Disclaimer- I don’t own My Little Pony, Hasbro does. But I’m willing to discuss prices.
NORTHBOUND- Prologue
It was cold in the North.
It had always been cold, and it always would be. Nothing lived there, nothing grew there, and nothing warm belonged there. Among all the rocky mountains and valleys, nothing drew breath.
Nothing, that is, except for the two ponies standing at the mouth of the cave.
On a tiny plateau halfway up one of the larger mountains, the two equines were hard at work. The smaller of them, a wide-brimmed hat affixed over his parka, was enthusiastically examining the stone around the cave's entrance. His larger companion, meanwhile, was busy cursing his luck and life choices.
I'm an idiot, thought Head Lamp dourly. A greedy, gullible idiot. Under his double-layered parka, the earth pony shivered. He shouldn't be here. He should be home, back in Canterlot, not on a wild roc chase in a sun-forsaken wasteland. He spat in contempt, watching the tiny glob of saliva freeze solid in mid-air. That settled it—this job was a mistake.
An excited shout from his companion forcibly derailed his train of thought. "Heady, mate, I think this it!" shouted the small unicorn, joy mixing in with his thick accent. Head Lamp rolled his eyes. His partner, Exmarks, had said the same thing about the last six caves, and he'd been wrong each time.
With a deep, long-suffering groan, he trotted over. "What'd you find, Ex?"
The unicorn, in contrast to Head Lamp's sour mood, was practically dancing with glee. "Come look, mate, come look! Crikey, Head, we found it!" The Gallowegian pony began bouncing in barely-restrained happiness.
A hoof shot out, forcing him to be still. Behind his goggles, Head Lamp narrowed his eyes. "Ex. Slow down. What did you find?" he asked evenly.
Exmarks beamed under his balacava, then turned back to the cave, horn alight. Carvings began to glow all around the opening, a harsh green against the blinding white.
Head Lamp's eyes went wide, his previous skepticism forgotten. They were letters, cut deep into the mountainside. A shiver unrelated to the cold shot through him as he took a closer look.
"It's not Equestrian," he muttered, his muzzle inches away from the shining runes. The carving was deep and straight, with none of the faults and cracks a chisel would have left. Magic, then. Powerful magic.
Deer magic. The words were in Deerish, and even if he couldn't read them, he knew what it meant.
It took him a moment to realize he was smiling. "This is the one," he breathed, amazement plain in his voice. "We found it."
A sense of accomplishment washed throughout his body, banishing the cold and fatigue that had been weighing him down. They'd found it. They were going to be rich.
He whirled, pulling his companion into a tight hug. "You're a genius, Ex, a genius," he roared into the unicorn's ear.
"I know it, mate. Now put me down, would ya?" the unicorn laughed. With a deep chuckle, the earth pony obliged.
Ten minutes later, the two ponies were sitting a few yards from the cave, passing a flagon of cider between them. "So, here's the plan," began Head Lamp. "We go in, we find the rocks, we drag 'em out here, and then we pack up and gallop back to Equestria as fast as we can. Clean and simple."
Exmarks nodded, lost in thought. "You're sure that's it, then? Fallfeather said they'd be... protected somehow."
"Come on, Ex," scoffed the earth pony. "Protected by what? We're the only living things for a few hundred miles. And we're both professionals, Ex. If there is something in there, we can outsmart it. Or just run."
The unicorn's smile returned. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. I'm just nervous, I guess." He shook himself, sending excess snow flying. "So, mate," he asked, eyes aglow beneath the goggles, "what're you gonna do with your cut?"
Head Lamp snorted. "After we pay Fallfeather? Retire. I'll be the richest stallion in Canterlot after this." He rose and began to head for the cave again. "How about you?"
The unicorn trotted after him. "Well, I figure I'll head back down to Adelmane, buy a new place, get myself a nice filly... or several," he said with a wink.
The two ponies stood before the cave, looking deep into the darkness within. Exmarks turned to his fellow treasure hunter. "You ready, mate?"
With a flick of his hoof, Head Lamp's namesake came to life. The amber cone split the shadows before them, revealing damp stone walls and long stone spines. The earth pony gave a firm nod. "Born ready."
The two explorers ventured into the waiting cave.
-Hours Later-
He ran.
His lungs were burning, his vision was blurred, and his wounds were bleeding, but Head Lamp ran on. He had to get out, had to escape. Had to survive.
They'd been fools, he and Exmarks. Overconfident, suicidal fools. The rocks were not worth this. Nothing was.
