Adventures Are No Fun.

In Luna's garden under the warm glow of the hot sun Bobo lifted sections of the bleachers off the ground.

Screech sat on the burned dirt and tried to catch her breath. The cart she bought with her prize money was not as heavy when her friends were not in it.

Hazard showed Screech the blueprints she drew up for the tool shed. It was a fort with braces, plastic windows, a platform keeping it two inches off the ground and allowing water to flow under it, air vents and two fire exits.

Wild talked to a group of moles. He got them to agree to till all of the dirt in exchange for manicures.

Scoops and Melodie were buying seeds and other gardening supplies.

Ham picked up beer cans and threw them like basketballs at, but never into, a bucket.

Screech sat on the ground drawing her dream house on blue paper. "Why do you use pencils?"

Hazard shrugged. "Why do you use crayons?"

"They are fun."

Hazard nodded. "I like pencils. They are accurate. Percice. That wall would collapse."

Screech handed Hazard a crayon.

Ham tossed a can and barely missed the bucket.

Wild tossed a can that bounced off the rim of the bucket before falling to the ground.

Bobo threw a can, in a smooth arc, that landed in the bucket with a clang.

Melodie was looking through the seed selection in Flower's and More Flower's flowers. Flowers and More Flowers being the sisters who owned the gardening supply store.

Melodie looked at the low wood ceiling of the failing business. The almost bare shelves were for sail. Everything was eighty percent off.

"I think Mop likes me," said Scoops.

"Can you talk about something other than colts?" asked Melodie with more measure than she felt.

Scoops laughed. "I slept with Hammock last night."

Melodie sighed. "Other than colts want to sleep with and fillies you have slept with?"

Scoops looked at the seeds for the first time. "When are you going to ask Screech out?"

Melodie jumped. "Lets talk about baseball."

Scoops didn't laugh. "I hate baseball."

Melodie grabbed a random packet of seeds. "Do you want to grow pomegranates?"

Scoops shook her head. "No. High sugar. I don't want to gain weight. How much do you weigh?"

Melodie groaned. She found Scoops to be tedious. "Twenty grams. My body is made of smoke."

"So you will never gain weight no matter how much you eat?"

Melodie took a deep breath. "No," she some how didn't snap. "I would. Just not the same way a pony would."

Scoops smiled. "Good. I would hate you if you could never get fat."

"I hate you in general," muttered Melodie.

Scoops let out one of her rare genuine laughs. "Of course you do. I am horrible."

"No!" snapped Melodie. "Guilded Lilly is horrible. The interpreter of the windgo's will is horrible. Screech can be horrible when she is anxious. You are a teenage slut. You are shallow and annoying. Not horrible."

Scoops looked back at the ceiling. "I am worse than Screech."

Melodie scoffed. "What do you want to grow?"

"Daises. They are fat free. What do you want to grow?"

Melodie picked up a packet for grapes. "Didn't Screech live on a vineyard in Canterlot?"

Scoops smiled. "She did. I think she would love to grow grapes again."

Melodie entered the garden with saddle bags full of trowels, rakes, hoes and gardening books. Scoops had the seeds and watering cans.

Wild was dumping out a bucket of crushed cans. Ham was collecting the cans in his forelegs.

Melodie trotted up to Hazard who was laying on the ground drawing on blue paper. She noticed her friend was so focused she was not blinking. "Hey. I am back. What are your drawing?"

Hazard turned to Melodie and blinked with one eye. She never blinked her glass eye. "A house. I have more paper."

Melodie looked at Hazard's drawing. One of the walls was a giant stain glass window depicting one kitten dozens of times. The door was shaped like a cat. The walls were covered with floating shelves and cat toys.

Melodie nodded. She took a sheet of paper and began drawing with crayons. "Is that building stable?"

Hazard smiled. "Not at all. It was fun to draw."

Screech crouched close to the ground. She could not see her hoof in front of her muzzle. She didn't have her sunglasses. Her tail and wings twitched. She smelled the beast on the wind under the scent of dirt and coffee from the canning factory three blocks over.

She spun on her back hooves and charged. The beast was getting closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Screech leapt into the air. She crashed against a large hard, furry beast. She pulled off her blindfold. "Tag. You are it."

