Chapter 1: Falling Into Friendship
Skylar Flitter trotted down Springmaple trail, hoping for inspiration to draw. Suddenly, her hoof slipped, and she fell down the side of the trail, tumbling down and down until everything went black....
She awoke several hours later in a daze. Around her, ponies gaped with open mouths. "Are you okay??" a pony asked. He was a blue pony with a dark blue mane and bright green eyes. His smile brought warmth to her. Skylar nodded silently. She sat up, her cutie mark glowing a dark sad blue. The blue pony helped her up. "Thanks..." she murmured. The pony managed a small smile. "No prob. My name is Racing Thunder. What's yours?" Skylar shook her mane. "I'm Skylar Flitter..." She stared off into the distant forest, the cawing of birds drawing her into a daze. "Hey...uh, Skylar? You ok?" Thunder prodded her with a hoof. Skylar gave a little twitch. "Yes! Fine! But, um, where are we?" Racing Thunder sat down. "You fell into Summersea Cave. Most ponies don't like it down here, but me and my little brother like to explore!" He flexed his wings. "It's huge down here! So much treasure to be found, so much to explore!" His eyes sparkled. Skylar looked confused. "Treasures? Like....crystals?" Racing Thunder jumped up excitedly. "Oh yea, crystals, but so much more! Ores, healing stones! Even magical potions made a long time ago, hidden away in chests buried deep in the caves. I've always wanted to find one, but I've had no success yet.." His eyes hardened, a smirk appearing on his face. "I'm determined to find a potion, an ore, a stone, and much more! I want to become an explorer!" Skylar's heart raced. She felt happy for the young colt, but she wanted to get out of there. The crickets were chirping and it was getting late. She had to get home. "That sounds so awesome Thunder! I'd love to chat some more about adventures, but its getting late, and I need to get home.." Racing Thunder shook his head. "Oh yea, right. Home. Follow me." He flew up, out of the hollow, flying up and up until he reached the top of trail. "Come on Skylar!" Skylar set back her ears. She didn't know how to use her wings, much less fly, but she tried. They felt weird, moving awkwardly upward, but falling down the side of the cavern. "I-i can't do it! I don't know how to fly!" Racing Thunder let out a moan. "How do you not know how to fly?" Skylar blushed. "I-i've been so busy working on art, that I never really used my wings for anything at all."Ummm, hold on." There were clops heard from above and moments later a vine was thrown down from the side of the cave. "Grab this! I'll pull you up!" Skylar bites the rope and she is slowly hoisted up ward on to the ledge. "Phew! Thanks. I'd of never gotten out of there without you!" Racing Thunder sat and stared at her dumbfounded. "You don't know how to fly!?" Skylar shrugged. "Yea....never used my wings." Thunder brought his wings. They were sleek and well cared for. He glided up into the air without a sound. "I'm going to teach you how to fly." Skylar gazed. "R-really!? Wow, thank you! But, can we get started in the morning? I'm pooped from today." She gave a huge yawned.
Racing Thunder flew back down. "Oh yea. sure!" They trotted back into town, and also into friendship.
Chapter 2:The Disturbance
Skylar Flitter trotted weakly through out Silvershine Town, Racing Thunder right by her side. "Ya know, it's quite peaceful here." he murmured quietly. He was right. No ponies were seen through the central part of town. Racing Thunder sat on a bench. "So, where do you live?" Skylar shuffled her hooves. "I don't live anywhere. I travel from town to town, city to city. I'm an artist! I look for places with great inspiration!" Racing Thunder smiled. "You should paint some stuff here! Silvershine Town is a wonderful place." Skylar nodded. "Well I was, until I fell into that cave." Racing Thunders eye glowed in the dim light. "You should see so much more! Legends say, deep hidden in the deepest cavern, there's a treasure beyond anypony has ever seen! It shines bright, illuminating the whole cavern in the night, it smells like a fresh breeze from a purified plain, and its back story!" Racing Thunder shivered with excitement. "Lemme tell you the story!" So Skylar sat on the bench, eager to listen to the story. "Long ago, loong loong ago, when the dinosaurs were around! An asteroid fell to earth, disrupting the earths core and crust. Its power source, a golden aura, said to be the spirit of the first princess who ruled over Equestria! The aura was said to be tucked away in a golden diamond. The legend says that the diamond should fall to whom ever it chooses to grant its unbelievable power to! Except...I don't think it chose ANYPONY. The minute it touched the earth, it imploded and pieces of the diamond were scattered all over Equestria. Hidden deep in caves, caverns, I heard volcanoes even! Hidden deep in forests and jungles, in seas and ice tundras, the pieces remain