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Wind Whistler blinked her eyes open. She picked up her head and her bed suddenly swayed as her weight shifted. She was startled by this before remembering her "bed" was a giant banana leaf tied between two palm trees.
She looked around at the palm grove. The orange sun was just about to finish its emergence over the horizon. She had hoped to be up before dawn like usual, but it came earlier in these eastern islands.
She looked up at the sky. It was salmon in color. Everything was tinted red. Wind Whistler immediately thought of the old saying, "Red sky in morning, pegasi take warning." The red dawn meant storms were in the near future.
Wind Whistler fluttered out of her banana leaf hammock. They other leaves were empty except for Fizzy lying in the one next to her. Fizzy had that same sweet smile she had the morning before. Wind Whistler could only imagine the wonderful world she was in. She decided to let her sleep and enjoy it. She would not be coming with them for this battle.
Wind Whistler walked into the cabana. She could feel the tension in the air, like electricity waiting to spark. Everyone seemed to be waiting for something. Even Contrail Junior and Jet Streak Junior pawed at the floor impatiently.
After the feast last night, breakfast was very light. This was a classic tactic for pegasi when getting ready for fights. The dinner provided energy reserves while the light breakfast kept them from being weighed down by digestion.
Wind Whistler walked up to Hurricane sitting at his corner table. "Can I sit with you?"
"Sure." Hurricane moved over to make room for her.
Wind Whistler looked around the cabana. "Are you waiting for something?"
"Blitz is scouting the status of the pirates," Hurricane answered. "When he returns, we'll get ready to head out."
Wind Whistler sighed. "I will be glad when this is over. It is disconcerting to think a piece of the Rainbow of Light could be turned to evil. The Moochick did not exaggerate when he said this will be a very difficult task."
"After we've dealt with the pirates, Monsoon said we'll help look for the remaining pieces as well as recruit any other ponies still out there and warn them about Arachnis," Hurricane said. "You and Fizzy don't have to go it alone."
"Thank you." Wind Whistler felt relieved to know more would be joining their cause. The challenge ahead of them seemed staggering for just two ponies, but now they had a virtual army. She did not want to get ahead of herself, though. They needed to clear this hurdle first.
Hurricane let his eyes dart around as if he was trying to collect his thoughts. "I know this sounds sudden, but can we talk about last night?"
Wind Whistler felt her heartbeat quicken. It was a discussion she had hoped to avoid. As illogical as it might be, she was attracted to him. She actually felt a little embarrassed this was happening to her. It also seemed inappropriate to discuss such a matter at a time like this. Perhaps she could deflect the conversation off the issue. "What about it?"
"I know we just met each other, but do you think…" Hurricane paused for a moment. "Do you think there might be something maybe possibly a little…romantic developing between us?" He said "romantic" in a whisper as if he did not want it to be heard.
So much for deflecting the conversation. Wind Whistler thought out her response carefully. "I…I suppose it is possible. We are of the age when ponies look for mates. If not for the pirates, you might have come to Dream Valley by now, and…" She heaved a sigh. She might as well not try to hide from it. "To be direct: yes. Even though I just met you, there is something about you that makes me want to be with you."
"Good. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I want to be with you too."
Without thinking, Wind Whistler leaned against Hurricane and rested her head in his soft mane. It felt like a huge burden had been lifted off her back. She took comfort in being near him.
That comfort was immediately shattered by the collective "aw" from the audience Wind Whistler forgot they had. She sat up straight and both looked away from each other. This only got laughs from the others. Wind Whistler's cheeks got hot as she blushed.
"All right. Leave the love birds alone," Monsoon said.
"Love birds," Shut Up repeated.
Monsoon scowled at the parrot. He turned his attention to the others. "We have more important matters to attend to."
Fizzy walked into the cabana. "Hi, everyone."
"Hi," a couple ponies said.
"You just missed Wind Whistler and Hurricane confess their love for each other," Contrail said mockingly.
"Oh." Paradise flew out of Fizzy's mane. "I wanted to be here."
"It was nothing as dramatic as that," Wind Whistler said. Her cheeks got warmer.
