Starveby FaelaArtsChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1Opening his eyes, he looked to the sky as it crackled with energy. Splitting open, two large creatures emerged, flipping over themselves as they tried to pull out of a tailspin. Dovelike, but hooved, it took him a few moments to remember two mythical beings on which these two combined. Ignoring them for a moment, he rose off his sleeping bag, and approached a stone bowl resting on top of a pile of embers. Tossing the embers with a stick, he pulled the meat off the top, closing the lid, and ripped out a huge piece. Munching on it, he sat back down, once more returning his attention to the creatures in the sky. Tossing a log onto the fire, he glanced toward the setting sun as the two hovered mid-air, swirling energy emerging on their horns. There was a moment of strain on their faces, before they smiled in victory. Looking toward the sun, he dropped his meat, mouth flopped open as it began to rise, stopping in the center of the sky. “Spiiike! Have we sent the letter to Celestia yet?” Glancing to the dragon, the unicorn with purple eyes almost glared at him. Shrinking back slightly, Spike gulped, gripping the scroll in his hand slightly tighter as he shook his head. Breathing in, green flame erupted from his mouth, burning the scroll up. Within moments, it popped back into existence. Biting her lip, Twilight glanced toward the mechanical frame that remained dormant. Sweat beading down her forehead, she hoped her brother; a unicorn skilled in shield magic, showed up soon. Sighing, her ears flickered downward, and she placed a hoof on the window frame of her Castle, looking out on the town of Ponyville, in shadow due to her Castle’s shadow. There was a knock, and she glanced down, smiling as she nearly tripped over herself to answer it. Five ponies; two Pegasi, one Unicorn, and two Earth Ponies were standing outside. Looking to each of them, her smile grew, and she let out a breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding. Closing the door behind them, they all headed for the throne room, a circle around a table map. “So, any news?” The blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane spoke first, raising an eyebrow. Shaking her head, Twilight sighed, placing a hoof on top of the white hoof of her second friend; a purple maned white Unicorn. The buttercup Pegasus shared a glance with the orange Earth Pony. “I’m surprised Pinkie’s being so quiet,” commented Rainbow Dash, glancing to the cotton candy Earth Pony. It was true, they all turned, the normally upbeat friend seemed almost unnerved by something. Sharing a glance, they approached their friend, Twilight’s mouth opening to ask the question on their minds. “Twily, I’ve got bad news! Celestia’s vanished!” Slamming through the door, Shining Armor skidded to a stop, looking at the seven with almost blind panic. Eyes widening, it took a few moments for them to process the sentence. “W-What do you mean vanished?” Shaking her brother, Twilight’s voice rose to panic levels for a moment. Stepping back, she tried to compose herself, remembering that panicking wouldn’t help. A supportive hoof on her shoulder, she sent the others a smile, becoming serious once more. “The portal you described in your letter, it appeared in Canterlot too. Cadance says none appeared in the Crystal Empire, which is a godsend. Celestia was closest, and she got sucked inside. Luna dove in after her, and it crumbled to pieces moments after. You say yours is still standing?” Following Twilight to the window, Shining looked toward the street spotting it down a side street. “Crumbled? That means...This is our only chance of finding Celestia.” Tapping a hoof on her chin, Twilight began to plan precautions. It would likely be a one-way trip, if Shining was right. With Cadance safe, there was little worry about a leader for Equestria in case something disastrous happened. “I know I should stay out of trouble, being a Princess of Equestria, but I can’t just sit by while you all go into potential danger.” Glancing to them, Twilight saw the knowing smiles, and returned one of her own. It was decided then, they would try to enter the portal. “Spike, your letters might be our best bet at contacting the Princess once inside. We’re counting on you.” Nodding once, Twilight was proud to see Spike salute, and turned to her brother. “I know, I have to stay on this side.” Shining gave Twilight a gentle hug, stepping back and saluting the group of seven. Fluttershy whimpered, and her gaze went toward Pinkie Pie. Once more, she made note of the almost sombre look on her face. “I’m staying here.” All turned to look at Pinkie Pie, giving an audible gasp. Squeaking, Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she was picked up by Pinkie Pie. “I’m taking Fluttershy.” Finally, a smile fell on her face, and Pinkie Pie gave a giggle. Frowning, Twilight took a step forward to object, when Rainbow Dash interjected. “Pinkie Pie, what is up with you? First you act all non-Pinkie, and now you’re saying you’ll stay here? And you’re dragging Fluttershy into it with you?” Hovering in the air, Rainbow Dash folded her arms. Pinkie Pie gave a knowing smile. “You’ll just have to trust me Dashie, I promise this will aaaall make sense soon.” Looking to the four going, Pinkie Pie seemed serious, so they shared another look. Sighing, they begrudgingly trusted their friend. If the Parasprites were anything to go on, Pinkie Pie had some sort of plan. “Okay, we trust you. I