Deep within the Everfree Forest, a violent storm is brewing. The winds are howling, and droplets of rain pound along the forest floor. Hiding from the storm, the traveling magician: Trixie Lulamoon, has found refuge within her carriage. Using her magic, she strikes a match and lights several candles around her carriage. She blows out the flame of the match with one quick blow, and smiles as she enjoys the sounds of the storm. The warming, orange glow from the candles illuminates all of the clutter within her carriage. Trixie takes a good, long look at the array of wooden chests, random assortments of fabric, fireworks and other sorts of things she would use for her performances. “Hmm,” Trixie ponders with her hoof under her chin. “Perhaps it’s time Trixie tidy this place up a bit.” A sudden flash of white light slips through the cracks of the wood that make up her carriage, and is followed by a deafening crash of thunder. Trixie’s eyes widen as she gasps from fright, but quickly feels foolish for having been startled by something so ordinary. Just as she is about to dismiss her embarrassment, she hears a series of knocks at her carriage door. She turns to the door, confused and quivering. “W-Who could possibly be out in this storm? And why did they have to come to ‘Trixie’s’ carriage?!” She panics in a low tone of voice. The knocking continues, forcing Trixie to take action. “J-Just one minute!” Cautiously, she turns the handle of her carriage door. She can feel sweat starting to form at the base of her forehead as the anxiety starts to weigh down on her shoulders. Not wanting to delay it any longer, she slowly opens the door as the rain starts to pour in from the outside.
“Trixie!” A series of voices exclaims, causing Trixie to scream with fright. She slams the door out of impulse, then realizes that the voices that called her name weren’t of a very sinister nature at all. She opens the door back up, and sees a young trio of fillies shivering as their soaking manes droop over their faces.
“H-Hey there, Trixie!” One of the fillies greets.
“Who are you three?” Trixie asks. “And how do you know Trixie’s name?!”
“. . . It’s written all over your carriage.”
“Oh. . . Well, so it is. Nonetheless, who are you? And what brings you here?”
“Uh, you don’t remember us?”
“Not at all.”
“I’m Apple Bloom, this is Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.” The other two fillies smile and wave their hooves. “We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders?”
“Nope. Still nothing.”
“You came to Ponyville not too long ago.”
“Maybe Trixie did. Maybe she didn’t.”
“Do you at least remember Twilight?”
“Her!” Trixie immediately fumes, sending the three fillies into a fright as they huddle near each other. “Yes. . . How could Trixie forget?”
“Um . . . good! So, you remember us then?”
“Which one of you is Scootaloop again?”
“Um,” one of the other fillies raises her hoof. “It’s Scootaloo.”
“That is neither here nor there—regardless! What is it you three could possibly need from The Great and Powerful Trixie?”
“Well,” Apple Bloom begins. “We’re kinda stuck in the middle of this storm, and Ponyville is a bit of a ways away from here.”
“Uh-huh.”
“So, when we saw your carriage, we were kinda hopin’ you might . . . let us stay with you until the storm is over?” Trixie ponders as she looks to the trembling fillies. She knows she doesn’t want children messing about with her precious belongings, but the helpless looks on their faces overcome her.
“Oh. . ! Very well,” Trixie finally gives in. “You may stay.” Upon hearing her answer, the three fillies let out a joyful cheer. “But as soon as the storm is over, you have to promise that you’ll head straight back to where you came from!”
“We swear!” The fillies smile with one hoof placed over their chests.
“Alright, come inside.” In a puff of smoke, the fillies dash inside so fast that Trixie’s mane blows across her face. Bitterly, Trixie closes the door and turns in shock to find the fillies running loose in her carriage. Like mice, they skitter across the room from corner to corner investigating anything that catches their interest.
“Hey! These look cool!” says Scotaloo as she holds up a bundle of fireworks. “Can we light some of these?”
“Not if you want to burn us all to the ground!” says Trixie as she swipes the fireworks from Scootaloo’s hooves.
“Hey, guys!” Sweetie Belle calls from across the carriage. “Check this out!” Trixie and Scootaloo turn to see Sweetie Belle dressed in one of Trixie’s extra outfits. The violet cap and cape are clearly too big for her as she lifts the brim of the cap up from her eyes. “I, The Great and Powerful Sweetie, shall dazzle your eyes with magic you’ve never seen before! The Great and Powerful Sweetie will show you just how great and powerful Sweetie . . . is! Gather around me—I mean, Sweetie! Gee, it’s hard to talk like this.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie does ‘not’ speak that way!”
“Actually, you kinda do,” says Scootaloo.
“Do not correct Trixie! And you! Give back Trixie’s uniform!” Trixie lunges towards Sweetie Belle who giggles as she hops out of the way. Trixie slides across the floor, growling from frustration. “Trixie demands you relinquish her clothing!” she declares as she gets back up to her hooves.
“Never!” Sweetie Belle retorts, following it up with laughter. As Trixie chases Sweetie Belle around the carriage, Apple Bloom is rummaging through one of Trixie’s dusty, old chests. Her eyes widen with intrigue as she pulls out a thin, ornate-looking, wooden box with the words: Knights and Nightmares, embossed on it in shiny, golden lettering.
“Hey, Trixie! What’s this?” Apple Bloom asks as she shows the box. Levitating Sweetie Belle in the air by her magic, Trixie scowls as her as Sweetie Belle smiles nervously. Trixie removes her extra set of clothes off of Sweetie and sets her down.