She decided to get her mind off it by taking a quick survey of the cabana now that Fizzy had arrived. Aside from Blitz, everyone was now there. They just needed their scout to return.
Blitz suddenly swooped into the cabana. He had to have one of the loudest color schemes Wind Whistler had ever seen on a pony. He had iridescent eyes like Fizzy that looked like diamonds as well as a mane and tail that were four colors. However, his were bright red, yellow, green, and blue against his pale gray coat. Ironically, it was his haunch mark that was the least eye-catching as a simple yellow lightning bolt curved into an arch.
Everyone fell silent as he walked up to Monsoon. They all gave him his full attention. Wind Whistler felt the tension begin to build again. The time they had been waiting for had come.
"I found the pirates. I started where Hurricane had encountered them and started a spiral search pattern. Since they were without their mainsail, they couldn't have traveled to far from that location. They had taken shelter in the northern cove of Proximity Island. They've turned off their fog machine and seemed to be in the process of reattaching their mainsail. However, when the dawn came with a red tint, they dropped anchor and began securing their ship for storms." Blitz's speech as was very hurried, giving Whizzer a run for her money in terms of the fastest talker Wind Whistler had ever met.
"Then we have them," Monsoon said, stomping his hoof.
"Yeah, but their hunkering down for storms," Jet Streak said. "We should do the same."
"We can't let this opportunity pass us by," Monsoon said. "Don't forget, this isn't just about the pirates anymore. Those arachnids have captured Dream Castle and the ponies living there. They may also be spreading into other regions of Ponyland in search of others. We cannot afford to wait any longer."
Everyone glanced around the cabana. One by one they gave their nod.
"Then we head out within the hour," Monsoon said.
Arachnis opened the door to the room he had made his sleeping quarters and was hit by a rush of cold, wet air. A driving rain fell from a blanket of gray clouds. The courtyard was understandably empty aside from Strike sleeping in front of the door where the ponies were locked up.
As Arachnis walked towards the door he noticed the door was cracked. He broke into a run and practically jumped over Strike to the door. He pushed the door open and stepped into the room. His gazed immediately fell on the cage. It was empty and the lock was sitting next to the door with the key in its hole.
He picked it up and thought. Did the ponies escape or did someone get greedy?
He glanced to the tub where the aquatic ponies were. They were also gone. Besides him and Strike, no one could have reached them. The ponies must have escaped during the night.
Arachnis clenched his fist around the lock. He could feel the metal device collapse in his hand. He threw it against the wall and stormed out of the room. In almost one motion he stepped through the doorway and kicked Strike off the stoop. "Get up!"
Strike opened his eyes. "Ow." He rubbed his side. "What?"
"They're gone!"
Strike slowly stood up on his legs. "Who are?"
Arachnis grabbed Strike and brought him up to his face. "The ponies, you idiot! The ponies have escaped!" He threw Strike to the ground. "You were supposed to be guarding them!"
Strike landed on his back. He flipped over and stood up. "They were in a cage on a sill in a locked room." He yawned. "I thought they were secure."
Arachnis felt the urge to kick Strike again. However, that would not solve the problem. He shouted, "Everyone, get out here!"
Spiders and scorpions poured out of the doors and windows. The courtyard quickly went from abandoned to crowded.
"The ponies have escaped!" Arachnis announced.
A chorus of hushed conversation rose from the crowd. "I told you we should have eaten them when we had the chance," a spider said loudly enough to be heard.
Arachnis replied by throwing a bolt of lightning into him. "If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it."
He ceased his lightning and grimaced at the crowd. "Find them. They couldn't have gotten far. I don't care if you have to tear this valley apart, I want them back here and alive."
The spiders and scorpions crawled towards the drawbridge. The bridge lowered and they crossed it to spread into the valley. Arachnis gnashed his teeth as he watched them leave. They would find them. The ponies could not have possibly gotten out of the valley over the course of one night.
Magic Star watched their carriers. The pegasi and flutter ponies panted and wheezed as they carried the others on the catalpa leaf. A trip that took a few minutes at normal size took all night. Even Whizzer and Surprise, who seemed to never run out of energy, were gassed from flying for so long and helping to carry the leaf.
