The White-Scaled Basilisk: Chapter One, Part Four
 
> - The Current Team! -
> - Codexes, Cherry Jello, LazerBlues, Pinkamena Diane Pie, Red Sketch, Vex and Rest, Derpy, Shock n' Awe, Owlnon, and Afterman! -
 
>The sun is slowly setting and Codexes had two more stops before he would go back to the Manor.
>Codexes is heading to the Ponyville Schoolhouse to attend a special event.
>For Codexes, he is not there to sit down and discuss poetics.
>He is going to be there to check up on a certain pony named Faded Colors.
>She is a talented poet and writer and loves to recite her poems to ponies that care to listen.
>She has been traveling around Equestria, reciting her poems and expanding her poetic mind in order to write more interesting poems.
>Codexes comes close to the schoolhouse and notices a familiar white mare with a large and fluffy orange mane.
>When he gets closer to the mare, he smiles and realizes that the mare is none other than Colors.
>She is standing by the front door, reading over her poem and quietly reciting the words to herself.
>"Hey, Colors!" Codexes shouts out to Colors.
>Colors raises her head out of the paper, looks over at Codexes, and happily waves at him.
>"Oh hey, Codexes!"
>She lowers the poem down and turns her attention towards Codexes, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
>Codexes chuckles, "Yeah, it has. Everypony at the Manor misses you."
>Colors nods, "I plan on going over there after I recite my poem for tonight here. You want to listen? It might be too sappy, but whatever."
>Codexes shakes his head, "Sorry, but I have to be sorry after I ask you something."
>Colors raises her brow, "What is it?"
>Codexes pulls out the wanted flyer and shows it to Colors.
>She reads over the paper and raises her brow in interest.
>"White-Scaled Basilisk, huh?" Colors asks.
>Codexes nods and Colors looks back at him, "And this is a monster hunt?"
>Codexes nods again, "Some of us at the Manor will be heading out to capture it!"
>Colors blinks at him, thinking if he and his team have gone mad, "Have... you lost it?"
>"Lost what?" Codexes asks.
>Colors frowns and makes a cuckoo motion at him.
>Codexes shakes his head at her, "No, we need the money for the Manor or else we won't be able to afford it."
>Colors keeps her frown at him, "And the only way to afford the Manor is to hunt a monster that could potentially hurt you all?"
>Codexes simply shrugs, "I mean, it's the only way if we can pay the bill in time. We can't do much on our own with our jobs and our jobs don't pay us much."
>Colors slowly nods, "I see." She then rubs her chin with her, "I'm guessing you're going to ask me if I want to go?"
>Codexes nods, "Why not, right? You've been traveling around Equestria for a while now and maybe you could take a break during and after the hunt."
>Colors slightly nods, "You do have a point... and I haven't been getting much inspiration from reciting these poems." She shrugs,  "Maybe I've been staring at the wall or air too much to write these poems the way I want them."
>Codexes reaches his hoof out to Colors and smiles, "Then maybe you need another way of inspiration?"
>Colors looks at his hoof and back at Codexes.
>She sighs and slowly shakes his hoof and gently smiles, "Just know I won't be doing a lot of work with you guys. And by that, I'm probably not going to go hunting. But, I'll be with you guys and support you all whenever you need it."
>Codexes nods and smiles, "That's no problem, Colors. Thank you!"
>Colors looks through the schoolhouse door and slightly looks back at Codexes, "It looks like it's starting soon. You should probably get going now. I'll come to the Manor once I'm finished."
>Codexes waves goodbye at Colors, "Alright, see you later!"
>He quickly trots to his next location and Colors looks back at him, smiles, and readies her self to recite her 'mediocre' poem to the ponies inside.
> - Faded Colors has joined the team! -
>...
 
