Letting the Cat out of the Bag

While the events that had unfolded were surprising, to say the least, Oruka remained composed and nodded along, listening to the newly found deity’s words. The stallion watched the tiny quirlicorn leave after telling them to explore its region, and once that they were out of sight, looked around to take in his new environment. The land defied all known logics, trees being rooted into the sky, dubiously coloured vegetation, and many other strange phenomenons. With such an odd scenery being possible, it was no wonder that the quirliverse was upside down recently. 

‘’I suppose that solves the dunes mystery,’’ he said, stepping forward to carefully poke a rock with his hoof. It was neon green with radioactive pink polka dots, rather ugly, not that he would admit it. Once they could return to Anevay, they had to inform the deity about the Entropy Region. He turned to his companions, ‘’What would you like to do?’’ he asked, wanting to hear their opinions. Oruka was curious to examine the vegetation and minerals that could be found in this new land, and also wondered if there was anywhere that may resemble the normal lands. 

Zealin slowly nodded. Her eyes scoured the region with a glint of curiosity. “Indeed it does,” she easily agreed with Oruka’s words. If the deity was able to cause all this chaos in this region, then a quick switch of landmarks in each region was nothing. “It’s lovely, the chaos.” She bent down and sniffed the grass. “Hm. This one smells like chocolate. Though, let’s be safe and not eat any of it yet.” Ah, how she wished that she had a few containers of sherbets to consume. 

The mare stood back up and peered at the oddly-colored sky. It seemed to change every few moments at random intervals, a nearly hypnotizing view. Zealin couldn’t help but smile a little. It was brilliant. It spoke of unrestrained power. “I suppose that we might as well explore until we figure out how to report our findings to Anevay. I doubt that we will be able to exit this region easily.” She didn’t want to either. Staying in this region to discover new elements sounded perfect in her mind. 

It was a whirlwind of emotions for Damien. From the moment the cat spoke to them and introduced himself as Peabody, over him to show them a trick to their arrival in this strange region!    He could just stand there totally baffled, and he did not know if his senses let him down or if all of what he saw was actually real! 

But before they could make any sense of it, a tiny little Quirlicorn showed up, and they did not have to introduce themselves for Damien to understand they held a lot of power. 

Asani of the Entropy Region.

The way they spoke, it seemed that they had no contact with the regular Quirliverse for a long time, and without much effort, they changed the whole surrounding and now it looked rather normal!  It was amazing and scary, and Damien knew it would be better to not have them as an enemy.  

Soon, Asani was gone, but offered them a piece of their Region if they found one suitable and would come back to visit this Region.  

“..so… it was probably them…?” Damien asked as they were alone again. The cat, Peabody, was gone and so was Asani. “...they hold so much power….  I bet Anevay would love the chaos in this Region..” he guessed. “...but… you are right… we should take the time we have here and.. Explore it..” he meant, lowering his head to scent at the grass as well. That… was a very pleasant smell!  He would love to nibble a bit on it and see, but Zealin was probably right… one could not know if the things here were safe to eat for them.  The land looked big and wide, and he was curious what they would find. It looked normal, but definitely was not. 

“I guess… we better stay together for this, right..?” he asked the others, hoping they would agree.  Even with all the magic he had, Damien definitely lacked courage still. Though he had a magic to raise courage inside him, he would only use that one if needed.

It was a bit of a relief for Oruka when he realized that, now that they were no longer in the Desert Region, Zealin seemed to have loosened a little. On the other hand, Damien appeared rather shaken. He nodded in agreement at the black and white mare, ‘’Very well, I’m sure this region has a lot to be discovered.’’ There were many herbs he had not seen before, and he hoped that he would return from this trip having learned a few new things that could potentially benefit his herd. Oruka chuckled lightly, ‘’Yes, I’m sure Anevay would love it.’’ There was no doubt that the Desert Deity would love exploring such a chaotic land. ‘’Feel free to stick around,’’ he answered Damien before trotting away from the group toward a nearby, oddly coloured tree. He bent down, curiously examining a mushroom that was growing by its roots. Its shape was rather basic, but the colours were completely off. The stem was of a soft pink and the cap the colour of grass during spring, and it emitted a blue glow. 

Looking around, he noticed many other foreign plants. ‘’I wonder…’’ What if he used his fertility magic? Would they be affected, or perhaps grow newer herbs? The stallion activated his magic, and the vegetation around him began to softly glow under his power’s influence. Younger plants swiftly matured while new ones sprouted from the ground, each more colourful and unique than the last. Oruka withdrew his magic and walked up to one of the plants, examining it.

Zealin examined Damien for a few seconds before simply shrugging and nodding. “Yes, let’s stick together in case trouble arises,” she easily returned. It was clear that Asani was more powerful (and more chaotic) than likely all three of them combined, but there might be other threats in the region. Although she had a hunch that Damien was rather fearful about his surroundings, Zealin didn’t point it out. She had some social tack, after all. She took a few steps in the other direction, not wanting to interfere with Damien’s experimenting, and generated a small bubble of water next to her. ‘Hmm,’ she thought to herself, ‘so my magic does function in this region in the manner I want it to. I would not have been surprised if it glitched instead. Or perhaps it would in larger quantities, but I would rather not test that yet.’

