The cart jumbled rapidly as we dashed through the forest, barely taking the time to ascertain a suitable path. The sides slammed into trees on multiple occasions, each time sending me flying into one of the four walls. I was lucky that there was a back gate to the cart, or else I would’ve been flung out long before we even entered the forest.

“S-S-S-S-Slo-o-o-w-w d-d-d-o-o-o-wn!” I managed to stutter out.

“Can’t!” Maul called back, skirting around another tree.

I slammed into the side of the cart again, the cracks all along my body flaring up.

In our mad dash through the forest, Maul was the only mercenary in speaking range. I managed to catch a few glimpses of the others every time I bounced, but they would always diverge away before I could say anything as they filtered through the trees.

“I-I-I-I’m-m g-g-go-o-ing-g-g t-to b-b-break-k-k-k!”

I didn’t have any arms to stop myself from moving, and I no longer had any cushion to protect myself from the impacts and vibrations. It was only a matter of time before I fell to pieces. My arm was actually in the cart with me, but it was already in two… no, three pieces.

“I don’t care.” A new voice joined in, it sounded like Captain Morningstar. “We are leaving town immediately, we’ll put you back together once we’re on the road.”

We’re leaving now? But our next job was tomorrow, and I still had to go back to the forest.

I gasped, “Th-The f-f-forest-t!” I exclaimed, “M-M-My r-rew-ward!”

“Forget about it! We’re about to become wanted across the entire state! We can’t afford to stay any longer!”

“I c-c-can’t!” I argued, “M-My t-to-oe!”

Captain Morningstar stayed silent for a moment, and I worried that he moved too far away to hear, then he gave a single, sharp whistle. The cart slowed to a stop, and I immediately slid forward, my head bonked against the front panel, and my neck cracked. Captain Morningstar then peered over the side of the cart.

“Is it really that important to you?”

“Yes.” I answered without hesitation.

He sighed, pressing a hoof into his forehead as he rolled his jaw. “Can you get it done right now?”

“Uh… maybe?”

“How fast?”

“Mmm…” I looked down at my legs. Despite being tossed around with reckless abandon, they remained attached, and although they were heavily cracked, they could still move without breaking. I slowly brought my knees up, then got into a sitting position. “It will be just like the patrol.” I finished,

Captain Morningstar muttered something, then looked up at the sun through the canopy. “You have two hours. If you’re not at the edge of the forest by then, then you’re getting left behind.”

“I’ll be there.” I tried to give as serious of an expression as I could, it probably looked really stupid with my cracked, ash covered face.

“You better.” Captain Morningstar growled, “We’re not doing all of this for nothing.” He stepped back, pulling the gate down. “Get up, get out, and go get your reward.”

I scooted over to the end of the cart, then slowly slid my way down to the ground. I wobbled a bit as I landed on my feet, a very distinct clicking sound coming from my legs. I grimaced, while Captain Morningstar lowered his gaze with me.

“I can walk.” I took a shaky step forward, then another. “And if something happens, I can get help.”

Captain Morningstar’s scowl deepened, but he eventually sighed, “Fine.” He whistled again, the other mercenaries gathering around us, “Here’s the plan. Fletch, Duck, head back to the inn and begin packing up all of our stuff,” he reached under his chestplate and pulled out a key, tossing it over to Dr. Duck.

“Maul, take the cart back to the inn, load everything up, then return to the forest’s edge.” Captain Morningstar continued, “Indigo, you’re with me again, we’re going to go see if our client is willing to leave a day early.”

“What about us?” Rusty asked, with Dagger stepping out from behind him.

“Make sure we’re not being followed. Then meet up with Maul at the edge of the forest. Got it?”

“Got it.” Rusty replied,

“Does everypony know what they’re doing?” Captain Morningstar asked,

“Sir yes sir.” I couldn’t salute this time.

“Good, then let’s move out,” He waved his hoof,

Fletch and Dr. Duck both nodded, then they took off, fluttering through the canopy and into the sky. I blinked, and watched them go, it was my first time actually seeing a pegasus fly. It didn’t look like it was something they should be able to do, but once again, it was something I knew they could.