just hope we don’t regret this.” Glancing to everypony, Twilight bit her lip, all giving her similar glances. Pinkie Pie was a bit of a wildcard, even on a normal day. “So, we have the-uh-teams sorted, let’s get onto the how.” All gave a sheepish smile, and Twilight looked out the window, biting her lip. Glancing back to them, she pointed to it, a hint of doubt in her voice. “Maybe it has a switch?” With no other leads, they began to amble down toward it. Arriving at it, they began to examine it. It was a wooden door, in simplest terms. There was a wheel at the top, with some huge eyeball inside it. The bottom half was covered in a strange stone, one Twilight wasn’t sure she’d seen native to Equestria. “Well, there’s the switch,” she spoke, pointing to a lever on the side. Gulping, they slowly approached. There seemed to be a wobbling effect inside the door, but no pulling. Breathing in, Twilight turned around, and looked to her friends. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Shining were all standing back, the others right in front of Twilight. “Alright, let’s pack some things. We don’t know what’s on the other side, but we have to try. Meet back here in an hour. Shining: be ready to cast a shield spell if it activates.” All saluted her, and Twilight smiled. Turning, they all took a single step, and heard the sound of gears. Turning, they knew the portal had activated. “Shining!” Glancing to her brother, Twilight watched as the shield separated them from the door a second time. It chugged along for a few more seconds, a white swirling inside it, and then powered down once more. Breathing out, Twilight looked to it and bit her lip. Shining slowly lowered the shield. “Ok, keep the shield spell over it. Everyone, make it 30 minutes.” Looking to everypony, they saluted, galloping off. Shining’s spell enveloped it once more, and Twilight cantered into the Castle, Spike on her back. Packing things quickly, but neatly, she grabbed a few spellbooks. Glancing to Spike, she levitated the blanket he was carrying out of his claw, and placed it in her saddlebags. “Let’s go,” she spoke, slapping her bags onto her back, and trotting after Spike. A few minutes later; Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity approached, and Twilight breathed in deeply. All stepped close to the shield, and Twilight nodded to her brother, whom opened a hole in the shield. Stepping through, all watched it close behind them. “Hold on tightly Spike,” she spoke, reaching for the lever. Pulling it, they watched as the door powered up, and they began to be pulled toward it. Gripping hooves together, they closed their eyes, allowing the portal to take them. Watching this, Shining saw the portal crumble into pieces, and become ash. Sighing, he lowered the shield, and looked to the sky. “Please be safe sis…” Chapter 2His head rose from his half-finished craft, a huffing sound echoing in the air. Finishing up, he examined the umbrella, and then stored it in one of his chests. Opening another chest, he pulled out a synthetic bush with red berries on it. Tossing four logs onto the fire, he tossed the final traps around the bait. Easing his way into the center, he pulled the bush over his head, curling up inside it. Listening closely, he waited as the huffing stopped, and the padding of four creatures could be heard. Running toward the bush, they lost the sent, and got distracted by the bait. A few traps had been sprung, earning them minor injuries. Finished with the bait, they huffed, looking for their prey. One gave a short bark, and the four dashed off toward the forest. Once more, the traps activated, managing to take down one and injure two others. Once the sounds had vanished, he stood up, and pulled off the berry bush. Walking back to his camp, he dropped his backpack, putting out a log suit and a helmet. Jumping slightly, his eyes widened as a cry of surprise rang out, and he looked to the forest. Pulling his spear out of the ground, he narrowed his eyes. Picking up a bone with an eye on the top, he pulled out his darts. Finished that, he quickly broke into a jog, picking up a boomerang from the dirt on his way into the forest. “These trees are really strange…” Examining one, Twilight noticed how it seemed almost exactly the same as the majority of the trees. There were smaller trees that seemed different, and a few dead ones, but even they seemed a little too...perfect. Glancing to the others, she mentally sighed as Rarity tried to keep her boots clean. “You hear that huffing?” Tilting her head, Rainbow Dash began to fly higher into the air, looking for the source of the sound. It seemed to echo around them with no discernable direction. Giving up, she glided back down, giving a shrug. “At least we can breath,” commented Applejack, glancing toward the setting sun. The huffing ceased, and all looked around in confusion, before discarding it. Spike pulled out a blank piece of paper, giving Twilight a quick poke. “Oh, right. ‘Dear Princess Celestia, if you receive this, please contact us ASAP.’ That should do it Spike.” Smiling, Twilight watched as Spike tried sending it. Both were hopeful while it burned up, and gave deflated sighs as it returned within seconds. Placing it in Twilight’s saddlebags, Spike looked toward the woods. “Whargh!” Crying out, Rarity brought the party’s attention to the strange dog-like creatures running toward them. Throwing up a shield, Twilight grunted as the hounds tore through it like butter, and fired off a knockback spell. Leaping out of the way, all of them got a close-up look at the sharp, oozing teeth. Separating, the three dogs went after the earthbound ponies, Rainbow Dash instinctively flying into the air. Diving down, she distracted the dog on Twilight, noticing that it seemed injured, before flying out of bite range, heading for Rarity. The hound barked, and turned to face her, forcing her to glide sharpy. “Darn it,” she swore, feeling the weird wind currents send her slamming into the ground. Picking herself up, she jumped, losing a few hairs to the hounds. Applejack tried to get a hit off on her hound, but was unable to find an opening. Struggling as they were, they didn’t even notice the strange figure watching them from the treeline. One of the hounds barked, and turned, charging straight for Twilight. Leaping out of the way, she followed its charge, finally noticing the figure at the treeline. Diving forward, the figure aimed a spear, impaling the hound just as it hit him. Crumbling to nothing, Twilight briefly noticed a small piece of meat on the ground. The creature was somewhat simian in appearance, but wearing clothes and a lot taller than any ape she had seen. Watching him, she didn’t even notice the other hound coming for her. Kicking it, Rainbow Dash sent it sliding into the path of the creature, who pulled out a pipe and blew a dart into the hound. Leaping up, the hound dashed toward the creature, but was halted by a second dart, falling asleep. Turning, the creature threw a boomerang at the third hound, gaining its attention. The boomerang shattered on it’s return, and the creature pulled out a pickaxe. Raising it, the creature swung down, impaling the hound into the ground. The second hound woke back up, and dove toward the creature. Seemingly sensing it, the creature dove forward, the hound giving chase. Pivoting, the creature lifted his spear off the ground, raising his other arm to block the second hound. His arm absorbing the damage, he slid back, and flipped the spear around, and sliced at the hound. It gave a whimper, and then crumbled to dust as the others did. Finished that, the creature picked up the three pieces of meat, his pickaxe, and whistled into the woods, pulling out an eye bone. An eyeless ball of fur bounced into the clearing, and the creature pulled out some cloth covered in honey from its mouth. Wrapping his arm up, he finally rose, and regarded the group. Grouping back up, Rainbow Dash and Rarity looked to Twilight. “Um, hello?” Giving a smile, Twilight waved to the creature, who was still standing there. After a few moments, it waved back, and looked toward the sunset. "" Speaking, the creature sounded like a trumpet. Confusion on their faces, the creature paused, and then began to walk. The bouncing fur followed behind, and they all shared a glance. “Well, it’s the best lead we’ve got?” Trotting after the creature, Twilight glanced back to her friends, and nodded once at Spike. Trying to send the letter, it once more failed, and her ears flopped down. Sighing, she turned to watch the creature. Chapter 3These creatures were certainly strange. For one, unlike the horses from his world, they were colored. The horned ones could levitate objects, and the purple one had even made a shield of some sort. The Pegasus could fly, naturally. And there was one horse, well they were more pony-sized in reality, who had neither. It fascinated him, both their appearance and their magic. If he could harness that magic, it could prove very useful. Picking up four logs, he crafted them together into a plank, and tossed it into the fire. Bursting into flame, he noticed the ponies give cries of alarm. The sun set, and the area around them turned pitch black. They seemed to have some sort of language, but it flew over his head. Likely, they would try to cross the language barrier. Tapping his chin, he looked toward the sky, wondering if he should give them a hint on how to do so. Deciding against it, he labeled it a test of their problem solving abilities. Such fascinating creatures… “Amazing, look at all the items he’s just got laying around. Axes, a stove, that weird machine thing, so much!” Looking around, Twilight couldn’t help but fawn over everything. Sure, some of the items were rudimentary, but some of them she didn’t even understand. Rainbow Dash, naturally, was itching to go for a fly. “Yeah yeah, can we hurry this up?” Hovering near the edge of the darkness, Rainbow Dash hesitated to go into it. Somehow, beyond a certain point, she couldn’t see a single thing. This was despite the moon in the sky, which was a crescent on this night. The creature watched this, but said nothing. “Alright Dash, I just need to figure out how to communicate with this creature.” Tapping a hoof to her chin, she levitated up a stick, wondering if she could draw in the ground. It was difficult, the ground seeming to resist, but it was possible. Blinking, Twilight remembered she had paper with her, and pulled it out of her saddlebags. With that information in hoof, she glanced to Rarity and Applejack. “You mean to talk via pictures? Will it be possible to even convey enough information using such mundane methods?” Rarity glanced to the small line Twilight had drawn in the ground, and tried to hide her annoyance at the slight dust the action had raised. When she returned home, she was so getting a bubble bath. “It’s worth a shot at least. Maybe he’s seen them.” Levitating out a quill, Twilight crudely drew a picture of Celestia. Applejack sniggered, thinking it looked