A ripe moon hung in the star-riddled sky, casting shadows along the forest floor. Her hoofsteps crunched the dry foliage that blanketed the woods, making the glowing aura waver with every step from her nervousness. Bright violet-pink eyes snapped towards every small sound, alert for the so-called "monster" that was lurking in the woods, according to the locals. Three ponies had already gone missing, all who were last seen going into the mountainside forest. Naturally, the townsfolk were highly alarmed and begged the celestial being for help, which she had sent her most faithful ex-student to investigate this anomaly. Twilight's small chats with the ponies there had left her scared: A monster with wide, glinting fangs who would lift the victim high in the air and give a victorious screech before fleeing into the mountains. She attempted to shake it off as merely exaggerated folktales, but now as she stood near the spot where a dried splotch of blood had hardened over a rock, her fears crept back with a vengeance.

"Hello? Anypony? I-I just want to talk is all!" she called out, only to receive more silence. Ears flattened, she treaded forward lightly on top of said rock, checking the area in hopes of finding anything. After a moment, she leapt off, starting to go deeper into the woods when her right back hoof was snatched up in a steel maw.

"Ahhhh!"

Pain coursed through her body, searing from her rear hoof. Hot blood poured from sharp, steel teeth embedded in her leg, and moments later she was lifted into the air. A loud screech echoed around the woods and the monster took off, the princess in tow. Her wings spread wide in an attempt to slow it, but neither that or her screams of help seemed to help any. A snap of her bone cause a shrill scream, and soon it cleared an enormous boulder in one jump, which soon rushed to meet her head. With one bone-chilling crack, she was knocked unconscious, the sight of forest and mountain blurring together until it went completely dark.

"...it okay?"

"Snap, this is the fourth one!"

"Sorry, Momma..."

Colors swam in her vision as sound began to trickle back, and with a solid push of her front legs, she was able to sit up from her slouched position. A hiss of pain escaped her as she put pressure on her injured hoof, alerting the two residents.
"Need anything dear?" a sweet voice asked. Slowly, more of her senses came back and with a groan, she managed to rasp out one word: "Water."

"You heard 'er. Bring 'er some water." a rough mare's voice barked, and a soft squeak of "Yes Momma." and the sound of skittering hooves on dirt. With heavy eyes, she spared a glance at her savior.

A chunky mare of pastel green was lying near her, her violet eyes full of concern as she watched her intently. Her curly baby blue mane looked remarkably like the poofball of a sheep lying next to her. Her eyes trailed down to see her flank, surprised to see it blank. More surprising was the long, braided whip tail that swayed side to side much like a feline's. Eyes wide, she gazed at the mare in shock and curiosity. She stifled a laugh at her before speaking. "What? Ain't ever seen another pony?"

The skittering hooves came back in the form of a mossy colored colt with spiked grey hair. Eyes the same shade as the odd mare's stared at the ground as a bear trap swung around, setting the bowl of water clenched in its jaws in front of her. Twilight froze up, staring at him with wide eyes. He immediately averted his eyes, the bear trap clunking to the ground.
"I-I'm real sorry ma'am. Didn't mean to hurt ya." he apologized.

"Didn't I say to check what ya caught first Snap?" the mare scolded, giving him a rough cuff around the ears. "N' then ya bust her head open! Poor lil filly coulda lost her life!"

"I'm sorry Momma..."

As they bickered, Twilight took an opportunity to take a few laps of water to ease her parched throat and reflect on what in the name of Celestia she had stumbled on.

"So, um... Where am I?" she spoke up, ceasing Ram's speech.

"You're in Momma and I's home." Snap piped up, motioning to the small area they were in. It was rather cozy inside, despite the fact that the interior walls were thin sheets of metal. The dome-shaped building sported two trodden-down nests of hay, a table, shears, windows, and a fireplace lined with stone, as well as being fairly sized to boot. With a smile, she went to get up, only to flinch from the rush of pain searing in her head and hoof that reared up instinctively.

"Told ya she'd be 'urtin. Go get some drink from Boulder so she can move." Ram spoke, and immediately Snap had darted out of the door. The whip-tail slunk around the table to pull out a small bottle and pull it to Ram's lips, which heartily chugged the contents. With a content sigh, she placed it back before turning to the alicorn. "So, I'm Ram, 'n that lil scamp is m'son, Snap Trap. 'N you are?"

"Twilight. Twilight Sparkle."

A garbled 'baa' came from behind Ram, who only gave a mock sigh of annoyance before pulling a small sheep from there to put it between her hooves. "Shush Poof. You think you gotta see everypony, huh?"

"Is that your pet?"

Ram nodded, gently rubbing its sides. "Yup. Some hawk tried to get 'em when he was a wee lamb and tore 'is throat. Nursed 'im back ta health and he's been stuck to m'flank ever since." Both shared a warm smile before Twilight began to talk of her home in Ponyville. Ram merely nodded occasionally, taking small sips from her bottle. After awhile, curiosity took hold of the princess as she asked, "What exactly is in that?"

Ram gave a snort of laughter. "Y'wouldn't like it much. But if you're so sure on tryin it, have a sip." Her tail gently slid the bottle over to the violet pony, who gave an appreciative nod before taking a sip.

