Author's Note

Ya boi's finally got an update! Hope you guys enjoy it ^^

Uphill Climb

The group of ponies trekked along the mossy mountain path, their guest flying flying behind them as she racked her brain for an explanation for these strange-tailed folk. Certainly this wasn't natural... Was it? She glided until she was side by side with Boulder Bash and landed, wincing at the slight pain in her hoof. The feeling was coming back slowly, but at least the drink had numbed it for awhile.

"Um, why exactly are your tails... Not tails?" she asked, uncertain how to word her question. Boulder gave her a playful smile in return. "We don't exactly know ourselves. Been like this since we were born, just like everypony else in the clan. Well, except for Glow Stone. Y'can ask ol Wispy if he remembers anything when you finish up with Sharshar, he's the oldest pony alive we got."

"Hey, you were joking about him being, y'know..." Unable to put it into words, she mimicked gnawing on her own hoof in order to get the message across. The stallion watched her curiously before chuckling.

"Oh, he is."

"Wait, seri-"

"Here we are!"

The wrecking ball of a stallion bounded off into the main area, ignoring the shocked alicorn. Ram trotted after them, motioning for one relectant Twilight to follow. The area was rather large, with a mixture of tents, mud huts and stone buildings carved into the mountain serving as homes or establishments. A light orange pegasus was contently staring into a fire resting inside a spacious hut made of mud, soot on her face, her cherry red mane singed at the tips. Two stallions were fencing with their horns, which were thin steel sword blades. Sparks clung off as they gave playful shouts and taunts until the dark brown one grazed his opponent's shoulder. At the scent of blood, they both stopped and clanged their horns together before giving a cheerful laugh and going about their business. The alicorn allowed the information to sink in, watching the activity around her with curiosity.

A sudden yelp and the sound of skittering hooves caught her attention. A lime green unicorn with a multitude of glow stick necklaces and bracelets was making her way towards her, eyes wide with excitement. Her electric blue hair seemed to crackle with magical energy as she skidded up to Twilight and bowed. Several ponies watched her curiously before continuing with their daily lives.

"Princess, what are you doing here?" she asked curiously as she rose. Twilight cocked her head to the side in confusion, having never seen the mare before in her life.

"How do you know wh-"

"I saw you from my stand when you tried to trade off all your books." she interrupted, grinning. "I never expected to see you here though!"

"Well, here I am." Twilight replied awkwardly, shuffling on her hooves nervously. "Do you happen to know where this 'Sharpoint' is by chance?" The frizzy unicorn nodded eagerly, darting off with her lanky legs to the largest building. It reminded her of the tombs dotted around the Canterlot graveyards that only the most rich and eloquent ponies could afford after death. The carving was not as intricate as them, rather they imitated lengthy vines.

"Sharpoint! Guest!" she yipped before trotting back, her tail swishing like an excited puppy's. Before long, a tall, white stallion with a grey speckled body trotted out and regarded the alicorn with a curious look.

"Hmm... Hello, new mare. I am Sharpoint, leader of my tribe. I see you have met a few of my fellow ponies." He spoke curtly, a small smile on his lips. He bowed slightly, his lengthy katana of a horn almost brushing Twilight's nose. Dark grey hair piled upon the ground, the rockbeads threading through his mane glowing faintly. As he stood, the orange mare that had been lounging by the fire trotted forward, talking in a dreamy voice.

"Sharshar, the tail pieces you requested were finished~" she purred before swinging around and heading back to her hut. Sharpoint gave a small sigh before trotting towards her, beckoning Twilight to follow with a flick of his tail.

"As you can tell, my ponies are... Odd, compared to your own. We have been blessed since the dark days, and we have thrived in our mountainous home for many years since. As such, we have adopted new ways of survival." Fireflight sat awaiting the chief, his tail clip at ready. As she snapped it around the base of his tail, he continued. "I believe that firstly, we have much more diverse diets than you and the others you live with. Herbivores, am I right?"