Bobo took the blindfold.

The empty garden was the perfect place for the bat pony and the diamond dog to play nose tag.

Scoops turned up at the garden twenty minutes after Melodie. The ground was free of cans, broken bleachers and charred sticks. Her friends were sitting in a circle giving Moles manicures. She sat in the circle and grabbed an emery board.

"Where have you been?" asked Ham.

"I was taking a walk," said Scoops. "I have never been to this side of Ponyville."

Hazard cocked her head. "We met twelve bocks from here."

"I was taking a walk. I didn't want to help you clear the debris from the garden."

Bobo didn't point out the fact he moved all of the heavy debris alone despite Wild and Ham being in the garden.

"You cold have come to the garden and watched Bobo do all the heavy lifting like te rest of us," said Ham.

With the first steps of staring the garden complete Screech sat on her bed in Luna's. She looked at the hoof drawn Picture on her wall. A perfect house. A big kitchen for storing lots of food. A play room with dolls and toys. A therapy room so she would not have to go to Dr. Red's office tice a week. He could visit and conduct their sessions in her home. Five bedrooms, one for herself and each of her house mates. Hazard was happy in her home and Screech didn't think of adding a guest room. She could have slept on the top half of Screech's bunk bed when Carver was not staying over. Lastly a small dining room for intimate meals together. She liked having family dinners when she lived with the Berrys. All on sheet of dirty blue paper.

Screech was surprised to be invited to the skate park. Ponies had started inviting her places since she fixed up Luna's. She was surprised because she was invited by Hazard.

Hazard wore mat black safety gear despite not being near, let alone on, a skateboard. She wore high traction boots incase she needed to climb out of a bowl.

Screech stood on a board. "Why did you want to come here?" She adjusted the helmet Hazard put on her. "Neither of us know how to skate."

Hazard nodded. "Yeah." She was looking around frantically. Her search stopped as her eye locked onto a colt.

A colt with a light brown coat and a beige mane skated up to Hazard. He smiled at her exposing his mouth guard. His orange non-reflective vest was on tight. His grey helmet was on loose. His grey knee and shin guards secure.

Hazard blushed. "Hello Balze."

"Hey Hazard," said Balze. "I like your helmet."

"Thanks. I like your vest. Is it flame retardant?"

Blaze chuckled. "Of course it is."

"Oh! Right. This is my friend Screech. She wants to learn how to skate."

Blaze smiled at Screech. "Nice to meet you. You are in safe hooves. I promise." He was cute and charming for a colt.

"Are you going to learn how to skate with us?" asked Screech.

Hazard sighed. "Depth perception."

Blaze stepped off his board and picked it up. His deck had a picture of cats on it. "We are going to start off slow and simple."

Incorrect Quotes.
What would you do if the sky was falling?

Screech: "I would tell it I am not interested. The sky is very pretty at night, but looking at it during the day hurts my eyes."

Bobo "Dig a warren and live underground."

Carver: "The sky is so far away it would take ages to make it all the way down here. I would not worry about it."

Scoops: "That is a stupid question."

Hazard: "... ... ..." Starts shaking and breathing heavily. "... ... ..."

Ham: "Splat!"

Wild: "If?"

Ten days before the Ponyville bowling championships.

Ham stood at the bottom of a hill with a train track running up it. His marbled pink and red bowling ball rolled down the hill.

"My throws are really strong today," said Ham. "I am going to win the Ponyville bowling championships for sure."

Wild raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was a team game."

Ham picked up his ball. "It is. I am the best pony on the team."

"The cow is better than you," teased Wild.
Ham shook his head. "Liddy wishes."

A flock of chickens sauntered up to wild. Their heads tuned rapidly and they clucked quietly.

Wild placed a pair of bolt cutters and two rolls of duck tape on the ground. "You can trust Ham. He is cool."

The chickens gathered the cutters and tape leaving behind two cases of beer.

"I don't want you coming," said Ham.
Wild nodded.

"I am serious. You cheered to loudly for Screech at the rodeo and caused other sorts of trouble. I don't want you coming."

Wild chuckled. "You don't have to chase me off with a stick. I like Two Wings. And the rodeo was exciting. I would not show up to a boring bowling championship if you begged me to."

