Adventures Are No Fun.

Screech and Melodie cuddled under a warm blanket on the dining table. Melodie sat comfortably tucked under her somepony special's wing with her new plush under both of their chins.

Screech sipped her tea. "How is every pony doing?"

"We are doing... fine. We are worried. Bobo tried to keep us calm by saying your letters were taking a while to get to us because you are far away now. I could not risk it."

"How is Vinyets?"

Melodie laughed. "It has only been three days. Our garden is fine." She regretted her choice of words when Screech failed to stifle a hiss.

Screech sipped her tea. She gently placed her cup on the table. "It is confusing. Being here. I feel trapped. I am trapped. No more trapped than I was in Luna's. I feel helpless. I don't like being helpless. Being with you, our friends too, helps me feel less helpless. I feel better just sitting here with you."

Melodie sat quietly and waited for Screech to gather her thoughts.

"I can't fly here." Screech puckered her lips. "That is not what I wanted to say. I am mad." Screech smiled. "That is it! I am mad. I am mad at my papa, Guilded and Glitter." She breathed a sigh of relief. "I want to go to the post office and figure out why my letters are not being sent. That is my top priority." She jumped off the table. "We can cuddle after we get back. I don't want Carver or the others to worry about me."

"I sent a letter to Carver the day you were adopted," Melodie hopped off the table. "She knows you are in Cloudsdale. I have a letter for you from her in my bag."

"I will read it after we get back." Screech put off talking to Second again and trotted toward the post office.

The post office was a rectangle. The floor was a square. The ceiling was very high. Thousands of letters and hundreds of shelves covered the walls. Everything was made out of thick sheets of wood. Half a dozen pegasi flew through the air sorting letters.

Screech marched up to the young mare at the high wooden counter. "My name is Screech Stormchaser. You lost four letters I sent to my friends."

Tappy looked horrified. "I am so sorry miss. She picked up a stack of papers and flipped through them. I will find your letters in two shakes of a pony's tail." She flipped with surprising speed. She stopped and let out a sigh of relief. "Your letters were not lost. They were burned. Says here you are foreigner trying to send letters to Ponyvill and Canterlot."

"You burned my letters!"

"No. Burned is just an expression. We shredded them. Can't start a fire up here."

"I have family in Canterlot and Ponyvill," hissed Screech.

Tappy nodded. "According to my report your letters contained dangerous policies capable of causing great harm."

"You read my letters!" snapped Screech. Her cheeks burned. She wrote a very embarrassing letter to Melodie the day she arrived. "Wait! Don't tell me! The dangerous policies. I wrote a love letter to a filly."

Tappy shook her head. "That filly is lucky you can't poison her mind anymore. Foreigners," she spat.

Melodie placed her hoof on Screeche's. "We should go."

Screech took a deep breath. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her ears rang. Her stomach turned up side down. She took a deep breath. Her teeth clenched. Her wings twitched. She pressed her fore hooves against the floor so hard it started to splinter.

"Screech, you are better than this!" snapped Melodie. "I will never forgive you if you start attacking random ponies."

Screech stopped breathing all together. Her ears dropped. "Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. Thank you for stopping me."

"You would not have hurt her," assured Melodie. "You are going through a lot, and you lose your temper. That is normal. Lets head back."

Screech shook her head. "I have to let our friends know I am okay." She hissed. "I know a pony who can help."

Razzle sat in Wonderbolt Park among all of the other Secondary Junior Wonderbolt Trainee Understudy Considerats. She wore a pretty smile and nodded along to a conversation.

Screech walked up to the eathpony. She could not tell if her acquaintance was a part of the conversation or not. "Hey Razzle. Still training?"

Razzle's smile grew and became much less pretty. "Screech, I was just telling my friends about you."

Screech heard two of the fillies scoff quietly. One mockingly whispered 'friends?' and two more giggled.

"Sit with us," said Razzle.

Thirty five fake smiles pointed at the bat pony in an instant.

"I would rather chew glass," said Screech acidly. "Can I talk to you over there?"

Razzle stopped smiling. "No. That was very rude of you. apologize."

Screech thought for a moment. "No. I am not sorry."

Razzle forced a laugh. "The sense if humor on this one. She is joking." She stared daggers. "Apologize!"

Melodie placed her hoof on Screeche's. "Do what you think is right."

"You should see the look on your face," laughed Screech. "Admit it you thought I was serious for a second."

"No I didn't," Razzle let out a deep breath. "I was worried they would think you were serious."