“Oh, what could it possibly be now?” Trixie asks in a huff. Upon noticing the box in Apple Bloom’s hooves, she walks over to get a closer look. Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle join as they examine the box curiously.
“Woah! This thing looks ancient!” Scootaloo comments. “Trixie must be real old if she has something like this lying around.”
“Trixie is far from old!”
“What is this thing, Trixie?” Sweetie Belle asks.
“Probably dinosaur bones,” says Scootaloo.
“Why dinosaur bones?” Apple Bloom asks.
“Because Trixie’s old.”
“For the last time!” Trixie yells. “Trixie is not old!” Trixie uses her magic to take the box from Apple Bloom’s hooves as she walks over to the other side of the carriage. “It’s a surprise to see this again. Trixie thought she had lost this years ago.”
“What is it?!” Apple Bloom trots towards Trixie in excitement.
“It’s a board game I used to play when I was young. It’s a game about action, adventure, choices and chance. Not to mention the horrifying creatures to be met on your perilous journey as you tried to save the kingdom from evil.” The fillies’ faces all light up with joy. “Just looking at this thing reminds Trixie of all the adventures she had back in the day,” she sighs, “At least, when she had somepony else to play with.”
“Can we play?!” The fillies suggest in unison.
“Knock yourselves out.” Trixie uses her magic to levitate the board game back into Apple Bloom’s hooves as their faces appear somewhat disappointed.
“But. . .” Scootaloo begins. “We don’t know how to play.”
“There should be an instruction booklet in there somewhere.”
“Can’t you just teach us?”
Trixie groans. “Fine. If it’ll keep you three out of Trixie’s mane for a while.” Trixie opens up the wooden box to reveal a game board, multiple-sided dice, and many little figurines along with a couple of booklets.
“Woah, look at all this stuff!”
“Now, the first thing you’re going to want to do is create your own character to play as.” Trixie uses her magic to open up a drawer from the other side of the carriage and lift out a few scraps of paper. “Your character can be a boy, girl, pony, unicorn, zebra, griffin—whatever you wish.” Trixie pulls out a pencil and begins writing on each sheet of paper. “Your characters are going to have five statistics: Health Points, Magic Points, Agility Points, Strength Points and Knowledge Points.”
“Well, how do we know how many points our characters have?” Sweetie Belle asks.
“For the sake of argument, all of you will have twenty Health Points. As for the others, you’ll have twenty more points to play with. So, by the end, your four statistics should add up to twenty. After you’ve gotten those numbers, go ahead and think of a few of weapons and/or abilities specific to your characters. Make sense?”
“Umm. . .”
“Good!” Trixie gives them all their own sheet of paper. “Once you’ve all gotten that settled, then you’ll be ready to play. While you do that, Trixie’s going to try and tidy up her living space.” Instantly, the three fillies get to work on their characters, and Trixie relishes the fact that they’re occupied with something. “There, that should keep their little minds busy for a while.”
“Finished!” the fillies shout in unison as they hold up their sheets of paper.
“Curse children’s imaginations,” Trixie mutters under her breath. “Alright, let Trixie see what you’ve come up with.” Trixie walks over to them and angrily swipes the papers from them as their faces beam. “Impossible! How could you three have done this so fast? Not only that, but you’ve drawn pictures as well?”
“Yeah!” Apple Bloom cheers. “My character’s name is Redwood Orchard. She’s a cowgirl-slash-ninja armed with an unbreakable lasso, throwing knives, and—since she’s also a ninja—is super quick and stealthy! She’s been cursed by a witch, and can morph with the shadows to conceal her body, and move around unnoticed. Her highest statistic is agility, while her lowest is knowledge.” The picture Apple Bloom drew depicts a mare dressed in a black, wide-brimmed hat, cape and scarf.
“Oh, my turn!” Scootaloo waves her hoof for attention. “My character’s name is Marigold Wings. She’s an earth pony, but is so brilliant that she’s built these mechanical wings giving her the ability to fly. Her wings can also be used as weapons since their razor sharp, and since she’s a genius, she’s also invented a device attached to her foreleg that can fire off bolts of lightning! Her highest statistic is knowledge, while her lowest is magic.” The picture Scootaloo drew depicts a mare wearing an intricately drawn pair of mechanical wings that are strapped to her back like a backpack.
“Me next!” Sweetie Belle declares. “My character’s name is Aloe Vera, and she comes from a faraway land where the trees are so tall they almost touch the sky! She’s not a pony, she’s a deer! She’s so in tune with nature, that she’s able to use it to her advantage. She can cast spells, but not like a unicorn. Instead, she uses her singing to do all sorts of magical things! I’ve written down a list of spells she can cast. I wasn’t sure how many I was allowed to write, so I just wrote until I ran out of ideas.”
“I see. . .” Trixie skims her paper in shock.
“As for weapons, she has a bag full of many different kinds of seeds that can be used offensively or defensively, a canteen of water to grow the seeds—which grow super-fast—and jars of magical powder for casting spells! Oh, and her highest statistic is magic, while her lowest is strength.” The picture Sweetie Belle drew depicts a lovely doe adorned with all sorts of beaded necklaces and bracelets.
“Trixie . . . is . . . dumbfounded! There is absolutely no possible way you all could’ve thought of all of these details over the span of a few seconds!”
“But we did,” Scootaloo puts it bluntly.
Trixie thumps her forehead with her hoof. “Very well! Your characters are impressive—now go ahead and start playing. One of you will have to be The Overseer of the game for this to work, however.”
