mist, and the mist around them quickly dissipated as they spoke. In a rough, deep voice, the figure simply muttered to himself. “Such trivial and worthless emotions…” Before they dispersed back into mist; the mist becoming as thick as it had done before they molded. As if they were the center of the mist, the mist thickened wherever they went. The mass of mist that had spread citywide coming from where they traveled.

It had been about half an hour before the four had finally reached the main heart of the city. The mist being so dense within the streets that the four had to essentially move as one unit. It didn’t help that the streets were silent. Nopony being around. A sense of eeriness to the air. That didn’t stop them however as they passed by the library. The library being a tall, olden styled building that could’ve easily have passed as the city hall opposite of it. “That’s huge! It could easily rival Coltney Central Library!” Sour remarked as the building imposed a major sense of awe within the three. That is however, until they were distracted by a stallion fleeing the library. “Duskfall? What’s got his head out of his books? That’s a rare sight” Cluttered asked himself as the three looked at eachother. “Duskfall?” Acidic asked. But before he could get an answer, Duskfall had fallen infront of them, screaming out “THE BOOKS! THEY’RE ALL ALIVE!” before he tried to gallop off himself. Duskfall had a mint green coat which contrasted his vivid purple mane. His horn sticking up just like Sweets but without the curvature. The back of his mane being tied up in a tail of it’s own as it flung backwards as he galloped away, frantically screaming out of fear. “That’s concerning. I’ll get him. Could you three at least peek inside and see what’s happening in there? After that, go to that building” Cluttered asked; pointing to the city hall.

“But wouldn’t it be better to-“ Sour began. However, before he could go on, Cluttered had vanished in the same direction as the mist enveloped his body. “Well, no harm in checking” Sweet said to the others as they trotted on up to the now open doors. That’s when they saw someone. The aforementioned figure from before that had been watching them. “Who-“ Sour began. However, the figure immediately bolted his head at the entrance. “Stupid Unicorn… Should’ve Petifious’d him…” he said with pure malice seeming to come from his words. Before any of the three had any time to react, the figure immediately turned back into mist, lobbing a book at Sweet so fast that it rendered him unconscious for a moment before the other two were swept away by the sheer force of the fleeing mist; the figure having turned into a ball of mist to flee. “Sweet!” both Acidic and Sour shrieked as they shook him to the conscious world again. “W-what…?” Sweet responded as he came back, his head swirling. The other two felt the swirling themselves as they shook their heads to get rid of it. Which, when Sweet looked downwards, is when they found the book that had been thrown at Sweet. When they looked down, they saw that it had a title.

ANCIENT STRUCTURES OF THE OLD WORLD – By Scribe Notes

“Scribe Notes?” Sour asked the others. Sweet, using his magic, lifted the book and turned to the first page, where it had been dated 987AC.EU. “AC.EU? What’s that?” Sweet asked. “That would be After Ceyonait-Ellestros Unity” said a voice from behind them. They instantly turned around as they looked up. There, an orange stallion was looking down at them. This stallion had a deep blue mane, which seemed wild and windswept. His wing being semi-furled as a pair of headphones sat around his neck. “Well get up then” he then said to the three on the floor. The three took a moment to get up, most of that being spent on making sure Sweet could get up. “Before you ask, my name’s Soundwave. I heard what happened to Duskfall through Cluttered. I actually bumped into him because we were supposed to meet at his shop. Now the question remains…” Soundwave then said. “Who’re you all and why’re you here…?” he then asked.

“I can explain that!” a voice behind Soundwave and the trio responded. It was Cluttered, along with a lagging Duskfall trotting slowly behind them. “Has… Has it…?” Duskfall asked Soundwave with fear still in his voice. Soundwave nodded. “It’s alright now Dusky” he then responded. Duskfall took a sigh of relief as both himself and Cluttered then trotted into the library. That’s when Sweet spoke; seemingly to himself. “I’ve seen this door before!” he said, looking at a sketch of the very same door he had seen in the mines they had been in the day before. However, the door wasn’t alone. There were two more doors on the pages he had flipped to. “I didn’t think this book held anything of value so I flipped through it. Lucky I spotted these doors!” Sweet cheered to himself. Sour and Acidic looked at eachother and then to the other trio as they looked confused. “Door…?” Soundwave asked. “There’s tons of doors everywhere. What’s so special about this one you saw?” he then asked in addition. “We’ll explain everything… But first I think this library needs some organizing” Acidic then responded as the six of them, now turning their attention to the mess behind them, headed properly in.

About thirty minutes of cleaning up the damaged books later, Duskfall commenting about the state of the pages that seemed to have been ripped out. “Thankfully I have my magic” he said to himself as he got to work repairing all of the remaining torn books. Acidic and Soundwave worked on a pile of the books that was accumulating in mass as they flew around in the individual rows of shelves inside the library. Meanwhile, Sour had explained to Duskfall through a series of pauses what had happened from the beginning of the day prior to the current time At the same time, repeating what he had said to Soundwave when he left Acidic to clean up the remainder of the books once the pile shrunk enough. At the same time, Sweet was busy reading about the doors he had seen on the pages. In addition, he also read about structures linked to the doors; known as Springs. “Spring of Body, Mind and Soul… How curious…” he said to himself as he read the passages. The passages in question absorbing Sweets attention as they read out as followed:

Built by what can be presumed to be a now extinct race of light, the Springs of Body, Mind and Soul remain mysterious and illusive. The Spring of Body being located in the gorges near the town of Gulfmane. The Spring of Mind being located in the seas around the Southern coasts; those of which are now inhabited by the resort location of Trotquay. The last Spring is the most mysterious however, as even though the Spring of Mind is protected by an unknown barrier that strips every magical breathing spell away from exploration teams, the Spring of Soul is located in the Whistleheight mines.

Being located in the Whistleheight mines, one must also mention the tragedies that occurred from trying to get past the door guarding the Spring of Soul. It is reported, but not confirmed, that spirits of the workers in the mines now guard the door. It is theorized that the Springs will never be truly ‘unlocked’ so to speak. This, in turn, means that nobody will know the true purposes of the Springs.

The one with the least amount of guarding is the Spring of Body. Located in the Gorge, a few select figures and adventurers have managed to reach the Spring of Body. One being myself. As one who has managed to find the Spring of Body, the current hypothesis most of us who have seen the Springs have is that they served as trials of sorts. Warding off those who were unworthy in the days of old. It is also theorized that these Springs are related to the last King of Ellestros. His history is muddied with tyranny. However, what IS known is that the King valued the Springs beyond anypony else’s understanding. It is also believed that a prophecy foretells the fates of the Springs. The prophecy being as follows from the prophet Foreseen Future of the old world;

“From the tragedy of a father and mother, one child with three sets of eyes will venture to the Springs. Their heart being repaired, and their true power being revealed to none once the child of Winds prevents the devouring destruction of the Undermension. This is when truth that is so obviously infront of the child of the Springs will be made obvious.”

“Undermension?” Sweet asked himself; flashing back to the brief thing Dallasite said before Stardew disappeared.

“Tepalethium Undermensia”

“But what’s…?” Sweet then tried to ask himself. Before he could question it further however, Sour interrupted his deep thought. “You alright…? You seem curious about what you’ve read” he asked. “Sour, get Acidic, I think this might have something to do with what happened before… Well, yesterday” Sweet responded. When Acidic got back from the final barrage of books, Cluttered, Duskfall, Soundwave, Acidic, Sour and Sweet all sat down to discuss what Sweet had discovered.

“One child with three sets of eyes… Certainly mentions us. Child of Winds… That’s Stardew, he’s always had a connection to the Skies. Remember the Sea VS Sky Alifest?” Acidic spouted off as he eagerly remembered the Alifest that he had mentioned. “Who’s Stardew?” Cluttered asked as Cluttered, Soundwave and Duskfall seemed confused. “You never mentioned a Stardew” Soundwave then added in, eyeing the three with suspicion. Sour, Sweet and Acidic looked at eachother. They didn’t know how to respond. They never did mention Stardew after all. “I think it’s time we told them” Sour said to the three confused stallions sitting opposite of them. The rest of the, now afternoon, was spent explaining what had actually happened to cause their sudden appearance. About their father, their brother and their Alicorn heritage. This lasted for a long time, the three native Ceyonaitians posing several questions about Manestralia, Alifests, Stardew, Crimson and why they’d never heard of Manestralia before. By the time they were done, the night had just about set in. Soundwave lighting a lamp as the six of them finally took a deep moment to process everything that had been explained, witnessed and experienced.

“That’s… A lot” Duskfall simply sighed to himself as he grabbed the book and seemed to look at the passages about the Spring of Body. “Gulfmane… We have to get you there then. I assume that prophecy is about what’s happening right now… I’ll see if my brother can join us tomorrow. I actually need to attend to something that I’ve been putting off for… A while now…” Duskfall then said as he got his head out of his book. “You’re not thinking of-“ Soundwave began. “I indeed am. It’s time they knew about us hun” Duskfall interjected. Sour, Sweet and Acidic looked confused, however before they could question it Duskfall changed the subject. “Say, how would you like to stay over mine tonight? Cluttered that means you too” Duskfall then asked. “Alright but don’t be surprised if I’m gone by morning. The shop needs maintenance and its owner for it to be open on the days it’s supposed to be open on!” Cluttered responded; laughing.

“Then it’s settled. All six of us will stay at ours then!” Soundwave responded as both him and Duskfall trotted off to the library entrance. “Come on! We don’t have all night!” he chirped. Sweet, picking up the book with his magic, trotted off, followed by Sour, Acidic and Cluttered. “I don’t think we agreed to this” Acidic whispered into Sours ear”. “Don’t worry, it's better than Cluttered’s place… I’m sure of it” Sour whispered back. “What was that?” Cluttered asked as he looked at them, swearing he had heard his own name. “Nothing! Don’t worry!” the pair then responded with haste as they began speeding up. As they all trotted down a different street to the one they came from during the morning, the figure that had thrown the book looked at them from a distance.

“This could work…” he said to himself as he turned around. Behind him, Arcane and Dallasite stood. “You two are to make sure they make it to that Spring. It’s happening. He’s coming back to us. We’ll have him back by the end of the year at this rate” the figure spoke to the two alicorns. Arcane and Dallasite looked at eachother, filled with eagerness and excitement at this. “You mean, I could-“ Dallasite began. Before he could continue however, the figure lifted his hoof and placed it on Dallasite’s cheek, responding. “Yes Dallasite, Bounded Time will come back to us. We’ll have him back if you two don’t falter. Tomorrow… Tomorrow is when they depart for Gulfmane. Just do as I ordered or else” the figure then said, with an etching warning in those last words. Together, the three departed back to the northern mountains.

About half an hour passed as the six stallions trotted down to a house in the suburbs of the city. The two owners of the house trotted up to the door of a certain house as the trio got a view of the house; Cluttered just trotting past the three gazing at the house. This house, which was nicer than Cluttered’s already by default, had a clean structure. The windows weren’t bordered up and the house itself from the outside and overall, the house looked wonderful. As the trio trotted inside, they were in awe at just how clean the place was. Spending the night in Cluttered’s house, the immediate lack of mess or clutter was a sight for sore eyes. The furniture looked well kept, and the place looked spotless to the standard pony’s vision. “Wow! You really like your place clean, huh” Sour spoke in awe as he was busy gazing around at the place. “You’re surprised? I guess I don’t blame you, Cluttered’s… Well, he’s…” Duskfall began. Before he finished however he seemed to stop himself. Which is when Soundwave cut in. “You three stink. You smell like dead fish. The shower is upstairs. Dusky hun, can you get them towels?” Soundwave then asked Duskfall. Duskfall giggled to himself as he simply replied with “Sure!” before escorting the trio upstairs with him.

Whilst the three were showering, Duskfall came back downstairs where he made his way to the kitchen. The kitchen being as tidy as the rest of the house. There, Cluttered and Soundwave sat. “Made you your fave! Just how you like it!” Soundwave spoke with happiness as Duskfall took ahold of the cup of oat cocoa that Soundwave made for him. “So, do you believe those three?” he then asked the other two. “It’s not like they would lie about something like this… Still, it’s suspicious. How come we never heard about Manestralia?” Cluttered responded. “Yeah, as far as I know Manestralia isn’t on any world map we have in our records…” Duskfall responded. “Let’s just… keep an open mind I suppose?” Soundwave then rhetorically asked as the other two looked at eachother. Cluttered speaking up next as he asked something. “So, who’re you visiting tomorrow?” he asked with a curious tone.

“My parents” Duskfall responded.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Sweet had just finished showering as the other two waited in the bedroom adjacent to the bathroom. They looked at eachother in unison as Sweet began drying himself off. “So, those three. Not what I expected!” Sour said, with surprise laced in his words. “It’s not like they’re bad” Acidic responded. “I never said that! It’s just this has been such an eventful day…” Sour responded back with a frown. “Let’s not argue like old grannies… For a Pegasus and Earthpony they’re… Alright” Sweet then interrupted. Immediately the other two looked at him. Sweet, looking back, simply responded with “Sorry, sorry. Force of habit I suppose…” before he focused on drying himself. The other two, having dried off already, simply rolled their eyes, maintaining themselves as they just headed downstairs; with Sour responding “Just dry off”.

Back downstairs, Soundwave, Duskfall and Cluttered had apparently been to work. In the front room, the grey couch that presumably sat in the center of the room, had been moved to the corner of the room. On the floor, three sleeping bags were stacked. One in Orange, one in Purple and one in Blue. “Where’s Sweet?” Duskfall asked the two that had just come down the stairs. “He’ll be here soon. Hopefully not sitting upstairs focusing on drying his mane…” Acidic responded. “Right, well, Cluttered gets the couch. The three of you get the sleeping bags. We obviously have our bedroom. Tomorrow we set out for Gulfmane” Duskfall then added on. That’s when Sweet finally came downstairs, his mane still being wrapped in the towel it was held in. “What’s going on?” Sweet then asked as he entered. “Nothing. Here, catch!” Acidic then responded, throwing a sleeping bag at him; the colour being purple. “Oh lovely, sleeping on the floor” Sweet muttered to himself, but when he saw that Sour and Acidic were staring him down with daggers, he didn’t continue.

“Right, well we’re going to get to sleep. Stay up if you want but you might want to take this time to sleep. Especially you, Cluttered. Life for you is bad enough as is” Soundwave then said as Duskfall had already disappeared up the stairs. Soundwave, looking one last time at the quartet, disappeared up the stairs as well. When Sour, Sweet and Acidic looked at Cluttered however, they saw him looking upset. “Are you alright?” Acidic asked Cluttered with concern. “I’m… Fine” Cluttered responded; not even looking at the three as he grabbed the blanket on the couch and laid into it. The trio soon following as they got out their sleeping bags and all four of them fell asleep soon after. Although, Acidic took longer than the other three. He felt concerned for Cluttered. He gathered vaguely what Soundwave meant, but decided to not press about it any further than it already had been pressed.

Upstairs meanwhile, Duskfall and Soundwave were sitting up. Soundwave was the first of the two to speak. “Are you sure it’s a good idea speaking to your parents about this? You know what they think of us and who we are” he asked, concern and worry lathered in his voice. “It has to happen eventually… Hopefully they aren’t too unreceptive…” Duskfall simply responded as Soundwave leaned in for a hug. “Whatever happens, I’ll be here. Just know that Dusky” Soundwave assured as Duskfall embraced the hug; calming him as he had been shaking for the duration of them being up in their room. “You also have your brother. I’m sure Dawnrise will join us” Soundwave then added. His voice calming Duskfall as he broke from the hug. “Let’s just get some rest, alright” Duskfall then said. Knowing that Duskfall didn’t want to deal with any of what was going to happen the next morning until it happened, Soundwave simply nodded and kissed Duskfall; both of them then getting into bed and falling to sleep soon after.

Author's Note

Alright so hi again. So I decided to continue with the main trio's adventure. I'll put Stardew's adventure on the backburner. I also hope you like the introduction of BOTH Duskfall and Soundwave. As well as the little bits with Arcane and Dallasite. I wanted to put focus on Duskfall and Soundwave specifically as a homosexual couple with problems from their families. Duskfall being the first one I want to tackle. I also wanted to expand a little on Cluttered given he's a mess. I'll expand on more of that after this next chapter that's coming but for now, just keep him in mind.

Alright that's me, again like the story, follow me etc etc blah blah blah insert generic influencer spiel about several social medias blahhhhhhh

Byeee.

Chapter 06: The attack on the Train

The morning came quickly, morning light casting itself over the house that the six resided in. As if a bundle of heavy weights had been stuck on them all night, Sour, Sweet and Acidic were unmoving when Duskfall and Soundwave went downstairs to wake the other four up. Cluttered, who shuffled a bit, ended up being lifted over the three sleeping bodies by Duskfall, as he used his magic to quickly save Cluttered from slamming into Acidic. After being placed down on Duskfall and Soundwave’s side of the room, the three trotted quietly to the kitchen. “They’re out like lights… Must not have gotten a good nights rest in ages” Soundwave commented to himself as he heard the black kettle they had bubbling in the background. Duskfall grabbed three cups from the cupboard next to their oven, and Soundwave sat down next to Cluttered; yawning to himself.

“Could you do us up some cereal Dusky?” Soundwave yawned to himself again as he looked at Duskfall. Without looking at him, he used his magic to grab a bowl and then to open the fridge to begin assembling a bowl of cereal as Soundwave asked for. His mind, however, was elsewhere. He was exhaustingly worried about the possible outcomes of the day ahead of them. He knew that he’d have Soundwave, his brother Dawnrise, and the other three but he couldn’t find a good ending for the meeting that had to happen. In his deep thought, he ended up accidentally spilling hot water all over the counter-top he was preparing the morning hot drinks on. He opted for black coffee himself, but for as long as he had known Soundwave, he knew that Soundwave preferred tea in the mornings. Soundwave got up and trotted over to Duskfall as he grabbed a nearby tea towel to clean up the water; which was now dripping off of the counter and onto the floor. “Are you sure you’re ready… For this?” Soundwave asked Duskfall, concern in his voice. “I’m… I’m ready. As I said yesterday, it has to happen” Duskfall replied, still not looking at Soundwave.

Using his magic, Duskfall moved the cups of now hot drinks to the table Cluttered was sat at, serving Cluttered some coffee. Although he made sure Cluttered had a normal coffee. The amount of coffee Duskfall had in his coffee being something he had adjusted himself to for nearly five years. Adding nine spoonful’s of coffee with one white sugar cube dropped in to dissolve once the hot water was added to the coffee powder sitting at the bottom of the cup. Duskfall and Soundwave sat at the table, Soundwave grabbing his bowl of cereal after he put the milk away and the box away that Duskfall had offhandedly grabbed before spilling the hot water. Cluttered looked at Duskfall, then at Soundwave as Soundwave tilted his head in an effort to hint at Cluttered striking up a conversation. Cluttered then spoke, with some excitement to his tone.

“Look on the bright side! You’re leaving this city for a little bit and I’d look forward to looking at the art exhibit there specifically if I was going!” he said, hoping to put a smile on Duskfall’s face. Unfortunately, the smile didn’t come. Although Duskfall seemed to know what Soundwave had just tried getting Cluttered to do. He responded as he sighed, saying “I appreciate trying to lighten the mood, but I don’t think that can happen until the day is over with. Regardless of the outcome” as he began drinking his coffee to wake up. Soundwave and Cluttered looked at eachother as Cluttered, now feeling like he failed to help, simply responded with “I’ll wake the others up then” before trotting off. He didn’t even touch his coffee as he, disheartened, trotted to the front room. Soundwave meanwhile, sat with Duskfall at the table; simply drinking his tea whilst trying and failing to strike up conversation.

When Cluttered made it into the front room, he took a long moment to himself. It was often that he found himself unable to help those around him. He didn’t even feel like the shelter he offered to the three he was about to wake up was good. There was mess around his house as far as the eye could see after all. For what it was worth, he did appreciate that Acidic had helped him clean it a little bit; though he knew that his emotions and mental state would lead to him forgetting to maintain or improve the state of his home. It was as if his mind blocked all energy and effort when it came to necessary actions. He didn’t fully understand it himself, but he didn’t want to think about it for longer than that moment. Slowly, he totted over to the three sleeping forms on the floor and shook them all awake. Several groans and yawns were heard as Sour, Sweet and Acidic woke up. It took them several minutes, with Sweet trying to go back to sleep, but after making sure he stayed awake they got up.

“What time is it…” Acidic yawned out as he stood up and used his wings to rub his eyes, wiping the sleep from them. “I’ll check, hold on” Cluttered responded as he took about half a minute to check around for any clocks, before spotting one he had previously failed to spot before and rushed back in as he spoke again. “Seven Forty-Five? I think. Never understood clocks. The long hand was pointing straight right and the small hand was on the seven at least” he then said with some confusion to his voice. “What’re we even doing again…?” Sour then asked. Sweet then jumped in, answering and restraining his tongue as he answered. “What do you- I mean- We’re going to Gulfmane stu- Oh that’s- Well what I mean to say is, what I said before” he responded. Tripping over his words a fair bit in trying to course correct his sentence. Sour and Acidic looked at eachother, Sour facehoofing as he responded back to Sweet, with his own opinion. “At least you’re trying, I guess”.

It took the four of them a short while to get into the kitchen, with Cluttered having to herd Sweet into the room. Sweet, who wanted to stay in the front room to supposedly sit down on the sofa, was very displeased with the fact all six of them were cramming into the smaller of the two rooms. Once they were all there, Soundwave spoke. “So, as you all know, we’re headed for Gulfmane today. The quickest way is by train, so we’re going to the train station. If you three head off for the station, we’ll meet you there once we’ve checked in with Duskfall’s brother Dawnrise” Soundwave explained. Cluttered looked at the three, who were standing up. Only one of them was listening, and that one was Acidic as the other two seemed to be helping themselves to the kettle. Sour was in the middle of fetching themselves cups as Soundwave then asked the pair a very obvious question after he looked at them as well; seeing if they were actually listening.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Sour and Sweet paused for a moment in what they were doing. “Surely we’re allowed to wake ourselves up? It’s no Owlnyte Coffee but it’ll do!” Sour then asked back in response. Soundwave looked at Duskfall for a moment, before Duskfall nodded in seeming approval. Soundwave looked back at the pair before responding back with “Just don’t break anything” before he got up. “I’m going to get mine and Duskfall’s things together in our saddlebags, Dusky do you want to-“ but before he could ask his question, Duskfall quickly got up. Without wording it, Soundwave could understand that Duskfall indeed wanted to. As they headed up the stairs, Cluttered trotted to the front door. “Not even a goodbye then?” Soundwave asked as he noticed. Duskfall turned around too, but quickly just proceeded up the stairs. Cluttered took a second before responding, responding with “Sorry, but I only have until Eight to get to Highbuck street. Good luck though Duskfall. I hope everything goes well! And you three!” he then shouted into the kitchen; the three in the kitchen turning their attention to him. “Good luck with whatever you need to do! Make sure to stay safe!” Cluttered then finished as he opened the front door and left, shutting it behind him. “We should’ve asked if he could’ve shown those three the way to the train station…” Soundwave simply sighed as he trotted up the stairs.

Meanwhile, downstairs, the trio looked at eachother. “Are we even sure we’re doing the correct thing…?” Sour asked the other two as he looked worried. “You read that prophecy and tell me it doesn’t relate to us and those Springs” Sweet then responded. “It’s not like we have anything better to do either. It'll be nice to see more of this land” Acidic then added on with excitement filling his sentence. Sour then turned to Sweet, his eyes showing seriousness. “I don’t want you to leave us behind because we’re not Alicorns or Unicorns. If we’re in danger, you help. Got it?” he then asked Sweet, his expression unchanging as Sweet looked at him. It took a moment, but Sweet nodded in hesitant understanding as the two then looked to see that Acidic had disappeared. “Acidic?” Sour asked himself as he looked around. About a moment later, Acidic came into the kitchen, looking immensely worried. “We forgot the book!” he said, worry flooding his voice.

“I can’t believe you forgot to take it with you!” Sour then said, turning his attention to Sweet. Sweet however, didn’t look nearly as worried as the other two. “Will you two relax? I left it on the shelf next to that plant in the corner of that room. Nothing was on it” Sweet then responded as he rolled his eyes. Acidic then flew off, coming back a moment later with the book. “Should we keep it… Here?” he then asked the other two as he sat down. “No, we can keep it in the saddlebags they’re packing. Acidic, pass it to them will you?” Sour then asked. Acidic looked at the other two for a second before nodding and began flying upstairs. When he got up the stairs and outside of Duskfall and Soundwave’s bedroom, he heard some whispers. As he drew closer to the closed door, he leaned against it and heard Soundwave and Duskfall talking.

“Surely it could wait though?” Soundwave asked Duskfall.

“We can’t. I already made my mind up, stop trying to change it!” Duskfall then responded.

“I’m just worried! Even with me and your brother, your parents could still get vicious! You remember all those letters they sent when they found out you moved here!” Soundwave then protested back.

Before the brewing argument between the two could properly begin, Acidic knocked on the door. Silence came from the room for a brief moment, before the door slowly opened. When the door opened, he could see Soundwave with the expression of frustration, with Duskfall also having this expression. “Yeah?” Soundwave then asked. His voice seeming more agitated and cutting compared to his usual, calmer voice. Acidic stood still for a second before remembering what he came up for. “I was just wondering if we could store this book in the saddlebags” he then responded. Before he could react however, the book was roughly ripped from his hooves by Duskfall’s magic. Duskfall, clearly exuding anger, stuffed the book inside without much care. Soundwave looked at Acidic before simply trotting down the stairs; starting to look upset.

Acidic spoke up after an awkward moment had passed, saying “We should both head downstairs… Come on!” before trotting downstairs himself. Duskfall took one more moment to himself, before stared out of the window. His mind creating angry, intrusive thoughts as he tried to ground himself in reality. By the time he got himself together, he noticed that the sun had moved a little bit. He shook his head as he got up, trotting outside of the room with his saddlebags and closing the door behind him; traveling down the stairs himself.

When he got downstairs, the other four were in the kitchen, Acidic and Soundwave sitting whilst the other two stood. They all looked up and at Duskfall as he spoke. “Let’s all set off then… The next train is relatively soon. If we want to get to Gulfmane and back before tomorrow, we’ll have to set off now” he said, looking at Soundwave. Soundwave looked back, with silent frustration still in his eyes. He simply got up as he trotted to the front door. The other three looked at eachother, before Duskfall spoke again. “That means you three, too” he said as the other three almost simultaneously jumped up from interruption. Getting up, Acidic followed Duskfall, followed shortly by Sour and Sweet who all ended up following Soundwave out of the house. Once the last of the five got outside, Soundwave shut the door before he turned to the three. “We’re heading to Dawnrise… Get yourselves to the train station” he said as the three looked at eachother.

“And how exactly are we supposed to get to the train station” Sweet asked, with arrogance in his voice. Soundwave took one look at him before getting close. He stared Sweet down, before Duskfall interrupted the tense moment. “Just get Acidic to use his wings. That’s what happened when you got in the city. Just do the same now. Can’t miss train tracks after all” he then responded to Sweet as he managed to get Soundwave to back off. Before the three could protest, the pair trotted off down the street; leaving the three to look at eachother. “I mean, they could’ve been nicer” Sour said to himself before Acidic then spoke. “They’re clearly tense about something. I heard something about Duskfall’s parents, letters and being viscous when I went to ask them about holding the book” Acidic said, with some curiosity in his voice. They all trotted down the street a little bit, before Acidic took the time to fly upward. When he was in the sky, he looked around. He didn’t realize how far out from the main city they actually were. But that’s when he saw it. Train tracks going through the city and leading out to the South and next to a forest not too far from them. He touched down, pointing in the direction of where he also saw the station and shouted, “That way!” before darting south at an immense speed; the other two following behind as they galloped behind.

Whilst the trio was headed toward the station, Soundwave and Duskfall silently trotted together. Side by side, but not acknowledging eachother. The tension and frustration the two had not dispersing. It took them about twenty minutes before either spoke; Duskfall breaking the ice like a hammer breaking a window. “You didn’t have to bring up the letters” he said, a cold distance in his voice. Soundwave stopped at once. In his mind, all he’d tried to do was make sure his partner was absolutely sure about what he was about to do. Yet, when he showed Duskfall the assurance he thought he needed, Duskfall was frustrated with him. It just didn’t make sense in his head. “Oh, so when I see my husband in an emotionally distressing state I’m supposed to just sit there and pray you’re ok!?” he then shouted out as his frustration was finally coming out. Duskfall, looking at Soundwave this time, saw for the first time in the day his partners feelings. He stared at him, locking eyes with him as he responded. “Soundwave… I appreciate you being here I really do, I just… When I make a decision, I don’t need to be prodded about it constantly. One time would’ve done!” he shouted back in his own frustration.

Soundwave looked at Duskfall, his mind instantly going into a red filled anger as he protested back, his voice getting louder. “I wasn’t prodding you about it constantly! I’m sorry about the letters, but given their track record it worries me!” Soundwave shouted back with anger now in his voice. This made Duskfall turn away for a moment. His eyes forming tears for a brief moment before he took a stuttered breath and just responded quietly. Responding with “Let’s just go” before he started trotting off. When he turned back a moment later however, he noticed that Soundwave was unmoving. His stance being firm as he just stared. “Come on, we have to-“ but before Duskfall could continue, Soundwave interrupted. “You go to him yourself. I’m heading to the station” he responded; anger in his voice. With a turn, he flew off. Out of sight and for now, out of reach.

Duskfall looked as if he were about to burst into a bundle of tears. He took a few moments to himself to just sit down on a nearby bench as he cried. His saddlebags slumping off of his back. Tears rolling down and his sadness reaching a peak. He was terrified of what this meant for the rest of the day as his mind just kept racing to repeat every negative thing that had happened within the last hour. Over and over, seemingly never-ending. His heart beating at, what seemed like, over ten-thousand times per minute. He had to stop himself, but no matter what he tried, he just couldn’t. It all felt like a whirling storm in his head. Thankfully for him however, somepony had galloped right up to him. When he turned to the figure that was standing next to him, he found it was the one he was looking for.

Dawnrise.

It was like looking into his own reflection for anypony else. The stallion looking almost identical to him in terms of coat colour. Their manes held similar hues of purple, however Dawnrise had a more pinkish hue to his mane and tail compared to his brother. His mane and tail being slightly tidier than Duskfall’s. With blue eyes just like his as well, the only distinguishing feature that truly separated the pair was the absence of a horn and the addition of wings to Dawnrise. “Now what’s my little brother doing here crying? I thought you and the husband were going to come find me? Or did Cluttered lie to me?” Dawnrise asked, sitting down next to Duskfall. The thoughts inside of Duskfall’s head subsided for the time being as he responded with a relieved voice. “You couldn’t have come at a better time if you tried” he said, hugging his brother and just taking a moment to relax.

Dawnrise was slightly stunned. He’d not seen his brother so emotional since he moved from Gulfmane to Buckgrove. Of course, unknown to him, he did show emotion the day prior when the figure from the mist entered the library. However, again, Dawnrise held no knowledge of that. For him, this was rare. “So, why did you want to see me?” Dawnrise asked after he allowed his brother to calm himself. Duskfall, finally composing himself, responded with a question. “First, did you mention Cluttered?”. “Well, yeah. Cluttered and I bumped into eachother whilst he was making his way to his shop. He told me you were looking for me, so I was heading to my house. Which is when I found you” Dawnrise responded with confusion still in his voice. He then continued, asking the same question he asked prior. “So tell me then, why did you need to see me?” to which Duskfall answered.

“I’m ready to tell mum and dad about us”

Dawnrise immediately flew upwards slightly in shock. His brother telling their parents? But they both knew that they’d reject it outright. What was the point? Dawnrise sat himself down and immediately asked Duskfall the obvious thing on his mind. “And why would you want to do that?” he asked, with genuine curiosity in his voice. Duskfall sighed as he spent some time explaining the events that lead up to the point they were at currently. Dawnrise listening intently. To him, it seemed pointless, but he wasn’t about to say that to Duskfall after what he heard after an hour of listening to him. At the end, after being somewhat overwhelmed, Dawnrise finally spoke. “So, I guess me and you are heading to Gulfmane then” he said, deciding in his mind to conceal his own opinions about the matter. It clearly meant a lot to Duskfall to tell their parents, and after he heard about the argument he had with Soundwave, he knew that any further objection to his brother’s want would’ve made things worse.

“Well, come on then! Let’s get going Dusk” Dawnrise then said, getting up as he pulled Duskfall with him. Duskfall put a smile on his face for the first time that day as he used his magic to put the saddlebags back on his back. Within seconds, they both raced off down the streets. He was so lucky to have Dawnrise in his life. Just as he was to have Soundwave in his life; deciding to spend their journey to the train station thinking of how he’d go about talking the morning over with him.

About an hour earlier…

The trio bolted from street to street. Corner to corner. Acidic almost being blindingly fast as he seemed intent on the course he was going at. “Will you slow down!?” Sour shouted out at Acidic, finding it exhausting to keep up with him. Sweet, who had fallen over a few times, started using his own magic to just levitate himself off of the street to catch up to Acidic; leaving Sour behind at certain points and forcing the pair to wait for him. By the time they had reached their destination, they had managed to find themselves in a little bit of a line. The line wasn’t long, but was enough to give the three of them time to breath after their unintentional marathon that they had just galloped. Sour, who suffered the most from the galloping, spoke up. “You think you could go the tiniest bit slower next time?” he asked, through desperate gasps for air. “Sorry, I just wanted to make sure we were here before the middle of the day. From what we gathered this morning, it’s going to take quite a bit of time to reach Gulfmane. Even on train” Acidic responded.

After a few moments of gathering themselves and catching their breath, they joined the line. The line had grown a little bit by the time they had joined; with the ponies around them looking at them as they looked like they didn’t belong in the line. One by one, the line decreased in positions, until finally it was their turn. On the other side of the glass they were looking at, a pony with a badge sat. She had a brown mane and looked to be an Earthpony. Her coat being green and her eyes almost being Hazel. “How many of you? And where are you headed?” the pony then asked. Sour ended up being the one to respond. “Three- No, Six of us. We’re headed to Gulfmane, Ma’am” he said, as the pony behind the glass jotted something down. After a moment, she responded with something the three of them weren’t prepared for.

“That’s gonna be Thirty Ceyans”

“Ceyans?” Sour asked himself as he flashed back briefly to the word; which was used by Cluttered two days prior. “Do you have any idea as to how much that cost me?! That costed me Two-Hundred Ceyans!” rang through his head as he remembered the shrieking Cluttered made when the Easel that Sweet had plopped down carelessly. The flashback was then interrupted, with the pony on the opposite side of the glass asking “Hello? Sir, I need the Thirty Ceyans! Are you listening?”. Quickly, Sour looked at her, then at the other two. “I have no idea what a Ceyan is!” before turning to the pony behind the glass. Not wanting to further embarrass himself, he responded. “Sorry, there’s been a mistake and a change of plans. Apologies” before he pulled Acidic and Sweet to the side. “What’s a Ceyan?!” Sour asked in a frantic panic. “It’s obviously their currency. Not as good as Stralia if you ask me” Sweet responded; his usual obnoxiousness accidentally slipping through. “I guess all we can do now is… Wait” Acidic then added as the three stood around, waiting for Duskfall, Soundwave and this Dawnrise pony they had heard about.

However, Dawnrise nor Duskfall appeared at first. Instead, the thunderous landing of Soundwave was heard as the three saw him alone. He looked incredibly angry, and something had clearly happened between Duskfall and him. Together, the three trotted over to him, being cautious as Acidic asked a question. “You look upset, did something happen?”. “DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?! OF COURSE SOMETHING HAPPENED!” Soundwave bellowed. The three others jumped, and several passing ponies also jumped and sped their trotting up quickly in reaction. Soundwave, seeming to have realized his own anger having burst out from his mind, composed himself. “Sorry, I’m really not in the best of moods” he then replied. The three looked at eachother as Sour then responded. “Do you want to sit down and talk about it?” he asked Soundwave. “That’s probably a good idea” Soundwave simply responded. He then began trotting to a crossing in the road, using his wing to point to a nearby café. “Come on, I’ll explain everything over there” as he crossed the road. The trio following him soon afterwards.

Once they crossed the road, Soundwave found a table of four and sat down, the three following as they all sat down. “So tell us” Sweet said. “What happened?” he then added on. Soundwave looked at the three, with some concern in his eyes. Was it right to tell these three about Duskfall and his problem? He saw no reason as to why he shouldn’t; after all the three of them were open with him and the other two the day before. With a heavy, lagged sigh, Soundwave started with one simple sentence.

“It’s about his parents”

The rest of the hour was spent running them through everything that morning that Soundwave thought none of them had witnessed or seen. About how Duskfall’s parents sent nasty letters to him when he moved to Buckgrove. About the fact his parents knew nothing of his marriage with Soundwave. All the way to the argument that he had ended by flying away not too long ago. “I know it’s his choice, but I’m just… So scared. Not for me, but for him” Soundwave then said at the end of his long and exhausting recap. The trio looked stunned. Acidic being the first one to break the silence between the four of them. “So that’s what the letters were about…” he said out loud. This confused Soundwave. He quickly pieced what might have happened together though, as he asked “Were we that loud?” before sitting and waiting for an answer.

“To tell the truth, you might have been” Acidic began. “But it’s my fault on that part. I did lean in, instead of just knocking immediately so I could listen in a little bit” Acidic then finished. Soundwave looked at Acidic, clearly a little embarrassed at unintentionally being so loud when he didn’t mean to be so loud. “Hey, don’t worry about being too loud! You two are married after all. You’re bound to come across some heated arguments! The problem now is apologizing to Duskfall” Sour then added in. Soundwave looked as though he had just been talked to in a language that he didn’t know, as he responded. “But we’ve never had an argument, in all our years together. Just little non-serious debates about eachother. In a playful way, of course” Soundwave replied. The trio looked at eachother in equal confusion as Sweet then asked “So, you’ve never had a real fight or argument?” before Soundwave responded. “Well, no, we haven’t”.

“Well, that’s an abnormality. It’s weird; but it’s not wrong! Infact I’d say well done!” Acidic then tried adding in. “Well done?” Soundwave then asked. “Well yeah! Think about it. Your relationship has been so stable up until now. Since you two are facing your problems you’re actually testing your relationship By the sounds of it, you two have made it through that! So don’t worry! Just apologize and see what happens from there!” Sour then added in. Soundwave looked at Sour, then Acidic and then Sweet. His mind being eased by their talk. “You three are really good at giving advice, you know that?” he then asked the three.

“We are?” they all asked in unison.

“Well, yeah, you all are. You’re also good at calming someone down. Not something I see very often” Soundwave then replied. There was an air of genuine sincerity to his appreciation that stunned the three of them. They had actually helped somepony. Truly helped somepony. It was strange, but not unwelcome. Infact it was very much welcome as Soundwave then added something onto what he said. “You also have a great gift for timing I’ll say that much. There they are!” Soundwave said, flying out of his seat and straight to the train station where Duskfall and Dawnrise awaited. The other three rushing over as they were all finally at the train station. “Dusky!” Soundwave said, going in for a hug. Unfortunately, the hug was rejected. “Me and you need to talk once we’re on the train” Duskfall responded, pushing Soundwave away. Not too far, but enough to send the message. Soundwave looked at the trio, and then back to Duskfall as he nodded slowly. “Looks like you took my advice then” Duskfall then commented as he looked at Acidic. “Yep! So, you’re Dawnrise then?” he then asked Dawnrise. “That’s right! Duskfall told me about the three of you. Acidic, Sour and Sweet… Right?” he asked. The three nodded as Duskfall, without speaking, went to wait in line. Whilst he was in the line, the other five stood to the side.

“Dawnrise, I-“ Soundwave began. Before he could continue however, Dawnrise raised his hoof a little. “It’s alright, we’re both scared. Let’s just make sure we’re there for him when it happens…” Dawnrise responded. Soundwave nodded slightly as he just looked away. About a few moments of standing and waiting later, Duskfall came back; holding six tickets in his magical grip. “Come on! Train leaves in just a moment!” before Duskfall half-galloped to the platform, followed closely by Dawnrise, then a bit further behind followed Sour and Soundwave, followed finally by Acidic and then Sweet. They all wasted no time as they boarded the train; it being a deep red. The door they all entered through being elegant and almost royal in its appearance. As Sweet closed the door, he heard the conductor that they had somehow missed shout out “GULFMANE BRANCH TRAIN DEPARTING IN JUST A MOMENT!” before the six trotted up the narrow hallway. They passed several inconspicuous passengers and train cars before finally reaching the last car on the train. There was a much freer looking room infront of them, which lead to an outside; presumably the rear balcony. The six sat down in the seats next to them, three of them on either side of train car; just as the train seemed to start moving. Just like that, they found themselves out of the city within the first five or so minutes as they all took the time to relax a little bit.

About two hours passed as the trio caught Dawnrise up on everything that had happened during the days before. About the coronation attack. About Manestralia and about the alicorns that had attacked them. Arcane and Dallasite. Dawnrise seemed to be listening very closely, as he kept questioning them on things he found slightly odd. This prompted the three to explain in further detail, which seemed to satiate Dawnrise. Meanwhile, Soundwave and Duskfall sat in silence. Occasionally, their eyes met, but as they did they darted away even faster. The three had just finished up on the gigantic catchup that they did for Dawnrise, when Duskfall finally spoke to Soundwave. “Let’s go to the balcony. It’s time we had that talk” before he got up. Soundwave, who nodded, told the other four “We’ll be back soon” before they both headed out to the balcony and shut the door behind them; Duskfall leaving the saddlebags with the others. “Do you think they’ll make up?” Sweet asked curiously. “Of course they will!” Acidic responded quickly. Dawnrise then chuckled as Sour asked him “What’s so funny?” before Dawnrise simply said “Oh, nothing”.

Outside, Duskfall and Soundwave faced eachother. Soundwave broke the staring as he looked out to the tracks that were constantly shrinking infront of them. “So, about this morning…” Soundwave began. He didn’t know how to word what he was going to say. So, he went with what the trio had suggested for him to do. “I’m… I’m sorry… I’m just… Worried for you” he said to Duskfall. Duskfall stood there for a moment, thinking; before he came out with a response. “Look, I know you’re worried. I know that Dawnrise is too. But when I tell you that I’m sure for the third time over, I expect my husband to know that I’m sure of my decision” he responded, trying to make his words sound as gentle, but as stern, as he possibly could. Soundwave looked down as he nodded. “Right, as long as you understand that it was because I was worried. The last thing I’d want to come off as, is to come off as untrusting. After all, I do trust you. I just don’t want you to get hurt…” Soundwave then responded. Tears were forming in his eyes as he flashed back to the letters Duskfall received. One of which stood out as the one that made Duskfall break down. Where Soundwave saw his partner in heartbreak at the words that were said. The letter, when he read it back then, read:

You horrible, spiteful child! You run off to the same city your brother ran off to. After everything we did for you, you take yourself to that city! Knowing you won’t get far! Don’t come back to us when you end up crumbling! You deserve it! Wasting your time in such a place! You ought to be ashamed of yourself! You can’t even go five seconds without crying like a filly when we tell you to grow up! (WHICH YOU SHOULD DO!)

We should’ve dropped you off at the orphanage! You’re a good for nothing waste of space! Don’t be surprised when you end up six feet under alone with nopony by your side! Don’t expect us to take you in again! Rely on that brother of yours, he clearly means more to you than the YEARS WORTH OF CARE, FOOD AND SHELTER WE GAVE YOU!

Soundwave went in for a hug, this time, it was embraced. The two stayed on the balcony, unmoving. They understood eachother. Whilst Soundwave didn’t want Duskfall to be hurt, he knew that this was something he had to do. “Promise me, when we get there, that if it gets too much for you…” Soundwave began, slightly stuttering from his tears. “I know. Trust me, I don’t plan to stay there long anyway…” Duskfall responded, the two just watching the view behind them as they whisked past rivers and hills as far as the eye could see. After about five minutes from the inside, Dawnrise opened the balcony door. He asked, “You two alright?”. But before he even got an answer, he could see that the argument had been resolved. As he went to close the door to go back inside, Soundwave looked at him; with a smile. “We’ll be fine now” he said, as he turned back to spend the remainder of the trip alone with Duskfall. It’s what he wanted to do anyway.

Back inside, the trio looked at Dawnrise as he simply nodded as Acidic asked “Are they alright?” and he sat down. “It’s going to be a tense encounter, but we’ll all be there for him” Dawnrise then took a long, relieved sigh. However, that prompted something he didn’t expect from Sweet. Surprisingly, in a rather kind tone to his usual obnoxious and arrogant tone, he said “Listen, we’re here for you too Dawnrise. It’s not just him who has to see their parents today” as the other two looked at eachother; which genuine shock at what he had said. It was safe to say that neither of them was expecting that response from Sweet. “I appreciate that. But I already burned that bridge a long time ago” Dawnrise simply responded. “How?” Sour then asked.

“I think that’s a story for ano- What was that?!”

The train shook as the four inside felt the train hit something. Or rather, something hit it. The two outside came inside a few moments later as Duskfall spoke to the trio directly. “You said there was a blue Alicorn and a purple Alicorn right? I think I just-“ but before he could finish, the train violently shook as the carriage they were in fell off the tracks. Duskfall, instinctually, used his magic to keep all six of them in a protective bubble of sorts as they felt the car flipping over from the friction of the train car meeting the ground at an off angle. They felt the lack of ground and then, so suddenly, crashed back down into the ground. The six of them crashing into the floor with several aching limbs by the end of the commotion. When the momentum stopped, the protection spell was lifted, with all six of them getting up and exiting through the now upside-down balcony. However, Duskfall was last, due to the fact that he took the time to put the saddlebags that he had back on. He had found them open and sitting in the center of the car; but thankfully nothing spilled out. When they all got outside, they noticed that the distance they had traveled from the tracks was staggering. The car having derailed and flung several tens of meters from the tracks. But what scared the trio specifically, was the existence of large iced grass patches. Clearly from some missed shots from who they instantly knew to be Arcane. “So they finally found out that we’re alive still, then” Sour said grimly to himself. The three of them looking incredibly scared at what they all knew had happened.

Arcane had derailed their car ,specifically.

“He couldn’t have known…” Sweet said to himself. However, that’s when Duskfall interjected. “What if someone else knew, and through him… He found out? There’s no reason as to why either of them wouldn’t have access to some kind of observation spell” he thought up as he said it out loud. Soundwave, meanwhile, flew up to look in the direction they were headed before they had derailed; seeing the train far off and nearing Gulfmane; whilst also seeing what appeared to be a gorge system. With it meeting the seas far off. However, when he tried to search the nearby area for the two Alicorns, he saw nothing. He landed as he shared the news. “So, the good news is that Gulfmane looks to be about half an hour away. Let’s go there an-“ but before he could finish, a large batch of icicles slammed into the ground behind the six of them. The icicles clearly making an arrow shape in the ground, pointing to the nearby jutted hills that clearly being the gorge. “So he wants you to go to the gorge…” Soundwave said out loud to himself. “Should we humor him and go?” Dawnrise asked the other five. “I don’t think we necessarily have a choice” Duskfall responded as they all went to head in the direction of the jutting hills. However, as they did, a wall of purple fire burst forth. Duskfall, Dawnrise and Soundwave were knocked back as the other trio looked behind at them in shock.

“He wants us… Alone…” Acidic said to Sour and Sweet as a morbid reality hit them. They flashed back to the day of the coronation; the feeling of fear striking them as they stood. Widened eyes from the realization. “You’re insane! We’re going with you three! Dusky, do you think you could tear into this firewall?!” he then asked Duskfall. “I’m afraid… I’m afraid not. My magic isn’t that powerful…” Duskfall simply responded however, looking down slightly. “Alright then, I think that this is where we part for now” Dawnrise then said; looking at the three. “We’ll head for Gulfmane. Surely there we can reconvene. Surely… Surely if they wanted to kill you they’d… They’d have done it by now” Soundwave then said. Although it was clear the other three were worried about Sour, Sweet and Acidic. Taking a deep breath, Sour started trotting onward. “Come on you two” before the other two followed. Acidic stopped a little way in however, as he turned around. “I hope you’re right Soundwave. I hope you’re right about what both of us are thinking…” he said as the two groups parted. Duskfall, Dawnrise and Soundwave trotting in the direction of Gulfmane. Whilst Sour, Sweet and Acidic made their way to the Gorge where they presumed the Spring of Body resided; their minds being filled with concern and uncertainty.

About ten minutes passed as the trio headed for the gorge trotted in silence. Anxiety equally affecting them as they came to the jutting hills’ edges. When they looked behind them to the derailed train car they had left from, they saw that the wall of purple fire had disappeared. This, in turn, made Sour speak. “Maybe we can run! You know, head for Gulfmane!” he said to the other two, hope in his eyes from the possibility. That hope was quickly shot down however, when he heard Acidic respond. “Are you crazy?! Arcane and Dallasite are probably still watching us! If we turn back now, then they’ll summon that wall of flames again!” he protested; sounding incredibly annoyed at what seemed to be an innocent suggestion. “Alright, alright! Take it easy!” Sour began. “Let’s just… Go ahead then” he then added as the three turned around and took a few more steps forward.

When they looked down, they saw that a river was running through the area. Several bridges had been made on a path not too far down from them as the winds seemed particularly strong within the gorge itself. Several layers of grey squished together like a cake from the erosion the river must’ve caused in times long gone. “Acidic, you carry me. Sweet, use your magic to-“ Sour began. But before he did, he found himself already being lifted by Acidic, who’d already processed what Sour had said and was going to finish with. Sweet must’ve done the same, as he landed right next to them. “Next time we see a gap, let’s just assume that Acidic needs to carry you, and I’ll use my magic on myself unless otherwise specified or stated. Alright?” Sweet then asked as he looked at Acidic; the pair chuckling slightly. “Since when did you get so light-hearted?” Sour then asked, turning his attention to Sweet. “Well, after our talk yesterday, I figured I could be bit nicer. Even if it’s just toward the pair of you” Sweet the responded. For the first time, Sour looked happy with Sweet. Which made Sweet, in turn, feel good when Sour simply said “Glad you’re understanding”.

Acidic, who’d been partially ignoring the pair whilst they got to talking, flew off a little distance whilst he surveyed the gorge. He followed the bridges, each as decrepit as the next, until he finally saw it. The door of Body as seen in the book they had read; being carved partially within the stone of the gorge. The good news is that it wasn’t far from them at all! Acidic rushed back, his face showing the excitement from his discovery. “You guys! I found the Door of Body! It’s not too far from us! Let’s hurry!” he shouted from the skies as the other two looked at eachother. They half-wondered if it was all too good to be true, whilst half-wondering if they’d be able to make it across the bridges. When they got to the first bridge, only a few planks had fallen out of the bridge. Meaning the other two simply jumped. However, when Acidic went to try and stylishly fly under the bridge, the winds almost knocked him into the rivers below. The other two watched for a moment as Acidic swirled around from the force of the wind, before Sweet finally decided to use his magic to rescue Acidic. It took a moment before Acidic managed to recover his breath from the incident, and when he did, he looked at Sweet and said “Thanks. I owe you one” before the three headed for the next bridge.

It took a few moments, but as they headed to the second bridge, they noticed they could take a path into the forest. The old and fragile sign that they read said “RIGHT FOR SAFETY, LEFT FOR SHORTENING THE JOURNEY”. “Right, well I guess we take the right path then. The left path doesn’t look…” but before Acidic could finish his thoughts, he looked to the left path. He noticed it looked very worn down and then got an idea. “Actually. On second thought. How about I fly through the left path and carry you both?” he asked the other two. Sour looked fine with this, but Sweet protested. “Surely I can use my magic? And why are we risking this anyway?” he asked, his mind wanting to choose the right path. “I just figured that, if we want to stop the other three from worrying so much, that we should shorten the journey… Like the sign says” Acidic responded. Sweet looked unsure, but after a moment, said “Alright, fine” before Acidic got to work. He lifted Sour over first; their combined weight managing to keep them from blowing away. Then, once Sour was lifted over and on the other side, Acidic had an idea. He’d surely be blown away on his own. So, what if he took the other path anyway? It couldn’t hurt after all. So, he did just that as Sweet waited. It took a few minutes longer than the left path, but Acidic appreciated the time he got to just relax whilst flying. He couldn’t help but feel, however, as though he was being watched. He looked around at several points, but couldn’t see anypony anywhere in the trees. He did however, feel his wings tiring out slightly by the time he got to Sweet at the beginning of the path diversion he’d lifted Sour across. “What took you so long?!” Sweet asked, looking incredibly concerned.

