Chapters Between the Valleys and Peaks
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.
"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.
"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.
Between the Valleys and Peaks
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!"
Between the Valleys and Peaks
By the time Twilight managed to hurry to see what exactly was going on, the clearing was being flooded with gryphons of every size and color. Ponies were charging them in retaliation, blades tilted down while pegasi took to the sky. Metallic feathers shot from their wings like arrows, piercing through the haze of battle into the gryphons' flesh, eliciting numerous caws of pains.
As Twilight stood there, stunned by the scene unfolding before her, a lanky gryphon slunk out of the crowd towards her. Digging its panther feet into the ground, it lunged with a battlecry and tackled the distracted mare to the ground. A sharp gasp escaped her mouth as she thudded face-first into the packed dirt ground. It sat triumphantly on her back, wasting no time tearing into the base of her wings with beak and claw. Screaming, Twilight thrashed about, attempting to knock it off until the weight was lifted from her. Looking upwards, she saw Sharpoint standing beside her, the offending creature impaled on his blade. With a flick of his blood-matted head, he flung the still twitching corpse into the fray, knocking "ryphons off balance with it.
"Up! Now!" he shouted, turning his back to her to lower his head in a defensive stance. Hurriedly, Twilight scrambled up to her aching hooves, trying to ignore the pain radiating from her shoulder blades. "You can use magic, right?" he asked, panting.
"Y-Yea." she replied, light headed.
"Then do something! I'm not going to lose my people to some scrawny half-bred birds!"
Nodding, she bowed her head and tried to think of something, anything that might work. Suddenly, her horn lit up and encased her in its aura, taking the shape of a dragon. The moment the illusion reared its hed to gaze around, the gryphons began their retreat, squawking in fear. The ponies began picking them off, yelling in victory as the raid was finally over. Sharpoint only watched in awe as the illusion finally fell, dropping a now-unconcious alicorn to the ground with a rough 'thud'.
"Oh dear..." Sharpoint muttered, approaching her limp form. With the assistance from a few other ponies, he lifted her up onto his shoulders and trotted to his quarters, his hooves carelessly treading through the carnage and trailing behind him. Upon slowly sliding her into his own mossy nest, he turned to Fireflight. "Get Stymph to begin checking on the others, I need you to treat Twilight before you join her."
Nodding, she trotted away, taking to the skies to find her sister. Sharpoint followed, looking back at the unconcious mare with a grateful smile.
Groaning, Twilight awoke to the sunset's final rays slowly disappearing behind the peaks. Mind hazy, she went to get up when a muzzle gently nuzzled into her side. Turning her head, she found Sharpoint laying beside her on the dirt floor, his head turned as so not to graze her with his blade. Based on his breathing, she guessed he was passed out cold. She went to stretch her sore wings, only to feel them hindered by bandaging.
"Glad to see you awake." a light, wispy voice said from the darkness behind her before trotting into sight. Fireflight Stood above her, watching her with wary emerald eyes. Before Twilight could speak, she continued. "He's been worried sick, refused to leave you be while I healed you."
"O-Oh.' was all she could say in return, wanting to curl in on herself at the other's tone.
Fireflight trotted to her, not-so-gently removing the bandaging to reveal the mangled base of the alicorn's wings and silently replaced them. An aura of annoyance radiated off the healer as she working, only confirming Twi's suspicions; she was not welcome by everypony here, and her attempt to save the clan earlier had given those wary of her enough proof that she was very capable of wrecking havoc. She watched with worried eyes as the healer left, sparing her a glance and a disapproving frown before gliding off to her den, the last rays of light consuming her form.
Author's Note
I know this a bit of a short chapter, but I really wanted to update this fic.