The Best Team Up Since Foreverby R_E_D_A_C_T_E_DChaptersChapter 1: The Team Sort of Assembles Chapter 2: A Giant Rock And A FlightChapter 3: The One With The Lame SongFinal Chapter: The Rushed FinaleChapter 1: The Team Sort of Assembles Chapter 1: The Team Sort of Assembles A small, white unicorn lay asleep on the muddy grounds of a forest somewhere beyond the city of Griffonstone. Her very messy, half pink, half purple mane and tail had twigs and leaves burrowing into them, probably to make a nest for bugs at some point. Her chest moved slowly as she took in deep breaths, and released them through her open mouth. Who knew how many bugs she had swallowed. A warm wind blew gently through the leaves of the surrounding trees. A small breeze made its way to the small unicorn and blew against her muzzle. She yawned, sleepily opening her green eyes as the breeze began to gently blow small sticks and dead leaves off the ground. Her eyes, which had been half closed, opened wide with fear. Why was she in a forest? It didn't look like the Everfree Forest, for the colors here were far brighter. Panic began to consume her as she tried to remember every event that had taken place the previous night. She vaguely remembered being upset. At who, or for what reason, she could not remember. Before that, something had attacked her, or was it after? She groaned in anger, frustrated with her blurry memory. Irritated, the tiny mare squeaked out a yell. "What the hay happened!" Her voice echoed beyond the trees, causing birds to fly away, leaving the branches they had been watching the pony from. She muttered things under her breath as she stood off the ground, and brushed most of the things from her mane and tail. While she collected herself, she began to feel as if she was being watched. Her eyes darted around the clearing she was standing in and saw nothing but trees. After brushing the feeling off to being just average paranoia, the foal began her long trek north. Well, at least she was pretty sure north was where she was headed. She did not have a compass to tell her where north was. Actually, she had nothing that could help her get home. Even her magic would not help her enough, as no pony had taught her how to teleport. She hiked through the forest, only to find herself in another clearing. The little mare sighed and continued heading north, soon, she found herself at a third clearing. She examined the clearing, planted a hoof onto her her chin as she thought, and headed north once more, only to find herself again, in a clearing. The same clearing she had woken up in. Slowly it dawned on her. One word popped up in the very back of her mind. "Circles?" She asked herself. "I've been walking in circles!?" Her voice cracked through the forest like a teenage whip going through puberty. She kicked a rock and looked at the sky. It was getting dark. Both the sun and the moon were visible. Princess Luna had begun to lower the sun and raise the moon. Luna was the princess of the night. As I'm sure you're aware as was Sweetie Belle as she thought hard about what to do. With an eager smile, she nodded to her idea and moved leaves on e ground to make a bed, which she then laid on. After trying to lull herself to sleep, she shut her eyes and slipped off to dreamland. Sweetie Belle floated through space. Her tiny white hooves dangled from her body and paddled in place. From afar, a majestic, Royal blue made with a horn and large wingspan floated towards her. The mares mane and tail were light blue, and seemed to contain the universe within them. Her eyes were completely white, no iris, no puipil. She opened her mouth and boomed her regal voice. "You seek guidance, my little pony?" Sweetie Belle nodded and jumped with glee. "Yes, Princess Luna! I-" Luna raised a hoof and interrupted her with a knowing grin. "You are lost within a forest. We know. Fear not little one, for your sister has sent word to all neighbouring cities. Do not give up hope yet Sweetie Belle." Princess Luna then floated off into the void as Sweetie Belle watched her fade away, along with her surroundings. Soon everything had gone black. Sweetie Belle awoke to the sounds of leaves rustling and crackling under hooves. Or were they feet? She quickly stood up and, using the magic she knew, produced a small light from her horn. She looked around quickly, fearing what she might find in the dark of the forest. All she saw was ldead leaves, rocks, and a bunch of trees. Sweetie Belle sighed in relief, turned around, and before her stood a large, white and brown creature. Most of its body resembled an eagle, while the hind legs and tail resembled a lion. Sweetie Belle screamed, which caused the Griffon to scream as well. The two screamed in fear at each other for minutes before the Griffon collected herself on the leaves Sweetie Belle had made into a bed. "I'm guessin' that you're the foal that Rarity pony is looking for." The griffon stated, not looking at Sweetie Belle out of embarrassment. Sweetie looked at her as the wind picked up, blowing the griffons feathers along the cold breeze of the night. "Y-yes." Shivered Sweetie Belle looking at the griffons face with a sheepish grin. "I'm Sweetie Belle." The griffon snorted and turned towards her. There was a look of both annoyance and concern. "Yeah, whatever. Let's just get you home to your sister Sweetie Belle." The griffon unfolded her giant wings, turned away, and kneeled down in front of Sweetie Belle. "The name's Gilda. Now get on before we both freeze." She muttered just loud enough for Sweetie to hear. Sweetie Belle nodded and slowly climbed onto Gilda's warm, soft back, and held on tight as the griffon flapped her wings hard and began to rise into the night sky. Author's Note Trying a more, appropriate story. Don't want all my stories to be adult rated. This is just to keep the wheels turning in my head while I'm working on my other stories. I hope you'll enjoy the adventure ahead of Gilda and Sweetie Belle! Chapter 2: A Giant Rock And A FlightEverything looked so beautiful from the sky. The trees as every branch waved with the draft of wind that blew over the forest. There were rivers and lakes running along the center of the forest and stretched out all the way to the opposite ends, their waters crashing around like the wild winds of a hurricane. Gilda looked up at Sweetie Belle, who was watching the scenery in awe as they flew. Her purple and pink mane and tail flowing behind her as the wind caught them in its grasp. "How far is Ponyville from here?" Sweetie Belle called out, glancing down to Gilda with curious eyes. The griffon looked at her with an annoyed expressioin and opened her beak as if to say, " Quite a while kid." but went quiet as she veered off course, dodging a tree that had managed to find itself in Gilda's