Hitch walked slowly down a dirt road outside of his hometown. On his back his son rested. He carried a saddlebag on his shoulders; it was filled with some food for him and his baby. Along with some bits and a few other supplies. He had an angry scowl on his face.
He mumbled. “How could they?!”
He was remembering what had happened just about an hour ago. They had just rescued his son from this psychotic alicorn named, Opaline. She was trying to steal his dragon fire. She nearly succeeded. But, now his son felt really cold and he had been asleep for a good while. He would never forgive that alicorn or that unicorn they all trusted. Just thinking about her filled him with rage. She tricked all of them, kidnapped his son and had the courage to come back to them. And, all of his so called friends forgave her.
He shook his head and continued walking down the trail. He didn't have any destination in mind. He just wanted to get his son away from all of them. His gaze shifted to the night sky. He wondered if they had an answer. But, all he saw was the stars. He then caught sight of what looked like smoke in the distance. He focused on it and sure enough it was smoke. It looked like smoke from a campfire. He looked over his shoulder at his resting son. For a moment he thought about it.
He whispered to himself. “I'll just let them know we need a place to rest.” He started to make his way towards the smoke.
What he saw shocked him. The creature at the campfire was another dragon. It was a dragon with dark gray scales. He wore what looked like a scarf around his neck and had weird objects strapped to his legs. He was laying on his back and gently strumming a banjo. He could hear him barely humming a tune. This was the last thing Hitch expected to see. He didn't think there were any other dragons out there. But, to see one here in the countryside. He wondered how old the dragon was.
The dragon stopped playing and spoke. “It's not polite to stare, pony.”
Hitch felt his eyes go wide as his heart stopped for a moment. He continued to hide in the shadows. But, that was pretty much pointless. The dragon looked right at him and motioned for him to come out of hiding. Slowly, Hitch stepped out of the shadows and approached the campsite. He stopped a few feet away.
The dragon spoke. “I'm not gonna eat ya.”
Hitch gulped and stepped a little closer. When he felt the warmth of the fire on his body he stopped again. He continued to watch the drake as he slowly reached for his son. The moment he pulled his baby from his back and held him in front. The dragon looked at him with a stunned look.
The drake spoke. “Didn't think you had a babe with ya.” He noticed the hatchling shivering a little and asked. “Poor thing is freezing.”
Hitch glared at the dragon for stating something that obvious. His son whimpered a little as he pressed himself further into his fathers fur. He sighed sadly as he gently rubbed his sons back. He muttered a small curse to both Opaline and Misty.
The dragon asked. “What's wrong with him?”
For a moment Hitch remained silent. But, a thought crossed his mind. Maybe this dragon could help his son. He answered. “An alicorn tried to steal his dragon fire.”
The dragon immediately replied. “Damn.” He set his banjo down and walked over to them. He stopped just beside them and knelt down. He held out his claws and said. “Let me see him.”
For a moment Hitch was a little hesitant. He didn't know who this dragon was or why he was so quick to help them. Another whimper from his son helped him change his mind. He gently hand his son to the dragon; Sparky whimpered and reached for his dad as the dragon brought him in front. The dragon looked him over. Sparky whimpered more and more. All the poor baby wanted was a warm place to sleep now.
The dragon spoke. “This should be an easy fix.”
Hitch questioned. “What do you?”
He never got to finish his question. From the dragons mouth a sliver of fire snaked it's way through the air and into his son's mouth. The fire entered through his mouth and made it's way down into his fire gland. The moment the fire stopped Sparky's eyes shot open and he seemed to regain most of his color. Sparky began to giggle happily and he started to squirm in the larger dragon's hold.
The dragon commented. “There ya go.” He chuckled as the baby dragon jumped out of his hold and started zooming around them. He added. “Back to normal already.”
Hitch couldn't believe what he was seeing. Just a moment ago his son was at his weakest; but now he was running around like his old self. He smiled happily when his baby looked at him. He held his hooves out and his son ran to him. The little drake nearly tackled him to the ground as he tried to wrap his father in a hug. Hitch chuckled happily as he hugged his son.
He looked at the dragon and thanked him. “Thank you.”
The dragon replied. “No problem.” He smiled at them and then introduced himself. “Names, Goose.”
Hitch replied. “I'm Hitch.” He motioned towards his son. “And, this is my son Sparky.”
Goose nodded before picking up his banjo again. He played a gentle tune while the three of them rested next to the campfire. Sparky eventually settled down and rested against his father again. But, this time he didn't shiver or whimper. Now he purred happily in his fathers hold. Hitch only held his son happily. He was thankful to have his son back. To see him back to his old self. He was tempted to thank him again.
Goose suddenly asked him. “So, what's your plan now?”
Hitch questioned. “Huh?” The question had caught him off guard.
Goose stopped playing his banjo again and continued. “You're not exactly dressed for a return trip.” He motioned towards the items Hitch had in his saddlebags and continued. “Plus, you're not prepared for camping and roughing it. So, I'm gonna guess.” He paused for a moment and finished. “You just got really lucky.”
Hitch was rendered silent by the obvious information. He had no real plan. He only acted on raw emotions. Emotions that once again got him in trouble. But, now it wasn't just him but his baby as well. He shifted his son into a more comfortable position and held him closer. What could he do now?
Goose looked at them with slight pity and suggested. “You could come stay with me and Jack.”
Hitch raised a brow and asked. “Who?”
A bright light suddenly appeared at the side of their camp. Hitch shielded his and his sons eyes from the intensity of the light. While Goose smiled at it. A shadowed figure stepped out of the light. The moment the light faded a human teen stepped closer to the campsite. The human wore a large black trench coat with matching clothing underneath. He smiled at Goose who was smiling back at him.
He greeted him. “Sup, Goose.” He noticed the pony and hatchling and asked. “Who the new faces.”
Hitch couldn't believe he was seeing an actual human now. He had read about it in one of Sunny's books. But, to think he would actually see one. His son was looking at the human with a curious look. The human looked at the baby and chuckled. He reached for something in his back pocket. Out of instinct he shielded his son.
The human quickly explained. “It's nothing bad.” He pulled a card out of his pocket and threw it at them.
Hitch moved his hoof to catch the card. He gasped in slight shock when the card glowed and transformed into two items. One was his favorite snack, hay jerky. The other was a large amethyst crystal. Hitch held the items in his hoof. Sparky eagerly reached for the crystal. While his stomach growled at the sight of the snack. He looked up at the human.
The human commented. “Y'all looked hungry.” He looked at Goose and asked. “Gimme the short version. I'm tired.”
