Trail We Blaze

by TheLegendaryBillCipher

Rating: everyone
Tags: Adventure, Slice of Life, Autumn Blaze, Kirins, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5338

Autumn Blaze is tasked with reconnecting with a remote tribe of ponies.

Now that the Vow of Silence is over, Rain Shine tasks Autumn Blaze with an important mission: reconnecting with a remote tribe of ponies and help resume trade between their villages.

Written for NaNoWriMo 2021.

Cover art used by mirroredsea.

Featuring the Moss Ponies!

Published 2021-12-22 00:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-12-22 00:50:01 UTC

Brave, Intrepid, and Then Some

Autumn Blaze sat up in bed and stretched her forelegs over her head. With a giddy grin, she bounced out of bed and threw open her curtains. Sure enough, it was another glorious morning in the Peaks of Peril – especially now that she was back home with all her things. Even that couch that had been too hard to move, which had needed a good dusting.

She bounced downstairs to her kitchen and opened her cupboard, looking among the boxes and boxes of teas she had accumulated. She squinted at the labels. “Now let’s see… what sort of tea does this morning feel like…” she murmured to herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knocking on her door. Autumn blinked, leaning out of the kitchen to stare at her entryway. Normally, she was the only Kirin this chipper this early in the morning – none of the others would’ve paid her a visit at this hour.

But who was she to leave the door closed on a potential guest?

Skipping to the door, she flung it open. “Gooood morning!” she sang cheerfully, eyes falling on her caller. Then her eyes slid up until they met the tall Kirin’s eyes above hers.

“Good Morning, Autumn,” Rain Shine said with a kind smile. “May I come in?”

Autumn nodded, frowning in confusion as she stood back and let Rain Shine in. She knew Rain Shine didn’t just call upon any Kirin, especially not at this hour – or any hour really. She had all sorts of leader-y things to do, such as making sure everyone was keeping a calm head on their necks.

“So, Rain Shine, what’s going on?” Autumn asked, shutting the door behind her and following the Kirin leader into the living room. “Did you want some tea? I got all kinds in my pantry. I was just deciding which one I was going to have this morning.”

“Thank you, Autumn,” Rain Shine said, seating herself on the couch – which Autumn was very glad she had dusted as soon as she had moved back in. “But I am here on important matters.”

“Important matters, huh?” Autumn walked over and plopped down in an easy chair that sat next to the couch – it was always very easy to do. “What sort of important matters? Do you need me to go to Equestria? Because I would love to visit Applejack and Fluttershy!” She broke out into a grin, tail wagging.

Rain Shine smiled at her enthusiasm. “Not quite. I do need your help with a matter outside of the Peaks of Peril, yes.” She frowned for a moment. “Do you know of a place called Elderrock Glade?”

Autumn opened her mouth, then promptly shut it and shook her head. “Not ringing any bells. Sounds like a cool place though.”

Rain Shine sighed. “We Kirin used to trade with the ponies that lived in Elderrock Glade. It is far off any pony maps, and very secluded in the deepest of forests. Sadly, since we took the Vow of Silence, we have received no word from Elderrock Glade.”

“That’s a shame. So, what’s that got to do with me?” Autumn tilted her head, tail still wagging.

“I was hoping that, since you have a way with outsiders such as the ponies, you might be able to venture to Elderrock Glade and help resume trade between us and the ponies who live there.” The bands on Rain Shine’s horn glowed, and she pulled a rolled up scroll from her saddlebags she had on. “This is an official apology I have written to them, as well as a polite request to resume trade. I would like you to deliver it.”

“A super-duper important mission where I get to meet new ponies? Count me in!” Autumn exclaimed, racing upstairs to get her own saddlebags and to put them on. She raced back downstairs and stowed away the scroll. “Just, uh, one question… where is Elderrock Glade?”

Rain Shine sighed again. “Along the rocky river route – one of our streams feeds from Elderrock Glade, so it should not be difficult to follow it there. However, I’m afraid that, because of the disuse, the way has become overgrown and treacherous.”