path. She corrected herself in the air and continued to fly over the forest. Sweetie managed to balance on Gilda's back as the griffon turned back onto her initial path. The wind seemed to he stronger than before, but Gilda was having no trouble with it. Sweetie felt dizzy and began poking Gilda with one of her front hooves. The griffon peeked up at Sweetie for a moment without losing focus on the course the wind was taking her. The little unicorn was beginning to sway back and forth, her breaths strained. "Gilda, I feel dizzy." Sweetie Belle announced, trying to keep herself from falling. She could feel it worsening and held tighter onto the griffon. Gilda glanced sat her and scowled. "You'll be fine. Just don't look down. Try to relax." Sweetie Belle nodded and let out a long, strained sigh. "Ill try but could you land for a second so I can-" Without warning, Sweetie Belle collapsed, falling off of Gilda's back, and plummeting towards the thrashing lake below. Beak first, Gilda dived towards the falling pony, reaching out with her talons. After grabbing Sweetie Belle tightly, the griffon pulled up and began to descend. Slowly, she landed atopp a grassy field just outside of the forest. The grass stood still, as the calm winds died down completely. The moon shone brightly over head while then stars twinkled brilliantly together, illuminating the night. Gilda rested Sweetie Belle and watched her for a second to he sure she was breathing. The slow rise and fall of her furry chest calmed Gilda, who knew that returning a less than safe unicorn would be a catastrophe for all involved. Gilda sat, waiting for the little mare to awake, wondering if the flight had caused Sweetie Belle to pass out. She looked up towards the sky and watched as a few clouds drifted in front of the bright moon, dimming the reflecting light, and making it harder to see. Gilda sighed frustratedly at the clouds and looked down. She slowly stretched her wings and arched her back, relaxing her stiff spine. It had been bothering her since before she found Sweetie Belle. Having the pony ride on her back certainly did not make it any better, so now that they were on the ground, Gilda's back felt much better. Gilda closed her eyes and listened to the noises that surrounded her. On her left was the soft breathing of Sweetie Belle. Beyond that were crickets that played their song using their little legs as violins. Gilda loved the sounds of nature, it felt calming to listen to. She smiled and laid back, taking in every sound as they played for her. It was not lokng before Gilda found herself dozing off to these sounds she thought to be relaxing. Sweetie Belle sat up slowly as the heat of the risen sun warmed her body. The naturally short grass tickling her as it gently followed the movements of the wind. She looked around, not recognizing the area. The familiar voice of her new griffon acquaintance calmed her a bit. "You nearly made a crash landing last night. You're lucky I'm such a good flyer kid." Gilda slowly approached the groggy Sweetie Belle and sat down beside her. Sweetie Belle smiled at her sheepishly. Gilda ignored the smile and took a deep breath. "I think we should walk the rest of the way to your home. My back doing hurt, and there will be less chance of you falling from too far up." "That's fine Gilda. Thank you for worrying about me." The griffon shot a glare at Sweetie Belle and snorted. "I'm not worried about you. I just don't want my back to hurt on the flight back to Griffonstone, that's all." Sweetie Belle nodded and hid a small grin with her hoof. Sweetie Belle stood up and stretched. "Well, if were hoofing it, we might as well start walking now." Sweetie Belle looked back at Gilda, who was facing the other way. "Um, which way should we head?" Gilda looked back at Sweetie Belle and rolled her eyes. "Just follow me. I know the way. Don't fall behind." Gilda growled as she began to lead Sweetie Belle away from the grassy fields and further from the nearby forest. The warm sun only got warmer and brighter as the day continued. They had been walking for hours, and had barely made a dent in their journey. Sweetie Belle huffed as she stopped walking. Gilda soon realized she was the only one walking and turned to the panting Sweetie Belle. "Now what?" Gilda asked frustrated. Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and looked worried. She breathed heavily as she asked Gilda a question that had been bugging her since the previous night. "Why was I so far away from home? And how did I get to the forest so quickly? It doesn't make sense!" Gilda chuckled as she remembered something from her childhood. "When I had lived in Cloudsdale, my friend Rainbow Dash once told me about a group of lost little impish creatures called Gremlins. Gremlins loved to play pranks on ponies, and this group of gremlins were notorious for their pranks." Gilda looked back to Sweetie Belle, who had began walking again, listening intently, clinging to every word Gilda spoke. "What kind of pranks would they pull?" Sweetie Belle asked, following Gilda down a rocky path that turned away from the grassy landscape they had been in. "Normally just silly lines, like dying your mane an awful color, or drenching you in water when it wasn't raining. But they were mostly known for foalnapping ponies for a good laugh, and would watch the foalnzpped ponies as they made their perilous journey home." "Really?!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, looking around cautiously. Gilda laughed and shook her head. "I doubt it. According to Dash, it was just a legend told to little fillies to make them wary of the dangerous world beyond their home, but who knows what creatures wait lurking in the shadows." Gilda smirked, feeling that she had accomplished her goal of making Sweetie Belle worry. "Let's hope that's all it is then." Sweetie Belle said shaking, her green eyes darting from shadow to shadow, looking for any gremlins that could be hiding nearby watching them. Gilda suddenly stopped, and Sweetie Belle, not looking directly in front of her, accidentally bumped into the griffons hind legs. "Sorry Gilda." "Look up kid." Gilda muttered as she stood still. Sweetie Belle looked up as Gilda said, and found herself standing at the foot of a mountain just large enough to overlook the entire valley they were in. The sky had darkened while Sweetie Bells had been busy watching for Gremlins. "This mountain sees all of Equestria. And should we climb up it, can find where to go from here. This is also a great spot to stop and rest, which is what I plan to do." Sweetie Belle groaned as she looked at the large rock formation. "Why don't we climb it now and rest on it?" Gilda shook her head and looked back at Sweetie Belle with a frustrated glare. "Trust me, its not an easy climb