Dagger and Rusty doubled back into the forest. We had managed to lose our followers pretty early on, but we were travelling by cart, so I imagine it wasn’t the hardest to track us.

Indigo moved over to the cart to place something inside, and she looked at the multitude of shards lining the floor of it. “You want to put your arm back on?” She asked,

I shook my head, then looked towards Captain Morningstar, “It’ll take too long.”

He nodded, and Indigo shrugged, before closing the back of the cart. The next moment it was off, with the last remaining pair of mercenaries splitting off in a different direction.

The forest fell silent again, and I looked around a bit, watching, waiting. I knew what I needed to do, but with no arms and damaged legs, it wasn’t going to be easy.

“Shinsha!” I called out.

It took a moment, but they fluttered into view, coming from the direction we just came from. They had actually been in the cart during the whole dragon debacle. We debated the effectiveness of a single-use flashbang, but we quickly agreed that it wasn’t worth it. A single puff of flame would be enough to take Shinsha out, and unless they were right up in the dragon’s face, they weren’t going to do much.

High risk, low reward, so they ended up sitting on the sidelines.

They were instructed to stay out of view as well, if Sir Manuscript saw a Breezie just hanging out by the cart… Well, I didn’t want to give him anything else to pick at. So I don’t know how much of the fight Shinsha actually saw, but once we got up and moving, they quickly left their hiding spot. Getting jolted around like that wasn’t very comfortable, I should know.

They had been trailing behind ever since, and was just now catching up.

“Phos, Phos!” They exclaimed, sounding a bit winded. They audibly gasped as they noticed my injuries, and began circling me rapidly while chirping up a storm.

“I’m okay… I think.” I looked down at myself.

I was covered in ash and soot and partially scorched plants and dirt. More and more pieces were flaking off with every movement, revealing heavily cracked crystal underneath. I was missing both arms, and I was standing lopsided in order to favor a more ‘together’ leg. My whole body was fractured, some places more than others. My face was cracked, and so were my eyes, I could tell because it actually distorted my vision. I was seeing double, triple, and maybe even quadruple in a kaleidoscopic pattern.

I had a hard time telling exactly where Shinsha was in the air in front of me.

My body was doing its best to fix itself though, and my vision was slowly clearing, along with some other major cracks in my crystal. It would take a long time to fully heal however, and that was time I didn’t have.

“I need to see Iphthime and Lycus, it’s an emergency.”

Shinsha lingered around me for a moment, then buzzed off to the side. “Okay, okay. Follow, follow.”

Taking a step forward, I winced as my ankle shifted. My next few steps were done with extreme caution, the ground had to be absolutely clear if I was going to place my foot there. In a forest, that wasn’t exactly a common occurrence. Still, I started walking, trundling through the underbrush with care and vigilance.

♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦ ♥ ♦

It was safe to say that my pace was not very fast, as much as I wanted it to be. I couldn’t really push through the foliage anymore, so I had to avoid anything that looked too tough, which mainly just meant going around it. It felt like I had spent thirty minutes just walking through the forest. I had no accurate reference for time, but I did know I was on a strict time limit, so I wanted to get to the glade as fast as possible.

Something not easily done when every branch or bush was now an impassable wall. At least Shinsha was a good guide, they quickly realized how much I was struggling, and started leading me through places that were much less packed, even if it meant more of a detour.

I could not tell you how happy I was to see the thick walls of a glade come into view, which presented another problem: getting through them.

This wasn’t the sanctuary, it wasn’t a wall of solid wood meant to protect, it was a line of plants meant to obscure. Yet even that was too much for me. The wide leaves and stalks were now an immovable object, and I definitely wasn’t an unstoppable force.

The best I could do was simply bite down on a leaf to try and pull it away, but it would just snap back into place as soon as I let go. It was then that Shinsha called upon the rest of the Breezies, and with their combined efforts, they managed to open up a small gap in the foliage. I quickly slipped through, thanking each and every one of them in the process.

It was so much better being in the glade. Not only was there a sense of safety, but the entire area was blanketed with just grass, meaning I could move around without much issue. It was the pond glade too, which meant I was probably closer to town. That was relieving, I could almost get back on my own if I didn’t have to worry about breaking every other step.