“Follow the stream, got it.” Autumn puffed out her chest and gave a salute. “I won’t let you down, Rain Shine.”

Rain Shine beamed. “Thank you, Autumn. I would go myself, but I wish to keep an eye on the Kirin, to make sure a second Vow of Silence will not be required.” She rose and nodded to the Kirin. “I anticipate your return – there are special elderberries you can only find in Elderrock Glade, and I am looking forward to having them again.”

“Sounds yummy. I’ll head out shortly!” Autumn nodded.

Rain Shine nodded back. “Safe travels,” she said, before exiting the living room and departing from Autumn’s house.

“Woohoo!” Autumn bounced into the air—nearly high enough to touch her ceiling—and bounded around the living room. “I get to meet new ponies, and help the Kirin, and see new things, and be a hero! I can’t wait to get going!”

Autum’s stomach, however, gave a loud rumble in protest, causing the Kirin to skid to a halt with a nervous chuckle.

“Just as soon as I get me some breakfast…”

After breakfast, Autumn packed up some provisions, including some camping supplies, and set out.

The river route pointed out to her by Rain Shine was easy to find – the stream fed into the center of the village and provided their water. Autumn trotted along its banks, leaving the village and waving goodbye to her fellow Kirin.

It wasn’t long before Autumn was left alone in the quiet of the forest. It was a different quiet than what she had been subjected to for all those years – she found she actually enjoyed it. It wasn’t a total quiet—there were still birds, forest animals, the wind rustling the leaves of trees—but it was a calm quiet, a serene quiet.

In this quiet, Autumn’s mind began to wander. The Vow of Silence had been years ago, and she could only vaguely recall the ponies that Rain Shine mentioned. They arrived in the afternoon and didn’t talk much – and they always left before it got too dark. They bartered and traded many goods with the Kirin, but Autumn couldn’t remember exactly what. The village had quite a bit to offer, so they could’ve asked for anything.

That’s when Autumn remembered the throw rug in her living room. It was a large, round, spacious thing, and almost softer than Autumn’s blanket and quilt collection. She’d notice how odd it was – it was clearly woven, but it didn’t feel like yarn or any other traditional fabric.

If anything, it felt like moss.

It was one of those tradeponies, she had gotten it from them. For a small jar full of dried basil leaves that Autumn had grown in her herb garden and dried herself. What a strange trade – so little for something so big. Perhaps they just liked herbs?

Then she recalled trading a trio of Nirik Peppers – specialty peppers the Kirin grew that, named that way because they had about as much kick in them as a hug from a Nirik. For them, she’d received one of her snugglier blankets – again, woven yet not made of any sort of fabric. It wasn’t perfectly warm, but the material was so soft – which made it perfect for warmer weather.

“So… they have a way with moss? Or know how to weave a moss-like plant? And they like herbs and spices – good thing I have plenty of those!” Autumn thought aloud.

Still, despite all the goods she had traded for with these ponies, she couldn’t for the life of her remember what they looked like. They were ponies, obviously—it was how she had recognized Fluttershy and Applejack, after all—but all she could remember was they were usually green with some kind of weird mane style.

Well, old memories didn’t matter as much. She was off to make new ones – until a thought occurred to her:

“What if they don’t want to trade with us anymore?”

She stopped in her tracks, frowning with worry. It’d been years since the Vow of Silence. The ponies had stopped showing up because of their apathetic attitudes and lack of communication. Maybe they thought the Kirin were a lost cause?

“Not if I have anything to say about it!” Autumn proclaimed to the forest, her voice reverberating back to her in the still expanse.

And with that, Autumn all but galloped along the stream, heading towards its source.

Eventually, the forest around her began to grow foreign and strange. Gone were the tropical trees and other flora – the forest became full of conifers, cedars, aspens, and oaks. The air grew chilly, and a light mist hung in the air, giving the forest an eerie feel to it. The animals were quieter here, so that the only noise seemed to be the rushing stream and her hoofsteps on its stony shore.