to make for ponies." Sweetie Belle glared at Gilda's large wings. "Why not fly us both up there?" Gilda laughed. "Well I would, but I don't feel like carrying you up there tonight. Just shut up and rest Sweetie Belle." Gilda said, lying down on the dirt below her feet. Sweetie Belle made a less than excited face as she laid down on the dirt as well. "Fine." She said, rolling over, facing away from Gilda, staring up at the mountain. The moon was in the sky once more, just barely resting above the tip of the mountain. Sweetie Belle sighed after taking in a deep breath. She laid awake on the dirt for what felt like hours, trust me, that is a painfully dull experience when you're uncomfortable. Sweetie closed her eyes and tried to go too sleep, but her bjoxy would not allow her. She rolled onto her other side to face Gilda, who was fast asleep, snoring lightly through her open beak. Sweetie Belled sighed again and slowly stood up. She wanted too get home now! The small mare quietly and carefully made her way to the foot of the mountain. She looked back at Gilda as the moon shone down on her, casting a shadow under her yellow beak. She was still heavily sleeping. Sweetie turned back to the mountain and with a deep breath, began her grueling hike up it. She would find her way home without Gilda. She could feel it in her gut that she would be okay despite the fear in her mind at how steep it was, and how crumbly the rocks below her hooves felt. Sweetie Belle looked back one last time as she slowly climbed up. Hopefully Gilda would understand, and hopefully no Gremlins would find her as she slept. Author's Note Chapter two! I may have rushed this a bit, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Chapter 3: The One With The Lame SongGilda yawned and stretched her giant wings and her front legs before sitting up. She kept her eyes closed as the soft breeze blew against her feathers. She smiled and opened here eyes. As she glanced to where Sweetie Belle had been, she panicked. Surprisingly, she also broke into song. "Oh no! The little pony, she's missing! Where did she go? Perhaps she's reminiscing? Thinking of the good times she's spent at home? No wait, what am I sayin'? I bet she started scalin' up the mountain! She probably isn't safe, while she's trying to find her way! I must find her once again! Boy this foal is a royal pain!" She sung, spreading her wings as far as they would go, and flapping them hard, rising into the blue sky to catch up with Sweetie Belle, who was halfway up the mountain, singing as well while she continued to hike up its rocky paths. "Gilda the Griffon, she said to wait, but I've made my way. Up this rocky bank! I think its safe, to say today, I'm going home to Rarity!" Sweetie Belle hopped from one rock to another which was spaced just far enough apart that she couldn't reach otherwise. "My friends, they wait! Just on the other side. So up I climb, following the mountain to the sky!" Gilda began to circle over the mountain, searching high and low for Sweetie Belle. Frantically looking inmebery possible direction, and soon spotted her among many large rocks. She flew low and gained Sweetie Belles attention, flapping her wings against the wind as it tried to make her fly away from the mountain. Sweetie Belle grimaced at the sight of Gilda, and no, the two were not done singing my poorly written song. Gilda sang first, then Sweetie Belle retorted while singing as well. "Sweetie Belle, why did you go?" "I wanted to find my way home!" "This mountain's dangerous to scale alone!" "No its not, its safe. So bolt!" "Fine, I'll leave. I know when I'm shut out!" Gilda sange as she flew out of sight. She muttered to herself so Sweetie Belle would not hear. "I'll fly unseen. That fily doesn't know, how dangerous below , it is on that rocky slope!" Sweetie Belle looked up with a frown, which turned to a small grin of success after seeing Gilda no where. She sighed angrily and su g too herself while continuing to scale the mou gain side. "Gilda is insane! This place is totally safe! I was really really chafed. Now I'm climbing up the mountain while I'm drained! Geez that griffon is a royal pain!" Sweetie Belle huffed, turning back to the wall of rocks before her. The sun was now fully cast over her and the heat was hardly bearable. As she climbed, she found herself on a path of rocks that rotated around the mountain like a spiral staircase. Directly in front of her, on the edge of the path, was something small. Sweetie Belle could not tell what it was, because the second she began to approach it for a better look, it zipped behind a rock that was sticking out of place, un like the rest of the rocks that made up the very convenient path that totally isn't just there to quicken the story. "Aw, don't be scared little guy. I won't hurt you." Sweetie Belle softly cooed, trying to coax the thing out from behind the rock, but failed. Which she figured out when she approached the other side of the rock and noticed nothing was there. "It must have been my imagination." As day became night, a very exhausted Sweetie Belle finally reached the top of the mountain. Sweat dripping down her fur as she caught her breath. Gilda circled over head, just far enough away to not be seen in the starry night sky. Sweetie Belle took a look around the surrounding sky, and saw lights off in the distance to her left. In her excitement, she shouted. "I see it! Its ponyville! I'm close! I did it! I've found my way home!" She bounced around in glee, before stopping to yawn for what seemed like ages. She rubbed her her eyes delicately with her front hooves. Sleepily she giggled. "Maybe I should rest before anything else. After all, I did forget about sleep since last night, when in started climbing." She laid down, snuggling against her front legs, shutting her eyes gently. After only a few seconds, she was asleep, snoring softly into her hooves. Gilda gracefully swooped down and landed beside her. She shook her head and looked down towards the lights of ponyville. She hen chuckled quietly, whispering to Sweetie Belle in surprise. "Nice job kid. You did it by yourself. I thought food sure your have fallen off the side. That's why I said it was dangerous to climb hip here alone. I guess you proved me wrong." Gilda sat down on the mother side of the mountaintop, resting against a large rock, wearing a tiny smirk on her yellow beak. She stretched her front arms/legs and let out a sigh of relief. She looked back at Sweetie Belle, who was slowly levitating off the rocky ground. Gilda hadn't the time to react, other than widening her eyes as a small creatures appeared under the small white filly. With a quick flash of green, Sweetie Belle and the small creature, were gone. The only evidence left behind was a small amount of smoke rising from