//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - Dark Tunnels // Story: Trapped in Equestria - The Spirit of Fire // by Tropic_Turd //------------------------------// Chapter 3 - Dark Tunnels “We’re lost aren’t we?” Creuset asked as he walked along a dark tunnel. On his back was his companion Lavender who was using a light spell to light up the way. “We are not lost!” Lavender lied. “Well… let’s just remember that it wasn’t my idea to go to this suspicious looking tunnel within the ruins because it was a lot safer than going through the Everfree,” Creuset replied as he continued walking. “Alright… alright!” Lavender said as she sighed. “We’re lost. There! Are you happy.” “As a matter of fact, yes I am,” Creuset said as he put up a sly smile of victory. “At least we will die knowing that we perished on your account.” Lavender spent the entire day after Creuset’s arrival teaching him all he needed to know about Equestria. She also thought him a basic healing spell. Creuset also did some studying of his own that day. He had quickly mastered the basic combat techniques of his fire magic which included an assortment of fire related spells. The following day, they discovered an extensive tunnel system that was not spoken off in the records. Lavender decided that they should explore it much to Creuset’s dismay. And now they’re here, lost in a mazelike system of dark passageways. “We are not going to die!” Lavender shouted in annoyance. “Stop being so pessimistic Creuset. We’re going to find an exit soon.” “Sure thing boss!” Creuset replied. “And we’ll also find a rainbow bridge on the other side that will lead us to place called dream valley where all our dreams will come true!” He said sarcastically. Lavender groaned. Creuset was generally a nice pony. But sometimes he could be a sarcastic jerk. “Just keep walking,” Lavender said. They had been lost in the tunnels for about two days now. During that time, they learned a lot about each other. Creuset learned that Lavender liked to read and sometimes write. She’s also fond of fencing, which she claims to be very skilled at. Creuset didn’t question it because she had to fight off the timber wolf alpha’s pack somehow. Lavender on the other hand was somewhat disappointed with Creuset. She found out that even though he’s kind, he can also be an ass. She concluded that the more he gets comfortable with other ponies, the more he teases them. And even though he doesn’t mean it, he can be quite annoying and sometimes even hurtful. And then there’s the unnecessary sarcasm. “Hey!” Creuset said as he realized something and came to a halt. “Your legs were healed when you woke up the next morning in the armory.” He said as he rubbed his chin. “So?” Lavender asked as she cocked a brow. “Why am I still carrying you then?” Creuset asked as he turned his head his head around to the mare sitting on his back. “I don’t know!” Lavender answered. “But I like the ride though. I mean, you’re a pretty big stallion so you’re fine carrying me right.” “As a matter of fact I am!” He replied cheerfully. Oh no, here we go again! Lavender groaned as she prepared herself for the tidal wave of sarcasm. “I am fine carrying you Lavender,” Creuset said as he marched jollily. “I mean, two large saddlebags filled to the brim with shit necessary for our survival and junk that we looted doesn’t really weigh that much!” He said. “And mind you, that it is my solemn vow to help you, yes, you and other short ponies who can’t reach for shit, compensate and feel taller.” Lavender didn’t respond and instead slapped Creuset on the back of his head. “Ow!” He grunted in pain. “What was that for?” He asked as he rubbed the back of his head. “That’s for calling me short!” Lavender answered. “Now I’m sorry that I can’t help you carry all this stuff. But I’m just…” Lavender paused as she tried to find a better term for being short and physically weak. “Physically lacking!” “In short, your too small and weak to carry anything this heavy am I right!” He chuckled as Lavender slapped him in the back of the head a little bit harder this time. “OW! Okay, jeez!” He asked as he rubbed the same spot. “Keep walking!” Lavender answered with a very annoyed tone. “Hey Lavender!” Creuset grinned. “Can you return the favor in the future and let me ride you?” He asked as he put up a perverted smile. The stallion also had perverted tendencies. “Sure!” Lavender answered. She then realized what he meant after five seconds of silence. She blushed and her eyes widened as she punched Creuset in the back of his head so hard her glasses almost fell off. “You pervert!” She shouted. “Ow!” Creuset said after receiving the punch. “What! I mean you told me you liked riding me. So I guess it must really be fun to ride a pony,” He explained. “Hell, I bet it’ll be so fun I’ll ride you all day long!” He said suggestively. “Damn you!” Lavender blushed harder as she adjusted her glasses. “Can you stop being sarcastic and, and… lewd for once in a while and be a serious adult.” “Alright! Alright jeez!” Creuset replied as he turned his head to look at the blushing mare. “It’s just a joke Lavender,” He said as he smiled. “I mean; do you really think a stallion will ever fall for you!” He jokingly said as he chuckled. “…” Lavender was silent as she looked down with a very hurt expression on her face. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! Creuset thought to himself. I fucked up haven’t I. He paused and tried to think of something to say. “Hey Lavender, I’m sorry!” He said as he turned. “O didn’t mean it, it was just a joke. I-” He was silenced by a wave of Lavender’s hoof. “I know it’s just a joke… It’s just…” She paused and tried to contain her emotions. “You’re right!” She said with a weak voice. “What do you mean?” Creuset asked cautiously. “No stallion will ever love,” Lavender answered as her eyes began to moisten. Fucking hell. Creuset gave a disappointed sighed. Here we go again. Creuset liked Lavender. But just like any mare, she had dramatic tendencies. Even though he can’t remember his past, he was pretty sure he hated it as well in his past life. “That’s not true Lavender!” Creuset said as he stopped and looked at her straight in the eyes. “You’re beautiful, kind and… strong. Anypony male or female will spread their legs for you, I guarantee it!” Creuset jokingly comforted the sad mare. Lavender chuckled and smiled at Creuset’s response. “Thank you Creuset,” She replied as she wiped off a tear. “But it’s a bit more complicated than that. It’s not that nopony would love me. It’s just that… no stallion will ever like me for being… me.” “Care to elaborate?” Creuset asked with a curious look on his face. Lavender sighed as she began to explain her problem. “You see; I grew up in a wealthy family. I was the youngest and the only daughter out of us four siblings.” She explained. “I had many suitors because of it and as you’d expect. All of them are in to me for my family’s money and not for what I am.” She sighed deeply as she laid on the large stallions back. Tears began forming once more as she struggled to hold them back. “I’ll never find true love!” She said as she began to sob. This mare’s been spending too much time reading romance novels. Creuset thought. He was silent as he turned his head forward. After letting Lavender cry for a short while he finally spoke. “So you’ll never find a stallion who’ll love you for what you are because you came from a rich family?” He asked in an unusually serious tone. “Yes, that’s sums it up pretty well,” She answered as she wiped her eyes and sniffed several times. “In other news, water is wet!” Creuset replied jokingly as he turned his head and faced Lavender with a wide smile while roaring with laughter. I’m such a mean pony. Lavender stopped crying and her sad expression was replaced by a face of pure rage. “Why you little!” Lavender shouted as she strangled the large stallions neck with both of her hooves. “I’ll kill you, you motherfucker!” She shouted as she squeezed harder. Creuset gagged as he galloped wildly across the mazelike tunnels. He ran left and right crashing into the walls several times while trying to keep himself balanced and ensuring Lavender doesn’t get crushed by the impact. ‘At least she’s no longer crying!’ He thought to himself as he struggled to stay alive under his current situation. “Yeah bitch, do you like that!” Lavender shouted as she rode the mad beast across the dark tunnels. She struggled to stay on his back while Creuset galloped awkwardly and swiftly. She continued to choke the stallion until she noticed they were about to hit what seemed to be dead end. She jumped off him at the last moment while the stallion hit the wall with a heavy thud. Lavender shook her head as stood up. She saw Creuset’s motionless body lying beside the dead end. ‘NO!’ She thought to herself as she ran towards her companion’s unconscious body. “Creuset wake up!” She shouted as she shook the stallion. “Wake up please!” She shouted again as shook him harder, but there was no response. “No… no, no, no, no!” The mare shouted as she picked up and cradled his head. “Please don’t die. I’m sorry it’s all my fault! Just please wake up!” She hugged his motionless body as tears began rolling down her cheek. Creuset began to laugh all of the sudden as he opened his eyes and smiled! “Gotcha!” He said while Lavender let go of him making his head hit the floor. “Ow!” He groaned as he shook his head and stood up. “You jerk!” Lavender shouted at him as she slapped him at his cheek. Creuset winced in pain as he rubbed his cheek. “Worth it,” He muttered as he smiled smugly. “So you do care for me.” “Of course I care for you, idiot.” Lavender replied as she slapped him again. “Uhh,” She groaned. “I can’t believe I agreed to travel with you.” She said as she wiped her tears. “God damn Spirit, why does it have to be me!” She shouted as she looked at Creuset. “And you…” She said as she pointed a hoof at him. “You, insensitive bastard! Look at what you’ve got us into. First we were lost, now we’re stuck at a dead end.” “Hey look on the bright side Lavender,” Creuset said as he stretched his legs. “At least you’re no longer sad right.” “Well… yeah, I guess,” She replied as she thought about her companion’s odd way of cheering her up. “But that still doesn’t change the fact that we’re lost and stuck at a dead end.” “First of all, you were the one who got us lost in this maze,” Creuset replied as he pointed a hoof at the mare. “Secondly, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure dead ends don’t have handlebars!” He said as he pointed a hoof at a handle bar attached to the dead end. “Wait what!” He said as he looked at the curios looking handlebar. “That’s not a dead end!” Lavender said as she gasped in excitement! “It’s a way out!” She shouted as she jumped up and down with joy. She climbed Creuset’s back quickly and sat down. “Onwards mighty steed! To freedom!” She commanded as she pointed her hoof forward. Creuset did as he was told and opened the door with his magic. He ascended a flight of stairs when an unanswered question from earlier came into mind. “You still haven’t told me why you