Despite the chill, a freshness hung in the air, much like it does after a good enough rain. The earth was loamy and dark, covered in fallen logs, stumps, and innumerous bushes and ferns. Mushrooms popped through the soil and clung to whatever wooden surface, living or dead, they could. And for most boulders and rocky outcroppings away from the stream, there were lush beds of moss covering their caps.

“What a… quaint place…” Autumn muttered, her voice low, though she didn’t know why.

It was peaceful here, more so than it had for the duration of her trip thus far. The spooky feeling she had upon entering this strange forest gave way to a sense of calm. She didn’t want to be loud here – she just wanted to take in the sights and enjoy it.

No wonder the ponies from around here didn’t talk much.

Soon, in her observations of the area, she noticed a break in the trees and lush underbrush across the stream from her. It was paved with mossy stepping stones and disappeared into the shadows of the forest. She paused to look it over before hopping across the rocks in the stream and towards it.

To her left, further upstream, she could hear the faint roar of falling waters. To her right was the way back to the Kirin Village. But straight ahead? For all she knew, it could lead to Elderrock Glade – the path certainly seemed to be pony-made, after all.

Cautiously, Autumn stepped onto the path and into the forest. She was instantly bathed in shadow – the mist hung thicker over the forest than it had the stream, and it, combined with the lush canopy above her, blotted out much sunlight. In addition, she was sure it was now early afternoon by her best estimate.

The bands on Autumn’s gnarled horn lit up as bright as she could make them, casting a soft blue light on the area around her. With a slower pace, Autumn proceeded along the winding path.

It seemed wide enough for three ponies at least, and relatively well maintained. The brush and ferns grew away from the trail of stones, and the path occasionally weaved around a stump, fallen log, or mossy boulder.

After a few minutes hiking through the dense forest, the tree line began to break up ahead. Autumn picked up the pace, her horn’s light flickering out as the light began to poke through the canopy overhead.

Ahead was what had to be Elderrock Glade – aside from the stream, it had been the only break in the otherwise luscious forest.

It was a large, almost circular glade. Large, jagged rocks jutted from the ground here and there, each covered in moss, making them look more like green fangs. Tall grass and wildflowers joined the ferns in the clearing, now that they had a proper chance to get sunlight. To the left was craggy cliffs and a path weaving through them – no doubt to the waterfall Autumn had heard.

And dead ahead was a village.

Unlike the Kirin, who built on, in, and around trees, the ponies who lived here resided in sturdy huts made of wood and stone. Moss covered just about everything, from the outside walls to the rooves.

And milling about the buildings were ponies. From a distance, their coats all seemed to be some shade of green, brown, or grey, with the familiar presence of cutie marks on their flanks. Their tails were long and thin like a Kirin’s, but with parallel tufts of green air that made the tail resemble a fern frond. As for their manes, they all appeared to have the same green, moss-like hair atop their heads.

Autumn squinted, then did a double-take.

No, they had moss on their heads, styled like hair.

“No wonder I couldn’t remember it – they wear plants!” Autumn muttered.

She took a deep breath and exhaled it to steady her nerves and puffed out her chest. “Alright Autumn. You’ve befriended ponies before. Easy stuff. Let’s do it!” she thought to herself, bouncing on her hooves with anxiety and excitement.

With confidence in her stride, Autumn held her head high and approached the village. Once she figured she was in hearing range, she proclaimed, “Hello ponies! I am Autumn Blaze of the Kirin and I come in peace!”

There was almost a record scratch – all around the village, the ponies stopped what they were doing to turn and look at her. And once their eyes fell upon her, they widened as big as saucers, glancing to their neighbors for some insight on what to do and coming up empty.

Autumn slowed to a halt, her ears drooping. This wasn’t exactly the reaction she had expected, nor hoped for.