Six days before the Ponyville bowling championships.

Ham rolled his bowling ball across the hopscotch courts in the Platinum Park playground. He bowled his sixth strike in a row.

Bobo ran around the park on all fours carrying kids on his back like a... ... ... bicycle.

Scoops coated the slide in ice making it even more slippery. She stood at the bottom of the slide catching kids before the hit the ground hard enough to break a leg.

Ham rolled his ball. He knocked down a single pin. He sighed loudly and declared. "Don't come to the bowling championships. You are too distracting and I don't want you there."

Bobo stopped running. His tail tucked between his legs and he crouched close to the ground. "Okay. I was really excited to go. But if you don't want me there."

"If Bobo is not invited I am not going!" snapped Scoops.

A filly hit the ground and started screaming. One of her hind legs was bent the wrong way.

Scoops glared at Ham. "Go get Screech."

Four days before the Ponyville bowling championships.

In Luna's new garden, two dozen fillies and colts were watering sprouts. Every pony was so excited to garden Screech and Hazard didn't have anything to do.

Hazard was gluing an adjustable band onto a pair of goggles. Screech was sewing a small reflective vest.

Hazard held up her pair of tiny goggles and smiled. "What do you think?"

"I think those will never fit on you," said Ham.

Hazard giggled. "They are not for me."

"I think they are perfect," said Screech with reassurance. "Rove will love them."

Ham sat on the ground twittleing his hooves.

"I am excited for your bowling championships," said Hazard.

Ham waved his hoof. "You don't have to go."

Hazard frowned. "I will be there."

"I would like to go, but I have therapy that day," said Screech a bit reluctantly. "Sorry."

Ham shrugged. "It is fine. It will just be me and Hazard."

"What about the others?" asked Hazard.

Ham shrugged. "They don't want to go."

Two days before the Ponyville bowling championships.

Ham sat beside Melodie in Luna's cafeteria. None of their friends had arrived yet. He poked at his hay with his hoof. "Hey Melodie."

Melodie looked at ham. She waited for him to continue. "Hey Ham."

There was a long awkward silence.

"The bowling championships are in two days," said Ham.

Meldie nodded. "Cool."

There was a long awkward silence.

"You don't want me to go do you?" asked Melodie.

"No. Just making conversation."

"Okay."

There was a long awkward silence.

The day of the Ponyville bowling championships.

Ham sat with his team in the bowling alley. The championships were about to start. None of his friends had arrived. He guessed Hazard forgot about the game.

"Hey jerk!" Wild yelled from across the room. He waved at Ham.

Bobo ran across the bowling alley and hugged Ham. "Good luck."

Screech flew to Ham's side. "Knock'em dead. Or just down. Your choice."

"Break a leg," Scoops threatened.

Hazard smiled. "I asked the others if they wanted to come and they said yes."

Ham was astonished his friends showed up for his game. "You skipped therapy for me."

Screech laughed at the absurdity of the idea. "Of course not. I rescheduled my session for you."

Ham's friends were loud and distracting. They cheered far too loudly and often. Ham vowed to just invite them to his next championship.

On a rainy day Melodie, Scoops and Ham were standing in a brick store in town square. They sold bricks and only bricks.

"How could the weather team forget to announce rain?" scoffed Scoops. "That is their only job."

"That and making it rain," said Melodie.

Scoops rolled her eyes.

Ham picked up three rubber bricks. "Can you hypnotize me and make me juggle?"

Melodie raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want me to do that?"

"He does not know know how to juggle," said Scoops.

Melodie shook her head. "I can't make you do things you don't know how to do."

"What can you do?" asked Ham.

"Nothing much," said Scoops.

Melodie turned into a cloud of smoke and flew out a window.

Most of Platinum Park was closed to the public. It contained miles upon miles of twisting and winding mine shafts. Sheer drops twenty ponies deep. Fragile tunnels over a two thousand years old just waiting to collapse.

Wild and Bobo stood in one of the former mine tunnels in Platinum Park. The trail of blood lead to a small burrow in the hard rock. There was no natural light. They could only see by the light from a cheap plastic lantern Wild Stole from the gift shop.