“What’s an overseer?” Apple Bloom asks.
“The Overseer is who controls the story your characters go through. The places you visit, the enemies you fight, and the main villain at the end are all determined by The Overseer.”
“. . . Trixie?”
“Trixie already knows the question you are about to ask, and the answer is no.”
“Aw, come on!” The fillies whine and whimper.
“Look, Trixie doesn’t wish to be involved in that old, childish game. You three will have to decide amongst yourselves who will be The Overseer.”
“Come on, Trixie! Play with us!” Sweetie Belle begs.
“Yeah!” Apple Bloom adds. “You said you haven’t played the game because you didn’t have anypony to play with, right?
“. . . Trixie may have said that,” Trixie murmurs.
“Well, now you can play with us! It’ll be fun!” Trixie bites her lip, reluctant to give them a definitive answer. Trixie opens her mouth to respond, but struggles to form words as her eyes dart around the room.
“P-Perhaps . . . Trixie could—”
“She won’t play because she’s old,” says Scootaloo.
“Okay! That does it! I will be your Overseer, and we are playing this game!” Trixie stomps her hoof. In a flash, she hurries over and plants her rump near the game board.
“Yes!” the three fillies celebrate in unison as they gather and sit on the opposite side of the board. Trixie concentrates as her horn starts to glow. In a burst of light, Trixie manages to create three small figurines that resemble the drawings the fillies made of their characters.
“Woah, cool,” says Scootaloo.
“They look just like our characters!” says Apple Bloom.
“Now,” says Trixie. “Let the game begin.”
“Now,” Trixie begins as she lights another candle. “Marigold and Redwood,”
“Yeah?” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom lean forward in curiosity.
“You two have been brought to Canterlot Castle at the request of the princess—”
“Awesome!” Scootaloo cheers.
“The both of you await anxiously in the castle’s courtyard, surrounded by all sorts of dying foliage due to the coming winter. You feel a cool breeze brush across your faces as you stand near a masterfully-crafted, stone fountain depicting the image of the princess. You’re surrounded by guards in golden armor as they too await the princess’ arrival, whilst they shoot you the occasional uncomfortable glance as if your presence is stirring up a worrisome amount of anxiety within them.”
“Hey, where am I at?” Sweetie Belle asks as Trixie twitches from Sweetie’s sudden interruption.
“Trixie will introduce you in time. However, Trixie must ask you to keep your interruptions to a minimum. That goes for you two as well.”
“Sorry, Trixie,” she says guiltily.
Trixie sighs. “Trixie is only trying to engage you three in the world to make it simple for you to visualize. It’s what makes this game truly fun. When I introduce characters that speak directly to you, then you can speak. Not while Trixie is trying to set the stage. May we continue?” The three fillies all nod, and Trixie takes a moment to recollect her thoughts.
Redwood Orchard and Marigold Wings stand motionless as they await the princess’ arrival. All they can do for the moment is listen as dead leaves blow across the concrete ground. They can’t shake this uneasy feeling as two guards in sleek, crimson armor stand by their sides. “Say,” one of the guards whispers. “You two the real deal?”
“Uh . . . whaddya mean?” Redwood asks.
“What I mean, is that I can’t see how just two mares are going to save our kingdom from such a threat. Not even our forces are enough hold them back, and the princess believes that you two have what it takes?”
“You don’t think we do?”
“Well, I’d have to see it to believe it. You two good in a fight?”
“Wanna find out?” Marigold taunts.
“Sure, why not? The guard smirks.
“Oh, this’ll be fun.” Marigold tries to approach the guard, but Redwood holds out her hoof to stop her from getting any closer.
“Don’t,” Redwood advises. “We don’t wanna start trouble.”
“Should heed your friend’s advice,” the guard mocks. “You two are just like the rest of them.”
“Are you sure of that, soldier?” Everypony turns their heads to see the princess has finally arrived. With such regality and perfect posture, the princess enters the courtyard as she walks down the stone steps to meet the two mares. Her ivory dress drags across the ground as Redwood, Marigold and the surrounding guards are lost in her elegance. Her violet coat of fur and piercing eyes, accompanied by her well-kept indigo mane with stripes of both pink and violet.
“No way,” says Marigold.
“Is that. . ?” Redwood gawks.
“I am pleased to see you both,” says the princess. “Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle—”
“Ah-hah! Twilight, I knew it was you! I’m surprised to see you in the game!”
“I beg your pardon?” Princess Twilight raises an eyebrow, and Marigold elbows Redwood in her side causing her to grunt from the pain.
“I mean . . . it’s a pleasure to meet you too.”
“Ah, yes of course.” Princess Twilight then turns to the guard who was previously arguing with them, shooting him a glare that rattles him to his core. “I would be careful with my words if I were you, soldier. Neither you nor your brigade could manage a single victory in this endeavor. These two just may be our only chance at survival.”
“Survival from what?” Marigold asks.
“I’m glad you asked. You see, my kingdom has been plagued by an infestation of a rather ‘wicked’ nature. Witches have been terrorizing the good ponies of Equestria. They seem to have come from nowhere, and are absolutely relentless. Ravaging villages, and turning our beloved home into a playground for their own fiendish pleasure. I fear the worst for the future of my kingdom, and the safety of my beloved subjects.”
“So, you need us to do what exactly?”
“We’re goin’ huntin’, Scoot! Oh, this is gonna be—!”
“Red!”
“Huh. . ? Oh! I mean, Marigold! That’s what I meant to say.”