Fortunately, the "rainbow" was actually a magical bridge linking Dream Valley to Megan's ranch and not a real rainbow. It was there all the time and in any weather. That meant they could cross over during the night and not wait in the wilderness for morning. They also beat out the storms Gusty predicted and were in fact looming over the horizon when they reached the rainbow.
They had just come over the crest when the fliers set the leaf down. The rainbow was also a solid arch giving them a chance to rest.
"I'm afraid that's about all we can give you." North Star panted and the others were just as exhausted.
"That's okay." Megan petted North Star on her head. "We can slide down from here."
"Suits me just fine. I've always wanted to do this." Gusty leaned back and threw herself forward into a full gallop. "Kowabunga!" She jumped off her hooves and slid down the rainbow on her belly.
"Me too. Kowabunga!" Baby Gusty followed her mother.
"I'm not going to say that word, but here I go." Buttons took a couple of cautious steps before slipping down after them.
The others followed. They all slid down the rainbow to its bottom in the middle of the ranch Megan's family owned. They rolled off and landed in a thick patch of grass. The soft leaves cushioned their landing. They leapt off the leaves and onto the ground.
Magic Star looked around the area. The pegasi had been to the ranch multiple times to pick up and drop off Megan. However, it was the first time she and the other earthbound ponies had been here. It was nothing too special: a white farmhouse with a red shingles and a stable of the same color scheme surrounded by green pastures. A few horses wandered around the sprawling property. They occasionally bit at clumps of grass or let out a whinny. A couple suddenly broke into a gallop like they decided right then and there to have a race.
Of course, they were getting the perspective of being less than an inch tall. The grass and toadstools towered above them along with the fence posts which were the size of towers. The dirt road near them was as wide as a plain with ruts filled with water as big as rivers. For the first time she really got a sense of just how small they were.
Magic Star turned her attention to what her other senses told her. The air was cool and moist. It also held the odor of horses. Megan had told her equines in this world were not intelligent which was why she was shocked when she first met them. Apparently, they were not very hygienic either.
"So, this is your place," Gingerbread said.
"Yup." Megan inhaled a deep breath through her nostrils. She seemed to take more pleasure from the smell that Magic Star did. "We can get into the house and find some place for the sea ponies. Then we'll wait until Fizzy and Wind Whistler come for us."
A dewdrop suddenly fell on Sweet Stuff, instantly drenching her. She shook the water off. "I'm all for getting inside. Being outside like this makes me nervous."
"Don't worry." Surprise took to the air. "There's nothing dangerous around here."
She was not looking ahead and got caught in a web stretched between two fence posts. She struggled against the net of silk but only managed to get more tangled. She also attracted the attention of the garden spider that had spun it as she crawled out of her hiding place in a hole in one of the fence posts.
"Help me!" Surprise screamed. "The arachnids are already here!"
"It's not one of the marauders," Megan said. "It's just a normal garden spider."
Surprise stopped struggling. "Oh…okay."
"It's not okay. She's still going to eat you." Gusty pointed her horn at the web and blasted a gust of wind at it. The flutter ponies joined in and blew Surprise out of the web before the spider could reach her.
Surprise steadied herself once she was free and flew back to the group. The spider quickly crawled back into her hiding place.
"I guess there are a bunch of dangerous things around here when you're tiny," Surprise said.
"Just feel lucky we don't have any cats on the ranch," Megan said.
Magic Star looked up warily at the sky. There was thankfully nothing overhead. Spiders and cats were not their only worries. At this size, they were at the absolute bottom of the food chain. "Let's get to the house as quickly as we can. If our trip over the rainbow is any indication of the kind of pace we can manage, we're going to be out in the open longer than I want to be as it is."
Snaggletusk sat at the helm and watched his crew secure fixtures on the ship. With his ship disabled and storms on approach, the best they could do was hunker down and ride out whatever the weather threw at them. The dark clouds were already building on the western horizon. Fortunately, they were able to reach a sheltered cove.
He cursed that blasted pony. Not only did he cost them those two they had caught, but he dared to cut down their mainsail with one of their own machetes. Well, the equines would all soon pay for his insolence.