Breezies were already filtering in and out of the glade, there was much more activity here than the last time. That might’ve been because of me, I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.

It didn’t take long for the wind to pick up, but no deer immediately made themselves known.

That was until a voice came from my side.

“Oh dear,” Iphtime began, “I had hoped to try and surprise you again, but it looks like that is not possible.”

I only flinched slightly at her appearance, but even that was enough to make my body crackle. “Thank you for noticing,” I looked down at myself again, “Today’s been tough.”

“You are early.” Iphtime stated,

“Yes, I know, and I’m sorry.” I bowed my head slightly, “But a lot of things have happened, and I don’t think I can come back here tomorrow.”

“Oh?” Iphthime tilted her head, “What has happened?”

“I fought a dragon.” I shrugged, “Almost got eaten because of it, and my disguise has been well and truly destroyed.” I raised both arm stumps and pointed them down at myself. “The ponies know what I really am now.”

“And that is a bad thing?” Iphtime asked,

“Yeah.” I sighed, “enough to the point where we have to leave town and maybe even the state as a whole. So…” I looked up at her, “This might be the last time I get to visit the forest.”

“Oh my.” Iphthime said, “That is troubling.”

I nodded, “So I wanted to talk to you before I left, about getting my toe back, and the reward you mentioned, to say goodbye, and…” I trailed off, “and I wanted to talk to Lycus.”

“Of course.” Iphthime smiled, “Allow me to retrieve him.”

She disappeared back into the shrubbery, and I just stood there.

This was it, this was where I had to say goodbye. After everything that’s happened though… Yeah, I still wanted to leave, but I also wanted to see if Lycus could actually be a respectable individual. There were some ups and some downs, but my overall experience in this forest has been pretty enjoyable actually. It almost felt like a shame to just leave it at that, but there was simply no way I could stay.

Oh well, if this was goodbye, might as well make it a good goodbye.

I looked down at myself once more, opened my mouth to say something, and promptly started walking towards the pond. There was absolutely no way I was going to let Lycus see me like this. I couldn’t just say goodbye while covered in the remains of a disguise, if I was going to say goodbye, I was at least going to do it looking presentable.

The first few steps into the pond were tentative, the banks were a bit more rocky than the surrounding area, and certainly more slick, but there was a layer of mud underneath that kept it from being too rigid. Chunks of my charred disguise immediately started to break off and float away, and as I sunk deeper and deeper, I began to… I don’t know, scrub it off?

I didn’t have arms. So the most I could do was just shake my body slightly and hope it would come off. It did, thankfully, and the pond took on a bit of a murkier color.

The water was nice though. It took a lot of the weight off my body, and prevented any sudden or jerky movements. I could be much more at ease when fully submerged, despite the fact that if I broke here, it would be much harder to get my pieces back out.

Movement from above interrupted my thoughts, and I quickly began trudging my way back out of the pond. Iphthime had just entered the glade again, followed by…

I squinted at the other individual.

Was that Lycus? He looked different.

The leaves on his antlers had grown so much that they were now more like vines that draped down over his face. His fur was unkempt and slightly dirty, it might have even lost its previous glow. He was in a slouching position, and…

Was that a five o’clock shadow?

His eyes met mine from beneath the shaggy look, and his jaw dropped. He immediately pulled the vines back, draping them over his antlers a few times before hastily smoothing down his coat. He then breathed on his hoof and smelled it, winced, stamped the ground, grew a flower, and promptly stuffed it in his mouth. After chewing for a moment, he swallowed heavily, then gasped for breath.

“You didn’t tell me Phos was here!”

I eyed Iphthime from the side.

“Oh.” She raised a hoof to her face to cover a smirk, “I guess I did not. Forgive me.”

With an eye roll, I began “Hello, Lycus. I have something to tell you.”

He looked over to me again, “Woah, what happened to you?”

“I got to fight a dragon.”

“Cool…” His eyes landed on my shoulders. “Did you lose your other arm too?”

“I still have it,” I shook my head, “It’s just not currently attached.”

“Oh thank goodness,” Lycus muttered, “It took so long just to make the one…”

“Huh?”

