Episode 6 "Onchao's Oasis"

I've always hated field trips.

The moment we could finally break off from the group we continued to discuss.

"I've been thinking, the book and bracelet are obviously connected, but they need a user to which is you-"

"hey! It's me, your roommate… Paula!"

"Uh sure", we turned and left her.

And not too soon after-

We heard steps running in our direction.

"Heyy, listen I think roommates should be something like best friends. Everyone does it. Let's do something together like talking about stories!"

Unfortunately, my arm started to prickle.

"When you stop being around Violetta then sure, but for today we made plans, let's go Vincent", I dragged him along.

"Hey, wait I'm sure we have a lot of things in common", she followed again.

Prickling turned to stinging.

Centopia really does not wait anymore does it? Just give me a minute!

I hissed as my arm started to sting.

"Woah are you okay?", Paula ask.

"Hey what is that?", she looked at my ever so not subtly glowing bracelet. Great.

"It's a reflection of the light, let's go", I hissed urgently as we tried escaping her.

- :O

How in the world did she manage to cut us off.

- :O

Okay- stuck at a dead-end-

"Have you gone insane?", I shrieked, hitting him in his arm.

"Ow what?"

"What is going on?", Paula looked between us.

"I didn't get it! Who in their right mind brings dangerous bugs with him and doesn't check if the lids are closed? You are just asking to get swamp fever! Look you are already itching! You better not spread it- and she is gone already", I plopped to the ground with a tired huff.

"Wow, for a moment I really thought I did something wrong", he breathed as he sat down next to me.

"I'm sorry for hitting you, I had to sell it convincingly, speAKINF OF OUCH", I hissed as I could see my arm swelling, the area burning and stinging.

"I can't waste anymore time", he didn't say anything as we flipped through the pages.

The new oracle came into view and I used my pocket mirror.

"I knew it", I slammed shut the book.

"Mia?" Pressing my sapphire, I spoke the dreaded word which meaning I knew all too well.

"Sacrifice" and the world turned golden.

The void greeted me again as normal, so did my wings, but it was nicer than the sharp pain that crept up my arm before-

Wait why how high is that-

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-"

- :O

Something soft nudged my cheek. I was on the ground, flat on my back, which was not fun, I rolled to free my wings.

"Oh Lyria", I recognized her fur.

"Lyria", I whispered my voice small and getting up. I knew what was about to come. Was there any way to change oracles?

They always came true. But that couldn't- that would mean Lyria-

"But Lyria will be fine in the end. They don't kill the unicorns."

"But what if they do?"

Another nudge from her made me just cling to her in a tight embrace.

"The oracle- It's… It's…", but the rest of the word was stuck in my throat. Today Lyria was going to sacrifice herself.

And there was nothing I could do.

She nudged me again. "It's okay, I'm here." She reassured… but I knew it wouldn't be for that much longer.

I took a deep breath… but it didn't quell the heavy feeling in my chest.

"Where's Onchao?"

"Over there", she happily replied as she pointed with her head towards… a small oasis I'd say, like a whirl of water and on the land Onchao scratched with his hooves before trotting, growing a lot of plants behind him.

I looked after him before Lyria called him over.

Happily, Onchao circled around us before standing right by me, allowing me to pet him.

"Hi Onchao, I missed you!", his head leaned into mine, he was so very soft!

"Everything that grows here, Onchao made", she happily explained and I finally took a good look around. Everything looked alive, green and full of plants.

"Really, all of it? Look at chu Onchao you've been busy haven't you", I ruffled his main in affection.

"Will you show me around?", I let my hands out of so very soft fur.

He happily neighed running ahead.

Though I couldn't quite understand what he said. He must be too young to talk yet.

I glanced back at Lyria and she nudged me forward affectionately.

Go on, was the message and I followed after Onchao.

But the heavy feeling in my chest didn't waver.

Onchao head ran ahead looking back at me across a river he flew. If you could call it a river. A frog jumping off the lily pads.

I studied it and it look like fun, but-

A neigh came from my side.

"I'll get you across", Lyria said, and she crouched to let me on.

Onchao made an unsure whine as he watched.

I went on her back and we walked through the shallow water.

"Thank you, Lyria!"

She happily nickered back but didn't say anything in specific.

Onchao looked back between us, but undeterred he looked back seeing if we'd follow and I couldn't help but chuckle at this sight.