He ran on, and he ran alone. Exmarks was dead, somewhere back there in the cave. He knew he was dead—he'd heard the panicked scream, heard that shriek of pain and fear. And he'd heard it stop suddenly, far too suddenly.
Light. There was light ahead. The exit.
Celestia and Luna be praised, he was going to make it. Desperation turned to hope in his heart.
And just as quickly, hope turned to terror. It was behind him, the thumping clatter of its footsteps echoing off the cave's walls. He tried to run faster, but he was losing consciousness. He was slipping away. He felt something cold and hard wrap around him, and he was helpless against it.
And then he was airborne, flying out through the air, sliding to a stop outside the cave's entrance. He lay on his side, taking deep, ragged breaths.
He'd escaped. He'd survived.
He tried to rise, to find his hooves, but he couldn't move. Nothing worked. He felt a sharp pain in his back. His spine. His spine was broken.
He lay flat, coated in sweat under the shredded remains of his parka. He was dying. He felt himself fading as the wounds on his chest siphoned his life away. Blackness crept in at the edge of his vision.
The last thing Head Lamp saw, before it all went dark, was the blood around him freeze solid, a sheet of red ice against the white snow.
It was cold in the North.
Gallowegian- From Galloway, an island country to the Southeast of Equestria. Analogous to Australia.
Hope you didn’t get too attached! You can find more of “Northbound” on my DeviantArt page! I also have a blog you can check out at rinellawashere.blogspot.com! Comments and feedback welcome and begged for!
Chapter One- Just Another Day
Disclaimer- I don’t own My Little Pony, or Hasbro, or a car. I do, however, own my ideas, my characters, and a sweet kilt.
The name Gildedale is used with permission of Jetfire, and you should all go read his stories. Also, the picture belongs to JoyWillCome on DA.
NORTHBOUND- Chapter One
The sun was almost at its highest point in the sky when Fluttershy came out of her cottage. A pony stood at her gate, looking around nervously, his ears back and his dark blue mane standing on end. When he saw her, he jumped over the tiny gate and rushed up the dirt path.
"Is he okay? What was wrong? Is he still sick?"
Fluttershy smiled, holding out a hoof to calm him down. "He's fine, Beat, just a little drowsy. He's waiting for you. Come on in." She turned, leading the jumpy black earth pony back into her home. Lying in front of her couch was a massive tortoise, chewing happily on an apple. When the titanic reptile saw the ponies out of the corner of his eye, he rose, a huge smile on his beak. Beat dropped low, opening his hooves.
"C'mere, Bass! Come to papa!"
The tortoise launched into what would have been a joyous run if he'd been moving faster than a dizzy snail. As it was, he looked like a film shown in slow motion until Beat finally moved closer and enveloped the turtle in a huge hug. The reptile grunted gleefully, nuzzling into him. After a long time, Beat rose and turned to Fluttershy.
"Thank you so much, Fluttershy. What was wrong with him?"
"As far as I can tell, he got into some kind of nasty chemical, maybe Carrot Top's fertilizer. It was hurting his poor tummy so much he couldn't eat. I got most of it out of his system. Just keep giving him apples for a few days—they help clear his intestines. And I gave him a stern lecture so he won't eat anything he shouldn't... isn't that right, Bassie?" said Fluttershy.
The tortoise nodded sheepishly, attempting to hide behind its owner. Beat laughed a little, his smile growing. "You saved him, Fluttershy. How much do I owe you?"
She blushed, hiding her head. "Oh, I don't need money. Just seeing his smile is enough, really."
Beat shook his head, his blue mane waving about. "No, you saved his life. I can't let you walk away without some reward. How about instead of money, I owe you a favor? Anything you need, ever, just call me up, okay?"
Her reddened cheeks darkened further. "No, it was no trouble. It's fine, really. I don't want any reward."
The look on Beat's face said he was about to press the point, but after a second he relaxed. "Fine, I can't make you accept it. But the offer still stands." The earth pony fixed his glasses and gave her a winning smile. "Thanks again, Fluttershy. See you around." He turned and left, the huge reptile ambling after him.
After they were gone, Fluttershy closed her door and yawned. The big turtle had kept her up all night. As she wandered back to her bedroom, a picture on her wall caught her eye. It showed her and her six best friends in a massive hug, smiling at the camera: Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and, of course, little Spike. She turned back toward her room, smiling wistfully. At least the poor tortoise had kept her busy. Her friends were off on a diplomatic mission to Gildedale, Equestria's western neighbor. She would have gone with them, but one pegasus and two unicorns was almost more than the superstitious Daleponies would tolerate, and so she had opted to stay behind. They would be gone for another two weeks, and she was already lonely. With a quiet sigh, she collapsed onto her bed and let sleep overtake her.