One pony pushed to the front of the crowd and gasped, a wide smile splitting her muzzle. “A Kirin!” she exclaimed.

This got the ponies to murmur among themselves, some nodding, some gasping. The pony who had exclaimed—a green one, with moss that nearly covered her right eye and had the cutie mark of a green, mossy blanket—stepped forward.

“I am Moss Blanket, of the Moss Ponies,” she introduced, holding out a hoof to Autumn.

“Autumn Blaze… oh wait, I already said that,” Autumn said with a nervous chuckle, taking the hoof and shaking it.

“We thought the Kirin would remain mute and unmoved forever,” Moss remarked. “Are they well again?”

“It’s a long story. I’m here on our leader’s behalf – Rain Shine,” Autumn said. She reached into her saddlebags with her magic and, after some wrangling with her provisions, pulled out Rain Shine’s scroll.

Moss Blanket nodded. “Come. Our elder will speak with you,” she said, turning back to the village and beckoning Autumn to follow.

Autumn gulped softly, trotting after her. She glanced at the Moss Ponies around her as they gave her curious looks.

“Oh boy…” she thought.

The Moss Pony elder was found in his hut. He was a tall pony compared to the other Moss Ponies, much like Rain Shine’s towering appearance over the other Kirin. He had a grey coat and wrinkles under his eyes, along with a thick grey beard. The moss atop his head grew halfway down his back, and his cutie mark was a boulder with a mossy cap.

He looked down at Moss Blanket and Autumn Blaze with curiosity in his blue eyes.

“Autumn Blaze, this is our elder, Moss Boulder,” Moss said, gesturing between the Kirin and the taller pony. “Father, this is Autumn Blaze. She is here on behalf of the Kirin.”

“I, uh, have a message from Rain Shine,” Autumn said, holding the scroll aloft.

“Kirin?” Boulder asked, raising one bushy eyebrow. His voice was raspy with age. “I thought you had all gone silent for good.”

“We were, for a long time.” Autumn bowed her head. “The Kirin took the Vow of Silence so that we wouldn’t destroy our home in our anger.” She smiled softly as she looked back at the elder Moss Pony. “But I was able to find a cure for the Stream of Silence and convince the others to take it.”

Boulder hummed and took the scroll from her, unrolling it and skimming through its contents. Autumn herself hadn’t actually read it—after all, it wasn’t meant for her—so she didn’t know what it exactly said. She nibbled her lower lip as she waited and watched the Moss Pony elder read.

After what seemed like an eternity, Moss Boulder cleared his throat. “Well, I see that Rain Shine wishes to resume trade with us,” he said, looking to Autumn. “I will admit – we Moss Ponies miss trading with the Kirin. They grow many herbs and spices we cannot find or grow ourselves. I will talk to the others and get some items together to trade.”

“Wonderful!” Autumn cheered, bouncing once. “I’m sure Rain Shine will be overjoyed to hear it. She, uh, also mentioned about missing something called elderberries?”

The old Moss Pony chuckled. “Yes, we will get a few basketfuls together. We shall set of with you back to the Kirin Village tomorrow.”

“Yes, it is growing late and the forest can be dangerous at night,” Moss Blanket added with a nod. “Please, we welcome you to our village to spend the night – I have space in my home for a guest.”

“Oh… well, thank you. That’s very kind.” Autumn beamed. “I’d love to spend the night here. I, uh, hope I don’t keep you awake with my snoring.”

That got a chuckle out of the other two.

Autumn followed Moss Blanket to one of the huts near the edge of the village, where the glade grew closer to the craggy cliffs. Even from here, Autumn could hear the faint roar of the cascading waterfall.

Overhead, the sky was tinted the color of red wine, slowly darkening towards purple. A few faint twinkles poked through the gloom as the first stars of the night began to make their appearance.

“You know,” Autumn remarked, looking at the stars. “I don’t recall you Moss Ponies ever staying in the village. You all always left before night.”