"O-Of course we are! We have no need to eat animals." she retorted, looking somewhat appalled.

"We will see what we can provide for you until you leave then." he replied as the final clasps were attached. As he shook his tail to confirm they were staying in place, he continued. "There is rarely any vegetation around here, but we are a hardy breed. What does not kill us is killed and eaten. Also, we tend to brawl among ourselves for fun, so do not worry if you see them rolling about fighting." he reassured, which seemed to make Twilight even more nervous. However, she nodded, watching the activity around her more closely in case of a surprise tackle. The chief had a rather amused look on his face as he trotted back to his own home, giving Fireflight a quick thank you.

"So, um... when may I return home?" Twilight asked as he settled down in a carved open spot on the floor, lined with moss and feathers.

"I'll have Fireflight and Stymph escort you back to the lowerlands tomorrow." he replied, nuzzling into the mossy bed with a yawn. "Stymph is out hunting with a few others, she'll return soon. In the meantime, feel free to roam about, get a drink, whatever tickles your fancy. Just stay near the camp." he warned, giving her a stern look before giving a tired grunt and falling asleep. Upon stepping out of the cave to let him rest, Twilight's eyes drifted toward Fireflight, whose wings were giving off a metallic sheen. Curiosity flooded her mind until she finally gave in and trotted up to her. Seemingly unnoticed, she sat by the mesmerized mare to look more closely at her wings.

The wings seemed to be made of bronze, with the joint replaced by a flexible metal ball joint embedded in her skin. Sharp feathers rustled slightly as Fireflight adjusted herself, one falling out. Taking a chance at further investigating, she lifted it up with her magic close to her eye.

"You can have it if you like, they fall out and regrow all the time." Fireflight purred out, startling her. Her large ocean blue eyes continued to stare into the fire as she spoke. "They make nice spearpoints. Or decoration."

"T-Thank you."

"No problem."

"Can you... Um... Show me where Wispy is?" she asked. "I was wanting to speak with hi-" Fireflight's wings suddenly swung upward and three bronze feathers shot from each, embedding themselves into a small rock home close to Sharpoint's. A resounding shout of "Gah!" came from it, making the orange mare snicker.

"Right there." she chuckled, eyes still set on the dancing flames in front of her. Shaking slightly from the scare, Twilight leapt to her hooves and scurried after the feathers' mark and peered inside.

A jostled unicorn was curled up in the back, his dull red eyes staring at the doorway she just entered. His white coat was flecked in dark grey, similar to Sharpoint. A tapered tail swished about in an annoyed mannered, his snapped blade glinting in what rays of sunlight entered his home.

"What in the hay do you want?!" he shouted, clearly annoyed.

"I-I was told you know about the clan's history. I'm not from here, you see."

"You definately don't look normal to me," he replied, giving her a lookover. Twilight's eye twitched at his tone, but forced herself to calm down. The last thing she wanted was to anger any of the residents, especially the elders.

"I'm looking to learn more about this clan before I return home." she stated with a cheery undertone. His glare softened as he stepped to the side, giving her access to his small hut. Once she had made herself comfortable in a moss bed, he began to speak.

"We're gifted, that's what we are." he said as he settled his creaking joints into a sitting position. "Blessed when the wendigos came and ravaged the lands, blessed by a spirit. He gave us feathers of steel, weapons, swords, and the teeth 'n' appetite to survive and left. We've stayed separated from others since then, thrived here in the mountains. 'Course there are occasional invasions from, say, rocs or gryphons or wolves, but we manage."

Twilight nodded in understanding, trying to process what she had been told. A spirit? Probably part of their folklore... As she opened her mouth to speak, the sound of a mare screeching rang through the air. An earthy brown pegasus flew down, silver wings shining in the sunlight as she landed.

"Gryphon raid!" she screeched again. "Everyone get ready!"