“Right. . .” Princess Twilight looks to them in bewilderment. “But you are correct. I’ve brought you two here for your assistance in our fight against the wicked. The both of you are truly gifted, and I believe you two have what it takes to end this madness. You are perhaps . . . our only hope. What say you? Do you accept?”
“Hmm. . .” Marigold ponders. “We might need a minute to talk this over. This is a pretty big choice we have to make, and we need to make sure—”
“You bet we accept!” Redwood declares.
“Splendid!” Princess Twilight says with delight. “I am truly grateful for this, as are the rest of us. This kingdom could use more brave souls such as yourselves. Now, from what I’ve gathered, these witches appear to be converging towards The Snowcaps, leaving behind death and destruction in their wake. I fear they may be after a lost treasure only spoken of in legend: The Midnight Orb.”
“Ooh, sounds dangerous.”
“Indeed. It is said that the orb possesses a potent, magical power; and whoever holds it will be able to utilize this power. I can’t even begin to imagine what their twisted minds have in store for this kingdom if they were ever to claim it. That is why I need the two of you to obtain it before they do, so that we may keep it out of their reach. My guards shall assist you in your travels, and there is one more.”
“Who?”
“She should be here momentarily.” The winds suddenly pick up, and masses of dead leaves converge together as they swirl madly in a miniature twister. The wind halts just as suddenly as it started, and as the leaves fall to the ground, an elegant doe stands before them. The guards gasp at the sight of her.
“A witch!” one of them proclaims as they ready their spears.
“Stand down!” Princess Twilight commands. “Redwood, Marigold, I’d like to introduce you to Aloe Vera. She will be a valuable asset to have with you on your journey. She deals in witchcraft, but doesn’t use it in malevolence.”
“I consider myself more of an enchantress than a witch,” says Aloe Vera.
“Well, howdy there!” Redwood greets.
“Woah, that was cool,” says Marigold in awe. “Can you do that again?”
Aloe Vera giggles. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“I’m certain you three will make the perfect team,” says Princess Twilight. “Now, we must make haste, as we are already short on time.”
“Alright girls, let’s do this!” Redwood cheers as she holds out her hoof. “For the princess.”
Marigold places her hoof on top of Redwood’s. “For the ponies.”
Aloe Vera places her hoof on top of Marigold’s. “For the kingdom.”
“Cutie Mark Crusaders unite!” The fillies chant in unison, then nervously look to Trixie with her hoof under her chin.
“Hmm . . . perhaps you three should go by a different name.”
“But it’s the name of our club!” says Apple Bloom.
“Maybe here, in the real world; but in ‘this’ world, you aren’t The Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
“Then . . . what do we call ourselves?”
“Trixie has an idea.”
“Knight,” Princess Twilight calls to the crimson guard. “Lend me your sword.” At her command, the guard unsheathes his blade, and Twilight uses her magic to coat the sword in a hue of pinkish, magical light and levitate it near her. “Now, each of you, take a knee.” The three mares then kneel. “Henceforth, you three shall be known as The Canterlot Cavaliers; and each of you are hereby dubbed: Knights of Equestria.” Princess Twilight taps the mare’s shoulders with the blade of the sword. “Rise my knights, and save us from this nightmare.”
“Yeah!” the mares cheer and jump for joy, and Princess Twilight smiles with confidence. The guards gathered in the courtyard stomp their hooves and salute to their new, fellow knights. Princess Twilight and a small group of guards escort the knights to a carriage lined with gold sitting right outside the castle. The group of guards enter a separate carriage adjacent to the first, and the mares make themselves comfortable on the velvet cushioning inside.
“The best of luck to you all,” says Princess Twilight. “May you return victorious.”
“You can count on us, Twilight!” Redwood assures.
“Yeah, we’ll show ‘em just who their dealing with,” Marigold adds.
“I don’t doubt it. Aloe Vera, be sure to look after them.”
“Not to worry princess,” says Aloe Vera. “You can put your trust in me.” A guard closes the carriage door, and with their final wave goodbye, they take off into the sky towards The Snowcap Mountains with nothing but pure excitement boiling in their hearts.
“However,” Trixie continues with a dubious smirk on her face. “Their moment of pride and valor would be short-lived.”
“Whaddya mean?” Apple Bloom asks worryingly.
“As your carriage flies over The Everfree Forest, you can hear commotion coming from the carriage containing the group of soldiers.”
“Uh-oh,” says Sweetie Belle.
“The three of you hurry over to the window to gaze towards the other carriage, and you see it is under attack.”
“What? What’s happening?” Scootaloo asks.
“The carriage is being overwhelmed by a barrage of arrows being shot from below. Somehow, they’re sharp enough to pierce right through the golden walls. The pegasi steering the carriage are trying desperately to maneuver out of harm’s way, but to no avail. One of them is hit by a stray arrow, and the carriage begins to lose control as they start to descend.”
“What do we do? There’s gotta be some way we can help them!” Apple Bloom panics.
“Unfortunately, it’s far too late. Their fate is sealed as you listen to their cries while they plummet and crash into the forest. Now, your carriage is being attacked.” The fillies wrap their forelegs around one another in fear. "Silver arrowheads cut cleanly through the walls, and all you can do is what you’re doing right now: panic and clutch each other for comfort. You can feel gravity tugging you downward, and your carriage smashes through rows of trees until you meet the ground.” The fillies’ jaws drop as they gasp from fright. “Now, this is where your adventure begins.” Trixie is delighted by their fearful reactions, and smiles. “Oh, no need to worry. It will only get worse from here on in.”