to found! If all of them are found, i heard, it has an immense power! It could destroy the world! It's best to leave them be but I really want to find ONE pie-" A crashing sound interrupted Thunder. A pony with a black hood and electric orange eyes appeared. He cackled. "Hehehehehe! Forests and tundras?" His eyes glowed in the night. " THOSE CRYSTALS WILL BE MINE AT LAST." A flash of purple and the mysterious pony was gone. Skylar Flitter's cutie mark turned a bright orange. "Whats going on??" Racing Thunder's eyes widened. "That pony is gonna try and find those crystals!!!" Skylar jumped off the bench. "What!? Is he crazy!??" Racing Thunder flew up and zoomed around in circles. "WE GOTTA GO STOP HIM!" Skylar jumped into a tree. "Oh no no no no!!! That pony is dangerous! Did you see his teeth?" She pointed a hoof to her mouth. "Poooiinnttyyy!!!" she shrunk to the ground. Racing Thunder landed in front of the bush. "SUCK IT UP SKYLAR! DO YOU WANT THE WORLD TO END??" Skylar shook her head, shaking. "N-no..." Racing Thunder grabbed her hoof and pulled her into the sky. "WELL COME ON THEN!" Skylar let out a squeal as she was thrown clear into the air. She spread her glossy wings, her brownish golden feathers drifting to the earth below. As they flew through the clouds, she took a final glance at Silvershine Town below. "I have a feeling we're not coming home for a while." Skylar looked ahead. A redwood forest awaited, the cawing of birds was audible even from high above. "The legend says one of the pieces should be in a forest! This could one of them!" A roar sounded below, and Skylars wings snapped together. "AAAAAARRRRRGGHHHH!!!!!" she let out a terrified screech as she fell. "SKYYLLLAARR!!" Racing Thuder swooped under her and caught her, his eyes glowering. "ARE YOU MENTAL SKY!?" Skylar covered her ears. "I'm scared!" she let out a whimper. Thunder rolled his eyes and landed ungracefully, sending Skylar flying into a puddle. "Oof!" Skylar got up and shook her self, her mane ratty,her eyes big and scared.
Another roar was heard, closer than before. Skylar let out a horrible screech. It echoed throughout the trees. Racing Thunder quickly glided over and put his hoof over her mouth. He whispered softly in her ear. "If you make one more sound you'll kill us both.." Shaking with fear, Skylar quieted at once. A trampling sound was heard behind racing Thunder. Skylar screamed. "BEHIND YOU!" She pointed a hoof to a creature, half snake, half lion, and half bear. It roared and a giant paw came down on Racing Thunder, but he was too quick. He glided swiftly up into the air, and started flying around the creatures head, like an annoying insect. It roared again and batted it at it with its scaled tail. "Skylar!" Racing Thunder called. This beast is not fast nor smart enough to know where I am! Throw rocks at it and lead it over to the edge of the hill! It should tumble down it!" Skylar, wide eyed, nodded and flew up into the air. She picked up a pebble and chucked it at the beasts head. "Hey you! Come here you big fat ugly monster!" Skylars cutie mark turned a dark red. The monster roared and hurled itself at Skylar. SKylar flew forward fast, and flew right into the monsters stomach, biting down into his flesh. The monster let out a blood curdling yowl and flipped on to its back, clawing at its stomach. The smell of rotten flesh burned her eyes and seared her nostrils but she hung on tight. Suddenly, Racing Thunder swooped in, a branch in his mouth. " GE REA'Y TUH FIGH!" He swung the branch at the monsters face, which caught it in the eye. It let out a howl of pain. He kept wacking the beast until it unexpectedly kicked its hind foot up, knocking Thunder out of the air. Skylars eyes glowered. "NO ONE HURTS MY FRIENDS!!!" She mumbled around the fur and flesh. She releases her bite and grabs the branch. She flies in close, and sticks it right into the monsters throat. Blood splattered the ground as the monster let out a ghastly cry. It collapsed to the ground twitching uncontrollably. Skylars cutie mark turned a dark blue. She stumbled over to Racing Thunder who was breathing heavy and drinking from the puddle where Skylar had landed in earlier. "That was incredible!" he managed through his rough breathing. "integrity like that will always be rewarded!" Skylar knelt and drunk from the puddle. It tasted of earth, but Skylar didn't mind. To her, it was the greatest water she's ever drunk. As night came, it became cold. Racing Thunder and Skylar huddled together to keep warm. The monster had attracted vultures that ignored the two ponies. Cold, tired, and hungry, the battered ponies slept on the cold hard ground of the forest floor. Skylar, staring up into the sky, over heard Thunder mumbling in his sleep. "How are we ever going to get the diamonds....ehh.....Skylar......together..find...." Skylars eyes started to droop, and soon, she drifted into sleep, wondering what the day would turn up as tommorow.