Odd mushrooms sprouted as he walked.

"I remember those, those function like trampolines. I wonder if that is also how the pores get spread? But did that matter with magic even?"

Lyria glanced back at me, and I it took me out of my thought.

"Something the matter Lyria?", I asked while looking at Onchao happily sprouting more plants.

"Geez I wonder if there will be any space to walk on if he continues to spread plants every step he makes."

She whined, her voice filled with concern, catching me slightly off guard.

"How are your wings? Do they hurt?"

Uncomfortable I looked away dwindling my thumbs before answering in a small voice unwilling to lie to her.

"They hurt when I move them, or anything touches them… there is this lingering pain with them… But I have had this ever since I arrived in Centopia, since I got my wings, I mean." Somehow, I only noticed the slight shake in my hands now.

There was an unhappy noise coming from Lyria.

"You can't fly… you can't run with these wings… you can't jump, they'll always be in the way", it wasn't an accusation as she huffed under her breath, it wasn't towards me it was more towards herself.

"I can still walk", I weakly offered, but it did not lead up the heavy atmosphere.

She shook her head.

"Let me try another tear", she crouched to let me off, as stood up and inspected my back. Something dropped on my wings- for a moment pain ran at the hit spot, but then the pain throughout my wings dulled. I felt like I could breathe easier.

Though again it wasn't enough to fix them.

"Can you try to move them?", she asked me in a quiet huff. I paused unsure but gave it a try for her.

With the pain dulled thanks to the tear, I managed to move them, but they felt unbelievably stiff to move. Some twitching I could produce, but then I noticed my heavy breathing, before it stung too much to try again.

Trying this seemed to take a lot out of me, I suddenly felt very exhausted.

I wasn't sure if you even call this "moving" of my wings, but it seemed enough for Lyria.

Lyria softly nudged at my wings, I shrieked at the sudden stinging of my wings, especially as my wings twitched albeit very subtly.

She whined "sorry". I just caught my breath instead, when did I get so out of breath?

Rustling nearby distracted us instead.

"I'm sure it came from here- oh", Yuko flew into the clearing and Onchao happily marched over to her.

"Hello Onchao!"

But Lyria roared at him, making him take steps back.

"Right, Lyria isn't friends with the elves… and neither am I."

Even though they helped save Lyria and Onchao last time, that didn't mean either of us was willing to trust them.

Why was I so distrustful of them?

"Because they aren't the same, I came to love from the show. This is reality." My mind nagged, but this time I couldn't help but agree.

Lyria stomped her foot, and Onchao looked unsure between Lyria and, Yuko who hovered glancing back at me and Lyria, before returning and hiding behind his mother.

"Hello Yuko, what a coincidence meeting here", I greeted with a wave.

"Yuko, are you sure you heard something- oh hello?", Mo appeared by her side glancing at the unicorns, before he looked at me.

"What are you doing here?", he asked me specifically.

I crossed my arms and huffed "I could ask you the exact same question."

Yuko growled and I took a step closer to Lyria in response, but Mo touched Yukos arm and shook his head.

She grumbled something I couldn't hear and crossed her arms instead.

I coughed into my fist. "I'm visiting Lyria and Onchao, what about you?"

"We are here to investigate where all the plants come from, this was deadland before", Mo answered, only for Yuko to look at him disapprovingly.

I made a gesture towards Onchao. And their eyes followed my hands.

"Really this little guy created all of this?", Yuko swirled to emphasize her point, turning the attention to the ever-surrounding greenery. Lyria huffed at me.

"C'mon Lyria they don't mean any harm… at this moment specifically", maybe I wasn't so sure myself about that.

"We would never dare to hurt you, or Onchao, we elves protect unicorns, I promise that on the behalf of all elves", but apparently that was the wrong thing to say because she reared back roaring at them, placing herself between us and the elves protectively.

The elves backed off in surprise.

"Was it something I said?", the elf asked with wide eyes as he flew back.

Why was Lyria so angry at them? They hadn't done anything to us.

At this moment… specifically at least. "Who am I kidding? These elves were insane."

Lyria stomped her hooves as the elves backed off.

She seemed furious, I had never seen her so mad, I hadn't even noticed I was embracing Onchao, as he equally shrunk back at his mother's fury.