Goose chuckled and explained. “They're kinda like us. Just without the trauma I have. And, without the psychotic mother you have.”
Jack chuckled a little before pulling two more cards from the pouch on his belt. He kept one and handed Goose the other one. The cards turned into drinks. After finishing their drinks and snacks; Jack introduced himself to the two and they sat in silence for a moment. After some time had passed Jack and Goose stood up. Goose walked over to Hitch and Sparky and offered a claw to them.
He spoke to them. “Both of you are coming with us.”
Hitch questioned. “What?”
Jack spoke up. “Got no where to go. Goose pretty much saved you. And, you got a baby with ya.” He pulled another card and threw it out in front of him. He continued. “I'd take the offer. Not for yourself, but for your baby.” The card glowed a bright light and a portal opened in front of him.
Hitch was unsure for a moment. But, the moment of hesitation passed when he remembered why he had left his hometown. He wanted to find a way to heal his son and to keep him safe. His baby was now back to his normal self. He nodded and grabbed Goose's claw and pulled himself up. He moved his son to his back as Goose lead them to the portal. He felt uneasy again as they walked closer to the strange thing. Goose stopped just before it and gave him a reassuring smile. He then stepped through the portal.
Jack spoke. “Don't worry.” Hitch looked at him and he continued. “You're going some where safe.”
Hitch nodded before taking in a deep breath and walking through the portal. He felt a strange sensation move across his body as he walked through. His son giggled in his sleep as he passed through the portal. The moment they were through Jack looked at the campfire and threw another card at it. The card turned into water and quickly extinguished the fire. He then walked through the portal and it closed behind him.
A voice called out. “Hitch!?”
Hitch stared in pure awe at the sight in front of him. He was standing in the middle of a huge town square. He looked up and saw a clear night sky. He had no idea where they were. He looked at Goose who was standing a few feet away from him.
Goose spoke. “Hitch, Sparky, welcome to Traverse Town.”
Hitch questioned. “Traverse Town?” He asked. “Where in Equestria is that?”
Jack answered. “We're not in Equestria anymore.” He walked by them and continued. “You two are in another world.”
It took Hitch a moment to process what Jack had just told them. Both him and his son were in another world. He heard Sunny mention something like this once. How Princess Twilight had done something like this a long time ago. He couldn't believe he had just done it.
Jack walked away from them and headed towards some stairs. He called to them. “Come on.” He waved for them to follow before he finished. “My Home is up these stairs.”
Goose walked by him and motioned with his head for him to follow. Hitch was a little unsure at first, but he followed him shortly after. They rounded a corner and walked up a single flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs was a large building and a large door. The door lead to a place called the second district. Hitch heard the sound of a door opening and looked in front of them. Jack had opened the door to the building and was holding it open for them. Goose walked in and was followed by Hitch.
The inside of the building was amazing; the walls looked like they were made of tall grass. The floor felt like they were walking on a dirt path. The furniture looked like it had grown in place there. The table looked like a large tree trunk that had been cut in two. The chairs were like stumps. The ceiling resembled a wonderful night sky.
Hitch could only mutter one word. “Whoa.”
Jack chuckled and commented. “Wonderland.”
He turned and looked at him and questioned. “Huh?”
Jack shook his head and replied. “Nothing.” He pulled a solid white card from his deck and held it out to Hitch. He instructed him. “Take it and walk over to that wall over there.”
Hitch gulped a nervous gulp before doing as instructed. He took the card from him and walked over to the wall. He stopped in front of it and stared at the wall. He wondered what he had to do next. The card in his hoof started to glow; it floated out of his hoof and shot towards the wall. The outline of a door appeared on the wall and after a few seconds the door opened. Hitch turned and looked at Jack; who only motioned for him to walk in.
He nodded and slowly walked into the room. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The room looked just like the inside of the station; just a little more compact. His bed was there, Sparky's crib, even his desk was in the corner of the room. He wondered how all of this just happened. Before he could ask he heard Goose's voice.
“Get some rest. We'll talk more later.”
At that moment Hitch felt a wave of exhaustion hit him. He didn't think he would be this tired. He walked over to the crib and reached for his son. The little dragon whimpered a little as he was taken from his fathers back. Before Hitch could lay him down in the crib; Sparky reached out for him. The little baby wasn't cold; he just wanted to rest with his father. Hitch chuckled again before pulling his son close to his chest and walking over to the bed. He carefully climbed into the bed and layed down. His baby was snuggled close to him; purring happily as he slept with his father. Hitch smiled lovingly at his son. He was happy to know he was in a safer place now.
Author's Note
This is a story that’s gonna be crossed with multiple series. Sadly, tags don’t have miscellaneous. But hope y’all enjoy. Let me know what y’all think.
Hitch yawned as he slowly woke from his slumber. As his eyes opened he came face to face with his baby. Sparky purred happily as he slept next to his father. He smiled and gently kissed the little dragon on his forehead. His baby stirred a little before settling down again. He gurgled a little before snuggling further into the pillow his head rested on. Gently, Hitch got out of bed and stretched his body out. He looked around the room; forgetting for a moment that he was not back in Maretime Bay. He looked around the room; he still couldn't believe how much it resembled the one back at his hometown.
His eyes fell on the desk just across from the bed. There were some items sitting on top of it. He walked over and got a better look at them. There were three full jars of baby dragon food; he had no idea there was such a thing. There was also some kind of strange pad next to the jars. It kinda reminded him of Zipp's phone; except this one was thinner. He looked at it curiously before gently tapping it's screen. The screen glowed and a message appeared on it. It wanted him to enter his name, age, species and power.
He wondered. “Why does it want that?”
He entered what it asked for and the screen went dark again. It beeped once before it started to shrink. Hitch watched as it went from being a pad to a simple small square. It then vanished in a small flash of light. Before he could ask what happened he heard his son groan. He turned and saw his son sitting up in the bed. His baby rubbed his eyes and yawned. It was then Sparky's stomach growled causing the little dragon to whine a little. His father smiled at him before walking over and picking him up. He felt him press himself into the crook of his neck. The poor baby was still tired.
Hitch greeted his son. “Good morning, Sparky.” He asked him. “Are you hungry?”
Sparky only gurgled in response before nuzzling his father. Hitch chuckled a little before walking back to the drawer. He picked up one of the jars and looked around. The room was indeed an exact match; there was a small table and chair in the corner of the room. He walked over to the table and set his son on top of it. His baby whined a little as he reached for his father. Although, he was feeling better, it still took a moment for his body to wake up.