A seal flopped up the steps to the helm. "We've battened down everything that can be battened down, Cap'n."
"Excellent," Snaggletusk said. "We'll ride out this bit of dirty weather and complete repairs. Then, we'll teach those blasted ponies fer making fools of us. I'm sick of sitting waiting around here."
"Pegasi are approaching from the east!" the lookout in the crow's nest shouted.
Snaggletusk grabbed his spyglass and pointed it east. Several pegasi were headed for them in a flying "V" formation. He chuckled. "We might get the chance sooner than I thought."
Wind Whistler and the others stopped off the Dreadtusk's port side. "Snaggletusk, I want to speak to you," Wind Whistler shouted.
Snaggletusk flopped to the side of the ship along with several seals. "What do ye want?"
"The item you call the Drab Arch is in fact ours. I demand you return it and leave these islands forever."
Snaggletusk slapped the railing and laughed loudly. "That's a good one, lass. I don't think ye understand. We be pirates. We take loot. We don't give it back."
"Then I will take it from you by force." Wind Whistler touched the rainbow locket around her neck. It burst open and the Rainbow of Light streamed out of it. She felt it connect to her as it behaved based on the locket bearer's feelings.
"Arr. So ye have a rainbow of yer own? Then let's see whose is better." Snaggletusk opened his and the Drab Arch burst from it.
The two struck each other with a thunderous explosion. Having only ever seen one Rainbow of Light, Wind Whistler had never seen what it would be like if two fought against each other. Yet it was something she was about to witness first hand.
There was also the wall of dark clouds taking up the entire western part of the sky. The red sky had warned of bad weather this morning. A squall line was heading straight for them.
It was another factor that could play into the battle as the Rainbow of Light could affect the weather. The magic being released could increase the storms' severity.
The two rainbows swooped and spiraled around each other. They looked like snakes as they struck at each other. Each hit threw out white sparks and made a thunderous crash that rattled Wind Whistler's ribcage when they were close as the air literally exploded from the collision.
The wall of clouds loomed over them. A blast of cold, wet wind preceded them, whipping the seas into frothy waves. Wind Whistler had to fight against the sudden gust to keep from being blown away. The pirates also grabbed anything as even the cove was stirred into white caps by the gust.
Wind Whistler was caught between concentrating on the battle and keeping herself steady. The Rainbow of Light suffered from this as the Drab Arch struck at it several times while it could barely turn.
"What are you doing?" she heard Jet Streak suddenly ask. "You'll be completely unprotected."
"It might disrupt the Rainbow of Light," Hurricane answered.
Wind Whistler felt something brace itself against her side. She looked to Hurricane leaning against her without his lei.
"I'll keep you steady," Hurricane said. "Just concentrate on the Rainbow of Light."
"Thank you, Hurricane." Wind Whistler focused her faculties on the Rainbow of Light. The Drab Arch came in for another strike, but the Rainbow of Light dodged it and delivered a blow as it passed by.
The clouds quickly spread over them. Torrents of rain plummeted onto them. Lightning arced through the clouds and thunder roared. It was terrible weather for pirates and ponies alike to be out in the open, but they had become transfixed by the fight between the serpents of color and gray. Even the lightning went straight for them.
"How are you holding up?" Hurricane asked.
"Pretty well considering," Wind Whistler replied. "What about you?"
"Are you kidding? I'm watching two rainbows fight in a thunderstorm. How many can say that?"
The two rainbows headed straight for each other. They crashed head on into each other. They struggled to push each other back. The Drab Arch gained color at its front while the Rainbow of Light lost color.
Wind Whistler noticed the violet color of her rainbow locket was fading in and out. The two rainbows were trying to exert their locket bearer's will on the other. It had now become a fight between her and Snaggletusk.
That was when inspiration struck. She willed the Rainbow of Light to disengage. It then wrapped itself around the Drab Arch. It enveloped the corrupted rainbow and burst into brilliant ball of light.
It was hard to tell, but Wind Whistler saw Snaggletusk's locket turn blue. The ball of light faded to two brilliant, colorful rainbows. They curled around each other in a double helix across the sky. The winds died down and the clouds brightened slightly while still producing a drenching rain.