Acidic, who took a deep breath, simply responded with “Sorry, deep in thought and the scenery was nice” before going to lift Sweet over. However, as he was crossing, his exhaustion was beginning to take a toll on him. He struggled to carry Sweet over the left path and quite a few times nearly fell from his wings struggling to flap. They ached. A lot, and he nearly failed when he almost fainted mid-flight. Luckily, Sweet was able to use his magic to save the pair of them as they landed on the other side. “What happened!?” Sweet asked Acidic, with fright in his voice from the near failure. “S-sorry… Guess that right path… Took me out of it…” Acidic then responded. He looked increasingly worn out. Sweet and Sour looked at eachother, their minds thinking in unison as both tried to get Acidic on their backs. Acidic, who jumped from the sudden actions, looked confused. “Guys I’m… I’ll be fine. The Spring of Body is over those two bridges” he said, pointing at the bridge infront of them, as well as the bridge on the other path that he knew lead to the Spring of Body. He took the next bridge by hoof. The other two followed, and found that this was the only bridge with all of its planks. So, the three of them were able to cross this bridge fairly easily. It was a welcome and much needed break from what had happened over the past hour or so of their journey. Which was fitting; given the last bridge and its condition.

When they trotted their way to the last bridge, they all took a few moments to relax. It was there. Right in front of them! They’d just about made it to the Door of Body! Acidic, excitedly, started galloping across the bridge. He took care to jump over the missing planks. The other two then followed as they reached the halfway point. Which is when they saw somepony at the end. They all halted, reminded of the bridge incident a few days prior in the mountains. Sour turned around, and to his horror, Dallasite and Arcane had appeared on the side they were crossing from. So, naturally, the three of them asked the obvious question.

“Who is THAT?”

The figure on the side of the Spring looked at them. They took a close look at him as he spoke; his voice instantly cluing them in on who he was. “I see that the child of the Springs has arrived at the Spring of Body” he said, his face grinning. They all took a look at him, finally able to get enough time to look at him. He had an extremely pale and greyed out blue to his coat colour. His mane having a deep purple, duller purple and a grey streaking through. The three of them noticed wings and finally, a horn. Although this horn was disturbingly different. Whilst he wore a ring over his horn, him also wearing leg cuffs and a purple fur cape, one of his eyes was missing. The normal eye was grey, but the one that was missing seemed to be replaced with a purple smoke coming from the place the eye should’ve been. It was also disturbing to see that the place where his eye should’ve been, had cracks that spread around his face. The cracks going so far as to spread up his horn. Only stopping when they reached the near peak. The three looked at eachother; equally as disturbed as the next. That is, until the figure spoke.

“Forgive me, but I don’t think we’ve been introduced. Although I doubt this will benefit you, you may proceed to call me Harmonous. As you’ve probably gathered, I sent Arcane and Dallasite after you” he said, looking at the three with a calculating stare. They looked at eachother, then looking at Arcane and Dallasite. In Arcane’s case, the resemblance was staggering. Although, for Dallasite, it was less so. Acidic then turned to Harmonous to ask a question he had on his mind. “Why send them? Why not do it yourself?” he asked, seeming curious, yet on his guard. Harmonous looked at him, with silence for a moment, before responding. “Well young Bounded, myself and… The ruler of Manestralia… We have a history that I don’t think needs to be explained at this time… I’m sure you already know why the coronation was attacked though. It’s a shame he took you…” Harmonous then responded, seeming saddened for a moment, before looking at the three again. “If you truly intend on reaching this Door, then you’ll be setting your path in stone” he then said, looking past the three and this time at Arcane and Dallasite. Before the three could even think about what was happening, Dallasite spoke.

“Incendious Inflaratium”

His horn briefly glowed as the three on the bridge were then surrounded by two walls of purple flames; barring an escape of any kind. Acidic tried flying, but Sweet grabbed him, shouting “Are you braindead!? The winds will knock you off!” before Acidic furled up his wings, a slight anger coming from him as he tutted. “Well, the choice is yours Bounded. You can head through the flames behind you, and head to Gulfmane. Forever stuck as the three you are now. Or, on the contrary, you could take up the task of piecing yourself back together. Spring by Spring” Harmonous then said, gazing at the three and waiting. The three on the bridge looked at eachother, before they looked back at Harmonous, Acidic being the one to speak up. Instead of giving an answer, he asked another question. “Surely there’s another way to get our Alicorn body back?” he asked, looking at Harmonous as the other two looked at Arcane and Dallasite. Harmonous subtly smiled as he responded. “Unfortunately for you, and fortunately for me, there’s no other way. I assume you didn’t read the prophecy in the book I gave you” he said, looking specifically at Sweet. Sweet turned to look at Harmonous, some shock hitting him as he had forgotten about the prophecy in his own mind. Acidic however, responded to Harmonous with the answer Harmonous seemed to be looking for.

“Fine, we’ll do it your way”

Instantly, the wall of purple flames completely parted as the three on the bridge looked at eachother. Acidic trotted ahead, followed by the other two. Once they reached the other side of the bridge, they heard a snap behind them. When they turned around, Arcane and Dallasite stood. The three jumped back as they assumed the two were going to attempt to attack them, but Harmonous quickly spoke. “Do not fear them. They’re simply observing” he said to the three as they looked at eachother. They looked dumbfounded as Sweet quickly asked “But they attacked us! What’s to say you three won’t gang up on us and kill us now!?” to which Harmonous then asked another question. “If I wanted you dead, why didn’t I get Arcane and Dallasite to do it the instant you all got out of the train car?”.

The three looked at eachother, the realization hitting each of them at the same time. “So, you…” Sour then began. Before he could finish what he was saying however, Harmonous spoke. “Come, it is time for you to enter the Spring of Body” before he trotted forward. With a harsh push from Arcane, the three quickly trotted over to the Door of Body. They looked at it, up and down, and saw that it had a horseshoe symbol on it. Before they could react to anything else however, Harmonous stepped aside. With the light of his horn, he spoke.

“Faeris Oltun Bodallitio Unlon”

The three witnessed the door, that had previously been sealed, open. Slowly, they got a glimpse of what was on the other side. A passage that lead into the rock behind the door waited. “Proceed inside. We’re not done yet” Harmonous then said; making the three jump into the air a little bit as they forgot he was still there. Acidic was the first to enter. Followed closely by Sour and Sweet; and then Harmonous, Arcane and Dallasite. He noticed that, on his way through and down the stairs that he traversed down, that the passage seemed frozen in time. It looked brand new. The rock they traveled on being unaffected by the various elements that were on the outside. However, the quality soon degraded as they came to a cliffside of sorts. The three looked around, noticing smaller waterfalls coming from above them. Infront of them, they noticed a statue, with three platforms sticking out of the water that was coming from the waterfalls.

Past that was the great seas, confirming that they had travelled a significant distance below compared to where they entered. The statue, on closer glance, looked to be of a stallion with some odd looking wings. It almost reminded the three of the fairy wings they had seen on the front of the book they always liked to read back in Manestralia. “This place was built by a now extinct race of beings called Fae. Its original purpose was to provide a place of meditation for those seeking to enhance their powers and to look within themselves. The spells you have witnessed myself, Arcane and Dallasite use have been the spells they left behind. A final tribute to their history and one last attempt in preserving their legacy” Harmonous then said, entering the Spring with both Dallasite and Arcane following them in. Harmonous glanced at the spring, although seemed to not be looking directly at the statue that was infront of the sea; seeming almost… Distant. That however, was when he spoke again. “All three of you need to step on those platforms. Pegasus, step on the one infront of the two behind” he instructed.

The three did as they were told. Sour and Sweet hopping on the platforms behind the one Acidic then got onto. With a powerful gust of wind, Harmonous flew into the shallow waters infront of the three. He didn’t seem phased by the waters as he looked down at Acidic. With a breath, he spoke again. “Recite the following. Reparum Dias Bodallitio”. Acidic, looking at the other two and then back at Harmonous, did as he was told. His eyes closing as he uttered the words.

“Reparum Dias Bodallitio”

A bright light came from behind Harmonous. The statue was reacting. Harmonous flew back to Arcane and Dallasite as he stood, watching what was about to happen. The statues wings flapped as it rose, lifting it upwards. The stone from the water that it had stood on followed as a little stone door then descended; showing a necklace laying within. “Take it” Harmonous said, as the three seemed stunned by what had just happened. Acidic, who flew forwards, picked the necklace up. He noticed there was a gem on the necklace. One of pure orange, which also seemed alluring. “That is the Beryl of Body. The symbol of you. The symbol that you represent. The Body, that was lost” Harmonous then said to Acidic. Acidic looked at him as he seemed slightly lost in thought. “Acidic?” Sour asked as he looked at him. “I’m… Fine” Acidic responded as he flew over the water. When he had looked into the gemstone, he saw flashes of something. Almost like a memory. He didn’t think it was his own memory, but he couldn’t just ignore it. He, in his mind, decided to tell the other two about it after they got some alone time. He felt the necklace being lifted over his head as Harmonous used his magic to put it on his neck. It was strange. He felt like… Like he had felt this before. It was just so strange to him. One specific thing he saw in the flashes happened to be a blue mare of sorts. But, he couldn't dwell on it now, as he had more immediate things to attend to.

“Now then, I assume you three wish to meet with your… Friends… So I’ll do that for you” Harmonous then said. His tone shifted to one of disgust when he said the word friends, as he then used his magic a second time. This time uttering another spell.

“Tepalethium Gulfimanos”

Just like that, before the three of them knew what had happened, they had left the Spring of Body. The light of the spell engulfing them as they all looked around after the light faded. They were in Gulfmane. Specifically, the train station where Duskfall, Soundwave and Dawnrise awaited. They instantly galloped over to them as they were hugged by Duskfall specifically. “Oh thank Ceyonait you’re alright! You have no idea how worried we all were! We told the station about the derailing! They’re going to rescue the train car and then they’ll get the train up and running tomorrow” he said as he started almost squeezing the life out of Sour. “What’s that?” Dawnrise then asked, pointing with his wing at Acidic’s necklace. “Oh this? This was what was at the Spring of Body. We’ll talk about it later… Now isn’t the time” Acidic responded as they all embraced eachother; glad one another was safe. Happy that the ordeal was over. Which was funny, given the fact that a much more grounded issue awaited.

Author's Note

Hooo boy this is a long one.

So hi, name's Kosmik. Hope you enjoyed Chapter Six! In this chapter I really wanted to try and expand the scenes I made with as much emotive details as I could. Hence the attempt at an argument. I don't know how well I did, but I hope I did good! I wanted to show that every couple indeed goes through trying times. Soundwave and Duskfall having a two-three year marriage at this point before arguing. So, when it happens, they don't really know how exactly to deal with it.

Then, I wanted to introduce BOTH Harmonous and Dawnrise. Dawnrise being the older brother of Duskfall and Harmonous... Well being Harmonous. Without spoiling anything, he's VERY important in coming chapters and even coming books in the series that I plan on writing. Anyways, as is protocol, I want to take the time to direct you to my Ko-Fi! This is where i've started releasing previews to Chapters. Starting with this one! So, if you want an early look at Chapter Seven, pledge monthly on there! It's only £2 per month! It would be greatly appreciated!

With that, I LE POOF! *Boom*

Chapter 07: Familial Conflict

“We’ll talk about it later?” Soundwave asked?

“Not a chance! We were worried sick!” Duskfall responded.

The trio looked at eachother with exhaustion. Everything that had happened to them within the day had already tired them out. Acidic being extremely drained. The winds that he had flown in during the gorge escapade during that last hour pushed his body to its limits. He didn’t tell the others of course, however it was blatantly obvious when, out of nowhere, he fainted. The five around him immediately panicked. Sour and Sweet tried to shake him awake; to not avail. “Get somepony, Anypony!” Sour shouted out as his voice echoed through the train station entrance. Duskfall and Dawnrise looked at eachother before then turning to Soundwave. “Wavey, you help Sweet and Sour take Acidic to the nearby hospital. Use your wings to fly up and guide them! We’ll go to the street our parents live on. Meet us there once you’re done” Duskfall instructed Soundwave. Soundwave, nodding to his husband, then turned to Sour and Sweet. “Right, let’s get going! He’s probably just exhausted, but even still it’s better to be safe than sorry!” he then said as he flapped his wings and took off into the air; Sweet using his magic to put Acidic on Sour’s back.

“It’s a pity those three won’t be able to join us, but even still, you have me and Soundwave, Dusk” Dawnrise then said to Duskfall as the other four headed off to the hospital at an immensely fast pace. “Yeah, well, let’s get going. This isn’t going to happen on its own. Come on” Duskfall then responded as the pair began galloping in another direction to the quartet. The quartet vanishing in the distance as the other two trotted off. Feelings tense and anticipation for a good outcome high in Duskfall’s mind.

Whilst the pair of brother made their way toward the street that Duskfall’s parents lived at, the quartet heading for the hospital were fast in their approach. About ten minutes flew by as Soundwave managed to guide them to the hospital they were headed to. When they finally got there, they saw that the sign spelled out “GULFMANE HOSPITAL” with a brick-laden building behind them; with glass doors leading inside. The four rushed to the reception as they disturbed a sleeping mare at the reception. She jumped up with a screech before taking a moment to look at Acidic; who was knocked out on Sour’s back. Immediately, she said “Take a seat over there, I’ll get somepony to help” before getting up herself and galloping off. After a few moments, two ponies emerged; alongside the receptionist. “Looks like you two will be okay now. I have to head off to catch up with Duskfall and Dawnrise. We’ll come back here after…” Soundwave paused in his sentence. He knew it probably wasn’t going to end well. “Look, you go, and good luck” Sour responded. Soundwave, looking at the pair, nodded in understanding before galloping out and flying off. The duo in the hospital focusing their attention toward Acidic as he almost fell off of Sour from turning in his sleep.

Duskfall and Dawnrise meanwhile, were one street away from the one they were headed for. Dawnrise looked around, simply saying “brings back… Memories” as he looked toward a more wooded area. The wooded area housing several birds that chirped as they flew both out and inside of the woods they lived in. A path, as derelict as it looked, seemed to also lead inside. “Mind if we take a small detour? It’s not far, but I’d love to see our old treehouse… If it’s still there” Dawnrise asked as he looked at Duskfall. Duskfall took a moment before responding. His mind being conflicted. On one hoof, he could distract himself from the situation momentarily. On the other however, he didn’t want to accidentally sabotage himself in terms of losing the confidence to do what he was going to do. “Come on, you and I both know it’ll be better to have a tiny break from the worrying” Dawnrise then told Duskfall as the two stared at eachother. Relenting, Duskfall nodded, and the pair trotted into the woods.

The pair trotted for a little bit as the nature around them almost made the pair forget about the fact they were in a city. The leaves were blowing in wind and the river near the path the two were trotting down was trickling. It was a much needed and welcome break and wind-down from what was to come; much to Duskfall’s surprise. Dawnrise trotted on ahead a little bit as Duskfall looked around. Flashes of his past appearing in his mind. In one flash, he saw his younger self with Dawnrise as they playfully galloped through the path ahead. “Wait for me Dawn!” he heard his younger self shout out to the visage of his brother’s younger form. It only lasted a few more moments, but he felt pure happiness at the reminiscing. The moments were cut short however, when Dawnrise tapped him on the back. “What?” Duskfall asked in shock as he quickly turned around. “I found it! Come on it’s still mostly intact!” Dawnrise responded as he grabbed Duskfall’s hoof. Together, they both headed toward the treehouse.

It only took a moment or so as they trotted onto a small path that led up to a clearing in the woods. In the middle of the clearing, an oak tree stood. The leaves crowding around the treehouse working with the tree to accommodate for the treehouse. Although it clearly hadn’t been used in years, and the colours were faded, the roof still held a purple hue. The wood for the main structure of the treehouse held a faded, almost camouflage look to the paintwork on the walls. Clearly being from the leaves sheltering the treehouse from storms and rain that had happened prior to their visit. “Can’t believe it’s still here… I wonder if any of the neighborhood colts and fillies use it” Duskfall said to himself. “They probably do. I saw a desk in there that definitely wasn’t ours” Dawnrise responded, some sadness in his voice. “Well, look at it this way, our favourite childhood spot hasn’t been destroyed. It’s being respected by the next generation. As young as we are” Duskfall chuckled as he finished his sentence. Dawnrise looked at him, a smile coming to his face somewhat as he responded. “Now if only everypony respected their surroundings. Maybe the park near Cluttered’s wouldn’t be so ruined huh” he then responded.

“Yeah… That would be nice” Duskfall responded as they both stared at the treehouse, taking the time to sit. Memories wisped by the pair of them in unison as they both saw themselves playing in the treehouse. Minutes felt like hours as they both just stared longingly at the memories they knew they could never experience again. Duskfall almost shed a tear when Dawnrise turned to him, speaking after what seemed to be a good ten minutes of silence. “You all right?” he asked in a comforting tone. “Yeah… I’ll be fine. Come on, Soundwave is probably freaking out about where we are” Duskfall responded, taking a deep breath and sighing with inner peace; even if that peace would only last around twenty minutes more.

Meanwhile, Soundwave was scouring the skies. His head darting in all directions below as he had a few run-ins with green ponies he mistook as either of the brothers from afar. Many apologies were dealt out as he accidentally bumped into them from behind. His eyes were shifting constantly trying to scan the area for the pair of brothers. He couldn’t understand where they could’ve gone! That was, until, he found two greenish-purple figures down below him; exiting a wooded area next to a relatively nice little street. He soared down as he went to check the two out and, sure enough, it was the pair of brothers. With a crashing torrent of wind accompanying him, he managed to almost blow the pair away as he looked at them; realizing that he had almost made a windstorm. “Sorry” he began as he dusted his landing spot. “Winds above were incredibly strong. Carrying that wind with me resulted in what you saw; although you knew that I bet Dawnrise” he then finished. He looked at Dawnrise expecting an answer of understanding, but all he saw were the pair almost coughing their lungs up from the debris that had flown their way.

“Whoops! Sorry!” Soundwave then added on as he used his wings to blow the debris away from the three of them. “I-it’s fine” Dawnrise responded through his decreasing coughing. “This is the street we were meant to meet at. So, it’s good you were flying around” Duskfall then said as he looked onward. Ahead of them, they all looked to a fork in the street. The fork in the street leading to another street. The one the three of them ended up trotting over to. There, they saw a row of houses and a cul-de-sac housing five houses at the end. One of the houses looking different from the others. Whilst the others had relatively new look to them, with the colours being nice and lively, one did not. The odd house of the five looked very dull. Grey even. Though not completely devoid of colour, it was clear the colour that was used, was almost lifeless. It almost looked like the house lacked happiness. It also looked as if it was stuck in times long gone as well; with the front door and windows being stuck in an almost older decade compared to the rest of the houses around it. Soundwave was the first to comment on this, saying “Wow, could use an update to fit in with the rest of these huh” before he looked at Duskfall. Duskfall ignored the comment as he slowly trotted up to the front yard.

“Wait for us!” Dawnrise then added on as he began to trot up the path. Soundwave however, seemed to also stay silent. He didn’t know how to feel. It was clear that his feelings were in a complicated rut as he seemed more distant than usual. Duskfall, who turned around to look at him as a final confirmation of what he was about to do, caught on. “Wavey, I know how you feel. It’s how I felt this morning. We have to do this. For ourselves. We can’t keep hiding and running from everypony who hates who we are. We have to stand our ground” Duskfall said to Soundwave, trotting up to him and hugging him. Soundwave embraced the hug as he began tearing up, which didn’t shock either of the brothers. “I guess… I guess I just wish that my parents were at least alive. At least then, if this goes like we all think, you’d at least have somepony other than eachother or me” Soundwave then explained as he used his wing to wipe the tears from his eyes. Duskfall broke from the hug, looking at Dawnrise before Dawnrise then responded. “If this goes wrong, we have Sour, Sweet and Acidic. We have Cluttered and the six of us can help eachother through whatever happens. Although I will say…” Dawnrise began.

“That honestly, after today, we should all promise to just outwardly be ourselves. You two have always been supportive of eachother and everypony around you. That’s what I think your special powers are together. Cluttered… Well, we can help him find his gift and as for the three in the hospital right now, they have a gift for timing and giving ponies hope. At least, from what I’ve seen” Dawnrise then ended off as he trotted up to the pair and pointed his wing at the house. “Now, let’s get this part over with” he then added on as he trotted up to the door and rung the partially rusted bell on the door; Duskfall and Soundwave trotting up next to him as they all waited. Which is when the door finally opened; albeit very hesitantly. With a light gasp from the one opening the door.

When the door fully opened, the three stallions stared at a mare. The mare having a deep, dark purple to her mane and tail whilst having a very pastel cyan coloured coat. Her eyes looked almost sea green, but with a blue tint, as her wings politely and delicately sat on her sides. The mare looked the two brothers up and down as if she’d seen a ghost from her past as she whispered in shock. “D-Duskfall… D-Dawnrise…” is what she whispered before a stallion trotted from behind her. This stallion was almost the direct contrast to the mare as his coat was a reddish vermillion hue. His eyes screamed a deep and vivid purple as his mane and tail were flooded with a rose-red colour. Without wings, or a horn, the stallion stared. Instead of being shocked, the stallion simply gave a malicious grin as he spoke. “Finally came crawling back did you?” he asked, almost in a mocking tone. Duskfall was frozen on the spot as flashed of the stallion and his younger self flooded his mind. The memories of that day, the day he ran away, flooded back to him. Dawnrise however, spoke up. “We need to talk with you both. Duskfall has something he wants to tell you” Dawnrise said as he eyed the stallion with silent anger in his eyes.

Soundwave, however, almost wasn’t noticed by the mare and stallion until they took their eyes off of the brothers. Both looked at eachother until Dawnrise added on “He’s here because it relates to what Duskfall wants to tell you” as he then tapped Duskfall. Duskfall, who was wildly in his memories snapped back to the present. He shook his head as the mare and stallion inside the house stepped aside. “You know where the kitchen is” the stallion simply muttered as the three entered the house. The house itself resembled the outside heavily. The colour inside of the house being completely void and even more depressive and oppressive than the exterior. Completely grey and lifeless. The house, of course, was clean. Though it looked as if time itself had frozen completely as Duskfall and Dawnrise looked around. It hadn’t changed from when they were younger at all. The air seemed still, almost too much so. The three remained silent as they headed to the kitchen. The kitchen, looking almost a century old in style, held a distinct nineteen-twenties feel. It also felt like a sort of farmhouse kitchen; with the oven looking almost vintage and the fridge almost looking made out of wood. It would’ve looked great in colour which was where the prevalent issue made itself once again clear, however. The gray did not spare the kitchen as the lack of colour made it seem as if one were moving through a true memory. A flash of the past frozen and captured in the house indefinitely.

“Well sit down” the Earthpony then said with aggression as the two brothers sat down; the mare and stallion following. Soundwave, opting to stand, stood beside Duskfall as the four sat down stared across at one another. It was almost like a visible rift as all four of the ponies sitting down seemed to radiate a distinct distaste for one another. Dawnrise being the most reserved but clearly angry internally. Soundwave decided to break the silence after a few moments as he spoke. “So, I never asked your names Sir and Ma’am” he said as he tried to start a conversation. He may not have enjoyed being in their company, but if he could make sure this visit wasn’t as destructive as it was going to get, he’d go that extra mile to try. To his happy surprise, it did break the ice as the stallion responded with “I’m Firelight, this here is their mother and my wife; Misty Night” as he darted his eyes from their sons to who they considered the outsider.

“So, what do you want to tell us? Is it about how you’re sorry for running off? How we’re right and you’re wrong? About-“ but before Firelight could even finish the rest of his words, Dawnrise interjected. “Actually, dad, no we’re not here for that. If you want that go back to being delusional. The levels of arrogance you seem to have will help with that easily” he responded. This got his father to glare daggers at Dawnrise as he said “Well OUT with it then colt” through angered, gritted teeth. Duskfall looked at Dawnrise, and then to Soundwave as the three of them knew it was time. With a delayed and deep breath, he finally told them the inevitable.

“I’m married. To a stallion. The one I brought here with us today in fact. His name is Soundwave”.

The two parents darted shocked and, for the first time since they entered the house, Misty spoke. “You… You married a stallion? Are you ill? Oh what has that city done to you!” she cried out as she got out of her chair and galloped up the stairs with trails of tears leaving her eyes. Firelight on the other hand, looked as though he was about to explode. His voice immediately increased in decibels as he bellowed “YOU WHAT!? YOU MARRIED HIM!? THAT’S HORRIBLE!” across the table. Duskfall looked pale as he sat back in his chair; wordless. Dawnrise was the one to respond however, himself shouting out in equal anger but at his father. “HE CAME HERE TO TELL YOU THIS BECAUSE HE THOUGHT YOU HAD THE RIGHT TO KNOW! THE LEAST YOU COULD DO IS NOT ECHO ANGER AT HIM! AND YOU WONDER WHY HE AND I RAN AWAY!” is what Dawnrise shouted back. At this point, Firelight looked as if he only saw fury as he bellowed back at Dawnrise once again. “YES BECAUSE IT’S OUR FAULT THAT YOU DECIDED TO RUN OFF AFTER YOU TOLD US YOU THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO BE A MARE! IT’S NOT MY FAULT YOU’RE A FREAK! A STAIN ON OUR FAMILY, BOTH OF YOU!” he boomed out. Soundwave however, cut in. “Is it a crime to want to live as we want to? Without fear? With support from those who mean the most to us?” Soundwave asked. Firelight however immediately responded with “DON’T YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME, YOU FILTHY, HORRIBLE, DISGUSTING STALLION! YOU’VE CORRUPTED MY SON!”. Duskfall, after hearing this, finally got up out of his seat. He was not about to relive that day. The day he ran away. He spoke, with a cold anger. “My husband did not corrupt me…” he began. He took a silent second to contemplate what he was about to say next, and then ended his sentence.

“You did. Both of you. You hurt me. You hurt Dawnrise”

Soundwave looked at the brothers as he let the moment settle in. Firelight looked confused in his anger. “WE HURT YOU!? YOU HURT US! WE RAISED YOU RIGHT, WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO MAKE SURE YOU DIDN’T DO THIS! HOW COULD YOU WASTE ALL THAT TIME DOING THIS?!” he bellowed out. But Duskfall didn’t respond as he headed straight for the front door. Soundwave followed as Dawnrise quickly flew out past the pair toward the woods. Duskfall knew immediately where he was headed as he took one look at Firelight before saying “You lost two sons and possibly a daughter in the span of an hour… You should be ashamed of yourselves” as both Soundwave and Duskfall exited. Firelight didn’t wait for the pair to leave however, as he slammed the door; physically batting the pair out of the house. The pair landed on the lawn as Duskfall rubbed his head. “Are you alright Dusky?” Soundwave asked. “I’m fine. It’s not like we expected anything else…” Duskfall responded as he began galloping toward the forest. Soundwave followed as he flew beside Duskfall. Duskfall intent on making sure they reached Dawnrise. It being clear to the pair of them that what Firelight had said, had struck a particular wound. One that he hadn’t even known about.

It took only five minutes before the pair found Dawnrise again. This time, Dawnrise wasn’t outside of the treehouse, however. Instead, Dawnrise was inside. Soundwave flew up to the entrance as Duskfall climbed up, and once the pair were there, they sat next to Dawnrise, who stared off at the distant woods. “Dawnrise…” Duskfall began. “I… I never knew… That day you left, I never-“ but before Duskfall could finish, Dawnrise turned to him. Tears had stained their face as they spoke. “Look, I know you were at school when it happened… Truth be told I should’ve told you… I just didn’t know if I’d lose you too…” they said through their tears that had started up again. “You’d never lose me, or Soundwave” Duskfall responded. “I know I just-“ Dawnrise began. They cut themselves off however as they took a deep breath and ended their sentence. “I was afraid. I tried to be strong for you… I know how much you were affected by the pair of them”. Duskfall and Soundwave looked at eachother, before Soundwave responded. “Look, we’re the last stallions to come hounding at you for being who you are. You were obviously hurt by them as well… I think all three of us can relate to one another. You two moreso than me but still” he said as Dawnrise slightly smiled; with a melancholic look in their eyes.

“I just wish I had said it sooner…” they said as they then stared back out to the woods. Duskfall and Soundwave sat with Dawnrise. For about ten minutes the three sat in silence. Soundwave leaning on Duskfall who had been looking at Dawnrise occasionally. Dawnrise slightly sniffling as they wiped their tears away every now and again. Duskfall, after he realized that the day was becoming night, simply asked “So, instead of a brother I have a sister then” as he looked at Dawnrise. Dawnrise, who seemed to have recovered mostly, smiled at the pair. “Yeah… I guess I’d go with just, Dawn, for now” they then responded as the other two nodded. “Right, let’s go find the other three. They’re very likely to still be at the hospital” Dawnrise then added as, slowly, the three of them got up. The hurt had come. The hurt still affected the three of them, but slowly, they’d all recover. Slowly, they would make their lives truly magical. Slowly, they’d all find true joy. As Duskfall climbed down from the treehouse and the two pegasi flew down to the ground, Duskfall and Dawn took one final look at the treehouse. Their memories of the treehouse playing infront of them in their own minds. With a turn of their heads, those memories disappeared. For presumably the last time.

After about an hour of trotting the hospital, they finally arrived. However, Sour, Sweet and Acidic weren’t in the actual building. Instead, The three of them were outside. This made the three approaching ponies confused. That was, until Sour spoke. “Now I KNOW what you’re thinking. They signed us out because Acidic managed to wake up. He said he felt fine and they just… Let us go I guess!” Sour said as he looked at Sweet and Acidic. The pair of them rolled their eyes as Acidic asked “So, how’d it go?” as the three of them then stared at the three others. Duskfall responded with “It went about how we imagined… Dawn, do you want to-“ but before he could finish his question, she answered. “Yeah, let’s explain when we get to an inn, there're a few nearby." she then said, with a happier tone for the first time in a little bit that day.

“Come on you three! Let’s go!” Duskfall then shouted out as the trio caught up and began trotting through the town. The events of the day weighing on their minds much less so than before they happened. The damage was great, the adventure was striking, but for now, the six of them just wanted to get to a place to stay for the night. Their minds and bodies exhausted.

Author's Note

"Oooohhhh" '='

"Well you have a blessed night, as will I"

Ok so hi. Didn't get around to finishing this chapter until today. Mainly because of three things. One, because I was ill. Two, because of Pokemon Scarlet and the NESSIEvsALIENSvsBIGFOOT splatfest in Splatoon 3. Three, because this chapter was incredibly mentally taxing on my brain. It was emotional for obvious reasons and I hope people see what I was going for. That's all :)

Kosmik

Chapter 08: Uncluttering the Canvas

The days zoomed by as the six stallions returned to Buckgrove. Soundwave, Duskfall and Dawn taking some time to recover their minds after their unfortunate, but unsurprising confrontation with their parents. Sour, Sweet and Acidic meanwhile, stayed with Cluttered. It wasn’t ideal for them, but surprisingly, Sweet was the most empathetic and sympathetic to the recent events. Although, some logic could’ve been drawn from the fact that Duskfall was a Unicorn; so he could’ve easily have been ignoring Soundwave and Dawn’s feelings altogether. This however, was even more surprising, as the other two had noticed that there was a greater sympathy placed toward the two Pegasi. Not that either of them had any issues with it. It was moreso the shock that had yet to fully sink in.

The trio had also been helping Cluttered at Canvas Corner. Specifically, tending to the cleaning around the shop. Not that there was much of that. Given the fact there were no customers, Canvas Corner remained relatively silent. The location didn’t help at all either, with the shop being located in a relatively hard to reach alley through one of the less busy parts of the city. Still, Cluttered insisted that the location was nice. Despite the shadows cast from the bigger buildings around the alley. “It does the body good to get away from the light every now and again!” Cluttered would insist occasionally when the trio went to ask him about the possibility of relocation. It always made Sour, Sweet and Acidic so confused when they heard the same answer over and over again.

It was during the sunset of the last workday that kicked off things once again. At this point, the four of them were just leaving from the shop after another dull and boring day of nopony coming in and checking the shop out. The trio yawned as Cluttered closed and locked the front door of the shop. “I’m beat” Cluttered exclaimed as he caught up to the drowsy three. “But we didn’t do anything… Nor did we get any customers” Sour responded. “Ah, but dear Sour, that’s the joy of being able to just show up!” Cluttered then retorted with a smile. Sour rolled his eyes as he responded with “Whatever floats your boat I guess” before the four of them left the alley. Sunset was just ending as they trotted out of the alley; seeing the last remnants of lavender hitting the sky and the seas at the beach near their exit point. “Would be nice to get off of the shop before sunset happens. The colours are wild!” Cluttered chirped out. It was true. Sunset was a sight to behold even back in Manestralia for the trio. “Yeah and tomorrow we have the weekend off. So, if you want to, we can spend the evening down here! Could bring Duskfall, Soundwave and Dawnri- I mean Dawn” Acidic responded. The whole event that had happened had definitely given the three something new to get used to. This being Dawnrise, or rather, just Dawn’s identity. A few days prior, Dawn explained everything that revolved around their inner self and had decided to just stick with the name Dawn until they could find something else to add onto the end of the name. Something perfect for them.

“Yes, well, I’d still like if we could spend the day cleaning your house. It’s a mess and we’re lacking in space!” Sweet then interjected. Cluttered looked at him as they passed by the beach to get to Cluttered’s house with some worry. “Yeah… Well… I think that’s more of a thing for me to-“ but before Cluttered could finish, Acidic interrupted. “Oh please, it’s the least we can do! After all you and the other three have been so generous in letting us couch surf, the least we can do is help keep the areas we stay in clean and tidy!” he replied as he, instinctively, used his wings to lightly hover in the air for a little moment. Then touching back down onto the ground and trotting ahead. Sour and Sweet gave one glance at each other before the four of them crossed the beach and back up the familiar hill that they all knew well at this point. To the house that they all shared for the time being. The condition of the house looking worse every-time they looked at it.

It wasn’t long before the four of them got inside and quickly ate the last things within the fridge. The kitchen had been adequately kept up, but it still lacked a gigantic and proper cleaning. Still, it was usable. The things they ate being the last of the hay bacon which had been made into hay bacon sandwiches. The butter that had been spread on the bread melting slightly as the hay bacon was put together in the sandwich. It didn’t take long for the four of them to absolutely devour their meals too. They were small, yet fulfilling in the best way possible. It wasn’t until Cluttered finished his however that they all began heading to bed. As Cluttered made his way up the stairs, he shouted down “I’ll bring you three down some blankets!” before shutting his door for a moment. A few moments passed by as the three downstairs heard rummaging and banging before Cluttered came back downstairs. As Sweet turned around to look at the staircase, he was bombarded with the three blankets. He swam out of the little pool of blankets as he grabbed the green one. Acidic grabbed the orange one and Sour grabbed the last one; the yellow one. “Good eye for colour coordination, Cluttered” Sweet spouted off as he got himself wrapped up. Sour and Acidic looked surprised as he said this, looking at Cluttered who was smiling instead. “Glad to see you’re not as… Unwelcoming… As before Sweet” he responded as he then added a “Well, see you all in the morning” before he trotted back up the stairs to his room. His door slamming shut as the three stallions heard him falling out of his bed presumably when he got himself into it.

“You know, I do wonder why he’s always so insistent on keeping this place as the mess it is” Sour muttered to the others. His voice was low, but audible. Low to make sure they didn’t disturb Cluttered, but loud enough to still be heard clearly. “Maybe something’s happened that we don’t know about…” Acidic responded as he shrugged. “Maybe he’s got a dead body in here! You never know!” Sweet then interjected. The other two looked at him; himself being in the middle of the three on the couch they were sleeping on. Sour and Acidic snickered a little bit as Sour then added on. “Yeah, maybe we’ll find our Alicorn body under all that mess!” he laughed out. The other two chuckled along with him as Sweet used his magic to close the curtains. Levitating the top of the curtains to be able to move them easily. “You know Sweet, you should really take a trip to the library tomorrow. Borrow some magic books and maybe, when we’re back as one, we’ll know more than just levitation” Sour then suggested.

Sweet looked at Sour as his eyes gazed at him with some hesitation. “Oh please… Levitation is… Is good enough for me. For us, I mean” Sweet began to protest. “Look, why don’t you sleep on it? Duskfall’s a Unicorn too, y’know. Maybe he could teach you once he’s had his time to himself?” Sour then asked. Sweet looked away. Acidic looked at Sweet, then deciding to interject. “Is it because of those magic classes back in Manestralia? The ones we flopped on when we were expected to do wonderfully in our tests?” he asked with some curiosity in his voice. Sweet sighed as he simply nodded vertically and just asked “Can we save this conversation for… For later?”. Before he could even get an answer however, he closed his eyes and sunk into the couch. The other two, understanding what was going on, simply said in unison “Sure” before they went to sleep as well. The moon faintly being able to glow against the curtains as the three of them slept through the night.

When morning came, the three awoke with some grumble and stretching. In their minds, they’d never get used to sleeping on a couch or on the floor. Although, it was definitely better than being out in the cold and without any warmth. Sweet was the first to get off the couch, trotting to the kitchen as he went to look in the fridge. Unfortunately, what Sweet found was the butter and nothing else. It was a depressive sight. Still, he knew there was enough bread at least for toast. So, he got to work. He used his magic and brought the butter out of the fridge; then getting the bread out of a cupboard nearby. It was brownish bread with some visible seeds woven within it. “This should do” Sweet said to himself as he popped the toast in the toaster and stood in the kitchen. About halfway through the toast process and with two plates of toast already done, Sour came in. His muzzle risen in the air smelling the toast and his stomach rumbling. “Here’s yours” Sweet told him as Sour looked at the pair of plates. “Take that one in to Acidic” Sweet then said to Sour. Sour rolled his eyes as he grabbed one of the plates and left the kitchen, returning not even a moment later to get his own plate. As Sour left the kitchen again, he saw that Cluttered had made his way down the stairs as well.

“I see the pair of you already got breakfast. I guess Sweet is in the kitchen making it right?” Cluttered asked the pair. As if on cue, the question answered itself, with Sweet trotting in with two plates being levitated in the air. “Don’t think I forgot about you!” Sweet chirped out as he sat back on the couch. Himself digging into his plate as he placed Cluttered’s on the table infront of them. Cluttered sat on the floor as he looked at the plate. His stomach rumbling, but his mind seeming almost repulsed by the toast. “I think I’ll pass” Cluttered then said as he turned it away. “Did I do a bad job?” Sweet asked with some offense in his voice. The other two looked at both Sweet and Cluttered whilst Cluttered insistently responded with “No! It looks good, I’m just not hungry”. Sweet eyed him with a great amount of suspicion as he continued eating his own toast. It was almost comical how offended Sweet felt about the rejection. It took about five minutes for the three to stop eating before Sour turned to Cluttered. “So, what do you plan on doing today? Planning on visiting the beach this evening I assume” Sour then asked, adding his presumption at the end. Cluttered nodded, but then responded. “I don’t know what to do today though… I’ll probably get some more sleep I don’t know” he said as he looked out toward the closed curtains.

“You can’t go to sleep! There’s so much we could do! Like clean this place!” Acidic protested. “Yeah, well whatever you plan on doing, I’m not joining” Sweet then interjected. The other three looked at him as he said this. “Are you taking our advice then?” Sour asked him. “Well, I figured I might as well give it a try. There’s no exams… No tests… Just me and a book” Sweet responded. There was something about tests that got him in all the wrong places. Something so anxiety inducing to him that he just couldn’t get over. It wasn’t like the stage; where he knew he could perform, and ponies would love him regardless. Where he could ignore any negative press. It was something he couldn’t ignore. The bad scores. The requirement of looking at paper for hours in the faint hope that something slipped and stayed in his mind. If he failed the tests, which he did back in Manestralia, he’d be belittled and shamed for his slow adaptation to magic. “Well, you head off to the library then and we’ll stay here with Cluttered” Sour replied. Without a word, Sweet quietly left as he felt odd. Something about the process of learning magic was off to him. Maybe that was just because he grew a distaste for it during his school days, but it didn’t feel familiar to him; and unfamiliarity meant unknown. Unknown meant inexperienced and inexperience meant embarrassment. Shutting the front door behind him, he began trotting off to the library, leaving the three inside the house.

Back inside the house, Sour and Acidic started cleaning up the plates. “You gonna eat that? Or should I chuck it?” Sour asked. Cluttered nodded horizontally as Sour trotted into the kitchen. Four plates precariously balancing on his hoof as he wobbled into the kitchen. Cluttered went to leave the room, but Acidic stopped him. “Come on Cluttered, it’ll be good to clean up and repair things!” he said to Cluttered whilst slightly airborne. Cluttered wanted to protest, but found he lacked the energy to do so. He simply sat on the couch and sighed. “You two really don’t know what’s in that mess…” he then said out loud. The other two looked at eachother, confusion in their eyes. “What is in that mess?” Acidic asked, eagerly awaiting an answer. “I’d prefer not to elaborate on it” Cluttered responded. Sour put his hoof up before Acidic could say anything else. Acidic then looked at Sour, his expression full of bewilderment at the sudden lack of wanting answers. He huffed as he simply said “If we find anything suspicious we’ll let you know” before flying to the kitchen and starting the process of cleaning. “Figured I’d stop him before he got too personal. Strange considering I’m the one who usually gets too interrogative” Sour then said to Cluttered, his self-reflection not really affecting him considering he didn’t seem to have a problem with what he knew about himself. Which made Cluttered slightly envious. “You know, you’re always so calm about your flaws” he commented. Sour looked at him as he responded. “Well, it’s just what I know about myself. It’s not like I’m the only one with flaws. So, why would I judge anyone on their flaws? Unless it’s Acidic or Sweet that is” Sour chuckled out as he said the last part. “Sweet and Acidic? But why them?” Cluttered asked. “They’re me. We’re all eachother. I can make fun of them because it’s me. Same with Acidic and Sweet doing the same to me” Sour responded. Cluttered seemed like the concept didn’t make sense. So much so that, by the time he did get around to processing it, Sour has already moved to a room down the hallway.

“Hey, wait! Don’t go in there!” Cluttered shouted as Sour trotted into the room. Sour turned around as he saw Cluttered right behind him. “But we have to start somewhere!” Sour protested. “Then why don’t we start with the front room first…?” Cluttered then slowly suggested. Sour took a moment to think about it as he came up with a compromise. “If this room can’t be cleaned by me…” he began. “Then you can do it!” he then added as he pushed Cluttered into the room. “What-!” but before Cluttered could say anymore, Sour trotted back to the living room. Cluttered looked around as he got flashed of his memories. Specifically, of him slashing canvases with a red hue. The mess being created from the last time he looked at a photo he saw at the other end of the room. One he didn’t want the others seeing. The photo, at first glance, looked to be of a building. However, as one got closer, they would find that around twenty colts and fillies were sat outside of the building. Almost like a yearbook photo. The sign on the building reading ‘BUCKGROVE ORPHANAGE’ and right there, three spaces from the center on the right, was Cluttered. A small, almost unhappy looking colt. The memories fully flooding back of the times he had at the orphanage as he remembered the physical pain, the psychological pain and the general unhappiness he felt in the orphanage. The times he was blamed for other pony’s actions, and subsequently locked in his room without dinner. The shaming of his writing, his music and even at points his art. Although it wasn’t nearly as bad as the oppressive shaming he experienced for his musical talent or writing talent. Mainly due to him keeping it hidden. Something he’d end up leaving the orphanage to pursue. His artistic career.

By the time he had processed about a tenth of the memories, he was already dissociated. His mind not connecting with the reality around him as he got stuck within his own thoughts. The few happy memories he had were with Duskfall and Soundwave. Even then however, they weren’t even in the orphanage. Not Duskfall anyway. He saw the orange Pegasus next to him in the photo as tears began forming. The happiness creating an emotional response as opposed to the negative. By the time Sour came in to check on the progress of the room being cleaned up, he saw Cluttered curled on the floor; holding the photograph. “Cluttered?” he asked. However Cluttered didn’t respond. He simply sniffled. Looking concerned, Sour tried to tap Cluttered. However it didn’t work. No response was given. “Acidic, might need your help here!” he shouted out. Acidic, a few moments later, flew in. He saw the state Cluttered was in as he now understood why Cluttered didn’t want to tackle any of what the other two wanted to help with. It wasn’t just the photograph. He saw a few canvases in the corner that had been stained in red, in a very violent fashion. On top of that, he saw a note and a knife. He’d wondered why he couldn’t find any knives whilst he was cleaning, and now he knew. He didn’t even have to read what was on the note to know exactly what Cluttered attempted. He quickly grabbed both the note and knife as he rushed out of the room. He scrunched up the note and threw it in the kitchen bin and put the knife away after giving it a thorough clean. The red, dried-up substance on the knife cleaning off after some heavy scrubbing.

When he came back into the room, the next thing he did was say to Sour “Leave him there for a minute. Let’s get those out” before he grabbed three of the seven canvases that had been struck. The mess sort of clearing up as he went around the room and uncovered a bed of sorts. Clearly a guest bed. The sheets were crinkled and dusty, so he stripped them off and immediately told Sour “Get me a laundry basket” before putting the sheets and any other clothes he found in one big pile. When Sour left the room, Cluttered seemed to snap back to reality, it having been quite a bit since he first entered the room. He looked around as he saw that the things he had in the room had vanished. “Where’d-“ but before he could speak, Acidic interjected. “Hand me that photograph” he said as he put his hoof out. Cluttered looked at him, and then to the bed as he pieced together what he’d missed. “But this… It’s special to me” Cluttered weakly protested. “I’m not getting rid of it if it’s special to you. But if that’s the source of what me and Sour saw in here, it needs to go” Acidic firmly responded. Cluttered didn’t relent as he held the photograph tightly. “Please… You don’t understand… That orphanage was where I grew up” Cluttered began to respond. But before he could, Acidic asked a very vital question.

“And did you enjoy growing up there?” he asked, with a stern look to him. Cluttered took a moment to answer, himself clearly struggling internally. That was, until, he finally responded with a simple “No… No I… I didn’t” before looking down at the photograph. “But… That orphanage… It was where I met… Where I met Soundwave. We both grew up there…” Cluttered added on as he remembered the friendship they had in the orphanage. Quite vividly, he recalled the time after the photograph was taken. His new friend. His only friend. The one who ever cared for him in the orphanage. The one who stood up for him and got in trouble with him. “Okay… So where is Soundwave on this photo then?” Acidic asked as he was looking at the picture. Cluttered looked up at Acidic as he responded “Well… Here...” Cluttered then responded, pointing to Soundwave on the picture. “Alright... But if you have bad memories with the place, then you don’t need this picture. Especially if it’s triggering those intense negative emotions and experiences… Even if it’s a part of your past, sometimes you have to let go of it" Acidic then explained. He opened the wing nearest to Cluttered as an attempt to comfort him. Cluttered leaned on Acidic whilst staring at the picture. “I… I suppose that’s… That’s true. I just wish that it hadn’t been like it was” he then mumbled out, Sour entering the room whilst the other two were talking. He put the laundry basket down and put the clothes and sheets inside of it before carrying it back out; somewhat concerned. “Is he alright?” he asked Acidic. “I’ll… I’ll be fine” Cluttered instead responded. He held out the picture to Acidic, saying “It’s best to get it out now before I change my mind” as he waited. Acidic happily took the picture, quickly flying to the bin and chucking the picture in. Then wrapping the trash bag up and putting it in the big bin outside that Cluttered had on the side of his house. When he came back in, he saw Cluttered beginning to also help out with the cleaning. “Definitely need to replace the flooring…” he said to himself as he noticed the slight ripping in the carpet flooring. “Well, let’s focus on just cleaning it first. Renovation can come after. Once the space you have is at least… Better” Acidic replied. Sour in the meanwhile, had come back after the pair heard the washing machine start up. Coming back with a “What’s next then?” before Cluttered and Acidic looked at eachother. “Well, this room still needs some… Maintenance. Can you focus on this room whilst me and Cluttered head upstairs? Maybe clean the room next to this one too” Acidic asked and simultaneously suggested. Sour nodded, and with that, Cluttered and Acidic headed upstairs.

It took them a few minutes to get up the stairs, with Cluttered being somewhat slower than Acidic. He was still slightly in a distant state, although he was still tethered to reality. When they got upstairs, Acidic waited for Cluttered to open his bedroom door before they both entered. It was a mess in here too. Very befitting Cluttered’s name as canvases laid strewn around. These ones however, were blank. With a mountain of them piled up in the corner. “Let’s deal with these first, eh?” Acidic asked as Cluttered nodded. Together, they ordered each canvas from largest to smallest; stacking the larger ones together and stacking the smaller ones together in a separate small tower. “I’ll carry these down, you focus on those clothes over there and strip the bedsheets” Acidic instructed as he carefully flew with the smaller canvas tower first. Cluttered got to work, grabbing the huge pile of clothes he on the floor and tossing it on the little chair he had next to his wardrobe. Then, he got to work stripping the bed. “When Sour’s finished washing and drying the downstairs bedsheets I’ll take them for the night” he said to himself whilst he piled the bedsheets on the chair. When Acidic came back up to get the second tower of canvases, he looked in slight surprise at the amount of clothes Cluttered had gathered together. “Oh, there you are. When you get back up, bring the laundry basket up too” Cluttered instructed as Acidic nodded.

When Acidic came back up the stairs, he looked impressed when he saw that Cluttered had gotten halfway through reorganizing his chest of drawers next to his bed. One thing however, stood out. A photo album of sorts. Alongside a diary and a few other things. “Oh, feel free to look in that album. It has better moments of my life in there than the one earlier” Cluttered spouted off when Acidic placed the laundry basket down. “Sour should be coming up soon, so I’ll leave him with the other room. You take the laundry down and put it next to the washing machine” Acidic then said whilst he himself headed to the bathroom. A job he was very much not looking forward to. Cluttered looked slightly disappointed that Acidic didn’t look in the album, but didn’t care too much as he put it in the top drawer with the diary before putting the laundry in the laundry basket and carrying it downstairs. Sour being at the bottom and waiting until Cluttered got fully down. When he got to the bottom, Sour passed him and trotted upstairs whilst Cluttered carried the laundry basket into the kitchen. After placing the basket next to the washing machine, Cluttered trotted up the stairs and proceeded to finish off the main cleaning in his bedroom.

Sour, meanwhile, seemed to be in what used to be an art studio room. There was a study downstairs that he had cleaned prior; although it wasn’t really messy. The issue in that room was moreso the lack of organization. So, he decided to just double check every other room on the bottom floor before he reached this particular room. When he looked around, the art supplies looked old and out of date. Specifically, the overused green and blue seemed very much nearly empty and had spilled somewhat onto one of the blank sketchbooks. Sour took the first chance he had to get rid of both the paint container and the sketchbook in unison; bagging it up after getting a trash bag from the kitchen. Then, he went around the rest of the room. What was supposed to take a few minutes to clean up at the beginning ended up taking close to an hour as he meticulously organized the adequate quality materials.

Paints were lined up in colour order, their hue and saturation also being taken into account as he sorted them. The paintbrushes that he found were all sorted into two piles, messy and ruined brushes going into one pile whilst unused ones were placed into another. The ruined brushes ended up being chucked away as Sour put the unused ones in a cup he found conveniently labeled ‘BRUSHES’ and then proceeded to work his way around the rest of the room. His inner perfectionist making its way outward as he spent great deals of time on the simplest of things. By the time he had finished, the sun had already begun to set. “Oh crud! Wasted time” Sour said to himself as he planted his hoof into his face. As he did this, Acidic and Cluttered came in; having been waiting downstairs as the pair of them finally came up to check on him. Acidic was worried he’d fallen asleep, however that worry turned into amazement as the pair of them saw Sour’s hard work. “Oh wow! It’s like the mess was never here!” Acidic exclaimed in shock. Sour rolled his eyes as he simply responded with “Yeah, thanks. Now do me a favor and take this out” as he yawned. The cleaning he had done taking its toll on him. Acidic obliged whilst Cluttered and Sour trotted down into the front room.

“You’d think that cleaning would be simple, but apparently it wasn’t!” Sour told Cluttered as Cluttered looked away slightly. “Did you find it hard too, then? I mean, getting the motivation together to clean your space?” he then asked. Sour looked at Cluttered with some confusion, until he caught onto what Cluttered was implying. That implication being that Sour, or rather Covet, suffered with the same problems as him. Sour shook his head as he immediately responded with “Oh god no, I never tried to take myself from this world! I just… Well, it’s better to not think about it for now. What’s gone by has gone by and the progress we made today was amazing! Tomorrow, you’ll have to take down all those old wooden boards on the windows! Renovation is the key to a happier and more comfortable home after all!”. Cluttered responded with “That’s not what I meant but I’m glad that you didn’t try what I tried when I was that low” before the front door opened. When they turned around to expect Acidic, Sweet galloped in holding a book in his magical grasp.

“Welcome back…? How was the library search?” Sour asked as Acidic trotted in, the front door closing behind him as he made his way to the front room. “It went well! I didn’t see Duskfall like I had hoped, but I found this!” Sweet responded as he passed the book he had around. The title of the book being ‘POTIONS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER’ with Sweet then flipping through to a specific page. The page containing a potion named ‘Aquarespiratius’. “The ingredients seem impossible, but our three helpers left a note. So, they’re still watching I presume” Sweet then added on as he then pulled the note off of the page. The note simply reading:

THIS ONE. THE LILY ONCE HIDDEN YOU NEED TO GET.