Screech reluctantly sat. Melodie sat beside her.

Razzle, Screech and Melodie all nodded along to a conversation they were not allowed to join. The talk about which male junior wonderbotls they most wanted to marry.

Razzle gave screech an odd look. "What happened to your wing?" She whispered as not to disturb her friends.

Screech looked at her wings. It took her a moment to realize what the question was. "Nothing. I decided I didn't want to wear my prosthetic."

The earth pony furrowed her brow. "You look crippled without it. You should wear it all the time." She smiled.

Screech smiled back. "I don't care. My prosthetic is heavy. It gets uncomfortable to wear after a few hours. I can't fly even when I do wear it. And most important of all, I didn't feel like wearing it today." She kept her tone soft and sweet like she was talking to a foal.

Razzle opened her mouth.

Melodie's eyes glowed green. "Please don't." She looked over the pegasi. None of them noticed.

"Who are you?" asked Razzle.

"I am Screeche's-" Melodie barely stopped herself in time. "Best friend."

Screech put her hoof on Melodie's. "She is my mare friend."

"You are gay?" Razzle whispered so quietly even bat pony ears could barely pick up on the sound.

"Yes," Screech proudly declared.

Razzle placed her hoof on Screeche's shoulder. "Don't worry you will get through it."

Screech was not sure how to react. "Thanks."

"Could you be a little more loud?" snapped Treble. "We are only trying to have a conversation."

Razzle smiled and stayed quiet.

Razzle easily convinced the mail ponies to deliver any letter or package Screech gave them unopened and with post haste. She only had to smile, wave and remind them who her father was.

The post office lent Screech a typewriter to write new letters to her friends.

Melodie kissed her Screech plushy before sending her off with the letters. Screech saw the kiss and pursed her lips.

Sky lights covered most of the high kitchen ceiling. Every surface in the kitchen was white. White counter tops, cabinets, floors, curtains and cookie jars. A large service entrance was tucked into the corner so caterers could get in and out quickly.

Screeche covered her sunglasses with her hoof. "Is it brighter in here than out side?"

"Yes," said Razzle with pride. "Mom wanted her kitchen to be a warm bright place for ponies to gather."

Melodie wiped dust off the counter top. "Does your house have more than one kitchen."

"Yup. We mainly use the small kitchen. This kitchen is reserved for when we have guests over."

"Thanks for inviting us over," said Screech.

"It is my pleasure," assured Razzle. "I enjoy having friends over."

"How long have you been a member of a cult?" asked Melodie. She sat at a white kitchen island.

"It is not a cult," scolded Screech. She sat beside Melodie. "Sorry she is obsessed."

"They are taught to worship the military, the military that killed your family, and encourage others to buy merchandise to show they also belong to a special social class." Melodie stamped her hoof on the counter for emphasis. Dust flew into the air. "How is that not a cult?"

Screech thought for a few seconds. "I am sorry. I am just so used to you accusing things of being cults I assumed you were wrong."

Razzle scoffed. "Who cares if it is a cult? They are going to make me rich and famous. Did the Wonderbolts actually kill your family?"

"Yeah. They tried to stage a coup. Most ponies on my mother's side of the family were assassins and rodeo ponies. My mama never killed anypony. She was too valuable to risk. My immediate family never killed any pony." Screech laughed nervously.

"Neither has Screech," added Melodie.
Razzle nodded. "Killing is gross."

"You never answered my question," pointed out Melodie. "How long have you been in a cult?"

"All my life. My mother was a dance coach when I was born."

Three loud knocks came on the service door.

Razzle ran to the door. She took a wooden crate from a delivery pony.

"I got something for you," exclaimed Razzle. She placed a box of mangoes on the island. A bright red sticker on the box read 'One hour delivery'. "These are for you Screech."

"Thanks." Screech handed a mango to Melodie. She tossed a mango to Razzle. She took another mango and bit it. "These are pretty good."

"Now that your letters are sent do you want to talk about your family?" asked Melodie.

Screech took a deep breath. "Not yet. What has every pony been doing without me?"

"Hazard is making a mosaic window in honor of Strawberry Lemonade's latest accomplishments," said Melodie.

"It is rude of you to talk about your former friends like I am not here," stated Razzle.

"Current friends," corrected Melodie.

"Sorry," said Screech. "We should talk about something else for now."

A long awkward silence filled the kitchen.

"Do you want to kiss me?" asked Screech.