where Sweetie Belle had been sleeping. Gilda made an irritated face and looked back towards the forest. With the feathers on her right wing, she made numbers, counting down. Three. Silence filled the air as Gilda listened. Two. The trees waved their leaf covered branches. One. A scream sounded from the direction Gilda was currently facing. She sighed stretching her wings onto their full extent. "That's my cue." She winked, took off into the sky, and then swooped down, into the forest. Again. Author's Note I can't write songs, but I wanted there to be a musical number for some reason. No idea why. Anyway. I hope you enjoyed the third chapter! This is now officially the longest fic I've written! Holy magical ponies batman!!! Let me know how I did, and what you like or hate about this story so far! Final Chapter: The Rushed FinaleSweetiebelle groaned in anger as she awoke. Her hooves hurt, her head ached, and the ground beneath her felt cold and damp. She inhaled the musky air sharply, opening her eyes and rolling over to get on her belly and plant her hooves to the ground with a soft plomp. She nearly jumped when the silence she had been hearing was finally broken by a scratchy voice. "I'd stay put if I were you." It said, coming from Sweeties left. She turned and squinted her eyes, looking to the silhouette, which seemed to be a slumped over body resting on the possibly stone floor. "Why? Where are we? Who are you?" Sweetiebelle asked. Moving her body to properly face the silhouette, which slowly stood up and took a step towards her. A soft, purple glow illuminating the small room and everything inside. Outside, the forest seemed to awaken. The trees swaying and bushes rustling with life as Gilda shot across the sky, searching for the pony who had screamed. Hoping to find Sweetiebelle. Instead she found nothing but lizards, bark, and rocks. "Great, I get asked to do ONE THING and I can't even do that." She muttered, slowing down and scanning an opening in the trees, looking frantically along the dirt below. Groaning when she confirmed that only more lizards and rocks were all she would find, she began to once again rocket through the sky, watching the ground below carefully. That's when she saw him. He stood one foot tall, had grayish-green skin, and long, pointy ears. He looked up at Gilda and the monstrous amounts of teeth he flashed while smiling only confirmed it. He was a Gremlin. "Twilight?" Sweetie squeaked, exasperated as she fell over. Before her stood the small, slender, purple alicorn. Her mane a mess, her eyes locked on the little unicorn with worry. "Sweetiebelle, it's so good to know you're alright, but, what are you doing here?" She looked Sweetie over and sighed. "Did Gilda even find you?" Sweetiebelle glanced up at Twilight and took in a long breath. She nodded her head and but her bottom lip. "She did. Did... Did Rarity really send her to get me home?" Sweetiebelle asked, shivering as she hugged the princesss. Twilight looked down at her with surprise and smiled. "Of course it's true Sweetiebelle. Your sister loves you. Between you and me," she began, smirking as she leaned closer, "Rarity would probably shave her mane and become a hermit pony if you weren't her sister." Sweetiebelle looked at Twilight with confusion. "A hermit pony? Really?" Twilight just nodded and smiled softly. "Really though Sweetiebelle. What are you doing here?" Sweetie looked scared as she began to remember what had happened. "I was making my way back when this thing grabbed me. I tried to scream for Gilda when it..." Sweetie paused, horror on her face as Twilight gave her the darkest look she had ever seen. Pure hate was in her yellow eyes. "You're not Twilight." She shook her head, grinning as the purple light faded and all Sweetie could see was the silhouette once more. The Gremlin spotted Gilda and screeched, running off deeper into the forest with Gilda closing in on him. As she chased the foul little beast, he dived under a log. When Gilda turned the log over, instead if finding a Gremlin, she found a large hole just big enough for a small pony to fit through. "Sweetiebelle?" She called out, listening closely as she waited. Quietly she heard her say something in shock. "Twilight?" Gilda nearly choked on her own breath. There was no way that alicorn fit down that tiny hole. It wasn't even big enough for a changeling should one wish to venture down it. Whatever was down there with Sweetiebelle, had been waiting for her. She took a better look at her surroundings. The log she rolled over seemed to dip into the ground some. She walked over and pushed it. The log tipped forward and fell straight through the ground. A large hole now opened up. Leaves and sticks flying up into the air from the log hitting them before going down. 1 2 3 4 5 With a crash the log finally hit the bottom, making Gilda smile and spread her wings. This was her way in. Sweetiebelle closed her eyes and tried to use magic. And magic she could to fight off the silhouette. Sparks shot fron her horn. Lighting the small room up briefly. The Twilight imposter stood ten feet from Sweetiebelle, grinning horribly. With a gasp she tried again. Shutting her eyes and shooting more Sparks from her horn. The imposter was gone. In it's place stood a fat, angry gremlin. It's teeth like a sharks as it flashed it's smile, revealing row after row if razor sharp teeth. It's pale skin shining from the Sparks light. Then the sparks were gone. And the sound of feet scurrying about filled the room. There was a loud hiss behind Sweetiebelle and she screamed. Shutting her eyes and blasting a powerful shot of magic at nothing. The room lighting up just in time for Gilda to come crashing into the large bellied Gremlin. Without thinking Gilda scooped up Sweetiebelle and flew off. Bolting out of the room and up the large hole. Once they both were out, Gilda set Sweetiebelle down and began pushing a boulder over the large hole. Covering it. She then returned to Sweetiebelle and lowered herself for the filly to climb atop her. "Come on. Hurry." She growled. Sweetiebelle jumped onto the Gryphon's back without hesitating and Gilda took flight. Rarity stood outside her boutique, shivering as she waited in the cold once more for her baby sister and Gilda. The thought of losing Sweetiebelle devastated her. She looked down and flopped onto the cold ground. "Hey." Rarity perked her ears up and looked up from her own forelegs. A gryphon stood before her. Rarity jumped to her hooves and locked eyes with her sister, who sat on Gilda's back. A big dumb smile in her face. "I missed you Sweetie. I'm so glad you're home. And safe." Gilda sat the filly down and turned away. "Thank you Gilda." "Yeah whatever." Author's Note Finally back! Finishing this and one more relaxing night story and then I csn move on to other projects. I'm so sorry I left this one on ice for so long. I hope you enjoy this.