Wild stared into the burrow. "I am sorry little kitten. I don't know why those colts were throwing rocks at you, but they are not here. It is safe to come out."

A pair of glowing white eyes blinded Wild. His heart raced and he jumped away from the burrow screaming.

"We have to go!" Yelled Wild. "This tunnel is going to collapse! We have to run!"

Bobo grabbed Wild and held him still in his big strong paws. "Calm down. The tunnel is not going to collapse. I would know if it was going to."

Wild did not calm down. He struggled to break free from Bobo's tight grip. Fear had infected him like venom.

Screech flew down the tunnel and grinded to a stop a few hooves from her friends. "Why do I smell blood and why is Wild screaming!"

"We are trying to rescue an injured cat," explained Bobo.

Screech turned her nose toward the burrow. She turned off the lantern. It was not bright, but she could see better in total darkness. She took off her sunglasses and crouched in front of the small hole.

The glowing white eyes stared at Screech.

Screech looked the cat in the eyes. She smiled and extended a hoof.

The cat slowly inched toward Screech. She stopped and sniffed the ponie's hoof. She crawled on her belly until her nose touched Screeche's.

Screech gently picked up the cat and carefully bit her. Once the cat's wounds were healed she turned the lantern back on.

Bobo carried Wild back to the playground. Screech carried the cat.

Hazard, Melodie and Ham were waiting by the slide for them.

Hazard took one look at Screech and yelled, "Get away from that monster!" She pointed at the cat. "That is a stalker lynx. One look in their eyes causes anxiety and dread. It stalks its prey frightening it until it dies of stress."

Wild rubbed his head. "That explains why Two Wings was not afraid of her. She wears sunglasses."

Hazard shook her head. "Simple sunglasses would not protect you from a stalker lynx."

Scoops shuddered. "What did protect her?"

Hazard shrugged.

Screech looked the little cat in the eyes. "I have been through too much. Too much stress and horror. Too much therapy. Too much group hugs and support from my friends." She scratched under the cat's chin. "Little things like this can't hurt me anymore."

"She is safe now," said Bobo. "We can release her back into the wild."

"No!" yelled Hazard. "Stalker lynx are not indigenous to Ponyville or the Everfree Forest. Either it will die or kill everything else. It must be an escaped exotic pet."

"Or an exotic meal," said Ham. Every creature looked at him. "There is a group of ponies in town who eat exotic animals."

"How do you know that?" asked Scoops.

"Every pony knows that," said Screech. "Mayor Mare is trying to pass a law against eating animals. How do you not know that?"

Scoops blushed. "What are we going to do with the cat? Luna's does not allow pets."

"That pet can kill foals and small fillies," said Hazard.

"Guilded Lilly may let us keep her then," joked Ham.

Every creature looked to Hazard.

"You are the only one who knows anything about stalker lynx," said Screech with a weak smile.

Hazard sighed. "If you can cover its eyes I will take it home for a few days."

Screech placed her mane brush on her bedside table. "Despite the fact Rove is literally terrorizing her entire neighborhood Hazard refuses to donate the lynx to the animal sanctuary."

Bobo laughed. "It has only been four days."

Screech coughed. "What is that smell? Who set a rose bush on fire and put it out with vegetable oil?"

Bobo raised his nose and sniffed. "This way." He took off down the hall.

Screech and Bobo stopped in Luna's cafeteria. In front of them was Ham.

"Why do you smell like a perfume factory caught fire?" asked Bobo.

Ham smiled. "That is my new cologne."

Screech choked. "Go wash it off. I could smell you all the way upstairs."

Ham furrowed his brow. "No. This cologne is going to get me a date."

"Not if the filly can smell," said Bobo.

"Your cologne is killing me."

Ham rolled his eyes. "Of course you think it is too much. You are a bat pony. Bobo is a diamond dog."

Screech flew away; Bobo followed his friend.

Scoops sauntered up to Ham. "Why do you smell like burning compost?"

Ham blushed. "That is my new cologne. You don't like it?"

Scoops took a step back. "No. What is it called?"

"Magma Fury's musk. Apparently girl's love his smell."

Scoops shook her head. "Not any girls I know. And I know a lot of girls. Go wash that off."

