The Stable on the Mountain
It was dark when Mel woke up and she realized that it would probably stay dark for a few more hours. The barn floor was cold, and her hooves quivered a bit as she walked outside. The early morning air was thin. She struggled almost immediately to catch her breath. Not the most pleasant way to start her journey. She thought for a moment about returning to her bed and waiting for a few hours before making her way up the mountain. She decided against that, realizing how crowded the slopes would be once the sun came up. She set one hoof on the bitterly cold soil and, before long, she was on her way. Her friend, Lania, met her in the small patch of woods just south of the wide valley. She looked tired, and that was perfectly reasonable. They made their way through the little forest, relishing the quiet provided by the thick pine trees.
The wide valley was aptly named, as it’s true width was not discernible with the naked eye alone. It took ancient mares years of research before they could finally make a somewhat accurate map of the area. Equestria increased greatly in size after this vast expanse was at last fully surveyed. It was gorgeous either way. The green grass was thick and wet with dew. The tall grain to the east swayed slightly in the wind and even in the dim light, Mel could tell it was robustly colored. The walk was easy for a bit, with minor rocks and thorns hindering their crossing every now and then. They seldom spoke, preparing themselves for what they would encounter at the top of the mountain. Neither of them knew exactly what it would be, but they knew full well that every pony had to make the trek at least once in their lives. They had long desired to complete the final step in order to become true adults. A soft rain began to fall, but neither of them seemed to notice.
The terrain changed, and the valley dipped slightly not far from the base of the mountain. No longer did they trot on soft grass. From then on, they walked on damp gravel. It was quiet. The only sound was the rhythmic crunching of their hooves as they edged closer and closer to the foot of the high peak. A strange noise shattered the peaceful quiet confidently and completely. Neither of them had any idea what it could be. They heard a similar noise a few seconds after, but this time it was closer. Mel closed her eyes and tried to center herself. It was no use. The ground around them shook. The source of the noises came quickly into view. It was a bison that had to be around 15 feet tall and at least half as wide. It flared it’s nostrils and bellowed unlike anything either of them had heard before. She had seen bison before, but that was years ago and they were normal size. This thing was nothing short of a behemoth. The sound was difficult to describe. It was like an amplified clap of thunder with a roar mixed together. It stomped it’s massive feet and gnashed it’s horrendous teeth. The teeth themselves were not very sharp, but any sudden movement from the beast was enough to terrify both of them.
She looked at her friend and had no idea what to do. The look in Lania’s eye made it clear that she had no idea what to do either. The bison leaned back, poised to charge. Thinking quickly, she darted right at it. Lania, also thinking quickly, followed suit. The bison lashed out, mostly out of shock. She doubted it had been charged by many ponies before them.She ran under it’s front legs, kicking it’s underside with her back legs as she did so. Her friend followed close behind, giving her best kicks as often as she could. The beast bellowed, but this time it was from pain. She ran under its back legs and looked back at Lania, who had a triumphant smile on her face. The bison turned around and slammed its head into the ground just in front of them. The force of the blow sent several chunks of earth high into the sky. The two of them were standing on one of them. They landed on a ridge that would have taken them at least two hours to get to by walking. In a way it was a blessing and neither of them were hurt. They picked themselves up and found a decent path that lead further up the mountain. The sudden change in altitude had an effect on them both. She struggled to catch her breath as icy winds whipped at her face. Lania huffed and puffed after only a few minutes of walking. The air was thin up there and she realized that it would only get thinner.
They walked in silence for about an hour, trying their best to adjust to the increasingly hostile environment. Up ahead she could see something in the middle of the path, but could not tell quite what it was. When they got up there they realized the thing was a hoof. A hoof that had been detached from its owner’s body. This was alarming. She was beginning to realize that this trek was not for the faint hearted. Whoever this hoof had once belonged to was now long gone. Maybe the walking was so treacherous that the hoof gradually fell off. Or maybe that was all that was left of them after an encounter with some fierce beast she dared not imagine. The look in her friend’s eye was one of shock and intense terror. She was sure Lania was thinking much more irrationally. That’s just the way she was. She walked over, put a hoof around her shoulder, and guided her past the lone hoof. The rest of the journey was going to be a test. A test of their faith, a test of their patience, and above all, a test of their bond as friends.