He made eye contact with me for a moment, before shaking his head, “Oh! Um… It’s… nothing, don’t worry about it.”

Iphthime nudged him in the side, “Go on. Show her what you have been working on.”

“But it’s not done yet!” Lycus complained, “I’m still putting on the finishing touches.”

“You said that yesterday.” Iphthime sighed, “Is it not good enough as it is now?”

Lycus grumbled for a moment, pawing at the grass, “I guess…”

He dragged his hoof in the dirt, and the plants shifted around it. Great vines spread across the ground, snaking their way out of the glade. A moment later they went taut and started receding. It didn’t take much longer for them to drag a log into the clearing, bringing it to Lycus’s side before lifting it up off the ground.

“H-Here.” He pushed it forward and looked away.

“What…?” I trailed off, stepping closer to the log.

I could immediately tell it was hollow, but it wasn’t some rotten log like you would think. It was perfectly clean, and probably completely alive as well. Lycus then ran his hoof along the side, and the log split, a bunch of sap spilling out of the crack.

Like the gooiest chest ever, the log opened, revealing a basin full of amber colored sap.

Amber…

“Is that what I think it is?” I asked, watching as sap continued to flow down the sides.

As the liquid volume fell, something solid remained in the center, something that was the same golden color as the rest of the sap, something that was just as transparent and shiny, something that looked remarkably hand shaped.

“We did say we would restore your arm,” Lycus began, “I figured I could try something like this.”

“I-” I was speechless, only able to stare as the rest of the sap drained away, leaving a still sticky, but fully formed arm of amber.

Lycus then picked it out of the log, and presented it to me.

I stood still, but when he moved forward, so did I. He held it out, and I slowly raised my stump. Lycus then looked at me and smiled, before placing the arm against it, holding it there. It was already perfectly shaped to match the break.

“I hope this works.”

“It won’t be instant.” I muttered,

Some of the residual resin bunched up around the contact point from the pressure, and it quickly started to dry, losing its sheen and dulling quite a bit.

…

That didn’t seem natural, was that because of me or Lycus?

I pulled the arm out of his grasp, and it stayed attached. I couldn’t move it though, so I could only assume it was the stickiness of the sap. Perhaps that was something we could use in the future, just in case we needed to hold things in place.

“So.” Lycus pulled back a bit, “Now we wait?”

“For now…” I couldn’t take my eyes off the amber.

“Okay.” Lycus let out a sigh of relief, “What did you want to tell me then?”

That certainly caught my attention again, and I looked up at him for a bit.

“I uh… I… I… I-I…” I stuttered,

Lycus gasped, “Please tell me that you’re going to say ‘I love you!’”

“What?!” I exclaimed, “No, but… I… I…”

How do I tell him this? How do I tell him that I unknowingly confessed my love to another, and they accepted?! Right after he gave me a new arm as well!

I rushed to cover my face with a hand. Then stopped to stare at it.

“Yes!” Lycus cheered, “It works!”

Iphthime smiled, “Well done,” She patted him on the back.

“It… works…” I echoed, inspecting the hand.

It was still covered in sap, but it was the same general shape as my previous one. I don’t know if it had all the details perfectly, but it both moved and felt… normal. I could move all the fingers, I could twist the wrist, and even though the seam was right on my elbow, I could extend and contract it with ease. I don’t know if that was on my part or Lycus’s, but right now, I had my arm back.

And yet, I could only be so happy. Lycus has done so much for me, and what have I done in return? He had to know.

“I’m sorry.” I began,

“What?” Lycus asked, “Why?”

“I…” I sighed, “I… I have… done something pretty despicable…”

I cringed as soon as I uttered that word. I mean I had a pretty good excuse, but it still happened, and I still chose to commit.

“What did you do?” Lycus asked, looking a bit confused. He glanced between me and Iphthime for a few moments, but she just nodded towards me each time.

“I… Have…” I gulped, “Named a Breezie…” I finally gasped out. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know what it meant at the time. I can’t take it back now, and now that I’m leaving, I couldn’t just leave you in the dark like that.” I said rapidly, if I was bowing any lower, I might’ve fallen over.

“Oh, is that all?” Lycus asked,

“Huh?” I looked up at him, he didn’t even look upset.

