"You were right..." Moonlight hums halfheartedly from her bed to Crimson who is in the bathroom, examining himself before leaving for the day. She blinks her sleepy eyes as she watches him study himself in the mirror.

"Told ya' so."

"Two miraculous overnight recoveries..."

"All because'a you, Lighty~"

She adjusts her glasses and blinks out more exhaustion. "... Are you sure you want to do this?"

"We're headed to a little village, ain't we? That's what Swirl wrote in her letter."

"Yes, but... the yaks... they tend to be, um... difficult to deal with."

"Aggressive?"

"No no, not aggressive. They are a peculiar kind. They very much enjoy fighting and power, not for the sake of violence, but because of their culture. They see fighting as we see having a conversation. To them, strength warrants respect."

"Hm. Peculiar is right." He pumps the collar to his duster, still seeing that it contains holes from the other day. The holes in his body have yet to fully heal and are definitely sore, but telling Moonlight that might not be a great idea. Either way, they are doing much better than they were a day ago, all in due to the seraphic essence that flows through his veins. "Swirl said I'm gonna be fitted with armor?"

"Yes, it was Captain Winter's idea. It appears that even she is looking out for your health. She wants you as safe as possible for this next operation."

"Not that I'd need it, but can't exactly refuse her offer since it was made for me the night before without my knowin'."

"Even she understands how stubborn you can be, knowing that you would object to having protection made exclusively for you. I will never understand that about you."

"Hate to burden others, is all. I ain't even payin' for it."

Moonlight stays quiet to his simple reply... speaking too soon, she definitely understands that very sentiment. But! It is for the good of himself and his team. She smiles at him even if he is not looking her way, taking solace from his words last night.

Still, watching him leave for yet another venture into the untamed lands of Equus is pressing down on her. Being careful is easier said than done, and she deeply hopes he was being genuine. Remnants of the stress she felt aching at her last night still linger, more than she thought it would. A certain unrest still wallows in her heart, unsure in her own moxie to bare watching him return ghastly again.

She turns her body to glance behind, past the balcony rails at the large clock, seeing it read about 6:05. "... Do you have to leave this early?"

"Gotta be at the field by seven."

"That's almost an entire hour away... what are you planning on doing with the extra time? I-I don't mean to pry, but it certainly won't take you an hour to walk to the fields."

"Hm, you're a curious one. Long story short, yesterday's mishap didn't just leave a mark on my team. Them Wildmanes ransacked a caravan that was makin' its rounds... there was this filly there. Both her parents were killed in the attack, along with every other adult there. Poor girl was the only survivor."

Moonlight presses her hooves at her chest and gasps, "Hoo, that's heartbreaking!"

"Yeah. We took her with us back to Canterlot. She's still in the Castle Infirmary. Just takin' it upon myself to go check up on her. She was out like a light after the doctors made sure she was alright 'n nothin' was broken... probably still asleep."

"... I-I... would like to see her too... if that's okay."

Crimson turns to look at Moonlight, enthused at her request. "Well, shoot, I sure ain't gonna stop ya'. I'm primed 'n ready if you are."

"L-Let me just brush my teeth and we'll be on our way."

He nods to her with a beam and steps out of the bathroom, swapping places with her. She practices her morning routine before donning her robe downstairs, ready to traverse the Castle halls with Crimson at her side.

‎

‎

"I highly disapprove of this, my angel! I highly, highly disapprove!" a pastel white and red-maned nurse scolds frantically as she follows Crimson down the patient room halls.

"Appreciate the concern, ma'am, but I'm fine. Really."

"You are most certainly not! Apertures in the body do not heal overnight!"

"Hmh, reckon they don't," he smiles casually. "So which room was it again?"

The nurse scoffs, squinting her amber eyes. "Are you listening?"

"Room four-six, right?"

The nurse clenches her teeth and sighs through them.

Crimson turns to give her his gaze, fronting her with a look of amusement. "I'll take that as a yes. Thanks by the way, miss Redheart. I'm in debt to you for yer help yesterday."

"But we are not yet through with your treatment! Therapy may be necessary!"

Moonlight keeps staring at the ground as she walks alongside the man, her identity still shrouded under her robes. She glances at each tile that appears in her view, playing a little game with herself to avoid stepping on the creases between them while she listens. She silently sympathizes with the nurse's concern and frustration.

She 'meeps' in surprise when she runs into Crimson's thigh, halting herself and taking a step back. "Woah, careful there, miss Nightlight," the man snickers. "Almost got me with yer horn. Righty'o so, here we are. Room four-six."

The nurse grunts in aggravation before turning to Moonlight, "A stubborn one, isn't he, miss Nightlight?" Moonlight nods quickly, keeping her face lowered. Conveniently enough, before further prodding can ensue, nurse Redheart hears her name called from down the hall. She releases her exasperation in a quick huff of breath. "Please, miss Nightlight, look after him. If this is how he acts after being marred by deadly projectiles, it is only a matter of time before he ends up in a stretcher again!"

"Heh, you ain't gotta worry, miss Redheart. She definitely looks after me," Crimson grins, placing his hand on the door handle. "Probably won't be havin' me back in a good bit."

"Hmph! We will see about that!" she stomps off, glaring at her difficult patient until she turns a corner and breaks line of sight.

"... She's gone, Lighty."

Moonlight lifts her head a little, glancing around quickly. She then looks up to Crimson with a dissatisfied pout. "... Nightlight?"

"What? I ain't good with names. She didn't even suspect a thing."

"You could have at least tried to make them not so similar!"

"Coulda, woulda, shoulda," he smirks while returning his look to the door. His mellowness gradients to a resting expression upon looking into the patient room through the door's window. There are two beds, with the one closest to the door being occupied and the other empty. He cannot see her through the curtains that shade the perimeter of her bed, but he sees her silhouette through it from the sun's shine.