The mare gently set the water down on top of a brown-colored rose with yellow leaves. The rose promptly exploded from contact and turned into dust. Well. That was unexpected. She squashed a delighted feeling from her chest, knowing that it would not be a positive image to gloat about explosions, and summoned more bubbles of water. She concentrated and sent them to other plants. Some of the plants, like the corn-like one and the one with a pumpkin stem poking out its leaves, did nothing. Some exploded. Others either grew or diminished in size. She couldn’t help the small grin that festered on her facial expression. Zealin promptly created even more bubbles of water, intent on testing on the plants’ interactions further. 

For Damien, it was no surprise that he felt insecure and also kind of expected the judgement of the others. Oruka was kind and understanding, but Zealin for sure would like him to be more courageous.   Damien in between just did not want to be alone in such a strange place. Even with all the magic he possessed, none had ever helped him through a seizure if it hit him, and he was rather with Quirlicorns who judged him for being weak than facing such a thing alone in a weird, new Region!  He took a deep breath as the others started exploring the surroundings.  For now, at first glance, it looked exactly like home. A mixture of the Regions, for sure, but nothing weird at first sight. 

Yet, any closer glance opened up new wonders that were strange, weird but also beautiful in some ways.  What was a complete chaos before, was turned back in order by Asani without any effort, yet not everything was normal. Damien used his wingless flight and gently lifted a bit from the ground. He was not fond of heights at all, but in between, had gained a bit of experience in this. It saved him a lot of exhaustion.  

The little islands from the sky were gone. He watched Zealin using her magic to test out some flowers, and Oruka looking at some mushrooms.  Of course, Damien was not about to use his fire on the surroundings, that did not seem right at all. Instead, he took another few breaths to ground himself before he closed his eyes and just tried to feel it. 

It was of course a weird thing to do, hovering maybe his own height up in the air, just trying to relax and feeling the vibes and nature of all that was new to them. But more often than not, feeling the magic in the air, scenting and hearing did give away more and deeper things than just looking at them. He was gifted with feeling the Aura of everything, and if he put aside his own insecurity, he was capable of connecting to even this new land and trying to get its purpose for him.

Oruka stepped back after spending some time observing the plants. They may have potential, and he hoped that before returning to his herd, he could obtain a few samples to bring back and learn more about them. The flora of this land, as odd as it was compared to normal vegetation, was rather intriguing and fascinating. The stallion continued exploring the region, attentively listening to his surroundings and examining the scenery. Bugs fluttered in the shifting sky and he paused to watch them. Walking through the Entropy Region felt like back when he was a mere foal still learning about the ways of the world and discovering its wonders.

A drop of water hit his muzzle and he looked up. Soft raindrops chaotically rained down, each falling in a different direction. Oruka looked back, discovering that only a section of the area was affected by the rain while the sun shone brightly behind him. He continued until he felt the rain stop, and set his hoof down in a familiar substance. Snow, or at least, this land’s equivalent.

Zealin lit the tip of her hoof on fire. Magically preparing water behind her just in case, she sent a stream of fire to boil a pink flower. The flower burst into fireflies that flew into the sky. “Huh,” she muttered to herself. “This place is… very intriguing.” She silently wondered if Asani and Peabody created all these special effects by themselves or if their magic dictated it. There was unfortunately a lack of books written by deities writing about the effects of their region. Or perhaps she didn’t search the right places—that was certainly possible. 

Setting another blade of grass on fire, Zealin watched as the flame consumed the piece. Huh. It acted as grass. Like grass from the Mountain Region. It definitely supported the grass being grass, although she still didn’t want to taste test. She poured the water onto the embers before the flame could spread and consume all the vegetation. “How’s the snow over there, Oruka?” she inquired when she saw Oruka cautiously step on it. Considering the weirdness of the land, she wouldn’t be surprised if it was akin to stepping on lava or some other abnormal feature that wasn’t associated with snow. 

Damien just followed his feeling in this as he tried to feel out the Surroundings. They felt chaotic throughout, but not evil. There was nothing bad to be felt anywhere.  Asanis words were meant to be honest! 

Of course he stayed close to the others, but he soon hovered over the grass, using only his nose to guide himself before he set foot to the ground again.  He could scent the burning that Zealin caused to some plants, but it was not.. Right.  It didn't scent like something burned like he was used to!  Just like everything did not scent as in his own region.  He scented at the grass below his hooves again before he dared to nibble at it carefully. 

The grass in his desert region was dry and hard, and it did not  really taste that well. He often wandered over to spend a bit of time with Elenore at the border to the mountain region, where it was more hydrated and better tasting. 

But the explosion of taste he got from this grass?  

It was extraordinary! 