“Which Breezie?”

“Um…” I pointed out Shinsha in the air, “Shinsha.”

“That’s fine.” Lycus shrugged,

“Hu- Wh- Gu- Bu-” I sputtered, “W-Why?”

“Breezies only live about twenty winters.” Lycus explained, “I can wait that long.”

…

Oh.

Right.

Different things have different lifespans.

I think the average for humans was around seventy, but it was much lower in the middle ages. It was probably the same for ponies. I didn’t know the ages of the mercenaries, but if I had to guess, I’d say there were all below thirty, except for Captain Morningstar of course. Lycus was a hundred years old, and still very much a child. That might put Iphthime somewhere closer to a thousand, though it wasn’t like I was going to ask her that.

If Breezies only lived twenty years, then relatively speaking, it would not be long before I was ‘available’ again.

“Oh…” I mumbled,

“But you are leaving?” Lycus asked,

“Y-Yes,” I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “I’m going to follow the mercenaries. I’m here to say goodbye as well.”

“For how long?”

“I-” I froze,

How long was I going to do this?

What was the end goal with the mercenaries?

What were the end goals of the mercenaries?

I could only think of one: Rusty: to get enough money to retire and live comfortably for the rest of his life. Any of the others were a mystery.

Captain Morningstar was old, yet still leading the group. Maybe that’s just what he wanted to do.

Maul was probably a bit simpler, he had strength, and wanted to use it. I don’t think he really cared about the money.

Indigo did care about money, but I don’t think that was her main goal. She seemed to be extremely interested in weird or strange things, like me or Breezies. Maybe she wanted to make a big discovery?

Dr. Duck was different. He wasn’t geared for combat, wasn’t too particular about money, and didn’t seem interested in exploring. Why was he in the group? I guess they needed a doctor, and maybe he wanted to be one.

Dagger… Yeah, I have no idea what he wants.

Fletch though. She didn’t even want to be a mercenary. She wanted to use her skills in a way that wouldn’t hurt anyone, but when your cutie mark is centered around a weapon… That doesn’t make it easy.

And then what about me? What was my end goal with the mercenaries? Do I just accompany them until I feel like I’ve paid off my debt? Or do I keep going until I get bored? How long would it even take for me to get bored? This would be dangerous work though, so I might have to stop if something happens.

And it wasn’t me that I was worrying about.

Sticking with the mercenaries until the end brought about a very uncomfortable truth, something I’m not sure I’ve come to terms with yet.

I would outlast all of them.

I may get damaged or destroyed in the meantime, but the simple reality was that rocks don’t age. I was going to outlive any and every living thing I came across, even if they lived for centuries, like the deer.

“I… don’t know.” I eventually answered, “But… if you’re willing to wait… Then when… I am done with them… I can… come back here.”

Lycus’s eyes widened, and he leaned forward a bit, “Would you?”

I paused. Could I really make a promise like that? I suppose that once things were concluded with the mercenaries, I would have cleared up most of what I started, but what if something else happens while doing that? I already named a Breezie, and now I had to leave them behind because of my priorities.

“Please?”

“I…” I looked deep into his eyes, “...Will. Unless something major happens, I will come back here when I am finished with the mercenaries.”

Lycus immediately let go of the breath he was holding, “I’ll be waiting, then.”

He stepped back, and Iphthime stepped forward.

“Now then, it is time for us to return what is rightfully yours.”

She waved her hoof, and a thick plant rose from the ground. A large bulb sat at the top, which unfurled to reveal my toe, in all its glory, sitting atop a bed of teal petals. I carefully picked it up with my new fingers, then leaned down to affix it to my foot, using some sap to try and hold it in place.

“Thank you.” I nodded to each of them.

Iphthime held her gentle smile, though Lycus seemed to be looking longingly at the now empty bulb.

I pursed my lips and furrowed my brow. It was probably going to be a long time before I saw him again.

“Here.” I reached for the back of my head and pinched my hair.

The crystalline strands were flexible, but they were still crystal, bend them enough and they were going to snap. I grabbed a small patch from the very back, close to the center too, so it wouldn’t leave anything uneven.

“Something to remember me by.” I handed Lycus the clump of my hair.