“The three of you crawl out from the wreckage,” says Trixie. “Scanning your surroundings for any signs of survivors, but your efforts are pointless as very soldier that was on board with you has perished.” The fillies all gasp and tremble at the thought. “Now, you have two options.”
“What?” The fillies ask.
“You can either locate the other carriage and try to see if any of them survived, or you can press onward towards The Snowcap Mountains.”
“Umm. . .” Apple Bloom ponders.
“Remember, the princess did say time was of the essence. Perhaps it would be best to assume the worst and continue on your journey.”
“No, we should go an’ see if anypony else made it.”
“I don’t know Apple Bloom,” says Scootaloo.
“Whaddya mean?”
“We don’t have a lot of time to waste. What if they’re all gone like the others?”
“Well, we survived! It wouldn’t feel right to just leave them.”
“I still don’t agree with this.”
“Ugh, Sweetie Belle, help me out. You’ll be the tie breaker.”
“I . . . I don’t like being the tie breaker,” says Sweetie Belle nervously.
“Well, you gotta,” Scootaloo demands. Sweetie Belle brims with anxiety as she glances between Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, then finds Trixie also has her eyes on her.
“So, what will it be?” Trixie asks.
“I . . . I agree with Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle caves in. Apple Bloom celebrates by pumping her hoof, while Scootaloo rolls her eyes.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” says Scootaloo.
“I’m sorry! I couldn’t handle the pressure!”
“Not to worry,” Trixie assures. “Perhaps it’ll be worth the trip.”
The three knights leave behind the destroyed carriage and into the woods towards where they believe the other carriage must’ve crashed. They trudge through the thick branches and masses of fallen leaves until they do in fact discover the wreckage of the other carriage. “There it is! Let’s go!” Redwood urges as she darts towards the unrecognizable mass of gold plates and wheels.
“You! Stay back!” an unfamiliar voice commands from afar. Redwood halts to find the command coming from a strange creature crouched behind a pile of the wreckage. This creature is known in this land, as an orin.
“Wait,” says Scootaloo. “A what?”
“An orin,” Trixie explains. “A creature that walks on two legs, and is just as intelligent as any pony. They can speak, and have a conscience like the rest of us; but are known to be violent in nature. They originate from a distant land, and are few in numbers. Unlike a unicorn or a pegasus, they have no magical properties about them, and must instead resort to crude weaponry to defend themselves. Coming into contact with one of these creatures is rare, as they tend to keep with their own kind.”
“Wow,” says Apple Bloom. “Did you just think of that?”
“Not at all. That’s what this booklet says.”
“Oh. . . Well, what does it look like?”
“See for yourselves. There’s a picture of it right here.” Trixie shows them the orin depicted in the booklet, and they all look in confusion at the peculiar design.
“Freaky,” says Scootaloo.
“Is this thing real?” Sweetie Belle asks.
“Of course not, this is only something the creator of the game thought of. Just like the rest of the creatures in this book.”
“What’s that thing it’s holding?” Apple Bloom asks.
“It’s. . .” Trixie skims the paragraph written about the creature. “A six shot weapon that fires off lightning-fast projectiles like a miniature cannon. The ammunition used in this weapon can pierce just about any material, and anypony faced with this deadly weapon is sure to meet a quick, grisly fate.”
“Woah, nice,” says Scootaloo.
“Now that all of you understand more about it, let’s continue.”
Redwood gawks as the orin holds its hand out to her as some kind of warning. It’s unlike anything she’s ever seen in her life. With bald skin aside from the hair on its head, and dressed in a brown jacket and eye-catching, maroon pants with its silver weapon gripped in its other hand. For one reason or another, it appears to be extremely frightened. “Redwood!” She turns and sees the guard in crimson armor from before cowering behind a tree trunk. “You need to get to cover!”
“What?” Redwood asks, and a long, silver arrow pierces the soil near her hooves forcing her to reel back in terror.
“Redwood!” Marigold and Aloe Vera shout as they pull her back to safety behind the dying brush.
“You three stay there until we come up with a plan!” The guard orders.
“There must be something we can do!” says the orin.
“Like hay we’re stayin’ back here,” says Redwood. “Now’s the time to show ‘em what we’re made of. Right girls?”
“Oh yeah, let’s do it,” says Marigold.
“I’m in!” Aloe Vera agrees. Together, they sneak through the bushes and work their way around the destroyed carriage, careful not to make too much noise to be detected. From a different angle, they make eye-contact with the guard who told them to stay put as he is stunned to see they have left their spot.
“Don’t worry!” Redwood whispers to him. “We’ve got this under control!”
“Are you nuts?!” The guard whispers.
“Captain!” the orin calls. “We can’t just sit here forever! Who knows how long she’ll wait until we move!”
“Just give me a moment!” Suddenly, a moth lands in the guard’s snout. Within seconds, another flutters nearby. They all watch as more moths gather around the guard in an unnatural swarm. He frantically escapes the cloud of moths as they all come together to form one giant mass. The guard watches in horror as they all then disperse to reveal a mare dressed in brown boots, and a brown, pointed cap with a vibrant, red feather attached to it. She smiles to the guard as she moves her long, brick-red mane away from her piercing, yellow eyes.