Hitch shushed. “Give me a moment baby boy.” He looked around and saw a spoon behind the other two jars of food. He sighed and said. “Be right back.”
Sparky whimpered as he watched his father walk away. His stomach growled again causing him to whimper. He was still waking up and he was hungry. He was like this every morning. As his father walked back he reached for him. He wanted to be held, to be warm. His father smiled lovingly at him before he reach for a strange jar. Hitch struggled for a moment to get the lid off. The moment he heard it pop; he sighed happily and removed the lid. His son must have smelled something; for immediately he started to reach for the jar.
He calmed him. “Hold on, Sparky.” He took the spoon and scooped out some of the food inside. It had the texture of applesauce. But, it was a deep purple color and it appeared to have some kind of crystals inside of it. He chuckled again as his son eagerly opened his mouth. After a few minutes Sparky had finished the jar. He was a little messy; but he was happily fed. Hitch chuckled again before walking back to the drawer and opening one of it's drawers. Inside he found some towels.
As he walked back to his baby he heard a knock at the door. He replied. “Come in.”
The door opened and Goose stepped in. He smiled happily at them and greeted them. “Good morning.” He chuckled at the sight of the messy baby and commented. “I see he likes the food.”
Hitch nodded and replied. “Yes, he does.” Sparky giggled as the fibers of the towel tickled his scales. Hitch asked him. “Where did you get that?”
Goose answered. “I'll show you after.” He turned towards the drawer and noticed the datapad was gone. He commented. “Oh, you already did it.” He smiled happily.
Hitch figured he was mentioning the pad from earlier. He spoke. “Yeah, there was some kind of pad on there earlier.” He asked him. “What was that?”
Goose answered. “It was a datapad.” He explained. “It's what the Clan Masters use to keep track of us.”
He questioned. “Huh?” He ducked as he heard a grumble from his son. Sparky let loose a massive belch of flame.
Goose commented. “Yep.” He chuckled a little before continuing. “Definitely, healthy.” Both of them heard Sparky chuckle. The moment his father stood back up he reached for him again. Hitch chuckled and gently scooped his son up; he hugged him before the little baby crawled onto his favorite spot on his back.
Goose spoke again. “Well, now that babe's been fed.” He looked at Hitch and asked him. “You hungry?” Hitch's stomach answered for him; it caused him to blush a little in embarrassment. Goose reassured him. “Hey, nothing to be embarrassed about.” He motioned for him to follow him. “Come on. I'll take you to a place that makes the best egg sandwiches.”
This time it was Hitchs' stomach that growled. It caused him to blush a little in embarrassment before he followed him. As they exited the home he noticed it was still nighttime. He started to ask Goose. But, he already answered. “It's always nighttime here.” Hitch mentally commented that it had to be some kind of strange magic. Goose lead them down the stairs and back to the massive courtyard. From there he lead them to a massive double door.
The trio entered the first district of the town. It was an area that had a large item shop in the center. The shop was surrounded by two smaller shops and what looked like a small restaurant in the plaza. Hitch was amazed by the sight of the district; it was a little smaller than the area they just came from. But, the place looked so lively. There were so many creatures walking about; some were chatting with others. While some were entering the various shops.
Goose spoke. “Welcome to the first district of Traverse Town.” He smiled again and pointed at the restaurant. “We'll grab you a quick bite there before I show you around.”
Hitch blushed again as he felt his stomach growl. As they started to walk across the plaza; Hitch couldn't help but feel eyes on him. He heard various whispers and heard some voices commenting on how cute his son was. They stopped at the front of the restaurant and a waiter greeted them. He smiled at them before directing them to a free table. As they were seated the waiter pulled out a small notepad.
He asked them. “What would you like to drink?”
Goose ordered. “Two Fire teas, cold.” As their waiter wrote down their drinks he added. “Can you get him a power egg sandwich.”
The waiter nodded and answered. “Certainly.” He wrote the order down before asking. “Would you like anything?”
Goose shook his head and the waiter smiled at them before nodding and walking away. His attention was brought back to Hitch; who was looking at him with a curious look. He chuckled before saying. “Trust me. You're gonna need all the fuel you can get.”
Hitch only replied. “Okay.” He was still unsure about all of this.
As he looked around his curiosity about the town grew. There were so many creatures here he had never seen before. A town where it was constantly nighttime. He still couldn't believe that he was here. Goose noticed the curious look on his face; he also noticed the unsure look Hitch had. He had a good feeling about how Hitch felt. He felt it too when he first came to this town. He wondered for a moment.
He asked him. “Hey, Hitch.” Hitch looked at him and he continued. “Mind if I check your stats real quick?”
Hitch questioned. “Stats?”
Goose commented. “Oh, boy.” He chuckled again before lifting his claw and saying. “Scan.”
Hitch watched as the tips of his claws glowed for a moment. A small window suddenly appeared in front of Goose. He hummed in amusement; he appeared to be reading something. Before Hitch could ask Goose turned the window towards him. At the same time he somehow made a duplicate window.
Hitch stared at the screen in front of him. It had his name on it. It didn't just have that it had his size, weight, species, there was also some kind of description below all of it. There was even some kind of rank displaced by his name. It was a ranking of zero.
Goose explained. “These are your stats.” Hitch looked at him and he continued. “Everyone here gets this the moment they enter this world. For now you're at rank zero, the lowest rank.” He closed the window and finished. “Don't worry. After a few quests you'll be up a couple of levels.”
Hitch asked. “Quests?”
Before Goose could explain the waiter came back with the sandwich, the two teas and what looked like a datapad. The waiter placed the sandwich down in front of Hitch. While also handing both of them their teas. He then handed the datapad to Goose.
Goose asked him. “Y'all already need a quest done?”
The waiter nodded and answered. “Unfortunately.” He explained. “One of our farmers just north of town has been having problems. Vanitati Hare's have been eating most of his crops.”
Hitch wanted ask what those were. But, his stomach had a firm hold on his brain at the moment. When the delicious smell of the egg sandwich snaked its way up his nose; he couldn't stop himself from taking a bite of it. He enjoyed the taste of the sandwich. He enjoyed it so much he didn't even know he had eaten it all. He looked at the drink that Goose had also ordered for him. He took the drink and took a quick sip. The tea had the strong taste of cinnamon. It was cool yet warm at the same time.
Goose asked the waiter. “Has Jack already got him signed up?”
The waiter nodded and answered. “Yes.” He remembered and added. “That reminds me. Jack had already finished a quest we requested earlier. We informed him about this one and he said for you three to meet him there.”