Ham thought for a moment. "No. I am already wearing the cologne. I may as well try it out. Maybe Wishy will like it."

Scoops laughed. Ham could not tell if it was genuine or one of her normal laughs. "Wishy she is twice your height. Most mares are taller than you. Why go for the tallest one?"

Ham scoffed. "There is more to her than her height. This is why none of your relationships last."

Scoops horn glowed. Ham's hooves froze to the floor.

Screech noticed she was taller than Wild. She was taller than most colts, but Wild was almost a stallion. He was not getting much taller. Screech always knew she was going to be big. What if she never stopped growing? What if she grew to the size of a dragon?

Bobo walked beside Screech head and shoulders taller than her.

Screech walked a little more closely to Bobo and a little farther from Wild.

"The lake is crowded," said Scoops with a laugh.

"What?" asked Screech. She looked straight ahead. The lake was crowded. She stood in the middle of a sea of ponies.

Hazard was sitting with Blaze showing him printed photos of Rove. Gushing about how good her new kitten was.

Blue Grass and most of his friends were playing tackle football. They jumped over sunbathing mares and shoved fillies out of their way. Ham joined them.

Colts sat by the water trading sports cards. A dragon quarterback for a unicorn buckballer. A Magma Fury for a Falling Feathers.

Melodie's bubble gum popped. She spit the wad onto the ground.

"That is disgusting," scolded Scoops.

Melodie laughed and laughed.

Bobo and Wild jumped into the lake and paddled around the water.

A golden filly with a red bandana on her head ran up to Screech and yelled, "You are Screech Stormchaser!"

Screech nodded. "Hi."

The filly extended a hoof. "Golden Lasso." She squealed as Screech shook her hoof. "I am going to be the top rodeo pony in the world. If I don't got my cutie mark for a rodeo event I will die. How did you get so good at the rodeo?"

Screech could not think of a good answer. She could not say 'I was bred to win the rodeo'. She could not say 'my mother forced me to train five hours a day from diapers'. She shrugged. "I have fun training with my friends. I do well because I enjoy it."

Golden Lasso nodded. She stared wide eyed at her hero. Ponyville ponies were very different from Canterlot ponies. "You did really well. I wish I could have seen you before you became broken."

Screech winced. "I am not broken!" she snapped.

Lasso took a step back. "All I meant was you would be better if you didn't have a fake wing."

Screech took a deep breath. A year ago, when she first got her prosthetic wing she pummeled ponies for mocking her. She broke Wild's leg for saying almost exactly what Lasso had said. "That is really hurtful," she said calmly. "I am not less than I was before I lost my wing."

"But you would be better at flying if you had both of your wings," Lasso argued.

Screech shrugged. "I would be better at flying if I was a griffon. My prosthetic wing is not a fake. I am not broken. And I am not any better or worse than you are."

Lasso gave Screech a confused look. She was not convinced. "That is just not true."

"Can you swim?"

Lasso smiled. "Sure can. I am the fastest swimmer in my class."

Screech shoved Lasso into the lake.

Lasso climbed out of the lake. She took off her bandana and rang it out. "What did you do that for?" she huffed.

Screech tore her eyes from the three long surgical scars on Lasso's bald head. "I told you that you were offending me."

Lasso put her bandana back on. "I though you were going to be cool."

"It is not my fault you have a lot of misconceptions." Screech walked away. She sat with Hazard and Blaze.

Screech still liked Ponyville ponies more than she liked Canterlot ponies.

Some pony magically pulled Screeche's earplugs out. Both Hazard and Blaze offered her a new pair.
Melodie's eyes glowed green.
Scoop's horn glowed and the lake started to freeze.
Screeche's earplugs magically returned to her.

Melodie ran ahead while looking back. She threw water balloons over her shoulder at the colts whos flag her team mate was trying to capture. She slammed into a wall that broke her body into a cloud of smoke. She pulled her body together and smiled at the bull she ran into with all the force of a bull. Or a horse.

Dr. Red smiled back at Melodie. "Are you alright?"

Melodie blushed. "I am. Sorry."

Dr. Red laughed. "So polite. I was a menace at your age. More of a menace than I am now."

Melodie looked over the small hornless bull with a tie-dye scarf, reading glasses, gossip magazine and travel mug of ice tea. "Did you yell too loudly at your peaceful protests?"