Moss Blanket seemed to blush at this. “Well, we have a… special condition we like to keep to ourselves. We did not want to appear strange to you Kirin.”

Autumn looked at her stunned. “We turn into fiery, demonic-like creatures when we’re angry – I don’t think the Moss Ponies’ condition could be much worse than that,” she remarked.

“Well, you shall be the first Kirin to see it then. You may judge for yourself.” Moss flashed a friendly smile back at her.

Moss opened the wooden door to the front of the hut, which stood in a doorway made of chiseled stone, and kept it open for her guest to follow in after her. Autumn shut the door behind her and marveled at the interior design of the Moss Pony’s abode.

It was a simple one room hut, with no divide between the bedroom, kitchen, or living area. In the center was a large, dark wood table with stools made of a similar wood around it. A sofa made of dark wood and covered in a mossy fabric sat in one corner, with small moss cushions around it for others. A stone stove and chimney sat in another corner, with stone cookware and wooden utensils – something was cooking in the stone pan on the stove that smelled delicious to Autumn. In yet another corner of the room was a large bed covered in mossy blankets and quilts, with another single bed facing it.

Most of the light came from lamps made of wood, which Autumn thought might be a potential fire hazard. However, given how prevalent they were, she figured the Moss Ponies had come up with a way to make the wooden construct relatively fireproof.

“You have a lovely home,” Autumn said as Moss walked over to the stove.

“Thank you, though from what I recall, you Kirin have far more extravagant homes,” Moss said, using a wooden spoon to stir what was in the pan.

Autumn watched her go to a small cabinet by the stove—made yet again of that dark wood that prevailed throughout the hut—and pull out a few wooden seasoning jars. Taking them over to the pan, Moss sprinkled them onto the food before returning them.

“So, why are the Moss Ponies so interested in spices and stuff?” Autumn asked. “Moss Boulder sad you couldn’t get them around here or grow them, is that it?”

Moss nodded, returning to the pan to continue stirring. “Indeed. Our climate is not as… tropical as it is in the Peaks of Peril. Elderrock Glade has many wonderful foods—berries, fresh leaves and roots, nuts, mushrooms—but we do not have the climate for spices and seasonings.”

“Well, I grew a whole batch of Nirik Peppers recently, so I’ll have plenty to trade with,” Autumn said. She trotted over and sat down at one of the stools.

“Excellent.” Moss beamed. “Nirik Peppers are one of my favorite treats – they’re great for a cold evening. We Moss Ponies enjoy our calm and our familiar routines, but the occasional spice, the occasional zest, is a true treat.”

Autumn nodded. “Speaking of treats, what’s cooking? Smells delicious.” She licked her lips.

“Some grilled mushrooms and crushed chestnuts, with a little basil and oregano,” Moss replied. “I hope you like it – you must have had a long journey coming here.”

“Long, but not that hard. All I had to do was follow the stream.” Autumn shrugged.

She couldn’t help but wag her tail as she watched Moss scoop the mushrooms and nuts onto two plates and bring them over to the table. Moss retreated briefly to fetch them some silverware—or rather, wooden-ware—and they ate in relative silence. Aside from Autumn’s occasional delighted hums, that is.

“Delicious!” Autumn proclaimed once they were done. Moss took their dishes over to a wooden counter by the stove for cleaning later. “I’ll have to try that recipe when I get home.”

Moss nodded with a smile. “I hope you enjoy,” she said, her eyes sliding to one of the hut’s windows. Autumn looked too.

Outside, the darkness had fully set it. From her point of view, she could see the few other huts in sight begin to dim the lights. Moss gave a sigh and turned back to Autumn.

“You wished to know what our condition is – you shall soon see,” Moss said, not entirely sad, but not entirely happy either.

Autumn tilted her head curiously, watching Moss Blanket as she began to douse the lights around the hut. Once they were bathed in darkness—save for the nocturnal light of the moon outside—Autumn slid off her stool and over to Moss Blanket.