like a donkey with a sun on it’s flank. Drawing in a horn and wings, Twilight was about to move onto Luna, when she noticed the creature lean forward. Making no sound, it picked up the picture, glancing toward the sky with a frown. Standing up, it walked over to one of the chests, and pulled out some sort of diagram. Walking back over, the creature took the Celestia donkey, and slid it behind the diagram. Taking it in her magic, Twilight examined the strange device. “It...kinda looks like it has a face? I’m worried about that swirly vortex he draw underneath the face. Could it be another portal?” Glancing to the others, both Applejack and Rarity nodded. Rainbow Dash groaned, still hovering near the darkness. Spike yawned, knowing it was still not bedtime, but feeling tired due to it being night. “Alright, now how to ask where it is…” Frowning, Twilight tapped her chin, sighing as she wondered if simply drawing a question mark would work. While Twilight mused, Applejack walked up, and drew a shape in the dirt. The creature crouched down, watching this. Still thinking, Twilight was stuck in her muse. “Maybe ‘e knows about tha’ doorway.” Glancing to the others, Applejack noticed Twilight snap out of her muse with a shake of her head. Looking to her picture, the creature pulled out another diagram, this time in much more detail. Looking it over, Twilight glanced between it and the almost proud expression on the creature’s face. “You, you made this?” Realising it wouldn’t understand her, Twilight frowned, and glanced toward a pile of hay. An idea sparking, she turned toward Rarity. “Rarity, can you make a straw hat?” Pointing to the straw, Twilight smiled as Rarity tossed her hair, putting her magic to the task. While Rarity was doing that, Twilight turned back toward the creature. Pointing to the diagram, she pointed to Rarity crafting, and then to the creature. Giving a slow nod, the creature tilted his head. “Wait, this guy’s the reason for those portals!?” Diving forward, Rainbow Dash glared at the creature, too close for comfort. Taking a step back, the creature reached for his spear, but didn’t pull it out of the ground. Twilight carefully pulled Dash back, giving her a cautious glance. “Calm down, we don’t want it to attack us.” Standing up, Twilight gave the creature a smile she hoped was apologetic. Slowly, the creature let go of the spear, and sat back down. Holding out a hand, it glanced toward the drawings. Letting them out of her magic, Twilight watched as he pointed toward the door-portal, and then pointed to the face-portal. “I don’t understand, they’re the same portal?” Tilting her head, Twilight eventually just shook her head. Pursing his lip, the creature rubbed his chin, where a bit of stubble could be seen. Sighing, she picked up the face-portal picture, and began to walk in place. Pretending to be looking around for a moment, she then pointed to the diagram, and waited. Pulling out a map from a back pocket, the creature pointed to a section of the map with a mini face-portal on it. To Twilight’s surprise, the map was incredibly detailed. Rolling it back up, the creature put it back in his pocket. “Great, let’s go,” spoke Dash, about to fly into the darkness. The creature seemed to almost reach out to grab Dash, but stopped inches short. “!” The creature looked too Twilight, and she saw the pallid fear on its face, and grabbed Dash in her magic. “Stop Rainbow Dash. I think it’s trying to warn us about something.” Breathing a sigh as her friend obliged, Twilight looked back to the creature. Grabbing a stick, it drew a large shape, and then filled it with many teeth. Snorting, Dash opened her mouth to comment, but was interrupted by Applejack. “Ah think after those ‘ounds we ran into, ye’d be a little more cautious, Dash.” Raising an eyebrow, Applejack waited as Dash begrudgingly landed. “Okay, okay, fiine.” Glancing to the creature, Dash noticed it seemed to be preparing a lot of torches. In the creature's hands, the components seemed to almost mould perfectly into place, creating identical torches within moments. Finished that, the creature rolled them toward Twilight, and pulled out a lantern. “Alright, guess we want to take one each.” Picking it up, Twilight blinked as the moment she lifted it from horizontal to vertical, it lit. Tilting it back, she watched as it once more snuffed out. Passing the others one, she noticed Dash begin to play with it. The creature waited, pulling the spear out of the ground. “I think we should stay in the light?” Spike, who had been silent this entire time, gripped his torch with a nervous fear. Walking closer to the creature, they all noticed the lantern light up as he raised it high, and made sure to stay in the circle of light it emitted. Dash continued to play with her light. “Heh, red light, green light, red light, green li-” Cutting herself off, Dash noticed she had paused, and lost the group. Looking around in the darkness, she realised there were sounds of something approaching, something big. Putting the torch on, Dash noticed it begin to die, and felt a cold chill up her spine as something breathed on her back. Breaking off into a full-speed flight, Dash could feel the thing gaining, and hoped against all hope that she saw them. Tears of joy in her eyes, she dove into the lantern light, almost falling right back into the darkness. To her surprise, the creature had caught her by the tail, and just as quickly dropped her, backing off rapidly. “Yes, stay in the light,” spoke Dash, allowing herself to collapse in relief.
