PonyFable Chapter 2

“We’ve been walking for twenty minutes Twi, we shouldn’t have trust what Zorbak told us,” Dash said.

“It’s been only ten minutes Dash, but I will have to agree with you, the forest hasn’t clear up yet. It only has gotten thicker.” The group stopped and looked at each other, “Should we head back?”

“AROOOOOOOOO.” The group froze in terror as they heard the wolf’s called be answered by several more wolves.

“Apparently we have company,” Talc said. Then in a commanding tone she said, “Get in a circle, back to back and don’t break off.” The girls formed a small circle looking outward; soon they spotted a wolf in the distance as it circle around them. Others soon merged forth from the shadow and they all encircle the four ponies. The wolves snarl at them weaving in and out of the shadows of the forest concealing their numbers, trying to make the ponies flee in terror.  “Don’t move; if we break off they can take us down quicker. If one tries to attack, buck it in the face with all of your strength; hopefully it will back down.”

“And if they don’t,” Twilight asked.

“Then you better be handy with plenty of defense or attack spells to fend them off.”  In a blink of an eye a wolf came running at Talc in an instance; Talc quickly turn around and with all of her strength bucked the wolf right on the nose. The wolf let out a howler of pain as it fell backwards, laying on the ground wimping in pain. The others wolves didn’t like that and three more left the circle and ran toward the ponies to attack. Twilight rapidly unleashed a magical beam at one of them, Dash did her own buck and Pinkie (somehow) fired her party cannon.  The three wolves were blown back a couple of feet, shaking out of the daze they were put in.

“Is that all you got,” Dash mockingly shouted out. The ground sudden bust underneath them and wooden hands came out and grab the ponies in a tight grip. Two trees with evil smiles on their faces came into view, one from the left and one from the right, each one had two of their branches in the ground. The ponies were then pulled hard to the ground, and they couldn’t get back up. The wolves seemed happy of the new outcome and one walk up and showed its teeth right in front of Twilight. Twilight tried to cast another spell, but the pain being emitted by the tight squeezed of the hand made it difficult. The wolf was inches away from Twilight, it open its month ready to rip the neck out of its meal.

A ball of light slammed into the side of the Bloodwolf making the wolf tumble to the ground. Then a spear of light went flying through the air and cut the tree on the right in half. The spear of light still flew in the air and bank around and hit the other tree also cutting it in half. The grips around the ponies soften, not causing pain, but still held them in a dead grip.  The spear then flew into clearing and a hand grabbed the spear at its midsection. The wolves and ponies looked and saw a human with long navy blue hair wearing steel armor with some gold trimming stepping into the clearing. “Step away from the horses and I might let you live,” a female voice spoke out, she twirl the spear around to its upright position and it reverted back to its original state, a golden staff with a dragon’s head sitting on the top.  The wolves’ response was snarling at her and started to focus on her instead of the ponies.  “So be it,” she said.

The wolves charged at her and the human went into a battle stance. A wolf leaped into the air at her, but was knock out of the air by a hard batter from her staff.  She quickly fired another ball of light and dodged a wolf’s leap attack. She kicked the wolf and channeled her magic into another spell and a bright ball glowed in her left hand, which she promptly tossed up. The ball then changed into several swords of light floating in the air, the woman then eyed her targets and thrust her right hand forward.  The swords pointed down at their targets and plunged forward.  Some of the swords hit their marks, and the wolves howled in pain. The wolves that were still standing started to flee from the area, running in terror from the woman.

The woman watched the pack of Bloodwolves flee; she then looked at the wolves that were just getting back up taking notice the others were fleeing and followed them.  The woman let out a sigh of relief, “That end quickly than I have expected.” She looked over at the ponies that were all astound of what they saw.

“That was totally awesome,” Rainbow Dash said.

The woman blink a few times, “So I wasn’t going crazy when I thought of hearing voices in the woods coming from…horses.”

“Ponies,” Pinkie corrected.

“Okay… here let me get you all out of those branches.” She held two fingers near her face, closing her eyes focusing her mana into a spell.  A symbol formed in air in front of her face, and then she opened her eyes and thrust her two fingers forwards casting her spell. Several small streams of light cut through the wood holding the ponies, releasing them without causing them any harm.  The ponies got up from the ground shaking their body to get the bits of dirt and wood off of their fur.

“Thank you,” Twilight said. She took notice of the magic the human was casting. Jack told her that many creatures of Lore could use magic, but he rarely used it mostly because he said he wasn’t that good at it. However, this human seemed to be very skill at it. “Thank you for saving us from those wolves. I am Twilight Sparkle,” she then pointed introducing them, “this here is Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Talc. We’re looking for a person name Jack, do you know him?”

The woman face was distracted as if she was trying to remember something then it brightened, “You’re those ponies from Jack’s tale, when he was in Equestria. Why are you in a place like Doomwood?”