***
She awoke a few hours later, her stomach rumbling. She blinked in shock as she realized it had been over a day since she'd last eaten. A long yawn escaped her lips as she rose to her hooves and groggily trotted into her kitchen. It took her tired mind a moment to notice two very unusual things: her refrigerator was wide open, and also completely empty.
This didn’t make sense. She was sure she hadn’t opened it, and there had been food last time she checked. She'd given Bass most of her apples, but there had been some carrots and celery... wait, carrots? A tiny frown crossed her face as she shut the fridge.
Moments later, she stood in the garden, her ears swiveling as they searched for any sound of movement. "Angel?" she called. The rascally rabbit had to be here somewhere, probably hiding with his ill-gotten treats.
A rustling bush caught her eye, and she inched closer, trying to stay quiet. If Angel heard her, he'd be gone in an instant. Her hoof, however, was unaware of the need for stealth and landed on a twig with a loud crack. A tiny furred paw parted the bush, folwed quickly by a tiny furred head with long ears and beady black eyes. Angel Bunny chittered furiously at Fluttershy, his free paw hovering over a large pile of carrots. Next to him sat a smaller female rabbit, who looked rather embarrassed.
"Oh my!" said Fluttershy, blushing as she realized what was going on. "I'm so sorry, Angel. I didn't realize you were on a date." Leaving the bunnies to their romancing, she shut the bush and stumbled back inside, her face still red.
Well, great—now she was embarrassed and hungry. She shook her head, a little miffed with herself. She was a grown mare, she thought, and she couldn't even be assertive with her own pet. She should have just demanded he give her some of the carrots.
But then again, it probably wouldn't have changed anything. Angel was a very obstinate little bunny, and besides, she didn't have the heart to get mad at him in front of his new doefriend. She could just head into town for some supplies, she supposed. And it'd be nice to get out of the house after her long weekend with the vomiting turtle. Yes, she'd go shopping.
Her mind made up, she pulled on her saddlebags and headed down the path to Ponyville.
***
Fluttershy trotted into the town just as the clock tower struck five. It was the middle of summer, so the sun still shone brightly in the cloudless sky above, and the street market was still bustling with ponies buying last-minute dinner materials. Fluttershy meekly tried to weave through the crowd, giving a tiny, whispered "excuse me" every time a pony bumped her. She could have just flown over the whole mess, of course, but that would be awfully rude to the earth ponies and unicorns around her. So she waded through the throng of hungry equines as best she could, trying to focus on her shopping.
She'd memorized her shopping list on the long walk over. Cabbages, carrots, birdseed, milk, bread, hay... after about an hour, her saddlebags were a little heavier, and her bit pouch a little lighter. She'd found almost everything, except for... apples. Craning her neck as high as she could, she looked around for the Sweet Apple Acres cart. A mainstay of the Ponyville market, the cart had never been difficult to find before. But as she looked around, she couldn't see it anywhere.
Confused, she mustered her courage and turned to a nearby pony. "excuse me," she whispered, "do you know where the apple cart is?"
The pony, an overweight stallion named Breezy, paid her no heed, pushing his way through the milling crowd. Fluttershy blushed and tried again on a purple mare who was stumbling past. "um, berry punch, have you seen the apple cart?"
The inebriated pony ignored her, having become quite distracted by a nearby wine cart.
Several failed attempts later, Fluttershy found herself seated on a bench at the edge of the crowd, with the apple cart nowhere in sight and a constant growling coming from her stomach
"Wheeeeee!"
Her thought process was interrupted by a gray-and-blond blur that dropped out of the sky next to her. In an instant, she was under the bench, a trembling hoof over her eyes. Her heart was pounding so loudly that it took her a moment to notice a giggling sound. Gingerly, she opened her hooves and came snout-to-snout with a pair of drifting golden eyes.
"Hi Fluttershy! What are you doing under the bench? Are you napping? I nap early sometimes too, especially after I empty the fridge. But I never nap under benches. Maybe I should. Are benches comfy? I like sleeping on comfy things. My bed is comfy. I like my bed. Beds are nice."
Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh a little. "Hi, Derpy," she said, crawling out from under the bench. "No, I wasn't napping. You just startled me."