Chapter 1Opening his eyes, he looked to the sky as it crackled with energy. Splitting open, two large creatures emerged, flipping over themselves as they tried to pull out of a tailspin. Dovelike, but hooved, it took him a few moments to remember two mythical beings on which these two combined. Ignoring them for a moment, he rose off his sleeping bag, and approached a stone bowl resting on top of a pile of embers. Tossing the embers with a stick, he pulled the meat off the top, closing the lid, and ripped out a huge piece. Munching on it, he sat back down, once more returning his attention to the creatures in the sky. Tossing a log onto the fire, he glanced toward the setting sun as the two hovered mid-air, swirling energy emerging on their horns. There was a moment of strain on their faces, before they smiled in victory. Looking toward the sun, he dropped his meat, mouth flopped open as it began to rise, stopping in the center of the sky. “Spiiike! Have we sent the letter to Celestia yet?” Glancing to the dragon, the unicorn with purple eyes almost glared at him. Shrinking back slightly, Spike gulped, gripping the scroll in his hand slightly tighter as he shook his head. Breathing in, green flame erupted from his mouth, burning the scroll up. Within moments, it popped back into existence. Biting her lip, Twilight glanced toward the mechanical frame that remained dormant. Sweat beading down her forehead, she hoped her brother; a unicorn skilled in shield magic, showed up soon. Sighing, her ears flickered downward, and she placed a hoof on the window frame of her Castle, looking out on the town of Ponyville, in shadow due to her Castle’s shadow. There was a knock, and she glanced down, smiling as she nearly tripped over herself to answer it. Five ponies; two Pegasi, one Unicorn, and two Earth Ponies were standing outside. Looking to each of them, her smile grew, and she let out a breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding. Closing the door behind them, they all headed for the throne room, a circle around a table map. “So, any news?” The blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane spoke first, raising an eyebrow. Shaking her head, Twilight sighed, placing a hoof on top of the white hoof of her second friend; a purple maned white Unicorn. The buttercup Pegasus shared a glance with the orange Earth Pony. “I’m surprised Pinkie’s being so quiet,” commented Rainbow Dash, glancing to the cotton candy Earth Pony. It was true, they all turned, the normally upbeat friend seemed almost unnerved by something. Sharing a glance, they approached their friend, Twilight’s mouth opening to ask the question on their minds. “Twily, I’ve got bad news! Celestia’s vanished!” Slamming through the door, Shining Armor skidded to a stop, looking at the seven with almost blind panic. Eyes widening, it took a few moments for them to process the sentence. “W-What do you mean vanished?” Shaking her brother, Twilight’s voice rose to panic levels for a moment. Stepping back, she tried to compose herself, remembering that panicking wouldn’t help. A supportive hoof on her shoulder, she sent the others a smile, becoming serious once more. “The portal you described in your letter, it appeared in Canterlot too. Cadance says none appeared in the Crystal Empire, which is a godsend. Celestia was closest, and she got sucked inside. Luna dove in after her, and it crumbled to pieces moments after. You say yours is still standing?” Following Twilight to the window, Shining looked toward the street spotting it down a side street. “Crumbled? That means...This is our only chance of finding Celestia.” Tapping a hoof on her chin, Twilight began to plan precautions. It would likely be a one-way trip, if Shining was right. With Cadance safe, there was little worry about a leader for Equestria in case something disastrous happened. “I know I should stay out of trouble, being a Princess of Equestria, but I can’t just sit by while you all go into potential danger.” Glancing to them, Twilight saw the knowing smiles, and returned one of her own. It was decided then, they would try to enter the portal. “Spike, your letters might be our best bet at contacting the Princess once inside. We’re counting on you.” Nodding once, Twilight was proud to see Spike salute, and turned to her brother. “I know, I have to stay on this side.” Shining gave Twilight a gentle hug, stepping back and saluting the group of seven. Fluttershy whimpered, and her gaze went toward Pinkie Pie. Once more, she made note of the almost sombre look on her face. “I’m staying here.” All turned to look at Pinkie Pie, giving an audible gasp. Squeaking, Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she was picked up by Pinkie Pie. “I’m taking Fluttershy.” Finally, a smile fell on her face, and Pinkie Pie gave a giggle. Frowning, Twilight took a step forward to object, when Rainbow Dash interjected. “Pinkie Pie, what is up with you? First you act all non-Pinkie, and now you’re saying you’ll stay here? And you’re dragging Fluttershy into it with you?” Hovering in the air, Rainbow Dash folded her arms. Pinkie Pie gave a knowing smile. “You’ll just have to trust me Dashie, I promise this will aaaall make sense soon.” Looking to the four going, Pinkie Pie seemed serious, so they shared another look. Sighing, they begrudgingly trusted their friend. If the Parasprites were anything to go on, Pinkie Pie had some sort of plan. “Okay, we trust you. I just hope we don’t regret