>Waiting for a certain pegasus named Slow is like waiting for a sloth to crawl to the other side of a Manehattan street.
>Codexes waits by a lamp post stationed outside of the Ponyville border.
>He knew that this lamp post would be a checkpoint for Slow and he would be at the right time to see her.
>The thing is... she is taking longer than usual to get to this point.
>Did she forget this check point?
>She couldn't have; from what Codexes and some of the others have been told, she has to follow a certain route around Equestria to check for any signs of suspicious activity.
>For Slow, it would have been better if she could only patrol Ponyville.
>Codexes then thinks that she already passed this point and that Codexes was late.
>... Codexes chuckles, knowing that would be the day Slow would be on top, or even early.
>He hears some slight soaring in the air and he looks above the sunset sky.
>Codexes smiles as he can easily recognize Slow, flying in the air, by her cladded armor.
>He signals her down by waving his foreleg, trying to grab her attention.
>Luckily, Codexes sees her hovering above the lamp post before slowly descending down to the ground.
>When she lands on the ground in front of Codexes, there is a loud thud, chained together by her armored hooves.
>Codexes stands there to admire Slow's power armor.
>A little rusty, but functional and tough armor.
>The armor also had a tail resembling that of a scorpion's; large and sharp enough to pierce through metal... or through ponies.
>The size of the armor and the lethal tail makes Slow an intimidating fighter and makes her a force to be reckoned with.
>It makes most of the residents at the Manor wonder how Slow managed to get, or even build one.
>Slow lifts her head up and looks at Codexes with a grin on her face, "Sup, Code?"
>Codexes smiles at Slow, "Hey Slow. I just wanted to ask you something."
>Slow raises her brow at Codexes, "Go ahead."
>He shows Slow the wanted flyer and she skims through the paper quickly.
>"Monster hunting?" Slow asks.
>Codexes nods and Slow puts a big grin on her face, "Aw that's awesome! When are you going to hunt for it?"
>"Maybe in two or three days? All of us need to get prepared for this hunt." Codexes chuckles, "Oh, I'm not going there on my own. I'm going with the others from the Manor."
>"Really?" Slow asks in surprise.
>"Yeah, and I'm sure we'll be fine when we get back."
>Slow laughs, "Well, I know I'll be alright while you guys... might get an injury or two."
>That's reassuring.
>Slow sighs in disappointment, "The thing is, work is going to hold me back from going with you guys."
>Codexes frowns, "Huh, why?"
>"They said they wanted a strong pegasus to keep on look out for any bad activities happening this week. And they looked at me which," she groans and gently facehoofs, "I was the only one that was the strongest out of my unit."
>Codexes sighs, "I see.
>Slow frowns and shrugs, "Sorry Code."
>Codexes looks back and slightly nods, "It's alright. Just know the Manor will be empty for a few days. Crawfish will be there, and hopefully Kitty and Silence.
>Slow nods, "Okay."
>Codexes and Slow wave goodbye to each other and part ways, with Codexes heading back to the Manor and Slow continuing his patrol.
>...
>"Sir, I'd like to take a break for at least three days," Slow said to her commanding officer in her unit.
>She stands tall in front of her officer's desk, and the officer raises his brow at her.
>"Lead Hoof, did you just say you wanted... a break?" the officer questions.
>Slow slightly cringes from hearing her given name and quickly nods, "Yes sir."
>"You do know that Changelings are slowly increasing in recent activities, given by their recent attacks at Ponyville and other populated areas, yes?"
>"Yes sir."
>"Then why would you, the pegasus mare in rusted armor and possibly the strongest pegasus in our patrol units, want a break?"
>Slow clears her throat and leans a little over on her officer's desk, "Because I'm going to go hunting."
>"... Pardon?"
>"I'll repeat, I'm going to go hunting with friends of mine so their lives are not at stake."
>"You're willing to protect just a couple of your companions instead of saving an entire town from Changelings?"
>"Yes."
>"Lead Hoof, I cannot let you go for something so little of importance."
>Slow frowns and twitches her eye in anger, "Sir... are you calling my friends 'little' importance?"
>"Yes, because your first priority is protecting the land of Equestria, not protecting your petty friends," The officer scowls.
>Slow growls and raises her front armored hooves, "They are. NOT. PETTY!"
>She slams her officer's desk, easily breaking it in half and sending the paper and other object, like pencils and pens, flying in the air.
>The officer, shaken by Slow's sudden move, is quaking in fear on his face, "H-Hoof, I order you to—"
>Slow brings her metal and menacing tail to her officer's face to shut him up, "Don't. Ever. Call my friends. Petty."
>She nearly brings the tip of the tail between his eyes and the officer flinches, "Got it?"
>The officer quickly nods, "Okay okay, you made your point, now stand down!"
>Slow retracts her tail and stands tall again with a serious look on her face, "Give me three days and I'll be back patrolling your sorry haunches again."
>The officer slowly nods and Slow walks out of the office, flies out of the meeting building, and heads towards the Manor.
>The officer then scrambles on the floor, looking for a patrol schedule and a phone, and begins to schedule and reroute pegasi units for the next three days.
> - Lead Hoof, or Slow, has joined the team! -
>...