Derpy blinked, her eyes realigning briefly. "Oh, sorry, Fluttershy. I didn't realize anypony was on the bench. My eyes were being silly again." Her pupils resumed their journeys to the corners of her eyes as she smiled. "So, what are you doing in town? Did you need to go shopping? I'm going shopping. I love shopping, because shopping means food. And muffins. I need to buy some flour for muffins. I should go shopping."
Fluttershy laughed again. The older mare’s mouth could move faster than her brain sometimes, but she meant well. "I'm shopping too, Derpy. I had a patient all weekend that ate all my fruit." She turned her head back briefly to straighten her saddlebags. "How's little Dinky?"
Derpy's smile grew even larger at the mention of her daughter. "She's doing good. Carrot Top is watching her while I buy some... some..." Fluttershy could almost hear the gears in her head spin furiously. After a good thirty seconds, the gray mare's eyes refocused. "Oh, that's right, fertilizer. Carrot Top suddenly ran out on Friday, even though she just got a new bag."
Fluttershy allowed herself a little smile. She had a feeling she knew where it had vanished to. "Well, I hope you find some for her. And say hi to Dinky for me." She turned to go, then froze. "Um, Derpy?"
The blond mailmare turned back to her. "Yes?"
"Do you... I mean, if you could just tell me where the apple cart is? If you don't mind, of course."
Derpy blinked, more surprised than confused. "Didn't you know? Big Macintosh hasn't been bringing it to market since his sister went on her trip. He's selling the apples out of the barn."
Fluttershy blushed. She really had been a shut-in the last few days, hadn't she? Well, just more of a shut-in than usual, really. "Thank you, Derpy. I better get flying if I want to get there before dinner."
The other pegasus waved as Fluttershy took off, her wings pumping in the cool evening air. She didn't fly much, preferring to be near all her animal friends on the ground, but she wasn't a bad flier by any means. Within a few minutes, she touched down at the gates of Sweet Apple Acres.
She began to walk towards the barn when a terrifying thought struck her.
She'd have to talk to a stranger. Applejack was one of her best friends, but she'd only spoken to her brother once or twice. She knew almost nothing about him... except that he was massive, nearly twice her height and weight, and that he had a deep, scary voice.
The simple thought of talking to him stopped her in her tracks. Part of her mind was screaming, in no uncertain terms, to go home. The apples could wait. It would be much easier to just...
No. They couldn't wait—what if she had another patient that kept her in the house, or was having stomach problems like the turtle? She needed those apples, and she was going to get them. Besides, Macintosh couldn't be that scary.
After a deep, shuddering breath, she found herself standing a little straighter. Time to be assertive.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders Ninja Ambushers. Yay."
Three small but heavy shapes suddenly landed on her back. Fluttershy screamed, managing to hit a volume roughly equivalent a muffled teakettle, and tried to buck them off. Her imagination ran wild, full of nightmares about vampires and drop bears and every other monster from the fairy tales her mother once told her. Before she could remove them, one spoke in a small voice.
"Wait, wait! It's Fluttershy!"
The three attackers dove away, tumbling to the ground in a messy heap before her. Now that she could see them, her assailants distinctly resembled three fillies wearing some kind of dark cloth masks. Her shivering slowed and finally stopped.
"Scootaloo? Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle? Is that you?"
The three fillies pulled off the masks, looking ashamed. "We're mighty sorry, Fluttershy," said Apple Bloom, her eyes wide and earnest. "We was trying to get ninja ambusher cutie marks, an' we didn't realize it was you."
Fluttershy blinked. "Ninja cutie marks? I've never even heard of those. Wherever did you get that idea?"
Sweetie Belle piped up. "Scootaloo found it in some of those Nieghponese comics Rainbow Dash gave her."
The orange pegasus made a point of examining her hooves. "Yeah, it seemed awesome at the time. I'm really sorry."
Fluttershy smiled. She couldn't stay angry at the little fillies, or anything else really. "It's okay, girls. But you should really be more careful about scaring ponies like that." The three fillies nodded earnestly. "And Apple Bloom, you probably shouldn't attack customers before they buy anything."
The apple-yellow filly laughed. "Yes, ma'am. Ah'll be sure to add that to the business policy."
Fluttershy giggled. She'd always loved children, and she'd known two-thirds of the Crusaders before they could even talk. They were easier to talk to than grown ponies: they didn't judge, they didn't get impatient, and they were almost (almost) as cute as her beloved animals. She was about to ask the young farmer another question when a deep voice rumbled out from behind her.