At first, Autumn thought the greens of Moss’s eyes were glowing, but then she noticed how high up it was, situated between Moss’s ears. It was a hoofful of glowing specks, yellow-green in color, that dotted the moss that grew upon her head. Slowly, the glowing specks grew in number, glowing brighter until they illuminated the Moss Pony under the moss.

Autumn gasped, watching as Moss shook her head, as if to dry herself off. The glowing specks rose like unblinking fireflies, floating on the air around Moss Blanket and slowly drifting to the ground.

“Are they, uh, toxic?” Autumn asked, watching the glowing specks warily.

Moss Blanket giggled. “No. They are the spores of my moss. At night, every Moss Ponies’ moss glows and releases spores. They only grow outside, so there’s no worry about them growing all over my home.

“It is a coming of age tradition that a young Moss Pony climbs a mountain so that, at night, their moss may release its spores and have them carried away on the high winds, to grow more moss elsewhere.”

“Fascinating,” Autumn said. “But, like I said. We turn into Nirik – glowing, spore-scattering moss is way, way less weird. If anything, I think it’s pretty cool.”

Moss smiled. “It grows late. We should turn in for the night. Tomorrow, we return to the Kirin Village,” she said, gesturing to the smaller of the two beds.

Autumn nodded, letting out a yawn. She trotted over to the smaller bed, slid off her saddlebags and set them next to the foot of the bed, and all but hopped under the covers. She gave a contented sigh as she snuggled under the covers.

Moss giggled as she walked over. “I take it that the bedding is to your liking?” she asked.

“You bet! I love snuggly blankets and quilts – I have a whole collection of them at home. Makes more sense to have them here, seeing as it’s so chilly and damp, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love them at home!”

Moss giggled again. “Well, good night and pleasant dreams, Autumn,” she said, nodding to her.

As Autumn sighed herself to sleep, she watched Moss slide into her own bed. She watched the glowing moss aotp her head let out a few more little sparkling specks before nuzzling her pillow and pulling the covers over her head.

She had a big day ahead of her tomorrow.

Come the morning, Autumn awoke with a loud yawn and found her hostess already at work preparing breakfast. She flashed a friendly smile to Autumn as the sleepy Kirin trotted over to the table.

“Good morning,” Moss Blanket said. “Did you sleep well?”

Autumn gave a mumbled “Mhmm” as she sat down one of the stools.

Moss flashed her a smile. “Good to hear. I am fixing some honey-drizzled acorns and grilled chanterelles, I hope you like it.”

“If it’s as good as the food last night,” Autumn said, interrupted by a yawn. “Sounds delicious.”

Moss giggled. “My father has gotten some of the traders ready with their goods. They’ll be ready to head back to your village as soon as you are.”

That perked Autumn right up. “Great! The sooner the better,” she said with a firm nod.

Autumn and Moss spent the rest of breakfast in relative silence—once again, aside from Autumn’s delighted hums—and their dishes quickly joined those from last night.

As soon as she was done, Autumn grabbed up her saddlebags and sprinted outside. Around a dozen Moss Ponies stood around with loaded packs and saddlebags. At the head of the group was Moss Boulder, who had a pair of loaded saddlebags on himself.

“Moss Boulder? Are you sure you want to hike there?” asked one of the Moss Ponies next to him.

“I would like to see the Kirin Village again,” Boulder replied with a nod. “I am not over the mountain yet – I will be fine.”

Moss Blanket stepped out of her hut with her own pair of packed saddlebags, smiling at Autumn. “Looks like everypony is set to leave – would you care to lead the way?” she asked.

“You bet!” Autumn bounced happily, turning to the group of Moss Ponies. “Heading up, moving out! Next stop: the Kirin Village!”

There was a collective cheer among the Moss Ponies – even Moss boulder raised a hoof. Autumn turned and headed for the path through the forest she had taken. She had such a pep in her step that by the time she had reached the stream, she realized that the Moss Ponies had yet to catch up.