Chapter 1: The Team Sort of Assembles Chapter 1: The Team Sort of Assembles A small, white unicorn lay asleep on the muddy grounds of a forest somewhere beyond the city of Griffonstone. Her very messy, half pink, half purple mane and tail had twigs and leaves burrowing into them, probably to make a nest for bugs at some point. Her chest moved slowly as she took in deep breaths, and released them through her open mouth. Who knew how many bugs she had swallowed. A warm wind blew gently through the leaves of the surrounding trees. A small breeze made its way to the small unicorn and blew against her muzzle. She yawned, sleepily opening her green eyes as the breeze began to gently blow small sticks and dead leaves off the ground. Her eyes, which had been half closed, opened wide with fear. Why was she in a forest? It didn't look like the Everfree Forest, for the colors here were far brighter. Panic began to consume her as she tried to remember every event that had taken place the previous night. She vaguely remembered being upset. At who, or for what reason, she could not remember. Before that, something had attacked her, or was it after? She groaned in anger, frustrated with her blurry memory. Irritated, the tiny mare squeaked out a yell. "What the hay happened!" Her voice echoed beyond the trees, causing birds to fly away, leaving the branches they had been watching the pony from. She muttered things under her breath as she stood off the ground, and brushed most of the things from her mane and tail. While she collected herself, she began to feel as if she was being watched. Her eyes darted around the clearing she was standing in and saw nothing but trees. After brushing the feeling off to being just average paranoia, the foal began her long trek north. Well, at least she was pretty sure north was where she was headed. She did not have a compass to tell her where north was. Actually, she had nothing that could help her get home. Even her magic would not help her enough, as no pony had taught her how to teleport. She hiked through the forest, only to find herself in another clearing. The little mare sighed and continued heading north, soon, she found herself at a third clearing. She examined the clearing, planted a hoof onto her her chin as she thought, and headed north once more, only to find herself again, in a clearing. The same clearing she had woken up in. Slowly it dawned on her. One word popped up in the very back of her mind. "Circles?" She asked herself. "I've been walking in circles!?" Her voice cracked through the forest like a teenage whip going through puberty. She kicked a rock and looked at the sky. It was getting dark. Both the sun and the moon were visible. Princess Luna had begun to lower the sun and raise the moon. Luna was the princess of the night. As I'm sure you're aware as was Sweetie Belle as she thought hard about what to do. With an eager smile, she nodded to her idea and moved leaves on e ground to make a bed, which she then laid on. After trying to lull herself to sleep, she shut her eyes and slipped off to dreamland. Sweetie Belle floated through space. Her tiny white hooves dangled from her body and paddled in place. From afar, a majestic, Royal blue made with a horn and large wingspan floated towards her. The mares mane and tail were light blue, and seemed to contain the universe within them. Her eyes were completely white, no iris, no puipil. She opened her mouth and boomed her regal voice. "You seek guidance, my little pony?" Sweetie Belle nodded and jumped with glee. "Yes, Princess Luna! I-" Luna raised a hoof and interrupted her with a knowing grin. "You are lost within a forest. We know. Fear not little one, for your sister has sent word to all neighbouring cities. Do not give up hope yet Sweetie Belle." Princess Luna then floated off into the void as Sweetie Belle watched her fade away, along with her surroundings. Soon everything had gone black. Sweetie Belle awoke to the sounds of leaves rustling and crackling under hooves. Or were they feet? She quickly stood up and, using the magic she knew, produced a small light from her horn. She looked around quickly, fearing what she might find in the dark of the forest. All she saw was ldead leaves, rocks, and a bunch of trees. Sweetie Belle sighed in relief, turned around, and before her stood a large, white and brown creature. Most of its body resembled an eagle, while the hind legs and tail resembled a lion. Sweetie Belle screamed, which caused the Griffon to scream as well. The two screamed in fear at each other for minutes before the Griffon collected herself on the leaves Sweetie Belle had made into a bed. "I'm guessin' that you're the foal that Rarity pony is looking for." The griffon stated, not looking at Sweetie Belle out of embarrassment. Sweetie looked at her as the wind picked up, blowing the griffons feathers along the cold breeze of the night. "Y-yes." Shivered Sweetie Belle looking at the griffons face with a sheepish grin. "I'm Sweetie Belle." The griffon snorted and turned towards her. There was a look of both annoyance and concern. "Yeah, whatever. Let's just get you home to your sister Sweetie Belle." The griffon unfolded her giant wings, turned away, and kneeled down in front of Sweetie Belle. "The name's Gilda. Now get on before we both freeze." She muttered just loud enough for Sweetie to hear. Sweetie Belle nodded and slowly climbed onto Gilda's warm, soft back, and held on tight as the griffon flapped her wings hard and began to rise into the night sky. Author's Note Trying a more, appropriate story. Don't want all my stories to be adult rated. This is just to keep the wheels turning in my head while I'm working on my other stories. I hope you'll enjoy the adventure ahead of Gilda and Sweetie Belle!