Melodie sucked in a sharp breath. "That is a loaded question. I can't say 'No I don't want to kiss you'. I also can't say 'Yes. I know the though of kissing brings back bad memories and makes you physically sick, but I would love to kiss you anyway.'"

"If Seam didn't... If I wanted to kiss you would you kiss me?"

"I am not answering that." Melodie turned to Razzle.

"Why not? I already know the answer."

"Because you already know the answer. You want to feel bad about yourself. I refuse to help you self deprecate."

"You don't want to kiss me. You hate me," accused Screech."

"I love you! I asked you to be my mare friend," pointed out Melodie.

"You think I am gross because I dated Scoops."

"I think Scoops is gross. You are wonderful. Not even she could taint you."

"Then why don't you want to kiss me?"

"The same reason you don't want to kiss me."

"You think I am a bad mare friend."

Melodie was caught off guard. "No. Of course not." Her eyes filled with tears. "I am sorry I made you feel that way. You are a wonderful mare friend."

Screech hugged Melodie. "Please don't cry. You didn't make me feel like a bad mare friend. I saw you kiss the plushy Screech and lost my head. I thought you wanted to kiss me and are holding back because you know I don't like kissing."

"I am not holding back. I genuinely do not want to kiss you. I don't want to kiss you because you don't like kissing. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Kissing is a vice," added Razzle. "You could not be on the Wonderbot cheer squad if you liked kissing."

Screech rolled her eyes. "I am not joining the cheer squad." She still hugged Melodie.

Screech sat on a bench in Wonderbolt Park her flank pressed against Melodie's. Young pegasi and their pet birds flew over head laughing and having the times of their lives.

"I hope you are happy my beloved Screech," read Carver's letter. "Your friends in Ponyville told me you probably didn't get my last letter. I didn't get your last letter either. They also told me you have been adopted. I am happy for you. I know this does not feel like a blessing. Being sent to Ponyville didn't feel like a blessing either. A fresh start can be a good thing. My new home does not have nearly as much stuff in it. I miss my old home but this is better. I know this must be hard for you. I wish you were back in Canterlot. I miss you." Her letter continued for three pages. "I will see you at the Cloudsdale rodeo <3," the letter concluded.

Screech stared at Carver's letter. Melodie could not stay in Cloudsdale forever. Would letters be all she would receive from her family in Ponyville? How long was Glitter lonely before she gave up?

"Are you okay?" asked Melodie.

Screech put the letter in her bag. "Yeah," she choked out.

"What park does not have any trees?" complained Melodie. "Platinum Park is built in a cave and it has trees."

"Cloudsdale is the worst," agreed Screech.

"Do you want to talk about how it feels to live here yet?"

Screech nodded. "I have mixed emotions about it." She blushed. "I am sorry. I want to hate it more," she assured. "But not everything in Cloudsdale is horrible. I like Success and Glitter. Razzle is alright. I do want to return home as soon as possible. I don't want any of you to think I could ever replace you."

Melodie nodded. "I am happy you are not miserable." She smiled. "The others will be too. We have managed to have some fun without you. You don't need to feel guilty about not missing us every second of every day."

Screech pressed her lips together. She did not agree.

Melodie gently bit Screehes shoulder. Screech smiled and gently bit her mare friend back. Kissing was probably overrated.

A big beautiful falcon cut across the sky. Her long grey feathers shined under the sun light. She was twice as fast as the pegasi. After three laps around the park she grabbed a pet canary in her long sharp talons. A chirp and and blood escaped her lethal grip.

Screech's ears perked before the colt started screaming. She looked around quickly. She caught the scent of the falcon in seconds. A lasso spun above her head in moments. She threw hard and pulled harder.

Gauntlet watched his falcon from the ground. The moment he cheered for his bird's successful murder a thick rope wrapped tightly around his neck and pulled him to the ground. He tried to regain his hoofing, but he was dragged too quickly. His flank and fore legs bled by the time he lay in front of a livid bat pony.

"Call your bird back now!" screamed Screech.

Gauntlet shoved both hooves in his mouth and huffed. He tried three times before whistling. The large grey falcon landed on his brown pleather glove.

A pegasus colt sat on the ground weeping.
Screech kicked Gauntlet in the chest. His coughing did not drown out the crying. She kicked him again.

"Screech, deep down you are a horrible violent pony," warned Melodie, "If you let yourself become that pony I will never forgive you."

"He killed a pet," growled Screech.

"I know," said Melodie softly. "Killing him will not bring back Mrs. Meowsys."

Screech stomped on Gauntlet's fore leg. "I am not going to kill him." She lowered her muzzle to Gauntlet's. "Murder is wrong," she growled.