H

“So, the lily he’s referring to must be this one” Sour then said as he pointed to one of the ingredients. Something called a Breath-Imbued Lily. An extra scribble written down next to it saying ‘THE OLD GALLOPVANT CASTLE’ as the four stallions looked at eachother. “Looks like we know where we’re going next…” Acidic muttered. Cluttered then speaking up. “That castle… It’s over a thousand years old! And abandoned too. I mean Queen Tidal never said why but… If the Lily is there then I’m happy to go with you” he suggested. “Queen Tidal?” Sweet then asked. “Yeah, Ceyonait has a queen. Queen Tidal Serenity. If you’re an Alicorn then after you get yourself back together, it might be in your best interest to speak to her” Cluttered responded. “Yeah… It might be” Sour responded, with the other two nodding their heads. “Well, the first load of washing should be done by now, I took the liberty of throwing in your three blankets so, they’re all washed. Had to flick the dryer setting on though so they’d dry in time. When we got down here anyway” Cluttered the said, trotting to the kitchen as he called out “Acidic, help me with this!” as Acidic flew in.

When the pair came back out, the three blankets were quickly thrown onto the couch as Cluttered trotted up the stairs; coming back down about twenty minutes later to initially speak with the three about travel plans. However, by the time he came back down, the three had already fallen asleep. Each in their own couch space as Cluttered simply said “Huh” to himself before trotting back up the stairs himself. He then proceeded to trot up the stairs and sunk into his bed. He took one last look around his room as he smiled. For the first time in years he could actually see the floor. It made him happy as he entered his own world of dreams. Once the four were asleep, a flicker of purple fire surrounded an appearing Dallasite; who had been listening and monitoring Sweet since he found the book. He kept an almost permanent frown as he muttered “I’ll make sure that meeting never happens” before disappearing in an equal spiral of purple fire.

He reappeared a few hours later, within the mountain cave Arcane and Harmonous resided in. “You made sure they found the book, yes?” Harmonous asked Dallasite. “Yes, but there’s something far more pressing that we have to stop. If he meets her before we can get him back, the consequences will be disastrous to our lifelong goal” Dallasite responded. Harmonous looked at Dallasite, before then looking at Arcane and then responding to Dallasite. “We can worry about that when he’s back together. Assuming his main goal is to reform and then try to meet her, we can act on it when the time comes. We don’t want her knowing about us too soon after all, my little lavender flame” Harmonous said before then adding on something. “Arcane, keep an eye on him. Just make sure there isn’t any preemptive attempt to reach her before we ensure he completes his journey to reformation” he instructed Arcane. Arcane nodded as Dallasite trotted over to him. Harmonous seeming to disappear in the Mist he created before Dallasite asked “Do you think he’d attempt to go to her soon?” before Arcane answered. “Considering I was also watching the three of them today, no. Their friend specifically stated to do it after they had become an Alicorn. Not whilst doing this” which Dallasite got irritated at. “You don’t trust me to do things by myself?” he asked Arcane with himself looking slightly offended. “Well, I had to make sure you didn’t try and disobey him. He’s not exactly fully confident in you. It was only to ensure your guaranteed success” Arcane responded, one of his wings resting on Dallasite’s back.

“If that’s what you want to run with, then fine. I’m fully capable of doing what he wants. But I suppose the little safety net is appreciated” Dallasite responded, laying down and then adding on “I assume I don’t need to watch you whilst you help him” and seeming to go to sleep. Arcane frowned slightly as he thought for a moment, before creating an arrow made of ice. “This should be helpful for tomorrow” he said to himself before destroying the arrow. “I won’t make it too easy, but if he needs help I suppose I can throw in some” he then added on before seeming to go to sleep himself. The day ending with Arcane, Sour, Sweet, Acidic and Cluttered knowing their next goals. For Sour, Sweet, Acidic and Cluttered they’d find the Breath-Imbued Lily. Whilst for Arcane, he’d observe patiently and ensure success for the three he had been assigned to observe.

Author's Note

Hiiii

i'm back after the break. The weekend was fun. I had to take Tuesday till now (Friday 21st April as of writing this) to fully get myself back in working order. But now i'm back. I hope you enjoyed the attempt I made at exploring Cluttered's past. Duskfall and Dawnrise had themselves explored somewhat in the last chapter. The only two characters that really need it now are Cluttered, who I just made a chapter for and revolving around, and Soundwave who'll have a chapter in the near future I promise.

I was also debating on making a chapter around Sweet discovering the book, but it'd be less than 1000 words and quite frankly, he really doesn't need it. If he had trouble, Acidic and Sour would've picked up on it (the whole mind link thing) and would've gone to help. There's something else I hinted at. That being Queen Tidal. She's not important in this book. But if I don't mention her now and give just little nods to her, she'll come out of nowhere in a future book and everyone will just be like "Who the fxck is this bxtch?" (imagine that in Nicki Minaj's voice or something lmao)

One final thing I wanted to set myself up for is the exploration of Covet/Bounded's past. Haven't really eluded to it much beyond Chapter 2 so a nice nod to something that could cause him to have growth was added in.

With that, I hope you liked the C H O N K paragraphs and i'll be writing Chapter Nine soon! Byeee

Kosmik

Chapter 10: The journey to Southern Ceyonait

Back with Sweet and Dawn, the pair approached Dawn’s house. It was a nice house. Similar to Duskfall and Soundwave’s, but distinct with a peculiar smell. The house was off-white, with their door being a wonderful red. “Forgive the smell, I like potion-making in my off-time. It’s how I keep my own business afloat” Dawn told Sweet. “It’s… Fine. You’ve never mentioned anything about potions though” Sweet replied. Dawn chuckled a little bit, before they responded. “Yeah, well I never really acknowledge it because nobody asks!”. Sweet took a second, before going “Ah, that’s true” and the pair entered the house. Inside, a hallway going to several rooms waited. “This way” Dawn instructed as they entered a room with a cauldron in. Smaller ones lined the shelves that were nailed into the walls; with several empty vials accompanying each cauldron. “I call it my in-house, all purpose, potion brewing equipment store!” Dawn then shouted out with a happy cheer. Sweet seemed to be slightly uncomfortable however. When Dawn noticed, they added on “Don’t worry, we’re only in here for a spare set of brewing equipment” before trotting over to a specific set on the side. This specific set looking very worn and used. Some of the brown metal eroded around the sides.

“I always used to experiment with potion recipes I found in the Gulfmane library, Became my personal set for later on in life. By that, I mean for times like this!” Dawn then explained. They seemed happy when they were talking about their experiences with potions and things surrounding the topic, which made Sweet all the more eager to leave. “Right, well let’s go then” Sweet said aloud, then trotting to the front-door. Before he could leave however, Dawn stopped him. “Oh we’re not done here! We still have to get the Ceyans needed for the train trip after all! The five for two trips ticket is so useful! The ticket prices used to be absurd!” Dawn then spouted off. Sweet groaned, but Dawn didn’t take notice as they trotted into another room; holding their potion brewing set in one hoof. Once they reached the doorway of the other room, they reached for a box that they unlocked after they set their brewing set down. When Sweet came in, they noticed that the room had a lot of things laid out in a way that made the room feel cozy. A fireplace and some bookshelves either side of it. Lots of warm browns and a rug that, when Sweet trotted on it, almost made him go limp from how comfortable on his hooves it was. Sleeping on a Couch wasn’t the comfiest for Sweet after all.

“You know, the whole potion making business is what funded most of the things in this house. Well, the profits anyway. It’s nice, you know? It was the only subject I really excelled at in School. General Potion Making for Everyday Situations is still one of my favourite books! I just hope I manage to bump into the Mare who wrote it all!” Dawn then exclaimed. Their enthusiasm reaching a peak as Sweet seemed utterly lost. “Right…” he simply muttered as he was at a loss for words. He didn’t know anything beyond a simple potion. An energy potion. Made with caffeine. “Oh wait, that’s coffee. Not a potion!” Sweet then said aloud as he thought about the said potion. “Ah, coffee is often called the elixir of waking hours! It's a potion in my book!” Dawn responded. Sweet, realizing he had said what he said out loud, immediately said “Oh, sorry. That was supposed to be an inner voice moment” before brushing his hoof against the other in slight embarrassment. “Well, I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing! Why, are you used to keeping everything in?” Dawn then asked. “Well, I guess” Sweet began as he then sat down on the plush, brown couch. “Everytime as Covet that the three of us tried confiding in somepony, they’d always reject it. I guess that always gave me and the others a guard of sorts. I guess…” Sweet hesitated as he thought about everything. What he was saying was a slow awakening for him. He had realized something. Something that seemed like it would reveal itself. But he froze.

“Well, after my mother passed I suppose my father was never able to recover. My brother always seemed to have his hooves full, so I suppose he had his own issues” Sweet then began saying. In his mind, excuses seemed better than facing the truth. The truth that Dawn was about to make him face. “Sweet… No matter what they were going through, you always deserve to have somepony listen to your struggles. I don’t care if they were royalty, and I don’t care if you were royalty! It sounds like you never really had a proper outlet for things!” Dawn spouted out. Sweet took a moment, his mouth slightly open in stunned shock as his mind processed it. It made sense. But he still tried to deny it. “Well, they had their own problems!” Sweet tried protesting. Dawn however, drew the last line in the ground as they responded with “Sweet. No matter how hard you try to make excuses, what I said was the truth… It’s like with my parents. My parents…” Dawn began. They took a breath, and then continued as they got slightly shaky. “My parents would always shun me whenever I brought issues to them. Personal issues, issues about stress, identity issues. You name it, they hated it. Parents and supportive ponies around you shouldn’t do that…” Dawn then finished. Sweet however, looked away.

“You don’t get it. I was royalty. Standards are set when you’re infront of everypony in your continent. The closest I got to getting an outlet were the Alifests me and Stardew did” Sweet said, distance in his voice. “Alifests?” Dawn then asked, utterly confused at the word. Sweet turned back, looking confused until he remembered he was in another continent. One completely detached from Manestralia. “Oh, Alifests. Right so, they were a celebrative period where a theme with two teams was chosen. There were eight Alifests over two years. One happening every three months. The last one was where they ended. The theme was myself… against Stardew. We had a special sport around all the coasts of the region that we used for the events. Do you have Wave Racing over here in Ceyonait?” Sweet explained, and then asked Dawn. “Wave Racing? Uh, no. We have Hoofball. But it’s gone out of fashion lately. The only place that you’ll see it is in a school yard during break” Dawn responded. “Ah, well Wave Racing is where teams of three went against eachother. During Alifest, ponies would pledge to their allegiance to either my team’s theme or Stardew's team theme. There were also ten times and one hundred times battles in the Alifests, and even Sky Soaring during the last Alifest! Do you have Sky Soaring here?” Sweet then explained as he responded.

Dawn, as they heard this, looked incredibly awed. “N-no… Is it a kind of surfing?” Dawn then asked, incredibly intrigued. “Oh, no but we have Surfing too! I wish we incorporated it into Alifests, but Stardew was insistent on Sky Soaring. Sky Soaring is where you craft your own water traversing craft. Then, you’d race around a course that was marked by a bunch of rope and flags for checkpoints. Speakers were obviously littered around the area to play mine and Stardew’s song during the last Alifest. Mainly our song Fae Spell. Although that’s better talked about at a later time” Sweet finished off. Turning to look outside to realize that the sun had moved increasingly across the skies. “Oh boy, we better get a move on” Sweet added on as he began trotting toward the front door again. “Alright, but I’m going to be a minute. I need to put all this in saddlebags after all!” Dawn responded. Sweet took a moment as he left the house and waited outside, the strange chilled air around him making him shiver as he closed the front door. “When did it get so cold…? The sun is blistering and yet it feels like Winter!” Sweet exclaimed, with Arcane watching from the window of magic he had created. He took mental notes of what was happening, still wanting to keep it in mind incase he had the opportunity to use it. He was angered however. Angered that Sweet, or as he called him, Bounded held Stardew in such close regard. “He really cares for him… And for what?” he asked himself, gritting his teeth as he spoke. The anger he was unleashing making the whole city feel at least a chill. The center of his area making the city experience iced-over roads and snow from his emotions. “Not freezing over something again are you?” a familiar voice then asked. From a purple spark in some nearby ice that Arcane had created, Dallasite flared into existence.

“What’re you doing here… I’m doing fine on my own. I don’t need you here” Arcane asserted as he didn’t bother to look at Dallasite as he spoke. To which Dallasite got irritated. “Not even worthy enough to speak with the Prince of the Frozen North now?” he asked, with some malice directed at Arcane when he mentioned the prince part. “Maybe instead of coming for my title, you should focus on living up to your own title, Prince of the Lavender Fire” Arcane responded. Equal amounts of malice put into the title he seemed to give Dallasite. Dallasite sighed, and then spoke again, this time in a calmer tone. “Look, we both have the same idea. He’s a well of manipulation waiting to be used. I was thinking that… Maybe… Whilst one of us is doing what he wants, the other could take the notes. About what he spills about himself. We never really took up the opportunity when he was found in Manestralia all those years ago” Dallasite suggested. The idea tickled Arcane’s fancy, himself smiling with ill intent. “That might just work. I’ll catch you up on-“ he began, but before he could finish, Dallasite interjected. “Oh don’t worry, I was watching everything myself out of morbid curiosity. I do love the drama he brings with his negative experiences” he told Arcane. For the first time during the conversation, Arcane turned around to face Dallasite; remarking “What a bottom feeder I swear” before smirking. “Oh please, you’re just as bad. The mountain cave is boring to reside in most of the time after all” Dallasite responded, before opening a circle of purple flames that led straight back to the mountain cave. “Right then, it’s settled. You focus on watching their every move. I’ll focus on listening for every juicy detail” he told Arcane. With one hoof step in the circle of purple fire, he vanished into the other side and closed it with a wink. Once it was closed, Arcane turned back to both of his windows of magic that he had for each group. Realizing that both of the groups were about to meet eachother at the train station. With a flick of his horn, both windows disappeared as he flew into the air and into a portal he created directly to the train station. Which was timely.

Timely, given the fact that Dawn, Sweet, Sour, Acidic and Cluttered had arrived outside of the train station. With a wave of his wing, Acidic trotted up to Sweet and Dawn first. “Good to see the pair of you! Guess we all took our time huh” Acidic said, with a slight laugh at the end of his sentence. “Yeah well, someone wanted to know about Alifests” Sweet responded, nudging Dawn. Dawn jumping slightly. “What’s with the huge saddlebags?” Sour then asked curiously. Dawn, getting themselves back together, responded. “Oh, I figured that we could stay down in Southern Ceyonait for a bit! Whilst we help you reach the Spring of Mind anyway. I feel bad for not including Duskfall or Soundwave, but they’re probably still spending time together” Dawn explained. “Yeah, they have eachother though, so they should be fine!” Cluttered then replied, reassuring Dawn. That’s when a frown appeared on Cluttered’s face.

“You see, you guys can stay down there, but uh… I have to run the shop tomorrow. So I’m actually going to have to return here before tonight. I’ll check in on Duskfall and Soundwave though; the day of remembrance is coming up after all” Cluttered explained. The trio looked surprised at the mention of the day of remembrance. To which Dawn quickly explained. “Oh yeah! The day of remembrance. So, you three don’t know about it… It’s basically a day for us to remember who we’ve lost in life. Like a day to honor the dead”. Cluttered nodding as the trio collectively responded with “Ah” before Sour trotted forward to the ticket box mare, who was still working even during the weekend. “Come on then! Let’s get us five tickets to… To where exactly?” he asked. “Oh, you better let me handle this. Dawn, you brought the Ceyans right?” Cluttered responded, looking at Dawn. Dawn nodded, using their wing to dig out the coin pouch they brought with them. Cluttered took it, and proceeded to deal with the tickets.

It only took a few moments as the four others waited. The ordeal being over with fairly quickly as Cluttered trotted onto the platform. “Come on then!” Cluttered told the others, the other four following behind as they all proceeded to quickly head away from the train the trio thought they were going to get on. “Hey… Shouldn’t we take the train? I’m not trotting down to the South of an entire continent!” Sour asked, protesting the idea. “Relax” Dawn responded as they turned the corner to find a set of stairs leading underground. “Our train is down here. The limited space the train company had forced them to build train tracks underneath eachother. Eastern Ceyonait based travel is on the ground level; which is the one we used to get to Gulfmane! Southern travel is the level below, with Western being below that” Dawn explained. This confused the trio as Cluttered seemed slightly stunned. “Yeah… It’s the first time I’m riding any other train too, so I guess we’re all in the same boat huh” Cluttered remarked. The trio nodded, but that’s when a question popped into Sweet’s head. “So, what about Northern Ceyonait?”.

Dawn and Cluttered looked at eachother, both seeming like they didn’t want to answer. But, Cluttered ended up breaking the silence. “Well, Northern Ceyonait is Ellestros… The North continent. It’s an almost uninhabitable place. Freezing cold conditions, snow, ice mountains, and everything cold in general. Tales say that there was a beautiful city that used to be in Ellestros. There’s the Ceyonait-Ellestros unity, but… Nopony even knows what it means. There’s nopony up there! There’s also no records of any royal lineage… Or even any surviving records of culture if there was anything up there” Cluttered explained. “Strange…” Sweet replied, thinking to himself. “But… Surely somepony knows the meaning?” Sweet then asked Cluttered. “There’s the queen. But, she said that it was to mark the discovery of Ellestros” Cluttered responded. “But that makes no sense!” Sour protested quickly. “Surely it wouldn’t be a time period or something to symbolize unity between two continents! There has to be something else there” Sour then very quickly added on. “That’s what I was thinking” Sweet responded as he looked at Sour. Sour however, looked away with a roll of his eyes. “Well come on then, let’s go” Acidic then said as he trotted past Sweet and Sour, joining Dawn as Cluttered began trotting behind. Awkwardly, Sour and Sweet followed behind as they reached the floor below them.

When they got down to the lower floor, they saw lights on the ceiling that radiated a bright white. Below them, a train that held a deep blue practically stared them down. The conductor on the platform shouting “ALL ABOARD!” as the quintet rushed to get on the train. Finding the train to be mostly empty when they got on. Shortly behind them, Arcane decided to follow. He used his magic to disguise himself, changing his coat colour to sea green, with himself using a spell to hide his wings. His mane colour changing to that of a yellow-ish green as he trotted onboard the train. One final thing he did was create a duplicated ticket from what he had seen the quintet receive; just incase he was asked to show one. He sat across from the quintet, who in turn sat on the opposite side of the train car, feeling the train set off. It wasn’t long before the train had made its way above ground, the light being almost blinding at first.

After the six ponies in the cart got readjusted to the light levels, the trio looked at eachother with some awkwardness. Dawn and Cluttered looked at eachother as Dawn spoke up, asking a question. “Do you want to head over to somewhere private?”. Sweet was the one to nod as he got up. “Come on, we need to have a conversation. A big one” he then said, trotting to the train car door. The other two looked at eachother, Sour especially looking somewhat annoyed, and then followed along. Once they headed through, Acidic shut the train car door as they entered the next car; leaving Dawn and Cluttered alone together. “Do you think they’ll end up finally putting this silly conflict aside? I mean Sweet has been getting really good in terms of his behavior” Dawn asked Cluttered. “I don’t think that’s our call to make. But, they have to work together to become one again. So, I hope for the sake of practicality that they can put it aside” Cluttered responded, looking out of the window. Arcane, on the other side of the car, looked out of the window on his side. He rolled his eyes as he murmured “Such trivial problems”, but when he did, he noticed from the reflection of the window that Dawn looked at him for a moment, becoming slightly suspicious of the one sitting opposite of them.

Meanwhile, in the next train car, Sour, Sweet and Acidic sat. It was an empty train car, so they had all the space they needed. It took a moment to start a conversation, but Acidic was the one to start it. “Sweet… I just want you to know… I personally don’t have anything against you. I’m sure Sour doesn’t either” he began. Sour however, rolled his eyes as he interjected. “Yeah, if you ignore the thing you called me then sure! I don’t have any problems with you!” he said aloud, obviously hoping to get to Sweet enough to prove his point. Sweet however, remained calm. He didn’t know what to say exactly, but he attempted to form together an apology. “Look, I know what I did. I’m not going to attempt to deflect, but I ask you to understand. It’ll make more sense to both of you since we all know what I’ll be talking about” he pleaded. His eyes looking into the other two stallions’ eyes. Acidic was the first to go “alright, sure” with Sour taking a moment to go “A-alright… Let’s hear this then” and then sat back, waiting to hear what Sweet would come up with.

“Thank you…” Sweet began. “I… I know why I held those feelings and views. It… Well, do you remember the times we tried to tell others how we felt?” Sweet asked. The other two nodded, Sour looking slightly unnerved at the topic given his flashback earlier during the day. “Great. So, as I was saying before… It’s because when we tried telling others how we felt, we got pushed away for it. That, in turn… Well, we all know how we ended up feeling-“ but before Sweet could finish, Sour freaked out. “How WE ended up feeling?!” he shouted at Sweet. Acidic jumped as he quickly responded. “Sour, we can’t pretend we weren’t also the ones doing it! I get what you mean Sweet. One of us was bound to be stuck with that side of us” Acidic replied, nodding in understanding at Sweet’s explanation. “Right… Well, we can’t deny that it affected us in the way it did. Father and Stardew never listened to us when we tried to come to them about issues. Am I not correct?” Sweet then asked Sour. Sour looked directly at Sweet, stern for a moment, before finally relenting. With a sigh, he responded. “Yeah… We also tried to speak to Starstrike about how we felt. Gosh that still burns…”. “Oh please, him? Stallion thought we had to be the perfect martyr. Forget him!” Acidic protested. “Well yeah, maybe” Sweet began. “In any case, I do apologize again. I hope we can set aside some time when we get back to being an Alicorn to let Father and Stardew know how we feel about them rejecting us…” Sweet then finished off.

Sour looked at Acidic, before looking at Sweet. “But we know their responses. It was the same as Starstrike! You need to shut up and stop complaining!” Sour responded, his voice mockingly imitating Crimson. Sweet chuckled as did Acidic. “Yeah, that’d probably be the response. We just need to make sure that we affirm our position on the matter. I, personally, have had enough of ponies saying I should shut up and focus on royal duties” Sweet then responded. “You know…” Acidic then began. “I never understood why Father hated that we always decided to read that book. You know, the one about fairies?” he then asked as he finished off. “Oh yeah! The one with the scary fictional creatures with delicate wings and… Oh wait, it defeats itself!” Sour then responded as he laughed out. “Yeah, it’s so strange… Although the name Enchanted for a form? Now that was a gorgeous name” Sweet responded, reminiscing on the book. “There was also a… What was it… Charmed Fae? And a Sparked Fae? Enchanted was the most beautiful though… Wait a minute…” Sweet then finished as he paused. “Didn’t Harmonous say the springs…?” he then began asking aloud as the three simultaneously remembered the exact same scenario and the words he said.

“This place was built by a now extinct race of beings called Fae. Its original purpose was to provide a place of meditation for those seeking to enhance their powers and to look within themselves. The spells you have witnessed myself, Arcane and Dallasite use have been the spells they left behind. A final tribute to their history and one last attempt in preserving their legacy”

“But that’s… Surely it can’t be the same species!” Sour protested as the three came out of their memories. “Well, I suppose that’s not the only mystery we have to figure out then” Sweet then said. “What do you mean?” Acidic asked Sweet with curiosity. “Well…” Sweet began. “Have you noticed how, when we first met Dallasite and Arcane, that they were set on killing us?” he then finished, asking the other two. “Yeah, I do” Acidic responded. “I was gonna mention that” Sour grumbled. Sweet raised an eyebrow, before continuing. “Well, it’s way too weird that they suddenly stopped attacking us after we managed to survive the fall in the mountains. It’s also too weird that the three of them are helping us get to the springs… They referred to us as Bounded didn’t they?” he asked the other two. “Yeah, that’s right” Sour responded. “When they went to kill us” he added on. “Yeah… So, given everything we have there, they surely know something… Next time we see them, we should be sure to ask them at least about why their motives changed” Sweet then suggested. The other two nodded, with Sour getting up. “Come on then, we’ve left Dawn and Cluttered alone for long enough” he then said, trotting toward the train car door. The other two, looking at eachother, got up. Sweet being happy understanding was shown at his behavior, and Acidic happy that no fight broke out.

When the trio entered the train car Dawn and Cluttered were in, they noticed the pair had actually fallen asleep. The pair lightly snoring as the train ride had gone on for quite a while at that point. The only one who had remained awake, was the lone stallion on the opposite side of the train car. The trio sat down next to their friends as they eyed the stallion on the other side. All three of them getting an air of familiarity emanating from him. Which was such a timely feeling given the fact that the ticket collector had just entered the train car too. “We’ve just entered Southern Ceyonait folks. First stop is Trotstock; home to the abandoned Old Gallopvant Castle. So, tickets please!” he announced, coming over to the five first. Sweet used his magic to grab the tickets from the sleeping Cluttered before passing them onto the ticket collector. The ticket collector punching a hole in all five tickets before passing them back.

Then, the ticket collector trotted over to the stallion opposite the five. “Ticket please” the ticket collector requested, holding his hoof out. The stallion used his magic to shove the ticket onto the hoof of the ticket collector before grunting in acknowledgement. The ticket collector at first, tried punching a hole in the ticket. However, he couldn’t, and he knew why. “You sir, have a fake ticket” he promptly said, handing it back to the stallion. The stallion turned around quickly, not expecting him to catch on. He had no proof to his knowledge, so he tried protesting. “You must be mistaken, my ticket is the same as theirs!”. “The same as ours?!” Sour shouted out as he clocked onto what had gone on. The stallion gasping slightly as he had blown his cover. In a flash, his disguise was removed, revealing the form of Arcane. With a bolt of his magic, he blasted the train car door open as he flew off. However, Acidic tried flying after him. “Wait, please!”. However, it was of no use. By the time he got to the door, Arcane had vanished, presumably by the light that Acidic saw before he got outside. Inside, he heard Sour shouting. “How dare he! Follow us and then fly off!” Which woke Dawn and Cluttered awake. “W-what’s…” Dawn asked with a heavy yawn.

“It was Arcane, we just saw him! He was the stallion over there!” Sweet explained as he pointed to the now empty seat. Next to it, the ticket collector stood. “You know that fellow?” he asked. The five nodded, Dawn and Cluttered being slightly slower in speed as the ticket collector simply said “The next stop is Trotstock. I trust he wasn’t with you given the reaction” before he trotted off to the next train car. When he closed the car door, the five sat in silence. The trio becoming annoyed from the fact that Arcane didn’t stay around, further confusing them as to Arcane, Dallasite and Harmonous’ motives. Though, it wouldn’t last long as the train soon came to a stop at the station of Trotstock. Slowing down and stopping around five minutes after.

From a nearby bush, Arcane watched as the quintet exited the train. Semi cursing himself for being caught out. He hadn’t expected the ticket collector of all ponies to catch him out. Nevertheless. He waited in the shadows. He couldn’t risk being seen again. So, he decided to make his way to his next destination; Old Gallopvant Castle. The location of the quintet’s desired potion ingredient, and the next step in their journey.

Author's Note

Hiiii

I'm back. The previous chapter and this chapter were split up. The reason this was, was because I really like 3-5K words as a nice chapter average. Chapter Six teaching me as such. The exceptions to this rule for myself would be the Chapters focused on the Springs exclusively, and the final few chapters. I really wanted to set up mysteries, just incase they weren't made obvious before. So, I hope you enjoyed that. Technically, Chapter Eleven is also a part of this triad, being the final one of the three before the gang heads to Trotquay to get to the Spring of Mind. I do want to spend Chapter Twelve focusing on Cluttered, Soundwave and Duskfall once Cluttered gets back to Buckgrove for the day of remembrance though, as I want Soundwave to get some character development this time around. With what I have to work with, I can make it work easily! So, in terms of that, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 11: The lily's riddle

Once the train had completely halted to a stop, the doors opened. One by one, Acidic, Sour, Sweet, Dawn and Cluttered all trotted out and onto the Trotstock platform. The area around them looking like it was a few centuries behind the current times. Old styled buildings, with wooden support beams stood. It almost resembled the medieval times; with the walls being a pure white behind the wooden supports on the exterior. The foundations of the houses being made from various stones, with cement holding the formation of the stones together. They were also very closely bundled together, the streets feeling very small and claustrophobic at points as the five traversed together. They passed several small groups of ponies, but given it was the weekend, there weren’t that many ponies about. As they passed through two buildings that were connected on the upper level by a sort of bridge, Cluttered looked up at the sky, realizing that the sun had almost reached the sunset phase of its movement. “Well, this is where I depart then. I’ll catch the next train back to Buckgrove… I honestly thought I’d have more time to stick with you guys. Guess the ride here was longer than we guessed huh Dawn” Cluttered said, looking slightly upset.

“Yeah, well it’s best you go then. Check on Duskfall and Soundwave for us and give them our well wishes!” Dawn responded with a slightly happier tone. “But didn’t you say you wanted to get some drawings of Old Gallopvant Castle?” Sweet then asked. Cluttered looked away as he nodded. His feelings of failure surfacing as he just trotted off without saying goodbye. “Guess that answers your question…” Acidic then said, slightly upset that Cluttered wondered back to the train station. Dawn remained silent, thinking about and worrying to an extent, as to how Duskfall and Soundwave were. They hadn’t checked up on the pair for a little bit and, with Cluttered just trotting off without a word, they wondered if Cluttered would actually manage to do things correctly. Nevertheless, Dawn still focused on the present as much as they could; groaning as the weight of their saddlebags dawning on them after the train ride. “Can one of you take these?” Dawn then asked aloud as Acidic stepped up to the task. Dawn slipped the saddlebags onto Acidic’s back, as the saddlebags made him dip down for a bit. “Are you sure you wanted to bring along a pair of saddlebags as heavy as that? Poor Acidic is almost breaking his back!” Sweet asked with some concern upon looking at Acidic. “Oh please. A brewing set isn’t that heavy!” Dawn protested. Sweet looked stunned for a second, before then remembering that Dawn had indeed brought along a brewing set. Sour however, protested further. “Hold on, you brought a brewing set?!” he shouted out. “Well, yeah. So we can get right to brewing the potion. You do have the book, right?” Dawn then asked.

“Oh yeah, it’s in Cluttered’s saddlebags… That he just took off with… Uh…”

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?” Sweet then bellowed out as he immediately galloped after Cluttered. Sour, Acidic and Dawn looking slightly stunned at the volume Sweet had shouted at. Several ponies around them also looking at Sweet as he galloped back to the train station. “Should we go after him…?” Acidic asked the other two. “No, he knows we’re headed for the castle… Speaking of which, it’s up that massive hill” Dawn responded, then pointing to the castle that resided on the imposing hill; having a wall built around it as Sour and Acidic looked up in sheer awe. “Whoa… We don’t have anything like this in Manestralia… Coltney Castle being on a sort of higher cliff after all. It almost stretches out from the cliff it sits on. Supports had to be put in a few years ago to help keep it steady. It looks amazing from the main city though!” Sour then explained as Dawn looked intrigued. “Oh honestly, it’s not that good. What really makes Manestralia great though would be the abundance of beautiful seas and coasts!” Acidic then responded with a slight dismissive attitude to the urban part of Manestralia. “Yeah, I suppose that is better than the castle… Although, do you remember the time we tried to get to that weird structure in the center? Where legends and myths said an ocean world use to be accessible?” Sour then responded, asking Acidic a question. “Oh, right! Uh… What was it’s name?” Acidic then asked in response. “I think it was… something beginning with a T?” Sour then replied, starting to think on the matter. “Let’s talk more about this when we’re at the castle you two” Dawn then said, interrupting Sour’s thoughts. Sour, looking quite annoyed rolled his eyes as he said “Alright then” before the three began heading toward it. The stone path winding around the hill from what they gathered due to the formation of the houses they could see.

Meanwhile, back down in the train station, Cluttered was sat. He was upset about having to leave so soon, given the fact that the trip didn’t seem to feel that long. Although he figured his little sleeping incident on the train would’ve had that effect. He knew the train would come back around to pick anypony back up, the tracks stopping down at Trotquay in the most south part of the continent. It wasn’t surprising then, that Sweet was able to catch up to Cluttered rather quickly. With panting that got louder and more audible, Sweet approached. ”You… Have… The book… My goodness… You’re fast” he gasped as he started frantically gulping in air; the worry wearing off as he recovered. “Oh, the book… Right” Cluttered responded, slightly bummed out that Sweet had only come for the book. Slowly, he got the book out of the saddlebags he was carrying, along with something else. A small box, with a nice orange texture and a green ribbon pattern on it to make it look like a present of sorts. When Sweet grabbed the box, he opened it. Finding that Acidic’s necklace from the Spring of Body had been kept in it. “Oh! I wondered where that’d gone. Thanks for finding it!” Sweet then said, putting the box on the book as he then began trotting away. “I’ll see you back in Buckgrove! Say hi to Duskfall and Soundwave for me!” he shouted back as he trotted back through the path. Leaving Cluttered alone with his thoughts until the train came.

Back with Sour, Acidic and Dawn, the trio had managed to scale most of the path leading up to the castle gates. The trio took a breath before spotting that the gates, that were made of wood and stone, were closed. With no sign of them opening for the night. “Oh great, so we’re stuck!” Dawn shouted out with some sadness. “We could fly over” Acidic suggested as he flapped his wings as an example. “Yeah, and risk being put on the Ceyonait criminal watch list” Sour then responded, with sass filling the sentence. Acidic looked annoyed as he put his wings away, all three of them stuck on what exactly to do. There wasn’t anypony around at this part of the city, with most places being shut around them. Still, they couldn’t risk it. That however, was when Dawn spotted something nearby. “Is that-“ but before Dawn could finish, the said something made itself, or rather themselves quite plainly obvious.

From the shadows, Arcane emerged. Barely, but he emerged. His wing being the only thing coming fully out of the shadows as he gestured for the trio to follow him. “Of course he appears… Again” Sour said, with bitterness in his voice as he kept it low. However, before any of the three could protest, they all felt a cold wind blowing against their backs. It was enough to start making snow appear as the three of them trotted over to the shadowed area. Arcane, once the three came closer, started trotting off down the area he had been found in. Sour and Acidic looking at eachother with some concern. “Hey, so-“ Acidic began to say to Arcane. Arcane however, simply replied with “Don’t waste your energy. I’m not giving you any information other than what he wants me to give you” as the two looked at eachother with disappointment. “Now you hold on just a minute there!” Dawn protested. Their eyes looking intensely at Arcane. “You know something about the three of them! Surely they deserve to know!” they shouted. This, however, made Arcane angry. With a frigid coldness emanating from himself, he stared directly at Dawn. A frozen fury in his eyes. Without hesitation he summoned some lethally sharp icicles and threw one. He threw it in a way that made sure he would miss, but the message was clear. Any information he had he wouldn’t be giving away.

The silence ended up being deafening as the quartet travelled down the shadowed path. The dirt under their hooves feeling damp and cold. Partially from Arcane’s anger that was still simmering, and partially from the natural cooler temperature’s that the shade brung. “Through here” Arcane quietly said, using his magic to open a nearby water gate. The iron being old and rusted as it was pulled out of the water. “Quickly. I’ll get your other part when you’re in the castle. It’s abandoned as I’m sure you’re aware. They just don’t want anypony entering on her orders” Arcane then added on. At first, Sour and Acidic looked confused, until Dawn spoke up. “Oh, Queen Tidal. Right”. Arcane eyed him, slightly angered, but keeping himself together this time. Without confirming, he simply trotted to the edge of the water. Once he got there, he flew down and onto a slightly lower platform. Dawn and Acidic flying down after and Sour deciding to jump down. Once he had landed, the four continued trotting through.

The only thing that accompanied the four as they trotted, was the slight trickling of water next to them as they looked around. Stone being all around them as Sour and Acidic were intrigued. It didn’t take long for the four of them to come across a door at the end of the path; with the door being slightly open. Arcane, using his magic almost effortlessly at this point, swung the door open as he trotted in. Acidic and Sour going through after him, and then Dawn following in last. Inside, the cold atmosphere was striking. Arcane seeming to enjoy how cold and empty the place felt. The structure of the castle seemed to be decaying as several passageways were sealed off by pieces of the ceiling that had collapsed over time. Strangely though, nothing else seemed to reside. No decorations. No furniture. It was as if the life itself in the castle had been completely eviscerated. With only the structure itself to serve as evidence that something existed. It was like a body without a mind or soul, to put it lightly.

“She abandoned this place after the thing you call the Ceyonait-Ellestros Unity. It’s funny really… How she sat there and lied to her entire kingdom about Ellestros, and none of you bothered to question it” Arcane then said, speaking up for the first time in a little bit. “Yes, because we’re going to go up against the most powerful Alicorn in the world. That’s obviously a smart idea” Dawn protested with sarcasm. “Well… What’s the truth then?” Acidic then asked. Arcane took a moment, silence filling the air. Then, he answered. “The truth is, that she used to have three children. Once her and her husband fell out and had a divorce, he took his children. Sealing them away until he felt he was ready to conquer Ceyonait. One in the northern continent. One in this continent, and one in the continent of tropics and coasts” he explained. The trio looked at eachother, Sour then asking another question. “But surely she would’ve found the child in her own continent…?”. Arcane smirked, and then decided to expand on his original statement. “The husband of the queen made sure to put in special measures. No normal Alicorn, Unicorn, Earthpony or Pegasus could break the spells he used, even if she found the child in this continent. His magic was special. Just like the children he sealed away. I’ll leave that with you” he further explained. He then opened a portal up made of ice. “Now If you’ll excuse me, I have to go and get your other part” he then said, trotting through and closing the portal without giving the trio any chance to ask where they were supposed to head to.

“Great. So he leaves us with more questions than answers… And then leaves us with n-where to go!” Sour angrily shouted. “Will you calm down? There’s really only one place to go” Dawn replied, trotting forward. “Come on. Let’s find this lily” they then said, with the other two looking at eachother, after a moment, then following Dawn as Dawn trotted through the worn down and decaying castle. The halls gradually leading up to the surface and an empty courtyard. There, the trio looked around. “Look, over there” Acidic then said aloud, using his wing to point to an open door with another familiar face. Harmonous. Or rather, a misty duplicate of him. They weren’t sure if he was real, but when Acidic flew up and attempted to tap him, his hoof went right through him. “But, that doesn’t make sense…” Acidic said to himself. As he said this however, the misty duplicate began trotting forward. As if it were guiding them. “Uh… Guys… I think we should-“. “Go after it?” Dawn asked, before Acidic could suggest the obvious. Before Acidic could even nod, Dawn took off after it. “Come on then! Let’s get going! The note in the book was written by him after all. This has to be the way to the Lily!” they then shouted behind themselves; trotting just behind the mist duplicate. The other two trotting then behind Dawn.

Meanwhile, back on the other side of the castle walls, Sweet stood. He looked up, and then around. Nothing really looking like a viable entrance. He also felt the cold again, assuming that Arcane was still around given his disposition toward ice. He could’ve tried levitating himself, that could’ve worked. But he didn’t know what was on the other side. For all he knew, there could’ve been no way into the castle itself. Furthermore, he was worried about where the other three were. He looked down from the place he was at, seeing the train just about pulling into the station. Assuming that Cluttered was going to get on it, he looked down with some sadness. He knew that Cluttered wanted to come along, but also knew that Cluttered had his duties to Canvas Corner.

It was during his lookdown at the train station that Arcane re-emerged. Looking at the Unicorn. With a tap of his hoof on the ground, he created a disc of ice below Sweet that Sweet drew his attention to. Then, he made the disc spin to face him. Without uttering a word, and seeing that it was approaching sunset, Arcane created a portal to the courtyard the trio had just left from. “Go” Arcane simply said to Sweet, sulking in the shadows as he watched Sweet. Sweet looked at him, and began trotting forward. But, as he got closer, the question he wanted to ask him on the train. The topic that they had agreed on back on the train. With a turn of his head, he looked at Arcane, then speaking. “What exactly are you getting out of all this? Any of you?” he asked the form in the shadows. Arcane however, didn’t respond with words. Instead of answering, he used his magic to create a giant wall of ice that moved toward Sweet. Sweet, in turn was forced into the portal, with it closing after Sweet fell on the ground. With a groan, he got up and simply said “Could’ve at least said no” before beginning to trot on a path that had seemingly illuminated itself. With arrows on the ground pointing to the door the trio had gone through.

At the same time, the trio had followed the mist duplicate down to the catacombs of the castle. The three of them were unnerved, given the darkness, but the mist duplicate lit the way forward. After about five minutes of weaving through what seemed like an infinite amount of arched corridors, they all came to an open room with a singular altar in the center. There, bottles of all shapes and sizes rested, with the newly born moon of the coming night shining down from an opening in the ceiling. Ahead and past that, the trio could see the Lily, but when they all galloped to it, a wall of white fire flared up and blocked their pathway. “Oh now that’s just rude!” Sour protested to himself as they turned head toward the altar. When they reached it, they looked at what was on the table. Nine bottles stood. With a note on the table with what looked to be a riddle. When Sour, Acidic and Dawn looked at it, they saw that it said the following:

Triads of potions, all different in taste

Be wary when choosing, do not act with haste

One contains water, and naught in value,

One contains the essence of the morning dew

Three open the door forward,

But two, so devious, will see you be tortured

One contains fire, better known as the fatal spice

The final one concealed in warmth, but existing as an Oxymoron and having you turn to ice

Should you desire to enter the labyrinth,

Then listen well and avoid consequence

The farthest ends contain equal value,

But refuse to sit next to the keys forward, hoping to misguide you

The third in line will coldly damn you,

The eight will laugh as it burns you,

Second cannot aid you, thanks to the first

Tall bottles lead to you being cursed,

This should bring you to the three in one,

If you pay attention and choose right, then you have won

“…You’re kidding” Sour said aloud, looking at the note. “It’s a riddle?!” he then shouted out, groaning as his head began to hurt. “It’s so much…” Acidic then said, stumped as well. “Actually, it’s not that hard. The second part is a bunch of clues. We just need to piece them together” Dawn responded, looking down carefully and intently staring it, and then looking at the bottles on the table. “Hmm…” they said to themselves. “Fatal Spice… Clearly the clear one with that scarlet red liquid in…” they then said aloud. “If we go by that logic…” Dawn then said to themselves. “Then that means… The three in the middle are the correct ones…” Dawn then finished. Sour and Acidic looked at eachother with some confusion. “And how do you know that?” Sour asked. Which is when a voice from behind the three answered for them.

“It’s actually quite simple!” the voice said. Becoming startled, the three immediately turned around, to see that Sweet was standing behind them. “As you were saying, the three in the middle are the correct ones! If we go left to right” Sweet began. “The end ones are water. Morning Dew being a fancy word for that. Learned that in Manestralia. Remember?” Sweet asked Sour and Acidic. “Unfortunately…” Sour responded. “Huh” Dawn responded. That was, before they took over the conversation and responded to Sweet. “Uh, yeah. So the Second and Seventh are the torture potions. Second can’t help the first because they don’t sit next to the correct ones” Dawn then continued. Sweet nodded, as he then responded. “Yup! Third Is the one that turns you to ice, and eighth would be the Fatal Spice… Although I’ve never heard of that one” Sweet responded. “Oh, Fatal Spice is an old potion. One that’s often also called Liquid Fire” Dawn then informed Sweet. “Ah, so then, after you eliminate the six on either side of the three in the middle, you get the ones in the middle” Sweet then finished off as he smiled. Then, he trotted forward.

“So, there’s three. One of those looks fuller than the others” Dawn said to Sweet, the other two standing next to Dawn and Sweet. “Yep. The ones to the right of this one” Sweet began as he used his magic to levitate the fuller bottle. “Look like they’re moreso used to get back to this side of that white fire wall” he then finished off. “So… Who gets a swig of that fuller bottle?” Acidic then asked. “Well, since Sweet and Dawn broke that riddle down… Why not them?” Sour suggested, with a look of approval toward Sweet. “Oh! Before I forget Acidic” Sweet then said, using his magic to grab the box that he carried along with the book to the castle and plopping it down on the table infront of Acidic. “Keep ahold of that. Sour, you keep ahold of this for us” he then added on as he dropped the book on the altar next to Sour. Then, Sweet looked at Dawn. “So… You ready?” he asked them. Dawn nodded, and within an instant, Sweet took a small gulp of the potion, passing it to Dawn, who finished off the potion in the first bottle.

The feeling of the potion was unlike anything Sweet had felt before. He felt his body starting to fade. But not fading completely. “Whoa! You’re both transparent!?” Sour exclaimed in shock. “So this is the Ghost’s succubus! Legends tell of this potion and its recipe being gifted to an adventurer after being able to make a ghost feel happiness in their time of grief. Being the gift to said adventurer before the ghost passed on to the spirit world” Dawn explained to the trio. “Aw, so the ghost made a friend” Acidic responded with a sort of smile. “I guess so. It makes sense then. Only a Ghost’s cold embrace could calm those flames” Sweet then said, looking at the white fire wall. With a trotting pace, the pair headed toward the wall of white fire, with Sweet levitating both of the other bottles along with him so they could get back. With a final step, the pair put one hoof into the wall of fire, and then jumped fully onto the other side. The flames licking the pair, but not hurting them as they landed on the other side. There, the pair saw the Lily on a very small hill of dirt. White flames lining the walls of the Lily’s room. The Lily itself being a beautiful baby blue in colour.

“Wow… So this is the Breath-Imbued Lily…” Dawn said, stunned. “It looks so beautiful… Shame we have to pluck it” Sweet then remarked, with a slight frown on his face. “Yeah… Although, I have an idea…” Dawn then responded. “Oh? What’s that?” Sweet then asked as Dawn looked at him. “Lily’s have seeds. Right there! In the center” Dawn then said, using their wing to point to the five black, egg-shaped seeds attached to the lily. “If I use those, we could cultivate and possibly even help to make this lily flourish! It clearly likes light to some degree, so I could try planting them in a pot at home” Dawn then responded, eagerness and excitement hitting their voice. “Yeah… That’d be nice” Sweet smiled back, within a minute or so, Dawn plucked the Lily from its soil, carrying it as they began drinking one of the bottles contents and then passed through the fire, pouring a tiny amount on the lily to protect it from the flames. Sweet following shortly after as he drunk his bottles contents.

When they re-emerged on the other side, Sour and Acidic galloped to them. The fire wall still blazing behind them. “So there it is, the key to the Spring of Mind!” Acidic excitedly exclaimed, with Sour staying silent, but content enough in his expression. “Now the question is… Where do we go now? Like… Where do we sleep?” Sweet then asked the group. “We could sleep at an inn. There’s bound to be one around in this town” Acidic suggested. “Yeah, there is. The Flighty Pegasus. It also has a pub that’s open late, so I guess they expect late night travelers. I have enough Ceyans to also get us tickets to Trotquay since ours won’t work going there currently. But we’ll have to use our current ones on the way back. Think of it like an extension of our current tickets I guess” Dawn explained as they began trotting out of the castle. The other three following behind as they gathered what they had on the altar and left.

After about an hour, they finally managed to navigate to the path they had come from, Sweet being very intrigued by the surrounding areas that the three trekked through on their way to the Lily when they went through the water route. Once at the path, they noticed that Arcane was gone. As was any trace of him. His ice and his bitter cold having disappeared. Even so however, the cold of the night set in and reminded them that they needed to head to the inn Dawn spoke of. They all trotted down the path and followed the noise, eventually making it to said Flighty Pegasus Inn after taking a slight detour. When they got there, Dawn quickly grabbed one of Acidic’s saddlebags that he had been carrying for the entire time they were in Trotstock. “Just need to find… Aha! There it is!” Dawn said, pulling Acidic slightly as he looked confused. When he turned around, he saw that Dawn had then put the Lily into a premade terrarium of sorts. With soil in to keep the Lily with. “Oh, I see” Sweet then said, slightly intrigued.

“Yeah, I thought it’d be nice. Right then, let’s go” Dawn said, with the three following behind them as they all entered the Inn. Inside, it was packed. With a huge crowd between the four ponies and the owner of the inn, who was serving drinks. The four formed a huddle, then pushing their way through the crowd as they maneuvered through it. When they got there, Dawn dealt with the inn reservations rather quickly. The inn owner pointing them to a staircase to their left side as they trotted up them. Sweet using his magic to carry a key they’d gotten for their night stay in Trotstock. After trekking through a small hallway, they came to the door at the end. Sweet, using his magic, made the key fit inside of the hole and then unlocked the door. Inside, the four entered and saw a singular room with four basic single beds against the wall, with a big window overlooking a portion of the town further down from them. “Well, this is where we sleep for the night” Dawn then said as they yawned. Acidic soon following them as they dropped off the saddlebags, box and then got in bed too. Sour however, stopped Sweet from immediately also jumping in after the pair.

“I… I just want to say, thanks… And that you’re doing great” Sour said to Sweet. Sweet looked at him, smiling as he replied with “Thanks. Nice to hear a compliment from you for a change” before the pair then joined the other two, sinking into their beds as the quartet fell into a deep slumber for the night. Their next goal, being to get to Trotquay. With Arcane having that in his mind as he teleported back to the mountains, seeing that Harmonous awaited. At first, Arcane was worried, given Dallasite wasn’t anywhere to be found at first. That was, until he saw him sleeping behind Harmonous. He sighed as he closed his portal, trotting up to Harmonous. “They have the Lily…” Arcane began. Before he could continue however, Harmonous interrupted. “Your plan with Dallasite is foolish” he said, confusing Arcane for a brief second before he realized he was talking about what Dallasite had suggested.

“It was his idea” Arcane simply replied, some dismissal in his voice. “In any case, It’ll be nice to have something to do when Dallasite is doing what you want him to do and vice versa” Arcane then added on, defending Dallasite’s suggestion. “Whatever you think you might get from this, you won’t reach. I already keep tabs on him and already am well aware of everything the pair of you are aware of. Stick to your main orders. That’s all I will be saying on the matter. I trust you know that’s my final stance” Harmonous then told Arcane. His voice wasn’t angry, but he was still cold in his tone. Arcane, after a moment of concealing his anger, nodded through his feelings. After all, if he ended up protesting against Harmonous, it wouldn’t go well for him. It was then that Harmonous came up to him. Arcane dreaded what would happen. Did he do something wrong? What had he slipped up on? All would be revealed to him as Harmonous sat next to him. Instead of being cold in his tone this time, he spoke.

“Arcane, I know you want to prove yourself. As does he” Harmonous began, glancing at Dallasite briefly with some regard. “But you must understand, what’s most important is helping Bounded reform as himself. It was… Your fault that he was split into three ponies after all” Harmonous then continued, trying to not put any malice in the final part of his sentence before he paused again. “By doing what I ask, you’re already proving yourself to me, as is he. You need not focus on additional subjects or topics. Now I bid you good night” he then finished, getting back up again. With a wisp of mist, he then departed from the cave, leaving Arcane with his thoughts and the sleeping Dallasite. “It’s great he says that, but he’s barely around to prove he does anything…” Arcane remarked to himself as he finally turned in for the night. His thoughts being mostly negative as he had feelings of uselessness that began to surface whilst he tried to sleep. Although, eventually, he was able to get himself to sleep. The night ending with all but Harmonous going to sleep. Harmonous travelling to Western Ceyonait for his own mission that he’d act on during the next day.

Author's Note

Alright so hii

I'm back. I'm so glad I got the riddle out there to be honest. I had it for AGES specifically for the lily since, before Chapter two, I honestly didn't know how I was going to make sure that getting the lily would be an engaging experience for the characters. So, I came up with the riddle! I hope you enjoyed and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to get some more lore and foreshadowing in there too. So, I hope I managed to make it good!

Don't forget to leave a comment if you enjoy ^^

Kosmik

Chapter 12: Ceyonait's Great Barrier Reef

The sun seemed to roll around relatively quickly, with the sunrise orange painting the skies above Trotstock. With the first awake being the one who didn’t actually sleep. Harmonous. During the night, Harmonous had travelled around Ceyonait. The goal of his mission being to gather the other ingredient that he had elected to not send Acidic, Sour and Sweet after. Being situated in Western Ceyonait, Harmonous trotted through what seemed to be an endless cave system. He specifically was in the middle of his quest to retrieve what was known as a Drop of liquid rainbow. A magical stone that was needed for the potion to be successfully mixed and brewed. The stone holding magic specifically tailored to extracting the raw magical essence of other things once heated. It wasn’t powerful enough to act as a Unicorn magic draining stone, but was used in the ancient times of Ceyonait for some of the hardest potions to brew. The Aquarespiratius being the easiest of the hardest.