“Unfortunately,” she begins. “I’ve grown a bit impatient. I suppose I’ll have to cut our fun short.” The mare lifts up her leg, and shows the wooden device strapped to it. A long bow, fitted with an adjustable magnifier and primed to fire as she grips the end of a fresh arrow with her teeth.
“Don’t move!” the orin orders as he stands with his silver weapon pointed directly at the mare’s head. “It was foolish to show yourself.”
“On the contrary, you’re the fool.” The mare whips around and fires off an arrow that knocks the weapon right out of the orin’s hand, causing him to raise his hands in fear. “Precisely what I expected. Compared to me, you’re just a weak, spineless animal. I’ll get to you in a moment. For now, I think I’ll have some fun with your little friend here.” The mare turns back to the guard as she primes another arrow, causing him to whimper. “I want to savor every precious second of this.”
“We gotta do somethin’!” Apple Bloom panics.
“Yeah, how do we attack her?” Scootaloo asks.
“It’s very simple,” says Trixie as she levitates the multiple-sided dice with her magic. “Each of you will take turns to attack, as will the enemy. Whoever’s turn it is will have a roll of these dice, and if it adds up to or higher than thirteen, then it will count as a hit on your opponent. If it’s less, then it will count as a miss. Now, let’s say you rolled a thirteen. You take that number plus whatever number you have chosen as your main statistic for battle, and that will add up to the amount of damage you do to your opponent’s health points. Easy, right?”
“I guess.”
“Good. Now, who will be the first to attack?”
“Alright girls, I’m goin’ for it,” says Redwood.
“Be careful,” says Aloe Vera.
“Oh, this is gonna be good,” says Marigold. Redwood’s body dissolves into a shadowy puddle that whisks through the grass. From behind the mare, Redwood reforms with a dagger clenched in her mouth. The mare smirks as Redwood swings her dagger, and sidesteps from the attack with ease. Redwood continues to swing desperately trying to land a hit, but fails each time as the mare continues to smile.
“Nice try,” the mare comments as she hops backward to gain some distance. Redwood fumes as she twirls her body sending three daggers flying towards the mare. Two of which pierce the soil, and the third just barely misses the mare’s face as it instead pins itself against a tree trunk behind her. “Close, but not close enough.” The mare fires off two successive arrows that pin Redwood to a tree by her long, black cloak.
“Alright, I’m jumping in,” says Marigold as she leaps out from the brush and summersaults along the grass. She tries to kick the mare with her hind legs, but the mare hops back in anticipation of her attack.
“So, there’s more of you,” says the mare. “Perfect. All of you will become the newest additions to my collection.”
“As if!” Marigold spreads her large, bronze, mechanical wings from the device strapped to her back as the mare looks on in surprise. Marigold swings one of her wings at the mare, but she uses her bow to deflect the attack. In quick succession, Marigold swings her other wing as a few of the razor-sharp, metal feathers slice across the mare’s chest. The mare grunts and presses her hoof against her wounds as a small trial of blood trickles down her white coat of fur, but they aren’t deep enough to be at all fatal.
“That’s what I call luck, my prize. In the end, luck always runs out.” The mare holds out her hoof as a swarm of moths fly out and smother Marigold, disorienting her as she tries to swipe them away. She then primes and fires off an arrow that cuts right through Marigold’s mane as pieces of her hair fall to the ground. She fires off another arrow, but now that the moths have dispersed, Marigold is able to use her wings as a shield to block the incoming arrow as it pings off the metal. Once she lowers her wings, she finds the mare is dashing straight towards her. With little time to react, the mare uses her bow to smack Marigold across her face with a loud whack. She flies back and falls to the ground with a thud as the mare looks down at her with pity. “Normally, I don’t prefer to resort to such barbaric methods, but you made this all too difficult for yourself.” The mare primes another arrow as she lines up Marigold’s body by looking through her magnifier. “Nonetheless, those wings will look perfect on my mantel.” Just before she can release the arrow, she can feel the ground beneath her hooves begin to rumble. Three long, root-like tendrils sprout up from the soil as they flail about wildly. They whip the mare as their thorns create gashes in her skin. Infuriated, she uses her bow to attack and severe the tendrils in half as they fall to the ground lifelessly.
“You won’t lay one hoof on my friends,” says Aloe as she emerges from the brush.
“Well, that was a neat trick. Surely, witchcraft is serving you well, wouldn’t you say? This fight isn’t between us.”
“It gives me the opportunity to do what needs to be done, and that is to make sure wicked things such as you fall.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. Just remember: you’re the one betraying your own kind.”
“I don’t side with murderers.”
“A hunter, dear. Murdering is for those with poor taste, I’m only interested in the sport.”
“You’re sick.”
“And you’re dead.” The mare quickly primes an arrow, and Aloe spills a few seeds from her bag onto the ground as she turns and pours water from canteen down onto them. The mare fires off several arrows, and just before they can reach Aloe, a wall of roots explodes from the ground to block all of them. They form a dome that completely shields Aloe’s body, causing the mare to grow impatient. “Pfft, cowardly.” The mare readies another arrow with her eyes glued to the fortress of roots. “You think you can prolong the inevitable?”
“Can you?” Aloe calls from above. The mare glances up to see Aloe standing along a tree branch high above ground. The dome of roots collapses, shattering into dust to reveal some kind of plant has sprouted up from the soil with a large bud at the tip of its stem.
“Cute, but a weed won’t be enough to stop me.” The bud then pops open as a golden cloud of smoke fills the air around her. She coughs incessantly as her vision becomes skewed and blurry. Aloe then waters and drops a few seeds downward to the mare as they grow to be about the same size as a walnut. Upon coming into contact with the ground, they explode with a loud snap as the mare falls flat on her back covered in a brownish powder expelled by the seeds.