They had been friends for quite some time. Back in the village where they grew up, there were not that many female ponies. She could never figure out why that was. Her parents always told her that most of the newborns were male. Her father always joked that it had to be something in the cider. Regardless, she met Lania at the market one summer morning. Through a sea of legs she spotted her with her parents. Her friend stayed close and looked nervous. Mel ran over and introduced herself. She was immediately struck by how fair Lania was. Her eyes were as bright as a comet and as vibrant as freshly planted flowers. She smiled and introduced herself. She asked Lania’s parents if they could go play and they replied affirmatively. Their friendship started on that day and seemed to get stronger every minute. They were never apart. In school they sat next to each other and navigated the awkward terrain of early adolescence. Other friends would come and go, but their bond never faded.
She was tired. Lania wept for the rest of the day. Darkness arrived early on the mountain. There was no use hiking in pitch black. She decided to set up camp on an outcrop about two miles away from where they found the hoof. Supplies were minimal. There was no wood for a fire or any food to nourish them. Fortunately, they had both brought blankets and water. They laid out their blankets and tried their best to get some rest. An hour passed on the dark mountain. Mel couldn’t sleep so she walked to the edge of the outcrop and looked out over the vast expanse below. The darkness made the valley seem even wider. She realized that they were lucky to get as far as they had without trouble. The hoof was a bad sign. Lania was sensitive and she knew how hard it had been on her, and how hard it would continue to be. In that moment, she wished she had made the journey alone. That way she wouldn’t have to deal with the burden that her friend had become. After that thought, she felt a wave of guilt rushing over her. Lania wasn’t that much of a burden. It was just that, on occasion, she felt like she was pulling most of the weight. She stared back at her friend sleeping uncomfortably a few yards away. Another wave rushed over her, but this time it wasn’t guilt. She wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it felt a lot like love. She thought about how clearly she recalled their first meeting, and how well she could describe her friend’s features. They had spent so much time together. She thought back to summer afternoons when they would lie together in the grass by the lake. The sun was bright and it made her eyes water. She would never forget the time Lania leaned over and wiped the tears away. She felt so warm. Not just from the sun, but from the pure joy she felt being with her friend. They weren’t accomplishing any difficult tasks or fending off monstrous beasts. They were together and that was more than enough. Mel smiled to herself and then went to wake up Lania. She figured that an early start would probably be a good idea.
They set out with hopes that the day’s hike would be easy, occasionally stopping to admire the subtle orange and scarlet stripes that stretched across the sky to the west. The sun was apparently not too keen to rise either. Lania started to whimper after only a few minutes of walking. Mel turned around and gave her a sharp look, making sure to maintain eye contact. Lania looked down and her whimpering got louder. Mel decided to just shrug it off. She knew full well that the journey would be full of obstacles and figured that this particular one was not really worth worrying about. It got lighter as the sun finally managed to come up, providing some much needed illumination to a path that was getting more and more difficult to walk on. Large and sharp rocks alike dotted the space in front of them. Mel noticed a ridge up ahead that would require some serious climbing;something that they had not really done yet. She was confident in her own climbing ability after practicing hard in the months leading up to the trek. Lania, on the other hand, she was not so sure about. Her friend,looking determined, ran to the ridge and started to climb. This blew Mel away. She looked at Lania finally taking some initiative and smiled.
They were about halfway up the ridge when cracks began to form. Mel quickly fell into a panic. Her hooves started to sweat and she made the mistake of looking down. A fall from that height would surely mean death. Lania also noticed the cracks and her whimpering resumed. Another cracking sound. This one was loud. Mel closed her eyes and tried desperately to come up with some good last words. There was another cracking sound and Mel felt no support below her. It was a few moments before she realized that they were both plummeting to their inevitable deaths. Lania flailed wildly above her, the whimpering having grown to full on shrieking. A rapid kaleidoscope of rock and sky forced Mel to shut her eyes once more. They had to hit the ground soon. She felt tears form and then quickly whip off of her face.
She opened her mouth and said, “Lania, I-”
They were no longer falling. Lania’s frightened shrieks had stopped. Mel felt a strong grip on her right leg. She looked up and saw a cloaked figure that had somehow caught the both of them just feet above the ground and was now carrying them to the top of the ridge. She did not notice any wings. The figure was flying unaided by any physical attributes. Whatever it was set them down gently and removed it’s hood. Standing before them was a ram. Mel could tell from the curved horns that jutted out from it’s head.
There was a long period of silence. Finally, it spoke. “You two have done well. Many have made this journey, but so very few reach the top of this ridge.”
“We appreciate your help,” Mel managed to squeak.
"It was my pleasure. I gave you a lift because I see positive chemistry between the two of you. I have been watching you girls from the moment that bison hurled you skyward.”
“What do you want with us?” Mel asked this question hesitantly, for she was not sure if this ram was a friend or not.
“I am here to tell you two a secret. A secret that will make your journey a whole lot easier. A shortcut, you could say.”