“Like I would forget you.” He smiled, but still took it.

I chuckled lightly, only for my face to immediately drop. “I might forget you.” I raised both my arms to look at them.

My right arm was replaced, but not the memories in it. My left arm was thankfully still around, but it was detached, who knows what I’m not able to remember without it.

“If that happens…” I trailed off.

What could he even do in that situation? He might be able to help jog my memory, but if I forgot to even return to the forest in the first place, then there was no way for him to reach me. He certainly couldn’t come after me being bound to his duties like that.

“Please forgive me.”

Lycus just stared at me for a moment, before nodding slowly. “...Okay…”

This time I let out a sigh of relief, “Then this is goodbye.” I stood up straight, “Thank you for everything.”

“Thank you.” Iphthime replied, “The forest will not forget your services, I do hope to see you again one day.”

“Me too.” I nodded, then turned to leave,

“Goodbye!” Lycus blurted out,

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Good-bye,”

“Goodbye.” I waved at all of them.

I reached forward to grab the first piece of the foliage in my way, only for it to bend out of the way.

“Oh. Thank you.” I turned back to the deer.

Lycus was staring wide-eyed at me, while Iphthime looked pleasantly surprised.

“That was not us.”

“Huh?” I looked at my new arm, which was giving off a slight green glow. “Oh. Cool…” I glanced back at the deer for a moment, then blinked, “Uh… is this okay for me to have?”

Iphthime hummed, “We have already decided to give you the… amber, was it? Think of it as a bonus.”

“Ooh.” I inspected my hand again, “So I can control plants?”

“It is not control.” Iphthime shook her head, “It is merely an obligation to fulfill your wishes. Do not expect them to break their natural limits.”

“Oh, got it.” I flicked a few fingers to the other side, and the rest of the foliage cleared away. “Thank you, again.”

“You are most welcome. Goodbye, Phosphophyllite.”

Stepping through the opened path, I gave them one last wave before the plants shrouded together again. I was then back in the forest proper, with a few more Breezies popping in to say their goodbyes as well.

That went really well. I was not expecting to get a whole arm as a reward. In fact, I thought it was Iphthime that was going to give me the reward. Coming from her, I thought it would’ve been something decently useful, but not super amazing, like my disguise. Now I knew what Lycus had been working on the last few days, and what a reward it was. A fully functioning arm with built in plant control… No, not control... Influence? I guess?

It certainly made navigating the forest easier. The once solid walls were now doors I had a key to.

I’m glad things turned out well, which just left one more thing to wrap up.

“Shinsha.” I began, turning to look at them.

Of all the Breezies coming to see me, they were the one that remained the closest.

“Eep!” They froze in the air.

What? Were they trying to sneak around or something?

I shook my head, “Look, I knew I would have to leave eventually, but I didn’t realize it would be so soon.”

They reached out to touch my hand, but I pulled it back, “Still sticky,” I mumbled, before trying to wipe some of the resin off on a nearby tree.

“Oh, oh.”

“I really enjoyed these last few days with you, and if I’m not mistaken, you did too.”

Shinsha trilled, practically beaming as they twirled in the air.

“Which makes it all the more harder to say goodbye.”

Shinsha stopped dead in the air, staring at me, “Goodbye, goodbye?”

“I can’t take you away from your home, and I can’t stay here.”

I shook my head again, we’ve been over this already. Shinsha knew I had to leave, but now I might be coming back.

“How old are you?” I asked,

“How, old?” Shinsha repeated, “Hmmm…”

They fluttered in the air for a moment, thinking.

“Five, five.”

Oh, they still had about fifteen years. Fifteen years of being named and alone. Could I be back before that? It was odd to think about, but would the mercenaries even be around in fifteen years? Or at least still around as a group?

“I don't want to give you false hope, but I may return. Please do not waste your life waiting for me though. I..." I did an action similar to swallowing. There was no lump, and there was no throat though. "...hope you can find someone who can truly be with you. Y-You will always be Shinsha to me, and..." I shut my eyes tightly, "I... will do my best not to forget you... Goodbye.”

Shinsha just sat there hovering, before slowly falling to the forest floor. “...Good, bye…”

Argh! My heart!