Chapter 2: A Giant Rock And A FlightEverything looked so beautiful from the sky. The trees as every branch waved with the draft of wind that blew over the forest. There were rivers and lakes running along the center of the forest and stretched out all the way to the opposite ends, their waters crashing around like the wild winds of a hurricane. Gilda looked up at Sweetie Belle, who was watching the scenery in awe as they flew. Her purple and pink mane and tail flowing behind her as the wind caught them in its grasp. "How far is Ponyville from here?" Sweetie Belle called out, glancing down to Gilda with curious eyes. The griffon looked at her with an annoyed expressioin and opened her beak as if to say, " Quite a while kid." but went quiet as she veered off course, dodging a tree that had managed to find itself in Gilda's path. She corrected herself in the air and continued to fly over the forest. Sweetie managed to balance on Gilda's back as the griffon turned back onto her initial path. The wind seemed to he stronger than before, but Gilda was having no trouble with it. Sweetie felt dizzy and began poking Gilda with one of her front hooves. The griffon peeked up at Sweetie for a moment without losing focus on the course the wind was taking her. The little unicorn was beginning to sway back and forth, her breaths strained. "Gilda, I feel dizzy." Sweetie Belle announced, trying to keep herself from falling. She could feel it worsening and held tighter onto the griffon. Gilda glanced sat her and scowled. "You'll be fine. Just don't look down. Try to relax." Sweetie Belle nodded and let out a long, strained sigh. "Ill try but could you land for a second so I can-" Without warning, Sweetie Belle collapsed, falling off of Gilda's back, and plummeting towards the thrashing lake below. Beak first, Gilda dived towards the falling pony, reaching out with her talons. After grabbing Sweetie Belle tightly, the griffon pulled up and began to descend. Slowly, she landed atopp a grassy field just outside of the forest. The grass stood still, as the calm winds died down completely. The moon shone brightly over head while then stars twinkled brilliantly together, illuminating the night. Gilda rested Sweetie Belle and watched her for a second to he sure she was breathing. The slow rise and fall of her furry chest calmed Gilda, who knew that returning a less than safe unicorn would be a catastrophe for all involved. Gilda sat, waiting for the little mare to awake, wondering if the flight had caused Sweetie Belle to pass out. She looked up towards the sky and watched as a few clouds drifted in front of the bright moon, dimming the reflecting light, and making it harder to see. Gilda sighed frustratedly at the clouds and looked down. She slowly stretched her wings and arched her back, relaxing her stiff spine. It had been bothering her since before she found Sweetie Belle. Having the pony ride on her back certainly did not make it any better, so now that they were on the ground, Gilda's back felt much better. Gilda closed her eyes and listened to the noises that surrounded her. On her left was the soft breathing of Sweetie Belle. Beyond that were crickets that played their song using their little legs as violins. Gilda loved the sounds of nature, it felt calming to listen to. She smiled and laid back, taking in every sound as they played for her. It was not lokng before Gilda found herself dozing off to these sounds she thought to be relaxing. Sweetie Belle sat up slowly as the heat of the risen sun warmed her body. The naturally short grass tickling her as it gently followed the movements of the wind. She looked around, not recognizing the area. The familiar voice of her new griffon acquaintance calmed her a bit. "You nearly made a crash landing last night. You're lucky I'm such a good flyer kid." Gilda slowly approached the groggy Sweetie Belle and sat down beside her. Sweetie Belle smiled at her sheepishly. Gilda ignored the smile and took a deep breath. "I think we should walk the rest of the way to your home. My back doing hurt, and there will be less chance of you falling from too far up." "That's fine Gilda. Thank you for worrying about me." The griffon shot a glare at Sweetie Belle and snorted. "I'm not worried about you. I just don't want my back to hurt on the flight back to Griffonstone, that's all." Sweetie Belle nodded and hid a small grin with her hoof. Sweetie Belle stood up and stretched. "Well, if were hoofing it, we might as well start walking now." Sweetie Belle looked back at Gilda, who was facing the other way. "Um, which way should we head?" Gilda looked back at Sweetie Belle and rolled her eyes. "Just follow me. I know the way. Don't fall behind." Gilda growled as she began to lead Sweetie Belle away from the grassy fields and further from the nearby forest. The warm sun only got warmer and brighter as the day continued. They had been walking for hours, and had barely made a dent in their journey. Sweetie Belle huffed as she stopped walking. Gilda soon realized she was the only one walking and turned to the panting Sweetie Belle. "Now what?" Gilda asked frustrated. Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and looked worried. She breathed heavily as she asked Gilda a question that had been bugging her since the previous night. "Why was I so far away from home? And how did I get to the forest so quickly? It doesn't make sense!" Gilda chuckled as she remembered something from her childhood. "When I had lived in Cloudsdale, my friend Rainbow Dash once told me about a group of lost little impish creatures called Gremlins. Gremlins loved to play pranks on ponies, and this group of gremlins were notorious for their pranks." Gilda looked back to Sweetie Belle, who had began walking again, listening intently, clinging to every word Gilda spoke. "What kind of pranks would they pull?" Sweetie Belle asked, following Gilda down a rocky path that turned away from the grassy landscape they had been in. "Normally just silly lines, like dying your mane an awful color, or drenching you in water when it wasn't raining. But they were mostly known for foalnapping ponies for a good laugh, and would watch the foalnzpped ponies as they made their perilous journey home." "Really?!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, looking around cautiously. Gilda laughed and shook her head. "I doubt it. According to Dash, it was just a legend told to little fillies to make them wary of the dangerous world beyond their home, but who knows what creatures wait lurking in the shadows." Gilda smirked, feeling that she had accomplished her goal of making Sweetie Belle worry. "Let's hope that's all it is then." Sweetie Belle said shaking, her green eyes darting from shadow to shadow, looking for any gremlins that could be hiding nearby watching them. Gilda suddenly stopped, and Sweetie Belle, not looking directly in front of her, accidentally bumped into the griffons hind legs. "Sorry Gilda." "Look up kid." Gilda muttered as she stood still. Sweetie Belle looked up as Gilda said, and found herself standing at the foot of a mountain just large enough to overlook the entire valley they were in. The sky had darkened while Sweetie Bells had been busy watching for Gremlins. "This mountain sees all of Equestria. And should we climb up it, can find where to go from here. This is also a great spot to stop and rest, which is what I plan to do." Sweetie Belle groaned as she looked at the large rock formation. "Why don't we climb it now and rest on it?" Gilda shook her head and looked back at Sweetie Belle with a frustrated glare. "Trust me, its not an easy climb to make for ponies." Sweetie Belle glared at Gilda's large wings. "Why not fly us both up there?" Gilda