“That would be great,” Lania said and then quickly averted her gaze.
“Very well,” it continued, “do you see that cave up ahead?” Mel looked in that direction and saw it, but for some reason she felt that it was out of place. Like it hadn’t been there before.
“Yes, I see it,” she replied.
“You two must enter the cave, but be wary, for the darkness in there is absolute. You’ll have to rely on each other to make it through.” There was a short period of silence. Mel stared at the ram. There was what looked like a long scar running down the center of it’s face. She looked closer and noticed some patches of blood, as if it was from a recent injury.
“You two better be going,” it said and then vanished, like it had never been there. That was no ordinary ram, Mel knew that for sure. They made their way to the wide mouth of the cave. Lania continued her whimpering. Mel put her arm around her friend and held her close. Lania’s whimpering stopped. She smiled and walked on, making sure to lead the way.
They made their way through the silent cave, stopping every few seconds to listen for any potential threats. The cave was completely silent when they entered and stayed that way until Mel heard a vague noise off in the distance. They moved in the direction of the sounds that were gradually becoming more distinct. It couldn’t be. Mel shook her head and listened again. Oddly enough, she heard the sounds of laughter and lively conversation coming from an even stranger door just ahead of them. They got to the door. It was the strangest thing to come across a lone door in the midst of a vast, dark cave, but there it was. Mel recognized the sounds she was hearing. It was a tavern full of ponies. She opened the door and sure enough, a crowded tavern awaited them. It was full of ponies drinking and being extremely merry, almost as if they were celebrating some momentous event. Mel looked back at Lania, who had not yet entered. The look on her face was one of awe and intense confusion. Mel gestured for her to come in, but her friend was hesitant. She gestured once more and Lania finally made her way into the inexplicable tavern.
They weren’t inside very long before a very enthusiastic colt came up and offered them something to drink. Mel declined for the two of them, as she was still trying to figure this place out. They were lead to a table in the corner of the tavern right next to some ponies discussing something in a hushed tone. Mel sat there for a moment, trying to acclimate and made sure that Lania was okay. Her friend had a frenzied look in her eyes and made no sounds. They had to get out of there. Something about the place wasn’t right. Mel looked around through the sea of joyous patrons and noticed a door towards the back. She quickly mapped out a path they could take in her head and realized that they would have to walk through a small crowd of large stallions who were dancing furiously and clearly trying to outdo each other. Mel grabbed Lania and told her that they had to go. Lania nodded and they made their way to what was hopefully an exit.
Cider was flying everywhere as they walked through the throng of merrymakers. It was almost as if they were spilling their drinks on purpose. Mel saw that they were not far from the dancing stallions. Their dancing was frenzied and intense. They made their way past the group without trouble, except for Mel bumping into one of the larger ones, who just looked at her and forced a subtle smirk. Mel thought that was a nice gesture and reasoned that maybe the tavern wasn’t too bad after all. The location was just a little weird. Her reasoning was torn to shreds once they had made it to the door in the back. Mel touched the handle and in that instant all of the noise stopped, like she had turned a switch. She turned around and saw that every living thing in the tavern had their eyes fixed on her. Even Lania, who was now more frightened than ever. Something was very wrong. She went to open the door and found it to be uncooperative. Mel looked to her left and saw the same pony who had eagerly offered them cider when they first arrived. The smile on his face did not look real, as if a child had scribbled it on there. He let them know that they were not allowed to leave. Before Mel could ask why not she noticed that his face had started to drip. Maybe it was just sweat, Mel thought to herself. She soon realized that it was not sweat at all. His face had started to melt. Mel noticed red flesh through jagged tears on his cheeks that were beginning to spread quickly. She looked around and saw that everyone except Lania was undergoing the same process. Those in seats rose from them. Those who were already standing began moving in their direction. Mel heard the frantic dripping sound of hundreds of pieces of melted flesh falling on the tavern floor. She grabbed Lania, opened the door in front of her, and ran into the deep blackness that lay before them. She heard a great symphony of hooves following close behind them. She did not want to picture what that mob must have looked like.
The running was just getting tough when a light appeared not far from them. Mel smiled as she realized that it must have been the other end of the cave. A wave of dread passed over her. Most caves only have one opening. There couldn’t be a second one. The light ahead could very well have been the same place they entered. They sprinted out of the cave and Mel was delighted to see that it was not the entrance to the cave. A narrow path ran in between a huge rock face on one side and an immensely deep crevice on the other. She made the mistake of looking back and saw the terrifying ensemble that was hot on their heels. The combination of melting and running made their skin fly off in ribbons, leaving a grotesque trail behind them. They grunted and growled and were just about to overtake them when Mel noticed a rock that was sitting precariously beneath much larger boulders. Moving it would surely block the path. Mel pushed Lania ahead, kicked the rock, and lunged forward, just narrowly missing the great pile of boulders that came crashing down not long after.