Trotting hooves slammed down as his movements echoed through the caves. His magic lighting both the way infront, and the way behind in case something lived in the caves. He hadn’t visited this place since the Queen of Ceyonait moved to New Gallopvant and away from Trotstock. Looking ahead, he noticed a door made from crystal. A crystal door down in the depths of the cave system would’ve been very abnormal to the average pony, however Harmonous didn’t question it in his mind as he uttered a spell aloud.

“Lockia Unravellium”

Like a snake, orange magic from Harmonous’ horn weaved its way to the door; then slipping into the door itself as clicking and mechanical moving could be heard from the other side. It took a few more moments as he seemed to be concentrated on the magic he was controlling, but when he heard a final louder click he stopped. The orange magic he was using disappearing behind the door and then, using his magic again, he swung the door open. When he trotted to the other side, he saw it. Radiating and lighting up the pool of water it was in, the Drop of liquid rainbow resided. Every colour of the rainbow quite literally reflecting out and onto every surface it could. With a quick touch of his hoof, he felt the water. The cool, refreshing feeling washing over him as he froze the water he touched ever so slightly.

Then, he took his hoof out of the water; the water dripping off of his hoof as he used his magic to bring the stone out of the water. The stone dripping with water itself as Harmonous grasped it, almost allured by it. Nevertheless, he knew what he had to do as he sulked into his mist. The stone sinking in with him, in turn making his mist glow with the colours of the rainbow. It didn’t last long however, as his mist became so dense that the light was no longer able to reach the stone. With that issue out of the way, Harmonous departed from the cave system, his mind focusing on his goal. To drop the stone off to the quartet in Trotstock.

Back in the present, and about six hours after his escapade, Harmonous finally reached Trotstock. Quickly, he travelled to the inn and, once on an adjacent roof to it, he used his magic to freeze the window. Then, breaking it with a loud shattering sound accompanying it. Immediately, Sweet jumped out of his bed in a panic and the others soon followed in waking up. “W-wuzzat?! I’ll wake up in five more min- Ah!” Sweet exclaimed. His sleepiness setting in until he looked in Harmonous direction. “H-Harmonous! What’re you-“ but before Sweet could ask, and before any of the others could even process that Harmonous was in the room, he dropped the Drop of liquid rainbow stone and disappeared without response. “So much for him- Hey, what’s that?” Sour then said, having trotted up to Sweet from his bed and then pointing at the stone. When Sweet looked down, the stone began reflecting the light from the morning sun and shining as it did before.

Dawn and Acidic on the other side of the room, quickly scrambled to the book. “I knew something wasn’t right about sending us for just the lily!” Dawn said to themselves as they flipped through the pages. Once they had reached the page of Aquarespiratius, Dawn scanned the pages. “Of course! It matches the name perfectly. The drop of liquid rainbow. I mean, just look at it! It also makes sense since I’ve never heard of it before. I was going to actually mention it after breakfast, but I guess the day had other plans!” they then said, getting enthusiastic at the realization. “So, we have the Drop of liquid rainbow and the Breath-Imbued Lily…” Acidic then said to himself, looking at the pages. “Wait, that’s it? I guess that makes the potion itself impossible just because of the ingredients needed. Doesn’t help that Harmonous directed our attention to the lily immediately though” he then added on, being slightly confused at the lack of other ingredients.

“I guess we should be… Happy? Although, how’re we going to fix the window? He completely smashed it!” Sweet then asked. The four turned their attention to the window, which they found was shattered on the floor; much to the worry of Dawn. “If we don’t fix the window, we’ll have to pay the repairs…” they said aloud. Sweet also had the same feeling, but was taken aback as he found the other three looking at him. “Why don’t… Why don’t you try fixing it?” Sour asked. “Yeah! You could, after all we do know how to repair things! Even if it was hard back then and even if we didn’t pay attention, I’m sure you could try at least!” Acidic then suggested to Sweet. Looking at the glass, he noticed it was freezing upon touch, but he had to try.

Closing his eyes, he thought of the window in its original form from the night prior. His horn beginning to glow as he channeled his magic. One by one, the shards on the floor started floating toward the window, slotting in like a jigsaw puzzle as Sweet’s magic then started going around each fractured border. Bit by bit, the window reformed and finally, it was back to what it was before. Sweating a little bit, Sweet opened his eyes and, overjoyed, started galloping around the room in circles. Sour and Acidic particularly being very happy. The celebration didn’t last long however, as they knew they couldn’t rest until they had reached the Spring of Mind. After taking an hour to wake up, get some breakfast and gather their things, they all trotted off toward the train station. The quartet managing to get there just in time to hop onto the train. Which hauled off immediately after the four got on. With Harmonous watching from above.

With his magic, he opened a window of magic to the mountain cave, Dallasite being the one to answer. “You called?” he said, looking at Harmonous. “I understand water isn’t your element… However” Harmonous began. “I’d like for you to take the reigns in terms of helping Bounded. It needn’t be a big task, but if you could make sure they reach the Ceyonait Great Barrier Reef, that’d be fine” he requested. His tone being monotone as he glared at Dallasite. It also held some dismissal and doubt as Dallasite stared back, taking notice of the undertone. “Fine” he simply responded, before Harmonous nodded and closed the window of magic. His work wasn’t over, but he hoped Dallasite could at least do what he had asked correctly. With that, he disappeared into his mist and followed the train from behind, moving at a speed almost adjacent to the train itself.

An hour or so passed with not much development, with the train chugging along without issue. The quartet sat quietly, with Sour almost falling asleep at the journey as the ambience on the train was so peaceful. Infact, the train ride was so peaceful that the other three had the opposite reaction. Looking around corners slightly as they feared an attack was coming, given the last few train rides from Buckgrove. Which, in turn, made a few of the ponies around them that were also enjoying the ride to Trotquay eye them up with some confusion. “We really ought to try and not be so worked up” Sweet commented, giving one last glance around and then looking out of the window. “Well, it doesn’t help that half our train rides so far haven’t been safe. One of them ended up with us nearly dying, and the other one yesterday ended with us finding out Arcane was being creepy” Acidic responded, with a nudging of his wing waking Sour up from his temporary nap.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s not hard to believe we’ve developed paranoia of sorts” Dawn then added in, although Dawn clearly looked like they had their mind in another place. Not acting negatively distant, but still drifting from the conversation after they had given their comment. “You alright?” Sweet asked, putting a hoof on Dawn’s shoulder. Jumping slightly, Dawn quickly nodded, and then sighed. “Oh I can’t keep it in. I’ve been wondering how to announce this but…” Dawn began. “But?” the three others then asked in unison. “But I’ve been on the topic of choosing a new name, in my head of course” Dawn then finished. Sour and Sweet looked at eachother, before Acidic then asked “So, is there a new name then?” with curiosity. Dawn nodded, and then spoke again. “There is! I was thinking of something that connects me with the night, but also something that doesn’t keep me completely away from the day. So, I figured Dawn Star would be good!” they said, eagerly awaiting the three’s response. Acidic was the first to nod in approval, with Sweet responding with “Yeah, that sounds good! Although, are you sure that the day and night theme needs to stay?” with Sour lightly punching Sweet as the pair look at eachother; with Sweet rubbing the area that Sour had hit.

“Well, in terms of being who I am, I don’t want to completely lose my old self. I can’t avoid the past after all, so why not at least accept that the past happened? I mean, that way I can move onto the future without having any residual regrets” Dawn explained, defending their choice of name as Sweet nodded in understanding. Although, Sour then decided to comment “I wish that it was that easy for us, I don’t even know how we’re going to reach Stardew, father or Manestralia”. With the other two looking at him. “Yeah, but let’s focus on one thing at a time” Sweet responded. “Yeah, we need to focus on getting back together as one Alicorn” Acidic then told Sour. Sour, looking at the other two, simply asked “And is getting back together to become one alicorn what you two really want?” which made Acidic and Sweet take the moment to think. “I mean, it’s what we need to do” Sweet tried saying, but Sour looked away. Acidic, being in the middle of the pair, awkwardly shuffling as he looked to Dawn in hopes that they’d change the topic of the conversation.

Just then, the scenery outside of the train itself changed. From the green plains that they saw before when they stared outside, they noticed cliffs and the sea for the first time since they left Buckgrove. Acidic and Dawn awed at the sheer amount of light reflecting from the seas, and that’s when Dawn started speaking. “I… I never knew that the sea down here looked so stunning…” they said, with them taking a moment, before sitting back and grabbing the book that they had next to them. Quickly, they flipped through the pages to the potion recipe of Aquarespiratius. “So… Place the Drop of liquid rainbow in tropical waters. Okay simple enough… Trotquay is the hottest area in the continent” they began saying as they scanned the book more. “So, all that we need to do is put the stone in the waters of the sea whilst holding out the lily in a flask of fresh water. The light should reflect against the lily, and then the lily should disperse its magical essence in the water. Creating the Aquarespiratius” Dawn then finished off.

The other three looked at eachother. With Sweet asking “Wait, that’s it?” in genuine surprise. In turn, he also tried to get up close to the book. To which Dawn immediately retracted the book. “Ease off! But yeah, that seems to be it. As I said this morning, I guess the ingredients themselves qualify this as an impossible potion” Dawn responded, gazing at the book with a little disappointment. “Wait… Fresh water?” Sour then asked as he wanted to make sure he had heard the words correctly. “Yep, I know the sea only holds salt water, but I’m sure there’s at least a place we can eat at that has water or… Something” Dawn then responded, making Sour quiet again as he looked out to the sea. His headspace was in a completely different area from where he wanted it to be. He wanted to enjoy the travels without the constant need to go to the springs. He didn’t even feel like he wanted to become Covet again. What was the point? After all, there wasn’t any way to get to Stardew, Crimson or Manestralia. It just seemed like a dead-end to him. Which downed his mood even more, given the fact that the whole journey to the Spring of mind seemed in vain.

“Sour?” Sweet then asked, tapping him as he seemed slightly worried about the sudden lack of interest in the conversation. When he turned around, he simply said “I’m fine” before turning back to the window. All he could really focus on at this point was the seas he saw. Sweet went to talk to him again, but Acidic stopped him. “Let’s just let him be” Acidic said to Sweet, with Sweet looking concerned as he glanced at Sour every now and again. Focusing back on Acidic and Dawn, the three sat in silence as they all rode the train into the outer skirts of Trotquay. The train then slowing down and stopping soon after.

Once the doors of the train opened onto the platform, everypony got off. The four trotted out last. Dawn having the saddlebags on them and Sour almost being carted off back to Trotstock. Luckily, he was hauled out last second by Acidic, who grabbed him and flapped his wings insistently to get Sour onto the platform. The mist behind the train, however, disappeared up onto the rooftop of the train station. With no eyes diverting upwards, Harmonous reformed from his misty dispersion and immediately looked out to the ocean, which was a little ways away. “Soon, we’ll all be back together again” he said to himself, eyeing the four as they trotted onward to the main road that led to the seafront.

Back down on the ground, the quartet looked around in sheer awe at the beauty of the area around them. Nature and the urban environment seemed to live in harmony; with the ground under their hooves being partially grass as well as dirt. Houses allowing the foliage around the city to settle nicely around them, with them being spaced apart allowing foliage of all types to exist in unison. Birds and butterflies even flew overhead as the air also smelled fully of the sea salt. Unlike in places like Buckgrove or any equivalent where taller buildings resided, Trotquay seemed to be the anomaly. With all buildings managing to remain at relatively the same height. It didn’t degrade in consistency either as, the further the four trotted into the city, the less it seemed to look like the average coastal cities that Sour, Sweet, Acidic or Dawn were used to. Add on the fact that the sun was blazing in the skies overhead, and the environment itself almost made the town look like a resort location within itself.

That was, until the four made it to the near seafront part of the city. Lining the streets were different buildings that ranged from colt and filly sandcastle building bucket stores, to café’s that built an atmosphere around them that echoed a comfortable and cute place to enjoy the day at. Ponies all around them flocking to every building they could find, with many colts and fillies of all types galloping around playfully and without a care in the world. It was nice to see, for Sweet, Acidic and Dawn that was. Sour however, seemed to still be in his own head as he simply looked down; only occasionally glancing up to make sure he didn’t lose the other three and trotting behind them a fair amount. Sweet, once they noticed, tried asking “Are you sure that you want to at least sit down and talk about-“ but before he could finish his sentence off, Sour nodded quickly with refusal. “Focus on getting to the Spring. We can talk after” he then said in response. Sweet glanced at him as he slowly nodded in understanding, although he was clearly annoyed with the insistence of Sour internalizing his feelings. Nevertheless, the quartet resumed their travel. Sweet and Acidic looking at eachother when Dawn trotted over to a particular store. One that stood out from the others as it looked very old. The structure of the store looked as if it were about to give way at any moment.

When the other two started trotting off to the store to follow Dawn, is when Sour took his chance, without telling the others, he headed in the opposite direction. To the seafront that was a road away at this point. Unbeknownst to him, a familiar Lavender Alicorn watched him from a slight distance, making sure that he waited until he fulfilled Harmonous’ mission that he had set for him. Although, he himself felt as if he wasn’t alone, which greatly frustrated him. Still, he decided to follow Sour specifically. He didn’t know whether or not the Earth Pony remnant of his target would be willing to strike up a conversation, but he knew that something was amiss. His curiosity hit its peak, and he disguised himself. Whereas he was once Lavender-Purple, he now held a striking red. His mane and tail being scarlet. With a whisp of his magic, he concealed his horn; making sure that he appeared as a Pegasus. Then trotting off after Sour with the intent to get his own frustrations out of his mind.

Whilst Sour headed off to the seafront, the other three headed into the store Dawn had started trotting to a little bit prior. Inside, strange smells filled their noses. From foreign spicy smells, to strange, sickly-sweet smells. All of which came from the potions lined up in cabinets around the store. Their glass doors open slightly as the smells seeped out. “…Why’re we here exactly?” Sweet asked Dawn as he noticed candles lighting the walls of the store they were in. “We’re here to get some fresh water. Well, you three are-“ Dawn began. Turning around, they noticed Sweet and Acidic. But Sour? Sour was either a ninja at the gym (you’d never see him there!) or just plain gone. The latter seemed more likely as the other two also looked around for Sour. “I’ll go try to find him!” Acidic then said to the other two. Galloping outside, he quickly flapped his wings and took off in the air; a small gale of sorts accompanying him.

Once Acidic had flown off, Sweet and Dawn looked at eachother with concern. “Acidic flew off the first time we set hoof in Buckgrove… And that was out of anger. Did we do something wrong?” Sweet asked Dawn, his mind thinking of possible causes. “I’m… I’m sure Sour just needed some time to himself. It would’ve been nice for him to at least let us know… Let’s trust Acidic can find him” Dawn responded, trotting finally up to the store counter, and ringing the dingy little bronze bell on it. A high-pitched ringing emitted from the bell as the pair felt slight pain from the pitch of the ring. After about a moment, a figure from a previously unseen backdoor slipped in. “Sulking in the shadows as usual Elixir?” Dawn asked the figure. Coming up to the light, the figure was revealed. With a slightly pastel green coat colour, the rose-colored eyes stared at their customers. With a Forested green mane that resembled a bush covering one of their eyes; with them being revealed as a mare. “Well, it’s better than doing whatever everypony else does these days. I mean really, relaxing around like there’s nothing that could kill them all not too far off the shores!” she protested.

“Huh? What do you mean by that?” Dawn then asked in curiosity. Elixir scoffed at Dawn as she then responded. “Oh please. As if you don’t know about the Great Barrier Reef!”. Dawn then looked at Sweet, who decided to interject. “We know how to get past the Barrier Reef. We just need fresh water” he said, catching Elixir’s attention. Unfortunately for him however, she laughed mockingly, saying “Oh yeah sure, all that’s needed is for the salt in the oceans to go!” before Dawn stepped in again and grabbed the book in the saddlebags, flipping the book to the Aquarespiratius potion. Slamming the book down, they then quickly shuffled through their saddlebags again. This time showing the Breath-Imbued Lily and the Drop of liquid rainbow. “We have the ingredients. Now for the love of Ceyonait get the fresh water!” they then said to the mare as they waited. The mare took a moment to scan through the page, before then looking at both ingredients they already had. Looking then up, she nodded as she trotted off to the door she came from.

“Wonder what she meant by the Great Barrier Reef killing ponies?” Sweet asked himself. “Oh I’m sure it’s nothing. She loves over-exaggerating. Just look at her mane for instance. Mare looks like she straight up trotted with children in nature and then became nature itself” Dawn then remarked, throwing some light and playful insult toward her. It was at that moment that Elixir came back. “You know I can hear you from behind that door right? Anyways… Here’s your water” she commented as she sat the freshwater flask down. “Now you just plop it in and bam” Elixir then added on, looking at Dawn. “Thanks. Right, let’s find Sour and Acidic” Dawn then said, gathering everything and beginning to trot off. “Now you hold on a minute there miss ma’am!” Elixir then shouted, galloping up to Dawn as they turned around.

“I’m not leaving you! Besides, you still need to pick those Lily seeds! Plus, this gives me a chance to finally grab some ocean ingredients. If Aquarespiratius allows you to breath underwater for an extended period of time, I’ll be admitted to a retirement home before I pass up this chance!” Elixir then protested. “But don’t you have this store to run?” Sweet then asked, eyeing the mare. Quickly, Elixir flipped the previously unseen sign on her shop door; which the other two didn’t pay any mind to when they first entered. “You were saying?” she then asked with a smug grin on her face. Without even giving a response, Sweet just stared with some annoyance as she gleefully trotted past him and out of the store. He took a second, before saying “This is going to be… Interesting” to himself and trotting out last.

Meanwhile, Sour sat on the seafront shore on his own. Not knowing that Dallasite had been following him. He was so enveloped by his disdain for his actions that he had begun contemplating just galloping off. Away to a different, unfamiliar city to escape his mission. He wasn’t just repulsed by himself, but by all the bad memories he had associated with his past self. In his pit of dark thoughts, Dallasite as the disguised red Pegasus tapped him on the shoulder. Quickly, Sour turned around. Eyeing the Pegasus. “Sorry, but you looked like you were about to spiral into the ocean. Are you alright?” he asked. Sour, being reasonably weirded out by the sudden appearance of the Pegasus, got up slowly. “I’m… I’m fine. Really” before he and the red Pegasus began to initiate a stand-off. Dallasite in the red Pegasus form trying to think of what to say. That is, until he noticed out of the corner of his eye, a familiar orange Pegasus galloping up to the pair.

As he turned around, Dallasite saw that it was Acidic, with an expression of both defense and aggression. Managing to dodge the tackle Acidic had attempted, he caught a glimpse of Harmonous. Worrying and remembering his mission, he quickly flew back down and spoke. “Don’t worry I’m not trying to kill him… Or you! Infact, I have a way out to the Barrier Reef” he then said, pointing to a boat that seemingly appeared from nowhere. The only remnant of its sudden appearance being some subtle purple whisps. Luckily for Dallasite, neither of the other two noticed. Instead, they noticed Sweet, Dawn and a mare that they hadn’t seen before galloping up to them. “Who’s this!?” Sweet asked with some aggression. “Oh, right… Never got to introduce myself did I?” the red Pegasus then began. “I’m… Embered… Fires. Embered Fires”. He paused for a moment, before pointing at the boat that had been unknowingly summoned. “You all want to get to the ocean, right?” he then asked the other six around him.

“Yeah, but what’s it to you?” Dawn then asked him, eyeing him up with suspicion. “Exactly” Sour began. “We never told you about what we were up to…” He then finished. The red Pegasus took a second to respond, before coming up with an excuse that, in his mind seemed good enough. “Well, I couldn’t help but overhear you on the train” before he trotted on up to the boat. Sour and Acidic looked at eachother, as Dawn and Elixir began trotting forward. “I suppose any help is good enough at this point…!” Sweet then said with a cheerful tone, trotting behind the pair and then getting in. Sour and Acidic stood still for a second, before finally agreeing to get in. “I’m warning you” Sour began as he looked at the supposed Embered. “If you try anything funny, you’ll be going overboard” he then finished. The supposed Embered laughed as he simply grabbed two of the oars and began rowing out into the oceans. “To the Barrier Reef, right?” he then asked, looking at Sweet specifically. “Uh, yeah… Just focus on rowing” he quickly responded, then looking away as he felt immensely awkward.

Watching from the buildings on the shore, Harmonous stood. He was angered that Dallasite had gotten unnecessarily close to the three parts of Bounded Time. His anger being concealed, but concentrated as a small mist cloud formed around him. The usually sunny shores of Trotquay almost froze as he struggled to internalize his anger. But he maintained his composure. Several ponies in Trotquay seemed to stray away from the beaches due to the sudden cold; which gave Harmonous an idea. Opening a portal, Harmonous left the rooftop. The other side being a dark room without water. Behind him, stood the Door of Mind. Meaning he had reached the very end of the Barrier Reef labyrinth. Creating a magical white line, he cast it through the labyrinth; as an indicator for the three who were going to come through shortly.

Meanwhile on the ocean above, the six rowed to a point in the ocean that almost made the shore of Trotquay disappear on the horizon. “Quite a ways out huh” Sweet said to himself, gazing at the near infinite blue that surrounded them. “Yeah, as somepony with the name Embered Fires it’s not my forte. So, I have a plan to combat that” the supposed Embered began. “You five dip down there. After making the potion of course. I’ll sit up here and be a point for you all to return to” he then finished. Dawn and Elixir looked at eachother, with Sour responding. “Look, I really don’t feel up to going down there. You two have fun in the labyrinth” he said, looking out into the ocean. “But we can’t do this without you!” Sweet shouted out in slight anger.

The supposed Embered looked at the pair, before looking at Dawn and saying “What’re you waiting for? Put the stone in the water!”. Dawn took out the stone once more, the light bouncing off of it and creating a small rainbow around itself. “Sweet, stabilize the stone and the flask” he then said, with Sweet nodding. Sweet, using his levitation magic, lowered the stone into the waters. The explosion of colours prevalent. Then, Dawn got out the flask of fresh water and the flask with the Lily. “One last thing” Elixir then said, getting up close with the Lily and then ripping their seed pods out and rummaging through the saddlebags as she grabbed a spare empty one Dawn had in their saddlebags. “And here we go. Now you can do what you need to do!” Elixir then said, plopping the seed pods in the flask. Dawn however, had a thought. "Why don't you take the seeds? You could get more use from them than me" they suggested, making Elixir excited at the idea. "Hey thanks! Oh joy, I can't wait to see what I can do with them!" as Sweet looked at the seed pods within the flask. With a flick of his horn, he used his magic to drop the Lily into the fresh water; moving it from the one with soil.

The effects of the light were instant. The stone launching liquid rainbows of salt water in all different colours upward. The water swirling around the flask until it battered the Lily. It took the six aback at first as the salt water almost seemed razor sharp against the Lily; cutting it up without care and then mixing with the fresh water. Dissolving the remains of the Lily which was all powder at the point of the two merging together. When it had all finished, the water glowed in a bright symphony of all colours, with overtones and slight influences of blue. Sweet then brought the stone back above water and then brought the flask back to the six ponies on the boat. “Well, bottoms up then…” Sweet said, taking a gulp of the potion as he passed it around. Sour and Embered being the only two to reject the drink. Both for reasons they had previously explained prior to the potion being brewed.

Once the four who drank the potion had finished, bright light surrounded them. From their hooves, they felt something growing. It didn’t hurt but it felt weird. Then, they saw what was happening. Their hooves were growing fins. All four of them. It almost made the four jump into the ocean out of pure shock. Though, the potion didn’t seem to be done. With another shock, the four felt themselves emitting an aura of sorts. It radiated a bright cyan. With Acidic jumping in the water at once. The other five looked in shock until Acidic came back up a moment later. “It works! I can breathe! And swim quite fast it seems!” Acidic then said, instantly grabbing Sweet and pulling them in. Screaming, Sweet fell into the blue ocean. When he opened his eyes, the view was stunning. All across the ocean floor, he could make out Reef formations of various shapes and sizes. Sea creatures of all shapes and sizes swimming around in the Reef’s as the ecosystem didn’t seem to take notice of them.

The supposed Embered and Sour meanwhile, stayed above as the other two jumped in. Embered looking through the book after rummaging through the saddlebags. Sour not even noticing until Embered said “Ah, so that’s the catch that they didn’t mention” and instantly shedding the disguise. Sour turned around to find the revealed Dallasite and instantly went into a defensive stance. “I knew something was off!” he shouted, but to his surprise, Dallasite said “Don’t worry Sour, or uh… Whatever you call yourself. I’m not here to fight you. I’m here to help. Firstly with letting those four idiots know about the catch that they didn’t bother to mention to eachother” and instantly jumped into the ocean after drinking the last of the Aquarespiratius. Sour looked at the book again and gasped in pure shock as he didn’t bother to look at the part Dallasite had found at that point.

Diving down, Dallasite immediately raced to the main two he wanted to warn, viewing Elixir and Dawn as secondary and lesser. He blazed through the oceans and quickly caught up to Sweet and Acidic. Both of whom turned around and quickly went into the same defensive stance that Sour has gotten into on the boat. Dallasite however, said “Goodness you’re all so defensive. I’m not here to fight” as he swam closer. “Then… Then why’re you here?” Sweet then asked, still very much cautious of the lavender Alicorn. “I’m here to let you know about what you missed. Or at least didn’t mention…” Dallasite then began. “The thing you missed being about when the Aquarespiratius wears off. It wears off at Sunset. So make sure you get back to the boat by that point” Dallasite then finished off. The pair looked at eachother, before Sweet then said “Uh… Thanks?” as Dallasite then swam off to find Dawn and Elixir.

“Well, even though we knew that, I suppose it was nice of him to remind us” Sweet said to Acidic. Acidic then rolled his eyes, displaying some annoyance as he responded “But we don’t need to pay attention to that! We’ll be back up to the surface and the boat before the sun even begins the sunset phase of the day. Now let’s go!” as he swam downwards into a part of the Barrier Reef that looked almost pony made. Strange pillars of stone rising up from the ground almost forming an arch When they swam up to it, they had unknowingly broken through the barrier around the Barrier Reef. Light behind them shimmering and then forming fractures in a dome that they had gotten past. Then shattering the dome for the first time since the old ruler of Ellestros had existed. Of course, the pair hadn’t known that. Those who did take notice however, were Dallasite, Dawn and Elixir. Dawn and Elixir looking at the barrier in awe, then catching the vision of Dallasite who also looked at it in awe. “But where did he come from!?” Dawn yelled out, catching Dallasite’s attention. “Ah, there the pair of you are” Dallasite then said to himself. Dawn went to put up a defensive stance, as Dallasite yawned. “You’re all so boring, surely you all know that me and Arcane aren’t out to kill you?” he then asked, eyeing Dawn. “Arcane?” Elixir then asked, in awe that an Alicorn had approached them in the oceans of all places.

“I’ll explain later” Dawn then responded, lowering their guard ever so slightly. They knew that the likelihood of death from Dallasite and Arcane was low. But what if they’d changed their minds? They certainly seemed fickle when it came to their decisions. It didn’t help that they’d been stalking Sour, Sweet and Acidic again. It just felt too odd to lower their guard completely. “Well, regardless of your position toward me, I feel I have to let you know that Aquarespiratius runs out at Sunset. Do what you need to and then return to the boat. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” Dallasite then said, beginning to swim in the direction of Sweet and Acidic. Elixir and Dawn looked at eachother once more; with Elixir saying “You’re telling me everything once we get back to Trotquay”. With that, the pair swam in the direction they were swimming in before.

Back at the pair of pillars, Sweet and Acidic instinctively swimming through it as they then entered a strange place. One that was made of unnatural purple stone. The water being completely absent as they could feel the power of the potion wearing off. Purple fog surrounding the pair as they then saw walls bursting forth from the ground they stood on. “Watch out!” Sweet said to acidic. The pair jumping away from a wall that had just burst upwards. When they landed, they looked up and found that the skies were filled with stars. Although, some of the stars were differently coloured. Whereas most were white, there were blue stars lighting up in almost a pattern identical to the labyrinth they had unknowingly stepped into. It only took them a second before they then heard a voice. One right behind them.

“Welcome to the Labyrinth of Mind, Bounded”

The pair instantly turned around. To which they ended up seeing Dallasite. “Just managed to make it as well. Given the fact that you went in before I could approach you again” he said as he looked at the two. “Weren’t you going to find Dawn and Elixir?” Sweet asked in an almost annoyed tone. Although he kept his composure. “Yes, well, I managed to tell them about the catch that you neglected to look at. So, I think the three of us are good to go” Dallasite then responded. He seemed a lot more friendly than the pair had seen before, but they couldn’t focus on the nuances of the situation. Trotting forward however, Acidic noticed something on the ground. Almost like a white line of sorts. “But that’s-“ Dallasite began, almost seeming to know about the white line. “It’s what?” Sweet then asked, eyeing Dallasite. “Oh I said that aloud? Apologies” Dallasite then began. “This line, it’s definitely from fa-I mean from Harmonous. Probably as a guide of sorts” Dallasite then finished off as he began trotting past Acidic and Sweet. “Come on then, let’s get moving” he then said, following the white line with the other two behind him.

Back in the Reef, Dawn and Elixir swam through. Many forms of sea life passing them by as Elixir seemed to be the one leading the way. It took about five minutes for the pair to finally reach a kelp forest. “This is it! Just need some of the bottom stuff and then we can get going” Elixir shouted out to Dawn. Dawn however, had other things on their mind. They seemed to be staring at something in the distance. Something that was coming closer. It didn’t look like a pony, or a small fish. Which could only mean…

“ELIXIR, SWIM QUICK!”

Dawn quickly started swimming upwards toward the boat. If they could get to the boat, they could be safe at the very least and could stay above waters. Before Dawn could reach the boat however, they looked behind. To which they saw that Elixir didn’t pay any mind to the incoming dangers. Quickly swimming back, Dawn grabbed Elixir’s hoof as they barely managed to avoid the oncoming creature. When Dawn looked back after getting above the danger zone, they noticed that the creature was unlike anything they had seen before. It looked like a shark, but looked horribly disfigured. It’s eyes didn’t seem to exist at all. The body of the creature looking ripped and teared. Dawn could even see some of the bones of the creature from the tears in its side. However no blood came from the creature. Instead, smoke emitted from the area where the eyes were, and from where the side tears were. The exterior of the creature also seemed to radiate a strange, almost malicious purple.

It didn’t take long for the creature to course correct as it began swimming upward. Even without eyes, the creature still seemed to sense where the pair were. “What is that!?” Elixir asked out as she seemed scared and fearful of the creature. “I dunno but if I were to guess what it wants for dinner, we’re on its list!” Dawn then responded. Continuing to grab Elixir’s hoof as they swam up to the surface of the ocean. The creature following in hot pursuit. They were slower than the creature as they headed upwards, meaning the creature was able to catch up fairly quickly. With a snap of its jaws, it lunged for the pair in a final attempt to finish them off. However, it wasn’t able to bite down. Something cold had appeared behind Dawn and Elixir. When they looked behind, they both saw another familiar Alicorn.

Arcane.

Without warning, Arcane had appeared and, when Elixir and Dawn turned to the creature, it was frozen. “I don’t know where this thing came from. Definitely not a natural phenomenon” Arcane muttered to himself as he seemed to destroy the creature right before Dawn and Elixir’s eyes. The pair were too stunned to speak, which allowed them to not be noticed as Arcane simply teleported away in a window of magic that he swam up to on the oceans surface. “He didn’t look like he had taken any Aquarespiratius potion…” Dawn said to themselves as the pair just floated in the ocean for a brief moment. That’s when Elixir spoke up. “Well, it probably wasn’t Aquarespiratius yeah… But who’s to say that he didn’t simply use a spell?” she then asked. Dawn thought about it, before nodding and saying “Yeah I suppose that’s true. We only needed Aquarespiratius to get past the barrier at the reef. Even with that though, we didn’t go with Sweet or Acidic”. The two swam back to the kelp forest and the seabed. Elixir finally managing to get some of the kelp before the pair finally began their ascension to the boat. That of which still held a very lonely Sour.

Surfacing above, Dawn carried Elixir on the boat as Aquarespiratius wore off. The additions they both acquired being removed as they landed in the boat. Dawn and Elixir took a moment to dig through Dawn’s saddlebags to retrieve another flask, plopping the kelp Elixir had gotten into the flask before the pair noticed Sour. Sour staring at them with some curiosity. “Finished already?” Sour asked the pair. The pair looked at eachother, before Elixir said “Yep. Got the kelp. The other two are the last down there. Along with Dallasite… I think”. Sour looked slightly worried. “I should’ve gone along huh” he said to himself, looking away. “I mean, if you’re needed I’m sure that Dallasite would’ve shoved Aquarespiratius down your throat… Or something along those lines” Dawn then responded. “Although, the next Spring that you’re all headed to probably relies on you” they then added on. Sour looked at Dawn for a second, before looking away again. “Yeah… I suppose it does, doesn’t it…” he then muttered. Leaving the three of them in an awkward situation.

Back in the Labyrinth of Mind, Sweet, Acidic and Dallasite were trotting through the labyrinth. Sweet kept looking around as Dallasite had to snap him back on the right path multiple times. “Honestly if you keep getting sidetracked you’re going to end up lost” Dallasite muttered as he used his magic to course correct Sweet. Looking annoyed, Sweet simply said “Well if you were paying attention you’d see that the walls have small patterns on them” before Dallasite laughed. Acidic looked at both of them as he stayed silent. “Yes the walls have small patterns and I’m bright gold! Those patterns don’t mean anything. It’s the effect of time itself on abandoned structures” Dallasite responded, adding nasty sarcasm in his sentence. “Yes because effects of time make sentences in the walls like I was about to point out! Clearly I’m the stupid one here” Sweet then responded, with equal amounts of nasty sarcasm. “Sentences?” Acidic then asked, slightly curious. “Yes. Sentences. Remember when we snuck into dad’s study? His ancient archives as he called it? I recognize the symbols on the wall from a book we read that had a whole alphabet of these weird symbols. They’re hard to make out but I think they read… Hold on…” Sweet said, getting close to the pattern as he spoke out what he deciphered.

“For the might of Faeris, Springs abound. Children of water, ice, and fire will be crowned”

“Water, ice and fire?” Acidic asked aloud. “I don’t know what it means by that. But it was something I noticed in the Spring of Body. On the door at least. Briefly, but it was there. I thought nothing of it at first, so I never brought it up” Sweet began. “But there’s a definite running theme to it” he then added on. “Well, regardless of your little discovery, we need to move” Dallasite asserted. Sweet and Acidic looked at him, Sweet looking like he wanted to smite him, with Acidic pulling his hoof in an attempt to carry on. Sweet thankfully obliged, as Dallasite continued leading them through the maze. “When we get out of here we definitely need to make a record of it, and maybe ask dad once we get back to being ourselves” Sweet told Acidic, with Dallasite looking angered by the mentioning of their father. Although the other two couldn’t see it as he faced forward.

It took the three of them about ten minutes more to finally reach their destination. When they reached the end, they noticed a bridge across a bottomless chasm. As Dallasite crossed it, the three of them heard something unexpected. An almost ethereal voice echoed through the space. With Sweet and Acidic sounding uneasy. Dallasite immediately flew back to Sweet and Acidic as the three of them heard what the voice was saying. “I applaud your persistence in making it through the labyrinth of mind… However, you lack your full self” it said. “Sour…” Sweet said to himself, looking at Dallasite as he nodded. With a portal of his magic opening, he quickly grabbed Sour before he knew what was going on. With Sour frantically looking around. As soon as he saw Sweet and Acidic, the three noticed that the voice spoke again. “I see… Such unorthodox methods to retrieve the missing part of yourself…” it said as the now four noticed the bridge disappear. With the abyss filling up with more of the purple stone and the end of the white line. Along with Harmonous. Who seemed agitated by Dallasite’s presence.

The four trotted up. Dallasite being abnormally slow as he looked terrified. Harmonous eyeing him with his signature cold fury. He didn’t bother to greet the three either. Which specifically made Sweet confused. “Are we suddenly ghosts now?” he asked in an annoyed tone. With Sour looking at him and saying “And pulling me in here is anything normal!?” as he sounded angered. Without acknowledging the three however, Harmonous spoke.

“Faeris Oltun Mindurum Unlon”

His horn emitted a green glow as the door they had all neglected to notice opened. It had a book symbol etched into it, with the same stone as the other door they had seen. “The door of mind! But I didn’t even notice it…” Sweet said to himself as Harmonous scoffed. “The element of mind missing a crucial detail. How humoring” he said, his words filling with a mocking energy as he trotted forward and asked “Can the element of mind use his limited intelligence to proceed onwards? Or will his lacking intelligence lead him to-“ but before Harmonous could speak up, and much to the trio’s surprise, Dallasite protested. “Actually, he’s been very observant. He even managed to see and decipher the words on the walls. Something that should be commended” he said, eyeing Harmonous. Still fearful however.

Harmonous turned around. His fury almost escaping his control as he instinctively summoned and threw a cluster of icicles at Dallasite. Dallasite stood still, his courage failing. Luckily, Harmonous threw them in the way that would make them miss as he simply responded with “Your fire gets too bold for your own good” before he trotted onwards without anything more. Dallasite looked away as he seemed conflicted, with Sweet trotting ahead. Acidic also proceeded onward, with Sour staying behind momentarily. “You alright?” he asked, however Dallasite ignored him. He looked angry. But not at Sour. “Always thinks I’m the worst…” he muttered quietly to himself as he stomped on past Sour. Sour, being slightly taken aback, was the last to follow along. The five of them going up some stairs before they all arrived at a familiar place. Except this time, the Spring looked out and up to the infinite cosmos from what it seemed. Strange liquid pouring out into the space around them as the three jumped onto the pedestals that stood out just as the ones from the previous spring did. “Repeat the phrase Reparum Dias Mindurum” Harmonous simply instructed, whilst he looked away. Sweet, having jumped to the pedestal infront of the statue that overlooked the spring, spoke.

“Reparum Dias Mindurum”

The statues wings, as the one before in the Spring of Body, flapped as it rose; lifting it upwards. The stone from the strange liquid that it had stood on followed as a similar little stone door then descended. When Sweet looked at what was inside, he saw a ring. One with a strange, cloudy stone at the center. It was blue, unlike the Beryl before as it made Sweet feel refreshed. Upon seeing it, he experienced a flashback. Much like Acidic had done in his Spring This time, of a mare who faintly said "Oh Quartz..." However Sweet was snapped back to reality too quickly to process what was said . “That is the Moonstone of Mind. It was etched into the ring as a way for the user to become smart. Something you should consider using given your lack of intelligence. It’s supposed to represent you… But you don’t represent the mind. You represent the absence of mind” Harmonous said, his words cutting deep. To which, Sour spoke up. “Well considering he managed to solve the riddle in Old Gallopvant castle all by himself, I’d say he does represent the mind thank you” he said, looking at Harmonous with some confidence. “That’s right!” Acidic added on. “He’s done great! Sure, he may look at the smaller things rather than the main thing, but he is clever!” Acidic then said. The three-standing firm in their position. Harmonous took a second, before looking back at them.

“Apologies. I must’ve not clarified that I meant magic. You lack magical knowledge. In the past, if you remember…” Harmonous then began. Taking a deep breath and speaking, his next sentence echoed in all of their minds. “You failed” he then said, finishing his sentence. Sweet taking a pause as the other two didn’t know what to say. “I believe my stance is clear” Harmonous then said as he eyed Sweet. “I assume you want to be with your friends… So I will leave you with them…” he then added on as he created a window of magic and pushed the three of them through onto the shore. Where Elixir and Dawn waited. The sun having set a little bit before they both sailed back to shore. Dawn instantly galloped over to Sour, hugging him as they said “Thank goodness you’re alright!” with Elixir looking behind them. Before Elixir could get a clear picture of Harmonous, he closed the window of magic. “Strange…” she said to herself, then turning to the other four and saying “Well, it's far too late for the trains… You could stay at mine tonight” she said to Dawn. Looking at the other three, they nodded in approval. However, Acidic had a question. “How long has it been?” he asked. He obviously knew that the pair had probably sailed back, but he was surprised to see the moon and stars in the sky. “Oh about five hours. Why?” Elixir then asked.

“Well, it felt like it only took an hour at most…” Acidic then said as he thought back to the time it felt like it took to travel through the labyrinth. “I see” Elixir said to herself, then further expanding on what she had just said. “So time worked differently there then?” she then asked. “It must have. Although, I’m curious as to what that voice was. We never heard anything like that during our journey to the Spring of Body…” Sweet then said to himself, thinking. “Whatever the case is, let’s just get some rest…” Sour added in, with the other four nodding as they all set off to end their day. All parties exhausted, but mostly satisfied considering their achievements.

It wasn’t all happy however, with Harmonous back in the Labyrinth of mind. He didn’t bother to speak to Dallasite as he opened another portal of magic. This time to the caves. Dallasite trotted through as Harmonous gave him a harsh push over to the other side. Getting out of Harmonous’ way quickly, Dallasite noticed Arcane, who seemed concerned. “What is it” Harmonous stated. His lack of calmness causing him to state it rather than ask. “Well… It’s just that… There was a sea creature. One I don’t believe was of this world. Nothing from this world could look that horrible” Arcane responded. “Curious… Show me” Harmonous then instructed.

With a nod, Arcane used his magic to show an image from his mind of what it looked like. Harmonous widening his eyes in shock as he simply, and quietly asked himself “But the creatures of… Well surely not… But then…?” as Arcane looked at him with some intrigue. Harmonous, looking back at him, simply said “Get some rest. The pair of you. I’ll deal with you tomorrow Dallasite” as he trotted off to the cave entrance. Dallasite remaining quiet as he simply laid down on the floor. Arcane looked concerned, but decided not to question Dallasite just yet. He clearly seemed angry, but Arcane knew that he’d have to ask him alone. Lest Dallasite say something that would anger Harmonous. Laying his head down as well, the pair finally slipped into dreams, with the events of that day coming to a final end. It had been a long day, for all parties.

Author's Note

Hiii

So, that's Chapter 12. It took a span of a few weeks surprisingly to put this one together. The second of three checkpoints for myself now done. I added the "ethereal" voice as something I wish to expand on later. More foreshadowing? Same with the monster that chased Dawn and Elixir. Although both of these won't have answers in this story. They'll be answered and revealed much later on. For now, just enjoy.

With that, i'm taking a break. Chapter 12 was long. Really long and I don't desire to continue writing for a little while. Rest assured I won't be long. But I need some time to recover. We're getting into the first of three final arcs now. So I need time to properly pace it. If you enjoyed, comment and give me a watch :>

Chapter 13: On Rainy Days

Weeks rolled by, with the sun setting and rising constantly as days flashed infront of everypony’s eyes. It’d been quite some time to say the least. Infact, it had been so long since their last Spring that Sour, Sweet and Acidic had been almost forgetting that they existed at all. Everytime they wanted to go out, they didn’t and elected to stay inside. It was clear that something else troubled the three of them.

However, this particular day wasn’t about them, at least not yet. Instead, it started when Soundwave and Duskfall woke up. Their minds clear from anything that may have happened before. They’d heard that the trip to the Spring of Mind was an interesting experience to say the least. But, instead of prying about it, the pair resumed on their own. Getting out of bed with a yawn, Soundwave took one look outside. The weather pummeled the ground with gargantuan amounts of rain. In his mind, it fit the day given it was a special one. They’d been anticipating this day. Both Soundwave and Duskfall. “As if the rain could be any heavier…” Duskfall glumly remarked whilst getting out of bed and standing beside Soundwave. “Yeah… Although a nice trip out in the rain wouldn’t be bad” Soundwave then replied, thinking to himself.

The pair stood together as the rain piled on more and more. The sight of it almost relaxing to them. It reminded them of something, but they couldn’t pin what it was. Nevertheless, neither dawdled on the thought as they got themselves ready. They were taking a very special trip today. A trip that they had always done on this day. The day of remembrance.

It took them both about ten minutes to get their rainwear on. Their coats and boots as well as one large umbrella that Soundwave held with his wing over the pair. Together, they departed from their house and onto their street. Trotting together as the streets felt more like a river than land. The umbrella keeping the pair of them relatively dry; alongside their coats and boots. The blue of Soundwave’s attire perfectly collaborating with Duskfall’s orange attire as they splashed through the city. Their goal being a very particular place in the city. One of which would be empty given the rain today. “At least we wrapped up for this” Duskfall remarked, almost slipping thanks to the sheer amount of rain that had been piling down.

“Yeah, can you imagine getting a cold from all this?” Soundwave asked in a slight joking manner. Duskfall chuckled to himself as the pair advanced. But not before turning the corner and spotting a familiar face. One of which they didn’t really expect. Cluttered. In his own green boots and raincoat. Wearing up his hood, he said “Fancy meeting the pair of you out in this downpour” as he looked at the pair with some genuine surprise. “Oh please” Soundwave began with some sarcasm. “We’re heading to the cemetery. You know, Day of Remembrance duties” he then added with a more somber tone. Not a tone of distaste toward the day, but a tone of distaste to the unchanging flow of fate and time that had taken whoever they were visiting in the cemetery.

“Well, I’ll hop along. We’re like family after all, aren’t we?” Cluttered then said, asking the pair afterwards and looking at them. Whilst Cluttered looked at them, Soundwave and Duskfall looked at eachother, and then back to him before Duskfall responded with a slightly happier “Sure, we’re meeting Dawn there anyway” as he proceeded to slowly trot onward. The Pegasus and Earthpony following suit and trotting alongside the Unicorn as they all headed in the direction of the cemetery.

For about twenty more minutes, silence permeated the trio. Only accompanied by the subtle touching sound of the rain plummeting and crashing onto the ground. By this point, the sky had turned a darker shade of grey. Indicating more to come in terms of the weather. However, the closer they got to the cemetery, the rarer rain became. Until there was only one droplet every five minutes or so. Turning the last corner, the trio saw Dawn. In her own raincoat, boots, and umbrella. All of which were rose coloured as they stood on the street. A building loomed over her as the three approached. The architecture of the building being older than the rest of the buildings in the city. The stonework being odd and almost misaligned. Each big stone used to create the walls being unique in their own right. A large, dark oak door and several stained-glass windows radiating blue from the weather that the windows seemed to adjust their colours to. “There you are! Oh, hi Cluttered, you joined them too then?” Dawn said aloud, her voice in some surprise that Cluttered decided to tag along in the rain.

“Well, I figured it would be better to tag along. At least then I’d get away from Sour, Sweet and Acidic. The three of them have been way too depressing lately” Cluttered responded, seeming to harbor some disdain toward the three. Duskfall and Soundwave looked at eachother in some confusion, before Dawn piped up. “Depressing?” she then asked Cluttered. He looked down, before nodding and then responding with “Look, I’ll tell you later. We don’t need to talk about them here. Let’s just take some time for ourselves, yeah?”. The other three nodded as Dawn opened the gate to the cemetery. With a rather loud creaking from the rust it had obtained over the many years, the four of them all entered. First Soundwave, then Duskfall, then Cluttered and finally Dawn, with another creaking sound, she closed the gate as the four headed to a particular gravestone.

It took a few minutes for them to find the gravestone, but once Soundwave found the path he needed to trot on, he quickly adjusted and recalled where it was. Trotting to the end of one particular path atop a small hill, next to a tree, was one lone gravestone. Although, the wording could’ve been switched for a small boulder fixed into the ground. “Here it is” Soundwave then said to the other three, the three behind him catching up quickly and standing next to him as they looked down. The tree gave enough dry space for the four to sit down, and so they did. Their faces all looking at the so-called gravestone. On it, a strange marking on the top appeared. One that almost looked like a lower-case l, but with a horizontal dash sprouting from the center and onto the right. With another small dash near the end of the horizontal dash growing vertically to match the opposite side. Underneath, words, and numbers existed, reading:

HERE LIES HARMONY HEARTSTRINGS

YEAR 963 – YEAR 999

Selfless until the end

Looking down still, Soundwave sighed. He thought back to his earliest years when she was still alive. His mind seeing her kind smile and feeling her holding him in her hooves as a foal. “Your mother had a beautiful name” Cluttered said, looking over at Soundwave as he looked back. “Yeah, she did…” he then responded as Duskfall comforted him. Dawn moved in to also comfort them, before asking “If I’m not too rude here… And please forgive me if I am being too rude… How did she… You know… Fly on up to the cosmos?” as Soundwave looked at her. “Well, mine and my sister’s deadbeat father kicked the three of us out. I was born in the year nine hundred and ninety-six, my sister was born in the year nine hundred and ninety-one. I don’t know what happened to make them fall out, my sister does though. Anyways, once we were kicked out, she and I-“ he began. Pausing, he took a moment before continuing. “We were dropped off at the orphanage here in Buckgrove. From what I was told, she gave up any food she had to me and my sister and passed on the orphanage’s doorstep. I suppose that’s why the orphanage treated you and I better Cluttered now that I think about it” he then finished off. Looking away slightly, Cluttered simply responded with “Yeah, you and your sister as well as myself seemed to be treated a little better than the rest. At least, after you two came into the orphanage. Before was… Well, you know” as he looked back at Soundwave.

Soundwave nodded as he understood. Duskfall simply saying “Well I’m sure she would be very proud of the stallion you’ve become Wavey” as the four of them looked down at her gravestone. It was about a moment later however, that Dawn then asked “So, where’s your sister now?” as Soundwave tensed up. Simply saying “Don’t know, but she’s out there” as he looked down ever still at the gravestone. Longing for the loved one he could never see again. “Her name was Bass Hertz if I recall” Cluttered then added on, trying to remember her as he recalled the three of them sitting on a bench. “Yeah, well again, I don’t know where she is. We may have fallen out and she may have left for Western Ceyonait last I heard” Soundwave then said, trying to reiterate his stance on the matter. Thankfully for him, Dawn said “I understand” and Cluttered added “Yeah, sorry if we got a bit too personal there…” before Soundwave responded with “Don’t worry, it’s fine in all honesty… I just kind of regret how things devolved between my sister and I”.

This prompted Dusk to suggest something. With a hesitant breath, he said “Well, maybe, if you find her, we could talk to her and solve the problem you two have had” as he looked toward his husband, hopeful. Soundwave looked down at his partner, before going “Yeah… That might be a good idea… But first we might want to make sure the wondering depression gets their alicorn body back” and making the other three chuckle somewhat. “Yeah, it might be better to help them first. The three of them seem to need us. They did help myself, Soundwave and Duskfall at least. We need to repay the favor” Cluttered then added on a moment later. “Don’t forget about them getting me back in touch with my old friend in Trotquay!” Dawn then added on. “Oh, Elixir right?” Dusk asked her after hearing the word Trotquay. “Yeah, she helped them on their journey to the Spring of Mind. She also let us stay at hers for the night. It was great” Dawn responded, adding on the last thing rather cheerfully.

The four of them, after the conversation, sat still. Unmoving for hours as the rain picked up and worsened from the morning as they passed into the afternoon. By the time they all decided to get back up and head out, the streetlights had turned on. The darkness being like a thick fog as the four trotted out of the cemetery. Feeling an otherworldly presence almost watching over them. Whether it was just their nerves reacting to the night, or actual spirits, the four didn’t stick around long enough to find out. From the distance as the four trotted off down the street and to their respective abodes, a single figure stood watching them. A mare of sorts. Hollow and almost completely transparent. Smiling, she simply faded. A spirit bound to the tree of the cemetery. Watching her child from the great beyond as she fell into the spirit realm once more. Her presence visible to nopony and unnoticed by all.

In a different part of the city, back inside Cluttered’s house, the three resided. Sour, Sweet and Acidic had other things on their mind. Instead of remembering anyone from Ceyonait, they obviously started reminiscing about Stardew and Crimson. Sat in the living room of the house, the three stayed silent. The calming effect of the rain keeping them all company as they seemed to remember times with Crimson and Stardew. The Alifests for example. Their eight, two-day long events that they hosted for the continent that they mentioned to Dawn on the train down to Trotquay. Sweet started off the recalling by finally speaking. “Hey, remember the first Alifest we did? The Apples versus Oranges one?”. “Of course!” Acidic instantly responded. “It was great we won the first two” Sour then began. “But then Stardew proceeded to absolutely demolish us three times over. Along with the Sea versus Sky one… And then” Sour paused.

“Oh yeah, we got pummeled in the finalfest” Sweet then interjected.

“Yep” Sour said, with a glum expression.

“Well, it wasn’t always about the points right? It was about spending time with our brother” Sweet then asserted. “Was it? I always thought it was about exploration and getting out of the castle” Acidic then chuckled. However, upon seeing the looks on Sour and Sweet’s faces, he quickly stayed silent. “Right… Well, I just hope Stardew’s okay” Sour then said, thinking about the coronation, as he did often. “Yeah, we didn’t really end off on anything good back in Manestralia, huh” Acidic then piped up again. “Yeah, you’re right on that. I wish now that we didn’t take that time for granted. I mean, we’ve been so far away from Manestralia now that we’ve probably been forgotten in all honesty” Sweet then said, his expression changing from concerned, to saddened and then to dismissive. With Sour nodding as he agreed. Although, he had a differing opinion.