Dr. Red huffed. "As a matter of a fact I did." He took off his glasses. "Melodie, are you doing alright?"

Melodie was taken back by the question. "Ummm. Yeah fine. Why do you care?"

"I am a child therapist specializing in trauma. I work closely with Luna's and have heard a thing or two about you."

"I don't need therapy."

Dr. Red raised an eyebrow. "What kind of creature do you think 'needs' therapy?"

Melodie took a step back. "I don't like your tone."

"It was a simple question."

"Creatures like Screech."

"Creatures who have been hurt?" asked Dr. Red.

"Creatures who need to be controlled. I will not be taken in by you."

"Therapy is not a cult," Dr. red's voice rose. He cleared his throat. "I wish you well Bright Melodie. If you change your mind Guilded Lilly has my card."

Tumble Dolly ran up to Melodie with a bright purple flag shouting, "We won! We won!"

Ham rode on Blue Grasse's shoulders. Wild rode on Bobo's shoulders. The boys on top were trying to push each other into the water.

"Why aren't you playing with the boys?" asked Screech.

Hazard scoffed, "That so called game is dangerous."

"What do you want to play?"

Screech, Hazard and Blaze played patty cake.

Golden Lasso stomped up to Screech. She looked off in a random direction. "My dad wants me to apologize to you." She turned around and walked away.

Screech grabbed the giant bird in her hooves. It thrashed and tried to buck her off.

"Don't hurt her," yelled Wild.

"I am not making any promises!" barked Screech. She slammed the wagon sized bird into the side of a hill.

Wild smiled. He was talking to the falcon. He flew up and grabbed size change ring off Burt's talon.

The bird quickly reverted to his normal size.

Screech took a deep breath. "You are more trouble than you are worth."

Wild nodded. "I know Two Wings."

"You are fun to be around," Screech added. "You always have my best interest at heart. I know I can be distant and guarded, but I appreciate your friendship. You make my life better and I want you to know you are important to me."

Wild nodded. "I know Two Wings. You are not as good as hiding your feelings as you think." He looked at the ring. "How much do you think I can sell this for?"

Screech rolled her eyes. "I am not bailing you out of trouble twice in one day."

Wild laughed. "Sure you will. You are a big softy. That is what I appreciate about you."

Rain beat down on Luna's. The streets flooded.

Melodie glared at Screech.

Screech glared back. "This is not my fault. I am only on the weather team one day a week."

I, Bright Melodie, am not in love with Screech Stormchaser.

"And that is how I know you are in love with Screech," said Double Scoop.

I roll my eyes. Scoops is fun more often than not, but sometimes she can be the most annoying pony in Equestria. I continue to ignore her and water the Daisies in our garden.

Our garden is spilt into two plots. On the far east side we grow green grapes. Walking under the trellises Screech built out of two by fours and nails is a romantic experience. She built all of them in one day without breaking a sweat or messing up her casually styled mane. The smile she gave me when I told her they looked amazing was super cute. I would like to walk under the trellises with her.

The middle east side of the garden is where Screech and Bobo planted the berry bushes. They had small thorns on them, but Screech was not bothered. She is strong and tough. The thorns did not even scratch her hooves.

The near east and near west sides of the garden are where we grow oat grass. Screech did not plant the oat grass.

The middle east is where the dasies are. They are almost ready to bloom and smell delicious.

The far east is where we are growing turnips. Hazard is over there right now nearly having a heart attack. Ham put a big red pesticide sprayer on the ground. I wonder if Screech likes turnips.

A rainbow picket fence covered in painted flowers and suns surrounds the garden. Screech did not build it. Kids from Luna's made the fence.

Screech trots past Scoops. She smiles at me with her long white fangs and other sharp teeth. I can't see her big pretty eyes because they are hidden behind her sunglasses.

"Melodie," Screech asks me, "can you take a walk through the vineyard with me?"

I don't have blood how am I blushing? "Yeah. Is there something you need my help with?"

Screech giggles. "No. I just want to spend time with you." She is blushing too. "I really like you."

Scoops opens her mouth but thinks better of speaking. She winks at me and canters away.