Just as he expected... no visitors. No mother, no father... no one. If any of her relatives are alive and well, they still have not gotten wind of her situation yet. She is alone in her room, and judging from her lack of motion, still asleep.

He clicks the door open and pushes it in, allowing Moonlight entry first. He steps in after her and closes the door, moving then to pull the door window shutters down. Both of them approach the foot-end of the bed, peeking past the curtains to gaze upon the tiny sleeping bundle of innocence.

She rests with a pink marmot plush, and both of her bite-sized wings are splayed out lazily to her sides.

Moonlight removes her hood with her hoof, her eyes half-lidding with compassion. "... She's... so adorable..."

"... Yeah. Still out like a light. Guess she didn't get as good'a rest as I thought she did..."

"It looks like she was crying recently... perhaps in her sleep. Oh poor little thing..."

"After what she went through, bound to have nightmares. Told the doctors yesterday night to get into contact with anyone who is related to 'er. Seein' no one around's got me thinkin' they haven't found anyone yet. 'R maybe we're early."

"I hope early, I-I'd hate to think that... that she has no family remaining other than her mother and father."

Crimson brings his index knuckle to the corner of his brow. "... Mm, now that I'm recallin', I do remember someone who could still be around. Didn't see her at the wreckage."

"A sibling?"

"Bingo. Remember Furi's parents talkin' about a possible sister of hers."

"Is that her name?" she glances to the little foal.

"Mhm. Pretty, ain't it? Not a name I've ever heard before."

"... It is, it suits her. A very pretty name indeed. ... About this sister of hers?"

"I recall somethin' about a sister's friend havin' a bad experience with a human. The wreckage had a few stallions 'n one mare, the mare bein' Furi's mother. Might indicate that Furi's sibling is still alive."

"Hoh! If this sibling is still well, then she should have been informed about their sister being in Canterlot! Where was this family originally from?"

"Dodge Junction. You familiar with it?"

"I am, a town well known for their cider, and like it's name suggest, a junction for several breakpoints in the Equestrian rail road. I have only been there once when I was younger for a school trip. ... Since I have nothing planned today, I-I will take it upon myself to reach out to Furi's family member. I do not wish to chance the Consortium being the only party to extend a hoof, and an unreliable one at that. I only pray that this sister is okay. Leaving such a young little filly as this one... alone..."

Crimson shifts his glance from Furi to Moonlight upon hearing her voice quiver at the final word.

"... Even as we speak right in front of her, she hasn't moved a muscle... she is probably so exhausted from crying throughout the night, she's only now recovering..."

The man lines his lips briefly for a moment of deference, then comes down to one knee to wrap his arm around Moonlight and comfort her. He sees her visibly combating the urge to cry, her eyes tremble and glisten under the light of orange morning sun punching through the window.

"... Sounds like an excellent idea. Ain't gotta worry none... she'll be back with family again soon."

Her mouth quivers open, coming closed again, then reopening to speak, "I dearly hope so."

‎

‎

The man crunches grass beneath him as he halts under the tree in the Guard field, standing before his usual team. They were already looking at him coming as soon as he stepped out onto the field.

"Well I'll be. Look at you," Snowfall states with a smile... a very modest smile. The most overtly expressive one Crimson has ever seen on her. It treats him a certain way to see her showing some emotion like this, driving him to smile back. "You weren't kidding, a meal and a nap was all you needed to bring you back to life. You're coming today after all."

"Couldn't be left out now, could I?"

"You certainly are one of a kind. Wish we had you much earlier."

"Seriously, mate!" Bulletpoint blurts. "Plenty of topsy shit we coulda blown through if you were around years back!"

"He is here now, that is all that matters," Swirl calls seriously. "We may discuss his otherworldly nature on the balloon, it is about time we proceeded to the Frozen North."

"You got that right," Snowfall says as she turns towards the trunks. "Everything in these check out, Bulletpoint?"

"Yes, cap'n!"

"Good. -- Oh, I almost forgot. Crimson."

"Armor?"

"Head Researcher got you up to date, then. Good. The Royal Tailor teamed up with the Castle blacksmith to forge it for you at my request. I jumped through a lot of last-minute hoops to convince the Consortium to expend resources on an unofficial affiliate of the Guard. I expect you to wear it.”

At hearing the trouble he indirectly caused, Crimson fends off his displeasure by rubbing his forehead. “Can't say no to it since it’s already made. Be doin' more than myself a disservice denyin' it. Bring 'er here.”

Snowfall slips her hoof out of her silver slipper, bringing it to her mouth and whistling. Out from the Castle’s exit to the yard, Glitter and a team of tailor mares behind her come trotting out. They are each carrying a piece of Crimson’s newly-crafted armor, trekking across the field and towards him.

The mares stop at his front, scrutinizing him rather harshly. Then, some of the mares abruptly reach in to pull and yank at his body so he stands a certain way, while others begin to strap on the armor. It is a very fast and very efficient process. His bracers are secured on first, his breastplate comes on next, fitting comfortably over his duster, then his shoulder plates are seated. One of the tailor mares is definitely enthused to strap on Crimson’s crotch guard, taking a little more time than necessary to click the straps to his chest piece. His leggings are the last piece of armor to be secured by the fast-moving team of tailor ponies.

It probably would have been an even faster process if these tailor ponies used their horns instead of getting hoofsy placing everything, each one of them being a unicorn and all.

Finally, Glitter herself stands before him. She leaps up onto her hindlegs, using her left forehoof to balance herself on Crimson’s armor-covered abdomen. She holds a silver helmet with white plumes in her right hoof. Since she's too short to actually reach up to his head, he bows his neck to give her some leverage. She then dons it on him, sliding it perfectly onto his head.

