Linkin Pony - Recharge: Revamped

Chapter 39

"I guess I could try," Thunder said.

Returning to the start, Thunder took a similar path to what they did just early. The lavender mare continued to attempt to hit Blazing with her energy as well as dodge the fire. Her gallop broke into a jump and she began hovering over the flames which just barely missed her tail.

Thunder returned to her hooves and made her way through a narrow path lined by tethered metal poles. Just then, Ash stepped in front of Thunder, causing the Pegasus to halt. Her eyes glaring with determination, Ash cast a spell in front of Thunder, causing a laser to shoot the ground by Thunder's forelegs. The younger mare leaped back with a small "eep!"

"You've gotta dodge these," Ash told her. "Don't worry, they're just light. They won't hurt you like the fire."

Thunder nodded and took a different position farther away from Ash. She galloped around the outside of the course as the bright lasers aimed at her. A few of them hit Thunder's side while others she was able to outrun and dodge. Blazing stepped up next to Ash to watch.

"The lasers are perfect at imitating Hybrid energy!" Blazing remarked.

"That's what I was thinking," Ash replied smuggly.

Blazing's attention shifted as he heard a far-away voice call out. A curly haired shape emerged in the sky from the west. Intrigued by the flaming obstacle course, FeatherTune closed in on the camp.

"Why is there fire?!" Feather called out in alarm.

"Ash did it!" Blazing replied with a golden hoof pointed to the grey Unicorn.

Ash only gave a slight smirk, and then tossed her head up to decast the fire spell. With a quick glow of her horn, the fire evaporated into nothing.

"What's up, bud?" Blazing greeted as Feather landed.

"I was just doing my patrol of the area. Unfortunately I did find some Hybrid activity. There were two back at that outpost." Feather used his wing to point to the west behind him.

"Maybe that's not unfortunate!" Blazing exclaimed. "That could be perfect practice for ThunderCharm!"

"A-are you sure?" Thunder wondered with uncertainty.

"Yeah! This is a great way to learn! And don't worry, you'll have us for backup. So we'll make sure nothing happens to you!" Blazing insured.

"Sounds good to me," Feather agreed. "I'll come with, but first let me tell Rhythm." The cream Pegasus quickly shot back into the air in search of his friend.

"I'm coming with," Ash added, to Blazing's surprise. "I need to get the hell away from this camp at some point."

"Alright. This outpost is too far to walk to. You better get a cab," Blazing said to Ash.

"And you better grab a real EPD if you want to do anything to a Hybrid," Ash smirked while tapping Thunder on her shoulder.

FeatherTune flew overhead while the other three ponies followed him from below. The way there had been relatively quiet. Thunder stayed in the back and didn't talk much. Meanwhile Ash seemed intently focused on driving, her blue eyes glued to the desert ahead, only to glance up at Feather every so often.

"So. you said you wanted out of the camp?" BlazingFlair spoke up, trying to make conversation. "I'm sure you're tired of us by now." He tried to speak in a light, joking manner.

"No it's not that," Ash sighed. "Well, sometimes you all can get on my nerves, but that's not the point. It's that I hate staying in one spot for too long. I've already told Jet this but he doesn't seem to get it. I know he thought this would be a good way to spend time together but..." She pondered for words for a moment. "I guess I just don't like being cooped up."