Baen stood amidst frozen tundra; he was both confused and cold. Darkness and a massive torrent of snow blowing every way possible made it hard to get any bearings. He narrowed his eyes the best he could to make out anything in the blizzard that obscured his vision but saw nothing. Pressing forward, the ice cut him deeply as he shivered. He hoped for any form of warmth, and then he felt it, a small sliver of warmth. Glancing down, he noticed his gem necklace was glowing brightly warming his tired and cold body. It was enough to ease him, but not enough to keep him secure and completely content.

“HELLO,” Baen yelled.

No answer reached him. He glanced around and sighed. He continued to trek forward, until he heard something on the wind. It was faint, but the voice was one he was familiar with.

“BAEN!”

Baen looked up at the top of a nearby hill and scaled it. Cresting the top, he was face to face with Twilight. She smiled and tilted her head to the side. Following her tilt, he noticed that below, there was a large campfire. Seated around it was none other than the rest of Twilight’s friends as well as Cheerilee, Vinyl, Shining, and Coco.

“What….,” he trailed off.

Twilight placed a hoof on him, “Come on, Pinkie’s brought some smores.”

Baen looked behind him as the blizzard started to pick up, “Twilight…I’m fine.”

Twilight became flustered, “Why do you insist on doing things on your own. We just want to help you,” she moved her hoof to his chest, “You can’t be alone in this time, you need others help.”

Baen glanced down but froze when Twilight broke apart into flakes and blew away. The rest of the campfire below followed suite. A deep laugh caused him to turn his head. He then saw four pairs of eyes. One was a pair of diabolical yellow and seemed to glow. The next were a sickly glowing grey. The next were dark demonic azure. The final pair was pure white and the most foreboding out of them all.

An icy cold yet deep voice spoke from the white pair of eyes, “Just like the time before. We shall raze all that lives, and you shall burn.

Baen glanced down in fear as the ground opened up below him. He started to fall but clutched the side of the hole. Below him, a bright fiery red end awaited him. He then looked up and stared into the eyes of Kriger Kongen.

“Why must you avoid me boy? Do you fear me?”

Baen grit his teeth, “I FEAR NOPONY!”

Kriger nodded, “I see, then prove it.”

Kriger disintegrated and left Baen dangling on the edge of oblivion, his grip faltering.

*

Baen’s eyes snapped open. Sitting up on the couch, his quilt fell from him as he placed a hoof to his head.

“Well at least the nightmares are so nonsensical that they’re not scary now,” he mumbled.

Glancing around, he noted once more that the house was empty. For a week or so it was pretty much, ‘everpony Baen knew is busy’ week. Coco sent a letter not only saying she hopes he can come and visit, but that she was going to be busy since a massive production was being developed and she had been put in charge of wardrobe. Shining, Vinyl, and even Cheerilee were swamped with their own things, but one thing that each one held in common was a promise. They swore that come the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange; they would all meet there and have a day of it. Baen glanced around once more, but then a noise caused his ear to swivel and he noticed something outside. Applejack was playing with her dog and having a marvelous time. Baen tapped his chin then nodded. He knew just what he had to do.

*

“Um…could you please repeat that?”

Baen nodded, “I wish to procure an animal companion.”

Fluttershy blinked, “You mean a pet?”

“That’s what I said isn’t it?”

Fluttershy sheepishly traced her hoof on the ground, “Sorry.”

Baen sighed at her adorableness, “It’s no trouble. Would you by chance have something that would best suit me?”

Fluttershy’s shyness all but vanished as she escorted him around her cottage to the back area, “Well do you have experience raising a pet Baen?”

Baen nodded, “Of course. When I was a colt, I raised a wolf pup to adult hood and we were bonded for life…I miss him.”

Fluttershy smiled and gestured around, “Well I have plenty of pets for you to choose from,” she raised a hoof, “I’ll go check the canine area to see if there are any pups that might like you. But be careful not to spook any of these adorable critters while I’m gone.”

Baen plopped down on his plot and looked at all the various animals that looked back at him, none of them moved. Sighing in mild annoyance, the barbarian stared straight ahead with indifference.

“Mrah.”

Baen’s ear flicked. Looking around, he tried to trace the sound. It sounded like a throaty but small sound with a clicking to it.

“Mrah.”

Baen looked beside him and noticed the thing that made the noise. It was on a rock staring up at him. It was the size of a leopard gecko, which thankfully stood nearby for comparison. The lizards skin was a ruby red and had small orange spots running down either side of its spine. Its tail tip was orange as well as its fingers. Its claws and eyes were as black as coal. On its head was an orange streak of a line that ran from the tip of its nose down its spine to its tail tip.

Baen just stared, “What are you looking at?”

The lizard just blinked.

Baen nodded, “Right, well I don’t mean to be rude. But you don’t look that…interesting.”

The lizard opened its mouth…and a massive jet of fire shot into the noon sky scaring away several avian creatures nearby. Baen stared wide eyed at the lizard. The lizard almost seemed to smirk in satisfaction as if to say, ‘you were saying?’ It then bit into his grieves, nibbling at the metal.

Baen picked the lizard up and gazed into its blinking eyes, “I shall call you…Nibbles, and we shall be the best of companions.”

Nibbles scurried up Baen’s body and into his mane; his head poked out and took in the now moving landscape.

Baen approached Fluttershy’s door and waited until she rounded the corner, “Well I didn’t have any wolf cubs and- Oh! You found a pet already!”

Baen nodded, “Actually. He found me,” the lizard made his noise; “His name is Nibbles.”

Fluttershy squeed as she got closer, “Aw who’s a cute…hold on….what kind of lizard is he?”

Baen shrugged, “I’m not sure.”

Fluttershy clapped her front hooves together, “Maybe Twilight does, come on!”

She stopped in mid-flap, “If you don’t mind that is.”

Baen rolled his eyes and followed her.

*

Twilight gawked at Nibbles who was scurrying along her table, “You have a Salamander?! Where did? How did?”

Baen shrugged, “Like I told the Shy one, he found me.”

Twilight could only stare in awe, “I’ve never seen a Salamander up close before. Supposedly when they reach adult hood they get as big as a manticore,” she circled Nibbles, “It’s also rumored that their fire is one of the hottest.”

Baen raised an eyebrow, “So, how do I feed him?”

“Well,” Twilight said with a smile, “they eat fire.”

Spike walked over to Twilight when she signaled him over, “Watch. Spike, could you light that old quill on fire please?”

Spike nodded and complied. The moment he did, Nibble’s head snapped around and focused on the green fire. Scurrying across the table faster than the eye, he flicked out his tongue and plucked a sliver sized bit of the flame like it was a piece of cake. It swallowed the sliver, and then Nibbles pounced on the flame and devoured it like it was a solid piece of food. The orange portions of its body gave off a fiery glow as it growled in satisfaction.

Twilight was taking notes the entire time, “Fascinating.”

Spike backed away as Nibbles eyed the dragon like a piece of meat.

Twilight walked over to Baen and gazed at the Salamander which had scurried into his mane, “So what’s his name?”

“Nibbles.”

“Hm,” Twilight leaned closer, “Why do you call him that?”

Nibbles then latched onto Twilight’s snout. The alicorn’s wings flared as she ran around the room trying to pry off the Salamander. Baen smirked as the smell of a burning mane filled the room.

“I think he likes you Twilight.”

“IT SET MY MANE AND TAIL ON FIRE!!!!!”

Baen laughed as Fluttershy moved to help her friend.

Author's Notes:

Behold, Nibbles The Salamander, the adorable engine of destruction.

Chapter 23 is the act ender, prepare for it