Skylar Flitter and Racing Thunder awoke sleepily. "We have a long way to go.." Thunder mumbled. Skylar stretched her wings.
Racing Thunder trotted around. "My hooves fell asleep!" he moaned. "My wings hurt" Skylar muttered. Thunder flew up into the sky. "Well mine don't!" he called down below. Skylar shuffled her hooves, and looked down to the ground. "Can't we go home now??" Racing Thunder landed in front of her, his eyes close to hers. "ARE YOU NUTS?? REMEMBER THE PONY??" Skylar shrunk beneath his gaze. "Um no, I just thought that..." Racing Thunder trotted away. "We can't go home now! We have to find those crystals before he does!!" Skylar glared at Racing Thunder. "We?? What is this we?? I didn't say I wanted to go on an adventure with you! I wanna go home!! And sit with my easel!! With my teddy bear!" Racing Thunder bit her wing and dragged her over to the edge of the cliff. Skylar flapped her other wing helplessly. "Stop! What are you doing!? Release m-" Racing Thunder threw off the cliff and jumped down after her. Skylar let out a yell. "STOPPP DRROPPINNGG MEE LIIKKEE THHHAATT!!" Racing Thunder snickered and caught her before she landed into a tree. She set her on the ground. "C-can we walk the rest of t-the way?" Thunder shrugged and flew off ahead. Skylar heard cawing of birds and squeaks of little animals on the forest floor. "T-thunder...I don't like this." She let out a squeal and galloped in the direction Racing Thunder went. She stopped as she saw three bright red berries. She licked her lips and began to eat them in neat rapid bites. "STOP!" Skylar Flitter stopped munching as Racing Thunder crashed into her. "SPIT IT OUT! SPIT IT ALL OUT!" Skylar coughed and gasped as the berry pulp flew out of her mouth. "Wh-whassa?" She sat, her mane in tangles. Racing Thunder pressed his face to hers. "DID YOU SPIT IT ALL OUT??" Skylar ducked and glared at him. "Yes! What's so bad about those berries??" Racing Thunder ran to the bush and jumped on it. The berries rolled on the forest floor. Skylar smooshed one under her hoof. Thunder jumped on all the berries, the pulp flying on both of their bodies. "Can I just have one?" A crazed look appeared on Racing Thunders pulp splattered face. "NO! These berries are poisonous!" He held one in his hoof. "One could kill you...." Skylar nibbled on some blades of grass. "Glad I didn't swallow. They tasted so good too.." Racing Thunder ate some grass. "Remember the smell, and the look. My grandmother died from eating some because she forgot they were these...berries." Skylar flattened her ears. "Oh, im sorry!" Thunder shook his head. "It's fine. We should keep moving, darkness is gathering." Skylar gulped as she looked up at the darkening sky. Hungry and cold, the two ponies trotted tiredly through the forest. Skylar sighed. "What place should we go to next? SInce the pony already found the diamonds shard here, i bet it won't be here, where ever we look." Racing Thunder flew up above the tree tops. Skylar stared up after him. He then came crashing down. Leaves swirled around them as cold wind was blowing. "Jungles!" Skylar let out a moan. "Jungles?? My mane's going to be a mess." Thunder chuckled and held up an apple. "Got this for us." Skylar licked her lips. "Food! At last!" Racing Thunder grinned. "But you have to go get it!" He flung the apple into the bushes. Skylar followed it. Racing Thunder sat and waited. And waited. And waited. Until finally Skylar came out from the bushes. "Took you long enough." Skylar glared at him. "Since I got it, I deserve the first bite." Before Thunder could respond, she took a bite of the apple, and retched. "This apple is disgusting!!" She spit out the apple bits. Racing Thunder tipped his head to one side. "What? What's wrong with it??" Skylar stuck out her tongue. "It has MAGGOTS in it!" Thunder shook his head. "Your crazy! That apple was fine when I got it." Skylars cutie mark turned red. "You tricked me! That apple DID have maggots in it when you gave it to me." Thunder glared at her. "I got it from the tree tops when I flew up to check our surroundings!"