Goose questioned. “Three?” It took a moment for the information to click. He realized and asked. “He signed the youngin up?” The waiter nodded and he grumbled under his breath. “Of course he'd do something that crazy.” He looked at the waiter and said. “Okay.” He asked. “Can you tell him we'll be there soon.”
The waiter nodded and walked off. Goose looked at the datapad and read the information on it. It was pretty much a pest control quest. A simple one that any rank zero team or clan can take. After reading the information, finishing his tea, and then paying for the items. Goose lead them to the town exit. As they walked Goose informed Hitch of their quest.
Hitch asked him. “So we have to help a farmer with a rabbit problem?”
Goose answered. “Pretty much.” He pressed his claw against the door and the three walked outside of the two.
The two was surrounded by a vast country side. The nighttime sky was cloudless and filled with so many stars. Both Hitch and Sparky were mesmerized by the amount of stars the could see. Goose on the other hand had walked over to a vehicle rental kiosk. He selected a truck for their vehicle and paid the galleons it asked for. In a flash of light the vehicle appeared just in front of them. Goose felt the keys appear in his claw.
He called to both of them. “Alright, you two. Let's hit it.”
Both of them turned to look at him and were amazed by the sight of the new vehicle. As Hitch walked closer Goose opened the passenger door. At first he was unsure; until his son laughed in excitement and jumped into the vehicle.
Hitch called to his son. “Sparky.” He climbed into the vehicle to catch his son; somehow he ended up closing the door behind him.
Shortly after Goose started the vehicle; the trucks seat belts automatically buckled all three of them in place. Sparky grumbled a little at the sudden binds. Hitch on the other hand was amazed by the inside of the vehicle. It wasn't as advanced as the marestream. But, it had a unique dashboard. Various lights glowed and music started to play through the inside. Goose quickly changed the station and the music too a softer tone. He then put the vehicle in drive and started driving to the location.
As they drove Hitch and Sparky looked out the window. As they drover further from the town; the night sky kept getting brighter and brighter. It was then they reached the border of the towns night sky and drove under the light of the early afternoon sun. now, both of them could see how beautiful the countryside was. It could rival Maretime bay's countryside. Vast green fields, the occasional flower patch to the side of the road. All of that combined with the music being played.
Goose smiled at the two as he continued the drive. He acted the same way the first time he went on a quest with Jack. He saw the dirt road he had to take and turned down it. The drive down it was a little bumpy. But, that was the joy of traveling down the dirt roads. As they drove down the dirt road; Goose tapped a few icons on the trucks GPS. He saw that Jack was waiting for them and in a few minutes they should be at the farm. He tapped another icon and a screen appeared in front of Hitch and Sparky.
Hitch questioned. “What's this?” Sparky cooed in wonder as he stared at the screen.
Goose answered. “Our quest.” He deactivated the console and focused back on the dirt road. He continued. “I want you to read up on the details of the quest.” He looked down at Sparky and closed his screen. The little dragon let out a surprised gasp. He looked around for the screen. Goose chuckled at the baby's curiosity. He continued. “We're almost to the farm. Read up and get ready for your first quest.”
Hitch nodded and read the information on the screen in front of him. It was just a more detailed explanation of the quest they were on. A farmer having trouble with some rabbits and needed them gone. He wondered for a moment what that meant. He shuddered as a morbid thought crossed his mind. Hopefully that wouldn't be the case.
Goose announced. “Old Joe's farm. Dead ahead.”
Both Hitch and Sparky stared in awe at the size of the farm. Sparky had never seen a farm before; while Hitch was amazed by the number of crops the farmer was growing. He had seen pictures of farms like this in books and movies. He never though he would see one like this. As they pulled into the driveway; Hitch saw Jack resting against the side of the farmers home. He waved at them before walking towards them.
The moment Goose parked and shut the engine off; the seat belts unfastened and the three were free to exit the vehicle. Goose opened his door and got out. He was followed by Hitch and Sparky. All of them heard Jack shout.
“Bout time all three of you go here.”
Goose shot back. “Don't you start. I had to get the new guy fed.”
Jack chuckled and greeted Hitch. “Good to see you again.” Hitch nodded and he asked him. “You two know why were here.” Hitch nodded again.
Goose asked. “You already locate the burrow?”
Jack nodded and answered. “Yeah.” He turned and pointed towards a nearby treeline before explaining. “Burrow's just pass that treeline. This is pretty much just a simple find and exterminate job.”
Hitch's ears flattened a little as the morbid thought from earlier became true. He hoped they could relocate the rabbits or at least work a deal out with them. Last thing he wanted was to kill rabbits. He asked. “Can we just move them or something.”
Jack replied. “Not equipped for the job. Plus, this farmer is paying us to get these hares off his land.” He explained further. “Apparently, their not just eating the crops he sells to the town. But, they've also been eating some of the medical herbs he grows. That's a problem that can really hurt the town.”
Hitch asked him. “How?”
Goose looked at him with a deadpanned look and explained. “Their eating medicinal herbs, dude. You know herbs used in medicine.”
Jack reminded him. “Remember, Goose. He's brand new here.”
Goose rolled his eyes while Hitch thought to himself. He just couldn't see himself killing rabbits. Yes, by what they just said; they were causing some trouble. But, the town seemed fine. He heard Jack say. “Let's go.” before he started to lead their group towards the tree line.
Hitch followed close behind Goose; as they stepped closer to the tree line. A few thoughts raced through his head. He kept thinking it over and over in his head. Could he really do this? Did he really want to do this? Did he make the right call coming with them?
Sparky looked up at the tall trees in wonder as they walked through the forest. Hitch looked at him and smiled happily. He was still grateful for Gooses help. But, he was still having doubts about this quest. As they walked he continued wondering what else could be done. But, at the same time the two seemed determined to finish this quest they were on. Eventually, the group stopped behind some bushes that overlooked a small grotto.
Jack motioned towards something in the grotto while saying. “There it is.”
The three joined him and looked down into the grotto. There in the grotto was a large tree with large hole dug into the ground at it's base. The tree was a glorious site; this was definitely a really good place for a rabbit burrow.
Jack spoke up. “Alright, let's get closer.”
He walked out from behind the bushes and down into the grotto. The others followed behind him. They stopped in front of the burrow while Jack knelt down and looked down the hole. He stared down it for a moment before pulling a card and throwing it down. The card turned into a bright ball of light; allowing him to see a few hares running about.
