Around the world through laziness and boredom

      Time to go, just as the bug decided. Going back is not an option at all, and making life easier for the pony was not possible, yet. Everything is still ahead of them - shapeshifter got a very powerful inspiration from his own stress, and decided to not stop for a moment. He would help her by himself.   Gambit ran in the direction, pointed by that monument. Whiskered insect cursed at his own flat wings, which did not help at such a crucial moment. Ah, if only they bended like the pegasi ones.. He could then hide the tormented pony’s vulnerable spots from very hot sand. Because of stress, there were no thoughts of shapeshifting at all..   Hoping for the best, changeling continued to run against the wind and orange grain that tried to stop him. However, that was only the smallest problem - he did not know, how far he needed to go and where the city actually was. And would anyone even try to deal with the bug, would they understand him? Would he help in time?         Insectoid ran day and night, cycle after cycle, without a single minute of resting. Further he went - more interesting the world became around the friends. How miraculous, that not only cacti did grow in this dry land - there were other things, like snowwhite bushes, that resembled corals more than plants.   They also stood out from the usual nature because they withered and travelled around the desert, like tumbleweeds. They bloomed again after some time in a completely different spot. One of those things actually stopped before the bug, and he could not leave it alone without tasting it.   — I do not know what this is, but it is salty and crunchy. - changeling described his find out loud.         Sunshine’s state neither got better nor worse. Her eyes still remained open, with horrifying red marks on her sclera. Except, like before, the horse did not react to anything, even reflexively. Gamby noticed this every time he looked back, and every time he was frightened by it.   — What a sight, just look at it.. I hope that you are seeing it. - he pointed at many sunsets and sunrises, so much different than equestrian ones.   They helped the bug distract from the fact, that Sunshine did not wake up for several days by now. All of this was so not like the usual Equestria, he spent his little life in.. Like if they ended up in a completely new world, one that was noticeably brighter and more vibrant, even for a naked eye.         For a moment, changeling even believed his own thought when he saw a flickering sky. Horizon changed from sky-blue to sandy-yellow all the time, in very distant and small spots. Is it indeed a mirage? For changeling’s sight to deceive him? That is impossible.   And the fanged bug trusted his own mind. He could protect his friend, so why would he get scared by some sky? That way, the shapeshifter could show his companion what he found so unusual and miraculous. At least, he calmed himself by doing so, believing it would help. And he had proven once again, that his eyes are very precise.   Before him, on the surface and the sky, sea mantas grazed like it was the ocean. They did indeed blend into their surroundings, with blue bellies and sandy backs of theirs. They nested near some snowwhite corals, and it seemed like they feasted on one of the desert bugs.   The insectoid stayed at a safe distance from them, and he could not believe what he saw. Those were sea creatures, but they were flying around, using their fins in the actual sky! With no water around - in the sky as well - but the real wind changed their flying course and moved manes of adventurers.   — Sunshine, tell me, are we in some fairytale? That is some land of lies. - he spoke, guiding the little pony’s head towards weird creatures - I know that you cannot say anything. Maybe, you don’t even see those sea flyers. - he continued, hugging the restless body of his companion - ..I miss you. And I am hungry, for real. Come back, as soon as you can.         The wind was picking up, and the next minute weather already got so cruel and severe, as all the days before that moment combined. An actual storm was forming - sand got up and down, forming new dunes each second. The land changed right before their eyes, not to mention blown away sky fish.   — I hope, you will be fine. - Gambit laid Sunshine on his back.         Some kind of shelter would be very useful now. Visibility was so minimal, it would not make a difference if one lost their eye. And as luck would have it, the sandstorm blew right from where the insect was going to. At least, he was heavy enough to not be blown away. Or was it unbending will and instincts of his, that did not let the lone shapeshifter break?   The sand went in every single crack - nostrils, eyes, and all the slits in the bug's exoskeleton. Fortunately, the winged horse was mostly hidden by his body - and she was not blown away from his carapace. Snowwhite insect sacrificed himself completely, for her to have a chance.   His fragile ears did not withstand the blizzard, and they tore apart like the hunger tore the shapeshifter himself. Surface beneath his legs changed so chaotically and rapidly, that the insect had to bend himself like never before, like a spider going through the small and rapid river.   