Mel stood still for a moment, feeling immensely triumphant. The rock pile shifted. Something was still alive, and squirming around underneath. A lone hoof burst forth, followed by the mostly melted physique of an older looking pony. It staggered a bit, obviously still recovering from the heap of pain it had previously been a part of. It smiled an odd smile, like the colt who had greeted them at the door of the tavern. Without warning, it charged. Mel was used to thinking quickly by this point and pushed her friend out of the way. The disgusting pony screeched as it ran. Mel noticed the trail of melted flesh. She directed it that way in the hopes of making it slip. Sure enough, the pony’s hooves went up quickly and it fell over the other side of the path. Mel was about to walk over to Lania when she felt a frail grip on her back leg. The pony was still alive somehow, hanging on a lone branch that was surely put there by an enemy of some sort.
With the force of a titan, Mel kicked down at the pony’s face. Three blows was all it took. The vile beast fell into the swirling mists below, screeching until it was out of sight. Lania walked over and gave her a reassuring nudge. They turned around and walked on, feeling more confident than ever.
The path they were on fell silent. Mel could sense that something was coming. She stood in complete silence, waiting patiently for whatever danger to present itself. She was pleasantly surprised to feel a snowflake fall on the bridge of her nose. The entire mountainside was still and peaceful. Maybe this part of the journey was meant to be easy. A break from all the chaos would be nice, Mel thought to herself. It wasn’t just the quiet snowfall that made her happy. She looked ahead at Lania, who was galloping gracefully, stopping every now and then to catch flakes on her tongue. Mel had never seen a smile that wide stretch across her friend’s face. In that moment she wanted desperately to walk over and tell Lania everything that had been simmering inside of her for years. Those desires were halted when she noticed that the path ended not far from where they were. Maybe it was just a steep hill that would require some careful maneuvering to walk down. She had been told for years that the journey would be full of hardships. Mel walked ahead and saw no hill, but instead a steep drop into a deep canyon. She knew at that moment that there would be no more easy breaks. This is where the journey would start to get really tough. With a lot of encouraging, Lania finally began making her way down the rock face and into the canyon. Climbing up was hard enough. Having to climb down required a little more effort and just seemed unfair. A strong wind slapped against them as they inched farther and farther down. The sun was just starting to set when Mel heard an all too familiar series of cracking sounds. Someone was messing with them. This was no ordinary mountain. Lania screamed as the rocks finally gave way. They plummeted like they had earlier in their journey, but this time the fall was a lot gentler, as if they were falling into another world. They hit the floor of the canyon with a thud, both of them letting out minor grunts as they did so. A fall from that height should have killed them both, Mel thought. She thought back to the chaotic moments of their trek and realized that nothing about this mountain was predictable or made any sort of sense. They were following a totally different set of rules.
Mel’s first instinct was to check on Lania. Her friend slowly got up and stared at a bruise on her leg. Mel asked her if she was ok and she replied with a nod and a half smile. The strong wind had ceased. The air around them was totally still. Four cloaked figures appeared out of nowhere, making their presence known with short bursts of blue flame. The four figures surrounded Mel and Lania. Mel could not make out any faces or discernible features, cept that they each walked on similar hooves. Without provocation, the quintet ran forward, making bizarre, high-pitched screeches as they did so. Mel ran at Lania and lifted her with her head, sending her friend out of the circle and away from danger. In almost that same instant, the four assailants rammed into her. She fell to the ground and lied there for a moment. That really hurt. Within seconds, two of them were on top of her, gnashing and biting like feral dogs. Mel noticed a cut inside of her mouth and collected the blood until her cheeks puffed out. She opened her mouth and let out a great stream of blood that hit its intended targets. The two fell over and brought their hooves to their faces in a vain attempt to wipe away the thick film of blood that now covered their eyes. The other two ran forward. Mel was just about sick of fighting. Through tears of frustration, Mel got up, jabbed twice, and screamed like a warrior for good measure. The four were now struggling on the ground, either from a lack of vision or from two immensely successful blows to the stomach. Three of them vanished in similar bursts of flame. The fourth got up and removed it’s cloak. It was the ram that had caught them as they fell and lead them into that sinister cave. It was probably responsible for the cracks in the rocks too.It had somehow split itself into four seperate entities. Mel noticed that the scar on it’s face looked more like a cut, with fresh blood dripping off at regular increments. It cleared it’s throat and spoke.