"Yeah." I can feel my blood-less heart racing.

Screech smiles yet again and trots toward the vineyard.

I take a deep breath, keeping my eyes off her tail, and follow. I wish Wild was with us. Being alone with Screech is exhausting.

I feel screech taping my flank with her hoof. I jump. She cocks her head. "Where are you going?"

I look around. I am in the vineyard. Under the trellises. Sunlight filters through grape leaves making the green grapes and Screeche's mane shine.

"Just walking," I say.

Screech looks up at the grapes. She looks at me and takes off her sunglasses. "You are really sweet. I know I can be distant and guarded, but I appreciate your friendship. You make my life better and I want you to know you are important to me."

My entire body goes rigid. If I was not stunned I would condense into a ball of coal. "Yeah. You are important to me too."

Screech walks past me toward the berry bushes.

"That is it?" I accidentally yell.

Sreech turns around and looks at me. ""What do you mean?"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... My mind starts working again. "I... you... you are not going to ask me to he your mare-friend?"

Screech goes rigid. Her face, neck and chest are bright red. She shakes her head. "No. I want to. I mean. We can be. If you want."

I nod. "Alright."

"Are we going to continue our walk?"

I canter up to Screeche's side. We both break into fits of giggles as we walk the vineyard.

Rove dove across the hop scotch court in Platinum Park. Her mittened paws batted at a feather on a string.

Hazard pulled a string pulling a feather toward herself. "I made Rove a pair of goggles to protect us from her eyes. Also mittens for her claws and caps for her fangs. Screech made her reflective vest."

Rove dove toward Screech kicking up a cloud of dirt and dust.

"She almost looks like she does not want to eat us," said Scoops with a laugh.

Wild kept his distance. "I still don't trust her."

"Awww... Mew!" Screech sneezed.

Every creature smiled.

"Did you just meow?" asked Melodie.

"Screech is a cat-pony," joked Ham.

"I didn't know you had a cute sneeze," teased Wild. "I didn't know you could be cute at all."

Screech blushed and burred her muzzle in her hooves.

"Screech is dangerous and I don't think you should provoke her," warned Hazard. She sat two trots from Screech and played with Rove as if she did not actually believe Screech would harm any of them.

There was a moment of silence.

"Awww... Mew," Bobo imitated the sneeze.
Every creature except Melodie and hazard (and Screech) were mimicking the sneeze.

Screech bared her fangs and hissed adding more fuel to the fire.

Screech and Melodie sat on Screeche's bed. Melodie's chin rested on her Mare-friend's for leg. Their relationship had not changed much since they started dating and they were both grateful.

Melidie sank her teeth into Screeche's leg.

Screech cocked her head and look curiously at her some-pony special. "What are you doing?'

"I thought biting was a show of affection," said Melodie as her face burned bright red.

Wild and Ham stood on the poor man's mansion, big but cheaply made house one good wind from falling down, and threw water balloons from its high perch.

Ham nailed a lanky red colt in the side of the head.

A red colt looked up at ham and smiled. His thin gold mustache covered some of his two dozen freckles. His wings unfurled and he flew to the top of the poor man's mansion. "I need your friend's help. I broke my mother's very expensive crystal pitcher."

Wild shook his head. "Two Wings can only fix things she knows how to fix."

Sandy furrowed his brow. "I am looking for the one eyed glass blower."

Ham shrugged. "I don't know any one eyed glass blowers."

Wild rolled his eyes. "He is looking for Hazard."

Ham nodded. "Oh. Yeah. I forgot she has one eye. Also that she is a glass blower. I usually think of Hazard as the crazy cat pony."

"That is interesting. I think of her as the group's little sister. How do you think she sees us?"

"As jerks."

Wild nodded. He threw a water balloon at Sandy. "I could see why."

Luna's new garden was officially named Vinyets.

Scoops shined her shoes with a napkin at breakfast. "Today I met a farm mare who was wearing a beautiful set of shoes. I asked her why she was wearing designer shoes on a farm. She told me her colt-friend bought them for her on his trip to Canterlot. I told her she was lucky. Brass Hoove's shoes are very limited in quantity. She told me her colt-friend had an affair with a mare named Brass Hoof a few years ago."