“It wasn’t exactly our choice,” Twilight answered. “We arrive here by random and met a creature name Zorbak, who told us that Falconreach was down this path.”

The woman scoffed at this, “You met the most mischievous Moglin and listen to him?” She shook her head grinning, “It seemed another group of adventurers fall for his “helping nature” routine. “ She looked around the recent battle scene, “Of course his little pranks usually aren’t this, life threatening; you must’ve upset him somehow.” She looked over at the ponies, “How rude of me, I still need to introduce myself.” She gesture a hand to herself, “My name is Angela Pedano, a Paladin Mage.” She did a slight bow, “Now how about I led you all out of this forest and help you get to Falconreach?”

“We appreciate that,” Twilight said.

“Follow me then and stay closed. This forest still has danger hidden throughout it.” The ponies gather around her and follow her down a new path.

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“It’s…big,” Eric told Jack. Jack was showing his friend Eric Thunderfang the new house that was built after Jack’s old one was burned down during the Friday 13th war.  Which was strange since Jack’s house was the only one Sepulchure’s army deliberately burned down (probably part of Sepulchure’s wondrous sense humor).

“Yeah, it’s too big,” Jack replied. His new house was the new Dragonsgrasp House design, and it was three times as big to his old, simple three room, cottage. “I don’t need a home this big. It’s only me and Wistala living here.”

“Then you should’ve tired hard to convince the whole town that you didn’t need it,” Eric jokingly said.

“Hard if they kept playing the “I just save Lore from the ultimate darkness” card and feel the need to repay me.” Jack shook his head, “I guess I’ll just have to get used to its size.”

“And the fact that all of Lore probably owes you a favor too,” Eric added. The two friends laugh. Eric looked around, “I guess Wistala is still at the overlook?”

“Yep,” Jack looked off in the distance. “I don’t know have to properly handle the situation she’s in. This war just took the closest things she had to a mother, and she just had to kill her brother as well.” He shook his head in disbelief, “How do you comfort a dragon like that.”

“Hopefully by the help of another dragon,” Eric looked at Jack. “Cheer up Captain Jack, after Zalin talk to her, maybe you can give her some advice from how you handle,” he fumble with the next part, “…Rebecca’s death.” I don’t think Doomknight armor will fit a dragon, Jack thought to himself.  “Now how about we head to Serenity’s Inn and let us orders a nice, warm meal for lunch.

“Yeah, okay,” Jack replied. They head to the inn, and Jack took a quick glance at the Guardian Tower that loomed over the town.

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Up at the tower there a small ledge where a purple dragon was laying on the ground looking down watching and listing to the waves clashed into the cliff.  The sound of Guardian practicing also filled the young dragoness ears and then a voice spoke out in the Draconic language, “Good afternoon Wistala.”

Wistala let out a little sigh. “Not now Zalin,” she replied back in the same language.

“It’s never a good time for you,” he replied. Wistala saw a red dragon laying down a few feet away next to her. “You’ve been up here for the last week looking off in the distance; I think Jack is getting a bit worry about your state of mind.” Wistala looked over at Zalin, who was wearing a clam looked on his face.

“You must be either really brave or really stupid to talk to the dragon who took down the Super Mega Ultra Darkness Dracolich that ate the sun. “

“I believed that dragon was also your brother.”

“Stupid,” she annoyingly stated, “you really are stupid.”

“I think the correct term is stupid, but wise and also really funny,” he smugly replied.  He looked at Wistala who was glaring at him. “Look I know it’s hard to fight our own kind, but that’s part of being part of the Dragonlord Order.” He raised a claw in the air, “Don’t give me the reason that you and Jack aren’t fully part of the Order. You two done enough to be official, even though you haven’t gone through the proper procedure.” Wistala stop glaring at him and looked back down at the water.

“It’s not that Zalin, I’m used to fight others dragon, and killing them if I have too. Suns I was ready to kill Fluffy as well if I have to,” she then bowed her head closing her eyes. “But when fighting SMUDD for the final time, I heard his voice for the first time, and he sounded sad. He told me were to strike to defeat him, and he said in a way as if he knew that there was no other way to stop SMUDD.” She opened her eyes, “I then realized about the way he was treated in life, how Sepulchure forced him into what he was, ordering him around like…like a dog. After we defeated SUMDD, I kind of wish that we would’ve find him and maybe help him to have a new life.”

Zalin looked at Wistala whom seemed was holding back tears. Choose your word wisely Zalin, otherwise she might let unleash the full force of the element of energy on you. “Look, I know there is nothing from my personal experience that can really help get you out of that gloaming mood, but I know something that will.” Wistala looked at Zalin with disbelief. “I know it been awhile since you eat, and it is close to noon and our riders are probably about to eat lunch at Serenity’s Inn.” Zalin then said with a roguish tone, “How about we go there and say, hello.”