“Maybe not, but together, all of us sure will be!” The mare struggles to get to her hooves whilst trying to wipe her eyes from the disorienting pollen that’s clouded her vision. Once she’s finally able to see clearly, she’s met with Marigold charging towards her at full speed. Before she can react, Marigold swipes the mare with the entire surface of her wing. Like a ragdoll, her body flies and slams against a tree trunk before flopping to the ground. Still retaining some of her strength, she barely manages to get back up. However, she is immediately entangled by a lasso coated in a blueish hue of light that tightens around her legs. Losing balance, she falls onto her stomach kicking up a cloud of dirt. She lifts up her head to see Redwood with the other end of the lasso gripped in her mouth. Beside her is the orin with the arrows used to pin Redwood to the tree in his hand, and he tosses them to the ground as he points his weapon right toward the mare’s head. Marigold walks up beside them with her glimmering wings outstretched as she looks down upon her. She lifts one of her forelegs, and two metal prongs fold out and snap into place as electricity flows from the device strapped to her leg and along the prongs. The guard in crimson armor then joins with the handle of his sword gripped and ready for battle as a gust of wind and leaves brings forth Aloe Vera. All of which are glaring down harshly on the incapacitated mare.
The mare chuckles. “So, you think you’ve won?”
“Kinda looks like it, doesn’t it?” Marigold asks.
“Well, maybe next time, I’ll be better equipped now that I know what I’m up against.”
“I’m not so sure there’ll be a next time,” Redwood sneers.
“Oh, but there will be. All of you are too precious to let go, and I will not stop until each and every one of you become my trophies. Besides, I have never been defeated by my own prey, and I can assure you this little mishap with not happen again. You’ve proven to be the most challenging prey I’ve come across in quite some time, and I will whole-heartedly relish this hunt. There has never been prey too big or too strong for the great Red Feather to hunt down, and all of you are no exception. Little do you know that in the end, one way or another, you will all be mine.” The mare giggles. “Farewell for now, my prize.” The mare then poofs into a swarm of moths that flutter and scatter throughout the woods, leaving the five of them to simply hopelessly watch the mare make her escape.
“. . . Woo!” Marigold cheers. “That was awesome!”
“I know!” Redwood agrees. “We took her down like it was nothin’! Aloe, you sure showed her what you’re made of!”
“It was nothing, really,” says Aloe timidly.
“Come on, Trixie, is that all you’ve got? We barely broke a sweat!” Marigold Taunts to the sky as the crimson guard and the orin look to each other confusedly with a shrug.
“Excuse me,” says the crimson guard. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but—”
“Yeah, yeah, what?” Marigold groans. “I don’t suppose you’ve got anything nice to say.”
“As a matter of fact, I’d like to apologize.”
“Say what?”
“I’m sorry I misjudged you three. It’s clear the princess made to right choice assigning you to this mission, and after what I’ve seen, I think you three truly deserve to be recognized as knights.” The guard stabs his sword into the ground, and kneels before them.
“Oh, I like where this is going.”
“Shut it!” Redwood elbows Marigold.
“In turn, I—Captain Copper Ridge—solemnly swear my allegiance to you.”
“Gee, thanks captain!”
“But of course, knights; and you,” Copper turns to the orin. “You pulled me free from the wreckage. I cannot express how grateful I am other than with a sincere thank you.”
“Hey, we weren’t just going to leave you there,” says the orin.
“Say, what’s your name anyhow?” Redwood asks.
“Oh, well, you can just call me Orin; but we really must be going.”
“Who’s we?”
“My partner. I told him to hide as soon as we discovered the wreck in case there was any danger. Kip! Kip, come on out!” At his command, an animal about the size of a raccoon pokes its head out from a bush. It darts its big, pink eyes left to right to scan for any threats. As soon as it spots the orin and the rest, it hops out from the bush. The three mares look to the small animal in awe. Its fur is a sky-blue color aside from its stomach, and the tip of its long and fluffy tail which is white. At the sight of them, it raises its long, rabbit-like ears and twitches its pink, rabbit nose and silver whiskers. It darts through the grass and excitedly greets the three mares as it sniffs and crawls all around them. “Well, looks like he’s taken a liking to you three.” The mares all giggle with delight as they adore the lovable creature.
“What is he?” Apple Bloom asks.
“He’s a kiplin. They live in the treetops of the Horizon Pines.” Aloe Vera feeds Kip some kind of seed as he rubs his cheek against one of her legs.
“He’s so precious!” says Aloe Vera.
“Yeah, he’s quite the little puff ball. Come on, Kip. We really should get moving.” Disappointedly, Kip droops his ears as he walks over to the orin.
“Where y’all goin’ in such a hurry?” Redwood asks.
“Well, we’re just travelers looking for a new home. Away from all the horror that we once called home. From the looks of things, I don’t think this is where we want to be.”
“You two should travel with us,” Aloe Vera suggests.
“Woah, hold on,” says Marigold.
“We’re just gonna invite these two, who we know nothing about, to come with us one our journey?” Scootaloo asks.
“. . . Yes?” Sweetie Belle says unsure of herself.
“Ugh,” Scootaloo presses her hoof against her face. “I hope we don’t keep making stupid decisions throughout this story.”
“. . . It’s not stupid.”