this.” Glancing to everypony, Twilight bit her lip, all giving her similar glances. Pinkie Pie was a bit of a wildcard, even on a normal day. “So, we have the-uh-teams sorted, let’s get onto the how.” All gave a sheepish smile, and Twilight looked out the window, biting her lip. Glancing back to them, she pointed to it, a hint of doubt in her voice. “Maybe it has a switch?” With no other leads, they began to amble down toward it. Arriving at it, they began to examine it. It was a wooden door, in simplest terms. There was a wheel at the top, with some huge eyeball inside it. The bottom half was covered in a strange stone, one Twilight wasn’t sure she’d seen native to Equestria. “Well, there’s the switch,” she spoke, pointing to a lever on the side. Gulping, they slowly approached. There seemed to be a wobbling effect inside the door, but no pulling. Breathing in, Twilight turned around, and looked to her friends. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Shining were all standing back, the others right in front of Twilight. “Alright, let’s pack some things. We don’t know what’s on the other side, but we have to try. Meet back here in an hour. Shining: be ready to cast a shield spell if it activates.” All saluted her, and Twilight smiled. Turning, they all took a single step, and heard the sound of gears. Turning, they knew the portal had activated. “Shining!” Glancing to her brother, Twilight watched as the shield separated them from the door a second time. It chugged along for a few more seconds, a white swirling inside it, and then powered down once more. Breathing out, Twilight looked to it and bit her lip. Shining slowly lowered the shield. “Ok, keep the shield spell over it. Everyone, make it 30 minutes.” Looking to everypony, they saluted, galloping off. Shining’s spell enveloped it once more, and Twilight cantered into the Castle, Spike on her back. Packing things quickly, but neatly, she grabbed a few spellbooks. Glancing to Spike, she levitated the blanket he was carrying out of his claw, and placed it in her saddlebags. “Let’s go,” she spoke, slapping her bags onto her back, and trotting after Spike. A few minutes later; Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity approached, and Twilight breathed in deeply. All stepped close to the shield, and Twilight nodded to her brother, whom opened a hole in the shield. Stepping through, all watched it close behind them. “Hold on tightly Spike,” she spoke, reaching for the lever. Pulling it, they watched as the door powered up, and they began to be pulled toward it. Gripping hooves together, they closed their eyes, allowing the portal to take them. Watching this, Shining saw the portal crumble into pieces, and become ash. Sighing, he lowered the shield, and looked to the sky. “Please be safe sis…”
Chapter 2His head rose from his half-finished craft, a huffing sound echoing in the air. Finishing up, he examined the umbrella, and then stored it in one of his chests. Opening another chest, he pulled out a synthetic bush with red berries on it. Tossing four logs onto the fire, he tossed the final traps around the bait. Easing his way into the center, he pulled the bush over his head, curling up inside it. Listening closely, he waited as the huffing stopped, and the padding of four creatures could be heard. Running toward the bush, they lost the sent, and got distracted by the bait. A few traps had been sprung, earning them minor injuries. Finished with the bait, they huffed, looking for their prey. One gave a short bark, and the four dashed off toward the forest. Once more, the traps activated, managing to take down one and injure two others. Once the sounds had vanished, he stood up, and pulled off the berry bush. Walking back to his camp, he dropped his backpack, putting out a log suit and a helmet. Jumping slightly, his eyes widened as a cry of surprise rang out, and he looked to the forest. Pulling his spear out of the ground, he narrowed his eyes. Picking up a bone with an eye on the top, he pulled out his darts. Finished that, he quickly broke into a jog, picking up a boomerang from the dirt on his way into the forest. “These trees are really strange…” Examining one, Twilight noticed how it seemed almost exactly the same as the majority of the trees. There were smaller trees that seemed different, and a few dead ones, but even they seemed a little too...perfect. Glancing to the others, she mentally sighed as Rarity tried to keep her boots clean. “You hear that huffing?” Tilting her head, Rainbow Dash began to fly higher into the air, looking for the source of the sound. It seemed to echo around them with no discernable direction. Giving up, she glided back down, giving a shrug. “At least we can breath,” commented Applejack, glancing toward the setting sun. The huffing ceased, and all looked around in confusion, before discarding it. Spike pulled out a blank piece of paper, giving Twilight a quick poke. “Oh, right. ‘Dear Princess Celestia, if you receive this, please contact us ASAP.’ That should do it Spike.” Smiling, Twilight watched as Spike tried sending it. Both were hopeful while it burned up, and gave deflated sighs as it returned within seconds. Placing it in Twilight’s saddlebags, Spike looked toward the woods. “Whargh!” Crying out, Rarity brought the party’s attention to the strange dog-like creatures running toward them. Throwing up a shield, Twilight grunted as the hounds tore through it like butter, and fired off a knockback spell. Leaping out of the way, all of them got a close-up look at the sharp, oozing teeth. Separating, the three dogs went after the earthbound ponies, Rainbow Dash instinctively flying into the air. Diving down, she distracted the dog on Twilight, noticing that it seemed injured, before flying out of bite range, heading for Rarity. The hound barked, and turned to face her, forcing her to glide sharpy. “Darn it,” she swore, feeling the weird wind currents send her slamming into the ground. Picking herself up, she jumped, losing a few hairs to the hounds. Applejack tried to get a hit off on her hound, but was unable to find an opening. Struggling as they were, they didn’t even notice the strange figure watching them from the treeline. One of the hounds barked, and turned, charging straight for Twilight. Leaping out of the way, she followed its charge, finally noticing the figure at the treeline. Diving forward, the figure aimed a spear, impaling the hound just as it hit him. Crumbling to nothing, Twilight briefly noticed a small piece of meat on the ground. The creature was somewhat simian in appearance, but wearing clothes and a lot taller than any ape she had seen. Watching him, she didn’t even notice the other hound coming for her. Kicking it, Rainbow Dash sent it sliding into the path of the creature, who pulled out a pipe and blew a dart into the hound. Leaping up, the hound dashed toward the creature, but was halted by a second dart, falling asleep. Turning, the creature threw a boomerang at the third hound, gaining its attention. The boomerang shattered on it’s return, and the creature pulled out a pickaxe. Raising it, the creature swung down, impaling the hound into the ground. The second hound woke back up, and dove toward the creature. Seemingly sensing it, the creature dove forward, the hound giving chase. Pivoting, the creature lifted his spear off the ground, raising his other arm to block the second hound. His arm absorbing the damage, he slid back, and flipped the spear around, and sliced at the hound. It gave a whimper, and then crumbled to dust as the others did. Finished that, the creature picked up the three pieces of meat, his pickaxe, and whistled into the woods, pulling out an eye bone. An eyeless ball of fur bounced into the clearing, and the creature pulled out some cloth covered in honey from its mouth. Wrapping his arm up, he finally rose, and regarded the group. Grouping back up, Rainbow Dash and Rarity looked to Twilight. “Um, hello?” Giving a smile, Twilight waved to the creature, who was still standing there. After a few moments, it waved back, and looked toward the sunset. "" Speaking, the creature sounded like a trumpet. Confusion on their faces, the creature paused, and then began to walk. The bouncing fur followed behind, and they all shared a glance. “Well, it’s the best lead we’ve got?” Trotting after the creature, Twilight glanced back to her friends, and nodded once at Spike. Trying to send the letter, it once more failed, and her ears flopped down. Sighing, she turned to watch the creature.
Chapter 3These creatures were certainly strange. For one, unlike the horses from his world, they were colored. The horned ones could levitate objects, and the purple one had even made a shield of some sort. The Pegasus could fly, naturally. And there was one horse, well they were more pony-sized in reality, who had neither. It fascinated him, both their appearance and their magic. If he could harness that magic, it could prove very useful. Picking up four logs, he crafted them together into a plank, and tossed it into the fire. Bursting into flame, he noticed the ponies give cries of alarm. The sun set, and the area around them turned pitch black. They seemed to have some sort of language, but it flew over his head. Likely, they would try to cross the language barrier. Tapping his chin, he looked toward the sky, wondering if he should give them a hint on how to do so. Deciding against it, he labeled it a test of their problem solving abilities. Such fascinating creatures… “Amazing, look at all the items he’s just got laying around. Axes, a stove, that weird machine thing, so much!” Looking around, Twilight couldn’t help but fawn over everything. Sure, some of the items were rudimentary, but some of them she didn’t even understand. Rainbow Dash, naturally, was itching to go for a fly. “Yeah yeah, can we hurry this up?” Hovering near the edge of the darkness, Rainbow Dash hesitated to go into it. Somehow, beyond a certain point, she couldn’t see a single thing. This was despite the moon in the sky, which was a crescent on this night. The creature watched this, but said nothing. “Alright Dash, I just need to figure out how to communicate with this creature.” Tapping a hoof to her chin, she levitated up a stick, wondering if she could draw in the ground. It was difficult, the ground seeming to resist, but it was possible. Blinking, Twilight remembered she had paper with her, and pulled it out of her saddlebags. With that information in hoof, she glanced to Rarity and Applejack. “You mean to talk via pictures? Will it be possible to even convey enough information using such mundane methods?” Rarity glanced to the small line Twilight had drawn in the ground, and tried to hide her annoyance at the slight dust the action had raised. When she returned home, she was so getting a bubble bath. “It’s worth a shot at least. Maybe he’s seen them.” Levitating out a quill, Twilight crudely drew a picture of Celestia. Applejack sniggered, thinking it looked like a donkey with a sun on