Gauntlet cried and squirmed under the younger bat ponie's large strong hoof. "I am sorry! I am sorry! Please let me go. I will never hurt another bird again."

Screech tugged on her rope. "Don't interrupt us!"

Adults stood around watching the 'fight' and complaining the parents of the two trouble makers were nowhere to be seen. One of them almost suggested stopping the bat pony.

Melodie took the falcon in her hooves. "I am going to drop this bird off at an animal shelter. If you come with me you can hiss at the dogs and play with the cats."

Screech stood as still as a statue.
"Please?"

Screech huffed. She took the rope and stuffed in her bag.

Screech smiled at a bird cage with a kitten in it. She winced at the treads on his collar. She knew cats could not walk on clouds without magic items. She would have sewed the magic collar to the cat's leg not its neck, or made collars with locks on them.

Half a dozen scorpions struggled to fit into a small cage hanging from the ceiling. Two garden snakes and a viper shared a small rusted cage. A hundred birds squawked and sang and beat their wings against their cages.

"No! No! No! Out! Out! Out!" Checkers waved her hoof at the door frantically. "Foreigners are not allowed!" Bird poop, wet and dry, stained her black mane. "She saw the falcon. "No! We have too many birds as it is!"

"Where can we take her?" asked Melodie.

Chechers poined at the door. "Out!"

"We do-"

"Out!"

Screech stared at all the birds trapped in cages of ponies making. Her ears rang. The birds were horribly loud and their screams high pitched. The room started to tilt. Her vision blurred. Her head pounded. Something felt wrong, but her head was too clouded to figure out what.

"We are going. Just tell us where to drop the bird off."

Screech collapsed. "It hurts," she moaned.

Melodie grabbed her mare friend's bag and fished out her ear plugs.

Everything got much quieter. The floor felt even. Screech blushed. "Sorry. I was lost in thought. Do you think that colt is going to be okay?"

Melodie nodded. "You got joy out of killing dogs and you are okay now."

Screech violently emptied the contents of her stomach onto the floor. It was a connection she was going to make eventually, but she could not help but being a little mad at Melodie. She contemplated taking out her ear plugs to muddy her vivid memories of the past.

Checkers sighed. She walked away.

Melodie winced. "That is not what you were asking? Sorry. I don't think you hurt him too badly."

An overweight stallion with cracker crumbs in his frazzled grey beard pointed his broom at Melodie. "Put the bird back. Foreigners can't be trusted with pets. Probably eat the poor thing." Pellets jabbed Screech in the chest with his corn broom. "Out with ya."

Melodie placed the falcon on the broom.

Screech struggled to her hooves. "You are not a monster," she assured the grey bird. "You can make up for this."

Melodie and Screech left without the bird.

Melodie sat beside her mare friend at the broken kitchen table. Second and Success were nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Second?" asked Screech. She poked her salad with a fork.

"With a friend," assured Glitter. "That pony would never risk letting Second into his house. He is vile not foalish."

Screech nodded.

"You are not eating," said Melodie.

"My stomach hurts," said Screech. "He deserved it."

Melodie leaned against her somepony special. "No he didn't. I am disappointed in you." She put a fore leg around her bat pony holding her.

Glitter stared daggers at Melodie. "Is she the reason you want Second to date a stallion?"

Screech looked up from her plate. Her skin crawled. "You mean colt right?"

Glitter gave Screech an odd look. "No. What difference does that make? Stallions and colts are both male."

Screech just sat perfectly still. She didn't even have the strength to hiss.

"That seems like the kind of thing you should tell the police!" snapped Melodie.

Glitter scoffed. "Don't talk to me like that foreigner."

"Who is he!" demanded Melodie her eyes glowed green. "Tell me everything you know about the stallion who is... violating your son!"

"He is a judge a few years older than I am." said Glitter. She didn't speak another word no matter how long Melodie stared at her.

"I am going to hunt him down and kill him!" whispered Screech.

"No you are not!" yelled Meolodie. "Monsters kill! You- we are going to do this the right way!" She gently placed a hoof on Shecreche's shoulder. "Sorry for yelling. You are not going to kill him. I will protect you from yourself. We will stop him the right way."

"Where is Second!"

Melodie stared at Glitter. Her eyes did not glow. "Don't answer that. She needs to rest."

"Eat your dinner," said Glitter. "Second will be back tomorrow. You can talk to him after school."

Screech hissed. Tears ran down her face and she hissed.