Wind Whistler heaved a sigh of relief. She was victorious.
"NO!" Snaggletusk pounded the railing. "Ye can't do this to me! I'm yer master! OBEY ME!"
One of the rainbows swooped down and hit him his bulging gut. He dropped the blue locket and the rainbow grabbed it. It flew back to Wind Whistler and placed the locket around her neck.
"Thank you, Rainbow of Light," Wind Whistler said.
"ARR! YE CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" Snaggletusk roared.
The rainbows flew around the pirates' ship. They dove into the water on either side of it and burst up through the deck. One sliced the center mast. The huge tower of wood fell to the side and crashed through the hull under it. Everyone scattered to keep from being crushed. The other twisted the cannons into useless hunks of metal and threw the shells on the deck in the ocean. The ship began to sink and disintegrate as the rainbows tore apart its hull and crushed the equipment onboard. The seals dove into the sea as their ship was reduced to flotsam.
Snaggletusk popped up on the surface. Monsoon flew down to him and Wind Whistler followed. The walrus glared at them with widened eyes mad with rage, and his large upper lip curled back to reveal the messy, yellowed teeth usually hidden under it. Wind Whistler could only imagine how enraged he was after the destruction of his ship.
"Leave our islands and never return," Monsoon said sternly, unfazed by Snaggletusk's wild expression.
Snaggletusk sat there for a moment. He suddenly beat the water with his flipper. He looked back up at them, not as enraged, but still clearly angry. "Ye can keep yer bloody islands and trinket. If I never see another equine as long as I live, it'd be too soon."
He swam out of the cove. The seals followed them. Wind Whistler watched them as did everyone else. The stallions watched very intently. After having to contend with the pirates for so long, they probably found it hard to believe they were actually gone. Finally, the pirates disappeared from view amongst the turbulent waves.
"There were times I thought this day would never come," Monsoon said. He exhaled a sigh of relief. "At last we're free of those blasted pirates. At last the day is ours." His was subdued in his tone.
The others erupted into cheers and flew in loops. Wind Whistler could only imagine the elation they were experiencing. However, she hoped she would experience the same thing when she and Fizzy along with their new allies saved their friends from Arachnis.
She looked up at the two rainbows. They twisted around each other in a double helix like earlier. It was like they were celebrating along with them.
"It looks like they're dancing together," Hurricane said.
"It does," Wind Whistler said, watching them dance through the sky. "It is like watching two old friends meet for the first time after having been long separated."
"Sunspot returned to the flutter pony and said 'Take back these wings of gold for they're too heavy and I cannot fly with them,'" Paradise said, emphasizing the despair in Sunspot's line. Fizzy felt like she was practically there. Paradise was an incredible storyteller, able to turn words on a page or even a memory into a dramatic telling.
Fizzy lay on the floor of the cabana with Jet Streak Junior and Contrail Junior lying on either side of her. Galaxy, Honeysuckle, and Morning Glory sat in her mane. Paradise stood on the table in front of them.
"'I thought you wanted brilliant wings of gold more than anything else,' the flutter pony replied," Paradise said.
"'I thought so, but I did not realize how much I loved soaring through the sky and playing with my friends in the clouds,' Sunspot said despairingly. 'Please, return my plain wings to me.'
'All right then.' The flutter pony kissed Sunspots' wings. They glowed brightly and when the light faded his old, feathery wings were in their place. He flapped them and they felt as light as those of a butterfly's. He lifted off the ground and did a loop right there.
'Thank you,' he said. He then returned to the sky where he could play with his friends once more. The End."
"That was a great story, Paradise," Fizzy said, clacking her hoof on the floor. "I've never heard that one."
Paradise bowed. "I just found it in the library the day before all this started. I guess that's why it was at the top of my memory."
"It was a pretty good story," Baby Contrail said. "I wish we could see your library."
"Hopefully once the pirates and the marauders are gone, you'll be able to come to Dream Valley whenever you want," Paradise said.
"Speaking of which, I hope everyone is all right." Fizzy looked out at the pouring rain.