laughed. "Well I would, but I don't feel like carrying you up there tonight. Just shut up and rest Sweetie Belle." Gilda said, lying down on the dirt below her feet. Sweetie Belle made a less than excited face as she laid down on the dirt as well. "Fine." She said, rolling over, facing away from Gilda, staring up at the mountain. The moon was in the sky once more, just barely resting above the tip of the mountain. Sweetie Belle sighed after taking in a deep breath. She laid awake on the dirt for what felt like hours, trust me, that is a painfully dull experience when you're uncomfortable. Sweetie closed her eyes and tried to go too sleep, but her bjoxy would not allow her. She rolled onto her other side to face Gilda, who was fast asleep, snoring lightly through her open beak. Sweetie Belled sighed again and slowly stood up. She wanted too get home now! The small mare quietly and carefully made her way to the foot of the mountain. She looked back at Gilda as the moon shone down on her, casting a shadow under her yellow beak. She was still heavily sleeping. Sweetie turned back to the mountain and with a deep breath, began her grueling hike up it. She would find her way home without Gilda. She could feel it in her gut that she would be okay despite the fear in her mind at how steep it was, and how crumbly the rocks below her hooves felt. Sweetie Belle looked back one last time as she slowly climbed up. Hopefully Gilda would understand, and hopefully no Gremlins would find her as she slept. Author's Note Chapter two! I may have rushed this a bit, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!
Chapter 3: The One With The Lame SongGilda yawned and stretched her giant wings and her front legs before sitting up. She kept her eyes closed as the soft breeze blew against her feathers. She smiled and opened here eyes. As she glanced to where Sweetie Belle had been, she panicked. Surprisingly, she also broke into song. "Oh no! The little pony, she's missing! Where did she go? Perhaps she's reminiscing? Thinking of the good times she's spent at home? No wait, what am I sayin'? I bet she started scalin' up the mountain! She probably isn't safe, while she's trying to find her way! I must find her once again! Boy this foal is a royal pain!" She sung, spreading her wings as far as they would go, and flapping them hard, rising into the blue sky to catch up with Sweetie Belle, who was halfway up the mountain, singing as well while she continued to hike up its rocky paths. "Gilda the Griffon, she said to wait, but I've made my way. Up this rocky bank! I think its safe, to say today, I'm going home to Rarity!" Sweetie Belle hopped from one rock to another which was spaced just far enough apart that she couldn't reach otherwise. "My friends, they wait! Just on the other side. So up I climb, following the mountain to the sky!" Gilda began to circle over the mountain, searching high and low for Sweetie Belle. Frantically looking inmebery possible direction, and soon spotted her among many large rocks. She flew low and gained Sweetie Belles attention, flapping her wings against the wind as it tried to make her fly away from the mountain. Sweetie Belle grimaced at the sight of Gilda, and no, the two were not done singing my poorly written song. Gilda sang first, then Sweetie Belle retorted while singing as well. "Sweetie Belle, why did you go?" "I wanted to find my way home!" "This mountain's dangerous to scale alone!" "No its not, its safe. So bolt!" "Fine, I'll leave. I know when I'm shut out!" Gilda sange as she flew out of sight. She muttered to herself so Sweetie Belle would not hear. "I'll fly unseen. That fily doesn't know, how dangerous below , it is on that rocky slope!" Sweetie Belle looked up with a frown, which turned to a small grin of success after seeing Gilda no where. She sighed angrily and su g too herself while continuing to scale the mou gain side. "Gilda is insane! This place is totally safe! I was really really chafed. Now I'm climbing up the mountain while I'm drained! Geez that griffon is a royal pain!" Sweetie Belle huffed, turning back to the wall of rocks before her. The sun was now fully cast over her and the heat was hardly bearable. As she climbed, she found herself on a path of rocks that rotated around the mountain like a spiral staircase. Directly in front of her, on the edge of the path, was something small. Sweetie Belle could not tell what it was, because the second she began to approach it for a better look, it zipped behind a rock that was sticking out of place, un like the rest of the rocks that made up the very convenient path that totally isn't just there to quicken the story. "Aw, don't be scared little guy. I won't hurt you." Sweetie Belle softly cooed, trying to coax the thing out from behind the rock, but failed. Which she figured out when she approached the other side of the rock and noticed nothing was there. "It must have been my imagination." As day became night, a very exhausted Sweetie Belle finally reached the top of the mountain. Sweat dripping down her fur as she caught her breath. Gilda circled over head, just far enough away to not be seen in the starry night sky. Sweetie Belle took a look around the surrounding sky, and saw lights off in the distance to her left. In her excitement, she shouted. "I see it! Its ponyville! I'm close! I did it! I've found my way home!" She bounced around in glee, before stopping to yawn for what seemed like ages. She rubbed her her eyes delicately with her front hooves. Sleepily she giggled. "Maybe I should rest before anything else. After all, I did forget about sleep since last night, when in started climbing." She laid down, snuggling against her front legs, shutting her eyes gently. After only a few seconds, she was asleep, snoring softly into her hooves. Gilda gracefully swooped down and landed beside her. She shook her head and looked down towards the lights of ponyville. She hen chuckled quietly, whispering to Sweetie Belle in surprise. "Nice job kid. You did it by yourself. I thought food sure your have fallen off the side. That's why I said it was dangerous to climb hip here alone. I guess you proved me wrong." Gilda sat down on the mother side of the mountaintop, resting against a large rock, wearing a tiny smirk on her yellow beak. She stretched her front arms/legs and let out a sigh of relief. She looked back at Sweetie Belle, who was slowly levitating off the rocky ground. Gilda hadn't the time to react, other than widening her eyes as a small creatures appeared under the small white filly. With a quick flash of green, Sweetie Belle and the small creature, were gone. The only evidence left behind was a small amount of smoke rising from where Sweetie Belle had been sleeping. Gilda made an irritated face and looked back towards the forest. With the feathers on her right wing, she made numbers, counting down. Three. Silence filled the air as Gilda listened. Two. The trees waved their leaf covered branches. One. A scream sounded from the direction Gilda was currently facing. She sighed stretching her wings onto their full extent. "That's my cue." She winked, took off into the sky, and then swooped down, into the forest. Again. Author's Note I can't write songs, but I wanted there to be a musical number for some reason. No idea why. Anyway. I hope you enjoyed the third chapter! This is now officially the longest fic I've written! Holy magical ponies batman!!! Let me know how I did, and what you like or hate about this story so far!