Wistala knew what Zalin was saying, go into the inn and scare or jolt Jack and/or Eric into ruin their food; thus making Jack and Eric give the ruin food to their dragons as a meal. It was something Zalin found out to get something other than dragon chow for his meal. The two of them normally do this at least once a month, but Wistala didn’t feel up to it. “I think I pass for now, thanks for the offer…and trying to cheer me up.” Wistala got up and with a few strong strokes of her wings, along with a small run, flew off the cliff.

“Well, a least I got her to move,” Zalin whisper to himself.

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As Angela and the four ponies got closer to the edge of Doomwood, the sky started to become brighter.  Twilight took notice of this, at first she thought it was because of the natural passed of time, but the process went too fast. “Angela,” she asked, “is night time on Lore extremely short?”

“Actually the time is around noon I think,” Angela replied. “This is normal when walking out of Doomwood; the inner parts of the forest are always dark, ether by some ancient magic or by a powerful curse.  Because of this, many minions from the element of darkness love to make Doomwood their home.“

“Then why were you in the forest?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“As part of the Paladin Order, it is my duty to protect the people of Lore, especially the people who made their home in Doomwood, from the minions of darkness that make their home here. Mostly from the undead, but for me personally I deal with wide variety.”

“People lived here,” Twilight asked in disbelief, “why do they live in a forest that can kill them at any moment. Are they crazy or something?!”

Angela softly laughed and answered, “No, mostly because they’re either adventurers looking for fortune in the many ruins or by monster hunting and don’t want to live too far away, or they were born here.  They figure that they could make their own fortune by selling goods to the adventurers, or they like me, wanting to make the forest a safer place.”

“You were born here?”

Angela nodded her head, “I was born in a village called Moonridge, it just on the edge of the forest.”  They finally left the outer edged of the forest and the sun’s light beam over them. “I’m afraid this is where must part for now. I have orders that I still need to fulfill,” she point to a path on their left, “just flow this path until you reach a golden statue, then take another left and it will lead you right to Falconreach.  If anyone tries to stop you just say you’re looking Jack; I’m sure they let you by.”

“Thanks for your help,” Twilight and the others continued walking and went down the path Angela pointed out.

“Well she was very nice,” Pinkie said in her normal cheerful voice.

“Yes she was, I guess Jack isn’t the only hero around here,” Talc said.

“Well Jack did say he was part of a group of others heroes, so it’s not surprising to see others.” They walked up a small hill and saw the statue; a huge golden Cysero statue.  “OOOO…shiny,” Pinkie said in amazed.

“Hey I think I see Falconreach,” Rainbow Dash excitingly said in the air. She started to fly towards the area and Twilight and the others gallop underneath Dash trying to keep up with her.

“Wait for us Dash,” Twilight yelled. As they were running, they ran pass some people who all looked at the galloping ponies in bewilderment.

Dash looked down and yelled, “Then run faster, I’m not waiting for one more….” She bumped into someone and almost fell out of the air. An angry voice which sounded like the grinning of two stones spoke out against her. Dash shook herself out of her dazed and looked at the being she bumped into. To her surprised it was a purple dragon who also looked surprised to see Dash.

“Dash,” Wistala asked in a questionable tone, “what are you doing here, and how?”

“Well it’s nice to see you too Wistala,” Dash said. “Twilight was able to make a dimensional spell thingy and we decided to come to visit Lore for a while.”

“Who are we?”

“Twilight, Pinkie, Talc and me; Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy all had things to do back on Equestria.”

“Who’s Talc?”

“She’s Obsidian’s sister.”

“I see,” Wistala looked down and saw the three other ponies just catching up to Rainbow Dash. “Well, I bet you all are looking to met Jack. I know where he should be.” Wistala looked at Dash, “Come on, lets us not keep him waiting.”

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“Come on Eric,” Zalin complain in the draconic language, “can’t I have some, ppppppppllllleeeeassseee.”

Eric looked at his dragon and flat out stated, “No. I had fallen for that trick too many times in the past, but not today. Plus I already fed you.”

“But I’m a growing dragon,” Zalin protested.

They continued among themselves in the draconic language. Jack was trying not to listen in and was just trying to enjoy his meal, but it was too hard not to. Jack tore another piece of bread and dipped it in his mash potatoes and gravy.  Jack then tried to listen to the town through the window that was behind him.  He softly heard the town’s folk talking about how their day went.  However their conversation quickly turned into mummer of amazement and the sound of trotting hooves soon filled the air. At first Jack thought it was another caravan passing through town, but that thought soon faded away when he heard a familiar voice. “Oooo, what’s that, whose are those, and where does Cysero live?”  No…it can’t be, he thought. The sound of the hooves then came from the small halfway in front of the inn, the door open and four colorful ponies being led by Wistala walked through the door.

“Hi, Jack,” Pinkie Pie said waving a hoof at him.

Dragonfable is copyright to Artix Entertainment, LLC.

MLP: Friendship is Magic is copyright to Hasbro.

All charters that belong to their companies are rightfully theirs. This writing is for fun and nothing else.