The measurements for the armor are outstanding, every piece fits snug and proper. They were obviously designed to be fitted specifically with his duster attire as it rests perfectly across his clothing.

The armor is also rather heavy as well, Crimson thinks on how the mares were able to lug these pieces and put them on so effortlessly. Truly an amazing team. They are the tailors for royalty and no less, albeit lacking a little bit of modesty.

Glitter still stands against him. She reaches her hoof over to lift her cyan-tinted shades, revealing her lustrous, bright green eyes. She scrutinizes Crimson’s form up and down... and her body shivers with goosebumps.

“Mmh, yes!" she huffs with ecstasy. "A stallion in a propa suit of armar gives me SENSATIONS in all de right PLACES!” Still balanced on his body, she leans in, pulling his head down by his collar, then plasters her lips onto his, making the kiss as wet and sloppy as possible. Crimson raises his left brow at her unannounced smothering.

Yeah. Definitely lacking modesty.

Snowfall and her team watch this happen. No one looks amused by this, upset even, yet almost expectant of it from someone like Glitter. The captain promptly reaches over and yanks her away from him, eyeing the lust-ridden mare tiredly. “Save it, Royal Tailor. On-duty guards will get into some serious trouble performing P.D.A.”

“Aa! Yes! Is perfect!" Glitter suddenly blurts, paying no attention to Snowfall. "I know what next year’s summer line will be!” She poses in a very odd manner, standing on her hindlegs and hugging herself, “It will be: PUBLIC. DISPLAY. OF EXHIBITION!" Her tailor underlings nod with closed eyes and stomp their hooves on the grass. "We go!”

And with that, she and her team turn about-face and march back into the Castle as one collective unit. The Elite squad give the Royal Tailor an annoyed following of the eyes as they watch her leave.

Snowfall redirects her attention to Crimson, seeing that he is too busy examining himself to bother with the tailors any longer, moving and turning himself to admire the handy-work of the armor. “Hm, at least that air-headed dressmaker got one thing right,” she muses. Crimson shifts his eyes to her. “You do look good in that armor.”

“Thanks, though I ain't big on the helmet,” he says, knocking on it. "Rest of it's fine."

“You have my permission to take it off, just don’t lose it, or it comes out of your paycheck. Everything else stays on, non-negotiable.”

"With gratitude," he says while reaching to pull off the helmet.

"I'm sure you know where we're headed, but I'll give you a quick debrief of the locals."

He motions his head to the left to fling strands of hair out of his face, holding his helmet like a football. "Right."

"The yaks are a warrior-type, so be prepared if they get antsy. Our job is only to negotiate peacefully. One wrong move and we might have a problem. There is no room for error, it is crucial we retrieve this belt for our researchers."

"Yeah, after that run-in with the anomaly, we can't risk lettin' it go."

"Exactly. I'm ready to say we won't return to Canterlot without it. But if everything goes to plan, if everything rides out smoothly, we'll be in and out before the sun is down."

"Hmh, heard that one before..."

Snowfall raises her brows and looks to her right with a shrug. "This will be a first for everypony. None of us have ever dealt with the yaks in their homeland. Combine this with the fact that we don't know a lot about them, we're on shaky ground. Stay on alert at all times."

"Will do."

She glances towards the balloon in the distance, seeing it fully inflated. "We're green, Elite."

‎

---

‎

The ride takes all morning and runs into the afternoon, but eventually, the team arrives at the snowy lands of Yakyakistan. The air balloon lands gently on the snow, no immediate signs of life around their area of operations.

The landing was about fifty meters away from a massive wooden perimeter, which according to Snowfall, is the border of the yak village. Their inhabitants and belongings are inside this huge wooden wall, encompassing almost an entire square mile of land.

The squad unloads from the basket and gets some stretches in. Crimson’s feet sink a few inches into the snow, and he takes in the white wonderland. He hardly saw snow where he was from, so seeing it in such high densities was something new to be sure. Along with the sky-piecing mountains all around, the scenery gives him in for a new experience in nature.

“On me,” Snowfall commands as she begins her trek towards the wooden walls.

Crimson is quick to move and march by her side at the front. Bulletpoint makes haste to walk alongside Crimson and Snowfall, glancing up at the man to give him a confident smile. Crimson returns it, noting an air of adoration in his gaze.

The entire balloon ride was filled with only esteemed words for him for his gracious action yesterday. Snowfall, Strix, Swirl, and especially Bulletpoint, all had something considerate to say to him during the long ride. It nearly felt as if they had coordinated it beforehand...

"Paperwork be damned, you've more than earned a place in our book. Don't need a signature to prove your worth as a soldier," Snowfall said.

"None otha' betta' then our lad 'ea! Nothin'na fear with him around!" Bulletpoint revered.

"You are a great boon to us, accomplishing more in less time than any other recruit I've met. I am doubtless for my trust in you," Swirl declared.

"Just you wait, dude! I'll throw you the biggest appreciation party you'll ever have!" Strix squeed.

... and while grateful for the Elite's respect, he wasn't sure how to respond to it. The closeness that he felt to those around was giving an inexplicable sense of peace and humility, leaving him only able to nod with his hands in his pockets and say, "Appreciate it, y'all."

The only character refraining from showing any recognition was Banter, who kept his attention avoided from everyone. It didn't surprise Crimson, and he certainly didn't let it bother him.

Now approaching the towering wooden walls, they come across an equally large gate. The team exchanges a few glances, mentally acknowledging their simple plan: Snowfall does the talking, Crimson will be playing it safe this time, and the rest will keep their eyes peeled. The man himself was not too keen on the plan, and he would try to avoid confrontation if possible, but he knows that nothing is certain.