Final Chapter: The Rushed FinaleSweetiebelle groaned in anger as she awoke. Her hooves hurt, her head ached, and the ground beneath her felt cold and damp. She inhaled the musky air sharply, opening her eyes and rolling over to get on her belly and plant her hooves to the ground with a soft plomp. She nearly jumped when the silence she had been hearing was finally broken by a scratchy voice. "I'd stay put if I were you." It said, coming from Sweeties left. She turned and squinted her eyes, looking to the silhouette, which seemed to be a slumped over body resting on the possibly stone floor. "Why? Where are we? Who are you?" Sweetiebelle asked. Moving her body to properly face the silhouette, which slowly stood up and took a step towards her. A soft, purple glow illuminating the small room and everything inside. Outside, the forest seemed to awaken. The trees swaying and bushes rustling with life as Gilda shot across the sky, searching for the pony who had screamed. Hoping to find Sweetiebelle. Instead she found nothing but lizards, bark, and rocks. "Great, I get asked to do ONE THING and I can't even do that." She muttered, slowing down and scanning an opening in the trees, looking frantically along the dirt below. Groaning when she confirmed that only more lizards and rocks were all she would find, she began to once again rocket through the sky, watching the ground below carefully. That's when she saw him. He stood one foot tall, had grayish-green skin, and long, pointy ears. He looked up at Gilda and the monstrous amounts of teeth he flashed while smiling only confirmed it. He was a Gremlin. "Twilight?" Sweetie squeaked, exasperated as she fell over. Before her stood the small, slender, purple alicorn. Her mane a mess, her eyes locked on the little unicorn with worry. "Sweetiebelle, it's so good to know you're alright, but, what are you doing here?" She looked Sweetie over and sighed. "Did Gilda even find you?" Sweetiebelle glanced up at Twilight and took in a long breath. She nodded her head and but her bottom lip. "She did. Did... Did Rarity really send her to get me home?" Sweetiebelle asked, shivering as she hugged the princesss. Twilight looked down at her with surprise and smiled. "Of course it's true Sweetiebelle. Your sister loves you. Between you and me," she began, smirking as she leaned closer, "Rarity would probably shave her mane and become a hermit pony if you weren't her sister." Sweetiebelle looked at Twilight with confusion. "A hermit pony? Really?" Twilight just nodded and smiled softly. "Really though Sweetiebelle. What are you doing here?" Sweetie looked scared as she began to remember what had happened. "I was making my way back when this thing grabbed me. I tried to scream for Gilda when it..." Sweetie paused, horror on her face as Twilight gave her the darkest look she had ever seen. Pure hate was in her yellow eyes. "You're not Twilight." She shook her head, grinning as the purple light faded and all Sweetie could see was the silhouette once more. The Gremlin spotted Gilda and screeched, running off deeper into the forest with Gilda closing in on him. As she chased the foul little beast, he dived under a log. When Gilda turned the log over, instead if finding a Gremlin, she found a large hole just big enough for a small pony to fit through. "Sweetiebelle?" She called out, listening closely as she waited. Quietly she heard her say something in shock. "Twilight?" Gilda nearly choked on her own breath. There was no way that alicorn fit down that tiny hole. It wasn't even big enough for a changeling should one wish to venture down it. Whatever was down there with Sweetiebelle, had been waiting for her. She took a better look at her surroundings. The log she rolled over seemed to dip into the ground some. She walked over and pushed it. The log tipped forward and fell straight through the ground. A large hole now opened up. Leaves and sticks flying up into the air from the log hitting them before going down. 1 2 3 4 5 With a crash the log finally hit the bottom, making Gilda smile and spread her wings. This was her way in. Sweetiebelle closed her eyes and tried to use magic. And magic she could to fight off the silhouette. Sparks shot fron her horn. Lighting the small room up briefly. The Twilight imposter stood ten feet from Sweetiebelle, grinning horribly. With a gasp she tried again. Shutting her eyes and shooting more Sparks from her horn. The imposter was gone. In it's place stood a fat, angry gremlin. It's teeth like a sharks as it flashed it's smile, revealing row after row if razor sharp teeth. It's pale skin shining from the Sparks light. Then the sparks were gone. And the sound of feet scurrying about filled the room. There was a loud hiss behind Sweetiebelle and she screamed. Shutting her eyes and blasting a powerful shot of magic at nothing. The room lighting up just in time for Gilda to come crashing into the large bellied Gremlin. Without thinking Gilda scooped up Sweetiebelle and flew off. Bolting out of the room and up the large hole. Once they both were out, Gilda set Sweetiebelle down and began pushing a boulder over the large hole. Covering it. She then returned to Sweetiebelle and lowered herself for the filly to climb atop her. "Come on. Hurry." She growled. Sweetiebelle jumped onto the Gryphon's back without hesitating and Gilda took flight. Rarity stood outside her boutique, shivering as she waited in the cold once more for her baby sister and Gilda. The thought of losing Sweetiebelle devastated her. She looked down and flopped onto the cold ground. "Hey." Rarity perked her ears up and looked up from her own forelegs. A gryphon stood before her. Rarity jumped to her hooves and locked eyes with her sister, who sat on Gilda's back. A big dumb smile in her face. "I missed you Sweetie. I'm so glad you're home. And safe." Gilda sat the filly down and turned away. "Thank you Gilda." "Yeah whatever." Author's Note Finally back! Finishing this and one more relaxing night story and then I csn move on to other projects. I'm so sorry I left this one on ice for so long. I hope you enjoy this.