A chorus of yips and hollers rose over the pattering of rain pelting the roof. "Something tells me their all just fine," Paradise said.
Pegasi flew into the cabana. They were soaked and immediately shook out their coats once they were under cover. They practically pranced as they walked, they were so giddy.
"We did it, Fizzy." Even Wind Whistler could not restrain her elation. She showed Fizzy the two lockets around her neck. "We now have two Rainbows of Light and those pirates are gone for good."
"That's great!" Fizzy jumped to her hooves. She wanted to do somersaults upon hearing this great news but thought better of considering they were inside. "We're a third of the way there."
"We also have Hurricane to thank for it." Wind Whistler snuggled up to him. "He helped me in the battle."
"Well, I was just doing what had to be done like always," Hurricane replied.
"I can't thank you enough." Monsoon walked up to them. "We're now free to roam the islands in peace." He then said loudly, "That means I can get all these freeloaders out of my cabana!"
The others burst into a fit of laughter.
Monsoon held up his lei. He frowned and sighed. "I was hoping to throw this thing away when the pirates left. However, no sooner have I rid myself of one magical menace than one takes its place."
"We will defeat the Arachnid Marauders as well," Wind Whistler said.
Monsoon nodded. "As promised, we're at your disposal. We will scour Ponyland in search of rainbow pieces. We will also recruit any ponies we meet to our cause."
"I thank you for your assistance," Wind Whistler said. "Once the storm clears, we'll be continuing our search as well."
"And, if you'll have me, I wish come along with you," Hurricane said.
Wind Whistler looked to him and smiled. "I would be delighted if you came with us."
Buttons stared up the steps leading from the ground to the front porch. The steps were three inches tall, but that made them three times Megan's height. The earthlings jumped from step to step onto the porch. She and the unicorns disappeared and reappeared at the top. The pegasi and flutter ponies simply flew up with Megan, Spike, and the sea ponies on their backs.
The next challenge was the screen door leading into the house. Thankfully, the main door was open, so they did not have to contend with it.
"How do we get in?" Sweet Stuff asked.
"We open it," Gusty said. "The pegasi and flutter ponies should be able to pull it open."
North Star and Lofty landed to let Megan and Spike hop off. The other fliers also gently set down the sea ponies before flying up to the handle.
Buttons watched them worriedly. This door could be trickier than the door in Dream Castle. The handle did not turn and the door had no mechanism to pop it open. It looked like you simply pulled or pushed it open and it closed behind you. A simple task at normal size, but perhaps impossible at their current size.
The fliers wrapped their legs around the curved piece of metal. They flapped their wings towards the door to try to pull it open. However, the door did not budge.
"It's no use," Lickety-Split grumbled. "They're not strong enough."
"It's too big for me to move as well," Buttons said. "I guess we'll just have to wait for someone to open the door and then sneak in."
"Come on, T.J." someone grumbled.
Buttons looked to the main corral along with everyone else. A boy with red hair was trying to pull a horse by his reins. However, the horse was going to have nothing to do with it. He had dug in his hooves and as hard as the boy pulled, he pulled just as hard in the opposite direction.
"I know I'm not Megan…" The boy yanked at the reins. "…but Mom said you need to be groomed. So be a nice horse and come over here."
"Who's that?" Buttons asked.
"That's my younger brother Danny and my horse T.J." Megan smiled and put her hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. "This is one of those rare instances of an unstoppable force meeting an unmovable object."
Danny tugged on the reins. He slipped and fell backwards to T.J.'s whinnying.
"Fine. I hope you get ticks." Danny stood up and stormed towards the house.
"Now's our chance." Megan hid behind a potted plant next to the door. The others joined her as Danny walked up the steps to the door. As soon as he pulled open the door they darted inside and behind the umbrella stand next to it.
The dark, paneled walls were covered in pictures of horses and other equestrian paraphernalia. Megan's parents were horse breeders and groomers. They took care of horses both of theirs and boarded by other people and Megan was just as passionate about them as her parents. No wonder she quickly befriended the Little Ponies after the shock of meeting talking equines wore off.