“You two have done exceedingly well. I really am impressed. You see that tunnel up ahead? That will be the last part of your journey. Walk through it and you’ll surely find the stable waiting on the other side.”
Mel was hesitant, but she did notice a bright yellow glow coming from the other end of the tunnel. All of those obstacles were meant to test their faith and resilience, and they had gotten through all of them relatively unscathed. The ram was surely responsible for all of them, but maybe he was finally letting them reach their destination. It all made sense in her head, but there was always the possibility of more surprises.
Before Mel could make a decision, Lania ran into the tunnel and out of sight. Mel followed suit and looked back to see that the ram was gone. The glow coming from the other end of the tunnel was almost blinding, but before she knew it, she was on the other side, ready to finally enter the stable. She opened her eyes and saw Lania collapsed on the ground. She gasped audibly and ran over. Lania was weeping hysterically. Mel pulled her close and whispered comforting words. Lania buried her head in Mel’s shoulder, still weeping loudly. Mel got the chance to look around and saw no stable, but instead a small clearing at the foot of the highest rock face they had come across so far. Mel pushed Lania away.
“What’s wrong,” Lania asked through continuing tears.
“What a fool you are,” Mel replied harshly. Lania bit the bottom of her lip and stared at the ground. “That ram is a trickster. I knew that. I was going to try and make him tell us a different route we could take. He wanted us to go through the tunnel. He wanted us to think that the stable was on the other side. Do you see a stable, Lania,” Mel shouted.
Lania wiped tears off of her face and said, “ No. I don’t see a stable. I was just so excited because the journey has been so hard so far and I thought the ram was giving us a break.”
“The journey’s been hard? For you? I’ve been doing all the work. I’ve been taking all the initiative. All you’ve done so far is cry.” Lania gave a loud sob and could barely stammer her next few words.
“I know. I-I’ve been trying to be helpful. I just d-didn’t realize how hard this would be.” Mel stared at her hooves. “So many of our friends wanted to wake up early and go with you. I just had to be your partner. I just had to be. I stayed up late trying to get into the right frame of mind. I practiced as hard as I could. I needed to prove to you that I wasn’t just some timid pony,” Lania said.
“I know you worked hard. I’m sorry I lost my temper with you. It’s just that the trek has been so stressful. You’ve stayed with me this long. You’ve roughed it out with me and I really appreciate that. You’re not just a ti-” before Mel could finish her sentence, Lania rushed over and kissed her. Their lips remained locked for several moments before slowly breaking off. Mel smiled as widely as she ever had.
Lania grabbed Mel and lead her to the base of the rock face, where they began to climb. Mel was tired and cold, but she was in love with someone who loved her back and that made climbing the easiest thing in the world. As they climbed, the top of the cliff seemed to get closer and closer. That couldn’t be possible, Mel thought. They had only been climbing for a few minutes. Before long, they had arrived at the top of the rock face. The mountain was full of surprises. Before them was an immensely tall hill with a gate at the top. That had to be the stable. There was no higher point. A sweet sound floated gracefully on a soft wind and soon was all around them. At the foot of the hill were two griffins, who both smiled down at Mel and Lania. They were beautiful, with thick brown feathers and metallic sparkling crowns adorning their heads. They beckoned for each of them to get on their backs. Mel took the one on the right and Lania took the one on the left. The short ride to the top of the hill was luxurious, and gave Mel some time to admire the sweeping plains that she had never seen the entirety of. The griffins laid them both down in front of the gate and flew back to their previous positions, looking back occasionally with pleasant smiles. This was it. This was the moment they had been waiting their whole lives for. Right as Mel was about to open the gate, it opened on its own, revealing a familiar face on the other side. There was the ram in all it’s devious glory. This time it wore no cloak, but instead a white loin cloth. It was muscular, and intimidating, and altogether terrifying to behold. It flared its nostrils and let out a deep, raspy growl that shook the ground around them. The scar on its face was no scar at all, but instead a deep cut from which thick curtains of blood rained down.
This was the end, Mel thought. There was no way they could take this thing. Mel’s worries turned to extreme fear as she noticed Lania running straight at the behemoth. Right before her friend reached the beast, it vanished. The deep lakes of blood were gone. Mel ran forward and kissed Lania with as much passion as she could muster. Her friend returned the affection with great enthusiasm. Their private moment was interrupted by a hooded figure who had appeared suddenly not far from them. It removed its cloak, revealing the face of the ram, but this time with no cut and no blood. The ram looked somber and gave them both a proud smile.
“You two have done well,” it said, and the gate opened.