“Well, we have a new life now. We don’t have to return to that… We’ve gotten a new start here. It’s… It’s nice” Sour then said, with Sweet looking at him, slightly confused. “Yeah but, why would we sit here and not at least try and get back to Manestralia?” Sweet then asked. It was something that made Sour think for a moment. That was, until he responded with a simply “No” to which Acidic and Sweet looked at eachother. Confused and unsure of what to say next. In their minds, they thought that going back to Manestralia wouldn’t be so bad. But Sour seemed to think that going back would’ve been a bad thing. Neither knew why exactly either. “You know, we could at least… Try to stay positive about the possibility?” Sweet suggested. Sour however, scoffed at the idea. Not even bothering to hide his disdain about the idea. To which Sweet simply shrugged and got up, saying “Let me know when you decide to stop this whole doomer attitude” before trotting off down the hall. Presumably into the guest bedroom where they’d been sleeping. Refurbishments not complete, but refurbishments still being obvious to the eye. The place was much cleaner than before indeed.

Acidic however, stayed in the room. Saying something interesting. “I do miss our mother… She’d help us through this” he said, seeming saddened at the idea. Sour looked at him, confused as he responded with “Our mother’s been long dead for around fifteen years now. Why bring her up?”. Acidic looked at Sour, before finally saying “Well, I guess I just miss her. Just like you and I miss Stardew. We never really knew how she kicked the bucket and it was all so… Sudden” Acidic then said, with a disturbed tone about his speech. Then, he brought up something interesting. “Sour… Did you ever notice how, when we look back at the time before she passed and then the time after… That dad seemed much more, oh what’s the word, overbearing? I think that’s the word” he said, putting his wing to his chin; trying to remember.

Sour nodded as he responded with “Yep. I remember. I think that’s why he never bothered to discipline us unless we did something really nasty. Instead, he always seemed to overlook it. Heck, the only times he started trying to discipline us was recently. You know, around the same time as the coronation being planned. Guess we were always the favourite child in the family. Sucks for Stardew” as he chuckled slightly. Then, Acidic brought up something very interesting. “Did you also notice then, how there were never any pictures of us as newborn foals?”. Sour stopped chuckling as he got to thinking. It was true. In the family album he seldom saw, he was never shown any pictures of him under the age of, as he recalled, one. Stardew had pictures in the album before he was one. But he always thought he missed them. But then he remembered that Crimson would always show Stardew. Surely they would’ve interacted… Right?

“I guess your silence means you’re connecting the dots…” Acidic began. “Huh?” Sour then said, snapping out of his thinking. “My guess is that they’re in a different album!” Acidic then said, making Sour frown. “But we’d surely have seen them” Sour then said quite bluntly. Acidic seemed to think about it a little bit, but still ended up believing his theory about why they’d never seen any pictures of them as newborns. Sour however, pondered on it for a bit. Only snapping out of his thoughts as Acidic got up and said “I’m gonna head to bed. All this talk has me sleepy” before trotting off to join Sweet in the guest room; presumably. Sour remaining in the room for a little bit before Cluttered came back to the house. Looking at Sour, he instantly rolled his eyes. The same expression he had seen for weeks still on his face. That was, before Cluttered spoke. “Still moping about are we?” he asked in an almost stern voice. “Yeah, and? What about it?” Sour then responded, firing back a question with a lot of defiance to it. Cluttered backed down, simply muttering “It was a joke” before heading up the stairs. Sour staying downstairs for the rest of the night, awake. Only falling asleep at the crack of dawn. Alone with his thoughts and memories. Not aware that in the far-off mountains, familiar faces were watching and observing.

Specifically, Harmonous was watching. He’d been watching. Anticipating the three of them to immediately head out to what he deemed to then be the easiest of the Springs. The fact they had taken so long to even think about their quest immensely aggravated him. So much so that poor Dallasite and Arcane ended up being the recipients of many outbursts of anger from Harmonous. Arcane having recovered from a particularly bad outburst where his wing was torn. Almost to an irreparable state. Thankfully, Dallasite was able to use a healing spell to start a healing process for Arcane. Although this didn’t stop Harmonous from taking his anger out on Dallasite whilst this was happening. Dallasite specifically looking marginally hurt physically. With several lacerations on his own body. All of which were healing well enough. He knew that it wouldn’t show the next time that he had to go near Bounded. But it was still an annoyance nonetheless. With Arcane being asleep, Harmonous spoke to himself; thinking Dallasite was also asleep.

“Why do I expect anything these days from three absolute failures” Harmonous muttered to himself. The cave echoing his words and Dallasite assuming it was about himself and Arcane. “We’re failures… For doing what you wanted?” Dallasite then asked Harmonous. Being on the floor, he obviously had to look up whilst he watched Harmonous turn around and barely acknowledge him. “Close. But you two aren’t Bounded. Although you certainly remind me of him with your innate stupidity” Harmonous then fired back. Every word in his last sentence aiming to cut like broken glass against flesh. “If he takes any longer I will personally see to it that he’s no longer of this world” Harmonous then added on. Dallasite, hearing this, seemed worried. He did care about Bounded. As angry as he may have been in the past. Getting to know him slightly from the Spring of Mind, he felt a connection there. One he’d longed for, for years. So, he spoke up again.

“Well maybe he forgot. It can happen, you know” he said. Harmonous mocking him by repeating the world “forgot” in a belittling tone before actually responding. “If you think that, then why don’t you help him? You clearly know more than I do about his situation. You’re clearly the oldest here” Harmonous then said to Dallasite. Dallasite almost rolling his eyes as he said “I know I’m the youngest here. But it might benefit you to actually listen to my idea. Why don’t you let me and Arcane confront him? You’re not one to negotiate after all. You know that”. Harmonous staying silent for a moment. Processing the specific last part of his sentence. “I suppose raising you actually paid off” Harmonous then responded. His tone shifting to a slightly amused one. To the point of then saying “Humor me then” before turning back to his window of magic. This time focusing on something else. It wasn’t clear what he was looking at, but it was a completely different world from the immediate look at it. One underwater and almost completely pitch black. Like the water itself was tainted. Like some toxic pollution or virus had seeped in.

“What’re you looking at, by the way?” Dallasite then asked Harmonous. “Oh, nothing much to concern your own self with. The mention of that aquatic animal had me… Curious about someplace is all. When Arcane brought it up I thought that maybe…” Harmonous then paused. Being careful with his next move until he simply finished his sentence off with “It’s nothing to concern yourself with” as he closed the window of magic quickly. He’d check in on his own curiosity when he was alone. But for the time being, he didn’t need Dallasite, Arcane or for Ellestros sake Bounded knowing of what he was looking at. “Why don’t you just go back to sleep. I’m sure you have some other things to dream about. Like how you’re going to try and prove yourself to me for the tenth time this month” Harmonous then said in a snide tone. He was actively taunting Dallasite. But Dallasite couldn’t fight back. He’d get absolutely pummeled. Instead, he simply said “Alright” before laying his head down. Making Harmonous focus his attention back to the window of magic as he observed the lands he wished to claim for his own. Infuriated, but patiently waiting for the right time to act. Once Bounded was back together again, he’d have him back…

And then nothing would stop him from conquering everything in his path.

Author's Note

Hiya!

So, for the REDUX of this chapter (incase you didn't know this chapter was actually pulled by me so I could add some detail to it without it being short and lacking in the detail department) I added a segment about Sour, Sweet and Acidic and then I also added a bonus. I wanted to set up Harmonous getting very annoyed so I added some light catchup on his uhhhhh, let's say abusive endeavors, against Dallasite and Arcane. Just to show how uncaring he is. Even if Dallasite and Arcane care for him. Merely using them as pawns and I also want to heavily hint at what I have planned for Bounded. If you caught it, you already know ;)

Anyways, uh enjoy! Lol

Chapter 15: Lost Souls and Troubled Doubts

By the time Sour woke up, he was surrounded by Cluttered, Sweet and Acidic. Albeit two of the three were asleep. The only one awake being Sweet as he seemed to jolt himself awake at the right time. “You’re awake!” Sweet exclaimed, relieved as he saw that Sour had awoken. “Yeah…” Sour simply responded, glaring at the Hourglass that had noticeably been moved to the windowsill. “We were going to ask you about that… Where did it… Come from?” Sweet then asked Sour. His eyes giving off a concerned expression which was extremely evident all over his entire face. Sour looked back to Sweet momentarily, but then immediately looked back. Simply saying to himself “Of course they’d try and force it” in a faint whisper. Sweet only catching a little bit of what he had said.

Before Sweet could ask what he had just said however, a knock was heard at the front door. “That should be them” Sweet said to himself, getting up and trotting down the hall. A moment later, Duskfall, Soundwave and Dawn came in. All relieved to see Sour alive and well. “You’re all acting as if I died. If I died, the other two would die too” Sour then said, taking notice of what he deemed to be overexaggerated reactions. “Well screw them for being worried, right?” Sweet then said, adding some sarcasm into his sentence as the other three sat down. “You had us all in for a scare!” Soundwave shouted out, waking Acidic and Cluttered suddenly in the process. “Wuzzat?” Cluttered said aloud as Acidic yawned. Both of them looking around and then to Sour, also expressing relieved sighs as they all looked directly at Sour. Duskfall being the one to ask the question. “Sour… What happened?” he asked, as the other five looked at Duskfall momentarily, ears perked up as they then looked back at Sour. Being uncomfortable at the remembrance of the encounter, Sour took a moment to brace himself as he explained it. Before finally speaking.

“Dallasite and Arcane came and… Well, apparently I’ve been lazy… According to them… So they’re forcing me to go to Whistleheight. Since that’s the location of the final Spring. When you discovered that door on our first day in Ceyonait, Sweet. The one that said something about a mountain soul… Well, after I said I didn’t want to do it, the pair of them made that Hourglass. They called it their Hourglass of Lavender Fire and Ice. Then they said I had two weeks to come to terms with what I had to do” Sour explained, not looking up until the very end. Being met with stunned faces all around. Acidic then speaking up. “They did this with only you? Surely they could’ve waited…” he said, frowning slightly. “They seem desperate” Sweet then added on, putting his hoof up to his chin to think. “Well, I suppose it’s a waiting game then” Duskfall then said aloud, prompting Dawn to actually protest. “But surely Sour should be allowed to make his own decision!” she said, with Soundwave then interjecting. “But they’re Alicorns! And he, I mean these three, are also an Alicorn!”. “Who cares?!” Dawn then interjecting. “Will the lot of you calm down?!” Cluttered then asked with intensity.

The five looked at Cluttered as they waited for him to clear his throat. To which, he then spoke. “For the safety of Sour, Sweet and Acidic, I think the only option at this point is to have you at least go to the Spring. Nothing I’ve heard about tells me of any immediate reformation into an Alicorn. So, you could appease them and then hold out hope, right?” Cluttered then said, looking at Sour. The others also looking with intense anticipation for Sour’s next words. To which, Sour said “But… What if it does end up happening? The lives we have right now… We’re free. Free from the royal duties and stress. Free from the responsibilities. Free from almost everything” and seemed to form slight tears. Keeping himself composed however as he looked to Sweet and Acidic. Acidic speaking up and saying “Yeah… Ever since you asked that question on the train to Southern Ceyonait I’ve been passively thinking about our ultimate goal”. Sweet nodding in agreement. “And what’s your general consensus on this whole thing?” Sour then asked the pair of them. Sweet speaking up for both of them. “Well, we don’t know what we really want to do. We all miss dad and Stardew… But at the same time, we’re going to miss this. We sacrifice one thing to keep another in either scenario…” he said, looking down slightly. “Yeah… It’s a sacrifice, but if we go back to Manestralia, we’d get our family back at least” Acidic then added on.

Sour looked at the pair momentarily. His mind and soul conflicted. On one hoof, he really did enjoy the life he had at the current time. On another hoof however, he missed the comfort of family. “Well…” Sour began. “We, or rather I, have two weeks to come to terms with everything. So, I suppose we’ll just have to wait for the time to run out” Sour then finished off. Duskfall and Soundwave seemed to nod in acknowledgement and then Soundwave spoke. “Yep, I suppose that is the best-case scenario. Me and Duskfall are gonna head off. If you need somepony to talk to, you know where to find myself, Duskfall, and Dawn” he said to Sour, Sweet and Acidic. Then, the pair left the room, both giving their farewells of “See you soon then!” before the other five heard the front door open, and then shut.

The next to leave happened to be Dawn. But not before she ended up telling the four others about something. “So, me and Elixir were thinking of meeting up. She’s travelling to Buckgrove for the first time, so if you need something to take your mind off of all this, you should join us! Just, keep it in mind, ‘Kay?” she said, with the four nodding. Then, just like her brother and brother-in-law before her, she left the building. Leaving Cluttered and the other three alone in the house. “Well” Cluttered then began. “I think I’m going to head to bed, officially. Try and get some sleep. I mean it. You three need this time to process everything and come to terms with what’s happening. Don’t take all this time for granted” Cluttered then finished off, bidding the three goodnight as he trotted up the stairs and into his room. With a final shutting of his door, the three sat, not speaking for about half an hour.

That was, until Sour finally spoke up again. This time, with one simple word. “Sorry”. Sweet and Acidic looked at eachother in confusion, and then Sweet asked “Sorry? For what?”. “For everything. If I’d gotten this done with ages ago we wouldn’t be stuck here now…” Sour responded. To which Acidic spoke up in protest. “Are you kidding me? Arcane and Dallasite are to blame here! If they respected yours, and by extension, OUR decisions, they’d let us stay in these forms!”. To which Sweet interjected. “Actually Acidic, they, well Harmonous, did give us the option to live our lives like this and we chose the springs. It’s kind of self-inflicted”. Acidic paused for a second, remembering the Spring of Body and the question. “Oh yeah, I suppose that’s true. But they could at least respect that we changed our minds” Acidic then said. “Well, whatever the case, let’s just get some sleep. Cluttered, Dawn, Duskfall and Soundwave probably want us to relax or whatever” Sour then said, a glum tone overpowering his words before he sunk into the bed again, turning away from the other two. Sweet and Acidic momentarily looked at eachother. Before the pair of them joined Sour. Getting their blankets from the corner of the room, which were previously folded neatly together, and got into the bed with Sour. The three of them falling asleep relatively quickly. The day ending with the revelation in their minds.

Soon enough though, the morning rolled around. Clouds in the skies abundant as it threatened to rain. Leaves rustling and, today, even starting to fall off of their trees as the autumn finally started to roll in. The world seeming to almost calm down from the summer sun as it rose slower than before. Sweet and Acidic waking up near the dawn of the day. Not entirely given the Sun was a little into the sky at the point of them waking, but still close enough to the horizon to tell it hadn’t been long since it had risen. Sour still sleeping as Sweet and Acidic left the room and headed to the living room. Their stomachs rumbling as Sweet wordlessly trotted into the kitchen before he finally asked Acidic “You want some toast or are you good?” with a yawn. Acidic nodded his head and even used his wing to imitate a thumbs up as Sweet popped bread into the toaster. Making himself and Acidic a coffee whilst Acidic kept himself awake.

Coming back into the living room, Sweet used his magic to levitate the plates of toast he made and the drinks he made onto the table infront of the couch. Acidic immediately taking his plate and downing both the toast and coffee in an instant. “It’s a good thing we all know what we like, huh” Sweet said, watching Acidic devour his breakfast. “Yeah” Acidic began through eating. “It is. Oh dear Manestralia this is good” he then added on as he finished off the toast. Sweet seemed confused, saying “But we have this almost every single day…” before Acidic looked at him and responded with “yeah, but we can still be happy at little things! Helps to keep things feeling fresh and original, y’know?” as Sweet then laughed slightly. “Sure…” he said, managing to stop himself from laughing more at the idea. Acidic simply rolled his eyes as he waited for Sweet to finish his breakfast. To which, near the end, Acidic got up, saying “I’m gonna check on Sour” as he trotted off to the guest room. Leaving Sweet alone to enjoy his meal momentarily. When Acidic got into the guest room however, Sour was already awake. Albeit barely as he yawned and stood up once he saw Acidic. “Mornin’” he said through some yawning. Acidic nodding as he then said “me and Sweet finished our breakfast, so I’ll get Sweet to make you what we had” before flying back to the living room and saying to Sweet “He’s awake!”. “Which one?” Sweet asked, as Cluttered could also be seen trotting down the stairs with heavy yawning.

“Oh, I meant Sour. But since Cluttered’s here too, make some for him as well?” Acidic then semi suggested to Sweet. Nodding, Sweet got to work in the kitchen after he got up from the couch. Cluttered taking his seat as Sour trotted in and sat next to him. “How’re you doin’ Sour?” Cluttered asked him. It took Sour several moments before he responded. Even half asleep, he seemed to be thinking of a way to word how he felt. “I dunno… Maybe it’s because of the time limit now, but the glum feelings are going. If I’m being forced to do something… I might as well take every fleeting moment of my life as Sour… As something worth remembering, y’know?” he then said, taking various pauses as he spoke to try and stop himself from tripping up on his words. “Yeah, that’s how I’d feel. Just try and take your time with the processing though… It’s a big event for you that’s coming up” Cluttered then responded, trying to reassure Sour about the fact that he could take time out of his life to process everything. To which Acidic then responded. “But this time IS going to be used to process everything, right?” Acidic then asked, slightly confused until Sour nodded slightly.

Just as their little conversation finished, Sweet came in with two more plates and two more cups. Using his magic to simultaneously stack the previous two plates and cups ontop of eachother. “Wow, you’re getting proficient at that!” Acidic remarked. “Oh shush!” Sweet then quickly said, slightly flustered and secretly a bit too happy about the remark. “On the bright side for the pair of you, when we become an Alicorn again, you’ll both know all the spells I’ve learned!” Sweet then added on, with Acidic laughing a little and Sour seeming slightly interested. “Of course, it’s nowhere near as good as dad’s or Stardew’s but I’m sure they’ll be… You know, satisfied” Sweet then added on in a less cheerful, and more nervous, tone. “Yeah but that won’t help stop father from belittling us, or Stardew from making teases at us for being inept at magic” Sour then added on, still slightly tired and not in the mood for too much pleasantry in the way of over optimism or too much positivity.

After Sour and Cluttered finished their breakfasts, Cluttered got up as he spoke. “I have to go to Canvas Corner. Sour, do you want to come with me? It’d be good for you to get out and take in some other places. You could even go to the beach during lunch hour” Cluttered suggested. “Yeah, you could do that whilst me and Sweet do some library stuff. After all, something I learned yesterday got me thinking…” Sweet then added on. Sour looked up, confused as Sweet then said “I’ll tell you later” as Sour nodded in understanding. “Alright then” he then began. “I’ll go with Cluttered. But we might as well all go now. Otherwise me and Cluttered’ll be late” Sour then told the other two. Agreeing, the four of them set off. One by one exiting the house. First Sour, then Sweet, then Acidic and finally, Cluttered.

Trotting down the hill, the four of them took note of the leaves and the colder nature of the city. “Must be that time of year” Cluttered said aloud to himself. Making the other three confused as the four of them. “Oh, right. You three don’t know. To be honest, it’s the first time in a while you’ve all been so confused. What I’m on about is the coming of the Autumn Gathering. A celebratory day where we all donate food, drinks, and other necessities for the winter. It’s for the community incase anyone runs out of food. It’s been a common tradition ever since Ellestros and Ceyonait were founded. Ellestros often instigating very harsh winters according to historical records” Cluttered then explained. “Harsh winters?” Sweet then asked in curiosity, with the expression on his face being evident. “Yeah, Ellestros is often referred to in books as the frozen north due to its cold climate. We have a city that connects us and Ellestros, which connects to Crystalia. The current main city of Ellestros. Even if the one that used to be there is no longer there. Although it’s small because of the winter weather up there. Most inhabitants tend to not venture outside the city” Cluttered then elaborated. Leaving Sweet to say “And here I thought speaking about Ellestros was a taboo subject” to which Cluttered elaborated further. “It’s not the place. Last time it was the historical stuff you were on about referred to the time period which is tied to something we tend to not talk about”. “Ah… Right” is all Sweet responded with as they finally reached the bottom of the hill; the library and the city finally in front of them.

“Well” Acidic began. “Me and Sweet will be at the library. Hopefully we bump into Duskfall. I mean, it can’t really be that impossible or hard to imagine he and Soundwave are at the library right now. Maybe they can help find what we’re looking for” Acidic then finished off. “And what exactly is it that you’re looking for?” Sour then asked the pair, an air of slight concern washing over him. “I said we’d tell you later, didn’t I?” Sweet then responded with some defiance. To which Sour simply said “I was only asking…” before the four parted into pairs. Sweet and Acidic heading to the library as they said “See you back at Cluttered’s then!” in unison. The other two nodding as they headed out to Canvas Corner.

Trotting off for about five minutes, Sour and Cluttered were wordless upon their travel. Sour being slightly inside of his own head and Cluttered focused on making sure the pair of them were on time. “I wish I brought an alarm clock now…” Cluttered muttered as he kept his pace inconsistent. First, it would get extremely fast, then extremely slow. His fear of being late being extremely forward as the two rushed to the store. “Remind me to get you one so you can stop being so worried!” Sour then shouted as he realized how far behind he was. Almost half a street behind as he raced to catch up. Finally, after a few more minutes of trotting, the pair made it to good old Canvas Corner. Cluttered opening the door as he said to himself “Forgot to lock it before the weekend! Hope nopony noticed…” as the pair stepped inside. Thankfully, nothing had happened. Everything was tidy and clean. Just as Cluttered had left it before the weekend. So, the pair got into their positions. Cluttered at the counter and Sour loitering about. Sitting down at a chair near the desk.

About an hour went by before the pair finally had a proper conversation. Ponies actually taking a look around and buying the pieces of art and the various supplies in the most abundance that Cluttered had seen. Racking up quite a number of Ceyans that he elected to keep some of in his savings when he got the chance to deposit them. “That’s… Two hundred and fifty Ceyans in the first hour of business! What is going on?!” Cluttered then asked himself, with Sour holding back childish giggling as he simply said “Word must’ve gotten out”. Cluttered looking at him as he seemed almost amazed. “You know, I’m gonna miss this” he then said, prompting confusion from Sour. “Gonna miss what?”. “Well” Cluttered began. “Me, Dawn, Duskfall and Soundwave are all going to miss the three of you. You’ll probably head back to Manestralia… And then…” Cluttered paused as he thought of what to say next. His next words striking a chord in Sour. “You’ll forget about us, won’t you…”.

Sour took a moment to process the words Cluttered had just said. Forget about his only friends? Absolutely not! So, he spoke up in accordance with that thought. “I would never forget about you four! None of us will! We’ve been through a lot together! And if the worst case comes around, where we do end up getting carted back to Manestralia, then we’ll at least make sure to come visit!” but this didn’t alleviate any of Cluttered’s feelings. “When you’re King of Manestralia? You’ll hardly have any free time and when you do have some, your first thought won’t be to come to see us” Cluttered responded. Making Sour upset. “I’m not going to forget any of you!” He protested. To which Cluttered looked away and simply said “Time will tell, I suppose” as more customers seemed to be just stepping in. Making the pair put the conversation on hold.

Meanwhile, at the library, Sweet and Acidic had already said hello to Duskfall and Soundwave, who helped them find the section on history they were looking for. So, naturally, Sweet and Acidic piled up books upon books. Trying to find the right one as Duskfall and Soundwave looked at eachother; highly concerned. “What’s so urgent that the pair of you… Well, are doing all of this for?” Duskfall asked as he finally piped up. “Well, the Fae stuff got me thinking! There has to be some history with the Fairies here! Other than the Springs… Fairies: Myth of Reality? Oh please, only a child would read this rubbish!” Throwing a book on the floor as Sweet responded. “Be careful with that! We need those! You’re not the only ones using the library y’know!” Duskfall promptly shouted. To which both Acidic and Sweet paid his anger no mind. To them, Sweet especially, answers must’ve lied somewhere. About ten more minutes of this and Sweet finally hit the jackpot. He saw a strange book. One simply called Fae. A guide for those seeking knowledge – By Quartz Honour. “Quartz Honour?” Sweet asked himself as he took a peek into the book. There, he finally saw what he was looking for. The transformation he had remembered. Charmed. “At last! Although… Something is definitely familiar about this Quartz pony. I swear I’ve heard of that name before…” Sweet said to himself, recalling faint conversations from his father about a stallion named Quartz, and faintly recalled his flashback at the Spring of Mind. But there was no way the pair were the same stallion. He couldn’t have possibly been. So, Sweet dismissed the idea entirely.

“Now let’s look through- Hey!” Sweet then protested as Duskfall ripped the book out of Sweet’s magical hold. Before Sweet could protest more, Soundwave interjected. “Clean up the mess first! Then we’ll let you read the book!” as Sweet rolled his eyes. In his annoyance. He used a spell he’d never actually used that he dubbed the recollection spell. A spell that traced an objects flow through space and time. Which made the books almost perfectly follow their line in time from when Sweet arrived in the library, to when they were pulled out. In other words, Sweet decided to use a fancy levitation spell that automated his work significantly. “There. We happy now?” Sweet then asked with a heavy pettiness in his voice as he looked at Soundwave and Duskfall. They reluctantly nodded as Sweet swiped the book back off of Duskfall quickly. Then, the four of them sat down. Duskfall and Soundwave debating to wait until lunch to even think about what they were going to do in the afternoon. Which was going to be big for them.

“Huh…” Sweet said to himself, reading a specific passage about Quartz himself. It read as “To those seeking knowledge of the ancient and forgotten race of fairies, I welcome you on this knowledgeable journey. For I am Quartz Honor. The first Fae of Ice and second child to the grand King of Fairies. I have made this tome of knowledge in the hopes that those who emerge from the future can write the wrongs that they will soon discover if everything in fate has lined up correctly” which had Sweet incredibly confused. “Is that all he says about himself?” he then asked, to which the next page confirmed this. There were three transformations listed in this specific book. Far less than he remembered his father having in the tome he kept on trying to swipe from his father’s archives. But three was more than enough to get started on his knowledge endeavor. He started reading the chapter on Charmed. Seeing a picture of a stallion. One that he seemed to recognize. One with a glittering, yet simply, grey top. With foreleg bands and two icy, and almost reflective, wings. “Is that… Is that Harmonous!?” Sweet then shouted, quickly looking at the annotation which read “Quartz Honour circa Year 6460; Prosperity Era. Charmed” this Quartz looking much like a younger version of Harmonous. Without the damage. Without the disturbing visual. Finally, he looked happy without having a malicious aura around him.

In some ways, he was also reminded of Dallasite and Arcane. Which immediately connected some major possibilities in his head. “So then they’re… Fairies too?” Sweet immediately muttered to himself, with Duskfall seeming confused. “I don’t actually remember this being in the library… This book, it’s not in our records, I’m sure of it. Yeah, now that I get a good look at it… Turn to the front page real quick Sweet” Duskfall then said, prompting Sweet to flick to the inside first page. “Yep. Not of our library. There’d be a stamp that you’d see on the inside of the front cover. But there’s none. So somepony must’ve placed this here, and I have one guess as to who” Duskfall said aloud. With Sweet going “Harmonous?” as Duskfall nodded. “It’s clear he wants us to see something from this… but what?” Acidic then asked, having stayed silent this entire time. “I honestly don’t know… But maybe he’s trying to hint at something or call to some pony. It’s probably us, to be fair, but I think this is one we should passively look through… And we’ll definitely ask Harmonous about it when we see him” Sweet then theorized, closing the book as they all seemed stumped by the discoveries. So stumped in fact, that Sweet decided to close the book entirely. Bookmarking the page with Quartz on.

Which was timely, given Soundwave took a quick look outside. “Ah. Midday” he said to himself as Duskfall trotted up to him and seemed eager to go across from the library. To a big building in red. One that looked important and well maintained. “We need to schedule the appointment with Mayor Solar Wind!” Duskfall shouted. Then looking back as he then spoke once more. “But… We have to stay at the library…” he muttered to himself, seeming upset. That’s when Soundwave simply responded with “I can stay here if you want. I’m sure Sweet won’t mind helping. Acidic, why don’t you go with Duskfall? I’m sure he’ll need some help trying to set up the appointment”. Sweet looking reluctant given what he’d just said, but Acidic happily nodding and going “Sure, I can do that!” as Sweet just sighed and added on a “sure…”. Acidic flying to Duskfall as the pair then headed across the road. Duskfall giving Soundwave a big hug as he seemed overjoyed.

“So, we’re staying here then?” Sweet asked Soundwave, who had trotted back to his table after seeing Duskfall and Acidic off. “Yep! We don’t have to do much other than keep the place clean. But, it’s still nice” Soundwave responded as the two sat around and observed the rest of the library.

Meanwhile, with Duskfall and Acidic, who’d just crossed the street and were now headed inside of the big, red building. The pair opened the bright white doors. Leading them into a very nice-looking reception area. Where a singular pony sat. He seemed quite busy, his mane white and his coat colour a deep brown. Nonetheless, noticed the approaching pair and instantly said “Come back later. Mayor Solar Wind has better things to attend to besides tourists” as Acidic and Duskfall looked at eachother. “I’m not leaving. I work at the library and I need an appointment made as soon as possible!” Duskfall protested. To which, the stallion on the other side of the desk rolled his eyes, then yawned and simply said “Fine… Is next week a good time… Early Afternoon?” clearly not wanting any trouble from the pair and remaining rather aloof and glum. It took Duskfall a moment to process what he’d just heard. Eventually responding with “All good” as the stallion marked it down on a complicated looking sheet of paper.

“And what’s the appointment for, then?” the stallion then asked, with another tired yawn. “Oh, uh” Duskfall began. “It’s about the library funding” he then finished off as he seemed to note that the stallion simply wrote ‘FUNDING – LIBRARY - EARLY AFTERNOON’ down. “Your name?” the stallion then asked, prompting Duskfall to say “Duskfall” as the stallion then wrote that down. “All done then. You can buzz off now” the stallion finally said, putting pen down from paper and looking largely bored as he watched the pair trot out of the building. Once they were outside, Duskfall was overjoyed at the fact things went so well. “Can you believe how easy that was!?” he asked Acidic. To which, Acidic shrugged using his wings and simply responded with “Seemed like he didn’t want any argument so that’s good. Shall we head back to the library then?” as Duskfall nodded. Ending their endeavors for the day as all four stallions in the library attended to their duties. Sweet keeping an eye on the book he had; making sure it was in fact real. Was Quartz really Harmonous? And what did Harmonous then know about the Fae if they were real? Was he, infact, one of them? Only time would tell. For now, they had more immediate issues to attend to for the next two weeks of their lives.

Meanwhile, back with Cluttered and Sour, the pair also worried about the next two weeks. The clock was ticking, and Sour hoped that something would prevent the immediate transformation back into an Alicorn. It pondered in his mind as he kept working with Cluttered. But for now, the day would see no more interesting activity. With the six ending their days as usual. Tomorrow being another day.

Author's Note

Hi again.

So, I really wanted this to be a cooldown chapter. One that explored some of the things that would happen within these next two weeks in the story. I also did something I didn't expect that made it into this and that was Quartz Honor. I did NOT anticipate myself writing that (I have a habit of doing that) but I have an EASY solution to this which will be elaborated on in the FAR future. For now, just enjoy ;)

Chapter 16: Transition

Days flew by as the first week actually passed relatively quickly. The three often going out with the others to help them. Sweet still having the three books the trio had acquired over their journey. Still having his many questions about the Fae and having informed Sour about the information. The three electing to stick with what they had planned. Which was to ask Harmonous about the stallion named Quartz. To them, the similarities were simply too coincidental to not be of correlation to some degree. They also had questions about Dallasite and Arcane’s connection to Harmonous. From what they saw, the three had immense similarities. Moreso Arcane and Harmonous with their apparent Ice magic. But Dallasite seemed to look similar to them nonetheless.

What mattered however, was being there for their presumed last week as Sour, Sweet and Acidic. They wanted to be there for everything. So, since they assumed they’d have all the memories from their individual perspectives once they became an alicorn again, they elected to split off and do things on their own. Living life to the fullest until the time ended. Their first stop, being that of Dawn’s big day. With Acidic being the one to go and accompany Dawn this morning. He almost didn’t eat as he flew out of the door. Only doing so when Sour tackled him to the ground. Being worried about him not eating. It was a funny moment in the morning. But not one that stopped him from rushing out of the door and immediately heading for the train station. That being the place that Dawn was going to meet Elixir at when she ended up arriving in Buckgrove.

Taking the sky route since he was on his own, it surprisingly only took him around ten or so minutes to soar above the city. Remembering when he, Sour and Sweet all arrived in Buckgrove. It was nice, to put it bluntly. To reminisce on the trio’s first few days in the city. Even if him flying over the city on their first day was from negativity. It didn’t really bother him as he knew that everything worked itself out in the end. He had hope that everything going on would also work itself out. He didn’t really care for any of what was going on now that his journey had ended at the Spring of Body. But since the orange Pegasus was needed for both the Spring of Mind and Soul, he still travelled which was evident when he travelled to Trotquay. He just wondered if they would, in their alicorn form, still have time to do things like they were. Just relaxing. Maybe his dad would let him wait a little while before taking the throne. Perhaps it was because he was only the representative of their body, but he had very little emotional attachment to the three’s past in terms of feeling the pressure. He was thankful that went to Sweet somewhat and Sour mostly. Although it was probably the fact that he had his Spring knocked out first in their journey that allowed him to relax.

Nonetheless, when he saw the train station, he made an intense and almost fatal dive down onto the street. Having to avoid ponies trotting by as they jumped and screamed at the incoming orange as the street almost cracked at his eventual stop. He was fast and used to flying at insane speeds back in Manestralia when he participated in Alifests in the elite teams that were built whilst being Covet. But he needed to get a control on it. This wasn’t above water, this was land. Furthermore, this wasn’t any wave racing either. One could say that he simply had a lack of control. But either way, he quickly said “Uh… Sorry folks!” as he trotted with his face giving an expression of embarrassment. Ponies actively avoiding him as he made his way to the train station to wait for Dawn. However, she appeared to be there already when he arrived. “Was that you that ended up crashing to the ground?” she asked him as he approached. He nodded and she chuckled slightly whilst adding on a “figured as much” whilst Acidic simply rolled his eyes slightly and sat down. The pair waiting for the next train and the arrival of the one they were waiting for.

Which only took about ten more minutes of waiting. Giving the pair excitement as they heard the faint sounds of the clacking train getting louder and louder the closer it got to the station. The train stopping underneath them as they heard it. Rushing down to the floor containing the Southern Ceyonait train, they saw the passengers getting off. Along with who they had waited for. Elixir. She seemed frazzled by the amount of ponies around her, but once she saw Dawn, she sighed in relief. “You’d think these basic stallions and mares would move out of the way for somepony who managed to get an award for reviving a long dead plant species! But I guess not!” She said aloud in a very audible way as to make sure the others around her knew exactly who she was speaking to. Dawn immediately hugged her, but Acidic seemed more interested in what she had just said. “I’m sorry, did you say you managed to actually revive it?” he asked Elixir. To which, she happily nodded. “Yup! The seeds I cultivated allowed the Lily to reproduce! There’re now about a hundred in one dedicated plot of land. I reached out to the local news ponies and they’re all over the achievement!” Elixir then explained. Making Acidic incredibly happy. “That’s amazing! I can’t wait to tell Sweet and Sour about this!”.

Dawn then spoke up. Saying to the pair “come on then, we have to get going. We’re meeting Duskfall and Soundwave at their residence. That way we actually have somewhere to do this” as she began trotting up the train platform stairs. The other two following as the three began trotting out of the train station entirely. Heading to the city suburbs and enjoying the surprisingly less populated areas of the city. “Don’t forget, we still have our day out to attend to!” Elixir pointed out, as Dawn nodded and responded with “I’m aware don’t worry! Let’s just focus on the important thing first. It’ll be better for when we do end up, y’know, hanging out and taking you around the city!” as the three continued onward for a few more minutes before they finally came to Soundwave and Duskfall’s house. Trotting up to the door and Dawn knocking on it, the three waited for about half a minute before Duskfall finally answered.

“Heya sis!” Duskfall said, hugging his sister tightly as he then said “It’s been a long time, Elixir” eyeing the mare as she responded with “Yeah it’s been a hot minute since our school days” as he let all three of the ponies in. Saying hello to Acidic when he got inside. The three taking seats in the kitchen as Soundwave came downstairs and proceeded to make drinks for the five of the ponies in the room. Then Duskfall sat down and took a moment to form his next sentence or so. Then finally speaking. “I learned the spell needed for what you want. I haven’t used it on anything other than small animals and it seemed to work. But it’s my first time trying it on another pony” he said, pausing for a second as he seemed unsure of his skills in the magic department. “I’m sure everything will be fine, Duskfall. You’re the best magic user in our group!” Acidic then said, taking note of the sudden dip in confidence.

“I know I can do it, I just… Well, things wouldn’t be the same for you ever again. The spell could alter more than just your physical appearance. Does that make sense?” Duskfall then added on, looking at Dawn as she nodded and then responded with “no matter what happens, we’ll always be siblings. Nothing will change that Dusk” as a wave of relief washed over Duskfall. “Were you really concerned about that?” Soundwave asked Duskfall as he finally came over a moment later with all five drinks. Electing to stand whilst the other four drank their drinks. “Well, kind of. My history with seeing a body changer spell has been tumultuous… and confusing. Talking about you three Acidic” Duskfall then responded, looking at Acidic as he seemed to take slight offense at the acknowledgement.

“It doesn’t… Hurt… Does it, Acidic?” Dawn asked Acidic, now slightly worried thanks to the loss in Dusk’s confidence. “Eh… It feels weird. But I think the spell on me was different. The one on mine physically destroyed one form and created three other ones. Ripping my soul out. The spell you’re using would simply modify your body. Not do any of that stuff… Now that I think about it, it’s horrifying what happened to me” Acidic then nonchalantly said, sort of zoning out at the realization of what he’d just explained. “Yeah it’s definitely not that. Don’t worry.” Duskfall then immediately reassured Dawn. Feeling slightly awkward at Acidic’s explanation. With Acidic quietly saying “Sorry” as the others simply responded with “It’s fine, don’t worry”.

After they all drunk their drinks, Elixir was the first to speak again. Saying “Me and Acidic should probably wait in here” to which Soundwave asked “Well, why’s that?”. With Dawn also looking at Elixir as she responded with “Well, it’s a family matter isn’t it? Surely you want privacy for that?”. Dawn nodding as she then said “Yeah… That’s what I was hoping could happen. But it doesn’t mean that you two can’t do what Elixir just asked about!” as she looked at Acidic and Elixir. Nodding, Acidic and Elixir stayed in the kitchen whilst Duskfall and Soundwave left the room with Dawn. Dawn following the pair into the living room. There, Soundwave sat down as the siblings seemed to almost have a stare off. With Duskfall finally breaking the silence with the long-awaited question. “Are you ready for this, then?”. Dawn wordlessly answered with a nod as Duskfall then nodded back and began charging up a spell. The magic being a light pink colour. Then launching the magic at Dawn as soon as the spell seemed ready.

The spell immediately took effect. Bright light surrounding her as she disappeared for a moment in the white light. About a moment later and she reappeared. However, she was smaller than before. Her body now being smaller and more representative of what she wanted to be. Having closed her eyes due to the light, Duskfall summoned a mirror with his magic and then said “It’s done!” as Dawn slowly opened her eyes. She gasped, and then proceeded to check herself out. Her mane being slightly bouncier and smoother than before. With her wings also being slightly smaller as she almost burst out in tears. Her emotions being all over the place as she finally felt like herself. As if she had achieved her lifelong goal. Which was exactly what had happened. “You two can come in now!” Soundwave shouted out to Acidic and Elixir. Prompting them to trot on in. Acidic gasping as Elixir immediately reacted with “You’re… Stunning! Wow!” as she went in for a hug of comfort. Dawn accepting as Acidic smiled to himself. Dawn’s transition completing itself as Duskfall used one more spell wordlessly.

“Thank you- Wait, my voice-!”

Dawn immediately looked at Duskfall as she finally let the tears out. Openly weeping as the other four comforted her. Duskfall saying “Figured I could surprise you” as they all hugged Dawn for a good few minutes. Finally stopping when Dawn stopped crying. It was a happy day for Dawn indeed. Which was going to be celebrated as Elixir then said “Well, we have a lot of time to spend today! Why don’t myself and you go out and maybe grab a drink or two? Like maybe a Latte” as Dawn immediately responded with “Good thing I know exactly where to go then! Acidic, do you want to join us?” as Acidic immediately nodded. “Well, you both have fun then! Me and Soundwave will be here when you need us” Duskfall then added on. Giving Dawn one last hug as Dawn, Acidic and Elixir all headed out of Soundwave and Duskfall’s house. Trotting down the street and off back into the city.

Heading back properly into the city, the three made their way to the coffee shop that Dawn and Acidic had gone to a week prior. Immediately trotting down the same road before reaching the coffee shop. “Here we are! Let’s just say an old friend of ours runs this place” Dawn said to Elixir, Winking in a cheeky way. “Someone we know?” Elixir then asked, eager to see who was indeed running the establishment. Which didn’t take long at all as Elixir gasped and then immediately galloped to the counter, shouting out “ICED!” as she went in for a hug. Iced, who was working on a brew for a pair of ponies who stared at the three in slight confusion, ended up spilling the coffee he was preparing. With Elixir backing off as soon as she saw. “I-I’m so sorry! It’s just it’s been so long since we last spoke!”. Elixir however, didn’t seem too amused. Simply saying “You mean since school… Sorry folks! It’ll be a few before I can get your coffees out! Blame her. Not me” he said, prompting the pair of ponies to simply shrug as they continued their conversation.

“Well, let’s take a seat before the other shop patrons end up having to wait an hour, yeah?” Dawn then suggested. Both Acidic and Dawn flying to the table they were at last time. Elixir joining them as she sat down. Although clearly frazzled as she still couldn’t quite get over what she had done. Iced coming over a few minutes after he had served the redone coffees for the pair across from them. “So, what do the pair of you- oh sorry, three of you want today?” Iced then asked, almost forgetting about Acidic given his quietness. “I’ll have the same as before. Acidic? Elixir? What’re the pair of you two having?” Dawn then asked the other two. “Uh… Same as before!” Acidic then responded, panicked and slightly awkward when being asked. Although, to his defense, it would’ve been awkward to trot up to the counter and look above it to see the menu.

Which is exactly what Elixir then did. Getting up and trotting over slightly as Iced, Dawn and Acidic glanced at eachother in confusion. Iced less so as he gathered what she was doing. Then, she came back and finally answered. “A soft, oat milk mocha. Make sure there’s only a spoonful of sugar and add some caramel in there for me too! After that if you could also add in some whipped cream on the top to make it reminiscent of hot cocoa that’d be great!” she responded, making Dawn and Acidic surprised at the order. “Uh… I can do that” Iced simply said after a minute of processing the order and writing it down. “Didn’t use this before, did I?” Iced then asked, making Dawn nod as he then went on to explain. “Since this place just opened, I didn’t really have any revenue other than for rent and food. But, as soon as I got some extra money I got a lot of notepads! No more forgetting for me!”.

With that, Iced trotted back to the counter as Elixir then sat down. Both Dawn and Acidic asking the same question. “Was it really necessary to order that? It sounds so complicated to make…” to which Elixir laughed. “Oh please! If you saw everything I got in a day back home, you’d have a heart attack! Not literally, by the way. Metaphorically”. “Riiigghhhtttt…” Dawn simply replied, still somewhat shocked at the order Elixir had gotten. But it lessening given the most recent reveal. Their drinks coming relatively quickly as Iced served them to the three. Going back to his counter as more customers seemed to come in. “So” Dawn began as she sipped on her drink. “What’re you planning on doing now that you’re a plant mother, Elixir?” she then asked, taking a break from her coffee momentarily. Elixir rolled her eyes, taking a gulp of her drink before responding. “Well, since I’m now the goddess of nature I figured I’d try and integrate the Lily into other regions of the world. It’s truly something that seems to have been forgotten. But now? I have the chance to reintegrate history into the present!” Elixir then responded. Seemingly overeager; but that wasn’t a negative thing. To Dawn and Acidic, it was good to have that much passion.

Taking about half an hour more to drink their beverages, the three finally finished. Sipping the last of their drinks as Iced came over to collect the cups. Seeing the three off and out. “Make sure you come back, Dawn! You too Acidic! And see you later Elixir!” he shouted out to them, having customers give him an odd look as they were slightly interested in what could possibly be happening. Going back to their conversations as Iced returned to his counter in his coffee shop. Leaving the three to find things to do for the rest of the day. Which is exactly what they did when they eventually circled around to a clothing shop. The name being ‘Couture De Trendé’. All three entering as Dawn’s attention was immediately drawn to the shops hat section. Looking at them, with Acidic and Elixir looking in other sections, Dawn eventually found the hat she was looking for. A light blue, and very wide looking hat. The one you’d wear to protect yourself from the intense heat. But also one that could easily fit any sort of clothing that would be loose and free in the wind. Instantly, she grabbed it, remembering it and rushed to the counter. Acidic taking note as he flew over along with her. “Whatcha got there?” he asked, looking at the blue he could only just see. “Oh this? It’s a hat I saw in a catalogue ages ago. I threw the catalogue out given the season ending a year ago, but now? It’s back! So, why not grab it?” she then responded.

Shortly thereafter, Elixir then came over. “I found it!” she shouted out, making the pair of Pegasi look over in her direction. Slightly confused until they saw her pop out and gallop over. “What’ve you got there?” Acidic then asked, intrigued as Elixir showed off a white top of sorts. It was free, and flowing and Dawn immediately seemed excited. “How did you remember that it was on the catalogue!?” Dawn then asked Elixir, eager to hear the reply. “Simple silly! I never chuck my catalogues away! Since they were in my closet, I figured I’d try and get you something from it! But I see you have the matching hat! All that’s left is the shoes! But they’re not here either! Drat!” Elixir then explained, seeming angered that Dawn couldn’t have the full set from the catalogue. Dawn however, seemed to be pleased with just two of the three clothing items. The cashier coming over as Dawn paid for the clothes. Acidic and Elixir heading outside to wait.

About two minutes after leaving Acidic and Elixir, Dawn came out of the shop. Holding a bag with her wing. “You’re not going to put the clothes on?” Acidic asked, slightly confused as he thought that Dawn would instantly put the clothes on. “Well, for starters Acidic, there were no changing rooms. Backwards I know. But trust the fashion! And second, I don’t have the full set! Why put it on if I don’t have all the pieces?” Dawn then responded, rhetorically asking Acidic the question. Acidic being very much unamused as he heard about the statement ‘trust the fashion’. Nevertheless, the three headed off. The three of them seemingly heading back to the train station as Acidic looked up at the sun. It was still somewhat in the sky. So, why were they going back so soon? “Uh… Surely we could at least show Elixir the beach?” Acidic then asked Dawn after the three of them managed to reach the train station. “Elixir lives in Southern Ceyonait. You know that. If she goes now, she can get back just as the last train to here returns. It’s either that or couch surf and I dunno how she feels about that” Dawn then explained. Prompting Elixir to nod slightly as she also chirped in. “I’d rather get back to my town I’m not gonna lie. But we should spend some more time together, it’s nice!” she said, seemingly happy to be at the train station.

“I suppose this is goodbye for now, then” Acidic then said, in a slightly underwhelmed voice. “Yeah, I’ll see you two before the end of the year, I know that much!” Elixir then responded. Prompting both Dawn and Acidic to look at eachother in slight confusion. “And how do you know that?” Acidic asked, prompting a response he kept in the back of his mind. “Well, fate has a funny way of manifesting things, so to speak”. It was something he didn’t fully expect. But couldn’t rest on as the three of them trotted down to the floor containing the train. Seeing Elixir off as she hugged the pair of them. Feeling a little sad, but happy with the day that had occurred. Getting on the train just before it took off, Elixir watched Acidic and Dawn wave her off before the other two trotted up and out of the train station. “I suppose this is also goodbye for us too, then” Dawn then said, looking at Acidic as he nodded. “Yep! When do you think we’ll have a day out again?”.

“I dunno. I wanna settle down a for a little bit. Uh… Good luck on the Spring thing. I wish I could help more, but-“ however, before she could finish, she felt a hug of sorts. As she processed it, she noticed that Acidic had gone in for the hug. “Are you alright?” She then asked, slightly shocked. “Yeah… But you, Duskfall, Soundwave and Cluttered are doing more than we should be asking for. Thank you… For everything” Acidic then responded. The last part being slightly more absent than the rest. As if he didn’t want her to hear it. To which, she simply responded with “Uh… You’re welcome! Just come back to us after you get the Alicorn form, alright?” as she seemed to almost joke about the situation. Acidic, recognizing this, laughed a little as he simply said “Right” before the pair separated. Their day over a little before it should’ve been, but both knowing that they’d see eachother very soon. As an Alicorn, or not as an Alicorn.

Author's Note

Hiya.

Figured I could add three chapters before "the return to Whistleheight". This one focusing on Dawn, Elixir and Acidic. With Iced being somewhat in there lol

Next will focus on Soundwave, Sweet, and Duskfall as Duskfall and Soundwave finally have that meeting with Mayor Solar Wind V. Stay tuned for that.

A l s o

Stan Pikmin 4 and the Pikmin franchise. That's all.

Chapter 17: Dismissal of a Mayor

Things picked up relatively quickly again for the stallions. From one event to the next. Dawn’s transition and day out had left room for Dawn and Acidic to relax. Elixir having returned home the day before what Duskfall and Soundwave had to attend to. For the day after Dawn’s transition, Duskfall and Soundwave would finally meet Mayor Solar Wind V. The fifth Solar Wind in a long line of Mayoral family members. They’d also be accompanied by the Unicorn Sweet Lime. Covet Dawndrop’s shattered form representing the mind. The day started fine for the most part. Duskfall and Soundwave waking up as Duskfall took a quick peek outside from his window. Seeing no sign of bad weather or even clouds.

“I could’ve sworn we were leaving summer behind” Duskfall said to himself, being slightly surprised that there wasn’t at least a cloud in the sky. Soundwave didn’t respond. Not because he was angry or upset. But, instead, it was due to him almost falling back asleep. Duskfall looked back at the almost back asleep Soundwave and trotted over. Shaking him back to full consciousness as Soundwave groaned. Flopping out of bed with a thud a moment later. “I didn’t realize you were so snug” Duskfall chuckled to himself. With Soundwave looking up with a slight smirk on his face. “Well, when the bed is so comfy, why would I bother to do anything else but sleep?”. Duskfall rolled his eyes with a smile as he then trotted into the bathroom. Both of them brushing their teeth and using the morning to shower and eat their breakfast; like their friends would usually do over at Cluttered’s. It was almost uneventful; say for Soundwave almost flooding the bathroom and Duskfall rushing in to try and stop the water.

About thirty more minutes passed by as the two then made their way to the library. The pair having dried off from the shower relatively quickly as they both entered the main part of the town. Passing by the last street as they noticed somepony already standing outside of the library. As they got closer, they finally noticed exactly who it was. It was the one who wanted to accompany them. Sweet Lime. Sweet looking away from them and at the seaside he’d just traveled down from as Duskfall and Soundwave approached. “Didn’t think you’d be here early!” Duskfall chirped, making Sweet jump slightly. Then turning around to see the pair. “Well, the others are just across the road. Sour and Acidic are going to Canvas Corner with Cluttered so I figured I’d use that to detach myself from them to come here. Obviously, I explained before but, it was just perfect timing” Sweet then explained, seeming to almost have an ounce of annoyance in his sentence.

“Well, it’s nice to see that you thought of us during that” Soundwave then said, still somewhat tired, but obviously appreciative of Sweet. With a turn of the doorknob, Duskfall, Soundwave and Sweet Lime entered the Library. The daylight breaking into the perpetually black space as bookshelves finally saw the light again. “You should really ask about the window situation. I get preservation but, like, is it necessary to shy away from the light, too?” Sweet then asked the pair as he trotted behind the pair of them. The pair rolled their eyes somewhat, but Soundwave agreed eventually. “I mean, yeah some light could be good in here” he replied. To which Duskfall seemed slightly annoyed. “And have light ruin and possibly fade the colours from the books we have? Not a chance” he then responded. This making Soundwave and Sweet look momentarily at each other. Sweet almost mocking Duskfall through mimicry before Duskfall turned around and huffed at Sweet. Sweet holding back some laughter as the three of them continued through the library.