Hitch heard voice echo from the tunnels. “They see us! Run! Get out the back!”
Jack stood up and faced them before saying. “Okay, I'll move to the back and push them back here.” He started to walk around. He stopped for a moment and told them. “Get ready. Looks like a lot of them.”
Before he could take another step Hitch spoke up. “Hold up.” Jack stopped and looked at him.
Jack questioned. “What's wrong?”
He suggested. “Let me try talking to them.”
Jack questioned. “What?”
Hitch stepped up to the hole and said. “Let me just try talking to them real quick.”
Jack was tempted to tell him no. but, instead, he simply rolled his eyes and walked back towards Goose. Hitch smiled happily and knelt down. He couldn't see the rabbits but he could hear them.
He called down the hole. “Hey, come on out. We're not gonna hurt you.”
Jack whispered to Goose. “This is gonna be good.” He chuckled a little; Goose joined him in the quick chuckle.
Hitch heard one of the rabbits say. “He's lying!” He quickly assured them. “I'm not lying.”
A rabbit questioned. “Can he hear us?”
Hitch answered. “Yes, I can hear you.”
Goose commented. “He sounds like he's actually talking to the hares.”
One of the rabbits commented. “It's a trick. He's using some kind of magic.”
Hitch acknowledged. “Yes. It is magic. But, the magic helps me talk to animals.” He saw one of them poke their heads down the tunnel. He called out to it. “Look, see. I'm not gonna hurt you.”
The hare was unsure. He looked back at his wife and their kids. His burrow mates hid among the roots of the tree. He thought about telling them to run. But, something made him want to go out and talk to the pony. He started walking down the tunnel.
His wife called to him. “No, dear. Don't go.”
He quickly turned and tried to reassure her. “It's gonna be okay.” He did his best to smile and gently kissed her on the forehead. “I'll come back. I promise.” He turned and started to walk down the tunnel again.
He heard his kids calling to him. “No, dad. Don't go.”
Goose and Jack continued to watch as Hitch talked to the hares. They found it a little amusing. But, their amusement turned to shock as they saw a hare walk out of the tunnel and stop just in front of Hitch. The hare was huge; this was possibly the burrow leader. If they took him out; the whole burrow would run out the back. The heard the rabbit squeak a little.
Hitch smiled and greeted him. “My name is Hitch Trailblazer. Nice to meet you Cedar root.”
Jack was about to ask something until an information box appeared in front of him. His eyes went wide in shock. The box was an alert about his new team mate. Hitch apparently had an hidden ability called natures tongue. The ability allowed him to talk to various animals. It was at the moment limited to rank zero and one monsters. Jack motioned for Goose to look at the screen.
Jack looked at Hitch and spoke. “Excuse me, Hitch.”
Hitch turned his head for a moment before looking back at Cedar and saying. “One moment, please.” He looked at Jack and asked. “What's up?”
Jack explained. “You're about to see an alert flash in front of you.”
The moment he finished a box appeared in front of Hitch. He jumped for a moment; nearly dropping his son in the process. Sparky grumbled a little while Hitch looked at him sheepishly. Hitch looked at the box. It asked him if he wanted to share his hidden ability with the rest of the team. Could they not heard Cedar talking? He shrugged his hooves and looked underneath the words. He saw a yes and no button at the bottom. He tapped his hoof on the yes button and a glow came from his body. The glow moved from him and the two and a chime was heard.
Hitch asked. “What was that?”
Jack answered. “Ability Share.” He added. “Watch.” He looked at Cedar and asked. “Can you understand me?”
Cedar root answered. “I recognize your voice.” His voice held some fear but he tried to sound fierce. “You were going to drive us to the front of our home.”
Goose commented. “Whoa. I actually heard that!” He smiled happily and added another comment. “This is awesome!”
Hitch asked. “You can both hear him now.”
Jack answered. “Clear as day.” He asked Cedar. “Do you know why?”
Cedar root interrupted him. “I don't want to talk with you, or that dragon.” He pointed at Goose. He looked at Hitch and continued. “But, Hitch here took the time to talk to me. I'll only talk with him.”
Another alert appeared in front of Hitch. Goose and Jack also got the alert. Apparently, Hitch had unlocked another path for the quest. Now, instead of having to exterminate the hares. They could negotiate a deal. Hitch smiled happily.
Jack asked Cedar. “Can you give us a moment to talk to our friend?”
Cedar nodded before commenting. “I need to go talk to my family. Let me know when you're ready.” He turned and headed back into the hollow.
Jack motioned for Hitch to walk over and the group started to talk amongst themselves. He commented. “Hitch. Gotta say that was good work. Didn't think you'd find an alternate quest this early.”
Hitch questioned. “What do you mean?”
Goose answered. “Now, instead of exterminating the hares. We can probably end this without having to kill them.”
Hitch questioned. “Probably?” He asked. “What do you mean by probably?”
Jack answered. “You just started a negotiation. If all goes well all of us walk out of here without bleeding.” He added. “But, if it fails.” He stopped the sentence when he saw the look on Hitches face. He didn't need to explain what happens if they fail.
Hitch asked. “What do I do?”
Jack answered. “Find out why their stealing both the crops and the medicinal crops. After that see if you can't get them to stop.”
Hitch nodded and knelt down to let his son off. At first Sparky was confused and gripped his fathers back tightly. That was until he felt gentle claws wrap around his torso. He was lifted off his fathers back and held close by Goose.
Goose spoke. “I'll watch him.” He wished him well. “Good luck.”
Hitch stood back up and nodded before walking back to the burrow. He looked down the tunnel and called out to Cedar. “Hey, Cedar. I'd like to talk to you again.”
Cedar's voice called back. “A moment please.”
Hitch nodded and waited patiently for the rabbit to come back out. After a moment Cedar walked back out of the burrow and looked up at Hitch. He smiled up at him while Hitch smiled down at him.
Hitch started. “A farmer that lives close by is why were here. He gave us a quest to get all of you to stop stealing his crops.” He asked him. “Why are you stealing his food?”
Cedar sighed sadly and answered. “We only take what we need to survive.” He explained. “The soil here stopped being fertile. We're unable to grow any of our own crops.” He admitted sadly. “Me, my wife, and most of our burrow mates have not eaten for weeks. We've given most of the food to our children.” He pleaded. “Please forgive us. We only wanted to feed our children.”
Hitch felt bad for him. Being a father himself; it reminded him about what happened to his son yesterday. He was willing to do anything to help his son. That was the real reason why he was here. To help his son get better.