Snowfall lifts her hoof to bash on the gate with some force, her silver hoof slipper making the sound that much more intense. Then they wait in silence.

And wait.

Snowfall moves to knock again, then, a croaking mechanism is heard on the other side. She lowers her hoof back down when the heavy wooden gate begins to tremble and creak open inwards.

There, standing on the inside of the premises, is a large herd of yaks. If their eyes weren’t hidden under tuft and pelt, they would probably appear angry. Pissed even. Crimson stares at them lazily.

A yak, larger and more decorated than the others, comes to the front of the herd. He sizes up each individual that stands at the front of his kingdom with shadowed eyes of disapproval. "What ponies doing in Yakyakistan!?" he belts aggressively.

“Greetings. I am Captain Snowfall of the—”

“Captain!? Captain of ponies come here!? Ponies come to DECLARE WAR!?" he stomps his hoof into the snow.

“What? No, listen, we—”

"WAR IS DECLARED!"

He and a herd of his yaks commence their charge towards the squad, shouting violently as they storm forward. Crimson quickly steps forward and raises his left arm up--

-- But before confrontation truly arrives, the squad is encased in a pink bubble shield cast by Swirl. The leader of the yaks slams his horns into the shield, bouncing right off of it and onto his rear. The other yaks stop in their tracks when their leader is trumped.

“Waaait, waitwaitwait!” Snowfall groans angrily, “We’re not here to declare war.”

“… Ponies not here to declare war?” the lead yak says as he rises from the snow. “Then why ponies here!?”

“We’re here to negotiate with you.”

"Negotiate what!?"

“A relic in your possession. A magical belt was reportedly found in your kingdom’s territory.”

“Mm. Yes, strong belt.”

“So now that that's out of the way, let's start this over. Without war. I am Captain Snowfall of the Equestrian Royal Guard. And you are?”

Before the question can be answered, attention is drawn to a smaller yak presenting herself next to the leader. She whispers to the lead yak, then points to Crimson... then they both nod. “Hm. I am Prince Binyor. Ponies may enter.” Him and his large family clear from the entrance, allowing the squad to enter the premises. After they do, a yak manning a heavy primitive pulley system behind them closes the large wooden gate and slam it shut.

Prince Binyor leads them through their village, consisting of rather primal and shoddily built homes, yet the yaks themselves are wearing golden, silver, copper, and iron accessories. Crimson does not quite fathom the idea that these yaks prioritize resources for aesthetics over quality of life, especially since this place is depressing to look at. It could easily be mended if they used their minerals more efficiently.

After a few-minute walk, the squad is led to the very center of Yakyakistan. There, next to a large circular water well in the center of the village, stands a wood and iron placard. The belt is mounted proudly on it, and this relic in question is robust, made of all sorts of refined ores. It looks as if it were emitting waves of heat.

"Well, there it is," Banter grumbles to himself with annoyance.

"It's design is intricate, even when viewed from this distance," Swirl comments quietly.

"Where was this artifact found, prince Binyor?" Snowfall inquires.

“Yes, the strong belt,” Binyor begins. “... Yak remembers. Many years ago, before great war, belt belonged to very big and powerful earth pony. Pony almost as strong as yak! ... Almost. Pony wandered Equestria for many years. Pony was big hero. He help many with his strength! Yaks knew pony, and yaks respected pony. But one day, pony disappear while traveling through Frozen North. Young Binyor was exploring North with brothers to find food. Young Binyor found letter in leather pouch inside mountain ice cave. Very wise and intuitive Binyor knew how to read pony words, was crucial for winning great war. But! Letter had instructions for finding belt! So Binyor followed meticulously crafted instructions. Journey was hard! Merciless! Tested ALL of Binyor's might! But at last, Young Binyor found belt! And he returned to Yakyakistan with great honor.”

“Hm. A lost possession once held by a pony of virtue. Interesting. Do you remember their name?"

"Yak does not."

Swirl appears the most upset to hear this. Snowfall nods in understanding to the prince and continues, "We are willing to negotiate a very large sum of resources or bits for this belt. If you choose bits, we can set up a payment plan, we already have a starting sum ready in our—”

"Yaks not want petty money! Yak want to see if pony WORTHY of strong belt! If ponies want strong belt, ponies EARN strong belt! None so far have earned the right of strong belt! Not griffons! Not dragons! Not changelings! Not PONIES!"

"Then advise us in how we should 'earn' the belt."

"HRH! TRIAL! Strongest member to represent team! But..." he huffs through his nose, "all of you! You, you, you, you, and you!” he points his cloven hooves at each pony in the Elite. "WEAK! All of you! Only flying ponies and magic pony! No earth pony! Earth pony at least stand chance! But since no earth pony here, yak wants human for trial!"

Crimson stands there simply staring back at the rioting prince. Everyone on the team turns for incredulity, already souring at the idea of him having to be the center of mass again.

"Ghr," Banter mutters with offense to his ego at being pointed at as 'weak.'

"What kind of trials we talkin'?" the man asks casually.

The eyes of the entire yak village pop from behind their scruffy hairs. The prince and his yaks let their mouths hang open. “… Human talk?”

“Human more than talk," Crimson smiles. "Human strong too."

"Hoh!" Binyor grins madly. "Yak LIKE!"

"What type of trials?" Snowfall repeats.

"Trial of STRENGTH! TRIAL OF HEART! TRIAL TO PROVE WORTH FOR STRONG BELT!"

"Physical tasks, then." Snowfall shakes her head, "I cannot allow that specific team member to participate. I request that you choose another."