"We should leave", Mo ushered intimated by the unicorns unwavering gaze.

"But we didn't even do anything?"

"Yuko- lets just go", he dragged her off as she looked back… but I wasn't sure what expression that was, she was making.

The moment after they were out of sight, Lyria visibly relaxed. She looked back at us, gently nudging us with her muzzle.

She huffed calling the elves disrespectful.

I snorted, I was not expecting that. Onshao glanced at us unsure if it was safe now. Lyria motioned for us to go, and Onshaos ears perked up as he trotted ahead. The incident completely erased from his mind as it seemed.

"Why did Lyria get so mad?" But I couldn't bring myself to ask her.

- :O

Not too long after we reached the edge of the oasis that Onchao created, he sniffed and galloped over to a tree stump- but paused as his mother roared at him to come back.

"No, wait Lyria, he found something", I could definitely remember this scene.

I rushed over, only to trip as my wings shot hot stinging pain through them. Seems like the tears didn't dull pain for very long.

Lyria was already by my side as Onchao watched with unease.

"Sorry, but can we check what Onchao found?".

Lyria seemed to frown, but helped me up regardless, following quietly behind me.

Onchao had been intently staring at me before shaking himself and scrapping at the tree trunk.

Something metallic cluttered away from him as he did so and he turned to sniff at it.

"A Trumptus piece!", I shouted, happily picking it up. It was rusty looking and dirty, but definitely a Trumptus piece.

"Did you smell it? Can you smell more of it?", he sniffed the air then the piece but shook his head.

He eyed the piece in my hands before using his horn. All of the sudden the piece became rust free and shined golden once more. A piece I certainly remembered back when I fixed the Trumptus with Phuddle.

"REALLY?", what who-

"Uff-" something crashed into me as I hit the ground.

Lyria roared angrily as I shook my head sitting up, trying not to be unmindful of my wings.

Lyria loomed next to me, rearing back, as…

"Woah it looks like it!"

I could only stare in disbelief as I sat up, the elves had yet again tackled me and stolen the Trumptus piece from me. Onchao whined, distraught.

And Lyria was furious, roaring at them.

"Ohh woops, thank you for the Trumptus piece!", and with a giggle the two elves left as quickly as they came.

Lyria stomped her hoof before rearing again, roaring another threat.

But they were quickly out of sight.

As Lyria relaxed she was still tense, pushing us back to the thicket, but…

Onchao just scraped the earth, whining distraught.

His mother muzzled him, and he leaned into the embrace.

Right, they stole what Onchao found. Like stealing candy from a baby.

It was enough to get Onchao moving, but unlike before he hadn't forgotten what the elves did this time.

It wasn't like I didn't understand why they'd take a Trumptus piece from us. But the way they did it-

He whined again, and Lyria tries to encourage him to play, but he looked too upset.

"Onchao I'm sorry that they took it. Maybe we'll find another one, think you can sniff out one?", he paused to a whiff at the air but whined as he couldn't find anything.

Yet we pushed on.

- :O

Thankfully Onchao perked right back up when he smelled something, running ahead without us, but Lyria was unconcerned, so I didn't worry either.

Then suddenly she roared and tensed up. "Something is here." I scooted closer to her, but when nothing seemed to happen, she motioned for us to follow Onchao.

What did she hear?

"Lyria?", but she huffed telling me to be quiet, as she perked her ears around as we walked.

But I didn't hear anything.

Not that it mattered since we reached a larger clearing with a herd in them, this was the ferngrass herd. Lyrias herd.

I'd met them almost every time I had been in Centopia, while never spoken to them they didn't seem to mind my presence.

Onchao had already greeted the herd leader, whose name I didn't know, as Lyria and I appeared, Onchao happily joined the foals to play with as Lyria encouraged him.

The foals ran around before lining up, each starting to jump over an oversized root.

When it was Onchaos turn he looked back to us but his mother neighed something encouraging. "You can do it Onchao!", I shouted as well, happy he jumped… or rather flew!?

He flapped his wings, easily flying over the herd as they watched in awe. Before he flew back to us.

Man, I wish I could fly.

Though before I could say anything chaos broke lose, as the unicorns all panic as a snake landed between them. Looking up there were dragons, Munculus so near.

Where did they come from?

Laughing- in a distance Gargona!