it’s flank. Drawing in a horn and wings, Twilight was about to move onto Luna, when she noticed the creature lean forward. Making no sound, it picked up the picture, glancing toward the sky with a frown. Standing up, it walked over to one of the chests, and pulled out some sort of diagram. Walking back over, the creature took the Celestia donkey, and slid it behind the diagram. Taking it in her magic, Twilight examined the strange device. “It...kinda looks like it has a face? I’m worried about that swirly vortex he draw underneath the face. Could it be another portal?” Glancing to the others, both Applejack and Rarity nodded. Rainbow Dash groaned, still hovering near the darkness. Spike yawned, knowing it was still not bedtime, but feeling tired due to it being night. “Alright, now how to ask where it is…” Frowning, Twilight tapped her chin, sighing as she wondered if simply drawing a question mark would work. While Twilight mused, Applejack walked up, and drew a shape in the dirt. The creature crouched down, watching this. Still thinking, Twilight was stuck in her muse. “Maybe ‘e knows about tha’ doorway.” Glancing to the others, Applejack noticed Twilight snap out of her muse with a shake of her head. Looking to her picture, the creature pulled out another diagram, this time in much more detail. Looking it over, Twilight glanced between it and the almost proud expression on the creature’s face. “You, you made this?” Realising it wouldn’t understand her, Twilight frowned, and glanced toward a pile of hay. An idea sparking, she turned toward Rarity. “Rarity, can you make a straw hat?” Pointing to the straw, Twilight smiled as Rarity tossed her hair, putting her magic to the task. While Rarity was doing that, Twilight turned back toward the creature. Pointing to the diagram, she pointed to Rarity crafting, and then to the creature. Giving a slow nod, the creature tilted his head. “Wait, this guy’s the reason for those portals!?” Diving forward, Rainbow Dash glared at the creature, too close for comfort. Taking a step back, the creature reached for his spear, but didn’t pull it out of the ground. Twilight carefully pulled Dash back, giving her a cautious glance. “Calm down, we don’t want it to attack us.” Standing up, Twilight gave the creature a smile she hoped was apologetic. Slowly, the creature let go of the spear, and sat back down. Holding out a hand, it glanced toward the drawings. Letting them out of her magic, Twilight watched as he pointed toward the door-portal, and then pointed to the face-portal. “I don’t understand, they’re the same portal?” Tilting her head, Twilight eventually just shook her head. Pursing his lip, the creature rubbed his chin, where a bit of stubble could be seen. Sighing, she picked up the face-portal picture, and began to walk in place. Pretending to be looking around for a moment, she then pointed to the diagram, and waited. Pulling out a map from a back pocket, the creature pointed to a section of the map with a mini face-portal on it. To Twilight’s surprise, the map was incredibly detailed. Rolling it back up, the creature put it back in his pocket. “Great, let’s go,” spoke Dash, about to fly into the darkness. The creature seemed to almost reach out to grab Dash, but stopped inches short. “!” The creature looked too Twilight, and she saw the pallid fear on its face, and grabbed Dash in her magic. “Stop Rainbow Dash. I think it’s trying to warn us about something.” Breathing a sigh as her friend obliged, Twilight looked back to the creature. Grabbing a stick, it drew a large shape, and then filled it with many teeth. Snorting, Dash opened her mouth to comment, but was interrupted by Applejack. “Ah think after those ‘ounds we ran into, ye’d be a little more cautious, Dash.” Raising an eyebrow, Applejack waited as Dash begrudgingly landed. “Okay, okay, fiine.” Glancing to the creature, Dash noticed it seemed to be preparing a lot of torches. In the creature's hands, the components seemed to almost mould perfectly into place, creating identical torches within moments. Finished that, the creature rolled them toward Twilight, and pulled out a lantern. “Alright, guess we want to take one each.” Picking it up, Twilight blinked as the moment she lifted it from horizontal to vertical, it lit. Tilting it back, she watched as it once more snuffed out. Passing the others one, she noticed Dash begin to play with it. The creature waited, pulling the spear out of the ground. “I think we should stay in the light?” Spike, who had been silent this entire time, gripped his torch with a nervous fear. Walking closer to the creature, they all noticed the lantern light up as he raised it high, and made sure to stay in the circle of light it emitted. Dash continued to play with her light. “Heh, red light, green light, red light, green li-” Cutting herself off, Dash noticed she had paused, and lost the group. Looking around in the darkness, she realised there were sounds of something approaching, something big. Putting the torch on, Dash noticed it begin to die, and felt a cold chill up her spine as something breathed on her back. Breaking off into a full-speed flight, Dash could feel the thing gaining, and hoped against all hope that she saw them. Tears of joy in her eyes, she dove into the lantern light, almost falling right back into the darkness. To her surprise, the creature had caught her by the tail, and just as quickly dropped her, backing off rapidly. “Yes, stay in the light,” spoke Dash, allowing herself to collapse in relief.