"NO!" he blurts into Snowfall's face, tilting her helmet back. She glares at him and adjusts it back into place. "Rest of ponies too WEAK for trial! No earth pony here! Only talking human! Talking human have yet to test strength!"

"Can't be serious, mate!" Bulletpoint interjects, "We've got this! Ain't gotta put 'em through the squeeze! We here are plenty strong!"

"NO!" he rattles his ears just as he did to Snowfall.

"But there has to be a trial that we can do--"

"NO!" he nearly knocks Strix off of her hooves.

"Then perhaps--"

Swirl quickly encases her ears in magic just as Binyor zooms into her for her own personal "NO!" She sighs and doesn't even bother finishing.

"TALKING HUMAN TRIAL, OR NO TRIAL!"

Everyone gawks at the rambunctious prince with resentment, all but Crimson, who stands with his hands in his duster pockets. "I'll do yer trials."

His team turns their bitter gazes towards him, prompting him to glance between them.

"No way, mate," Bulletpoint shakes his head.

"I can't let you do this," Snowfall firmly follows up.

"We need that belt," Crimson retorts. "If I got a shot at gettin' it, I ain't turnin' it down."

"We already established that you won't be at the horns of this one."

"Who said these trials are gonna hurt? Right, Binyor?" he smiles to the yak.

"IT WILL HURT MANY HURTS! HAHA!"

Crimson lines his lips and raises his brows.

"You're not doing this," Snowfall declares. "Decision is final."

Crimson gazes at her for a silent moment... "Good thing I ain't gotta listen, then." He returns his stare to the prince. "What's this first trial?"

"Mother of Celestia, Crimson..." Snowfall bats the forehead of her helmet in frustration. Everyone on the team is visibly dissatisfied as well, except for the listless Banter.

“Smash things!" Binyor shouts. "Smash things is first trial!"

"Sounds easy enough."

"Crimson," Snowfall mutters through her teeth.

The man returns his attention to her, delivering a radiant smile. His eyes then trek across the rest of his team, holding his confident front against their scrutiny. "I know what we agreed to, but I can't let this belt go without even tryin'. There's somethin' ridin' on this more important than my safety: Equestria's safety. So I'm doin' this... fer y'all."

Everyone turns their faces to the snow and say nothing further. Undeniably apparent, his team is not approving, but their silence speaks for them: they won't stop him... but they will be harshly judging this turn of events.

Returning his gaze to the prince, Crimson nods. "Let's get'er done."

"Hah! Human has spirit! Yes, trials start now!”

‎

‎

The quiet and serious squad is reluctantly led by the prince towards the farther end of the village. There are many leafless trees around, standing tall and proud amongst the snow. The prince scopes around for a moment and finds a good tree as a candidate for the first trial. Once he finds one, he stands next to it, facing back to the squad.

“Human good at smashing!? Prove it! Smash tree!” he says, bashing his hoof on the bark. The whole tree rattles from the force of his hearty smack.

Crimson raises his brows at this uncanny task. He walks up to the tree, each step sinking into the snow. His squad eyes him with silent intent, but the yaks look much less excited. The denizens of Yakyakistan all judge his every move, finding nothing of worthy note on his appearance.

He reaches out and touches the bark, it’s hard and rough. Sediment and grains of the bark fall from the trunk at his touch. The base of the tree is just over thirty inches in diameter. A fairly sized tree, but garnering age and early feebleness. “Do I get to use some tools ‘r somethin’?” he asks, looking to his left at the prince.

"PFFFHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The prince and a few of his fellow yaks burst into laughter. "..." They suddenly stop laughing and look very serious. “No! Human use human claws to smash!”

“My hands?”

“Yak not care for proper terminology! SMASH NOW!”

"... Can I make my own tools?"

"CLAWS. TO. SMAAASH!"

Crimson sighs and faces the tree. His plan to use his greatsword to simply hack the tree into pieces is probably going to forfeit him this trial, so back to basics it is. He cracks his neck and his knuckles, then rotates his shoulders after. He brings up his guard and steps into a firm stance, holding his fists in front of his face as he eyes the tree. He scopes out a specific point on the tree’s trunk, registering it mentally as his target. “... Y’all might wanna get back a bit."

His squad immediately heeds to his word, still aggravated. The yaks simply stay in place and watch, caring not for the human's forewarning.

He cocks his right arm back... and with a grunt of exertion, he steps into a mighty right elbow, crashing it into the spot he was looking. Luckily the elbow guards of his armor saved his duster from being torn by the strike.

The point of impact breaks into a jagged mess, causing the entire tree to fall into two chunks. The top of the tree tilts towards the crowd of yaks that refused to move. They gawk up and gasp as the mass of wood falls down upon them. Screaming in terror, they quickly scatter and trip over each other.

The prince remains standing still as the large chunk of tree topples his way. He ducks his head and brings it back up with a loud grunt. His horns and helmet collide against the chunk that lands on him, smashing it into two more halves, then he releases an adrenaline-fueled shout. “HEER-YEAHAHA! Human make yak VERY impressed!”

"HooWaaoo! Human strong!" A random yak blurts.

"HUMAN STRONGER THAN TREE!" another shouts.

"Hah! Me like human!"

"HUMAAAN! HAHAHAAA!"

Crimson nods at the raising collection of adore and compliments from the yaks. He quickly glances at his squad, noting their silent pride mixed with concern and hesitation.

First trial down successfully.

“But!" Binyor grins, "yak now sees that this was TOO easy for human! Human need bigger! Human need better! Hahaa, yak give another trial!”

The Elite team blench their fronts at another task to be undertaken, admittedly more difficult. Crimson shows no negative reaction, instead nodding again. "Alright. Another."