At the moment he chewed it, he did not care if it was poisonous!  It was sweet and mouthwatering!   He did not want to look like a glutton, but he couldn't help himself by that taste, to just graze a moment and not care for any consequences. But he felt it was okay.  The grass also … sounded crunchy under his hooves, a bit like the sand of the desert, even though there was none anywhere close!  He turned his head for the others, but then he laid down in the grass and plopped to his side, feeling the connection to the earth below and sky above for a moment.  The flames that his mane had turned into, changed its colors when they touched the grass, and they lit up in all spectrum possible!  Of course Damien could not see that for his mane, but his tail indeed!  It was such a chaotic… but mesmerizing place to be! The ground was actually warm.  He closed his eyes for a moment, just listening to the sounds as he found his peace within the chaos.  

“...I dont know what it is… but.. I can't deny that I like it..” he meant, to nobody in particular, but to both at the same time. 

Once that the stallion was certain the substance was in fact, snow and that it would not suddenly explode, Oruka took a few steps further in the fluffy and cold matter. He couldn’t help but smile a little at the familiar sensation of his land. ‘’It’s harmless,’’ he replied to Zealin, looking over his shoulder. ‘’You should come over, it feels nice.’’ Well, maybe not so much for a quirlicorn who loved explosions and toasting things, but who knows. While he was always glad to help deities when possible, having a break from the Desert’s heat was welcomed. A few snowflakes drifted on his coat, and he looked up, expecting to see more. Strangely, nothing fell from the sky. He lowered his head, only to discover that the snow was falling backwards. The flakes detached from the piles of snow and floated upwards. This region would never seize to surprise him. Where did the snow come from, and where was it going?

Oruka pawed at the snow until he found the ground. It was not frozen despite being in continual contact with snow, and the vegetation underneath was as vibrant as it could be. He bent his neck to look at the plants more closely, and among all of the unnatural colours, a few soft green ones stuck out. Upon a closer inspection, he realized that they were one of the medicinal herbs native to the Icy Region, and he carefully picked them. They could be useful for Zealin and Damien.

Zealin watched in slight irritation when Damien decided to chew on the grass despite her warning not to. Surprisingly, her annoyance quickly faded when she saw the awestruck expression on Damien’s face. She supposed that she understood the raving hunger that could consume a quirlicorn, considering her past. She shook her head slightly, her mane sprawling out then picked up by an invisible wind. That was the past. She didn’t want to think about that further. 

Trotting over to Oruka after he responded, Zealin narrowed her eyes at the fluffy snow that was trailing upwards instead of downwards. She prodded the snow with a hoof, finding that it was as Oruka said. Just snow. Fluffy snow that reminded her of the Icy Region rather than the Desert Region. Heart fluttering from this difference, she took several steps into the area and felt the gentle fluff under her hooves. “It’s nice,” she admitted. She flicked her ear in Damien’s direction. “You should try stepping on it, Damien.”

Choosing to find an area with more snow, Zealin trotted a few feet away from her original position. She then set her front right hoof alight and watched as the snow in the area increased instead of decreased. Once a small pile of snow was created, Zealin deactivated her power and poked the pile. It felt just like snow. Very interesting indeed… 

Damien just laid there for a moment, letting the heat from the ground seep into his body while he listened to the noises, scented the surroundings and breathed in the weird but kinda calming chaos.  It was like feeling young again, something he never experienced.

Of course, at one point in his life, he must have been a foal!  But something happened and took all those memories from him, and ever since, he could not remember.  He was a young stallion, thrown into the world, alone and with a sickness that scared off most of the others when they witnessed it, and he could never really be a foal as he had no memories for that. Of course, the weird wonders of this region made him feel like one for once.

It was not like Zealin thought, that he was just hungry. Though he looked like it, he actually was just a bad eater and it was his disorder that kept his body so frail.  But he was curious!  And he always trusted his gut feeling more than others warnings, which was why he dared to try. After all, whoever lived here needed to eat, too, right?  

He could hear her and Oruka talk, but soon the words were aimed at him and he looked up before getting back on his long feet to come over. As soon as he stood, his flames took on their regular purple colour again.

“Wait… what?” he asked, as he was closer, He could feel the cold but he did not see any snow in a regular way. But nothing here was regular, it was faking their normal world - yet it was not! 

He tilted his head as he too, noticed the weird looking snow not falling from the skies, but up to them.   “Is it… as cold as our Ice region..?” he asked. He was not fond of it, of course not!  He did not have the fat under the skin, nor the hair on his coat to feel comfortable in the ice region at all!  And still, he had been there a few times, so he put his hooves down at it too. Sure enough, it sizzled under his touch, though he did not actively use fire, his left front hoof was scorched and constantly on a low amount of fire.

Oruka trotted over to Zealin, unsurprised to find the mare trying to set the snow on fire. ‘’Here,’’ he said, carefully setting down the herb, making sure that it was far enough from her flames. A burnt plant was of no use. ‘’This plant helps wounds heal faster and replenishes your energy.’’ he explained to her before walking toward Damien. He put down the plant near the red stallion and told him of its purpose. They just had to keep exploring until the time came to return.