Both of them could use clothes, or at least some rags to cover themselves from this cruel nature’s attack. However, changeling could only afford to close his own eyes, rarely moving his horizontal and vertical eyelids, disappointing over and over again at lack of visibility.. Until he saw a glimpse of light, with the corner of his eye.         Something did shine, at the distance on the side. Both net-like eyes saw the glare, whiskered bug certainly did not imagine it. Remembering their jungle experience, bug gave a change for this flash as well. And like back then, it became more clear and bigger, until the shapeshifter came too close to it.   Surprisingly enough, this light also came off of the sky. The sandstorm simply went around some island with trees and fruit, as if there was some kind of magical field around the ground - actual ground. And this field made everything feel utopical and comfortable, for everything and everyone..   Oh, but not for Gambit. He was seriously concerned about this place. Everything was not right - water too blue, fruit and grass around it - too. Presence of earth did not make any sense at all, even though it looked like it was crushed and dropped from the sky.. And the closer the bug got to the tree, the worse it got.   Panic, strange thoughts in his head, and the solar pony’s flower began to shake again. This is the tree Sunny was talking about, is it not? It is strange that it was surrounded by the sphere, guarding the island from the weather. This is not logical - anti-magical wood could not exist with its surroundings. Or could it?   In any case, changeling devoted his attention to the one who deserved it the most. The flower in sun pony’s mane continued to shake, and only minutes after that the shapeshifter realised - Sunshine’s eyes had closed. Something happened in this place, and it is not certain, was it all good or bad.   — F-food.. - the horse suddenly spoke.   Exhausted mare did not say a word more, but this only word was enough. Some moments later, her ears began to twitch again, and her heart stopped beating like drums on the field of battle. And thoughts! Those emotion-producing thoughts, they formed around the whiskered creature again..   Now is the time to feed the pony, too. The task was not simple at all, because changeling had to move her jaws manually. And he needed to sit the little one himself, so that nothing goes into her lung.. How did ponies work, anyway? Did they have a single lung, or two; maybe three? Gambit did not know anything about them, but that did not stop him.   Feeding the malnourished horse was certainly not enough, and the changeling took care of that with the flask he stored in himself. Yet, it did not make anything substantially better. Maybe Sunshine caught some kind of disease, or some other nasty thing?   “Need tend to wounds. Not use our water. Water around?” - changeling doubted his own idea, but what could he do right now? Preferring action against idleness, the shapeshifter decided to drink from the source first. “ Tastes like water. Feels like water. But scary. Very scary! ”.   Noticing nothing unusual, insectoid dipped Sunshine’s dirty hoof into the blue puddle. When suddenly, pony pulled it back and cried so loudly, like if someone milled her bones. Seems like the silly bug miscalculated about the liquid: “Water. Heartbeat, panic.. The tree? Fruit. Blue. Of course. How did I miss it?”.   — I’m here. Everything is fine, I’m here.. - whispered the bug, hugging the soft pony - We are safe..         But were they? Around them, from every direction, nature screamed and swept everything away. And where it is safe from the blizzard, it was not from the trees. Everything blue that changeling paid attention to, contained the biggest trouble he could imagine.   Both the gift and the curse, the start of life and its randomness, the reason behind death and a phenomenon called magic. As luck would have it, the bug remembered the unicorn's explanations only after he did the deed. What everyone in the world had inside, was dangerous for health in every way.   And shapeshifter did not just get influenced by magical gas mixed with water - he brought the same harm to the sun pony. But how could he remember all the details that Moonrise tried to explain to him? How could one even remember what are the chemical elements, and what they react with? It was not possible to learn so much in such a short time.         Nowhere to retreat. Nothing could be done with the consequences of this blue thing, or any other inconvenience. Now, something else started to flicker, right in the middle of this blizzard. Some strange sounds, eye-shaped flames.. They disappear, then glow again.   — Show yourself! - Gambit intimidatingly yelled at the creatures outside the dome.   Eyes stopped moving. There were more of them now; they looked right into the changeling’s consciousness. No, that is not possible, for twenty pairs of blue eyes to exist in such a state. Changeling believed the wrong miracles, induced by the bad water. He wanted to scream, just like his own friend.   Yet she finally managed to conquer the pain and open her eyes! Another hallucination, is it not? Gambit got distracted by the pony, then by the fake thing, still trying to understand what is true and what is not; what exactly tried to deceive the bug.   — S-scared? - he asked an obvious thing.   — O-of course! The horror!   — Me too. I am sorry.   — ..For what?   — I could not protect you. Now I made everything worse.   — ..I don’t understand..   Then, maybe it is for the best. Plated insect had to pay with his closest pony’s health for his own mistakes. The changeling simply could not hug her even tighter. “Wish we could flee this piece of earth..” - all the thoughts focused on escaping and those blue flames. But all of them were interrupted by the red-eyed mare’s laugh.   — What is so funny?   — I don’t know. I-is just funny! - her laugh stopped as suddenly as it started - I don’t feel so good..   — Have you seen yourself?   Now, Sunshine screamed. Like if nothing had happened just a bit prior, she continued to hysterically laugh. Gambit still looked at the blue flickering and did not understand what exactly the little horse found funny. Yet, should he move his head back, and everything made sense in an instant:   — You find it funny that you- ..Oh wow.         He expected to see an orange pony, not orange with pink spots. She suddenly turned into the painter’s canvas - pink, orange and red colours fought their way, to be the only colour on the little pony’s fur. Did he still hallucinate? What did happen to his friend?   — ..Why are you pink?   — I don’t know. That’s funny!   Maybe it is funny for the mare, but not for the changeling. The unicorn explained a lot of things to the bug, but not why ponies change their fur colour, so fast at that too! But it did not bother the little horse. She was not bothered by anything at all - Sunny behaved even more irresponsible than usual! Was it because of the berries?   — Pi-illow, you feel so bi-illow! - solar one tugged the bug’s cheeks.   — I am not a pillow.   — That’s ri-ight, you are a cheese pony!   Even though the orange pony was delusional, her words had some kind of truth behind them. The bug indeed was covered in holes, and his body did look like some weird and frightening white cheese. And the pillow talk is not senseless too, counting how those two friends even met..   — This cheese pillow will soon start biting!   — No-o-o! - inadequate pony continued to laugh without stopping.         Companions played for so long, that they did not even notice how the storm had stopped. However, there still were causes for worrying - Sunshine did not get any better. Pink rash did not go away, and the wounds still healed too slowly. Not to mention the unpleasant smell. And, of course, hunger.   Insect knew that nothing remained in the bags. He fed the pony everything they had. And he was not the guilty one this time - nobody knew that the adventure would go on for such a long time; the company saved as much supplies as they could, they used every opportunity they had. Almost.   — ..Nothing left, nothing at all?   — Yes.   — And the green thing?   — Had to leave it.   — Why?   — Would not leave you.   Pony grabbed her head and started to whine again. This soul-tearing sense of hunger seemed almost impossible to bear with. And she could not even distract from it - grass and fruit grow everywhere, destroying an already small force of will. How could one not get hungry from looking at something edible?   — I’m so-o-o hungry..   — I can try get some food from the tree.   — ..You said there’s nothing here at all! Silly!   — This is dangerous. For us both. - the bug continued due to the senseless mumbling - Fine. I get you.         The changeling was left with no choice, other than to test his knowledge practically. Snowwhite bug felt all the same symptoms, the closer he got to the plant, except they were a lot stronger this time. And when he touched the bark of this tree, his chitin body reflexively pulled the hoof back and made him run aside.   Sunny tried to reach his friend. Only now that the sick pony realised, through all the delirium and hallucinations, what choice did she leave to the magical creature. Alas, she realised it as late as shapeshifter himself, when he watered miserable pony’s hoof with foul liquid.         Everything that the fried changeling felt, now the pale one endured. It was so painful, that he screamed. Not hissed like usual, but yelled even louder, than the squeaky little sun he had to protect. What is this incomprehensible power that withered the insects?   His antennas twitched, legs bent, and the bug himself held his head, whether trying to crush it, whether ease the pain. He cried, silently saying something with his lips in between agonising screaming. Winged pony could only look at the fanged bug. Her hooves did not listen to her. The mare could not help him. Could not help herself.   No energy left for both of them. Friends were not ready for it all - not ready for the adventure! They had to go back home, as soon as possible. Everything went the opposite of the plan! But how could they use the scroll in such a state? When would the plausible moment appear?   Too many thoughts, too much pain, too unpleasant everything was. Sunny could not endure what she experienced, her head needs some rest - she needs a proper rest. No matter what the pony wanted herself - the body decided everything for her, making her head turn off again.