Binyor guides the way again, moving through this small patch of wintered forestry toward another tree. The biggest tree in the field. This particular growth is almost three stories tall, the girth of the trunk reaches an entire square meter in diameter. “Hrhr, yees. Now human must smash THIS!” he calls with a grin. "The GRAND trunk! No yak can topple tree! Binyor could, but Binyor not selfish! Binyor let OTHERS test strength! Haha!"

"How fucking convenient," Banter utters under his breath.

"This's insane," Bulletpoint whispers as well.

Crimson moves to stand before the well-grown tree. He looks over to his squad mates, seeing their terribly dissatisfied expressions. Were it not for his calm and collected demeanor, he is certain his team would have tried to intervene at this point. He knows that most beings his size would probably break every bone in their body before getting a dent on a tree of this size... lucky for him, he is not most people. He returns his attention to the tree. He starts to size it up, eyes running along the length of this large living object. He knows one firm strike won't topple this beast, he will definitely cause himself some harm if he tried. He will have to whittle it down before he can throw a strike with good power behind it.

He raises his guard up and takes his stance again, focusing his eyes on a certain point of the trunk. He inhales deeply...

BAM!

He throws a lightning fast left jab at the trunk. There’s a clean imprint an inch deep of his knuckles on the bark. This jets a reaction of awe from the yaks, all in disbelief at the prowess showed. A wry shifting of his eyes to his team also shows that they are equally ridden with stupor.

"B-But... he was, like... so soft when I touched him," Strix expresses. "... Is human skin really that strong?”

“… No. It isn't,” Snowfall mumbles in distaste, glaring at the imprint on the bark.

BAM

The man follows his left jab with a right cross into the bark, leaving another imprint with his fist that is deeper before. The two imprints clip into each other at the very seam of the knuckles, not even a centimeter apart. He looks at his fists, seeing that they're not damaged just yet... “Y’all get clear now.”

Everyone does well to listen this time. Crimson takes in another breath, longer and slower than the one before. Then,

PA-PA-PA-PA-PA-PA-PA-PA-PA-PA-PA-PA!

He enters a flurry of wind cutting strikes, using both fists to barrage at the trunk, each punch rocking the tree wildly. The attacks come so fast, it looks like bullets are ripping at the tree. Each punch is so strong, the wind force coming from them blows the snow under him away in a circular radius. The bark of the tree starts to chip away faster than any chainsaw could achieve.

Like a beaver with titanium teeth on performance enhancers gnawing uncontrollably, shards of wooden pieces scatter as his rush continues.

"What... the fuck..." Banter's irises tremble in their sockets.

After the unremitting barrage, Crimson pulls back from his punches, stepping forward with his left foot, pivoting on it, and turning his hip to deliver a righteous right roundhouse kick. “TET!” Like a smoldering hammer through butter, his shin-guard covered leg bashes right through effortlessly, letting him continue the motion of the kick and perfectly reset into his stance.

The battered tree breaks like clockwork, even flying off of the stump a few feet from the force of the kick. It immediately tilts to the side and crashes down a few feet in front of him. The snow muffles most of the impact of the fall, but a mass this size shakes the earth on collision with the ground. The tall tree now lies defeated, leaving only four feet of trunk protruding from the ground.

The panting man backpedals until he stands in front of his team, saying nothing. The yaks are utterly befuddled.

"HAAAAA! HAHAHAHAAAAA!" Binyor suddenly shouts with vigor, leaping in to smash the befallen tree further. The rest of the yaks are plastered with smiles of their own, following suit in shouting and smashing.

"Human incredible!" a yak gasps.

"HUMAN STROONG!" another cries.

"HAHA! YAK LOVE HUMAN! HUMAN IS LIKE YAK!"

"HUUMAN! HUUMAN!"

Those not destroying the tree begin to stomp their hooves into the snow, pounding it with heartfelt ceremony. Crimson can not help but grin with satisfaction at the townsfolk coming to appreciate him. His spirit strangely resonates a saying he has never heard before in his head, but feels it to be true: 'If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.' These yaks certainly love the language of strength and power, and he spoke it fluently.

His hazel eyes follow a smaller yak that he notes is running towards him, the same one that pointed at him earlier. She looks very young, and judging by the adorable braids in her hair, it's definitely a girl. Winded out from having joined in the on-going smashing, she pants as she speaks to him. "Human! Human so strong! Konya knew she liked the look of human!"

The man chuckles and reaches to fluff the top of her head. "Human happy yak think so."

"Human stronger than yak! Konya want to grow up big and strong like human! -- Oh! Uuh... h-human no let papi Binyor know Konya say that."

"Human keep secret safe~" he pats her head again, watching her squeal with joy. Her deep-brown orbs gaze up at him with a glint of idolization.

"Konya's name is Konya! What human's name?"

"Crimson. Pleasure to meet you, Konya."

She nods quickly with a beaming smile, before her name is called by another younger yak in the smash-pile. She quickly heeds to the call and returns to batter the befallen tree some more.

Now turning his glance up, Crimson sees that a few of the yaks were watching their interaction. Even with pelt-covered eyes, their small smiles are sign enough to let him know that they are content.

Snowfall looks to Crimson as he stands nearby, silently watching his interaction with one of the locals. When he reaches his hand to the little yak's head, she notices their brutal state. Her body shivers when she sees his knuckles. They’re shredded. Once the young yak frolics off and he returns his hands to his sides, blood drips down from his finger tips and onto the snow. Were it not for the battered meat of his skin, his bones would probably be exposed. She grits her teeth and lifts her gaze up to the back of his head.

Swirl, Strix, and Banter's jaw has fallen onto the ground as they stare at the broken mass of wood in complete disbelief. Bulletpoint is quick to catch on to Banter's unsullied abstraction, taking it as a prime moment to remind him of something important.