As Duskfall and Soundwave sat down, they went to talk to Sweet once more. This time, about the plans for the day. Sweet, however, seemed to have gone missing. “Oh goodness… Where’s he gone now- WHOA!” Duskfall then exclaimed in surprise. A large thudding sound could be heard from a book slamming down onto the table. It looked relatively old; with heavy dust permeating the cover. That’s when the assumed missing Sweet sat down. “I figured some light reading couldn’t hurt. Only about one thousand pages in here I estimate. Can’t hurt to start!” he said aloud with optimism. Duskfall and Soundwave looked at each other, however. Then glancing at the book. Duskfall first asking “Sweet… Do you really consider this light reading?”. Sweet nodding as Soundwave then asked him another question.

“Do you even know what this book is about?”

“Nope!” Sweet then replied; an absent-minded smile on his face as he opened the book. Both Duskfall and Soundwave launching their faces into the table somewhat as Duskfall quietly added on “Oh boy…” before he got back up. Soundwave getting his face off of the table as he responded to Sweet with the book’s title. “Dude… That’s Penultima. Specifically, Bound by Time. It’s a love story. One of the most popular here in Buckgrove. We’d let you borrow it, but you’ve borrowed about a million books already” he said, Sweet frowning a bit as he didn’t seem interested in their answers. Rather, he looked at the chapter list. “Why do they all have dashes… Like this Chapter. It’s supposed to be Chapter five so why is it Chapter Five dash One?” he then asked. Duskfall and Soundwave looked at each other, slightly confused. That was, until Duskfall explained. “Well, each part of the chapter was supposed to represent a journey. Imagine each of the dash chapters to be one full chapter. Chapter one dash zero was the prologue. Chapter two dash zero is the first Gear of Time’s- Wait, why’re we explaining this? You’re not borrowing it!” Duskfall then interjected his own explanation, using his magic to swipe the book off of Sweet before Sweet could pry any further. “Hey! I was busy” but before Sweet responded, Soundwave interjected. “If you don’t like it, then consider returning the books you don’t need! It’s not like you can’t have it in the future. Just return the books you already have!” he then responded, with Sweet rolling his eyes in large annoyance and Duskfall putting the book back on its shelf.

After about a moment of huffing and being visibly annoyed at the book being taken away, Duskfall sighed before finally breaking the said tension in the room. “So” he began. “Let’s get the plan established. Sweet, you stay quiet and wait in the lobby whilst me and Soundwave try and speak to the Mayor”. "So, I’ll be just… Waiting?” Sweet then asked, slightly upset as the other two nodded. “It’s not you. It’s just that we work better as a pair, rather than a trio. That doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate you though. Rest assured the fact you turned up at all is great!” Soundwave then responded, trying to reassure Sweet. Sweet looking for a moment at the pair before he simply sighed and nodded, saying “fine” through mumbled disappointment.

The rest of the morning consisted mainly of the odd pony or two trotting in and out. Looking for books they could borrow, with Duskfall, Soundwave and Sweet helping to find the books they wanted to borrow. More than once, the halls felt like a marathon as the books ponies wanted weren’t always obvious. It was a tedious task sometimes, to be sure. “Gosh, we should really also mention possible upgrades to the building. Like a basement! For records, since ours aren’t reliable” Soundwave shouted out after he helped the last pony before lunch. Duskfall and Sweet sat down as Soundwave flew back to the table, they all hung around at. With a sigh, he folded his wings as Duskfall then said “I think it’s time we headed off. It’s nearly lunchtime” as Sweet felt a rumbling in his stomach. “A whole lotta nothing really has me starving” he muttered, slightly surprised but also being the first to get up as he then semi-shouted at the other two. Eagerly saying “Come on then! Let’s go to the shops or something for lunch. Quick and easy before your mayoral meeting” as he waited for a moment. The other two slowly getting up. Duskfall, waiting for Soundwave to rest a little before the three then headed off into the town. An hour left before they had to get themselves to the town hall. They weren’t going anywhere far anyways, so there was no harm in closing the library until after the meeting. Duskfall easily locking the doors again as he did one last surveillance check around the library for any other ponies beforehand.

The trotting around the town lasted about ten more minutes as the lunchtime hour hit. Ponies flocking around them, also aiming to get some lunch before they had to go back to their workplaces. It took a surprising amount of time for the three of them to find a shop that wasn’t crowded, finding one lone shop out on the seafront. Conveniently, it was relatively close to Mocha Motel, so the three of them decided to use that as a place to also get a drink or two. However, they decided to at least get food from the shop. They ended up choosing some basic sandwiches, those being some cheese sandwiches with sauce, and a snack on the side. Sweet choosing a donut and the other two essentially following suit. Although the three got slightly different donuts. Sweet got a simple glazed ring donut. Sugar coating it. Soundwave chose a nice chocolate filled donut. Whereas Duskfall chose a strawberry jam filled donut. It oddly fit all three of them in their own ways. Chocolate resembling how energetic Soundwave usually was. Strawberry Jam resembling Duskfall’s supportive nature in regard to his sister. With the Glazed Ring donut representing a new life for Sweet. He hoped in his mind that he could still avoid the royal life. He’d done some thinking about Sour’s words and feelings. He semi agreed with them to an extent. He didn’t mind it if they all inevitably had to go back to living in Coltney Castle. But a part of him wished they could just live normal lives and stay secreted from the world. Even thinking about it as he waited for Soundwave and Duskfall to deal with the purchasing of the food.

Moving away from Sweet’s thoughts as Duskfall and Soundwave finished up the purchase process, the three headed to Mocha Motel. Wind from the ocean blowing in their faces somewhat. It was relaxing, to Sweet anyway. Duskfall and Soundwave seemed more annoyed than relaxed as the three then finally trotted up to the door of Mocha Motel. Opening it and sitting down near the entrance on one of the tables. “That wind nearly blew our lunches away!” Duskfall proclaimed with great annoyance. Sweet held back a slight laugh as Soundwave chimed in. “Right? It almost blew me away! I always forget Pegasi are lighter than regular ponies” he added on, making Sweet finally break his laughter. The other two immediately shooting confused daggers at him as Sweet then went on to say “Sorry… But the sea is a nice place! The wind wasn’t annoyed, you two are just nervous” as Duskfall apathetically simply responded with “if that’s what you wanna believe” before Sweet was given his lunch. Mocha working at the counter and not noticing the three until he looked up. “Duskfall? Is that you dude?” he asked, making Duskfall perk his ears up as he looked at the barista. “Oh, here we go” Soundwave muttered, opening his sandwich box to eat as the stallion came over.

“I haven’t seen you two in a while! How’s everything been?” Mocha then proceeded to ask Duskfall and Soundwave. Prompting a conversation that felt to Sweet as if it were hours. But in reality, it was minutes. The conversations being uninteresting to Sweet given the topics. Although one did pique his interest. It was in the middle of almost zoning out that he could’ve sworn he heard Mocha talk about seeing lights outside of the city. “What did you just say?” Sweet then asked, his interest sparking. “Oh, about the glow thing outside the city? Yeah, I don’t know what it is. It’s freaky though. Almost familiar in a way. It was closest to the mountain, but still. It’s nothing to worry about. Probably just some silly adventurer” Mocha responded. But Sweet knew all too well what it was. Instead of worrying the other three about it, he decided to simply pretend he had no knowledge of it. Simply going “oh” in a disappointed tone as he went back to eating.

“Well, it’s not like the queen does anything nowadays. She could send some guards to look into it” Duskfall then suggested, making Sweet ponder for a second. He’d heard of this queen. Her name being Queen Tidal. But he never saw any royal guards… Or any fancy castle… Or even any flags for the land of Ceyonait. But then he reasoned this with the fact they probably weren’t in the biggest of locations within the continent. Almost being a grape to the apple of the capital in his mind. After Mocha left the table and resumed with his barista work for ponies coming in for their lunch coffee, the three exited. Their stomachs somewhat full and the two library workers somewhat nervous. Nevertheless, they all made their way to the City Hall. Where the Mayor resided. As soon as they entered, they saw that the lobby was once again empty. Say for the same desk worker that Sweet and Duskfall had seen. Trotting up to the counter, Duskfall then spoke. “Hey, we’re here for our appointment that we made to see the Mayor?”. The desk worker didn’t speak at first. Instead, going through his list and simply responding with “Yeah, Mayor’s thatta way” as he pointed to the large door to their right. “Although the Mayor won’t sit here and accept your request. Hope you know. He’s too busy concerned with important things” the desk worker then added on. Making Soundwave and Duskfall look at each other. Before Sweet spoke up and responded with “Well, it’s a good thing it’s more important than whatever you’re doing. Come on you two” as he proceeded to trot on off to the door. The desk worker glaring as the other two simply trotted off behind him with their nerves being slightly shaken. When they closed the door and proceeded down the hallway they were in, Duskfall spoke up. “Did you have to sit there and respond?” as Sweet simply nodded. “Obviously. Nopony deserves the kind of sass he was giving. So, I responded in kind” he then responded. Soundwave and Duskfall heavily disagreed but remained silent for the most part. That was, until they finally made it to the room they were meant to be at. Chairs lining the wall as Sweet sat down. Coincidentally, he sat in the chair closest to the door. Soundwave and Duskfall looked at each other once more, before Duskfall simply said “We’ll be in this room for a little bit. Feel free to go out whilst we stay in this building” as they both finally entered. Sweet getting a mere glimpse into the room as the pair entered and closed the door behind them.

Inside the room, the walls looked pale yellow. Say for the blue carpet. It was a very greyed and dark blue. Almost Prussian in colour. But less saturated. Infront of the two sat a singular stallion looking down at some paperwork. His mane matched the carpet almost perfectly as his eyes darted up. The Azure Blue eyes observed the pair as his yellow coat made the eyes contrast well with his body. “Yes? Take a seat. Duskfall, correct?” he then said aloud as he put his papers down. Observing the two. The pair took a seat in their respective chairs as Duskfall finally spoke. “Yes, well, that’s me. Thank you for allowing us to see you” he said, with the Mayor looking sort of phased out of the conversation. Him then pulling out some papers from a drawer in his desk and putting them in front of him. Moving the previously observed papers to one side. Then pushing a few toward the pair. “Your letters were ignored because the cost would be too great. We’re not a goldmine and you certainly need to manage your expectations. That library is going to be demolished anyway soon for a grand hotel in my great-great-great-great grandpop’s honor!” the stallion then exclaimed with great enthusiasm. Duskfall and Soundwave however, looked horrified. “But sir, your ancestor built that library! Surely, we could-“ but Soundwave, as he tried to speak, was cut off. “I don’t want to hear such nonsense! My ancestor would’ve wanted this! Our town needs to be thriving with the future! Not stuck in some boring literatures past! That stone is ugly, the library is dusty, and the books are so old. You won’t change my mind!” Solar Wind interjected, leaving the other two almost stunned and speechless. At a loss for words as their proposal wasn’t even considered. “We’ll… Leave then” Duskfall said, disappointment in his voice until the three in the room heard a deafening shout.

“NOT UNTIL YOU CONSIDER THE PROPOSAL MAYOR!”

The three looked to the door, dread hitting the other two as Solar Wind asked “Might I be curious and ask who just released such a stupid yell in my office?”. When Duskfall and Soundwave looked to the door, they saw none other than Sweet. As he trotted in and in between the other two. “What’re you doing?!” hissed Duskfall as Sweet looked at him for a second. Before he directly turned to the Mayor. “Now where do you expect the colts and fillies to go if they want to go to the library! It’s the only one in town! It’s a basic resource we all deserve Mayor! You can’t just build a hotel over it! The kids will only have school to go to for books! Besides, think of the other ponies. The reading days, the archives of knowledge just oozing from the books that you’re willing to THROW AWAY!” Sweet then very loudly said. Making the Mayor incredibly annoyed. “First you enter my office, then you interject in our conversation! I said NO! THAT’S my final answer! Now get out! The three of you!” Solar Wind then shouted out. With Duskfall and Soundwave physically having to lift and carry Sweet off as he shouted many an expletive at the Mayor. Both angry with Sweet, with Sweet angry at the Mayor.

Once the three had gotten Sweet out of the building and the three finally crossed over to the library, Sweet was tossed onto the floor as Duskfall, filled with anger, shouted. Asking “Why’d you go and do THAT?!” as Sweet seemed confused. He knew he had to wait, but he responded with “Well I overheard the conversation! He shouldn’t have dismissed the proposal right off the bat! It’s INSANE!” as Soundwave sighed with annoyance. “Yes, but you barging in didn’t help things now, did it?” he then asked Sweet as Sweet then looked down slightly and huffed. “Don’t huff” Duskfall simply added on as the pair sat down. Sadness filling their gazes as they looked around. “We worked here for three long years… It’s just bonkers that he wants to get rid of it…” Soundwave then said, almost giving out a sigh as Duskfall responded back. “Yeah, but there’s nothing we can do I suppose. He’s more concerned with how many Ceyan he can make. Not about the wellbeing of the youth… Or the average pony” as Sweet finally got off the floor and huffed once more. The three staring blankly for a few moments. Until Soundwave then said “let’s start getting out the boxes then” as he began flying to the back of the library. Duskfall following as Sweet pondered. How could somepony be so inconsiderate!? It reminded him of… Himself. Back when he went by Covet. It was a slightly cruel, but necessary final wake-up call to how he used to be. He hadn’t thought about the past until today. But he had become completely different. Almost new. Almost as if Covet ceased to exist in his mind the longer he was separated. He almost sympathized with Sour. But if the three of them didn’t reform, they’d most definitely not see the sunrise on the day Dallasite and Arcane returned.

After about a moment, the other two finally came back. Their hooves filled with boxes that they placed down. “Well, tomorrow we get packing I suppose” Duskfall said, sighing as he put his down. Soundwaves shortly following as the three then exited the library. Electing to close it early. “I’ll write a notice to all the ponies who joined our reading hours about the unfortunate news. Sweet, you better head off home” Soundwave then said, both Duskfall and Soundwave bidding farewell as Sweet headed for the beach to simply sit down for a while. To let his thoughts simmer for a bit as the day passed by once he got lost in his thoughts. Heading back to Cluttered’s house as the sun began setting. The day ending on a negative note to say the least. Sadness invading as he felt like he’d disappointed the other two. But the hourglass was dripping, and the clock was ticking. He couldn’t ponder on his thoughts forever. They’d be out of time soon, and Sweet dreaded the day once it came to catch up to him.

Author's Note

Alright so hey. I'm back (finally). So, let me update you on my life. I found out I had stalkers (joy, I know) so i've been freaking out about that. They shouldn't bother me though? Hopefully. Idk. It depends. It's weird though. Expect Chapter 18 within the next week. Enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 18: Autumn's Gatherings

The next day rolled around about as fast as the other two days. With the sun rolling down to allow the moon some time in the sky, before starting to retake its place for the coming day. Hues of orange, with darkened blues from the clouds rolling past the continent filled the skies. Morning birds getting up and making the city almost seem abandoned at first. Until the first ponies, who rose up at the crack of dawn, set out for their respective destinations. Whether it was their jobs, or the train station for the earliest possible trains to Southern or Western Ceyonait. Of course, fast forward an hour or so and Cluttered’s household finally saw activity. With Cluttered waking up first. Sweet and Acidic waking up before Sour as the Earth Pony still felt down. Not as down as before, but still clearly not happy. The hourglass at this point was sitting quaintly on the windowsill, with the lavender fire trickling down from the top to the bottom. Most of the contents having fallen, with the lavender fire at the top looking almost bare and small in comparison to the mound of lavender fire below. The fire being more plasma-esque compared to regular fire. Allowing it to be like normal fire and sand.

Sweet and Acidic headed for the front room the instant they got up. Being greeted by Cluttered as they had formed a habit of usually waiting for Cluttered before they took a shower and did their morning routines. After which they usually woke Sour up as the last of that said routine. Whilst the other two were enjoying the increasingly limiting days, seeing the light of the situation, Sour still felt cheated. Robbed of a life that he thought would be the freedom from the pressures of royalty. Many times flashing back to the moments as Covet, where he was bombarded by what felt like a cacophony of judgmental comments and pessimistic opinions about him. Mainly from his father. For as much as he reflected and realized that maybe he was favored by his father over Stardew, the comments levied and thrown at him often felt harsher than what Stardew ever received. Was it his father having higher standards for him over Stardew? Who knew. Sour certainly didn’t.

After finally being woken up by Sweet and Acidic, Sour yawned as the quilt he used was pulled away from him somewhat. “Five more minutes…” he groaned as the other two refused to let him sleep in any longer than he already had. “If you don’t get up now, you’ll sleep in all day” Sweet responded. Using his magic, he lifted the final grasped part of the quilt Sour was clinging to and snatched it from him. Folding it neatly and then placing it with the others he had folded prior, when he got up. “They need to be washed anyway. Might as well fast forward the process” Sweet then remarked, prompting Acidic to give him a side eye as he simply added on a “Right” in a very sarcastically acknowledging tone. Sour flopping out of bed, slamming down on the floor with a simple groan of pain that was muffled by his face being smooshed against the floor. Getting up slowly, and a moment after slamming down.

After Sour got himself up and stretched himself out, he proceeded to follow in the hoofsteps of Sweet and Acidic. Trotting to the bathroom to shower and then coming back down the stairs a little after getting out and being mostly dry. His mane being in the stage of barely damp, but feeling cold. As Cluttered was already sat down, with a plate of toast and a good old morning coffee. “I made you guys some. But it’s probably cold. Still worth eating though!” Cluttered chirped. With the other two following in after Sour came back downstairs. Acidic hovering over to the kitchen to give Sweet and Sour their food as they both sat down. Acidic being the last to get his food, and the last to finish as the three focused on eating to get their energy for the day. Cluttered taking their plates after they finished as Sour looked out of the nearby window. The day had broken and the outside looking at the path down to the city had the sun shining down. It wasn’t odd, but it made him appreciate the smaller things in life for a brief moment. Things like the sun, or the day, which he took for granted. Which was strange when he decided to reflect in that very brief moment given the Early Morning versus Late Night Alifest. Something that he was the Early Morning leader for, and Early Mornings usually being his thing. It was events like the coronation, or the dreadful feeling leadup to the hourglass running out of time, that made him want to wither away in his bed. Truly, it was the stress of these things that prevented him from liking the Early mornings anymore.

As soon as Cluttered came back in from the kitchen after taking the four plates and his cup of coffee out, Sweet and Acidic got up. They both seemed slightly quick about it, which seemed strange at first. Until Sweet spoke up. “I have to help Soundwave and Duskfall” Sweet added, remembering the day before and the packing the three of them would have to do. Acidic added on “Yeah, I promised Dawn that I’d help her with stuff she needed to do. Like packing potions she has made for ponies. Then we’re heading to Buckgrove’s Pegasi Packing Emporium. Much fancier name than Manestralian National Post”. With the pair then trotting off as Cluttered sent them off to their respective destinations. Closing the door and coming back into the front room as he looked at Sour. “You know, I have to go to the market today. For Autumn Gathering. You should come along. It’d help take your mind off of things” he suggested to Sour. At first, it fell on deaf ears. However, Sour seemed to be slowly processing it as he finally muttered “Alright, sure” after a few moments. The pair getting up about half an hour later to head out as Cluttered took his saddlebags. Presumably for whatever they picked up at the market. With Sour taking one last look at the inside of the house before Cluttered closed the door. With a whistle of the slight breeze, the pair set off to the market.

Surprisingly, for Sour at least, the trip down to the main city, combined with Cluttered trotting to the market, with him following really only took about another half hour. Ponies seemed to get more and more in number the closer they were to the market, so Cluttered used that for indication as to where the market was. “Shouldn’t a market be stationary? Like a store?” Sour asked aloud, seeing that they weren’t headed to a building. “Well, for Autumn Gathering, all the local food stores put up stands in the Buckgrove city park. Since it has a plaza and such. They also set up the donation area there too!” Cluttered then explained. Making Sour just a little more intrigued. “So” Sour then began. “What is Autumn’s Gathering again?” he then asked, prompting Cluttered to turn around with a half-shocked expression on his face. “I thought I told you about it already” he simply said to himself as he sighed, and then proceeded to explain. “Autumn’s Gathering is a day we all spend collecting food to donate for winter. These days it’s used for the ponies who have trouble with food shopping as a free donation area. I had to use it a whiles back, so I know how it properly works. But back in the times before the Ellestros-Ceyonait unity, this event was something that everypony did in Ceyonait to prepare for the ice-cold winds and harsh weathers around the wintertime. Does that make sense to you?” Cluttered then asked at the end of his sentence.

“I… Well, yes” Sour responded. Feeling somewhat stunned. “How come you guys don’t talk more about what happens around the city or continent like this?” he then asked, prompting a very simple answer from Cluttered. “It’s easy. You never really bother to ask. So, I don’t tell you things you don’t want to hear”. Sour stopped for a moment, building up for protest, before Cluttered stopped him and then asked “What? Is that not a reasonable train of thought?” which ended up shutting Sour’s protest down before it had even fully started. Sour simply muttering “True” as the two finally found themselves at the city park. The gates already being open as a number of ponies were already in or entering. Stalls set up all around as the center area was already piled up with a mountain of food and other necessities. “Huh. Must’ve expanded” Cluttered remarked, seeing the other things besides the food making their way to the donation pile.

Beginning their trot around the market, Cluttered started with some soup cans. With Sour taking everything in. It was almost endearing to see all the ponies around them doing the same thing. Under the motivation of one precise goal. The better part of it was that none of them seemed to mind, with them all even helping one another as he saw a young filly trip. With nearby colts and fillies helping her up. As they went around, more and more started getting added to Cluttered’s saddlebags. From the soup, to vegetables, to fruit and more. Eventually, Cluttered was also carrying two additional bags of food. Both filled to the brim with essential food such as cheese, hay burgers, potato chips, crisps, and the like. Sour looking at Cluttered with some concern until they finally made it to the donation pile.

“Phew, finally” Cluttered said to himself, taking his saddlebags off whilst Sour took the other bags of food off of Cluttered’s back. “Jeez… Talk about overcompensating” Sour then remarked, huffing as he was barely able to lift the other two bags off of Cluttered’s back. “They’re not that hard to lift, you know. I was gonna slink them off myself. But thanks” Cluttered then said, looking oddly at Sour as he shook his head slightly. “Well you said I should come with you, so” Sour began as he wiped his head. The ambush of heavy bags making him feel somewhat tired just from lifting them. “You really didn’t get out as Covet, huh” Cluttered then remarked, interjecting before Sour could respond. To which Sour immediately responded with “Well, if we go by technicalities, I’m used to using my trusty levitation spell. At least, I was” as he used his hoof to point to where his horn would be if he were in his alicorn body. Cluttered simply rolled his eyes as he quickly said “I know what and where a horn is dude” as they both then proceeded to finally trot off out of the market. Autumn’s Gathering successfully pledged to and successfully survived. Now there was only one thing for Sour to really do.

However, that wouldn’t come until the rest of the day was mostly done. Both of them residing in Canvas Corner until the sunset as they both headed to the beach. The first place they met eachother at. The pair enjoying the ocean breeze, with the clouds rolling past like they did in the morning. Although, more in the direction of Buckgrove now rather than just in the oceans. Seeing the ocean painted in a pastel sort of orange from the suns light, Sour finally got to what he had wanted to enquire about. His curiosity on the topic unable to be contained. With himself breathing in, Sour got to the point. “So, you seem rather happy lately. What gives?” he asked. With Cluttered slowly turning to face him. A look of slight confusion hitting his face. “What do you mean?” Cluttered then asked back, prompting Sour to try and explain what he meant.

“Well, it’s just that, when we first met you and after the Spring of Body you had that episode. The one where we tried to talk to you about your childhood and such”. “Oh… That. Well…” Cluttered then began. Now knowing and trying to form the words in his head to say. “I figured, if I got you… Or Sweet… Or Acidic to keep me preoccupied, I’d not enter those states of mind. You didn’t see the worst of what happens of course. I think the red on those canvases and the knife was enough of an indication for that. Anyway, I figured distractions would be the best solution” Cluttered then explained. Sour sat for a moment, unsure of what to say, until he asked “Are you sure the distractions are… Good? I mean, as in a long-term solution to those episodes, I mean?” as Cluttered gave it a thought. He put his hoof to his chin as he answered “I mean… For now, yeah? I know that it’ll stop working someday but if I can deal with it now through that solution, I won’t need any help in the future, right?”. Sour shook his head however, not liking the answer all too much. “I think that you should probably look into a therapist. Or somepony to talk to about these things. It’s good you’re trying to stop what happens but… Well… If it fails you’re back to square one” he then responded.

This prompted an interesting statement from Cluttered. One Sour never really thought of in terms of when he dealt with his own mental issues. “Well, there’s no single way to deal with what I deal with. Sure a therapist could work. But I don’t personally think it’s for me. I think that keeping myself busy, content and happy is the best way to manage this. If a bad thought comes I’ll let it pass. I’ll just stay where I am momentarily until the thought disappears. Then I’ll continue onward. I do that because the thoughts get worse if I try and repress them. It’s always good to let it all out” Cluttered said, making Sour ponder for just a moment. He never considered the fact that there could be other ways to deal with those types of issues. He always wanted to just focus on therapists and the baseline ways. But he never, even when he did rarely get to speak to somepony about his issues, ever thought about the fact that resisting his own thoughts and issues could’ve been a big factor in why he felt the way he did. It was a big moment of discovery, that was for sure. It was something he wanted to share with the other two, however he figured they would see what each of them went through once he reformed. So, he opted in his mind to wait until then.

However, Cluttered then asked him something he, again, really didn’t expect from him. “So” he began. “Is there anything you want to talk about? As in, with what you might be dealing with?” Cluttered then asked. Prompting a slight automatic flinch movement from Sour as he recoiled somewhat. “I… Well…” Sour began as he thought of the obvious issue. “I mean, the fact that I have to go to the Spring of Soul tomorrow night is… Worrying. The other two already have their Spring’s complete. What makes it likely that I’d succeed. Given what we all experienced there before, what’s to say they won’t come back? Harmonous, Arcane and Dallasite certainly won’t help. They barely do. Infact they’ve caused more stress than relief. Especially considering that, everytime I try and protest, they throw a big raging foal fit and start trying to kill me, Sweet and Acidic” Sour then explained. Making Cluttered shocked for a moment from the stuff Sour had let out.

“And that’s just about what I’m worried about right now” Sour then added on. Prompting Cluttered to try and think of what to say. That was, until he seemed to have made his mind up about something. In his head, he was thinking of ways to help alleviate the problem and how to solve it. He was worried about how he would cope with his problems once the trio left them. But, given he knew of another land now existing, he responded with something quite bold for him. “Once it all happens, I’ll go with you to Manestralia and we’ll all be here for you” he said, making Sour turn to him with some confusion. “But your home and life is in Buckgrove… Isn’t it?” he asked Cluttered. Cluttered nodded, but then replied with “Well, yes. But there are way too many bad experiences within this town. A new place might help me out. If I get away from the trigger points, I’ll be okay. Plus, you have somepony to come to should things in Manestralia get too awful or stressing” which make Sour hold back some emotions. “I… Alright” he simply then said, feeling very grateful and feeling things he’d not felt in years.

He felt like he had a genuine friend.

Which was slightly tragic. Given the circumstances. What if he was just whisked back off to Manestralia? With no way to bring Cluttered, Soundwave, Duskfall, or Dawn with them? It was quite the turnabout in the emotional area of his soul.. It was only after Cluttered asked him “Uh… You okay? You’re crying” that he realized that he was, infact, crying. Tears were falling off his face like a river using a waterfall. He was even unaware that he was affecting the oceans ever so slightly. Almost making it fiercer. Then again, he never noticed that. But Cluttered sure did. Saying “We better head back inside. Those clouds are coming this way and the sea is acting restless” as he got up. Wiping the tears from his face, he got up after Cluttered and the pair proceeded to head back up to Cluttered’s house. The dread of the hourglass only heightened, but appreciation for his life as Sour becoming apparent as the sun flickered in the horizon. Moving down and mostly disappearing. The night rolling in as the other two made their way back to Cluttered’s house as well. One more day available until their supposed reformation as Covet. One more day of normalcy.

One more day of happiness.

Author's Note

Hiya. New chapter hehe. Did you like it? This is the last organic chance I really had to at least touch on what I wanted to touch on with Cluttered. With Chapter 8, it was moreso me testing if I liked that concept for him. To explore something like mental illness. So, I figured i'd call back to it and try to properly address it AND give some advice! Well, to let CLUTTERED give you advice ;)

The advice with the thoughts comes from trauma. Anyone can have trauma. I myself have PTSD from my childhood of abuse but we won't go there. What they're called is intrusive. Resisting them often makes it worse in my case. So I wanted this character to state advice that i'd like to give you all. Let the thoughts pass. You can't change what happened but you can give yourself peace by just letting your mind play that one silly thought and then it's done. You don't have to think about it after that for the day. Resisting the thoughts or repressing those traumatic events often leads to bad habits and bad outbursts (trust me, i'm known for my bad outbursts on people in 2020. Don't repress it!) which can be avoided should you simply let the thoughts pass.

Whoa. Am I a therapist? lol. Anyways. Chapter 19 is coming soon. But for now, please enjoy Chapter 18!

Chapter 19: The Last Day

The final day rolled around as if it were a swift breeze. The night feeling surprisingly fast as dawn moved in just as it did before. The sunrays penetrating the shore of Buckgrove. Winds picking up somewhat as the household of Cluttered was surprisingly active for the time of morning that it was. For you see, the trio had already been up. Infact, they’d been up most of the night. Only resting from the time they got back in the night prior, to the early hours of the morning. The dread all three of them felt for the day and night ahead had gotten to them. They all seemed to be statues, not talking. Just thinking the same thought. That they’d lose their current lives forever to return to the same one they had beforehand. One that they honestly didn’t like, having adjusted to their respective new forms and all acting independently from one another. So, if they became one again, they’d physically, and mentally be lost in terms of their individuality.

Their thoughts were only subsided when Cluttered finally arose. Trotting down the stairs with a yawn as he saw the three of them in the front room. “Uh… How long have you all been awake, then?” he asked the three, in genuine surprise. Sour muttered out “long enough…” as the other two nodded in agreeance, making Cluttered almost gasp. “Oh wow…” he began, his mind seeming very perplexed as he continued. “I… Uh… Well… Do you, maybe, want some coffee?” he then finally asked. Being too stunned for words to express. Sour nodded, with the other two following suit as Cluttered trotted into the kitchen. With Sweet finally breaking the silence between the three. “Our last day… As ourselves… It’s an odd feeling” he said to himself, with Acidic chiming in. “Yeah, I mean it was great while it lasted! Right?” Acidic then asked the other two. Sweet nodding as Sour looked away. He still felt very bitter about the whole ordeal. The fact they were being forced to do what they didn’t want to do was very upsetting. Sour didn’t want to return to the life he had before. He wanted to remain in his current body. He thought back to what Harmonous had said all the way back at the Gorge. The offer he should’ve just said no to.

“You can head through the flames behind you, and head to Gulfmane. Forever stuck as the three you are now. Or, on the contrary, you could take up the task of piecing yourself back together. Spring by Spring”

“If only we weren’t so… Desperate back then” Sour muttered to himself, with Acidic catching the sentence. “Oh, you mean at the Spring of Body?” he asked. Sour glancing in gloom as he nodded. Acidic shrugged as Sweet seemed confused, until he remembered as well. “Well, he did give us a choice. He’s simply holding his word, I guess. Holding your word is an honorable thing to do and I don’t think that we should try and do them dirty” Sweet then replied. In his mind, it all made sense. But Sour objected highly to the response. “But surely they could… I don’t know… Let us change our mind?” he then asked, making Acidic chime in. “If they did that, I’m sure they would feel as if they wasted their time. We would probably be dead, after all if they let us change our minds after making one choice” Acidic then explained, making Sour inevitably huff as he accepted the coffee Cluttered was bringing in. Cluttered having come in the room during the midway section of Acidic’s explanation.

“Might I add my own opinion?” Cluttered then asked, sitting down in his own space as the three looked at eachother momentarily. “I don’t see why not” Sweet said aloud as Cluttered nodded. “Well, everypony changes. Life never stays the same. After all, if it did, I’d still be in the orphanage! Anyway, why don’t you three take some time to go around the city? Just to take this last day easy before the big thing tonight?” Cluttered then explained, adding a suggestion at the end. With Acidic immediately responding. “That could be good!” he chirped, making Sweet and Sour look at eachother. Sweet trying to gesture for Sour to agree. Which, thankfully, he did do after a moment of thinking.

Cluttered then seemed to give out a sigh of relief. Sour immediately taking notice as he asked “Why’re you suddenly happy about that?” with a snap at the end of his sentence. Cluttered responded after a slight moment, saying “I just wanted to make sure you three lived every moment of your lives as Sour, Sweet and Acidic. Your Alicorn name was… Covet, right?” Cluttered then asked. The three nodding as Cluttered then added “Well that’s great! Because I think the three of you need to enjoy the day fully!” as he trotted off to another room in the house. Coming back with a coin pouch and putting it on the table. “You three can head off and eat out today! For breakfast and lunch! You guys deserve it. Just make sure to come to the library for about three! Alright?” Cluttered then asked. Sweet and Acidic agreeing and nodding, with Sour muttering “fine” as they all got up. With Cluttered opening the front door for them as they left. Cluttered closing the door and saying to himself “Now… I wait until they’re out of sight, then I’ll head off to meet Duskfall and Soundwave! Those three are gonna love what we have for them” as he attended to the morning he had planned for himself.

Back with the trio, they had made their way down the hill after about twenty minutes, all three trotting in silence and looking out to the ocean. The air filled with a salty taste as the moisture in the air hit all three stallions’ noses. To the three, they lived on an island continent before, so the smell wasn’t immediately picked up upon. The three being near the oceans all the time back in Manestralia. The same was said for Buckgrove as well. Except the three picked up on a slightly saltier smelling ocean as Acidic commented about it. “Strange… Even though it’s another ocean, the air here feels stronger. Maybe it’s just me being hungry though” he said, his mind bouncing slightly with the possible outcomes as Sour rolled his eyes. Sweet responding with “I’m sure you’re just hungry” as they all made it to the old park. Unbeknownst to them, their walk up and down the hill really did take longer than they thought, given they were taking their time. Each of them stumped on where to get breakfast. With Sweet bouncing the coin pouch around with his magic.

“Isn’t this where-“ Sweet tried to start asking, before Sour cut in. “Yeah. This is where we had that talk all the way back on our first full day here” Sour said, making Sweet pause as he remembered the exact situation. The one about the word he said. “Ah… Right… Well, that’s over and done with. It’s a shame this park hasn’t been renovated. It’s just… Here” Sweet then added on, making Sour agree and making Acidic just stand awkwardly around; waiting for the pair to start moving again. To his credit, he wasn’t there for most of what had happened between the pair. Only being in the house when it all occurred. That’s when Sour decided to speak up again. “You know” he began. “You’ve really changed since then. It’s like you’re a whole different pony. “You’re certainly not the snob you were before” he then finished off, making Sweet chuckle ever so slightly. “Well, I don’t think any of us are the same as before. You used to be the leader, or one in charge. I feel like that role’s been passively now passed on to the pair of us. Given we all have had time to sit here and adjust to our lives” Sweet then replied, prompting Sour to agree. With Acidic thinking about it for a moment before saying to the pair “come on then. We need food” as the three once again set off. A certain appreciation for the park in Sour and Sweet’s minds as they left it.

Taking their time as the three set off from the park, they all made their way through the main part of the town. Past the mayoral hall and even past the library. Which had only just opened. Meaning that Duskfall and Soundwave had missed the trio passing by. Although that didn’t really matter given the fact that the three were busy trying to find some place that could help satiate their hunger. Passing by several breakfast places until they came across one that seemed relatively out of the way. The name being ‘THE HIDEOUTTING’ on a crude looking sign as the three approached. The door being open as they all slipped inside. Looking around, it was relatively small, with only around three tables inside. Immediately heading to the counter, the three decided to order three of the same thing. Since they could afford it. Three full breakfasts. With toast, hay bacon, fried eggs and flavorful beans. Sitting down at a table of four as their breakfast came about twenty minutes later by the pony they’d ordered from at the counter. Getting immediately to eating as they filled their stomachs.

About halfway through, Sweet finally spoke up. “To think we’re going back to having these all week! Goodness…” he said, almost tearing up with joy at the future that they would get once they reformed. Which is when Acidic jumped in with a question, his mouth half full. “Yeah, but what about our friends?”, to which Sour stayed quiet as Sweet responded. Focusing on his meal as Sweet said “I’m sure we can convince father to let us visit this town!”. Acidic thinking about it before Sour finally spoke up. “Oh, honestly…” he began, adding an air of sarcasm to his sentence. “He’ll have us immediately back on the path to the throne. We won’t escape his watch after what’s happened as well… That’s for sure” Sour then finished off, making Sweet shrug slightly. Acidic simply responding with “Yeah, that’s probably true” as they all then finished off what they had on their plates. Taking a few moments to let the food settle down in their stomachs before finally leaving. Paying the place they had gone to and heading off to sightsee in the town. Mainly to simply reminisce.

Which led them around the town once more. Deciding to stop by Canvas Corner; Cluttered’s store. It was closed, which was strange to the three. “Doesn’t Cluttered usually keep the store… Open?” Acidic asked the other two, both nodding as Sweet tried to come up with an explanation. “…Maybe he didn’t want to get overwhelmed at work… You know, because we’re leaving” as Sour nodded and added on “Yeah… That makes sense” as the three simply moved on. Not aware about where Cluttered was. In truth, he was just leaving his house. His saddlebags on and his trot unlike it usually was. He was usually more mellow in his style, but he was seemingly upbeat. At least, it seemed like it to him. It took about ten minutes for him to trot all the way down the hill, but when he did, he made an immediate beeline to the library. Opening the doors and seeing Duskfall and Soundwave inside.

“You have it, Cluttered?” Soundwave asked, immediately taking notice of Cluttered as he came in properly. “Yep! Had to dig it out, but they’re gonna love it! It’s gonna be a nice parting gift… Although…” Cluttered began. He was, however, interrupted by Duskfall. Who spoke. “We’re all gonna miss them Cluttered. They’ve spiced our lives up from what we were doing before. I mean, if it weren’t for them, I never would’ve told my parents about me and Soundwave” he said, prompting Soundwave to nod as he noticed Dawn right behind Cluttered. Who’d apparently come in just after Cluttered and who overheard the conversation. “Yep! And, if it weren’t for them, I probably wouldn’t have gone along and finally committed to my transition!” she chirped. Making Cluttered jump in slight shock as Duskfall held back some laughter. “I… Well, yeah… But” Cluttered tried beginning again as Dawn sat down. “But what?” Soundwave then asked, his curiosity peaked. As Cluttered sat down, he elaborated.

“But, I mean, they helped me deal with things I wouldn’t have faced in my own home. I don’t know if you guys noticed, but they helped me fix up my own place. They also helped me fix up my own mental state. I don’t know… How I’ll maintain my mental state right now…” Cluttered finally explained. Making the other three instantly dive in for a group hug. Making Cluttered confused until Duskfall and Dawn broke from the hug. Leaving his best friend hugging him, simply and quietly saying “I’m with you… They’re with you… Whatever you need… We’re here with you” as Cluttered felt a welling of tears building up. What broke the tearline however, was the simple addition from Duskfall as he added on “We always have been, and we always will” prompting Cluttered to finally shed the tears as the other two went back into the group hug. Comforting Cluttered as he let his emotions loose for the most part. It took him awhile to form a proper sentence, but when he did, he simply said “Thank you all… Truly” as the group shared a few more moments in each other’s embrace.

Back with the trio, they had finally made their way from the place they had eaten, all the way to the train station. As odd as it was, it was still a place they frequented. Getting two of their spring gifts from the travels they had gone on. Acidic remembering the turbulent winds and the height of the path they travelled through to get to the Spring of Body. Whilst Sweet remembered the underwater expedition they had, through the Labyrinth of Mind. As well as the Lily they had grabbed from Trotstock and the riddle that came along with it. Whilst Sour remembered the individual travels between those points. The toppling of the train they used to get to the Spring of Body, and the wonderful town of Trotquay that had seemingly combined with nature to get to the Spring of Mind. Even if he wasn’t too enthusiastic about the eventual circumstances surrounding what was to come. However, all three of them remembered Dawn’s friend Elixir. Moreso Acidic than the other two, but they certainly remembered and appreciated her for helping them with the Aquarespiratius potion they needed to descend into the oceans down at Trotquay.

“Hey, you guys remember when we didn’t know what Ceyan really was?” Acidic then asked the pair as he stared at the pony in the booth. The same one from both of their other travels. A consistency for sure. They both nodded as Sour seemed to start to lighten up. Responding with “Yep, I even remember standing awkwardly until Soundwave came along. I’m glad our advice seemed to help him, given that seemed to be their first argument” he said, with Sweet chiming in with “Oh I’m sure they’ve had little disagreements here and there. Surely that wasn’t their first argument. But nonetheless, I think we should get going before we’re mistaken for the ponies boarding the train” before he began to set off. With the other two following suit as they left the train station behind. The memories sticking in their minds for a little bit as they tried to navigate to their next destination.

Their next destination taking them about half an hour more to get to as they seemed to have to navigate the surprisingly complex streets. Almost ending back at the train station a few times as they couldn’t figure out how to get to where they were going. That was, until Acidic elected to hover above the street as a waypoint pony. Guiding the other two through the streets as they made their way to an unexpected location for anypony else. However, this location held one specific memory for them. As they approached, the town gate appeared before them. The three going outside of the town to look at the gate from the perspective of when they first entered. They stayed silent for a few minutes, remembering their first view of the town from this angle as Sour simply remarked “We’ve come such a long way from when we began, huh…” as the other two nodded. They started out as three completely disconnected and, arguably, intolerable ponies. However, throughout their journey, they grew. They adapted and they managed to become arguably a completely different trinity from when they first started. With Acidic then taking the lead as he guided them to their next destination.

Which took them a considerably shorter amount of time given Acidic was taking charge. “Why didn’t we think of this before?” Sour asked Sweet, almost seeming disappointed with himself as Sweet responded with a “I honestly don’t know”. With the three of them heading back into the city and making it to their final destination before the library. The beach. Or rather, the shore. Passing the library and passing the little hill they always trotted up as the three of them took the chance to just sit down. To which, they then decided to reflect on all the other nuances to their journey together. Their first day, where they were almost killed and, thankfully, escaped thanks to Sweet’s magic sparking at the last second. Acidic meeting Cluttered that same day. The next day meeting Duskfall and Soundwave, with Dawn following the day after.

From there, they traveled through what was essentially memory lane for them as they remembered the train trip once more. They remembered their first meeting with Harmonous, Acidic getting the Beryl of Body and then the three of them winding up in Gulfmane hospital. With them then helping Cluttered once they got back in Buckgrove and Sweet coming back with the book holding the Aquarespiratius potion, to their trips to Trotstock and Trotquay. As well as the unlikely help from Dallasite as Sweet remembered the Moonstone of Mind and him obtaining it. Throughout all of it, one thing never changed. No matter their trials and tribulations. The thing that didn’t change, seemed to be their hope. Whether Sour had been down recently. Or whether Sweet had been a snobby, and very unaware pony. Their hope was always shining through one of them. Which fueled the optimistic attitude that at least two of them had most of the time. Something that they’d been told by some ponies, but never really considered until they started properly reflecting on their own journey.

They stayed staring at the ocean for about ten more minutes. Looking out at the calming waves until they elected to finally head to the library. Something that would only take them five minutes at most. However, first they all shared a hug. One that made them all feel ready for whatever was ahead. Their minds and bodies in tune and prepared for whatever was to come as they let go, and trotted back into the town. Making their way across the street as they opened the library doors. With the other four inside chatting. The library containing mostly boxes at this point, with Sweet frowning slightly as he remembered the Mayor Solar Wind meeting. The four looked at them as Soundwave decided to use his wing to wave at them and Dawn used her wings to gesture them to grab seats. The four of them electing to chill out for most of the day.

Sour and Acidic took a moment to wait as Sweet used his magic to bring them all chairs to sit down, with Duskfall looking at them. “A few hours left huh… Time sure flies by” as Sour, Sweet and Acidic looked at eachother. Not realizing the time that had flown by from being absorbed in their own memories. “We really travelled around the town all morning?” Sweet asked, prompting a nod from Cluttered as he said “Yep! You guys really decided to take it nice and slow. Which is good! It means you guys appreciated everything you could! I think…” as Duskfall chuckled. Before asking the obvious question. “So, how long do you guys think you have left? I know we say a few hours, but that hourglass could show up at any second…” as Acidic shrugged. Sweet however, responded by asking Sour “Well Sour? What time of day was it when you were uh… You know?”. Prompting Sour to try and think. “I… Well, it was about the middle of the day when they made the hourglass. But honestly, I don’t think they’re going to immediately appear. Besides, they’ll have to wait that extra time because we’re not doing anything until sunset. No matter what the hourglass says” Sour then finally said, prompting Sweet and Acidic to nod silently in acknowledgement and agreement with the things Sour said. With Duskfall looking at Cluttered.

At first, Cluttered seemed a little confused, until Duskfall muttered “the thing” as Cluttered gasp and whispered “ah” as he grabbed his saddlebag. Although, he didn’t open it, instead he asked the three “You guys ready to head to the beach?” as the three looked in slight confusion. “I… Sure?” Acidic said, looking at the other two as they seemed to nod in agreement. With the seven of them then all getting up and following Cluttered. With Duskfall, Dawn and Soundwave behind him. With the other three following closely behind as Sour and Acidic closed the doors to the library. The seven of them crossing over to the beach as Cluttered seemed to be looking for a good spot. One not too populated as he trotted up and down the shore. Whilst Duskfall and Soundwave seemed to stay put. Letting Dawn follow Cluttered as the three seemed slightly confused. That was until Soundwave said to them “Don’t worry. We just want to make this something perfect” as he winked at them almost cheekily. The three looked at each other as Cluttered seemed to get Dawn to signal over to the other four. With them all trotting over to the other pair as Dawn signaled where Cluttered, Duskfall and Soundwave should be. With Duskfall and Soundwave quite far from them. “Right, you three fit in the middle. Cluttered, you’re next to Soundwave. I’m next to Duskfall” she instructed. When they trotted over, Dawn took the time to quickly get a tripod out of the saddlebags. Along with a black camera. “You’re sure this thing still takes pictures well?” Dawn then asked, prompting the three to turn around in slight confusion until they saw what was happening. “A picture?” Sour asked, as the four nodded. With Acidic and Sweet seeming in shock.

“What? Did you think we’d let you leave without a parting memory?” Soundwave then asked as Cluttered responded to Dawn with “Yep! Tested it this morning. Should be good!” as Dawn set the camera up on the tripod. Turning it on, she set a timer for a photo for about ten seconds. With her trotting over to her spot rather fast. Then waiting in her position as Cluttered shouted out “Say Cheese!” with the seven smiling at the camera as a clicking noise came from it. Cluttered galloping over as it seemed to be printing something. The photograph they just took.

“For you three” Cluttered then said, handing the photograph to acidic as the three of them seemed to stare at it for a moment. Feelings starting to well up as they all said in unison “thank you…” whilst holding back tears. The photograph being one they knew to be possibly their last memory in Ceyonait. The four looking at eachother before embracing the trio. Hugging them and comforting them through the emotions they were feeling. However, as they spent minutes doing so, something appeared behind them. At first, none of them noticed. Until Duskfall gasped as he opened his eyes. He shouted “The hourglass! It’s here! And empty!” as the other six then turned around in confusion until they all saw it. With a burst of purple and blue hues, the hourglass dissipated. The area around the seven shining a bright blue for a few seconds from the hourglass seemingly shattering and falling to the ground. At least that’s what the seven saw when the light faded. Along with that, they saw three shadows infront of the hourglass remains. The trio immediately knew who it was before they even looked up. Their presumptions being correct as, when they looked up, Arcane, Dallasite and finally Harmonous stood infront of them. The sun shining brightly in the afternoon sky as Dawn, Soundwave, Cluttered and Duskfall seeming slightly intimidated. With Harmonous simply saying one thing.

“Bounded. It is time”

Author's Note

Phew! We're finally entering the last true part of Beginnings! With the last three chapters witling down to two! Yes, we have TWO chapters left! Contrary to what I may have said about three. Since I want the Spring of Soul to be it's own chapter, I want Chapter 21 to be the finale chapter. With characters reuniting and the story coming to an end with a foreshadow for what the second book will be about! So, please stay tuned for the next chapter:

Chapter 20: The return to Whistleheight!

Chapter 20: Returning to Whistleheight

“So these are the three?” Duskfall asked the trio.

“Yep” Sour responded, not a moment later. The three looking at the alicorns with some focus in their stare. Soundwave and Dawn looked at eachother, their expressions being that of unease. Cluttered however, trotted up to the three. Staring at Harmonous, Arcane and Dallasite as he spoke up. “So, do you feel pleased with yourselves?” he quite bluntly asked, with some annoyance in his voice. Sour, Sweet and Acidic looked at eachother, then at Cluttered. With dread permeating their faces. Arcane speaking up with some aggression. Simply asking “What is this simpleton on about?” as his horn began to glow. Cluttered noticing, but determined to get his point across. “Well this SIMPLETON has seen what you’ve done to these three. Splitting these three up from their original body? Then trying to murder them in more than a few situations? You should be ashamed of yourselves!” he finally finished off. With the air going temporarily still. Until Arcane’s horn finally let out a beam of white magic. Rage in his eyes. The only thing that stopped Cluttered from becoming an ice sculpture being both Sweet and Duskfall forming a shield to absorb the beam. Magic twinkling from Sweet and Duskfall’s horns whilst Dallasite and Harmonous stared. Harmonous observing, whilst Dallasite decided to prepare himself for what could possibly happen next.

“Now now, Arcane. Your emotions are weakening you again” Harmonous simply ended up adding on. Arcane’s reaction to that specific statement seemed to be a complete shutdown of any facial expressions. It was almost disturbing to witness. “Emotions aren’t… Weak” Acidic quietly said, with a little shake in his voice. That however, was when Harmonous gave Acidic a cruel grin. With lashing sarcasm in his voice, he instantly responded. “Yes, because the Alicorn that can’t make up his own mind on whether to stay as one or three is the martyr for advice” he spat out. It was almost anger fueled by the end. But there was a distinct lack of care, or even effort in his voice as he proceeded to use his magic to open a portal to the city gates. An extremely pale blue portal that swirled from the center outwards. Dallasite, throughout the entire exchange, seemed unsure of how to react. He was almost trying to shake his head at the three; hoping they’d notice. But when it was clear that they didn’t, he sighed. Which wasn’t heard by anypony other than Arcane. Who jolted his eyes slightly at Dallasite before focusing his attention back on the seven infront of the three alicorns.

“Ignoring your blindly humorous statement, it’s time we got going Bounded. Time is ticking” Harmonous then finally said after a moment of silence. “Yeah yeah… Give us a minute to say goodbye first, though” Sour then responded to Harmonous. Making Harmonous almost flinch. Some apathetic cold came from his next reply. With a small boom in his voice, and the smoke where his missing eye should’ve been becoming sharp and jagged, he snapped back with “You’ve had two weeks to bid farewell to these… FRIENDS… of yours” which prompted Dallasite to finally speak up. “Well, to be fair, they probably spent that trying to accept what’s about to happen. We can give them this, right?” he asked Harmonous, with daggers being shot at him metaphorically from Harmonous’ eyes as Arcane gulped slightly and then jumped in himself. “Yes, but they should’ve spent their time more wisely. Surely they should know that” added in. “Yes, well, the one who asked you his very blunt question does have somewhat of a point. If we put him in these situations, we should at least let him cope with them however he sees fit” Dallasite then finally added, an apathetic tone covering what seemed to be some undercover care for the three. Which Sour and Sweet picked up on. Both glancing at eachother as Harmonous rubbed his forehead in slight annoyance with his wing before gritting his teeth and bluntly saying “Fine” as the three alicorns then waited. The smoke where Harmonous’ missing eye should’ve been, starting to also flicker somewhat.

As soon as they heard the word, the trio turned around. With Cluttered, Duskfall, Soundwave and Dawn coming back in for the hug. One last hug between the seven before the end. The emotions coming out once more. But, unlike before, they were more toned down. “We’re gonna miss you three” Dawn said, sadness in her tone. “Yeah… But make sure you three live your lives!” Duskfall then added in. With Soundwave nodding in encouragement and Cluttered finally saying “Thank you, for everything” before they all broke the hug up. With Sour, Sweet and Acidic taking a deep breath before Sour finally turned around. The other two following suit as he said “Alright… We’re ready. But… Can we just walk through the town one last time? We have the rest of the afternoon after all” as Harmonous once again flinched at the question. As he went to speak, Dallasite stepped infront of him, with his stance being that of defiance. The first proper defiance the three had seen from Dallasite, or Arcane during their entire journey. “Come now, they’re coming along. A detour of a town we’re set to…” but he stopped himself. Something was clearly being concealed from the others behind him as he took a quick glance behind before continuing. “…Well, you know… My point is, we could use the time to prepare. Speaking of…. Bounded” Dallasite then paused, turning around this time, and facing the three. “Do you three have the Moonstone and Beryl?” he then asked. The three looked at eachother with blank expressions, before Sweet replied with a horizontal nod. “Nope. Why, do we need them?”.