Blurs of colors suddenly went past me. Were those-

"I'll lead the unicorns to a safe place, Yuko you'll distract them!"

"Of course!"

What?

A nudge snapped me out of it, and I hopped onto Lyria as she urged me and Onchao to hurry up.

Sacrifice, echoed in my mind.

And I knew, but the aching in my chest was unrelenting. Why did it have to be her?

Dragons roared, the moment I looked back as we galloped as fast as she could with Onchao in front of her still being just a foal. Yuko was gracefully moving in the air hitting and shrinking Munculus with her water glare.

Mo was shooing the unicorns in a different direction.

But then it blurred and we were quickly gaining distance.

Until we stopped, Onchao was too tired to run for too long, he was still just a foal. So Lyria led as to a thicket.

Climbing off her, she huffed. "Stay close together."

I could not respond, my heart pounding loudly in my ears as I held onto Onchao.

"Can I really do nothing but watch?"

I heard laughing, I thought, but it was only Lyria who I heard clear as day.

"Will you always be there for him?" she asked and I couldn't hold my sobs.

"Of course!", I choked, unable to restrain my tears as Onchao whined distressed.

"Stay here. Onchao take care of your older sibling."

She moved further- she had been spotted.

With one last thing to say to us she rushed forward to distract Gargona.

"I love you. Both of you very dearly."

"Lyria!", I cried. No, nononono! This couldn't be happening!

Even Onchao seemed to realize it, but neither of us moved despite desperately wanting to follow and save her.

"Stay hidden!", she roared just as snakes bound her legs and she landed on her side with a loud thud.

It seemed like this moment stretched for eternity, as I held onto Onchao and Lyria getting grabbed by Gargonas dragons, who took off with her.

But she looked back at us. Knowingly.

"Lyria…"

We rushed into the open pain of my wings be damned, looking after her- crying out, was it me or Onchao? As she disappeared.

The dragons left and so did the rest of the Munculus…

Onchao buried his head in my chest.

"I'm so… so sorry Onchao", I wasn't sure what I was apologizing for-

You did nothing to stop this.

Loud thrashing just temporarily shook me out of my grief, though I couldn't help but hitch a breath, as my tears still spilled.

Looking at where I heard more than thrashing, it was the elves, Yuko and Mo, their arms, wings and torso bound.

Slowly I made my way towards them, Onchao close with me, unwillingly to let go of me.

"A little help?", the elven prince asked, but his face faltered upon seeing mine.

Freeing the prince he quickly got up, while he went over to help Yuko.

I looked up the sky once more, "Lyria, I'm so, so sorry, I swear I'll get you back, please be alive!"

"We couldn't get her back… We are sorry", I wasn't sure who spoke, as Onchao pushed is head further into me, hardly mindful of his horn, but it pierced nothing, so I hardly minded.

And to add further insult to injury, my arm started to prickle.

Onchao… I needed Onchao to be safe.

The sound of hooves came, and suddenly the unicorn stood between me and the elves, who quickly flew back in the air, as it reared at them.

It glanced back at me, it was the leader of the herd.

"I- I can't stay, will you be able to keep him safe while I'm gone?", I wasn't sure if he could really understand me under my shaken whispers.

There was a nod of acknowledgement.

I held Onchao tight. "I don't want to go!", I whined, as I held him tighter, but the pain in my arm started to overshadow the heavy feeling in my chest, yet I did not let go.

Gold erupted and I could only cry out to Onchao "I'll be back for you-"

- :O

No, no, no… Lyria.

"I don't think I can ever get enough of that. Mia, what's wrong?"

"They took Lyria."


Authors note:

-I'll be honest and say, I basically skipped the real world part of the trip since I didn't want to write about it. BUT LOOK AT ME ACTUALLY UPLOADING THE FIC that was meant for just myself. But you can see in which scenes I rushed past and others I just don't write detail in, because since this story wasn't originally meant for an audience I left it out lmao.

-I mean the whole pansy version is just for my own self-indulgence haha, but the rewritten version will be keeping an actual audience in mind.

-Hopefully this was enough of a sad read for today haha I mean I get also why in canon Lyria was taken out, like would you let your infant go everywhere where enemies lurk? No! But I think even if she wasn't captured by plot convenience here, canon one I might as well add, she'd probably sacrifice herself at some point anyway.