Megan's Quest

The Quest Begins!

"Megan, would you please slow up!?" Sundance called after her friend in exasperation, as the three ponies tried to follow the woman with the enchanted armor-enhanced reflexes up the forested mountain path. "I know you're upset, but even I can't keep up with you when you're going at this pace!"

"I don't see why you're havin' so much trouble keepin up, Sunny!" Gusty laughed, teleporting her way up the path in short jumps. "It's really no prob for a unicorn!"

"Megan, I can comprehend you're upset, but I fail to see exactly why." Wind Whistler exclaimed, flying up and stopping right  in front of the cowgirl- turned warrior maiden. "I mean, we ponies trot, swim and fly around with no garments covering us at all!"

"Can't see what I'm upset, Wind Whistler!?! This freaking armor is why I'm upset!" Megan stopped, angrily gesturing down to the winged valkyrie helmet, metal shoulder pads, and purple cloth bikini she was wearing. "I can't believe Queen Majesty listened to that idiot!" She looked down at her outfit.  "Now thanks to my hormonal brother, I'm going to be fighting ogres and dragons in a thong!"

"Actually Megan, you could use this unwanted situation to your tactical advantage." The blue Pegasus replied, in her usual analytical way. "From my understanding of human nature, your newly acquired exceptionally-large bosom, combined with the generous cleavage and total backside posterior exposure that the armor you're wearing gives you, can be used as excellent distraction tool when fighting ...evil... wizards?"

Wind Whistler slowly trailed off, when she noticed Megan shooting her a murderous glare. As the warrior woman stormed off,  Gusty teleported up beside the blue Pegasus.

"Damn, you just don't know when ta shut up, do ya Windy?" The white unicorn laughed hysterically. "Man, you should go back ta pony nerd school, and study human feelings some more."

"Would both of you please knock it off!" Sundance snapped, looking back up at their human friend.  "Now Megan, are you sure this is the way Majesty said we should go?"

"Yes, the queen said we should take the Northern pass through the Unicorn run." Megan grumbled, looking back at the three ponies. "The first clue to the whereabouts of  the starlight lantern there."

...

"I wish for you to retrieve the third starlight lantern." Queen Majesty told the three ponies and  one human woman before her throne. "So that we may shine it's light to the other races of Ponyland."

"The Starlight what now?" Gusty asked, not understanding what the queen was talking about.

"I think I've heard of it."  Sundance replied. "Isn't it some kind of dream tool that Twilight uses in her dream walking abilities?"

"Yes, my little ponies, that is correct." Queen Majesty explained. Levitating a book of pony ledgends and lore up from the arm rest of her throne, Majesty read;

"Throughout the Confederacy of Ponyland, there are many valuable treasures and artifacts, items of great power crafted in the ancient days of Ponykind. Among these many wonders are three powerful relics are the glittering beacons called the Shining Star Lanterns. These wondrous golden lanterns, carved from the Crystalline husk of the dead Tree of Harmony by Queen Sky Skimmer after she felled it, the three lanterns glitter with a sea of a thousand enchanted stars within them. The lanterns have the power to grant a pony's dreams and wishes, by inspiring them to take their initiative in their lives to change their circumstances.

One of these lanterns lies here within Dream Castle, where Twilight Shine-Firehooves uses it to sort through the dreams of the sleeping ponies of Ponyland, and sift through their dreams and ensure that no nightmares disturb thier slumber. The second lantern was given to the Moon Dreamers, a tribe of fair folk who oversee the dreams of the mortal races, keeping out the night terrors that the witch Scowlene tries to torment them with. But the third lantern... that treasure was long ago taken by an enchanter known as the Star Sorcerer, who managed by trickery to sneak into Dream Valley and steal this treasure away from ponykind."

Majesty levitated the book aside, and looked down at the adventurers standing before her. "I want you to return this treasure to us, no matter where it may now lie. The sinister star sorcerer may be long dead, but I believe clues as to where he took the Starlight lantern may lie in the archives at the royal paradise "

"Do not fear, my good sovereign." Wind Whistler told her confidently. "I am certain we will be able to return this holy relic without much difficulty."

"The Royal Paradise shouldn't be far." Sundance added, as she trotted up to stand beside Megan again. "Besides, how much trouble can we run into on just the first leg of our journey?"

The four companions continued to make their way through the forested mountain path, when the ponies swore they heard the rustling of  the branches and trees around them. Seeing her equine friends taking a defensive stance, Megan drew the sword from the scabbard on her back.

"Ladies, I think we're in some real trouble here!" The warrior maiden exclaimed, holding her blade at the ready. What occurred next happened so fast,  that the ponies and person involved barely had time to register it.

"GRAAAAHHHHH!" A green blur screamed,  lunging out from the shadows, and zooming straight towards the ponies with a swinging blade in hand. Reacted with her armor enchanted reflexes, Megan swiftly brought her own blade down with a loud THWACK, lopping the attacker's head off , and sending it bouncing across the path.

"Good job, Megan!" Wind Whistler called, looking over at the severed head of what they now saw was a goblin. "You handled that blade like an expert swordswoman!"

"Wha... how did I just do that?!" Megan exclaimed in shock and horror, looking down at what was both her first time ever using a sword, and her first kill. "I've never done anything like that before!"

"Well, you'd better be ready ta do it again, Megs!" Gusty replied, as the three ponies formed a defensive circle around the warrior maiden. "Because it seems our little guest here didn't come alone!"

And as the mares and Megan looked  around them at the forest, they saw an entire swarm of the gruesome monsters emerging from the shadows...