Hitch apologized. “I'm sorry to hear that. I know all to well the situation your in.” He asked him. “The farmer also mentioned medicinal herbs missing? I'm sorry to ask but is one of your children or burrow mates sick?”
Cedar nodded his head and answered. “My mother is sick. We're not sure what's making her sick. But, whatever it is; it's not getting better.” He sighed sadly and added. “We may lose her.”
Jack and Goose looked at each other and nodded. Goose then handed Sparky over to Jack before he reach into the satchel he had. He pulled out an odd looking bottle and started to walk towards the two. Cedar noticed this and was about to say something.
But, Goose raised a claw and spoke. “I just want to give you this.” He showed Cedar the bottle he had and explained. “It's Panacea. If what you say is true and the herbs you have been taking are not helping. She's more than like being effected by poison or worse. The herbs you've been taking are health restoratives. They don't cure poison or any other ailments like it.” He gestured to the bottle and finished. “But, this will.” He extended the bottle towards Cedar.
At first Cedar was a little unsure about this. But, at the same time his mother was dying and they couldn't help her the way they were. Cautiously he took the medicine and retreated back into the burrow. Hitch wondered if everything was going to be okay.
He asked Goose. “What now?”
Goose answered. “We wait.”
The group waited for a good thirty minutes until happy laughter was heard coming out of the burrow. They looked towards the opening just in time to Cedar come hoping out of the tunnel. He had a smile on his face and he was heading right towards Goose. The drake let out a surprised yelp as he was knocked off balance by the hare. It wasn't that the hare was heavy. Goose, just didn't expected to be tackled by the hare.
Cedar happily announced. “My mother is cured.” He thanked Goose. “Thank you! Thank you, friend! Thank you!”
Goose smiled sheepishly before replying. “No problem.”
Jack spoke up. “Cedar?” The hare looked at him and he asked. “You mentioned something about soil not being fertile. By chance do you and your family have a plot of land close by?”
Cedar answered. “Yes.” He sighed sadly and continued. “We will stop taking crops from the farmer. But, food is scarce in these.”
Before he could finish Jack interrupted him. “Can you take me to it.” The hare looked at him and he continued. “I can't promise anything. But, I think I may have something that may help.”
At this point Cedar would take any kind of help he could get. He hopped of Goose and motioned for the group to follow him. He lead them to an area just to the north of the grotto. The plot of land was covered in dead grass. It's ground dried and cracked almost like the dried bed of a desert. It as a depressing sight to see. Cedar looked away sadly. He remembered how their garden used to be.
Jack looked at the land for a moment before kneeling and touching the barren soil. He picked a pinch of dirt up and examined it. He commented. “This may work.”
Cedar looked at him in astonishment and questioned. “What?”
Jack stood up and looked at him. He quickly explained. “Listen, Cedar. I can help you. But, I need you to trust me.” He started reaching for something on his backside.
The hare noticed and all but yelled. “What are you reaching for?!” He was ready to make a mad dash back to his home.
Jack answered calmly. “My weapon.” He quickly added. “Don't worry. I promise that it will help.”
Cedar felt nervous as Jack continued to reach for his weapon. All of his instincts screamed at him to run. But, he didn't feel threatened. It was then Jack pulled a solid gold card from his deck. Goose was shocked to see him pull one of his gold cards.
Goose questioned. “Jack. You sure you want to use one of your wild cards.”
Jack nodded before looking at Cedar and explaining. “Cedar. My weapon has incredible magic embedded inside. Magic that the create and restore objects, buildings and landscape.” He looked down at the ground.
He brought the card up to his mouth and whispered something. He then threw the card towards the land and in a flash of golden the light. The land was restored to it's former glory. The land was now fertile and the grass had been completely restored. Cedar couldn't believe his eyes. Their field was back to the way it was. It was then the ground started shifting and moving. The grass was cleared and only loose soil remained. Jack smiled before he opened the teams item box. He pulled three small bags of seeds out.
Goose commented. “I forgot we had those.” Hitch looked at him curiously.
Jack looked at Cedar and said. “You can have these seeds.” He handed him two of the bags. “But, this one.” He pulled another card. This time it was one of his regular colored cards. He brought the bag of seeds against the card and it was absorbed inside. The image on the card showed a variety of fruits and vegetables on it. He smiled before finishing. “This one is gonna help y'all have a few good meals.”
He threw the card at the soil. The card turned into a ball of light that spread itself all over the field. For a moment the land glowed bright like a star. When the light faded Jack motioned for all of them to move back. They did and just in time too. The ground rumbled violently for a few seconds before a large supply of fruits and vegetables erupted from the ground. Hitch and Sparky stared in awe. While Jack smiled proudly at the use of his magic. Goose chuckled a little. Cedar could feel tears welling in his eyes. This harvest would last his family for a year, maybe two. They no longer needed to steal. In fact, there was enough food here to give back to the farmer as an apology for what they had taken. He couldn't believe it. His family was saved. All of them were saved.
He choked out. “Thank you.” They looked at him as he finally broke down crying. “Thank you! Thank you!”
The group smiled as Hitch walked over the comfort him. All four of them received a notice. It was letting them know the quest had not only been fulfilled. But, a minor quest had just been added. It requested them to help carry the food back to the burrow. Which they happily accepted. After getting the harvest back to the burrow and enjoying a more pleasant conversation with the hares. Cedar thanked all of them one more time.
He spoke happily. “Again, I cannot thank all of you enough for this.” He vowed. “From, this point on. If you need any crops or herbs grown. We will be happy to grow them.”
Another alert appeared in front of Jack. It was a notice that his team had just forged a contract with Vanitati farmers. It let them know any seeds that come into their possession; they can have them sent to the farmers and they will grow them. There was some more information. But, it appeared to be locked out.
Cedar then looked at Hitch and thanked him once more. “Thank you, especially, Hitch Trailblazer. If a Beast tamer like you had not been here. I don't think any of my family would be alive still.”
Hitch wondered. “Beast tamer?”
He gasped when a suddenly light appeared over his body. It felt and odd tingling sensation shoot through him; before a surge of power coursed through his body. It all ended just a second later and another notification appeared in front of him. The window said he unlocked his class. He was now a Beast tamer. He saw a rank zero underneath it along with the word beginner.
Jack commented. “This quest has definitely been one worth recording.”
Hitch questioned. “What do you mean?” He asked. “What's a Beast tamer?”
Goose answered. “It's a rare class of warrior.” He explained further. “It means you can tame beasts. The more you train, the more powerful beasts you can tame.”
