[Froggy Bottom Bog] Nightmare Fuel

[Cat Napper]

..the guy thought Dark was actually a threat? Cat sighed and shook her head, giving a bit of a facehoof before walking over to the pegasus with the sweetest smile she could manage. She leaned in a whispered quietly so only Czar be able to hear what she said, "... come on bro, he's just a kid. Leave him be will ya..?"

She cleared her throat and turned back to her villainous friend.

"Anyways, as I was saying. Inkwell is absolutely right! You're going to die out here, Dark. Is that what you want?" The little filly shook her head and walked over to Dark, catching his emerald gaze and staring back into it with concern in her silver stare.

"I'm not lettin' you do that to yourself. Like I said, I barely know you.. but we can change that can't we?"

She gently gave the young colt a warm nuzzle, very quick in case Dark snapped at her for the affection, and trotted back over to Inkwell's side, giving him a loving little nudge. "How are you feeling Ink? Think we're about ready to head home? I think Dark's had enough company for one day." Seeing him attempt to stand, and fall back onto the ground, Cat took that as a no and settled back down next to him.

"How is it you know about foraging? Hehe, s'an interesting subject.. maybe you could teach me?"

She cleared her throat and spoke up louder, looking Dark dead in the eyes again. "Expect me back here around noon, everyday, with some REAL food for you. I won't take no for an answer, you need it, you're a growing boy."

[Dubstep]

Dark stood there for a moment, his ear flicking in annoyance as the laughter rung in it, "Hrrrrngh, STOP LAUGHING AT ME!" he demanded before smacking the sword wielding Pegasus upside the head; snorting a bit, Dark regained his composure, "Ahrrm, now where was I? Ah, yes. No, see I've done JUST fine for the past, hmm." Dark paused for a moment to think, how long had he been out here in the bog, "Four or so months I'd say?"

"Oh, pssh, I'm not going to die I, hrk!" Dark's speech was cut off by the sudden nuzzle from Cat; flushing bright red and shaking a bit, the villain stood there speechless for a few moment, which was odd from him, to say the least; shaking his head and snapping out of his stupor; but still flushed red, Dark spoke up, stammering a bit, "Well, I...that it, uhm, n-noon, gotcha, s-s-sounds g-great! Uhm...yeah...." a little smile forming on his face, "Err...ahrm...and as for YOU!" the villain said, pointing at Czar once more, but not looking in his direction, "Who the HAY do you think you are trying to dent my home and then waving a sword around at me when I so kindly bring you in to save you huh? I should have left you to be hydra food! Or better yet feed you to it myself!"

[Malkav]

After the smack over the head, Czar seemed to be laughing even harder.

"You're going to have to hit harder in order to phase me, laddy. In fact, the wee lass is right, yeh need some meat on yer bones!" He chuckled some more. "As for me, laddy, the name is Czar. Why, I was once the captain of me own unit of fliers on Her Majesty's military! But, time passes, and now you have the pot-bellied pony before you. But, i'll still beat ya in a contest, if'n that's what yeh want!"

Czar was still chuckling in his mind. That pony? The vicious Dark Core? The last evil in Equestria? Surely this must be a prank. That pony was no more evil than the fish in the Nimbusgaits.

[Inkwell]

Huh? Did Cat just nuzzle that pompous colt? Inkwell watched her do it, watched him get flustered as a result. What did it mean? He thought Cat confessed her love for him at the Gala, and now she just gave him a public display of affection? His head swam with worry until Cat sat down next to his poor, exhausted body, and the resulting giddiness made him dismiss the issue.

"I'd love to," he said to her when she asked about foraging. "My mom's an herbalist. When I decided to see the world, she taught me how to find food in the wild, just in case, and I got a lot of use out of it, let me tell you! I lived in the woods for about a week before I stumbled upon Ponyville!" He remembered the time fondly and sighed.

He had to roll his eyes at how quickly Dark reversed his position on accepting their help with food because of that nuzzle, though. First he completely brushed them off and insisted on solitude because... Inkwell didn't know why. And then the poor sap, ill-equipped for his new-found hormones, caved in almost instantly, even though he tried to brush it off by venting at the other... older pony?

Inkwell never really noticed that much about Czar until now, and for some reason what he did notice put him in mind of an impetuous little foal, not unlike the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But then Inkwell processed the deep, booming laugh, the grizzled, weathered look of Czar's fur, the scar across his eye, and yes, the gut of a physical powerhouse gone to seed. He couldn't believe it. What was a pony as old as him, Cat, and Dark combined doing chasing after this pipsqueak and crashing into walls?

Inkwell looked like he wanted to ask exactly that, but politeness made him awkwardly waver on whether or not to speak.