However, instead of Dallasite answering, Harmonous finally snapped back. Sick of what he deemed as idiocy. The smoke from his missing eye becoming quite frantic. “Of course you do. Why do you think I had you obtain them in the first place? One of you two grab them. I assume it’s in their shack. Just like everything else they have at the moment” his lack of patience slipping through his words as Arcane looked at him and nodded. Opening a portal for himself to quickly find and retrieve the Spring gifts. With the other nine having a tense stare off with no words being exchanged. Dallasite slowly trotting back behind Harmonous, with Harmonous almost shooting daggers for looks at the purple Alicorn. Dallasite looking away slightly as Arcane came back not a moment later. With both the Beryl of Body and Moonstone of Mind hovering infront of him. Sweet and Acidic seemed uneasy. As if they didn’t really know what to do. Until Arcane bluntly and loudly said “Well come get them, then” with a clear annoyance at the lack of awareness coming out from his mouth. Together, they stepped forward and trotted to Arcane. Sweet using his magic to put the Moonstone of Mind ring on his horn. Sitting nicely on his head. With Acidic taking the Beryl of Body and placing it around his neck. The metal of the necklace cold, but comforting.

“Now that you both have your Spring gifts, we can proceed… At last” Harmonous then finally said, relieved that they could now proceed with what he had planned for the three. Sour, Sweet and Acidic. Duskfall, Cluttered, Soundwave and Dawn all trotted with the other six ponies as looks of awe and nervousness came from the townsfolk. Some gasping as they saw the alicorns behind the other seven. When they got to the library a moment after crossing from the beach. An absolute last hug initiated before the six irregular ponies set off. Harmonous taking the time to conceal Dallasite’s and Arcane’s wings. With his own being concealed when they started trotting off. The trot to the town entrance starting off extremely tensely. With Sour, Sweet and Acidic seeming stiff and nervous. That was until about halfway through the town, where one of the three alicorns finally spoke up .“Common folk are too loose jawed. They’ll start yapping on about the magical alicorns that trotted through their town before long” Arcane remarked with some distaste and annoyance. Harmonous not acknowledging the remark and Dallasite rolling his eyes as he replied.

“Oh please… They’re not that bad. Most of them are interesting to eavesdrop on. Their lives are so intriguing”. “You spy on them?” Sour asked, uncomfortably so as Dallasite instantly replied. “Oh yes. Staying in the mountains is ever so boring. It’s like a moving show when you tune in at the right moment in time. Drama happening and-“ but Dallasite stopped himself, seeing Arcane and Harmonous starting to get visibly annoyed with the speaking from Dallasite. However, this prompted Sweet to ask something that had been on his mind for a while now. Flashing back to the fairy book titled Fae. A guide for those seeking knowledge – By Quartz Honour. Sweet clearing his throat as he spoke. “Uh… Harmonous?” he began. Harmonous glancing as he grunted in acknowledgement of the unicorn. “Hm?” he then replied. Sweet continuing with “We bumped into a rather interesting book. One about fae… Or fairies. There were pictures Of a fairy, to be precise. Which all looked to be… You. Or somepony that looked like you… So I have to ask… Do you know anything about… That?” he finally asked. Harmonous’ eye widening slightly. As if he’d been asked a question that he didn’t fully know how to answer right away. “That book should’ve been buried millenia ago… But nonetheless… I’ll tell you who that was” he then began saying. With Dallasite and Arcane looking at eachother with some confusion. Sour and Acidic remaining quiet as the six continued to trot onward. Past the city limits and onward to the mines.

“That… Was my brother. More precisely… My twin. Quartz Honour… The Fae of Ice. We were from a family born of ice fairies and regular ponies. Although I never had fairy wings and never achieved a fae transformation. My regular pony genealogy was too dominant. I carry some fae blood. But since all fae happen to have wings and a horn outside of transformation… Albeit with some peculiarity to it… I was born as an Alicorn. Dallasite and Arcane were also of fae families. But like myself, they weren’t born with a fae transformation. Dallasite specializes in lavender flames and Arcane is another ice fae descendant. Dallasite’s purple flames are simultaneously the hottest flames and the coldest flames. They represent the flames of balance between the hot and cold. He can control them to harm or comfort those around him… Not that he’s mastered controlling them. As for Arcane, he has similar powers to me. We can both create mist and create ice to use as a form of attack, defense and so-on” Harmonous finally explained. Dallasite and Arcane’s confusion also growing exponentially as they seemed to be at a loss for words. Which Sour took note of. Saying “Why’re they confused, then?” gesturing toward the two. With Harmonoous being quick, and snappy with his answer. “That’s because they didn’t expect the question and didn’t expect me to reveal their pasts” he said, glancing to his sides at Dallasite and Arcane in an almost threatening way. With the confusion being shaken off. Although the pair continued to glance at eachother often.

“Right…” Sour bluntly and coldly answered back, looking away as he finally noticed that the six of them were out of the city. Sweet remarking “Whoa… So Fae were real after all!” as he seemed happier than before. Looking at the road they were traversing on. With Harmonous detouring from the road as the others followed. All the way to the entrance of Whistleheight mines. “This should be a simple venture. I trust nothing will happen that would be awful. Protectlusium Maximia” Harmonous then finally said. As a barrier grew from the ground. Ending in a dome that glowed and lit up the entry cavern. In a bright, pastel blue. But one that lacked any real colour to the saturation of said blue. It was almost mistaken as grey by Sour at first in his mind. The other two also thinking so as Dallasite lit up his horn. Purple flames surrounding the base as an extra source of illumination. With Arcane strengthening the barrier with an extra few layers of magic incase the first broke.

“If everything is going to be simple… Then why’re you defending us so heavily?” Sour then slowly, and hesitantly asked. The barrier making Sour feel extremely uncomfortable and weary about the venture inside. “Did they not attack you?” Arcane then asked him. Making Sour, Sweet and Acidic remember their first venture in. Sour responding with “Oh…” very bluntly as he then understood. “But surely they’d pass right through the barrier? They’re ghosts” Sweet then asked. With Harmonous answering the question. “My barrier, combined with Dallasite’s magic and Arcane’s magic, will help stop that problem. It’s so cruelly cold that the spirits of this mine would be frozen solid in their attack” as he looked down and had an assured and confident smirk. With Dallasite and Arcane seeming unmoving in their stature. “Besides, they should know not to interrupt what must be done” He then muttered out. His words within that last sentence seemed like they were laced with an air of bitterness and resentment. Something that Sweet and Acidic noticed when they glanced at eachother with some unnerving shudders to them. “Huh… That explains the sudden drop in temperature then” Sour just remarked very idly, ignoring the last sentence that was spouted out as the six ponies trotted onward into the cavern.

However, a little ways in, they came across the same gap that the three ponies before in the mines had to cross to escape. “Memories...” Sour glumly remarked, his mind being filled with the scene as if it had just happened. Both Sweet and Sour looking at Acidic. That was until they noticed the three alicorns using more of their magic. They didn’t catch the words, but a bridge began forming. One made of white magic. That glowed with a similar pale blue hue to the barrier. “Let us advance” Harmonous announced as he began trotting over the bridge. The other five following. With Arcane and Dallasite being behind the three as they all crossed over first. The bridge disappearing the instant Arcane’s hoof left the bridge. Whisps of magic floating and dissipating in the air whilst little bits of the edge fell into what seemed to be the infinite abyss. “Spooky…” Sour muttered to himself, not hearing the bits make a sound at the bottom of the abyss. “You know…” Dallasite began. “They say it’s so deep down there that you could see the entire of the universe begin and end… At least that’s what adventurer’s say” he then finished, shrugging at the end as the three looked at eachother. Harmonous however, seemed to not be amused. “Of all the times to make your stupid jokes… This wouldn’t be one of the correct times…” he said aloud, piercing a gaze at Dallasite that made the purple alicorn shudder slightly. Getting out a “Right” through mumbled breaths. Just as they started trotting however, Acidic noticed something out of the ordinary. “Where… Where’d it go?” he asked out loud, prompting Sweet to answer with another simple question.

“What? What is it?” he questioned, the Pegasus being frantic at this point with anxiety. “The gems! I left them here when we made our escape out! Where are they?!” Acidic then responded, seeming completely overwhelmed by sadness. “You won’t find your gemstones where they were left” Harmonous then spoke up, noticing vaguely that something was happening behind him that upset Bounded. “Huh? W-whaddya mean?” Acidic then asked, curiosity peaked as Sweet rolled his eyes before explaining. “Isn’t it obvious Acidic? The spirits. They must’ve taken them back. You did try to steal their things after all…” to which Acidic simply remarked “But they’re dead” before Harmonous seemed to almost crack out a smile from some buried pride. “Well now, it seems my little belligerence parade back in the Labyrinth toward you must’ve worked in some way” he then said, aiming his words at Sweet as Sweet seemed stunned for a second. “I… Well… Uh…” is all Sweet could say before Sour tapped him to bring him back to reality. Since Sweet was semi zoning out. Then, the six advanced once more. This time, to the central room.

Which surprisingly, didn’t take too long. The six entering the same large room that Sweet had made the minecart staircase in. With no sign of spirits nearby. Except for a chilling, whispering wind that made its way around the room. “They’ve noticed our presence” Arcane said to Harmonous, Harmonous giving out a cruel smirk as he simply responded with “Good” before Dallasite and Arcane used their magic to make a bluish-purple staircase from their magic down to the ground floor. Harmonous staring at the three as they made their way down first. Followed quickly by Arcane and Dallasite, before Harmonous made his way down on his own. The magic of the staircase disappearing just like the bridge from the gap beforehand. However, when they finally reached the ground floor, Sour, Sweet and Acidic took note of the seemingly blue light emanating from the place where the Spring of Soul resided. Which is when, from that hallway, the spirits finally showed themselves. Instantly trying to attack the six as they seemed more angered than when the trio had come through the mines. The trio braced themselves, but instead of feeling the cold embrace of death, they opened their eyes to watch as a frozen spirit shattered on the floor. Sour shuddering as he mumbled, saying “talk about being frozen cold…” before Harmonous spoke up again. This time, at the spirits themselves.

“Depart. I have no need of you, and you certainly have no want of me in here. Let us through so we can do what we need to do… Or else” the stallion said, with a threatening offensiveness to the last part of his sentence. The spirits seemed to whisper to themselves as one stepped forth. He was what seemed to be a leader of sorts. One with a makeshift crown from stuck together gems. Unlike the others, he didn’t hold anger. Instead, he seemed to be rather well kept together. “After what you did? You’re not going anywhere near the Spring of Soul. After all, your majesty…” the spirit paused, with Harmonous seeming slightly stunned at the spirit then continued. “You’re the one who sentenced us to this unrest. Forced to wander a path of forgotten woes and covered up truths” the spirit then finished off. His eyes glowing brightly as his voice echoed through the room. Hauntingly and with malice pouring out from the spirit. “But that’s not possible… Is it?” Sweet asked himself. Harmonous seeming to know what he was questioning as he finally confessed. “No, he’s correct. I am… The lost King of Ellestros…” he muttered, looking away for a moment as Dallasite and Arcane looked at eachother. Dallasite going to speak until Harmonous looked at him. For the first time, he showed some care as he said to Dallasite “Not yet… He isn’t ready” as Dallasite seemed to want to protest. But he held his tongue, nodding reluctantly before Harmonous turned around once more.

“So then” Sour began. “How did THIS happen? How did these ponies end up not being able to move on?” he then finished off, asking Harmonous directly as he simply muttered “As if you need to know that” with his eyes thinning. However, the spirit seemed to give off a smile. “Oh, little old King Harmonous doesn’t want to tell anypony about his mistakes? I’ll be the one to, then” as the spirit’s face seemed to relish in the fact that everything was being discovered for the first time. “Don’t you dare” Harmonous tried snapping back, his horn lighting up as he went to attack. Until Sour instinctively jumped out of the barrier. Landing in one piece as he said to himself “I knew it. You made the barrier to stop them. Not me or those two” as Harmonous seemed to show genuine fear for the first time. Shouting out as he tried to pull Sour back into the barrier. “DON’T YOU DARE DO THAT AGAIN!” his voice bellowed, grabbing Sour by the neck and bringing him up to his face. His eye filling up with immense anger. But holding some restraint as he put the Earthpony down. With Sour shrugging it off with some nerves shaken up, the spirit ignored his word and started explaining things. “Well, little old Kingsy over there wanted three Springs built. One of Body, one of Mind and one of Soul. He’s not a regular pony you see”. “We know” Sweet responded, interjecting as the spirit continued. “Right, well, anyway… When we built the spring, all was well. Our continents mining workers were sent to three locations. One in Gulfmane, one in Trotquay and one here. Whistleheight. But when we finished and thought we could all go home to our Ellestrian home, a certain somepony decided to… Well… To put it lightly we became well acquainted with these mines from the day we met our fate. When we all awoke, we were this. Kingsy over there made sure to clean up his mess too. He charred us all up. Our bodies and all. Then, he destroyed most of the cavein that caused our demises and left the few chunks he had left outside of the mines. On a cliff” the spirit finally finished off.

The three looked at eachother. “So the boulders we moved…” Sour began. “Yep” the spirit then replied. “Those were part of the incident. He even began altering memories and made most of the continent that knew of the incident disappear until he was ready to take the throne again” the spirit then explained more. “Ready to take the throne again?” Sour asked, intrigued as he looked at Harmonous briefly, before going back to what he was going to ask. “Well, um… I don’t know you… You don’t know me. I’m sorry we’re here. Truly, I am. I have a goal for myself to achieve… It’s… A long story…” Sour then began, glancing at the three behind Sweet, Sour and Acidic with some resentment. “But the three of us need to get our body back. We lost it… And we’re far from home” he continued, before the spirit interjected and quickly responded with “Well doesn’t that seem familiar. This one do you three in then, too?” as he pointed at the three behind the regular ponies. “I wasn’t going to say it, but pretty much” Sour then remarked, as Sweet and Acidic looked back with a lot more annoyance than Sour surprisingly, aimed at Dallasite and Arcane respectively. Then Sour continued. “My request is… Well, to get to the Spring. The only way to get my body, or well our body back, is to visit the Spring… So please, can we pass?” Sour then finishing, his request making the spirit bluntly respond.

“Well, what will you do in return for us? Certainly not taking our jewels this time I hope?” he asked, pointing daggers toward Acidic as Acidic nervously laughed and said “Small world, huh…” with Sour glancing at him before taking a moment to think. “That’s… A good question…” Sour muttered to himself as he seemed to be at a loss for words. He couldn’t bargain his way out with wealth… Or material objects… Something sentimental had to be offered, he just knew it. Which was when he said something he didn’t expect himself to say. At least out loud. “How about telling everypony in the world the truth of what happened? So then you’re not forgotten?” he spouted out. Not noticing it was said aloud until he looked up at Harmonous’ face. Which was half shocked and half bitter at the idea. “Hm…” the spirit thought to itself.

It seemed like something that could finally bring the lot of them peace of mind. But would he hold up his word? That’s what the spirit wanted to know. So, in his decision, he crafted a chain of sorts and threw it. It landed just infront of the barrier as the spirit waited. Saying “If you’re true to your word, you’ll take this chain of promise” as he stared at Sour. “Chain of promise…?” Sour asked, confused until the spirit elaborated. “It’s a chain that binds one’s life essence to a promise. If the promise is broken, well, you kick the bucket. If the promise is kept and adhered to, then we can move onto the afterlife. With you doing a good deed. It’s a fair bargain that way” the spirit said, still waiting for Sour’s decision. Sour hesitated, not knowing if the other two would agree, but when he felt their hooves resting on his back with reassurance, he knew he could. Carefully, he exited the barrier once more. Harmonous becoming eagle-eyed as Sour picked up the chain. Very quickly, the chain wrapped itself around Sour’s body like a snake. Before disappearing.

“The chain is now tethered to your life. I’d keep your word, because we’re keeping ours” the spirit finally said. Sour nodding without words. With Harmonous, Arcane and Dallasite looking at eachother; unsure of how to act in light of the event that had unfolded before them. Before they could think about it any further however, the spirit turned around. His form fading as the blue lights faded. Within a moment, all that was left for light was the barrier. Which seemed to have been taken down. The last words Sour heard from the spirit in his head were “Don’t forget” to which Sour muttered to himself in response with “I promise” as the three Alicorns trotted onward. With Sweet and Acidic making sure Sour was alright before they also continued. Sweet catching up with Harmonous before asking “So, you’re the King of Ellestros?” as Harmonous nodded glumly.

“Unfortunately… Or fortunately, soon enough” he then responded, with Arcane and Dallasite looking at eachother with unease. “You know…” Dallasite began, turning around and stopping his trot for a moment. “You didn’t have to go and do that… Bargain with them, I mean” he then remarked, looking at Sour. Sour however, just passed him. “Indeed” Harmonous also remarked. “That was my issue to clean up. Not yours” he then added on, looking at the Earthpony whilst Arcane, Sweet and Acidic headed down to the door. It took Sour not even five seconds to retort back. That being with something he wouldn’t soon escape the irony of. “Well, it helps everypony right? Reach the end of whatever stage of life… Or afterlife they’re on. They needed to pass on and you obviously wouldn’t have helped them. So, I will. It’s a one time thing” he replied. With Harmonous eyeing him as he passed. “I’d be careful with what you say. Words have an immensely humorous way of biting us when we least expect them”. Sour simply rolling his eyes and saying “Sure..” as he, Harmonous and Dallasite wandered off to the door.

Which happened to not be long to reach at all. The door that Sweet had discovered, and the door that Sour had to open. Before they did what they needed to do however, Sweet looked at Harmonous and asked him a question. One that had been on his mind for a bit. “Back in the Spring of Mind, we heard a voice. Dallasite, you heard it too, right?” he asked, looking at Dallasite. “Ah yes, the disembodied voice. It was probably another-“ but before Dallasite could finish what he was predicting, Harmonous gave a blunt answer. “The Spring of Mind was the first one finished. I was going to assign a guardian to each Spring. To protect them. However, ever since… An incident happened… There was only one. It’s nothing to worry about. They’ve moved onto the afterlife now that you have the Moonstone” he then said, taking the lead as he brought Sour up to the entrance. It had the same heart gem that Sweet had seen beforehand, and reflected the barrier light faintly. “Repeat after me… Faeris Oltun Soulun Unlon” Harmonous said, with Sour looking at him for a moment. Before he finally decided to repeat the phrase. “Faeris Oltun Soulun Unlon” he echoed, with the Beryl and Moonstone seemed to react. To his words specifically. Both gems lighting up before the heart shaped gem glowing brightly, all three gems coming together. With the necklace gem and horn gem pulsing and allowing the heart gem to absorb some presumed magic before it burst. The heart depression where the gem was being the only remnant as the door swung open. A staircase leading upward into what seemed to be the outside. With Sour, Sweet and Acidic taking the lead, they all eventually reached the final spring.

This spring, being surrounded by waterfalls all around. A statue, like the one that sat at the prior two springs awaited. Water trickling around the six ponies hooves as Sour, Sweet and Acidic instinctively got into their positions, Sour being infront on a platforms in the waters, with Sweet and Acidic standing on two adjacent platforms behind him. Harmonous split his shield up for this part. Making Sweet and Acidic look at him with some intrigue before Harmonous spoke. “The phrase is Reparum Dias Soulun” Harmonous bluntly said, with Sour looking at the other two. Their adventure would finally be over. They could go back to Manestralia with the last gem uniting them as he repeated what Harmonous said.

“Reparum Dias Soulun”

Just as the statue at the Spring of Body had done, the statue flapped its wings. This time emitting both golden and purple light from each respective wing. Before the horn lit up in pure white. The Beryl and Moonstone flashing white as the statue was lifted. Then, in an odd turn of events, the statue exploded. Pieces flying everywhere. With the barrier Harmonous had made protecting the three as the final gemstone made itself known. It was a yellow and black stone. Engraved within a pure gold crown of sorts. Purple smaller gemstones on the fine points shaped like point cut diamonds. With the Sardonyx yellow glowing around the black that covered it. Almost like a unity between the light and dark. Both colours danced around eachother on the stone. Both never seeming to try and overtake each other however. With the general shape being that of a intricately faceted diamond. “The final gift…” Sour said to himself, almost amazed by the crown itself that held the Sardonyx. However, Harmonous seemed irritated. “Why isn’t it happening…?” he asked himself quietly, with some confusion and, in a rare moment, fear etching into his face.

“Why isn’t what happening?” Sweet then asked the stallion, confused until Arcane jumped in and explained. “The general thought pattern was that once the three gems were together, that you’d get your body back and reform. At least… Unless we’re missing something?” Arcane then asked himself, half aiming the question at Harmonous as Dallasite trotted over to the three normal stallions. “I-I’m sure we can discover what makes these gifts tick… Or what will make them-“ but before Dallasite could continue trying to come up with some form of optimism, Harmonous simply interjected, turning around with some cold fury in his eyes. Aiming his words at Arcane as he quietly echoed “I’m never wrong” with Sour rolling his eyes. “You’re never wrong? Please, we’re ALL wrong at points. Maybe you’re not as sure of this as you thought. That’s… That’s okay!” he said, seeming self-assured and relieved at the fact the fear they had, having subsided thanks to this apparent failure. Harmonous then turned around once more. Using his magic to fling Dallasite out of the way as he got to eye level with the Earth Pony. Dallasite landing safely, but going back in to try and stop whatever was about to happen. Just as Harmonous went to speak to Sour however, presumably with a lot of anger in his voice, the six felt tremors. They were brief, but they weren’t alone as more soon followed along.

Alongside that, Arcane looked up. “The clouds have gotten darker…” he said, taking note of clouds that were flying on by above them. With a noticeable purple-gray in their colouring. Dallasite also looked up, with Sweet and Acidic doing the same. It wasn’t until a bolt of purple lightning landed down just behind Sour, that Harmonous seemed to break his stare at the Earthpony. He hadn’t spoken, given the fact he was simply expecting Arcane and Dallasite to fill him in before he continued. Intrigued, somewhat, the alicorn flew up himself. Far above the mountain peaks as he assessed where the clouds were going. Protecting himself as a few bolts from the clouds tried electrocuting him. From the skies, he saw that the clouds were swirling around Buckgrove’s near oceans; which should’ve been now entering a nice sunset. Twisters forming and the weather becoming atrocious as he noticed a faint purple light coming from a newly formed crack in the skies where the weather was congregating. "Where did Dallasite send that Stardew to...?" Harmonous then quietly asked himself in his mind as his horn began to glow.

Using his magic, he produced makeshift barrier protecting him as he soared back down. When he landed, he had a noticeable shift in his face. Confusion and curiosity replaced with pure fear. As if he’d seen a ghost. “Dallasite… Out of curiosity… Where did you send that Stardew colt?” he asked, glancing at Dallasite as he very bluntly responded. “The Undermension…. Why?”. It was in this moment that Harmonous turned around, facing Dallasite and the other three. Arcane behind him as he simply muttered to himself something that made the other five shocked. Taking a deep breath, he finally responded to Dallasite.

“So then that means the Undermension is going to devour Buckgrove… And everything within a continent radius”

Author's Note

Alright so hi, second to last chapter. Enjoy this one! A proper "author note" will come with the final chapter!

Chapter 21: From the Undermension

“I’m sorry… WHAT?!” Sour shouted out. His mind instantly going to Cluttered. “But they’ll all perish!” Sweet then added on, almost seeming to protest what he knew Harmonous was inevitably going to say, also thinking of Duskfall and Soundwave. “We have to go and help evacuate them all!” Acidic then immediately added on even after that. “There’s no time” Harmonous then whispered out. His words seeming shaky. With Dallasite flying behind the three as he almost tried ushering them to a portal that Arcane decided to create for the six of them. “We’ll move to our cave. That’ll be safe at least” Arcane then muttered to Harmonous. Sour, Sweet and Acidic however, weren’t too happy about what was happening to say the least.

“We can’t just… Leave them all!” Sour began, with a protest in his tone. Sweet and Acidic standing side by side as they resisted the ushering from Dallasite. “Oh yes, because you can stop an interdimensional catastrophe…” Dallasite then sarcastically responded. Sweet however, spoke up. “We’re not trying to stop it, we’re trying to get them out of there!” he shouted out, prompting Harmonous to turn around. Annoyance in his eyes. “The three of you will end up perishing. I won’t allow such a thing!” he shouted back. His voice echoing in the caves behind the six. But the three were unmoving in their positions. Stubborn would have been one word used by some. Determined would have been one word used by others.

Arcane looked at the three as he noticed their positions. Completely still. Completely resistant. “You know… We could give him a little time… This is only the beginning of the end for that town. He could try to get those four out…” Arcane suggested, slightly amused, although amusement seemed heavily concealed. Dallasite looked at Arcane with some anger, before looking at the three infront of him. Rolling his eyes, he gave in quite suddenly. Almost like a silent argument that had been cut short. “Oh fine… I agree. It’s not like we can’t just get him out when we know it’s closer and closer to that end point” he then added onto Arcane’s previous suggestion. Harmonous, who’d heard both of his associates opinions, thought carefully. Mainly about the time allotted if he did allow for such a thing to happen. “The tear will widen within three minutes. Then in another three minutes… It will start widening again. Until the last three minutes when the reaction will fully happen…” he muttered aloud. Glancing behind him as he nodded to Arcane.

Arcane nodded back, in understanding as the portal seemed to change in landscape. Before, the portal Arcane had made showed the innards of a dark cave of sorts. One that the regular ponies didn’t know of. But one the three alicorns knew well. The cave changed to Buckgrove. Specifically, near the coast. Facing the ocean, but showing the square the library and mayor’s hall were in. With his magic, Harmonous lifted the three. Before he flung Sour, Sweet, Acidic and the crown holding the Sardonyx of Soul through the portal. The three landing roughly as Harmonous seemed to say one more thing through the portal connection. Something that was spoken through their minds rather than aloud. “Eight minutes” his voice echoed, as the portal behind the three closed. Sour getting up, putting the crown on his head and looking at the portal as the last remnants of it closed behind them. Whisps of pale blue magic flying off in an almost grid pattern. Looking down as the other two stood up, Sour picked up the golden crown that he'd received at the Spring of Soul.

When he turned around to view the ocean, the three just stared for a few seconds. Taking in the storms around the rift they were seeing. From their view, it looked rather small. But the twisters and lightning around it certainly spoke for themselves. Violent aquatic and electric storms conquering the sea near the town. Winds from the storms passing across the town. Gusts and Blustery winds trying to lift the three up from their standing spots. Around them, they saw a number of ponies frantically galloping about, entering the various buildings around them to try and get some semblance of shelter. Back out in the oceans, rain had also started. From the twisters funneling water up and then spitting out through the clouds. “We might want to start with the library!” Sweet suggested over the blustery winds. Sour and Acidic nodding as they took a very short trip to the library. Trying to enter, they found the doors were locked. Trying to shake them open, the effort was made useless. “Maybe their houses! But those are at least ten minutes away!” Acidic then said, speaking over the wind once again. They seemed stuck. Until Acidic looked at the purple gems on the Sardonyx crown.

“Do those gems seem more colorful than before?!” he asked the other two. Sweet using his magic to lift the crown from Sour’s head and looking at it. Then, lifting his horn ring from his own horn and placing it next to the crown. With Acidic taking his necklace and letting Sweet use his magic to place the necklace next to the other two items. It was true. Their colours were practically blinding as the orange from the Beryl, the blue of the Moonstone, and the purples, yellows and blacks from the Sardonyx of Soul all shone brightly. As bright as the sun itself. With some energy being shared between the three items, making a white ball of magic. It was small, but as soon as it formed, a tiny white line shot from it and off into the oceans. Toward and at the rift that seemed to have formed. “You’re kidding. Of all the times to direct us these things do it NOW?” Sour asked with frustration. Sweet looking toward the rift as an idea came into his mind. “What if… What if it’s taking us to Stardew?” he asked, fighting the wind’s loudness. Acidic trying to keep himself steady as he responded with “I think those three alicorns let us know the answer to that! Obviously! But, why’re you asking?!”.

“Because we should follow the light! Of all times, this could be the time that we could find Stardew!” Sweet retorted back, practically shouting at the growing loudness of the winds as he noticed the rift. Which seemed to be entering it’s first enlargement. Widening and ripping through the skies ever so slightly. With the weather getting ever so fiercer. “HOW’RE WE EVEN GOING TO SWIM OVER THERE WITH THIS WEATEHR!?” Sour then protested, shouting this time as the wind had gotten so loud, that nothing else worked. “WITH A BOAT! COME ON!” Sweet responded, also shouting as the three quickly made their way to the shore. Sweet carrying the gems. Where the water had begun rising about halfway from where it usually sat. With the flicker of his horn, he seemed to try and summon something. Something big, and something that splashed within the water. Without any time wasted, Sweet grabbed the other two and plopped them on it. “HOW DID YOU MANAGE THAT?!” Sour asked, the winds so strong that he could barely be heard. Which was proven when Sweet didn’t respond. Instead, getting on and using his magic to push the boat forward into the sea. His magic being the thing leading the boat through the storm.

Meanwhile, the gems behind Sweet as he took the frontside of the boat sat just infront of him. With the twisters starting to move in a circular motion. Seeing one of them heading towards the boat, Sweet seemed to steer the boat somewhat. At least, that’s what the other two thought until Sweet let out a large burst of energy just as the twister encroached on the boat. Lifting it, but the boat landing some distance away from the twister, advancing as it landed. Wet rain spitting from the twister at the boat, but the boat avoiding the wet as it continued. Waves beginning to challenge the boat before the three experienced the lightning. Which was now storming down into the sea and creating temporary craters within the oceans surface. “SWEET COLTNEY! IT’S LIKE THE END OF THE WORLD!” Sour shouted out in shock as he seemed to be fearful of a possible capsize.

At this point, the three were almost there. Waves becoming so fierce that Sweet had to lift the boat above them to try and continue on. But it was clear that whatever magic Sweet had, was fading. And fast. As Acidic looked around, he saw the twisters beginning a move onto land and merging with the sands of the shore. Becoming a hybrid between a twister and a sandstorm as they fattened up. Sour looking forward as he noticed the lightning growing in strength, and Sweet seeing the rift widening for the second and final time. “WE WON’T MAKE IT!” Sour screamed out, with Acidic using his wings to try and fly before he was pulled back down quickly by the sheer force of the wind itself. As Sweet looked up however, he noticed something from the rift. From the bluish, empty gray of the rift, somepony was falling. They were charging something. They had wings, a horn and… Which was when the three knew exactly who it was. “HE’LL DROP INTO THE SEA! QUICK!” Sour shouted out. The Sardonyx crown glowing white as Acidic and Sour readied to seemingly jump. Sweet instinctively doing so as well, with the other gems glowing white. Until they made the leap of faith.

In that one moment, the energy of the world came together in one perfect moment. One moment of concentrated determination. One moment of pure adrenaline and love for the one falling as the three ponies also began to glow white. Until it happened. With a massive white explosion from the three, they certainly caught the one they were attempting to save. With the last thing the three saw before they blacked out, being the rift, and the stallion they had saved. They had saved their cousin. Stardew. As the white light engulfed the four of them, four became two. With their true form finally coming back together. Sour, Sweet and Acidic had refused into their alicorn body as they blacked out. Although, they could’ve also have sworn they saw their front legs gain greyish armbands of sorts. Very temporarily.

Then, time passed. He didn’t know what had happened as he woke up in a familiar bed. In a familiar room. One he knew well. Moving within the bedsheets, he groaned and stretched his wings somewhat. With the morning light drifting in from the curtains he knew all too well. His eyes opening thanks to the light shining on his face. His natural instinct was to stay in bed. He didn’t want to immediately get up as he enjoyed the soft, relaxing mattress that he’d sunken into. But, he had been in the ocean, hadn’t he? Curiosity took over as he arose from his bed. Almost jumping out and startling the one in the room with him. Quickly, he turned and prepared himself for a fight. Until he noticed who was sat in a chair beside his bed. “Y’awlright?” they asked, as the one in the bed gasped. “Stardew!” they then shouted out, flying out of bed and missile hugging his brother. Tackling him to the ground as tears fell from his eyes. Unlike other times however, his tears were those of happiness. Of relief.

Stardew, however, seemed very annoyed at the sudden hug. Fighting it until he couldn’t any longer. “Yeah, yeah oi’m ‘appy yeh safe too, bu’ gimme some space!” He protested as the other alicorn flew back on the bed and sat. Staring at Stardew as he flew back into his chair. “Yeh friend… Uh… Cluttuh’d… Is that ‘is name?” Stardew then asked, as the other alicorn nodded and then confirmed into his head that he hadn’t gone back to Manestralia. “Well, yeh should thank him. He noticed yeh and me on the shaw aftah what’d happened” Stardew then finished off. Prompting the alicorn to ask “So, it’s closed? The rift?” to which Stardew nodded in confirmation. “Yep. Closed it Moiself” he then said, with the door creaking open. The one at the door being Cluttered, as he seemed to let out a huge sigh of relief. “THANK CEYONAIT YOU’RE ALIVE” he then loudly echoed. With himself taking a few moments before looking at Stardew and then asking “Who’s gonna tell him then? Me, or you?” as Stardew summoned a mirror. “Oi’ll do et” he simply replied, with the mirror pointing at the alicorn. Where orange laid on his coat beforehand, a pale blue coat sat. His inner mane had gone from dark purple to dark blue. The middle of his mane had turned from gold to pure gray and his outer had a muted, lighter blue than the dark blue.

As soon as the alicorn saw this, he seemed confused. “But, I’m orange. Not blue” he said aloud, visibly with confusion. “Yeh, that’s what oi said. Entil summa ahr pals…” Stardew paused as he gritted through his teeth. “Entil summa ahr pals dropped ohn bah… They’n cawled yah Bounded Time… Or wha’evah… Yeh still Covet to me though…” He then finished off, the last bit of the sentence being that of stubbornness. “Right… Well, for now, I suppose I could go by the name Bounded. We still need to make it back to Manestralia… Right?” the alicorn then asked Stardew, with him nodding as he then seemed to smile. “And et’ll be easieh than oi thought!” Stardew then exclaimed. His face seeming to beam more and more. “Oh? And why’s that?” the alicorn then asked, with some curiosity peaked in his voice. That’s when Stardew answered. With something that greatly appeased the blue alicorn.

“It’s just across the ocean!”

“Yeah… Uh…” Cluttered faintly said, having moved from the door to the end of the bed. Stardew looked at him, before Cluttered continued. “Since the rift was closed, news has spread about a continent across the oceans. It’s a LONG sail across though… It’d take a few days at least. But you two are ALICORNS… You should be able to warp there!” Cluttered then finished off, with a shock in his voice. “I still can’t believe it, you’re still here” he then added on, with some relief and happiness slipping in. “Right… It does feel like those three are still here. But, they’re deep within my wings… horn and heart” the alicorn responded. Then, he asked a question. “I… Uh… What about the Spring gifts?” to which Cluttered replied with “We couldn’t find them. Who knows where they are? They could be in the oceans… Or they could’ve been erased from existence. Point is though, that they did their jobs, right?”. The alicorn thought about it. Indeed they had, but it would’ve been nice to have kept them. Wherever they were, he was sure they were out of magic. Finally being used in the critical moment. His thoughts were intruded on by Cluttered, who then said “Well, breakfast is in the living room. You two should eat, and then we can see the other three at the library” as Stardew nodded. Cluttered then left for the said room, as the alicorn got up. Before Stardew could leave the room however, he heard his brother’s question that was uttered. “I… Uh… Well… I don’t know how to ask this but… Do I still have to do the coronation?”.

Stardew took a moment, before turning around. “Eftah the mess yeh and oi made? Not for a whoile” he then replied. With a tricky sort of grin on his face as the blue alicorn playfully rolled his eyes and followed Stardew into the living room. Taking the hour to eat and fill their bellies. With the two of them seemingly happy, until the end. When the blue alicorn seemed to contemplate something. Stardew and Cluttered noticing, with Cluttered asking “What’s wrong?”. “Well… Now that I’m back together again. As… Me… I think… Would we have to head back right away?” the blue alicorn then asked Stardew. With Stardew shaking his head. “Nah… We desehve rest. We’ll go when we’hr ready” which made the blue alicorn visibly sigh in relief and loosen up somewhat. “I thought, after I became one again, that I’d be whisked off back to whatever life I led before…” he explained. “Well” Cluttered then began, with Stardew and the blue alicorn looking in his direction. “I’m sure you can continue to live whatever life you wanted to live as Sour, Sweet and Acidic… Just, make sure you let your dad know whenever you find him about that” he then finished. “Oh, and I’d go with the name Bounded. It fits” Cluttered then added on at the end, winking. With Stardew rolling his eyes and the blue alicorn nodding.

Which brought them to the end. The end of the meal. The end of the conversation. With Cluttered taking their plates into the kitchen and with Stardew getting up, Bounded and Stardew left Cluttered’s house with him. The three trotting down to the library. On their way down, Bounded saw it. Very far off, but he saw it. His home. “Manestralia…” he mumbled in awe. How come he hadn’t seen it before? He didn’t have time to wonder about it for now, but when he got a moment, he made sure he'd figure it out. At this point in time however, he had some good friends to reunite with. Which came soon as he entered the library with Stardew and Cluttered. Duskfall, Soundwave and Dawn all at a table. But boxes weren’t packed. It was very odd to see as Bounded, Stardew and Cluttered all sat down. “The saviors of our town have arrived” Dawn chirped. With Stardew and Bounded seeming somewhat annoyed as they both brushed it off. “You don’t believe us? You two did something amazing! Even Arcane and Dallasite were amazed at what you both did!” Duskfall announced, making Bounded surprised. “And Harmonous?” he then asked in his surprise. Which got the other three to look at eachother. “Yeah… About him…” Soundwave quietly replied. With Duskfall adding on “We haven’t seen him since before you left for the Spring of Soul. He seems to have vanished!” as Bounded added on one last thing to the conversation. “For now”.

“Well, for now is a very wide statement. Plus, you have as much time as you need and could ever want! We even managed to spend enough time convincing the Mayor that the library needed to stay! So all’s well that ends well, right?” Soundwave then replied. With Bounded simply responding with “Ohhhhh…. That explains the bookshelves still being lined up with books from the boxes they had previously packed up. “Oh! Here, by the way. The book you wanted to borrow” Duskfall then said, using his magic to levitate the book PENULTIMA: BOUND BY TIMEover to Bounded. His eyes widening in glee. He didn’t question it or question the other books he borrowed, with Stardew looking over at the book with curiosity, and then the six of them spent the rest of their day chatting and chilling out. A fitting end to Bounded’s first adventure. Whilst more things awaited, the moment and current times were needed to relax. To rejuvenate the mind and to fully prepare.

After all, all’s well that mostly ends well. Especially for the little blue alicorn,

Bounded Time.

Author's Note

Alright so hi.

We've come to the end of 01: Beginnings. It's oddly bittersweet for me. On one hand, i'm happy I was able to finally finish the first story of MANY. But on the other hand, i'm leaving the simple times that I liked behind for what's to come. Maybe that isn't such a BAD thing though. After all, time is inevitably going to change the present. We're never done changing. Which is fitting for this finale.

So, going forward, i'm going to start writing Persistence is Key 01 EX: The Undermension Expansion next year. If I can also fit it in, I want to start writing Persistence is Key 02: Preparations as well. Since that's the proper sequel to this first story. 01 EX being an expansion and a second perspective or adventure that's taken place at the same time as 01: Beginnings. So, with that, I bid you all farewell until the next concoction of my mind. Don't forget to leave comments and such, that's always appreciated. Please note that this is my first full "book" or story as well, so any critics please bear in mind that fact. I beg.

Bye!

KosmikTym, 04/11/2023

Chapter 01: The Rip Tide

If it hadn’t been for the fact that light had managed to penetrate the walls of the brick-laden room, Covet Dawndrop would’ve never have known that it was, indeed, the daytime. Groaning, he proceeded to toss and turn to avoid the shimmering light that was touching his bed and glimmering straight onto his eyes when he opened them. He didn’t want to get up, but he knew he had no choice. Soon, he knew that his father or brother would come and wake him regardless of his wish to remain in bed; it was in their natures after all.

You see, Covet Dawndrop was a part of a Royal family. Specifically, the Royal family of the continent Manestralia. His father, King Crimson Sunrise, oversaw both him and his brother Stardew. Crimson was, as his name suggested, a crimson-coloured stallion. His Mane was always fixed and styled thanks to the crown that he wore, whilst his eyes the quite the opposite. His eyes providing a stark contrast to the darkening crimson around them; shimmering like a pair of moons in the night sky. His horn was curved, much like Covets and Stardews. Although it was far bigger than his own. It almost reflected his own age as he had been the ruler of Manestralia for over a millennia after all. His wings also showed his age, being far bigger than the average Pegasi’s wings.

However, his brother was different. His mane wasn’t styled, and his wings weren’t big. Infact, both Stardew and Covet had around the same sized horn and wings. Being young Alicorns, they knew that they would one day be in the same stage as their father. Stardew also had a coat of red hue; although it was almost as if a salmon had been plucked from the water with the colour of palish red covering him. His mane was much like Covets in the sense that it was covered in three colours. However, whilst Covet had red, gold and purple in his mane with a red tail, Stardew possessed three varieties of blue. Light blue, Deep blue and a colour sort of resembling a dulled turquoise. All of the mane waving to the ends like the waves in the sea. Then there were his eyes. Eyes that held a distinct pink colour to them. Almost like two pink roses in their colour.

Then there was Covet himself, he held his purple, gold and red mane as well as his tail. Then there was the case of his orange coat. It wasn’t saturated orange, It was moreso, a pale sort of orange. An orange that looked like a light sandstone covered in this barrage of almost eye-offending colours. It was almost a mystery to everyone, including himself, as to how he even managed to get this amount of mismatched colouring to himself. It wasn’t as if he minded though, it kept colts, fillies and fans away from him. The contrasting blue eyes that he held however, reminded ponies most of tropical waters; with their azure blue tone. Compared to his father and brother however, he always felt as if he were an outsider. The family member that didn’t belong. It’s not as if he actually was, but his self-doubting nature allowed him to feel this way.

Though, today, he had no time to doubt himself. He had to get up, and fast. About ten minutes passed as he got himself out of bed and trotted slowly to the curtains to open them. His room, being akin to a pigsty, made traversal by hoof hard. However he managed. He wasn’t the best with his rooms tidiness; and he rarely allowed the castle staff to come in and clean the place. Infact, the last time he did that was before he was chosen as the rightful heir to his father’s throne quite a few years back. He always recalled grinning widely as his brothers face grew angry at the announcement; and he also remembered the fight that ensued because of the announcement. It sent his relationship with his brother down to the abyss as far as he was concerned.

It was then, however, when he heard a knock. He rolled his eyes as he assumed that this was the castle staff, not thinking that it could’ve been anyone else. Who he was greeted by as he turned the wooden door surprised him. It was, as it turned out, his brother Stardew. On Stardews face held the expression of tedium. The expression one would give when they had to do something that they really didn’t want to do. It took a slightly tense moment of the two just standing there before Stardew spoke, with a distinct Oceanic accent.

“Still see you’re wakin’ up eh?” He asked. Before Covet could respond, a flash of bright light came from Stardews horn. By the time Covet could look around, he heard things behind him. He turned to find that Stardew was recovering a suitcase that Covet thought he had already packed. “Now what do you think you’re doing?!” He shrieked with anger as he tried to stop Stardew from opening it. “Oh calm down would yeh!? I’m just makin’ sure that you ain’t forgotten to pack nothin’ important!” Stardew responded, managing to get Covet off the suitcase before it broke, as it looked as if it were about to.

Covet yawned for a moment before seeing Stardew use his magic to assort every item. He also noticed a list that Stardew had. Looking closer, he noticed that it had quite a few items that he was checking off as he went along and it was all written in messy handwriting. A product of rushing. Going through the list, it was all written in dark blue ink and read as the following:

ESSENTIALS (Check for them in Covets suitcase!)

Clothes

Towels

Toothbrush

Manebrush

Comb

By the time Covet had finished reading this short list, he noticed that Stardew was adding the things that were missing and had a big cross next to them. Before he could protest about anything, he saw his towels and his small comb that he kept floating past both him and Stardew, and placing themselves neatly within the suitcase. Seeing that everything was neatly placed and organized like Stardew wanted, he closed it. With a nice simple zipping sound after he managed to zip it shut.

“Your room is, ah, like a jungle!” Stardew then said, looking around in slight annoyance. “Ye’ should really let one of them cleaners come in and clean the place, you know?”. “I don’t need the roasted seagull to tell me what to do” Covet then responded, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. Stardew must’ve picked up on this, as he responded with a tone reminiscent of offense, saying “I’m not tryin’ ter upset you! But this dump needs a clean!”. Covet simply frowned as he tried to use his magic to move Stardew back to the doorway, however before he could Stardew managed to break free and proceeded to get very upset.

“You know I COULD’VE let yeh stay sleepin’ and yeh would’ve ruined the trip we’re going on! Trottnest Covet! Our favourite spot! Can’t you-“ but before Stardew could finish that sentence, Covet interrupted. “Oh yeah, the same island we go to for vacation every year!? The one that reminds me of what you called this room? A, what was it, dump!? Yes I remember now!” he shouted back. His way of speaking making his words seem blatantly sarcastic. The two stood looking at each other with anger for a good moment or two before Stardew took a breath and trotted past Covet to the entrance of the room. He seemed to have another moment standing before he spoke. When he did, he simply said “Be outside in half an hour” before finally trotting off, stomping his hooves down the hallway and down the stairs presumably. Once Stardew was out, Covet simply muttered to himself “Yeah, head off mate” and then got to work getting dressed.

It had been twenty-five minutes before Covet got himself outside of his room. Shutting the door behind him, he carried the suitcase with him as he made his way down through the castle and out to the entrance. This morning wasn’t a very packed morning, no overwhelming amounts of castle staff barraging him every step of the way, no guards escorting him. It was him and his suitcase together alone. As he made his way through the castle, he began to see the regular. Paintings with golden frames, curtains adorning the castle windows as he made his way past the castle garden entrance, castle staff moving back and forwards as if he wasn’t there. He supposed they were busy with other things and that they couldn’t stop to bother him. Which he liked immensely. He preferred his walks and travels to be undisturbed. Almost like his favourite kind of coffee, almost bitter black.

It took about another five more minutes before he finally made it outside. The air of the nearby sea wafting into his face. The distinct smell of salt penetrating his sense of smell. He looked around and saw a carriage not too far away from him. He made his way hesitantly to the carriage before feeling relief after seeing his father poking his head out of the carriage at his son. The look he sported however was one of annoyance, rather than pleasure at seeing his son.
“There yeh are! What took you so long boy?!” Crimson shouted as his son got inside the carriage. “I thought I was on time? Surely I wasn’t late?” Covet immediately asked. Angering his father wasn’t on his to-do list today, so he naturally had a sense of urgency about himself. That’s when Crimson laughed. This confused Covet until Crimson responded. “Yeh’re always such a serious one Covet! Lighten up boyo you’re five minutes early!”. This little joke his father seemed to have played did not go well with Covet all. He sat on the opposite side of the carriage, on the opposite seating to his father. He didn’t want to say anything to his father, but it was evident he was annoyed to say the least. He put his suitcase down next to him and waited for Stardew.

About a moment of awkward silence later and Stardew came galloping in. He slammed his suitcase against Covets in rushed panting and then sat next to their father. “And here you were saying I was going to be the one late” Covet snickered to himself. “Aye I never said nuffin’ like that!” Stardew protested. However before either of them could continue, Crimson spoke in a somewhat stern voice. One that didn’t sound angry, but one that sounded very much serious about what he was about to say. “I want you two to behave this weekend, you both hear? All I hear lately is my two sons arguing. Spend this weekend bonding or something to that effect, you both understand?”.

There was a moment of silence in the carriage, until the carriage started moving. In unison, Stardew and Covet both said “I’ll behave if he does” which surprised the pair. They looked as if they were about to argue, until Crimson broke the tension with a sharp flap of his wings, relaxing as he looked out of the carriage window. “Honestly you two make me nauseated when you both argue” Crimson then said. Both of the brothers did an eyeroll as the carriage pulled off down the road by the two Pegasi pulling it.

The carriage ride eventually ended about an hour later. The sun having shifted slightly in the sky. When the carriage stopped, the brothers used their magic to lift their suitcases out, before following their father out to the ferry they were taking. The ferry in question being a part of the transport to Trottnest island. It took the three of them about twenty minutes from ferry once they got on. The number of passengers being a surprising number. Whilst travelling,

Covet enjoyed the look of all the neighbouring islands that made up the continent of Manestralia. There was his home island, Coltney Island. Then there were the other two. Harlingmane Island and Perihoof Island. Both were about as big as Coltney Island. Both also had about as many cities as Coltney, which was exhausting when Covet and Stardew used to get along and hosted the continent wide festivals known as Alifest’s. Infact, being on the ocean and seeing all three islands prompted the question. “Stardew, do you remember our very last Alifest?”.

“Well, obviously. I won. Why?” He asked, slightly confused. “Even if you won, it’d be nice if we ended up hosting one last one. EVEN IF our last one was me VS you” Covet then responded with some reminiscing in his head. He remembered the songs they sang together when they traveled to each city they were in. Two days of non-stop touring and seeing their elite Hoofball teams playing off against eachother. The intense three versus three games. He even remembered the ten times matches and the one hundred times matches that gave the winning teams one hundred or ten times the amount of goals they scored. It was nice. To remember that.

By the time Covet had snapped back to his senses and back to the real world around him, the ferry had just pulled into the Trottnest port. Everypony began trotting off with their luggage. Being the last to get off the ferry before it filled up with passengers. Covet, Stardew and Crimson made their way to the hotel they were staying in, Crimson going up to the vacant desk. “Now why don’t you two go ahead and have some fun at the beach? I’ll check us in” he then said, lightly shoving the pair to the entrance whilst he trotted forward.

The two began trotting out to the nearby beach. Not saying a word to eachother. They made their way to the water and Covet began swimming in. He’d always felt home in water. Never quite knowing why. Stardew followed in after him and, after about ten minutes, Crimson joined them but stayed on the beach. Covet noticed his father never really went into the ocean every time they were at the beach. It was strange. He’d never join them each year they were here. It wasn’t until he started thinking about it, that his brother splashed his face with water. “Race yeh” he said as he began swimming to one end of the beach and back.

About an hour later of back and forth racing and the two were certainly having fun. It wasn’t often that these two bonded. It wasn’t often that they even got along at all infact. They were so busy being preoccupied with their competition between eachother infact, that they completely disregarded the fact that the current seemed to be pulling them further and further away from the shore. After their last race however, they certainly noticed.

“How did we get so far out?! Come on, let’s swim back” Stardew suggested. However, as if by magic, the tide refused to let them. Pushing them further and further to the deep oceans. “Why don’t we fly back?” Stardew asked. Before he got an answer though, a jet of blue magic hit Covet, stunning him long enough to start sinking. Luckily, Covet was able to swim back up to the top of the water, but when he tried flying out, he couldn’t. That’s when he turned around. Giving him a small second to notice a figure out in the horizon. He couldn’t tell who it was, but when he pieced together that this figure had probably been the one to shoot the spell at him, they were gone.

Stardew, looking concerned, decided to ask the obvious. “You alright? Did that spell hurt yeh?”. “I can’t fly. No matter what I try I can’t fly!” Covet shouted, very much in a state of shock and panic. Stardew, sensing this, responded quickly. “Alright, just stay calm, I’m gonna try an’ lift yeh” he said. His horn glowing and drops of magic forming. After what felt like an age, but was really a few seconds, Covet was out of the water and the two headed for the shore. Covet being carried by Stardew.

When they got back to the shore, Crimson noticed the two. “Crikey Covet, you’ve gotten that lazy?” he chuckled. Covet however didn’t take this politely. “How dare you! Incase you HAVEN’T guessed, I couldn’t fly!” he responded in defense. Crimson seemed confused until he was told by Stardew what happened. Crimson looked concerned. That concern growing when he noticed that, no matter the spell he used, Covets wings refused to open. “This magic… It’s not normal… But it couldn’t be…?” he said to himself.

“Couldn’t be who?” both Stardew and Covet asked eachother. “No-one. Just speaking out loud. It was probably the cold of the sea or… Something” Crimson responded. Though, both Stardew and Covet knew this was false. The cold of the sea never made wings stiffen up. Disregarding the fact that the sea was actually warm. It always was in Manestralia. Except for the final quarter of the year. But it was the third quarter of the year. Not the final quarter.