“Bloody A, mate..." Bulletpoint leans closer to him. “You'd be grateful seein’ this. Good ol’ Red didn’t decide to give one of them swings durin’ that spar.”

Banter snaps out of his trance immediately and stares two suns into Bulletpoint. He then retracts and huffs out his breath into the cold air. "Fuck off."

Snowfall approaches Crimson from behind, jumping onto her hindlegs and turning him so he faces her. She pulls him down a bit so their heads are leveled. "That's enough," she quietly demands of him.

“What?” Crimson whispers back.

“Your hands. Look at them. You weren't supposed to be doing this today, and here you are.”

“They’re fine, Snowfall.”

Like a fire igniting in her heart, she lines her brows at the top of her eyes and presses her muzzle against his nose. “Damn it, Crimson, you're unbelievably thick-headed! They're not fine! YOU look at them and tell ME they’re fine!”

Crimson's neutral face shifts for concern... not for himself, but for Snowfall's genuine anger. She seems to be showing quite a bit of emotion today, first with her smile, and now... this.

He carefully takes Snowfall's hooves off of him, letting her fall back onto her fours. He pulls out what appears to be a chocolate granola bar from his duster pocket, taking it into his bleeding hands and unwrapping it. He stuffs it into his mouth with three quick bites, chewing on it a few times before swallowing and pocketing the wrapper. He reaches to his duster to wipe off the blood that trailed on his hands.

Snowfall and the rest of the squad watch this, tracing him up and down in confusion to his random snackage. Her eyes stop at his hands once he wipes them... the bleeding seems to have stopped already, but the skin and tissue is still mangled.

"They're fine," Crimson repeats.

Snowfall slowly shakes her head, displeased with his careless demeanor, but unwilling to argue with him further.

“Human!” Binyor shouts to Crimson. “Binyor IMPRESSED with human! This is great show! Very great strong show! Human has proved to be like yak!”

“Appreciate that.”

“He did your trials," Snowfall glares at the yak prince. "I do believe he has earned the belt.”

“Yes! BUT!” replies the prince. The squad’s expressions churn in bitter aggression, though Crimson finds some excitement from hearing that there is more to be had. “There is ONE last trial!"

"Whaat!?" Strix cries.

“You’ve gotta be shittin' me,” Bulletpoint growls.

“No shitting here! Only trial! Come! Follow yak!”

"Nu-no-no-no-no," Snowfall halts him. "We are not going any further until you elaborate on this next task."

"HRH?" Binyor turns to her angrily.

"The next task," she sternly repeats. "What are you forcing him to do."

"HRR! ANNOYING WEAK PONY! YAK NOT SAY UNTIL TRIAL BEGINS!"

"C'mon, Snowfall. It's the last trial," Crimson coaxes. "Whatever it is, I'll get it done 'n we go home with our objective. ... Just one more." His entire team hesitates to agree with him. "... Lead the way, Binyor."

"Hrh, ponies learn a thing or two from human."

‎

‎

Crimson stands in the middle of the snowy village with his squad close by. In front of him, a good number of meters out, is the yaks along with Binyor. The yak prince stands close to the belt on the placard.

A quick inspection of his team shows that they have just about had it with Binyor, but at least they have done well with suppressing their resentment. As long as they keep their cool, this should go swimmingly.

Binyor raises his voice as he begins giving direction, pointing his hoof at the belt next to him.

“YAK NOW GIVE LAST TRIAL TO SHOW WORTHY OF THIS BELT! Human is good at smashing, yes! NOW! ... Human demonstrate ability to BE SMASHED! YAKS WILL TAKE TURNS CHARGING HUMAN! HUMAN STAND LIKE TREE STANDS! TAKE THE SMASH! TOUGH TREE NOT FALL! WEAK TREE?" He snarls a breath out of his nose. "... FALL.”

Contempt overrides the emotions of every member of the Elite at the revelation of this gruesome excursion. Finally boiled enough with frustration, Snowfall steps closer to the man, shouting back at Binyor, “That is a firm negative! A violent engagement with an Equestrian Royal Guard will not be tolerated!"

Binyor's front widens for surprise at her outburst, but quickly furrows for exasperation.

"Prince Binyor, you can't seriously expect us to allow you to stampede one of our own! I highly advise you rethink your strategy, because this is treading a line you DO NOT want to cross!”

"Snowfall, it's fine--"

"We're here for negotiations!" she interrupts Crimson, "And this is no negotiation! This is underhoofed encroachment! Our intentions are peaceful, and we will keep them as so! But we will not further entertain these games of yours, and further pressing of them will be taken as an act of aggression!"

"Snowfall, seriously, we're almost there--"

Crimson is interrupted again when Binyor barks a harking laugh, "HAH! PUNY WEAK PONY! YAK KNEW YOU WERE WEAK! YAK KNEW YOU WERE NOT WORTHY!"

"The terms of the negotiation stand firm!" Snowfall states. "We will establish an agreement that can satisfy you, but we are not leaving until the belt is in our possession! The acquisition of this belt is necessary to ensure the safety of Equestria and its inhabitants! We cannot allow it to remain here!"

"EXCUSE FROM PONY! MOVE AND LET HUMAN FINISH TRIAL!"

"It is no excuse!" Swirl intervenes. "There is a threat present to all of us! Not just ponykind! An anomalous magic source that is wreaking havoc on the land is currently undefined! We believe it is attached to the magic contained in the relic in your possession! It is essential to our success!"

"SMART PONY TALK TOO MUCH! SMART PONY NOT STRONG PONY!"

"You are not listening!" Swirl stomps her hoof into the snow.