[Cat Napper]

Cat shrugged, trying not to get too upset over the confused old pony, and instead found herself very amused with how flustered her friendly little nuzzle had made poor Dark. She turned back to Inkwell with a light laugh seeing his confusion from the nuzzle and from his realization that Czar was, in fact, a confused old pony.

"Don't mind either of them Inky." She said very softly so the others wouldn't hear her. "Dark needs us, I know it seems weird, but I have a feeling about him.. and as for Czar?" She chuckled and glanced back at the old timer. "Well, I'm just as confused as you are there heheh."

She rolled her eyes and instead decided to bring up a new topic to discuss with Inkwell. Quietly though, it was a bit of a personal matter, she lowered her voice and whispered to him; "I know it's pro'ly too soon, but Inky, did you have time to think about.. er, last night?" She blushed and flattened her ears thinking about the events at the Gala, it was indeed a perfect night if she'd ever experienced one. "I just want to know what's on your mind regarding that. What you think."

She didn't want to pressure her friend, and no matter what feelings she held for him, she wouldn't disagree to whatever decision he made. She shot a glance back to Dark Core, and smiled softly. For such a little pain in the flank he was rather.. cute.. but she didn't love him Celestia forbid, they'd just met! Her assumptions could always be incorrect after all, he could just be a little jerk of a colt, but she somehow felt that wasn't very likely. She sighed, all these confusing emotions clouding her poor mind, and leaned back down against Inkwell, taking comfort in him as a friend, she didn't want to get ahead of herself after all.

[Dubstep]

"I don't care if you were a whole platoon by yourself, tubby. First you fly into the side of my lair like a blind pony, then you start waving a sword around and laughing at me! Now why don't you take your time addled brain and washed up blubber gut out of my lair before I get angry." Dark said bruxing his teeth angrily; who was this shmuck? Some washed up former military dog that was going through some pathetic midlife crisis and wanted to get a last hurrah by taking in a villain or something? Or just some escapee from an old folks home? Either way, Dark had just about enough of this, "This is just, gah, foolishness upon one hundred thousand prior, equally unsolicited foolishness and, grah, just go, you flabby, faltering, freak!" he said, glaring at the old pony; once more Dark fell back on his alliteration skills; with a snort he walked huffily back over to his work table, not even glancing at the other two ponies in the room.

Sitting back down at his work bench, thoughts crept into his mind, perhaps that wasn't the best way to handle things, what would Cat over there think? But why did he care, it's not like she didn't know he was a villain or something, she should expect this sort of thing...Still...he thought he'd best apologize to her....after this foal of a former flier left. Of course.

[Malkav]

Having listened to who he assumed was Dark Core, Czar decided that it wasn't worth his time trying to argue or explain himself.

"Listen, laddy. I guess I was wrong to come bargin' inta yer house, causin' dents in yer walls, and the like. It was wrong of me to try an' stop yeh, and more than likely, this whole incident is gonna be in tehmorrow's paper. I may be a foalish pony, but at least I know my heart's in the right place."

And with that, Czar started for the door.

"As fer you, young lady, I suggest you and your friend here do your best to make that 'un," he gestured at Dark Core, "A nicer pony."

[Inkwell]

As Inkwell listened to Dark's grandiose reprimand of Czar, he found himself fighting to hold back a big, silly grin on his face. It was a speech right out of a comic book and he couldn't take it the least bit seriously. When Dark finished, Inky lost it and burst into laughter. It would have been uproarious and exhilarating if Inky didn't stop every few seconds to wince at the cramps in his chest acting up again. "Oh! Oh! Ow! Ahahahahahaheheheh. Oh, I'm sorry, Dark, I'm sohohorry!" He stopped to wipe tears from his face and take deep breaths, thankful that Dark was too engrossed in his workbench to snap at him.

Czar himself seemed resigned to his mistake, and seemed to be on his way out. "Heheh. I'm sure there's, there's no need for us to tell the paper. Honest mistake, I think." He smirked and chuckled weakly again. It was certainly a really funny mistake!

He was thankful such hilarity occurred, because it distraced him and gave him time to think about Cat's question. Of course he loved her. Why else would he be so desperate to find her when she got lost? But then she nuzzled Dark...

Oh, it looked like she was getting impatient. Time to talk to her.

"Well, I had a bit of a hard time sorting out my thoughts," he said, slowly and deliberately. Each sentence ended with a pause, during which Inkwell thought about how best to say what he needed to. "There is one thing I know for sure. When I heard that you were missing, I got scared, more scared than I can ever remember being before. Maybe that's not true, maybe I'm just remembering wrong, but if it is, then I think you're more than just a friend to me, too. So... if I'm really the one you want, I think I'm just as eager to give it a shot as you are." He had to struggle to keep his voice audible and look into Cat's eyes, and he had to resist the urge to get up and embrace her. After all, they weren't alone, and Inky didn't feel right about other ponies watching.