My feelings, not the organ. I didn’t have the organ. That didn’t make me feel any less bad though.

Still, this was something that had to be done, it was for the best. I slowly turned, and began walking away.

Wait a minute. The best for who?

My best? I didn’t want to have to leave friends behind!

Shinsha’s best? They accepted the name I gave them, they were the first to commit!

The forest’s best? There were hundreds, if not thousands of Breezies in the forest, what difference is one going to make?!

I stopped and looked back, but Shinsha’s green glow was gone from the ground.

…

Well… Whoever’s best it was for, it was happening.

I tried to push that out of my mind as I continued forward. It didn’t take me long to reach the edge of the forest, and the mercenaries' cart was immediately visible close by, filled to the brim with all of their stuff and surrounded by the mercenaries themselves.

“See?!” Fletch called out, pointing at me, “I knew they’d be on time, I told you they’d be on time!”

“Yes, yes.” Indigo responded, “Nopony doubted you, now can we please hurry up? The sooner we leave, the better.”

“Did you get your reward?” Rusty asked,

I just looked at him and gave a very dull wave, “What do you think?”

They all stopped to admire it for a few moments, even Dagger looked over.

“Wow.” Fletch said,

“Fascinating.” Indigo mumbled,

“Pretty.” Maul stated,

“Cool.” Rusty concluded,

“Is everything ready?” I asked,

“Yes!” Indigo answered, exasperated, “We’re just waiting on you, let’s go! The captain is already with the client.”

“Alright, okay.” I held up my new hand, “Is there room on the cart?”

“Just enough.” Dr. Duck called out from the other side, “Unless you want to walk alongside.”

“No thank you.” I carefully climbed into the cart, stepped around the crates, barrels, and bundles of stuff, and found my seat towards the side.

Rummaging around a bit, I found my cloak, and quickly slipped it on. I was going to have to wash out the sap later. I then noticed the bag of arm shards placed next to it.

Oh, how nice. I wonder who did that?

The cart started moving a moment later, and we quickly returned to the dirt road leading to Emulwood. In just a few moments we would be leaving town, our destination being the next state over. Hopefully I won't be as wanted over there as I am here, as getting chased by the government didn’t exactly make things easy.

I gave one last look to the forest, before keeping my eyes fixed on the road ahead.

This was something to be excited about, yet I couldn’t find myself getting very enthusiastic. An entire new chapter of my life was about to open up, but after what just happened, it was hard looking forward, and it was even harder to look back.

I couldn’t wait though. Literally.

To Be Continu-

“Wait, wait!” A tiny voice came from behind,

I barely had time to turn my head before a green light smacked into my face.

“Phos, Phos!” I immediately registered them as Shinsha, “Shinsha, Shinsha! Come with, come with!”

I blinked, “You want to come with?” I asked,

They bobbed up and down rapidly.

“Are you sure?”

“Sure, sure!” Shinsha answered,

I looked around at all the other mercenaries, most of which either didn’t notice, or didn’t care. They had all seen Shinsha already, they were used to them by now. So was I for that matter, I don’t think they would have much of a problem with it. I certainly didn't.

“Okay.” I shrugged, a growing smile on my face.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

The end of Arc 1

Unfortunately, that means there is going to be a little hiatus until the next part is ready. There's a quote that I'm sure avid readers of the manga would want me to use, but I'll hold off on that for now. It will really only be a few months anyway, and it's not like I have a brand new PS5 to distract me.

No, I don't really want to explain what I meant by that.

I have college classes and a job. Not to mention another project is coming down the pipeline, so keep a lookout for that in the future.

I hope you enjoyed this first part. I'm really glad I was able to write something like this.

We've learned so much. There are gods, there are ponies, there are dragons, and there are spirits. Yet there's still so much more to find out.

We've done so much. Walk, talk, run and jump. Pick flowers, save a forest, learn to fight, kill a dragon. Yet there's still so much more to do.

We've acquired so much. Friends, teammates, and perhaps something even closer. A knife, a belt, a cloak, and so many gifts from the forest. Yet there's still so much more to gain.

I hope you eagerly await the journeys ahead, as will I.