"T.J.'s being impossible, Mom." Danny stood in the doorway. "He won't let anyone groom him."
A slim, middle-aged woman with long, blond hair was sitting on the couch in front of the television. She turned around to Danny. "That's odd. He usually lets you when Megan's away."
"You're mother?" Ribbon asked.
Megan gave a solemn nod. "I wish I could tell them we're right here. They think I'm on a camping trip. They don't even know they should be worried about me."
"Why don't you?" Gingerbread asked.
"Their world doesn't have magical creatures like our world does," Magic Star said. "They'd freak if they saw Megan like this and us in any state."
"You remember how frightened I was when I first met you, right?" Megan said. "Try compounding that with us being shrunk."
"Then what should we do?" Gusty asked.
"We need to go to my room," Megan said. "The interior doors are high enough off the floor we can crawl under them."
"Where's your room?" Buttons asked.
"My bedroom is down that hall." Megan pointed to a hall with a few doors.
"I'll see if I can deal with T.J." Megan's mother walked out the door with Danny following. "Something must just have him spooked."
"My room is the first on the right. Let's go." Megan ran out from behind the umbrella stand. Everyone followed her.
They stopped at the door. There was a fairly generous gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. Heartthrob worked her way under it and squeezed through. The others squeezed under the door and passed the sea ponies under it.
Megan's room was simple in its décor. There was a bed in one corner and a desk and chair in another. Shelves filled with books and toys took up one wall and a dresser under a mirror was pushed up against another wall. There was also a picture of Megan and T.J. standing in front of the stable hanging on the wall over the bed.
"You have a cute room," White Cap said, "but where can we go? I'm starting to dry out."
"There's a rain barrel next to my window." Megan got on North Star's back. "We can get water and fill that ceramic bowl on my bottom shelf."
"With what?" Lofty asked.
"We can use that paper cup." Whizzer pointed a cup sitting on the desk.
"We'll have to open the window first," Lickety-Split said. "How can we do that when we couldn't open the door?"
"The window opens outward so we just have to push it," Megan said.
The fliers flew up to the window, the unicorns winked in on the sill, and the earthlings jumped from a platform under the nightstand to the top of a chest under the window to the sill. The pegasi flew up to the locks and unlatched them.
"Okay, everybody push." Gusty stood up on her hind quarters and pushed against the window. The others joined her. Slowly the window opened. They managed to open it enough for the fliers to slip through.
Whizzer and Lofty flew back and grabbed the light cup. They carried it through the cracked window and out to the rain barrel. They dipped it in the water inside and carried the full cup back to the window. They carefully carried it into the room towards the bowl where the sea ponies were already sitting. The two pegasi poured the water on the sea ponies.
"Shoo-be-doo, shoo, shoo-be-doo," the sea ponies sang.
"Thanks," White Cap said. "I feel better already."
However, the bowl was the size of a small pond compared to them. Filling it was going to take several trips. The two flew back to the rain barrel for another load. Despite the job ahead of them, everyone seemed relieved to be safe. At least, Buttons hoped they were safe here. As long as they were tiny, were they really safe?
Wind Whistler breathed in deeply. The air was noticeably cooler and smelled fresh after being washed by the rain. The sun shone brightly from the brilliant blue sky on Spell Halt Island. It was time to leave, and everyone lined up on the beach and prepared to take off.
"We'll split into teams," Monsoon instructed as he paced in front of the line. "The teams are Contrail, Contrail Junior, Compass, Kerchief, and Storm Rider who will take the north and Jet Streak, Jet Streak Junior, Atlas, and Brochure who will take the south. Blitz, you'll be running messages between teams, and Scud and I will do surveillance on Dream Castle."
He turned to Hurricane. "Hurricane, you said you will be headed out with Wind Whistler and Fizzy?"
"Yes," Hurricane said.
"We could use the extra set of hooves," Wind Whistler added.
"I'm sure that's the reason," Paradise teased.
Wind Whistler kept her expression the same, but felt her cheeks get warm.
"If there's nothing else, let's head out." Monsoon spread his wings. "Good luck to us all."