loved riding on my back?” “Well…” Lavender said as she began scratching her chin. “I’ll tell you why, on one condition.” “Fire away!” Creuset replied as he continued walking up the stairs. Why do stairs always have to be so long! He complained mentally. “I want you to promise me that you will not laugh, or make any sarcastic and lewd reply about what I am gonna say,” Lavender said as she leaned to Creuset’s ear. “Do we have a deal?” She said calmly. “That we do!” Creuset answered merrily. “I like riding on your back because it reminded me so much about my foalhood,” Lavender said as she closed her eyes and remembered her younger days. “My dad used to carry me on his back when I was just a little filly and he would run around our manor while I squealed with joy!” She added as she sighed. “Oh how I miss those days, when I never had a single care for the world!” She smiled as a single tear flowed down her eye. “But the day came when my parents sent me to a relative in Canterlot so I can study in Celestia’s school,” She explained as she opened her eyes and rested her head on Creuset’s back. “And I ended up working there after I graduated. Since then, I’ve barely gotten the chance to see my parents and siblings… I really miss them.” Creuset was silent during the entire time much to Lavender’s surprise. She can tell that he was indeed listening though. “Where does your family live Lavender?” He asked. “In our estate outside of Fillydelphia,” She answered. “Let’s visit that place when we have time,” Creuset replied with a soft smile as he continued walking up the long set of stairs. ‘Dear lord will this ever end?’ He asked himself. “Yeah, let’s do that!” Lavender said as she smiled back. Creuset continued walking up for about half a minute more before he stopped at a large wooden door on the top of the stairs. “Finally!” Creuset shouted in triumph. “Freedom!” He shouted as he shot a fireball and blew the door down. The pair was blinded by sunlight that showered them. “Sweet Celestia, Creuset!” Lavender said as she coughed because of the smoke. “You didn’t have to blow open the door you excited prick,” But in truth she would’ve done the same. Her friend was just much faster. Lavender was the first to adjust and she immediately sniffed the fresh air while she looked at the great outdoors. “Ahh, nothing beats the fresh clean air in the afternoon.” She said as she looked at the position of the sun. “Fuck, my eyes!” Creuset shouted as he shielded his eyes from the blinding sun. “Where the hell are we anyway?” He asked as he attempted to once again look at the surrounding area but winced at the bright lights. “Hold on let me check!” Lavender replied as she took Creuset’s map from one of his saddlebags before she swiftly and gracefully jumped off of his back. She walked a few paces out of the entrance, opened her map and scanned the surrounding area. She came with the conclusion that they were somewhere in the east boundary of the Everfree forest somewhere southeast of Rambling Rock Ridge. “So… where’s the nearest village?” Creuset asked after he finally adjusted to the bright light of the outside. “We have two choices on where to go actually,” Lavender replied as she inspected the map. “We can go south to Dodge city. It’s a pretty western town filled with some very western townsponies.” She said as she looked at the other settlement near where they are. “Or we can go north east to the small town of Springrolls. It’s a small agricultural settlement that’s famous for their uhh… Spring rolls!” She added as she rolled up the map. “So, where are we off?” She asked. “A western town sounds interesting,” Creuset thought as he rubbed his chin. “But those spring rolls you mentioned sounds very appetizing. I mean MRE’s are good and all, but nothing really beats ‘real’ food.” Lavender’s mouth began to water and stomach began to rumble at the thought of some freshly fried spring rolls. “Alright, food it is!” She said she began walking towards Creuset. The large stallion lowered himself down so Lavender can climb his back easily. “Then we’ll figure out what to do with our lives.” She shouted. “I kind of already decided where I want to do though,” Creuset replied with less enthusiasm. Lavender raised an eyebrow. “Really now?” “I’ve been thinking a lot about how I was given a new life and how I would spend it. Then I realized, I could do something else… something grand.” Creuset said as his eyes glimmered. I do not like where this is going. Lavender thought. “Okay… so what do you have in mind” “Instead of finding my place in the world, I thought, ‘Why don’t I just see the world itself’.And that is exactly what I want to do. I wanna go see the world,” Cruset answered. Oh no, I didn’t plan this out well. Lavender thought. She had originally hoped her friend would assimilate into regular society. Which will give her a chance to keep her job since it hasn’t been that long since she ran away. “Not just from the perspectives of the books you gave me. But I want to see it for myself. To breath the air, to witness the scenery and experience the cultures of Equestria firsthand. I want to go on a grand adventure.” “Okay, I’m willing to support you,” She said with great uncertainty. Her friend smiled. “Now then, where are we off to my lady?” He asked in a mockingly aristocratic accent while he trotted outside. “Over the horizon and into Springrolls!” Lavender shouted as she pointed to the direction of the town they’re headed. “Hiyah!” She shouted as Creuset began galloping to their destination. I’ll just have to find a way to settle this out.