Pursuit of Harmony

Lauzet could not take walking anymore she decided to finally ask Stormy if they could take a break. "Hey Stormy can we take a break?" She wanted to go to sleep, but she refused to sleep in a place such as this. It just wasn't in her nature to sleep outside, it felt like something poor ponies would do. At least to her.

Stormy tuned with a concerned look. "Are you tried? Why didn't you say so. Let's take a break." He flashes his light till he found a open spot and laid out the blanket. "Here sit and have some water. He sets a more lanterns up to hold the ends of the blanket down and give them more light. All the while those eyes were watching them.

Lauzet lied down on the blanket. It felt relaxing to finally be able to take a break. While she normally preferred some fancy drink, it still was nice to get some water. Had it not been for the fact that Lauzet was outside. She would probably have fallen asleep, the blanket had been surprisingly comfortable.

Lauzet gave Stormy another smile and commenced in conversation. "So do you have any interesting stories to tell?" She was a curious pony, and felt Stormy was quite interesting. At least compared to most of the people she spent her days normally with. She was very glad to have him become what she perceived as friend.

Stormy sat down with her and cracked open a soda. He drank deeply from it as he turned the lights to not burns his eyes or yours. She seem to pretty relaxed around him, which was a different thing considering the sort of nonsense he got up to. It was a nice change of pace.

"Naturally I have all sorts of stories. It's my special talent. Do you have something you like to hear about?"

"Any story will do. Just say what you like." Said Lauzet. She had no particular story interest. She just wanted to hear Stormy talk so she would not fall asleep. Lauzet drank a bit more water, and continued to lie on the blanket ready to fall asleep.

Stormy closed his right eye with a strange look as he was in deep thought at what to tell you about. He supposed a classic story would be to your liking.

"Once there was a colt by the name of Orion, he was a skilled Shepard that was known as the greatest in his land. He told to have migrated whole species to another lands so they could live without fear of danger. When that wasn't a option he defended them with all his mite and was skilled with a cane." His voice was different then normal, it seem to be deeper, more profound and from within you instead of from his mouth. You could feel the warm wind and hear the noises of the dogs barking and animals being lead over rivers and forests. You felt the warm fur of sheep as Orion laid his head next to them to sleep. "One day while he was over looking a herd and the stars were blooming in the sky. He heard a tricksters voice." Stormy voice sounded cool and almost alluring. Almost making you want to do what he asked. "Little Shepard, I'll seen your skills, but I am certain you aren't as great as they claim." You could see the shadow outline of some sort of creature checking his nails.

"Orion was humble kind of pony, but the words of this being drove him to stand up and declare he could take upon any Challenge to prove his skill." The creature grinned in victory as he floated around and put his arm around him. "See those stars? The constellations, one is your namesake my I remind you. I dare you to herd them." He snapped his fingers and the creatures of the stars came to life and came upon the land. Spreading fear and chaos!" Stormy waved his hoofs to make a interesting shape with the lamp lights. He paused for moment to breath. and drink some water. His voice was normal again. "Dry throat."

Lauzet was intrigued by this story. She never did hear it before. The only stories she heard were either from her teacher when she went to school, or when her cousin told her tales of the bizarre incidents in the city. The story of Orion was exciting Lauzet she felt like she was in the story herself.

"Go on Stormy tell the story like it is." Said Lauzet with excitement. Lauzet took a drink of her water after telling Stormy to continue. She was in extreme comfort at that moment.

"For months Orion tried with all his mite to gather the star creatures." You saw him trying to push Cancer the crab back into the sky and hitting Leo with a stick as he run back into the stars. "He thought he had gathered all the animals, but two. Ursa Major and Ursa Minor." He grinned as he looked around. He had noticed the something watching them, but he had a feeling he knew what it was. No need to be alarmed or bother the filly with.

"He searched high and low for them, but he never did find them. He grew old and limp trying to make up for his mistake.....though." He looks around and whispers to you. "Some say they live in this very woods."