"YAK NOT CARE! ALL YAK HEAR IS WHINY, PUNY EXCUSE! NO! NO BELT FOR THE WEAK! ONLY STRONG CAN TAKE BELT! TRIAL TO PROVE STRENGTH!"

"HE ALREADY FUCKING DID!" Bulletpoint screams. "TWO WHOLE TREES, MATE! HE ALREADY DID THA' STUPID FUCKING TRIAL, THEN YOU GO 'N SPRING ANOTHA' ONE! YOA TRIALS CAN FUCK RIGHT OFF, YA PISSANT!"

Crimson's temper begins to rise, leading him to ball his hands into fists. "If y'all'd just fuckin' listen--"

"HRRRAAAAGH!" Binyor belts furiously. "PUNY WEAK PONY TALK TO PRINCE BINYOR THAT WAY!?"

"YE! YOU'RE INSANE, YA' WANKA!"

"That belt must be acquired and studied for the safety of Equestria, Prince Binyor!" Snowfall declares. "This is non-negotiable!"

"HRRRH!" Binyor kicks snow back with his foreleg.

"THAT MEANS WE'RE NOT LEAVING TILL WE GET IT, SHITBRAIN!" Banter bursts suddenly, holding his partisan closely with a grin.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Crimson's eyes grow wide at the restless fury building in the yak prince. Being ignored by everyone, he quickly takes in his surroundings, trying to find literally anything that could mend the situation. He glances at his team, seeing them huddle close to each other to form a barrier at his sides. He glances towards the yak-kin, seeing the expressions on the lot.

... Odd. Their faces. They are not aggressive-looking or hostile. No. The opposite actually. They appear tentative and worried. Many of them stare at their leader with uncertainty, but none of them speak up against him... except for one.

"Konya..." Crimson whispers.

"Papi! Be calm, papi!" she pleads as she emerges from the crowd of yaks to Binyor's side.

The scalded prince turns his smoldering gaze to his daughter, piercing her with grit teeth. "STAY OUT, KONYA! PONY HEADS WILL BE SMASHED FOR THEIR DISRESPECT!"

"Hahaha! SMASHED!?" Banter laughs maniacally. "YOU CAN FUCKING TRY, DICKWEED!"

"Hrr!" Crimson grinds his teeth in anger at the stallion's provocation.

"Remain calm, Prince Binyor!" Snowfall restates. "This is not how you want this to end!"

"NOT WANT THIS TO END? PONIES NOW THREATENING BINYOR! HRAAGH!"

"More than a threat, shit-stain! A fucking promise!" Banter riles. "Come on! Attack us! Let's see how great your strength holds against the entire EQUESTRIAN MAGE GUILD!"

"Banter!" Every member of the elite scolds, though knowingly in vain.

"HRRH... HROORH.... HAAAA! PONIES WANT WAAAR!?"

And it happens so fast.

"TEAM! DEFENSIVE POSITION!"

"WAR! IS! DECLAAAARED!"

CRACK-BAAAAAASH!

A magically supercharged mass of fury collides horns first into Crimson's golden shield, effortlessly breaking through it and decimating his body.

In one instant to the next, Binyor had acquired the belt from its pedestal, flipping it around his waist before cracking the ground with a leaping charge. The belt itself, when held close to his waist, moved itself akin to a magnet to instantly strap itself on. In less than two seconds-- not a even a single count of two-thousand milliseconds-- several hundred pounds of air-ripping animal charged towards the Elite squad, covering the fifty-meter gap in the blink of an eye... only to be intercepted by the angel that charged forward to meet him half-way.

Crimson's left arm, which held the shattered shield, breaks at the forearm and upper arm, along with the bracer attached, and flings back into his chest. The force continues, traveling across his entire body to obliterate his breastplate and shoulder guards, all happening in a single moment.

FWOOM!

The limp man is propelled back with unfathomable force, flung right past his team as a meat and armor-shard projectile, skipping across hundreds of feet along the snow like a worn-out ragdoll until he crashes into the wooden wall of the village's perimeter.

Motionless, he lies several feet deep in the snow. His glowing orbs lazily stare up at the white-clouded sky above him, gently pulsating the embers of his life force.

He can't hear anything, his ears are ringing incessantly. He's certain his entire ribcage is broken, probably punctured both lungs. That might explain why he is wheezing like a decrepit animal...

He can't feel a thing...

... sure is familiar, not being able to feel anything. An example being when he first arrived to Equestria, when he wandered aimlessly onto a trapped door that flung a death tack at him. That dart made him feel kind of like he's feeling right now, empty, lazy, and hard of thought... except that experience was a lot less bloody and visceral.

No swift savior to suck out the venom for this one though. ... Swift savior. "What... was her name again?"

He'll probably remember soon... or maybe it'll fade into obscurity among the coils of departure. He sure hopes this isn't where he meets his end... that'd certainly be... not good. Probably won't... hopefully not.

He hadn't realized until now he had closed his eyes at some point, but here they are... closed... blackening out his world in such a proverbial way. All he can do is lay here and do nothing... until, well... something happens. Until someone manages to mend his mangled corpse, or... he dies.

The only thing on his mind right now is a supplication, one that hopes the Elite isn't currently fighting an entire village of yaks. Not that he doubts in their ability, but... Prince Binyor with that belt was certainly something to behold, and certainly something else running into him head-on. His team were like sheep in headlights for that eyeblink he donned the belt and charged forward. He didn't know what to expect colliding into him, his body practically acted on its own to preserve his team. Good thing too, anyone else wouldn't have walked away from... this.

Well... nothing he can do now except wait in his bed of red snow. Or sleep in it. It is a bed, after all.

...

Sleep sounds like a good idea.

Next Chapter: Chapter 7: In the Air of the Night Estimated time remaining: 18 Hours, 60 Minutes