A few hours later, after the three had gotten off the beach, nightfall hit. The beautiful sunset that the last minutes of the day had however, didn’t manage to diffuse the tension from the last few hours. None of the three said a word to eachother. Infact, Covet had kept himself in their suite. He was busy reading something. Something very fascinating to him and something he shouldn’t have had. The book was named “Fae; The tales of the old folk of light” and had a golden pair of fairy-like wings on the front. He was in the middle of reading about something called “Enchanted”. However, that’s when he was interrupted by Crimson.

“Covet why do you have this??? The stuff in this book is rubbish!” Crimson spoke. His magic taking the book away from Covet. “Hey I was reading th-“ but before he could finish his sentence, Stardew came in the room. Silence fell on the room like a blanket of heavy snow, until Stardew broke the tension. “Dad, yeh know we’re never believin’ what you said earlier about the sea cold, right?”. Crimson frowned. “Now that’s enough about that! Whatever it is, we’ll get it fixed. After all, with Covets coronation-“ however Crimson seemed to have struck a chord. “Oh right, his coronation” Stardew muttered.

“Now you listen here, my decision is FINAL!” Crimson responded, raising his voice. Stardew knew better than to push about it and just stayed quiet. “We better go to bed. I think an early start tomorrow would be good. After all THAT’S only a month away” Covet suggested. With that, the three took one final look at eachother, before Crimson left the two brothers to hold out the tension before they fell asleep, taking the book with him. Little did Covet know that this was going to be the last month of his life in Manestralia. For something would happen soon that would change his life forever.

Author's Note

Alright so this is the first of hopefully many more chapters. I hope you enjoyed reading. Give it a thumbs up and don't forget to comment your thoughts. I'm excited to see them! Unless they're bad, then your opinion doesn't matter (for legal reasons that is a JOKE. J. O. K. E. JOKE. pls no booly).

Chapter 09: Confiding struggles

The morning rolled around quite suddenly. The sun being a bit into the sky by the time all four residents in the house woke up. The clouds parting from when they released rain within the late hours of the night. The grounds outside the home still wet from the last of the rainfall that had occurred. It wasn’t long into the morning before Cluttered trotted down the stairs; using the time he had to get himself ready for the day. Whilst there was nothing in the cupboards or fridge to eat, Cluttered put together a plan in his head. He trotted back up the stairs momentarily to grab a pen that Sour had put away the day before to write a note for the three. The note simply saying:

GOING TO PICK UP BREAKFAST. GET YOURSELVES READY – CLUTTERED

Whilst the handwriting was messy, he figured that the three sleeping stallions could still read it. After grabbing his coin pouch and trotting down the stairs to put the note on the table infront of the couch, Cluttered headed for the front door. Shutting it carefully and trotting down the path to the actual city. The wind blowing softly against his mane and body as he enjoyed the morning air. He’d never really paid any attention to his surroundings like he was doing. The day before seeming like a key unlocking a barrier in his mind. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but he enjoyed the new feeling. That wasn’t to say that he didn’t magically remove his issues, but rather he had managed to process the negative, and he had free room in his mind for positivity to be created. Which was what was happening. He even took notice of the smallest things. Such as butterflies flying in the hills he trotted down from. It wasn’t much, but to him, it meant a big deal.

After about twenty minutes of happily trotting around the city, he came across a nice-looking place that he thought, could offer nice looking takeout breakfasts. He took a minute or so before deciding on a well-done set of four bagels. The aroma of the grain bread attracting him to selecting them. They weren’t too pricy, and he figured everything was worth a try at least once in life. He usually just stuck with his trusty Hay-Bacon sandwiches, but he had a newfound appreciation for things he didn’t regularly try; in terms of eating that was. It was on his way home however, that he bumped into a familiar face. That pony being Dawnrise, or rather, Dawn. The pair bumped into eachother as Cluttered started trotting up the hill back to his house. He noticed Dawn and called out to them. “Hey, good to see you Dawn!” he shouted out as Dawn looked behind themselves. In a little state of surprise, Dawn responded once they got closer to Cluttered. “Hey, uh… Good to see you as well!” they responded, a smile coming to their face. The two trotted up the hill, discussing the past few days with eachother. Cluttered telling Dawn about the day prior, and Dawn telling them about the calmer days they had in terms of the cooldown from the argument with their parents. Dawn was shocked to hear that Cluttered had dealt with something so personal, but was happy to hear that the trio had helped in a big way. It was when they entered the house that Cluttered and Dawn saw the trio still sleeping.

“They’re heavy sleepers, huh” Cluttered exclaimed as Dawn chuckled to themselves. “Yep. Seems so. Let’s wake them” they then responded. Cluttered trotting to the kitchen to put the bagels and the coin pouch they were carrying on the side whilst Dawn shook the three awake. With a jumpy start, Sour was the first to get up, followed quickly by Sweet and Acidic. The trio looked at Dawn, and then at Cluttered, before finally looking at the note on the table. With a slight yawn, Acidic said “Guessing you got the breakfast then” before looking at Cluttered. In response, he nodded, saying “Yep! I’ll get plates ready, Dawn you can share mine if you want!” before trotting to the kitchen. Dawn, Acidic, Sour and Sweet sitting in the front room and waiting for their breakfast. Whilst Cluttered got to work in the kitchen, the four others stayed silent. That was, until Acidic finally asked Dawn “So, in terms of today, are you helping us?”. Dawn looked confused when they were asked this, simply responding with another question. “Helping with what? I just came to visit” she said, the three then looking at eachother as they realized that Cluttered hadn’t filled them in on exactly what they had uncovered the day prior.

“Well… Sweet found a book with potions in. We need an ingredient from it according to the Alicorns who attacked the train. Well, the one who tells them what to do. We told you all about that of course” Acidic then explained. The growing confusion on Dawn’s face increasing as the three then realized that they hadn’t actually told Dawn. Duskfall or Soundwave about what happened at the Spring of Body. They had previously filled Cluttered in, but when it came to the other three they forgot. “I’m sure we can explain everything over breakfast” Sour then said, Cluttered coming into the room with the four bagels that he’d brought; one of them cut in half so that Dawn could have some too. The conversation the five had then consisted of a catchup of what happened at the Body of Spring, with the three slightly exaggerating what happened. Cluttered being the one to bring the story back down to earth when he called the three out on some of the points in their catchup. Cuing several “Oh” moments from Dawn as the three then rolled their eyes each time they were caught exaggerating. In their eyes, it was fun to spice things up after all.

When they were finished with their breakfast, the five noticed that the sun outside had moved a bit in the sky. The morning phase of the day now over. Sweet got up and, without any request needed, Sweet used his magic to gather the plates together and then moved into the kitchen; cleaning them all. Sour, Acidic and Cluttered looked at eachother with surprise. Dawn looking confused as they then asked, “Why do you all look like you’re experiencing an exorcism?” to which Sour responded. “He mostly always treats himself as superior to the three of us so it’s a shock to see him humbling himself” he explained, Dawn simply responding with “huh” as Sweet came back into the room. “Dishes are done. So, when’re we setting off?” he asked the other four with intrigue. “Well, It costs twenty Ceyans for the four of us” Cluttered responded, then emptying his coin pouch as he counted the Ceyans infront of him. The total adding up to eighteen Ceyans. “Ah! Dang… I thought I had enough…” Cluttered sighed with disappointment. “I could cover it…” Dawn suggested, with the other four looking at them with slight surprise. “Hey, don’t be surprised! It might do me some good to go with you guys. I’ve been meaning to get some notes for Duskfall. He wants to write his own book about abandoned structures in the modern day” Dawn then explained as Cluttered nodded in approval. “I could use the help. He wanted me to draw stuff a while back, so maybe this’ll give me some time to do just that!” he then added on. The trio looked at eachother, seeming happy enough at the prospect of the five of them going together. What none of them realized however, was that Arcane had been observing the entire conversation. Doing as he was instructed the day prior.

Through a window of ice that he had created with his magic in the wall of the cave he and the other two Alicorns resided in, Arcane watched with intense concentration. He feared that missing even one detail would lead to the possibility of failure. Something he knew Harmonous wouldn’t tolerate in the slightest. “You’ve been watching them all morning, take a break” Dallasite said to him, his yawning from properly waking up etching into his sentence. “Oh be quiet. I’m doing a better job of this than you did yesterday” Arcane snapped back, his tone being cold as he jabbed at Dallasite. Dallasite simply rolled his eyes, simply saying “whatever” in response before laying his head back on the ground. “It’s time for me to set off anyway. When he returns, tell him I succeeded” Arcane then instructed Dallasite. “Why ruin your accomplishment? Surely your ego will be boosted more if you told him yourself” Dallasite then sarcastically responded. His words almost having a cruel flare to them. Instead of responding to Dallasite, he simply used his magic to create a portal in the wall; the other side of the portal leading to the beach below the house the five were in. With one step forward, Arcane walked through. The portal and the window of magic in the wall disappearing alongside eachother. Leaving Dallasite on his own. “Typical. I swear neither of them have any faith in me” he murmured to himself.

Back in the house, Cluttered put the Ceyans back into the coin pouch. “Dawn, why don’t you go back to your house and get the remaining Ceyans” Cluttered suggested. “Yeah, I’ll do that. We’ll meet at the train station I assume?” Dawn then asked. Cluttered nodded, with Sweet getting up. “I’ll go with you. It’ll be nice to be on my own again for a little bit” he then said. The other two giving a slightly annoyed glare. “Oh come on Sour and Acidic. Surely you’re not annoyed by that?” Dawn then asked. “Yeah, Sweet can go with Dawn. It’s not a big deal” Cluttered then added on. Sour and Acidic looked at eachother with slight shock. “But… But he’s-“ but before Sour could even finish his sentence, Cluttered interjected. “He’s been fine around us. Just give him a chance, it’s clear he’s at least stopped being… Well, being like before” he said, Acidic and Sour looking at Sweet, concern in their eyes. “Alright, I guess. Dawn, if he acts like he’s above you, smack him for me” Sour then told Dawn. Dawn chuckled as they simply said “Sure, come on Sweet let’s go” and then trotted to the front-door. Sweet looking semi-offended before trotting off loudly with Dawn. The front-door shutting behind Sweet. “You two really need to lay off of him. I get he has his problems, but he’s been doing good helping you guys” Cluttered then said to the other two. Sour looked away whilst Acidic responded. “I guess we have been too harsh on him… Maybe a chance is warranted” he said as he put his wing on his chin to think. “Maybe, but let’s not forget about what he was like. It was how the pair of us acted when we were an Alicorn” Sour added on. Cluttered rolled his eyes somewhat, but shrugged it off. “Why don’t you two help me get some art supplies together” he then suggested, trotting up the stairs before the other two could respond. “Come on then” Acidic then said to Sour as the pair headed up to catch up with Cluttered.

Meanwhile, Dawn and Sweet had just entered back into the city streets. Sweet kept looking back, swearing he was being watched. “You’ve looked back seven times now” Dawn told him, keeping count as they both trotted down the hill. “I keep feeling somepony watching us. I can’t shake it” Sweet replied. “Well, ignore them. The only ones I can think of that would watch you would be the three Alicorns you told us about. Given what you said about the journey to the Spring of Body, they won’t hurt you. They seem strangely concerned for you now that I think about it” Dawn explained, making Sweet think in return. “Yeah… It’s been weird. First they said the three of us were failures… But when we were headed to the Spring of Body, they suddenly cared about us. It’s just… Strange” Sweet responded. He flashed back to the incident in the mountains, and the coronation. It was true, Arcane and Dallasite went from trying to murder Covet, or the trio, or as they called him Bounded. To suddenly helping them. To Sweet, it was illogical. “It’s also strange that they went after Stardew as well… Oh I hope he’s safe. We fought a lot but… But I still cared about him, you know?” Sweet then added on. Dawn tilted their head somewhat, before responding. “Siblings fight all the time. It’s perfectly natural. I don’t doubt you two cared about eachother. But being royalty is sure to have grinded those tensions” Dawn then responded, trying to at least comfort Sweet. “It’s not just that… It was… It was the fact that I was powerless to even put up a fight. I couldn’t even defend myself…” Sweet then explained. “Yeah, I’ll say it’s odd that you only know levitation” Dawn quickly replied. “I mean, I managed to stop our falling speed when we plummeted to our death in the mountains” Sweet added on. “Well, after we get this potion ingredient, maybe you could sit down with Duskfall. He knows quite a bit of magic and they work at the library. You could borrow some books and practice some magic with him” Dawn then suggested.

“Yeah, I think I like the sound of that, Sour and Acidic suggested that earlier this week. Though, I have to ask” Sweet began. “Is it about you being as bad as they say?” Dawn then interjected. Stunned, Sweet simply responded with “Ding”. “From my perspective, no. From everypony else’s perspective though… I don’t know. I guess with Sour and Acidic, only the three of you can know about the full details. It was so weird that they started getting… Well, negative toward the idea of you being with others on your own? I don’t know how to properly word it I guess” Dawn then explained. “I see” Sweet simply responded, looking down with a frown. “Hey, I’m sure Cluttered and the other two don’t think you’re awful. But you have to understand that there are different points of view. Different experiences lead to differing opinions about what you do” Dawn quickly replied. Dawn didn’t want Sweet feeling like they hadn’t at least put in some effort, but they also wanted to make it clear that Sweet wasn’t done. From what Dawn had gathered, Sweet had genuinely been trying to change from whatever it was that he had been before. So, the last thing Dawn wanted was to witness the reverting of said change.

“I mean, that’s nice to say and all, I just wish that Sour in particular wasn’t so harsh. I get it, I hurt him a while back but… Surely I’ve put in enough work to show I’m truly sorry” Sweet huffed out. Frustration building in his mind. “Again, I’m sure he knows you’re trying. Just have faith” Dawn then responded. After a moment, Sweet nodded with a delay. “Let’s go then” he then muttered as he trotted ahead. Dawn looked at him trotting ahead and reserved their thoughts for a later time. It was clear that, as much as Dawn could say things to try and comfort Sweet, he’d have to sit down properly with Acidic and Sour to fully resolve the issue. With what he heard about Stardew as well, he wondered if that also clouded the three of their minds; the worry must’ve been immense after all. Whatever the issue was, Dawn figured that the far more pressing issue of obtaining the potion ingredient was better to focus on. It seemed to be something the three of them could take their minds off of. Dawn catching up to Sweet as Arcane watched from a distance in the shadows. “Letting his other parts interfere with him. Amusing” he murmured to himself; enjoying the inner conflict Sweet was opening up about. Anything he could even scrape up to get what he wanted in the long run was good, and Sweet was giving him some good stuff to use. He also enjoyed the fact that he could monitor two conversations at once, having kept a window of magic open to observe the other party as they set off.

The other party, whilst Dawn and Sweet trotted off to Dawns house, had just left Cluttered’s house. “We really ought to get those planks off when we come back, you know?” Acidic told Cluttered. “Yeah, it’d make the house look a whole lot nicer” Sour then added on. Cluttered smiled, and nodded in agreement. However, that’s when he started speaking about the small incident between Sweet, Sour and Acidic. “So, that incident with Sweet” he began, trotting down the path with both of the other ponies beside him. “I’m curious. You three seemed fine with eachother. What spurred on the negative reaction? We let him go on his own yesterday” Cluttered asked. Sour being the one to respond. “Honestly, it’s the fact that everything that’s happening with Harmonous, Arcane and Dallasite just doesn’t make any sense. Acidic, what do you think about it?” he asked Acidic. “Well, if they’re helping us, I honestly don’t think they’d attack us. What I think is going on, is that they know something we don’t. They make it too obvious” Acidic responded. Cluttered and Sour looked at eachother before Sour replied. “Yeah, it’s strange how they went from trying to kill us, to then trying to help us” he spouted out, making Cluttered think about the possibilities. His saddlebags that he had on rustling as he trotted down the hill. “Well, if I were to use my own thinking power, I’d ask myself if I noticed anything about them that seemed familiar. They seem to know you, after all” Cluttered then said. “But we don’t know them!” Sour protested, annoyance hitting his voice. “Yeah, the coronation was the first time we had ever seen them” Acidic then added on. “Calm down! I’m just saying that they’re holding something back. Something that gives me a bad feeling personally” Cluttered replied.

“Well, there’s no use in sticking around here. I’d rather take the help whilst they’re giving it out” Sour then said, trotting ahead. “Yeah, but maybe after you’ve managed to get back to the Alicorn body you had before, you could try and inquire about their secrets. You deserve to know, you know?” Cluttered suggested. Acidic looking to the side occasionally, then looking back as he swore he was being watched. He wasn’t the only one who thought this either, with Sour looking back on a few occasions. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” Sour asked Acidic. Cluttered looked at the pair beside him as he figured out what he meant before Acidic could. “Weren’t you the ones to say that they weren’t going to kill you now?” he then asked as he turned to Acidic. Sour however was the one to respond. “Well yeah, but what they’re doing… it’s creepy!” he protested in anger. Cluttered looked at Sour and then asked a very interesting question. “You always seem to talk over others. Why is that?”.

Sour took a moment in pure shock. He hadn’t expected such a question from Cluttered. Quickly, he shot back with an answer he used whenever somepony questioned him. One he always used whenever he had been called out about this specific issue. With a breath, he replied with “That’s none of your concern, thank you” before attempting to trot ahead. Cluttered however, cut him off in his tracks; stepping ahead of him and turning to face him. “As if I’m going to accept that answer. I opened up to you, so why don’t you three open up to me?” he asked with a smile. Obviously hoping for said outcome to happen. Sour however, drew the last line in the ground as he responded. “I don’t owe you an explanation. Acidic and Sweet don’t owe you one either. Now let’s go”. Acidic then looked at Sour, genuinely surprised at his sudden defense. With Sour then starting to recall a specific time they had tried to open up to somepony. Specifically, to a former lover they had in their college years. It was something the three of them, as Covet, had managed to hide incredibly well.

The day had reached its midpoint that day. Classes finishing early as the pair trotted off to get some ice cream down at the pier in Coltney. The crowds around them being overwhelming as Covet’s former partner used his unicorn magic to nullify the surrounding ambiance so they could both hear eachother. The partner Covet had, being yellow in coat colour. His eyes holding a rich, earthy brown with his mane and tail being golden. He was the more skilled of the pair in the magical department as he was able to multitask with his magic. Using his magic to also deal with the ice creams. Once they had gotten off of the pier, they hid out in a private beach. One Covet’s father kept private for the royal family. It had a clear view of both Trottnest and the ocean beyond. “You know, I peered into my father’s studies a while back. Before he caught me. There were notes about pair of continents that disappeared” Covet said, licking his ice cream. The cold, sweet taste almost giving him frostbite as he licked up the ice cream too fast. “Ah, phooey. Wouldn’t we have found them by now?” the unicorn asked as he used his magic to stop the nullification on the surroundings. The crowds being far from them at this point. “Yeah, that’s true. But he’s been alive for a long time. I don’t know how long though. When I ask the old geezer he got very upset” Covet responded with a laugh for a moment. However, looking out into the oceans, he started getting distance visually. His face having a somber expression to it. He sighed, and with a deep breath he spoke again.

“You know, I envy you to some degree. My father always hounds me about my future; saying that both me and Stardew need to focus on our studies and focus on our training as prince’s. But…” he stopped. He took a moment before composing his next sentence. He trusted his partner enough, surely he’d be the one to understand. If nopony else. “But, I just want to be myself. It’s so tiring to sit there day after day and be constantly reminded of my royal duties. I don’t want to be a prince. I just want to be… To be me” Covet then finished. He expected his partner to respond in a sympathetic way, but like the ocean which had started becoming stirred, Starstrike responded with an Apathetic tone to his voice. “You’re a part of the monarchy of this country. No wonder your father wants you to focus on your royal duties. You’re literally destined for the throne! Maybe instead of focusing on being yourself as you put it, you should focus on the things your father wants you to focus on”. Covet was shocked. Of all the answers he expected his partner to give, he was sure that wasn’t going to be one of them.

He got angry, spouting off a reply in his frustration. “Oh yes, because I’m supposed to be this perfect entity. Because I’m supposed to be so wise, courageous, and powerful, is that what you wanted to hear?!”. Starstrike fired back equally as hard as the pair began entering a vicious fight. “Well it doesn’t help that you flunk lessons all the time! No wonder your father keeps hounding you! Maybe if you thought of the continent instead of yourself, you’d understand that!”. “EXCUSE ME?!” Covet responded, this time raising his voice in protest. “Yeah, you heard me! I’m done with this pity party you keep throwing yourself! You’re avoiding your duties to the throne! You treat others like they’re… Like they’re below you! IS THAT WHAT YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE?!” Starstrike then bellowed across. The ocean becoming violent in the crashing waves it produced. The anger from Covet being reflected in the oceans. He wasn’t aware of it, but in his frustration and rage, the ocean created sharp daggers of water that Covet began unknowingly throwing at Starstrike. He was so blind to his own surroundings that he thought his magic had created daggers from his magic as they launched themselves at Starstrike. Starstrike, being utterly stunned and now frightened, galloped off as he shouted “YOU WANT TO BE THAT WAY THEN FINE! STAY AWAY FROM ME, WE’RE THROUGH!” before disappearing back to the pier and city they travelled from.

After he had disappeared, Covet felt immense sadness, which made him soon break down after. He’d expected his partner of all ponies to understand. He had tried confiding in his brother, but it didn’t work. He tried confiding in his partner, but it didn’t work. Both got angry at him. Was he not seeing what was wrong? Was he selfish to the degree others thought? Malicious thoughts hitting him as he unknowingly managed to use the ocean as an outlet. Something that was completely unknown to all but one at the time. Looking from above, Crimson stood. He’d observed the incident as he frowned. “He used it again” he muttered to himself, then looking down at the book that Covet often looked through.

Back in the present, it had been a mere moment since the flashback had hit Sour’s mind. The negativity from the flashback spreading to Acidic and even Sweet. Who shuddered as he trotted with Dawn. Dawn asking “Hey, you alright?” to which Sweet simply responded “Yeah, I am. Dunno about the other two though” before they both trotted onward. Concern hitting Sweet’s mind personally. Back with Cluttered, Sour and Acidic, Cluttered asked “You two alright?” as he gazed at them with some worry. Sour continued to look forward, with Acidic tapping him on the side with his wing to snap him out of whatever was going on. Sour quickly jumped as he turned around to the pair of them. That was, before he stared at Cluttered, with a frown. “Stop asking about things” he stated. Before Cluttered could respond, Acidic looked at him. “Yeah… Might be best not to ask him things at least. If you give me some time I’ll tell you my hypothesis but it’s not pretty” he told Cluttered as Cluttered simply responded with “Riiigghhhtttt….” Before the three trotted off to the train station like they had planned to. Cluttered starting to feel like his words weren’t helping at all. It started shifting his mindset back to what it was as he stayed silent throughout their trip.

In the shadows, Arcane watched. He hadn’t expected such a delightful amount of discourse during this day. All the more to use in the future. Although he was curious about what had made them so emotional. The flashback not being accessible to him as he pondered about the possibilities. That was, however, until he was hit with a frigid blast. Harmonous had appeared from his mist. His expression angry, but also concerned. Not for Arcane, but for whatever the trio seemed to be experiencing. “I told you to focus on helping them, not to focus on giggling or enjoying their fighting” he coldly told Arcane. “But you don’t understand, it’s such a great opportunity! Think about it, all the more to sway him in our favor after all!” Arcane protested. However, that’s when Harmonous, without speaking, summoned a scythe made from the coldest and sharpest ice he had access to in the mountains they lived in. Without warning, he threw it at Arcane.

Luckily, Arcane put up a shield for himself, but still had to dodge the weapon as it cracked the shield open. With a whisper as deadly as the ice scythe, he uttered a simple instruction. “Never challenge me, or my orders. If I tell you to do something, you obey”. Arcane, wide-eyed on the floor and hearing every word being etched into his mind, shakily nodded as he understood. Even if his magic revolved around ice, Arcane feared the abyssal depths of Harmonous’ cold fury. Without announcing his departure, he sunk back into his mist. The mist wisping away into the skies as Arcane was left on the floor for a moment. Opening a window of magic to look at both groups from a distance. Which was timely, given Sweet and Dawn were approaching Dawn’s house.

Author's Note

Alright so hiii.

I hope you enjoyed this one. I wanted to start giving the trio the spotlight again. But it's happening in a way I didn't expect. I wanted to add a flashback and give some context to why Sweet specifically reflected a very ew tone toward Earthponies, Pegasi and Unicorns. I think I did well. The next few chapters are gonna be a build up to the Spring of Mind, since I want to give this development time to Covet/the trio. Moreso to build up to one of the arcs that I plan on introducing between the end of the Spring of Mind journey and the Spring of Soul journey. So, I introduced a character I wish to utilize in book 2. That being Starstrike. Flashbacks would be nice to have after all :^)

Anyways, i'm off. Sorry this took a bit to get up and out. Enjoy!

P.S I love my fat paragraphs. Pls no booly me over them :^(

Chapter 14: The Hourglass of Lavender Fire and Ice

Mornings and evenings passed within the blink of an eye. Weeks floating on by without much care for slowing. Orange, blue, and purple appearing and then disappearing in order each day. Orange sunrises turned into blue days, without much cloud activity or rain. Then, it always transitioned to purple and then finally, the night sky would overtake the three. Stars littering the skies as life remained constantly shifting. For the three of Body, Mind and Soul, the task of reforming their alicorn body became almost forgotten to time. Themselves enjoying every moment of their seemingly new lives.

For instance, about a month before the present day, they went out and treated themselves after all the work they had done helping Cluttered. “You guys have earned it” were the words that rang in their minds as they were successful in their endeavors to attract more business. That night was filled with the sweet delights of fine dining; bringing along Cluttered as a nice surprise. The look on his face filled with shock as he didn’t expect anything of the sort. When they went into the restaurant, the night kicked off with orders of delectable hay pizza and ice cream as a tasty treat afterward. The night ending with the four of them sitting at the beach happily chilling out, before they headed back to Cluttered’s house. The next day, the four of them used the remaining money they had earned to finally replace the broken windows, remove the wood barring the light and even managed to replace the carpet, wallpaper, and main furniture of the guest bedroom.

Another instance was about two weeks before the present day. Where Sweet finally headed off to ask Duskfall a very important question. Trotting off to the library, he finally asked for magic lessons. To which, being happy about the request, Duskfall happily obliged. The pair both going over basic spells. Things like the basic shield spell and a basic energy sphere spell to attack and defend himself when need be. Whilst harder spells would come later for him. Everytime he was successful at performing a spell, he and Duskfall would consider the lesson at an end. Duskfall writing small notes for Sweet incase he forgot how to perform any of the spells they had learned.

For Sweet, the fact that he wasn’t judged, or ridiculed for not immediately succeeding at performing the spells he was set to perform. The absence of pressure making him enjoy learning. Something that he didn’t realize he greatly enjoyed when he wasn’t on any time limit or on any thin rope that could lead to the abyss of failure. Improving his mood, making him better at reflecting and even managing to learn from his prior mistakes whilst being the Unicorn.

Cutting to present day however, the trio’s lives picked up again as they all woke up. The trio in the cleaned-up guest bedroom. Carpet, wallpaper, and furniture replaced. The furniture being made of mostly lighter wood. The sheets and quilt being basic light blues, but comfortable and big enough that the three could at least use it. Although, they preferred to use the blankets they had prior, they did use the actual quilt as a surface to lay on. Pillows being shared between the three. The carpet being a nice shade of darker blues with the wallpaper being plain. To symbolize the start of a new chapter. The sun shining through their window by the time they got up. Sour being the last to wake up as the other two got up relatively early. The pair even having to shake Sour awake as he groaned and shuffled around. It took a while, but after Sweet used a levitation spell to essentially keep the blankets out of Sour’s reach, he finally awoke. Albeit groggy, slightly upset and angry. Sour not really being one of happiness at the current time.

“Still upset?” Sweet asked him as he looked at Sour with some disdain. “Oh please, you know exactly what I’m still concerned about” Sour then responded. “If it’s about the Spring of Soul, then it’s understandable. But try and… Well, try and keep yourself positive” Sweet suggested. Sour however, looked as if he were about to smite Sweet right there and then when Acidic interrupted the pair of them. “Guys let’s not fight. Today we’ll all be separated! After all Sweet has his magic lessons and I have a cute day out with Dawn!” he chirped out, his wings flapping slightly as he seemed excited about the day. “Yeah, you get a full day to yourself! We’ve been together for a lot of time, so these breaks help us. Why don’t you go down to the beach and-“ but before Sweet could finish his sentence, Sour huffed and sat on the bed, muttering “Enjoy your day then” as he sunk back into the bed. “…Whatever” Sweet then mumbled out as Acidic and Sweet trotted out of the room to get themselves some breakfast. With the door shutting behind them.

In the living room, Cluttered resided. His head darting up from the couch as he asked “Where’s Sour?”. “Still in bed” Sweet responded. Sweet’s tone being very distasteful. “Yeah uh… He may be upset…” Acidic then added on. Cluttered was unsure of what to say, his hooves touching the ground as he trotted out into the hallway to try and get Sour up himself. Sweet and Acidic let Cluttered pass whilst they headed into the kitchen. Their stomachs rumbling and their moods slightly agitated. Over with Cluttered, he opened the bedroom door that housed the grumbling Sour. Trotting over, Cluttered looked at him. He seemed as if he was swallowed by the quilt and the blanket he had. So, Cluttered did the only thing he could think of in this situation. He grabbed the end of the quilt that wasn’t taken up by Sour and proceeded to harshly unravel him from the comfort. It didn’t take more than a few seconds for Sour to yell out in almost primal anger. When he looked at Cluttered, he huffed as he managed to keep his composure. “Can I not just stay in bed?!” he protested.

Cluttered rolled his eyes. “Get up. There’s no point in staying in bed” he responded, albeit with a slight huff at the end. Sour, grumbling, decided to roll onto the floor. With a thud, his body crashed down. Cluttered having to dance around him to get back to the other side of the room. To which, he dumped the quilt down on the bed and then added on “You’re gonna miss out on breakfast. It’s the only thing we’ve got until Soundwave comes around with lunch and the pair of us go shopping. You can lounge about then” before he trotted back out of the room. With a groan, Sours body picked itself up. His legs stretching as he took a moment to think about the day. There wasn’t anything he particularly had to do, which was the problem. Lately, he hadn’t been doing much at all. Everytime he thought about anything to do, his mind rang out to the Spring of Soul. It was aggravating. Why did his mind and body feel like they had to get to the final Spring, but his soul rejected the idea? He wouldn’t budge anytime soon on the idea, but if his body, mind and soul could finally unite in agreement with even something he’d be thankful.

When he made his way to the kitchen, he saw the others already eating. Cluttered looked at him for a moment, seemingly in some shock, before saying “Yours is in the kitchen” and returning to what seemed to be two croissants and a cup of black coffee. “I still don’t understand how you like blacked out coffee Cluttered” Sweet told him. As Sour passed by, he heard Cluttered respond with “Well, I like to really get a kick out of the stuff” before Sweet, Acidic and Cluttered chuckled to themselves in their conversation. Grabbing his own pair of croissants that he could tell were buttered already, he headed into the living room and sat down. The other three continuing their conversation whilst Sour sat alone; simply eating and minding his own business. In his mind, he was actually thinking about his life in Manestralia. The thing he missed most of all, was family. Something he didn’t have here. Sure he had himself, in two other parts, but family was… Lacking.

After about ten minutes, he finally finished eating. His stomach full but his mind still troubled somewhat. Without noticing, Sweet used his magic to take the plate Sour had eaten off of into the kitchen. Sweet seemingly giving a concerned stare as he was tempted to ask Sour if he was alright. In the end, he decided it was best not to. Sour staying seated as Acidic seemed to then fly off out of the room. A moment passing as he then returned with a scarf. It was a nice looking, comfortable, deep blue one which he seemed to hold in high regard given the sudden rise in mood. “Dawn’ll probably be annoyed if I’m late. So, I’ll see you later!” he cheerfully blurted out. Air whooshing around him as he took off. Slamming the door behind him as he rushed off. Sweet then seeming to follow suit after he picked up some saddlebags from another room in the house. These ones being Cluttered’s upstairs studio. In it, both the ancient structures book and a book that seemed very much used. This one had notes clearly stuck in and two different writing styles. One neat. One rushed. Three guesses as to which was Duskfall’s and which was Sweet’s. The bags also held a jewel box. A small one that held the Moonstone of Mind from the Spring of Mind.

“I’ll catch you two later. Tell Soundwave I said hi! And, Sour… Just, try and smile, alright?” he then said, directing his message to Sour at the end. Muttering, Sour simply responded with “alright” before Sweet put the bags over his back and trotted out of the house; the door shutting much more politely than Acidic. Leaving Sour and Cluttered on their own in the house. Cluttered heading upstairs to work on some painting and art for the morning whilst Sour just sat, thinking longingly about the past. The things he wished he could relive and rewrite. The things he wished he could fix. He’d been getting thoughts like this since the journey to the Spring of Mind, and it was almost inescapable.

Following Acidic, he rushed past all the streets he had a familiarity with. Passing the library as Duskfall tried to shout out to him “Aci- Ah dang it… Missed him” is what he said before he entered the Library to wait for Sweet. Acidic soaring off through to the suburban part of the city. Wind whistling as he flew by many ponies that seemed confused at what just passed by them. Eventually, he flew through to the particular street housing Dawn’s abode. The smell of her potions flowing out of the house along the coast, in the direction of the mountains. The smell today being quite nice and almost calming. Landing finally on the ground, Acidic folded his wings before giving the door a gentle-ish tapping. A moment later then came Dawn herself. “Glad to see you’re here! I was afraid that Sour, or Sweet, would keep you waiting!” Dawn chirped as she stepped aside. Acidic then entering and heading to the living room. Responding with “Yeah well, Sour’s being depressing as usual. It’s almost comedic. If annoying” as he then sat down.

Dawn followed in, sitting down as she then started speaking more. “Yep, well given your situation I’d gather it’d be interesting for all three of you. You don’t seem phased about it though!” she said to Acidic, prompting a slight chuckle from him. “I guess that’s true. Sour probably just feels the pressure of the Spring of Soul. Although…” Acidic paused. He knew what he wanted to say, but it was between the three split souls. The words of Sour echoing in his mind. “And is getting back together to become one alicorn what you two really want?” is what he said that day. On the train. Willingly Acidic had ignored this. But it was still a nagging thought. Instead of telling Dawn, he simply said “Actually, there is no Although. I don’t know why I said that” with Dawn looking slightly confused. However, she didn’t question it. She simply shrugged off the strange pause. “Whatever the case is, I’m sure he'll get over it” she responded. Then getting up as she said “well let’s go then! We’ve got a day of fun to get to!”. Acidic nodding as they made their way toward the front door. Dawn grabbing some saddlebags that housed a coin pouch before the pair headed off into the city.

Meanwhile, Sweet had just made it to the library. Using his magic to open the door as a few ponies resided within. Sweet’s target being infront of him as he was sat lounging around. Duskfall. Trotting in properly, Sweet made his way to him as he took out both books and said “I’m here!” before getting several annoyed glares thrown his way. “Sweet, I meant to tell you, it’s quiet hours. Quiet hours ends at lunch. When they’re gone, we’ll practice magic alright?” Duskfall said to him. Sweet looked at Duskfall in slight disbelief as he took a moment to process what was just said. “Uh… Sure” he simply responded a moment later. “Great” Duskfall then began. “Pick a book to read through and we’ll read through some books until time passes” Duskfall then finished off, focusing on a book he had infront of him that Sweet hadn’t noticed before. It didn’t look too notable, but something stood out. The title. That being FOUNDING YEARS AND CRUCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF BUCKGROVE – By Mayor MoonScout I.

“Mayor MoonScout I?” Sweet asked Duskfall in confusion. “Oh? Oh yeah, the first Mayor of Buckgrove. He founded this town in six hundred and fifty-four AC.EU. You remember what AC.EU means… Right?” Duskfall then asked. “Of course. After the Ceyonait and Ellestros continents came together. Also known as the Ceyonait-Ellestros Unity. I’m still partial about that by the way” Sweet told Duskfall. Duskfall smiling as he then used his magic to flip to a page he had bookmarked. “Yeah, well his line is still going. The last MoonScout though was Mayor MoonScout XI… Or the Eleventh. Our current Mayor is actually Mayor Solar Wind V… or fifth if you’re not well versed with the symbols” Duskfall then explained. “That’s… A lot of MoonScout’s and Solar Wind’s…” Sweet remarked before Duskfall nodded. “Yeah, well I actually need to speak with the Mayor about Library funding. Stingy Stallion hasn’t let us have more than a few hundred Ceyans to renovate and keep books renewed in terms of copies. Hence why most of these are big… And old… And smell weird” Duskfall then explained. “Well, why don’t we speak to him today?” Sweet asked before Duskfall laughed a little. “I have to reserve a spot with his majesty first” he then responded; adding sarcasm before he realized that Sweet seemed to not know whether it was sarcasm.

“But his majesty refers to a King, or a Prince… Or a-“ Sweet began, almost setting himself up for a tangent. Duskfall thankfully interjecting with the obvious. “It was sarcasm, chill”. Sweet looked at him for a moment more before nodding slightly in understanding. His horn then glowing as he grabbed the ancient structures book and proceeded to flip to a certain page. This one showing a strange, circular structure. “What’s this?” he asked himself. Duskfall looking over and seeing the structure. “If you use your eyes Sweet, you’ll see that it’s called an Undermension Portal” Duskfall responded. “Undermension?!” Sweet then shouted out. Instantly remembering the spell Dallasite used. Tepalethium Undermensia. “You’re telling me I can reach Stardew!?” Sweet then shouted out eagerly. Prompting many around them to harshly shush him. “Yeah keep it down. Anyways, the Undermension Portals were a sacred place of trials for the mind. It’s rumored to be a void of sorts. It was actually made by the King of Ellestros before he… Well, it’s better if we don’t talk about that in public. It’s taboo even a thousand years later. Point is though, that they’re not working. If you want a closer look at one though, there’s one just offshore. Again, it doesn’t work so don’t get your hopes up!” Duskfall then explained. Sweet’s mood immediately lowering along with saying “oh” in response.

Then an idea came to Sweets mind.

“What if… What if it needs a mass amount of magical power? You know, like a laser beam of concentrated magic?”

“I’m sorry what?” Duskfall asked. To which Sweet began his theory explanation. “Well, from what I’m seeing here, with the stone almost having a glowing line in the middle leading up to a massive… Uh… I don’t know the name of this gemstone but it’s huge! Anyways, what if it needs huge amounts of energy to function? It could be possible-“ but before Sweet could explain further, Duskfall interjected. “That wouldn’t be possible. The amount of energy that was required for one of these things was not only world changing, but it also required a different kind of magic. Not one I’m familiar with. Look here, it says it used to run off of Faerisian Magi. Or Fae Magic” Duskfall finished. Sweet processed the words Fae Magic. He wasn’t sure if he misheard, so he figured he’d ask again just to make sure he wasn’t deluded. “I’m sorry… Fae Magic?”.

“Yeah, Fae Magic. Of course there’s no Fairy alive but it seems they existed given these structures” Duskfall responded. It was all piecing together in Sweet’s mind. The Springs, this and the mass amounts of Fae archival information his father had. “So then those Fae forms I saw in the book were real” he said to himself in disbelief. “What do you mean Fae forms?” Duskfall then asked, curious now that he had heard this. “Well, yeah. There was one called Enchanted. It looked REALLY good. Like the wings were gorgeous. The first one I looked at though was one called uh… Charmla? No, that’s not it… Charming? Oh goodness no, that would be the name of a Prince in a fictional story I read about a swamp loving pony… Was it… Charmed?” Sweet asked himself. Duskfall immediately slammed his hooves infront of Sweet, almost looking innately primal. “Tell. Me. EVERYTHING!” he shouted out, with the ponies around them then huffing. Duskfall looking around as he calmed down and said “Oh, sorry folks!” as he looked embarrassed.

“Alright I will do. But let’s wait for when me, Sour and Acidic are back together first. Maybe then our combined minds can remember more. Or even better yet, I could sneak up to my father’s study and grab the book I used. There were other forms past those two. Although, pages were ripped out… I did see one that looked like-“ but before Sweet could finish, Duskfall immediately interjected again with “Didn’t you just say that you’d tell me later?”. “Oh, right yeah” Sweet responded. Almost laughing aloud before containing his amusement. “Well, lunch should be heading around anytime now. You got here quite late given the fact you live twenty minutes down the road” Duskfall then said, moving the conversation. “Oh, yeah I wanted to look out at the sea. I don’t know why, but it honestly feels like I’m in tune with the ocean… Or rather, water in general. Like it all flows around me at once within my mind. I can feel every waterdrop when I concentrate in a single puddle. Follow its journey from start to current position. It’s weird” Sweet said aloud, making Duskfall simply respond with “huh” as he processed what Sweet had just said.

It was convenient then, that Soundwave flew in. His back holding saddlebags as he sat down next to his husband and snuggled him slightly. “How’d the morning go you two?” Soundwave then asked as he looked to the pair. “Well, I learned some interesting things. But in all honesty, it’s all been peaceful here” Duskfall said, prompting Sweet to nod in agreement. “Yeah, I got a free history lesson though” Sweet then added on. With Soundwave looking down and saying “Ohhhh, that book! Yeah the history of Buckgrove was in our history class in school back when me and Cluttered were colts. It was boring though” Soundwave said, almost yawning at the thought. “Really? That happened with me. Well, the magical history stuff. I actually like what I snagged from my father before he caught me” Sweet said, almost looking vastly disappointed that he couldn’t immediately get ahold of the books at that moment.

“Well, let’s put these books on hold so you two can eat. I need to bring Sour and Cluttered their lunches. Here’s two sets of sandwiches. One is cheese and hay-ham, the other is daisies and barbequed hay-burger” Soundwave then explained, placing the pair of sandwiches on the table. “Oh, I also took the liberty of buying you both some coffee, but I didn’t want to carry living third degree burns in fear of spilling them on myself. So have something exotic. Iced coffee!” Soundwave then added on, with several ponies around them that had gotten up huffing even more. “Ah, thanks!” Duskfall responded as he saw Soundwave place the pair of drinks on the table as well. “Right, I’m off. You two take care!” Soundwave then said, flying out presumably to Cluttered’s house. All the while, a fog began descending upon the city. One that Sour, Sweet and Acidic knew all too well. It was accompanied by a chill air as ponies around the city began to shake from the cold.

In this mist, Acidic and Dawn were trotting around. Seeing ponies around them disappear and reappear in the mist. “You’d think that we’d have mist in the Spring. But no it’s here!” Dawn said to Acidic as the pair traversed through it. Making their way to a coffee shop near the shore. The sign reading ‘Mocha Motel’. Unable to see the shore. But still trying to enjoy their day nonetheless. Sitting down at a small table and chairs, Acidic looked around. “How come I’ve never seen this place before?” he asked Dawn. “That’s because it actually opened not too long ago! It might surprise you, but an old friend of mine actually runs this place! Oh look, here he is now!” Dawn then said as a stallion approached. He was a beige unicorn. With light, yet saturated brown, for his mane. His eyes were the colour of oak wood as he looked down at the pair and spoke quite happily. “Dawnrise! Fancy seeing you here bud!” he said. To which Dawn quickly corrected him by saying “It’s Dawn now. But yeah it’s been a long time!”.

“Dawn eh? So you’re finally doing what you said you wanted to do all those years ago! And who’s this then? Your partner?” he then said, moving his head and gesturing at Acidic. “Iced, I’d never. Acidic. Meet Iced Mocha. An old school friend. Iced, meet Acidic Citrus” Dawn then responded, answering the question very quickly. “Ah, I see! Nice to meet ya bud!” he then said, offering Acidic the shake of his hoof. Acidic happily accepting. “So then, what can I get the pair of you?” Iced then asked the pair. It took a moment, but Dawn then said “We’ll go with the Latte. Make it strong for me. Acidic what strength do you want your drink to be in the energy department?” Dawn then said, asking Acidic her question. “Oh uh… I’ll have medium?” Acidic then responded. Seeming a little flustered by the question. “So one Strong Latte and one Medium… Alrighty then! Should be ready in five minutes! Not that this mist is attracting any attention today. It might come sooner, who knows!” Iced said, before trotting off to the counter and marking the order next to his coffee machine.

It, surprisingly, only took about three minutes. Which was faster than expected. When iced came over, he held a black tray with two rather large drinks on it. “One Strong Latte and one Medium Latte here for the pair of you. Enjoy it!” he said, as he used his magic to place them down on the table Dawn and Acidic were sat at. Once Iced trotted away to his counter to relax, Dawn and Acidic got to talking. “So, how’s Sour fairing?” Dawn asked Acidic. Acidic looked at her for a moment, unsure of what to really say. “Well, uh, he’s been sleeping. That’s for sure” he ended up saying. To which Dawn seemed confused, until she said “No, I meant how’s his mood? And how has he been since the barrier reef?” to which Acidic still didn’t know what to say. “I mean, he’s been Sour. Living up to his name I guess” he ended up responding with. Dawn seemed concerned as she took a sip of her Latte.

“Enough of him though” Acidic then immediately said after responding. “What about you?” he then asked. Dawn, slightly taken aback, answered. “Well, I’m good. Duskfall is going to help me actually become, well, a mare which is good. It’s nice to have magic. My voice is fine though. I don’t need to change that. If I did, well, it’d be weird!” she said, making Acidic more curious. “When is that happening then?” he asked. “Well, if you really want to know. It’s in a week” she then responded. Happy that Acidic seemed to care. “That’s great! Good luck on that!” Acidic said, both of them then finally drinking their Latte’s somewhat as, outside, the mist got heavier.

From the center of the immensely heavy mist, Arcane and Dallasite appeared. In the park Sour and Sweet had gone to a while back. The gate still creaky and the area still incredibly run down. Arcane being the first to speak. “You heard what he said” he uttered, in an almost angry and annoyed tone. “Yes, I heard. I doubt that after getting my punishment that I’d make the mistake of mishearing” Dallasite responded in an almost snarky way; lacerations still being surprisingly somewhat prevalent on his body. Arcane looked at him, then rolling his eyes as he then said “Let’s just go. Bounded’s been lounging about for far too long.”

“He’s angry”

The words left Arcane’s mouth before he could even process what he had just said. It was rare for him to do so. His almost frosty demeanor seeming shocked itself as he quickly stopped himself with a simple “Come on” as the pair began to fly up to Cluttered’s abode. Having to stay out of sight for the most part as Soundwave zipped by. Although Soundwave seemed a bit slower than usual. He was almost observing the mist and trying to find the road up. When he made it to the house on the top of the hill, he looked out to the sea. Which is where he found that the fog was so thick, that he couldn’t see past the house at all. Barely, he trotted up to the door. Two Alicorns observing as he knocked on the wood. From the other side of the door, Cluttered answered. “Ah, you’re here!” he said, almost chirpily. “Yep! Got Lunch for you and Sour. Then we can head off to stock your cupboards and such” Soundwave responded, entering the abode. As the door closed, Arcane and Dallasite looked at eachother. “When they exit, we enter. I can guarantee you that Bounded in that Earthpony form will be staying at home” Arcane then said, with Dallasite nodding with understanding.

Inside the house, Sour sat on the couch as Cluttered and Soundwave came in. “Yo” Soundwave said to Sour, with Sour vaguely nodding, looking at Soundwave momentarily. “Don’t mind the Depression Espresso over here” Cluttered then said, sitting down next to Sour as Sour rolled his eyes. When Soundwave brought out the sandwiches however, Sour seemed slightly more interested. “Figured variety would help. So there’s shredded cooked hay in one of these. In the other is hay sausage paste. Whichever one you both want, pick, and take. I already had mine before I started zipping around town so I’m good on food” Soundwave then explained. Before he seemingly gasped in shock. “I’m so sorry! I forgot to get you both a drink!” he then said, almost weeping. “It’s… Fine” Sour responded, looking almost weirded out by the display. “Yeah, really there’s no issue. Besides, both of us will be going to get some food for the house, so I’ll just pick me and Sour up something at the shop” Cluttered added on. Soundwave smiled at this, recovering from his sudden guilt and then he waited as Sour and Cluttered devoured their lunch. Sour taking longer due to his mood. Once he finished, both Cluttered and Soundwave stood up. “Right, we’re off! See you in a bit Sour!” Cluttered said to the yellow Earthpony. Sour nodded faintly as he seemed lost in his own world. He didn’t even notice that both stallions had left. Only processing it as he heard the door close.

As the pair trotted down the hill, Arcane and Dallasite took the chance to confront Sour. With the mist giving them cover as the two stallions made far off comments about the density of the mist, Arcane and Dallasite slipped inside. Inside, Sour had gotten up and trotted back to the guest room. That being where he tried to get back to sleep. That was, until he felt a sharp, freezing grip launch him out of the bed. Slamming hard into the floor. Sour felt immediate hard and sharp pain as he groaned with an “ow…” before getting up slowly. There were only two stallions who had that harsh ice power to his knowledge. Sure enough, when he looked up, he saw Arcane. Alongside the younger Dallasite. “What did I do to annoy you to that extent?” Sour asked, almost adding sarcasm into his sentence until he saw the pure, silent anger in Arcane’s eyes. He seemed genuinely confused at this, until the more collected Dallasite spoke up. “You’ve been taking far too long to reach the Spring of Soul. It’s quite literally just outside of the city. You’ve seen it before, Bounded. The door with the heart, remember?” he asked Sour, his face showing immense seriousness and concern. In Dallasite’s mind, he was sure that Bounded was simply unaware of the Spring’s location. However, Dallasite was in for an unfortunate surprise.

“Oh that? The door Sweet found? Yeah no. Not doing it” were the words that left Sour’s mouth. Leaving Dallasite genuinely stunned and his mouth slightly agape as Arcane seemed to get intensely enraged. “You’re not DOING IT!?” Arcane then shouted out, pure icicles forming around him as he readied a barrage of attacks. Dallasite then spoke up. “You realize that we get the punishment for your lack of motivation, right?”. Sour looked at the pair with some shock as this was the first time that had been brought to his attention. Before he could respond however, he felt a sharp, piercing pain on his legs as Arcane hurled his icicles straight at Sour. Dallasite managing to shield his torso, but not being able to shield Sour’s legs. This causing Sour to fall on the floor with some yelps of pain as his legs held newly formed cuts from the icicles. Before bleeding of any kind could occur however, Dallasite quickly used his magic to seemingly heal the Earthpony. Instead of being thankful however, Sour brought up a valid point in his mind. “If the pair of you hadn’t attacked me at my coronation none of this would be happening! I wouldn’t be split into three, and I wouldn’t have lost my own family! This is purely the consequences of your actions!”.

This took Dallasite back, whilst Arcane seemed even more enraged. “Our fault? If Crimson hadn’t ruined the plan we wouldn’t be here right now!” Dallasite protested back. Arcane held his tongue as he realized Dallasite was attempting to handle the situation. “Look” Dallasite then began. “You need to do it. If…” Dallasite then paused. His mood turning bitter at the next words he spoke. “If you want to see them again, becoming an Alicorn once more would be your only hope”. This grabbed Sour’s attention long enough for Dallasite to then turn to Arcane. “I think it’s time we combined our magic like we practiced. This usually gets used for our training sessions in the mountains of Ellestros. But since you leave us no other option…” Dallasite then said. Before uttering another word, the pair of Alicorn horns glowed. One a pale blue and another in lavender as the pair seemed to concentrate their magic onto one spot. Bright flashes of violet and cyan lit the room as Sour covered his eyes slightly with his hoof. The lightshow ending at the reveal of a strange object. An hourglass, made clearly of ice, that seemed to hold lavender coloured liquid fire that started dripping down to the bottom half of the hourglass.

“It seems we have to use our Hourglass of Lavender Fire and Ice, Bounded” Dallasite then said, eyeing the stallion. “You have exactly two weeks before the liquid fire empties. If you fail to make a resolute decision, the fire will extinguish all three of your vessels. Leaving the world without you. So I suggest you come to terms with fate before then. We’ll be back when it ends” Dallasite then explained. Before Sour could even protest at the sheer idea of the hourglass, much less what he perceived as threats, the pair of Alicorns departed as Sour was left alone with the Hourglass. Slumping on the floor, tears now forming as he knew he was going to be forced to go to the Spring. Either that, or he’d die. Minutes felt like hours as he heard the front door open. Cluttered and Soundwave’s voices echoing through the hall as they entered the guest bedroom and almost screamed at the existence of the Hourglass. But Sour couldn’t speak. The words he wanted to form weren’t coming to him. Like a writer without inspiration, he simply formed incoherent and incomplete stuttered gibberish through his tears. Then, after a few moments of this gibberish, Sour faded from the waking world. The weight of his fate too much to bear. All Cluttered, Soundwave, Sweet and Acidic when they both got home could do was wait for the Earthpony to wake. Everything now rested on Sour.

Author's Note

So, Chapter 14 is finally up! As in, the REDUX! Hoping y'all enjoy!