"Apple Bloom, what in tarnation was that whistlin' noise? Y'all best not be antagonizin' Winona again, or Ah..." There was a brief pause. "Howdy, miss. Can Ah help you with somethin'?"
Fluttershy managed, somehow, to keep from fainting as she turned around. Behind her was the largest pony she'd ever seen, his hulking shape only accented by the huge plow harness around his neck. Shuddering, she fixed her gaze on the ground,just in front of the red giant. The words came quickly and nearly silently: "ijustwantedtobuysomeapples."
The big pony cocked a confused eyebrow, though she couldn't see it from her vantage point. "Ya may want to speak up, miss. Don't be scared now, I ain't gonna hurt ya."
Fluttershy tried to answer, but her voice refused to cooperate. After what felt like the longest, most awkward moment of her short, awkward life, she was saved from the conversation by Apple Bloom.
"She said she wanted t'buy some apples, Macintosh. This is Fluttershy, the critter mare that lives near the forest."
The critter mare. Even as she stood petrified with fear, the nickname gave her a little internal chuckle. The little filly continued. "We was doin' some Crusadin', an' we kinda scared her. We already told her we was sorry."
Macintosh thought for a moment. "Fluttershy... Ah think Ah remember the name. Anyway, Ah hope the lil' varmints didn't give you too much of a fright." He turned to the girls. "Now y'all go play, and leave our customers alone."
The little ponies nodded thier assent and left, eager to get back to their fun. With a satisfied sigh, the gigantic red stallion turned to the yellow pegasus. His brow furrowed in concentration. "Fluttershy... Fluttershy... oh, that's right. Yer one o' AJ's friends, ain’t’cha?"
She nodded meekly, continuing to do her level best to vanish into the ground.
A huge hoof appeared in her face, causing her to jump back a little. "Mah name's Big Macintosh. You can call me Big Mac, seein' as everypony 'round here does."
Trembling, she shook the offered hoof. The crimson pony smiled. "Alright now, ya said you wanted ta buy some apples?"
There was no way around it now. She'd have to answer. "Yes... I mean, if you aren't too busy, though. If that's okay. I wouldn't want to be any trouble."
The big stallion laughed, a booming sound that caused her to withdraw even more. "Ain't no trouble at all, Miss Fluttershy. Ah'm all done buckin' fer the day anyhow." He gestured with a hoof. "Ah've been keepin' the cart in the barn."
The two walked towards the barn as the sun overhead got lower and lower. Their walk was nearly silent—Fluttershy was still nervous, and Macintosh was apparently a stallion of few words. He opened the large red doors for her once they arrived, and her nose was immediately filled with the scent of fresh straw and apples. The cart sat in the middle of the barn, huge bushel baskets of the farm's namesake arranged all around it.
"So," said Macintosh, pulling a paper bag from the wall, "how many apples didja need?"
Fluttershy did her best to swallow her fear and pulled her bit purse free from her saddlebags. "Umm... nineteen or twenty, I guess.”
The big pony looked at her with surprise, but began to fill the bag. “You got it, miss. If ya don’t mind my sayin’, that’s a lot of apples fer one pony.”
She blushed (or, to be honest, just blushed a little harder than she already was). “Oh, well, I’m all out at home. I had a patient all weekend who needed them to recover.”
Macintosh thought for a moment. “You wouldn’t be referrin’ to that giant turtle Beat’s got, would ya?”
Fluttershy blinked in surprise. “Yes, that’s the one. You know Beat?” The drummer pony had only lived in town for a few months.
“Eeyup. His band plays down at the bar in Ponyville some nights. Nice fella. He came up earlier today and bought about two bushels- said th’ poor critter’d been sick.” The massive pony finished loading the bag, and took the hoofful of bits Fluttershy offered him.
“So… um, why haven’t you been bringing the cart to the marketplace? Sorry, you don’t have to answer.”
Macintosh shrugged while he counted up the tiny gold coins. "Ah been real busy lately, so Ah moved th' cart up here to th' barn. Let the customers come t'me, so t'speak." He gathered the change and picked up the sack of apples. "Th' way Ah see it, ain’t no point leavin’ the farm.”
A cold voice spoke up from the shadows near the door. "I think I can change your mind about that, big guy." As Fluttershy dove behind Macintosh in fear, a small, dull orange stallion strode out of the darkness, his face fixed in an arrogant smirk. "What if I told you I could make you rich?”
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