“Well,” Trixie begins. “If you three would like them to join you, then you will have to make a ‘persuasion roll’.
“What’s that?” Apple Bloom asks.
“It’s similar to how you rolled for your attacks. The only difference being instead of a hit or a miss, it’ll determine whether or not you can convince them or not.”
“Oh, okay.”
“That, and instead of adding on your main statistic, it works only off of your knowledge stat. After all three of you roll, and your numbers add up to at least twenty, then your persuasion will be successful.”
“Oh . . . that’s not good.”
“Why?” Sweetie Belle asks.
“Because knowledge is my lowest statistic!”
“Ha, your character’s dumb,” Scootaloo mocks.
“At least she’s not as dumb as you in real life.”
“Hey!”
“Now girls,” says Trixie. “As much as Trixie enjoys your childish squabbling, the game must proceed. So, Sweet Bell—”
“Sweetie Belle,” Sweetie Belle corrects.
“That’s what Trixie said. Now, will you be the first to roll?” Sweetie Belle uses her magic to grab the dice, and tosses them onto the game board.
“Listen,” Aloe Vera begins. “We could really use your company. We lost many of our soldiers in the crash, and we would be grateful if you and your friend would join us in our fight.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” says Orin. “I truly am; but we really can’t. You wouldn’t want us to come with you. We’d just slow you, and whatever you’re doing, down.”
“Well, we’re headed for the Snowcaps in search of a lost treasure.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, and we need to get to it before any of these witches get their hooves on it.”
“Well, all the more reason we should keep going. The Snowcaps are down that way, and we’re headed this way. Away from all this madness.”
“Do you know what’ll happen if they do?” Redwood asks. “This kingdom an’ everypony in it, including you, will be destroyed. An’ you’re just gonna walk away an’ pretend like none of it’s happenin’?”
Orin sighs. “Look, it’s not like we don’t want to help you. If we could, we would; but we’re not heroes. We’re just a couple of noponies looking for our place in the world. We’re not brave, strong—or anything like that.”
“But ya are! You saved the captain, an’ helped us defeat Red Feather!”
“Sure, I pulled him out of the wreckage, but she wouldn’t laid waste to us if you three hadn’t shown up. We would’ve stood no chance against her. She could’ve killed me right as soon as I lost my weapon. Trust me, I’m no use to you.” Redwood and Aloe Vera look to each other hopelessly as they feel their attempts at persuading him are failing. “Now, I’m sorry, but we need to go.” Orin turns his back and walks further into the forest.
“Marigold, do somethin’!” Redwood urges as she shakes Marigold.
“Yeah! You’ve got more knowledge than us!” Aloe Vera adds. “You’ll convince them!”
“Do I really have to?” Marigold begrudgingly asks. “He’s probably right, you know. What good are they to us? Like he said, they just might slow us—”
“Just do it!” They scream.
“Ah!” Marigold jolts as her ears ring. “Alright, alright I’ll do it.”
“Yes!” Redwood and Aloe Vera bump hooves.
“Hey!” She shouts, causing Orin and Kip to stop and turn back around. “You sure you don’t want to reconsider?”
“Why do you ask?” Orin asks.
“Well, if my memory serves me correctly, Red Feather said she’d be hunting down all of us. Which, in case you forgot, means you as well. So, do you really think it’s a good idea to go off by yourself while there’s a hunter out there looking for you?” Orin ponders to himself, then looks down to Kip who’s tugging at one of his pant legs. He kneels down as he whispers something to Kip that Captain Copper and the three mares are unable to hear. He appears to be arguing while Kip is making all sorts of gestures with his paws. After a couple rolls of his eyes and frustrated motions, he stands and walks back over to the three mares.
“Very well, we’ll join you,” says Orin as he slots his weapon into a brown holster attached to his waist.
“Yee-haw! Alrighty then!” Redwood Celebrates along with Aloe Vera who excitedly stomps her hooves. Kip jumps and climbs all over the three of them as they laugh, and Captain Copper approaches Orin.
“We truly appreciate this,” says Captain Copper. “Sure, you’re a freak, but it’s for the best that we stick together.”
“Thanks for the warm welcome, captain.”
“Well, what’re we waitin’ for? Let’s get a move on!” Redwood cheerfully demands.
“Hey, and by the way, who’s Trixie?”
“What do you mean? She’s. . .” Redwood looks to Marigold in frustration.
“What did I do. . ?” Marigold asks as Redwood continues to stare. “. . . Oh.” Redwood sighs as Marigold shrugs. “You see, Trixie is a powerful unicorn said to only be nothing more than a legend.”
“What legend?” Orin asks.
“The legend . . . of. . .” Marigold struggles to form a cohesive thought. “The Ursas!”
“Ursas?”
“Yes! Legend says that a number of Cosmic Ursas threatened Equestria many years ago, and one mare was able to defeat them and send them back from once they came. She was very powerful, but Princess Twilight defeated her in a showdown, forcing her to vanish and—”
“Alright,” Trixie interrupts. “Trixie has heard just about enough of that story.”
“Aw, but I wanted to hear the rest,” says Apple Bloom.
“Yeah, I wanna know what happened to!” says Sweetie Belle.
“Come on, Trixie,” says Scootaloo. “I was just about to get to the good part.”
“Ugh,” Trixie rolls her eyes. “Fine.”
“Alright. . . Ah, I forgot where I left off. Looks like I’ll have to start over.” Trixie groans as she pulls her cap over her eyes in embarrassment.