Fizzy formed a bubble that surrounded her. Wind Whistler and Hurricane got on the sides and lifted it off the ground. They flew away from Spell Halt Island. Wind Whistler looked back and watched the others divide into their teams and head towards the mainland.
"It's so good to have my intuition back," Galaxy said once they were a couple miles from the island.
"Then do you have a lead on the next Rainbow Piece?" Wind Whistler asked.
Galaxy took a second to concentrate. "I have the feeling it is in a forest of massive trees. In fact, I believe it is the Colossus Forest in the northern regions of Ponyland."
"That's quite a flight," Hurricane said. "What should we expect there?"
"It's home to some of the more powerful unicorns," Wind Whistler said. "Many have magic harnessing the elements of nature."
"Can't Gusty do that with her wind magic?" Fizzy asked.
"Gusty originally lived in the Colossus Forest, remember?" Galaxy said. "She came to Dream Valley to raise Little Gusty."
Fizzy gulped dryly. "I hope they're not all like Gusty."
Wind Whistler thought for a second had to agree. Gusty was very brash and at times quite rude. She was always the first to suggest the more violent solution and her wind power was by far the most aggressively oriented magic of all the Dream Valley unicorns.
Her mate, Tornado, was no better. Wind Whistler met him once which was more than enough for her. He was so impatient he would finish off your sentence and move to the next. He butted heads with her in particular because found her manner of speaking especially annoying.
However, she had also met Ribbon's mate, Thundercloud. He was from the Colossus Forest as well, but was a wise and gentle soul much like Ribbon. Hopefully, there were more like him than Gusty and Tornado.
"I guess we'll just have to see when we get there," Wind Whistler said.
Lash pushed aside the fronds of a large fern. A bird flew out from the cover of the fern and flew to somewhere else in the forest of giant trees. Once again, he found no ponies. He let the frond fall back
"You would think in a place called 'Ponyland' you couldn't turn up a rock without finding a pony," he grumbled. "We've been out here for more than a day and not run across a single one."
"I'm not sure how many ponies there are, but I know there aren't that many." Hydia said with a boastful tone to her voice. "A hundred years ago, my clan destroyed their civilization and nearly wiped those wretched ponies out as a race. Unfortunately, the few survivors who remained have proven impossible to do away with. I don't think a pony has died in Ponyland since their kingdom fell because they live for so long."
"Many have left Ponyland over the decades," Draggle said.
"It's not the same as death," Hydia grumbled. "They could still be out there and come back someday."
"Interesting." Lash crawled forward and beckoned the others to follow. "What did they do to you to call for their annihilation?"
"Huh?" Hydia seemed unprepared for the question.
"We're after them because they imprisoned us for a thousand years and probably intended for us to sit in that mine for all eternity and are a clear threat to our existence," Lash clarified. "What did they do to you?"
"They exist," Hydia grumbled. "Our clan dedicates itself to spreading misery and mayhem and making people fear the word 'witch.' However, those ponies put a stop to our plans time and again and eroded our reputation. We had to show them no one stands in the way of evil."
Lash scoffed. "Terrific. We've added a bunch of monsters to our ranks."
"Excuse me?" Hydia asked in a scolding manner. "Who are the giant bugs who shrink things and eat them?"
"We're predators," Lash said. "We do what we do to live, not just to do it. It might seem monstrous from the standpoint of prey, but it is our way of life."
He stopped when he heard the faint sound of footfalls. He motioned for the others to stop and shushed them. He slowly crawled to where he heard the noise. As he crept closer he also heard the distinct sound of gently running water. A stream must be nearby. Streams were frequented by possible prey for a drink. However, were they ponies?
He slid under a large clump of ferns. He peered out between the leaves and saw two forms on the bank that appeared to be equine. He parted the fern just enough to be able to see them better.
They were a pair of unicorns. The stallion was pale green with white and green streaked hair, and the mare was purple with white and red streaked hair. The two lapped up water from the stream, apparently unaware of his presence.
They were not the priority ones Arachnis spoke of, but they were ponies nonetheless. "Bingo," Lash said under his breath.
He snuck back to the where the others were hiding. "We have our first catch of the day."