Hitch was a little shocked to hear that. He knew he always had some kind of attraction for animals. But, he didn't think he'd ever become something like this. It was then the group said their goodbyes to the hares and made their way back to the farm. After telling the farmer the hares would no longer be a problem; all of them loaded themselves into the truck and began to drive back to Traverse town. The sun was starting to set; none of them could believe that had been gone for that long.
As they drove back Hitch smiled happily to himself. Not only did he help them complete a quest. But, he managed to help them find a way to do it without hurting the rabbits. He smiled happily as he looked up at the darkening sky. He saw the nighttime sky in the distance along with the town. Maybe, he did make the right call about coming here with them. He wondered when the next quest would be.
Hitch asked. “Why are we out here again?”
At the moment the team were out in the middle of a large field. Hitch was practicing his Beast Taming. Jack was helping him with his magic. While Goose was gathering some herbs with Sparky. They were also trying to finish another quest that had been given to them. It was a rank zero gathering quest. One that had been shelved for quiet awhile.
Jack answered. “Were out here so you can get some practice.” He walked a little ways in front of him and continued. “The more you practice taming. The better and stronger beasts you can tame.” He pulled another card from his deck before saying. “Lets do it again.”
He threw the card out in front of him. A few seconds after the card had turned into some type of strange food. It was scatted on the field and he walked away from the area and both of them waited. A few minutes later two more hares showed up. Hitch sighed and focused on one of them. Like before he could feel the energy surge in his body. A feint glow appeared around him. The hare looked at him for a moment, the same glow appeared around it's body.
Jack commented. “Good.”
Hitch continued to focus the magic onto the hare. He closed his eyes to concentrate on the magic. The hare slowly moved closer to him. The energy on their bodies glowed a little brighter. Hitch continued to focus; he eventually felt the bridge being formed in their minds. He was on one side of the bridge and the hare was on the other. He began to walk towards the center of the bridge. The hare mirrored his movements.
He spoke to himself. “If we get to the center. Me and the beast will form a Tamed Bond.” He continued to walk forward. He kept a watchful eye on the hare that stepped closer. They were halfway to each other. He continued. “When we reach the center the bond will be complete.” They were now just a few feet away from the center. He begged. “Don't lose focus.”
Both of them reached the center and the bond was formed between them. Hitch opened his eyes and smiled. The hare looked at him with a curious look. He asked it. “Can you find some yellow flowers for me?”
The rabbit squeaked happily before hopping away from him. He smiled at the successful tame; he could hear Jack clapping his hands again. After a few minutes the hare came back with three yellow flowers in it's mouth. It layed them on the ground in front of him. It was then the glow from earlier reappeared on it's body. It glowed brightly for a few seconds before it disappeared. The hare then hopped away.
Jack commented. “Not, bad.” He walked forward and collected the flowers as he continued. “Three successful tames. Not bad at all.” He checked Hitch's stats and saw his tamer rank rise. It finally hit the max and advanced to rank one. He looked at Hitch and said. “Nice job, Hitch. You can now tame rank zero and rank one monsters.”
Hitch smiled happily before the alert flashed in front of him. It confirmed what Jack said; he can now tame two types of monsters. When he checked his own stats his smile faded. He may have just ranked up his taming ability. But, there was still a lot of rank zeros on his stats. He hadn't even gotten to rank one on his own rank. He looked at Jack who was already rank two.
He asked him. “How long did it take you to get to rank two?”
Jack answered. “Too long.” He chuckled and added. “Don't worry about it too much. Before you know it you'll rank up.”
Hitch smiled at him before they heard the rustling in the grass before them. They looked towards it and saw the hare hopping back. It had a bunch of of yellow flowers in it's mouth. The hare stopped in front of Hitch and placed them on the ground in front of him.
Hitch smiled and thanked the hare. “Thanks, little guy.” He opened his item box and selected some treats that Jack had given him. He told the hare. “Here you go.” He layed the treats on the ground in front of the hare.
The hare squeaked happily before taking the treats. It was then a feint glow appeared around it's body. Once the glow faded the hare hopped off into the tall grass. That meant the bond was over. Hitch sighed in slight exhaustion. Using this magic was exhausting; it was nothing like his earth pony magic. He wondered for a moment why that wasn't in his skill slots. His wonder was broken by a sudden rumble from his stomach.
Jack commented. “I agree. It is around that time.” He chuckled a little as Hitch blushed from embarrassment. He reminded him. “How many times do I have to tell you. It's normal to get hungry after using all that magic. That magic really burns through your energy.”
Hitch replied. “It never did this back in Equestria.”
Jack reminded him. “Remember, Hitch. You're not in Equestria anymore. You're body is still getting used to the magic here.” He walked in front of him and collected the flowers. It was enough to finish their quest. He added them to the groups item box and looked around. He commented. “Those two should be back by now.” He wondered for a minute before checking his messages. Goose hadn't sent any to him. And, he didn't get an alert about any of his teammates in danger. He commented. “Maybe they got sidetracked.” He rolled his eyes before turning to Hitch and saying. “Come on. Lets get back to the truck and get something to eat.”
Hitch nodded and the two started heading back to the truck. As they walked back Hitch continued to check his stats. He was trying to find his Earth pony magic. He stopped for a moment and reread his stats three times. He wondered for a moment; before he looked down at the grass. He slowly lifted his right hoof and gently stomped it into the ground. He saw the familiar glow of his magic course through the land below him. The grass grew a little higher; there was even some yellow flowers in the grass. He smiled and picked the flowers. He added them to the item box.
Jack saw the amount of flowers in the box increase. He glanced over his shoulder for a moment before focusing back on the area in front of him. An alert flashed in front of him. It alerted him that magic that had been lost was suddenly rediscovered. He read the details carefully; he was surprised to see a certain detail on it. A detail that made his eyes go a little wide. He glanced over his shoulder again before closing the alert.
He called to Hitch. “Pick up the pace, rookie.”
Hitch started to walk a little faster.
Both of them arrived at the truck and rested on the tailgate. Jack had prepared something called cup noodles. Hitch looked at the strange cup. At first he thought it was a cup of coffee. But, he never heard of a coffee brand called Maruchan. But, when Jack told him what it really was. He was curious about the cup of noodles in front of him. Jack noticed Hitch hadn't pulled the cover off the top of his cup.
He chuckled before saying. “Let me help you with that.” He set his cup down and picked up Hitchs'. He then pulled the lid off the cup allowing the steam to escape from it. Hitch smelled something delicious on the air. It made his mouth water and his stomach growl. He wondered how this food would taste.