Suddenly a cream pie hit him dead in the face and a flute sound was heard.

Lauzet jumped in shock as she saw the pie hit Stormy in the face. She did not know what was happening. "What was that?!" she shrieked.

After a moment she just looked at stormy like a confused dog. "Is that a pie?" Said Lauzet in a confused tone. 'Why did a pie fly into Stormy?' She thought to herself. She was unsure if they were in danger or not, she just decided to wait for what Stormy had to say.

"AHahahahahaahha." He wiped the pie from his face and licked a little of it. "You sure got me. I have been easily pranked." He spoke loud and was very specific with his tone. "No need to do anymore for I have been pranked to hard and need no..." He was hit with a bombardment of pies as creatures started to come out of the forest. They seem to be a strange mix of flutes and trees. Making strange notes that seem to be a orchestra piece that sounded much like laughter as they pointed at Stormy.

He wiped again the pie from himself as he looked at them and their blue glow. "Pie Pipers....."

Lauzet just looked at Stormy as he had been bombarded by pies. She started to giggle at the sight of stormy being hit by pies. She stopped giggling, and continued to look at Stormy. "Stormy what is a 'pie piper'?"

Despite laughing at what had happened to Stormy, Lauzet would really hate to have the same happen to herself. She spent a lot of money on her hair, and the rest of her body. If any pie, or other strange pastry hit her she would likely go ballistic. Or at least throw a tantrum.

She still was nervous because she did not know what a 'pie piper' was, but she started to get a feeling that were not too dangerous.

Stormy tries to wipe the pie from his coat, but he couldn't reach someplace so he would have to let it remain. "Pie pipers are creatures of laughter and their food supply is poison joke. They have a immunity to being pranked the by flower, though it makes them have natural willing to play pranks. This is one of there favorites. They "coat" you with pie....." Though the pun did make Stormy smile a little. "This may seem harmless, but they won't stop till you prank them back and frankly with don't have anything to prank them with."

They were around us in a circle waiting to see what we would do.

Lauzet looked at Stormy with nervousness she was unsure on how she could prank these odd creatures. She decided to just stare awkwardly at Stormy for a few moments, hoping she could get some sort of inspiration for a prank. Finally she decided that she could try to act like she was not freaked out by this.

"Well this is BORING!" Said Lauzet in a loud voice. "For somethings that prank people, you guys sure do stink at it." Lauzet hoped that maybe if she said stuff like this it would make them go away. She had a bad feeling though that this would not work.

Stormy quickly put his hoof to his mouth. "Shhhhhhh. No don't do that! If you say there prank is bad they will." he turns with fear as they all were looking at the ground. They suddenly started pulling out buzzer and pies. "We need to run. Right now." They started to make a sound much like the theme to jaw's and started to surround us.

"But I thought you said they would follow us no matter what?" Said Lauzet in a puzzled tone. She soon started to panic as the two were getting surrounded. 'What to do?' She thought. She only had one solution in her head, and that was to ask a bunch of random questions hoping she could be distracting. "HEY LOOK OVER THERE! LOVELY WEATHER WE'RE HAVING! NO? I LOVE THIS SONG! I'll SKIN YOU INTO BOOTS!" She continued to yell out random nonsense in the hopes that maybe somepony would show up, or it would scare their pursuers away.

Stormy will thinki this was quite fun adventure he had once this was all done. The filly was delightful suprse in how she reacted to things. But he had more important things to think about then the mildly hilarious of all this. I mean really there were flute monsters throw pies at them. If you told anyone this story they'd throw a pie at you. It would also be your least favorite one. He shivered at the thought. "Lemon pie...uaghhh."

He shook the horrid image of the pie from his mind as he ran pass you. No need all both to get some humble pie today. "Wait for me here!" He then rammed through one of them and charged into the forest. "AAHAHHAHahahahhaa! Your pranks are simply awful. How uncouth!" They turned there attention to him and ran after to have him taste his own baking.