"Why would the mistress give the colt shoes to give to his mare-friend?" asked Wild.

Scoops rolled her eyes. "It is called a power move. Every time he sees the shoes he will think of Brass."

"Girls are bitches," said wild.

Scoops laughed. "Yes we are."

Screech sat beside Scoops. "Hey guys. Those are some nice shoes Scoops. Where did you get them?"

Screech opened the door to her bedroom. Her friends were scattered about. A cake sat on her bed. "You are not going to yell surprise?"

"You knew we were here," said Wild. "You can smell us from down the hall."

"My birthday was two months ago," said Screech.

"I know," said Bobo. "This occasion is more special. it has been one year since you did something violent."

"And Bobo wanted an excuse to bake," added Scoops.

"One year," said Screech in disbelief. "It feels like I only came back to Ponyville a few weeks ago."

"You did," said Ham. "About sixty of them."

"Are you proud of your self," asked Hazard.

"I hope not," said Melodie.

Screech shook her head. "I am not. I am surprised. I didn't think it was possible to be happy this long."

"You know what they say Two Wings? Like Screech Stormchaser time can fix anything."

Screech shook her head. "Not time. Friends."

"And therapy," added Scoops.

Canterlot was the same as always. Her best friend was in Ponyville. Her house was condemned. Her father was in the hospital. Life for Carver had changed drastically, quickly and repeatedly. Canterlot was the same.

The school was the same. The bank was the same. The bullies were the same. The songs on the radio were the same. The weather was the same.

Carver was the same. Sad more often. Upset more easily. She still had her family (minus Screech). She had a home (minus her possessions). Her memories were the same even if they were now tinted with sadness and made life in the current moment more difficult.

The postal workers knew Carver by name. That was new months ago.

Carver was excited to get a new letter from Screech. Not because all of her letters were burned by pest control. Not only because her letters were destroyed. New letters always came.

Buttery Lace always smiled at Carver. She always asked how she was doing when she handed Carver her letters. She smiled and handed her a package.

Carver stared at the rectangle of brown paper and twine. She unwrapped the package. She found a book under the paper.

The first page was a single photo of Screech and Carver as little fillies dueling with violin bows.

The second page was Screech and Carver curled into a ball sleeping in the sunlight.
The eighth page was Carver and Screech having a tea party with a teddy bear and a sea pony doll.

The forty third page was Screech pretending to be confident in her first prosthetic wing.

The fifty first page was Prey sleeping on Screeche's chest.

The sixtieth page was Screech and her new friends holding up blue ribbons at the Ponyvill rodeo.

The seventy fourth page and all the pages after it were blank. Representations of pictures yet to be taken.

Carver knew that despite the distance she would always be an important part of Screeche's life. Some things will always be the same.

Scoops looked around Luna's cafeteria. All of the kids were eating grapes, daisies, oats and all sorts of treats they grew in Vinyets. "Do you think Guilded Lilly is nicer than we gave her credit for?"

Guilded Lilly smiled. "I will be so sad to see her go. I am happy you have decided to adopt one of my beloved wards. I know you will give... ... Screech a good home. I will be sad to see the angel go. She is the most well behaved and low maintenance of my wards. She requires little supervision and never causes trouble. Her love for Celestia is followed only by her love of helping others. She will fit in, no she belongs in Clouds Dale."

Wild shook his head. "Not likely."

Screeche's friends burst into Guilded Lilly's office.

"Screech is missing," yelled Scoops.

Gilded Lilly sighed. "She is not missing. Miss Stormchaser was adopted. I had her taken away last night so neither she nor you could make a ruckus."

"Where is she!" commanded Bobo.

Guilded glared at her wards. "That is all you need to know. Leave now."

Melodies eyes glowed green. Her tears shined like mossy waterfalls. "Tell me where she is!"

"Clouds Dale."

"Can't she just attack somepony and be sent back?" asked Ham hopefully.

Wild shook his head. "No. She slipped through the cracks the first time because Dodge has a horrible justice system and she is an orphan filly. She would not get away with it a second time. Especially not in Cloudsdale. There is a court house there where so many ponies have been sentenced to death that it is nicknamed Rainbow Factory."

"Screech is going to be okay, right?" asked Ham as he fought back tears.