Jack suggested. “Take a sip of the soup first.”
Hitch nodded and picked the cup up. He brought it close to his mouth and blew on it; he then took a quick sip from it. His eyes went wide from both the heat and the taste. It was hot but not hot enough to scald his mouth. The taste was amazing. He never had anything like this before. What in the world was this flavor? He noticed Jack holding a plastic fork out to him. He took the fork and used it to scoop out some noodles. He noticed there were bits of carrots and corn mixed into the noodles. After one bite he couldn't get enough of the meal.
Jack noticed the eagerness in Hitch's slurps and chuckled. Goose acted the same way after his first cup of noodles. He chuckled before reaching for something behind them. He pulled out a red tube. It had something displayed on the front. Whatever it was it was underneath a pepper that had the words, Chili sauce, written on it.
Jack removed the lid on the tube and squeezed some of it's contents into his cup. He offered the tube to Hitch. “Try it with some of this.” He saw Hitch look at the tube and he added. “Really, adds some kick to the noodles and soup.”
At first Hitch was unsure; he normally avoided stuff that looked spicy. He squeezed a little bit into his cup and mixed it in. After taking another bite of noodles; once more the food in this world amazed him. It was a little spicy. But, not overpowering like most of the spicy food he had tried before. There was a little sweetness to it. The sweetness somehow made the soup more richer and the noodles more flavorful than before.
As the two enjoyed their food an alert flashed in front of both of them. Jack read the alert and smiled before finishing his cup. He got off the tailgate and drew a card from his deck. The card turned into a staff. Hitch closed the notification and watched as Jacked walked into the field. The notification warned them of rank two monsters heading for them. Field wolves was the name of the monsters. He watched as his friend stood calmly.
Jack spoke. “Watch how I fight these things.”
Almost on cue a wolf lunged at him from the tall grass. He smacked it away with his staff before rolling out of the way. Another wolf had tried to attack him from behind. It landed on the ground and turned to face him; snarling as it glared at him. Jack pulled another card and threw it at the wolf. The card turned into a giant spider; it screeched it's battle cry and dove for the wolf. The wolf had little time to react. It tried to run but it was snared by a web the spider had shot out.
Hitch watched as the spider devoured the wolf. The first wolf tried to attack Jack again; like before it was struck hard and knocked to the ground. It was then he heard a low growl come from behind him. He gasped and turned only to see the gleaming fangs of a third wolf. He braced himself for an attack. It was then a loud cracking sound echoed through the air; something whizzed by Hitch's head and the wolf whimpered as it was knocked to the ground.
Hitch questioned. “What in the?”
The voice of Goose shouted. “Y'all having a party without us?!”
The two looked and saw Goose running towards them. Sparky clung to his back laughing his little head off. Goose had one of his strange weapons drawn. As he passed Hitch he spoke. “Here, Hold this for me.”
He threw Sparky towards Hitch; the little baby squealed happily as he flew through the air. Hitch caught his son and fell backwards into the trucks bed. He groaned a little from the hard impact; while Sparky purred happily and nuzzled his fathers stomach. Hitch smiled at his son. Both of them flinched as they heard three loud cracking sounds. He hid his son behind him and looked over the side of the vehicle.
Goose had his weapon aimed at the second wolf. It snarled at him as he attacked it again. The wolf whimpered as a bullet struck it's leg. It tried to back away, but Goose was not giving it any edge. He fired another shot into the wolf. The wolf dropped to the ground and thrashed about. He walked closer to the beast; he got it to hold still by putting one of his feet on it's neck. He aimed it;'s weapon at it's head and fired. The wolf was still.
Jack commented. “Good work.”
Before Goose could reply his eyes went wide in horror. That was when Jack heard the low growl of a fourth wolf. He had little time to react; he had no time to pull a card or get his weapon in front of him. He could only turn to see the gleaming teeth of the wolf. It was just inches away from his face.
The wolf whimpered as the grass below it suddenly sprang up and grabbed it. It tried to bite it's way out; except the grass had a firm grip on it's body. It started to constrict and tighten itself around the wolf. The wolf whimpered and continued to fight against the grass. Only after a few more agonizing seconds the wolf stopped. It was dead. The grass grew back down into the earth; leaving the wolfs body in front of Jack. He turned around to look at the truck. Hitch was standing on the ground behind the vehicle; his hoof just stopped glowing and he appeared to be panting heavily.
Goose commented. “So that alert wasn't bull.”
Jack looked at him and said. “Guess not.” He looked at Hitch and asked. “So, when were you gonna tell us that you knew Earth magic?”
Hitch replied. “I didn't think.”
He didn't get to finish what he was saying. He felt incredibly exhausted; the world around him started to fade and he could feel his legs about to give out. As he fell Jack quickly ran up while saying. “Nope, nope, nope.”
Jack caught him before Hitch had fallen to the ground. He heard him groaning and breathing heavily. He took another quick scan of his stats. The magic had not only completely drained Hitch of the natural energy he had in him; it had also drained some of his life energy.
He mumbled. “Mental note. Mental note.” He opened the item box and pulled out a potion. He cracked the top off the potion bottle and poured the liquid onto Hitch's body.
Sparky cooed in worry as he jumped out of the back of the truck and ran towards his father. Goose tried to stop him but the baby was more agile than he was. He managed to dodge his grab and quickly ran up to his father. He whimpered and whined in worry as he grabbed hold of his fathers hoof.
Jack tried his best to smile at the baby. But, the poor child was worried about his father. He whimpered and whined loudly. He gently patted his father leg trying to get a response. Jack looked at Goose and was about to suggest a sedative. Thankfully, that was not going to be necessary. Hitch had regained consciousness for a moment and started gently stroking his sons head. He said nothing. All he did was smile and gently rub his baby's head. He was only awake for a few seconds.
Jack looked up and spoke to Goose. “Goose, gimme a hand.”
Goose walked up and helped lift and carry Hitch to the truck. Sparky whined in worry as they carried his father. The two gently placed Hitch in the bed of the truck; while Sparky tried his best to climb back into the bed. Goose noticed and gently scooped the hatchling up and placed him in the back. As Sparky ran to his fathers side; Jack shut the tailgate and the two walked to the front of the truck. As he walked by he noticed Sparky trying his best to hide his father underneath him. Jack chuckled a little at the cute sight. The little baby was worried about his father. He got in the truck shortly after Goose had closed the passenger side door. He turned the key and the truck started. He began to drive back to town to finish their mission. All the while Sparky did his best to protect his father from anymore harm.