Lauzet stood there wondering what the heck was Stormy doing. She was glad that the pie pipers were gone, but she was worried about Stormy. She continued to stand there thinking to herself. After she was done thinking about what was going on she decided to lie down on the blanket, and enjoy the fact that she was not going to get pied.

After about two hours Stormy walked back to the sort of camp. He grinned as he appraoched the balket where you now sat. "Hello there Lauzet. Did I miss anything good?" He appeared to be perfectly fine, without a pie on him. "Shall we be off then?"

Lauzet was shocked by Stormy's sudden appearance. She soon relaxed though as he came back unharmed, and that the pie pipers were gone.

"Sure thing." said Lauzet in a somewhat tired voice. She was willing to go home at this point, but decided to stay here on the account that she would likely get lost. Also she did not want to leave Stormy alone in this strange place. She got up from the blanket, and was ready to continue her trip through the forest.

Stormy packed up his bag and the supplies as he breathed out. "I'm sorry I put you through all this. I understand if you want me to take you of the forest." Stormy didn't want the filly to get put in harms way if he couldn't protect her. He wasn't willing to risk others for his own desires.

Lauzet smiled at Stormy and replied by saying "No problem, I don't mind going through this forest. I'm just glad to be able to help." Despite her want to go home, she decided to just stay here with Stormy. Besides she was not ready to give up the chances of getting jewelry, or what ever else she could think of.

She was ready to continue with the trip. "You got what you need?" She asked Stormy in an excited, but tired voice.

Stormy icthed his chin as he closed his eyes for a moment. He decided to take a moment to listen the forest. Earth ponies were said to have a deeper connection to the earth. Stormy had been told countless times his head was in the clouds and he never had trees talk to them. Well that one doesn't count he was a magic tree, but besides that one he never been good at growing things or felt a connection to the earth. Though he did get a constant drive to explore so maybe that is sort of what fits the ticket?

Stormy was enjoying this dark and quiet, such a different feeling then being in a day market, which he thought would be the best opposite to a dark forest. As he sat in a sort of trance he heard something. A splashing noise of running water. He turned his head and pointed. "That way!"

He exclaimed as he started to trot in that direction. His logical is where to find a key to a chest you found in the water? Why somewhere else with water of course.


Stormy pushed the bush aside and flashed his flashlight at a wall of water in front of him. The shined it in zigzag patter to see that ahead was a small cliff looming among the trees. Water fall from the rock and makes crashing noise, clearly audible into a something bigger then a pond, but smaller then a lake. Could this be the place?

Lauzet got up, and began to make her way in the direction that Stormy pointed. She was curious as to why they had to go that way, but decided to do exactly as Stormy wished. She did however have another question come to her mind.

"Hey Stormy do you know where the chest is anymore?" Said Lauzet in a worried manner. She assumed Stormy did know where it was though. To her Stormy seemed like the kind of guy who kept good care of things, but she did have a bit of doubt in herself.

Stormy is fact took very poor care of his own things, but treated others possessions with respect they deserve. Stormy in fact did know where the chest was. He had choose the place by the forest with the tree he had sat under to have a clear landmark so he wouldn't forget.

The waterfall was a foal compared too a few others Stormy had come across and it was strange that it was just in the forest. Then again where does one find waterfalls besides forests? "I remember clearly where the chest my dear." He taps his head for good measure as he watched the waterfall. "it's hard to see anything with just these lamps and flash light. Can't see a thing."

Stormy tried to search the water with light and walked around the area of the lake/pond to looked for any clues. "Hrmmm, ocean, lakes, pond rivers and water in it's whole......" He pulls out a black leather bound book and he flipped through it. "AH! Of course the moon! How foolish of me." He then turned off his lights and the world became engulfed in pure darkness.

Lauzet shrieked as soon as all the lights were turned off. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Exclaimed Lauzet running around in panic because she could not see. After falling down from running in the dark, Lauzet decided to just lie on the ground for a moment or two. She started to calm down as her eyes barely adjusted to the darkness. She got up from the ground and decided to just stand there, and wait for Stormy.