"Hmm... Tastes like punch, but metallic..." she mused aloud, taking another drink. "What is it?"

"Just sumthin Boulder whipped up. Mainly berries and hawk blood, but if Glow has sugar, then-"

"Hawk... blood...?"

"Yup!"

With a pale face, she nudged the bottle back to the grinning mare, finally noticing the sharp teeth. "Well, uh, it's been lovely, but I really need to go back ho-"

"You're staying here. Don't need to go to Sharpoint and say our guest skidaddled off and fell to her death cuz she got spooked. He's already upset enough 'bout them other three."

"You mean you snatched up the others?!" Twilight shouted, head automatically lownering in case she needed to defend herself from the now startled mare.

"Calm yaself hon," Ram advised, a hoof resting on Twilight's shoulder. "Snap wasn't trying to hurt none of 'em. He just gets all excited when he gets a catch. Them other fellas though..." She shook her head. "Two stallions and a miss. They wouldn't let us touch 'em, they got all infected and scrabbled off the cliff while we was sleepin. Terrible fate, ya know?"

"Momma! I'm back! Boulder wanted to meet the miss, so he came too!" Snap yipped as he trotted in through the open hole of a door, breaking off any further discussion.

"Where is he?" Twilight asked, peeking her head out. All she could see was the small green pasture where the house resided, a few sheep strolling about, and the path that seemed to be the only exit by foot. Maybe he was a pegasus? She gazed upwards, but there were no signs of life waiting in the air. Snap giggled at her efforts, trying to stifle it between his hooves. With a questioning glance, she stepped out of the small home limping, followed by a very annoyed Ram.

"Boulder!" she shouted, startling Twilight. "You best not hurt my sheep you rockhead!"

A grey-blue figure hopped around on a high mountain ledge, almost melding into the stone. It gave an undistinguished shout before it leapt off, rear first. Except it seemed to be dragged down by a large black speck. With a frightened yelp, Twilight flew up as the rapidly descending pony crashed below her in a fit of laughter and dust. As it rose and shook itself clean, the chain and ball tail shook as well. A rush of hot pain swam in her head, reminding her of her injuries and making her fall onto his back.

"Well hello to ya too." he joked, sliding her off gently. "You must be the poor miss Snap caught. I told you that's not how you get girls~" He aimed the last part towards the colt, who blushed furiously and stuck his tongue out at him in responce. The strange stallion rummaged through his saddlebag before pulling out a bottle of violet liquid and offering it to her. Dumbstruck from surprise and pain, Twilight took the concoction and gave a swig. She sighed in relief as it dulled the throbbing in her head and numbed her hoof considerably.

Making a mental note to question him about the strange potion before she left, she finally spoke. "I'm guessing you're Boulder then?"

"Yup!" he chirped, now darting to Ram and tackling her down to greet her. "Hiya Woolfy!"

"I told ya not to call me that!" she yelped in mock outrage, knocking him off with a not so gentle shove. This apparently triggered the need to lie on his side and wiggle his eyebrows suggestively at her. "Shall we buck now, or buck later Rammy?" he purred seductively, giving a bark of laughter at her flushed face that headbutted his side moments later.

"So, I'm guessing he's your father?" Twilight asked Snap curiously, watching the two play-wrestle with amusement.

"Eww, no!" The grey-maned colt stuck his tongue out in disgust. "He's Momma's best friend. They do this all the time." Before Twilight could ask, he continued. "Daddy's been gone for... This long!" He balanced on his back legs, spreading his front hooves as far as they could go. The alicorn gave him a sympathetic smile and ruffled his mane.

"I bet he'd be glad to see his son growing up and being so sweet to his guests." she said, watching him light up.

Ram finally broke free from Boulder's leg lock with a yelp of "Leggo!" before standing upright, brushing herself off and face flushed red. "C'mon, time to head out!" she barked, making Snap bolt up and dart to her side.

The stony blue and white mottled colt leapt up to his hooves, grinning as he nudged her. "Ya bringing her to Sharpoint? Ooh, he's a mean ol beastie!" Ignoring Ram's snorts of laughter, he sauntered up to Twilight, draping a hoof over her shoulders and continued with a dramatic tone. "He'll eat you up missy! Every bone, feather, 'n drop of blood!" He dropped to the grassy ground with an ungraceful 'umph!' and stuck a hoof up in the air at the startled alicorn. "Run, run poor pony! Before he gets you!"

"Ignore this mountianbum," Ram reassured her, noticing her wings flared out and ready to fly off. She knocked him over his head with a hoof, ignoring the yelp of indignation from below. "Sharpoint is as laid-back as they come. C'mon, Twili'." With that, she strode off towards the gap in the mountains, closely followed by her mossy son.

"Hmmph! Can't take a joke, the old woolbag." Boulder pouted before trotting after her. Craning his neck behind him, he called to Twilight, "Y'coming, missy?"

She nodded, taking flight close to the ground to keep her head from swimming and followed. What in the name of Celestia have I wandered into?

Author's Note

I'm hoping you guys enjoy it. I'm working on the second and third chapters now, as well as cover art. This isn't going to have an update schedule, just a heads up.