After waiting a few moments, the group made their way out of the forest. Autumn gave a nervous chuckle, blushing with embarrassment as Moss Blanket approached. “Sorry,” she said. “Guess I’m a little excited.”

Moss Blanket smiled and nodded. “Indeed, we are excited too,” she replied.

“Sorry about that folks,” Autumn said to the rest of the group. “I’ll try to tone it down. Now, on to the village!”

The Moss Ponies chuckled at the Kirin’s enthusiasm and followed as she led them down the shore of the stream.

The still of the forest was replaced by the chorus of steady hoofsteps on stone and the murmur of Moss Ponies talking among one another. Autumn caught the prospects of new trade and renewed friendship, and it made her chest swell with joy.

Finally, with the sun high in the sky, the Kirin Village soon appeared.

To Autumn’s surprise, Rain Shine and a group of Kirins awaited them at the edge of the village. Their anxious looks dissolved into joy and relief at the sight of Autumn, as well as the Moss Pony caravan behind her.

“Hey everyone!” Autumn called, waving a forehoof. “I brought some new friends!”

“Well done, Autumn,” Rain Shine said as the smaller Kirin walked up to her. Her attention shifted as Moss Boulder stepped forward.

“Rain Shine, it is good to see you and the Kirin well,” he said, holding out a hoof to her. The Kirin leader quickly accepted it and shook it. “Autumn Blaze here tells me you were looking forward to these.”

He reached into one stuffed saddlebag and produced a bushel of round, black berries, each on their own little stem like shrunken grapes. Rain Shine’s eyes widened and she grinned, nodding enthusiastically.

“Come, I should have something suitable for trade,” she replied, gesturing towards the village. She turned and addressed the other Kirin. “Kirin of our village, please welcome back the Moss Ponies! They are here to trade, so if you see something you want, present a suitable item or items for trade.”

The Kirins murmured excitedly, quickly stepping forward to meet the Moss Ponies, exchanging greetings and hoofshakes, followed by the excited perusing of the visitors’ wares. Rain Shine led Moss Boulder towards her house, where she disappeared into her vegetable garden – most likely for her Nirik Peppers.

Someone cleared their throat behind Autumn. She turned to see Moss Blanket standing there. In her forehooves was a familiar blanket – the one from Moss Blanket’s guest bed that Autumn had slept under just the night before.

“Oh! Uh, let me go get something for that,” Autumn said, taking a step towards her house. “I got a whole bunch of Nirik Peppers and—”

“No,” Moss Blanket said with a shake of her head and a kind smile. “I want you to have this. You mentioned you enjoyed these, and you certainly seemed to sleep well under it last night.” She giggled. “Please, as a thank you for reuniting our tribes.”

Autumn blushed and smiled sheepishly. “Very well… though I still want to give you some peppers. It’s only fair.” She smirked, taking the blanket.

“Lead the way, Autumn Blaze,” Moss Blanket replied.

With a grin, Autumn bounded back to her house with the Moss Pony close on her hooves.

Author's Note

Date of Creation (D.o.C.): 11/12/21

I feel like, in the back of my mind somewhere, that I've had this idea before.

A lot of the inspiration came from Animal Crossing New Horizon’s 2.0 update and the new plant material: glowing moss. From there, my brain somehow connected it with pony and thus my little cryptid pony was created!

That, and I liked The Legend of Mick Dodge when it was on TV. The rainforest environment just has this... coziness I like.

I also like incorporating and explaining obscure details - like in this case, a reason why the Kirin know about ponies while being so isolated. And Moss Blanket is named after my favorite area in Slime Rancher.

The song I listened to while writing this was "Cascade Kingdom" from the game Super Mario Odyssey. The title and chapter title are, of course, inspired by Elton John's "The Trail We Blaze."

-yours truly,
The legendary Bill Cipher, Equestria Enthusiast
Creator of the Moss Ponies.