A Silver Light in the Darkness

The battle was lost. Every ounce of defiance having been spent and wasted. Now, the creature eyes opened as he awoke, unable to fight away his stirring consciousness and stay asleep for a little while longer.

Throat feeling somewhat parched, the creature decided to leave his cot and roll off of the side. As his four paws touched the wooden floor, a grunt of discomfort left him as his full weight was put onto his limbs. He wasn't sure if it was simply from his drowsiness or if it was his age catching up to him. Either way, the creature arched his back as he stretched his stiffened muscles and relaxed himself.

Just as he took his first few steps forward, the creature stumbled slightly. It hit him hard, a subtle rising feeling in his gut. Nearly heaving out what little he had eaten before his slumber, the creature shook his head to clear his senses as he looked around his small room with a confused expression.

“Are we... still moving?” he asked himself, a gruff mumble of a voice as his eyes became set on the doorway leading out. With a pace slowed by the weight of many years, the creature exited the room, entering a much smaller room with a set of stairs leading both up and down. Choosing to ascend, he found one last door which he promptly went through, breaching into the outside world.

The cold night air brushed against his fur within moments, causing him to shiver slightly. However, he barely noticed it as his eyes narrowed into a glare, seeing that they were indeed moving, flying high above the ground.

Their ship was shaped much like one meant for the high seas. It was much more narrow at the front with slanted sides, forming a wedge shape as it cut through the sky with ease. No masts or sails were needed, a pair of webbed wings protruding from the sides of the wooden craft. Occasionally flapping to aid in keeping the ship in the air, they also provided direction when needed. Though none could see, the very bottom was covered in metal plates, the air around it rippling from the intense heat that poured from them, keeping the vessel aloft.

Jumping down from the quarter deck, the creature's gaze was sent forward as he crossed the length of the ship, his tail fidgeting back and forth through his growing indignation. On the very edge of the bow, a similar creature sat idle as he gaze was raised skyward. Humming a soft tune, the merry beast's triangular ears twitched as he caught the tell-tall steps of his approaching companion.

“She's beautiful tonight, isn't she?” the idle creature murmured, eyes not looking away from immense sight that loomed over them.

Much of the world around them was a hazy blur. A thick fog-like mist coated the land, making seeing what was below and ahead of them all but impossible. Only the tops of a few trees were tall enough to poke out through the abysmal veil, their crooked branches like claws reaching up to drag them down.

However, above them, it was a different story. A wondrous canvas was stretched out for all to see. The velvety black sheet was adorned with twinkling jewels, hanging above them from heights that were impossible to reach. But the greatest sight of all was the crescent shape of the moon, its silvery light shining down on them.

The first creature looked up at the moon as well, pausing for a moment to admire the magnificence for himself. Not forgetting his current mood however, his eyes fell back onto his fellow. “Yes, I suppose she is, Sire,” he said curtly, putting great emphasis on that last word.

A mirthful chuckle escaped the other creature, his lips parting to reveal the sharp fangs running across his muzzle. “Why must you be so formal when you're upset with me?” he asked after his small fit of amusement died down. “You just love making my flesh crawl.”

“I should be the one asking questions,” the agitated one responded. “We were supposed to land for the night. You need your rest just as the rest of us do.”

Still gazing up at the nighttime sky, the cheerful creature took in the cold air, savoring the serenity that surrounded them. “I'm far too excited to sleep,” he said. “How can you not be? We're making history, old friend. Just ask the others, their enthusiasm is the same as my own.”

A huff escaped him before the aged beast frowned deeply. “If anyone matched your enthusiasm, I fear we'd never recover from it.”

Again, the creature laughed heartily, finally tearing his eyes away from the heavens as he turned to his companion. “The years have not been kind to your sense of adventure,” he chided.

“Just as they've not been kind to your common sense,” the aged creature retorted. “It's bad enough you've hijacked the Skysaber for this prolonged trip. It will only be met with ill tidings if we overwork it. Bad enough that we continued to fly when that storm hit.”

“Feral assures that the ship can handle much more,” the second creature responded. His gaze trailed off to the side, seeing the dark tops of trees below them. “Besides, we've found no ground clear enough to land on. Seems like we've been flying over nothing but forest ever since we came to the mainland. We've no choice but to continue onward until this fog clears and we can find adequate space.” Sighing from the duress he was under, the creature's lips pouted as he turned back to his friend. “Can't you just let me have my fun? After all, I am wearing this ridiculous outfit you were so vocal about me donning for... How was it you put it? As a showing of our... 'noble nature'?”

Tapping it with his paw, the creature indicated the metal plate of armor he wore. It consisted of two peaces, one for his front and back, connected at the sides. It was of very fine make, not a flaw to be spotted in its perfect form. All across the surface of the chest piece, many ornate designs were decorating it with excellent detail. As a finishing touch, a silky cape of a dark blue was connected at the shoulders, billowing slightly in the wind.

“It's called dressing for the occasion,” the first one replied. “That's especially so if your plan succeeds and we end up meeting-” His sentence was stopped, the rest of the worlds crashing in his throat as a mighty explosion sounded off, rocking the ship like a boat in treacherous waters.

The two companions turned toward the stern, seeing a pillar of smoke rising out from as another explosion occurred, large chunks of wood being thrown out in all directions. Immediately, the Skysaber began to descend, the tall trees coming toward them at an alarming rate. The only two souls on the deck were tossed back and forth as the ship became unstable.

As they both tried making their way down to the hull, the side of the ship smashed straight into a mighty beast of a tree. The impact cracked the frame of the ship in two. From the sheer force of it, the aged creature was tossed backward toward the helm, but the garbed one was not so lucky. Unable to find sure footing, he was thrown off the side, plummeting into the unknown depths below and disappearing within the thick mist.

While the ship continued its terrible plunge from the skies, the creature who had went overboard frantically flailed his legs about uselessly. Falling into a dense forest, the creature smashed into tree limb after tree limb, the wooden branches snapping under the abuse and allowing him to continue.

Before long, the cape that the creature wore was snagged, caught in a tangle within the treetops. It was not a blessing however as he was now being strangled, the edge of his armor pressed tightly against his throat while he hung against it. Desperation took over as he tried to dig into the metallic plate, but his claws were useless.

Only a few gagged attempts to take air were made by him as everything started to fade. The world itself began to vanish around him as his vision blurred, the deafening sounds of the ship's crash was silenced and even his own panic was becoming a distant memory.

It wasn't long before his struggling stopped, his motionless body hanging where the tree allowed him to. But finally, the strained straps keeping his chest piece together snapped, releasing the creature from its hold on him and causing him to drop even further.

Again and again, his unconscious body crashed into thick branches in the fall. Just beneath the tree however, a small river flowed across the forest floor. Water was tossed upward in all directions as a powerful splash tore through the surface, the creature falling into the waiting river. With his mind far gone, there was nothing that could be done as he was at the mercy of the current that held him.

As the stars in the sky disappeared and the morning sun peaked over the horizon, the door of Fluttershy's small cottage swung open as the pegasus trotted out from her home. An old bucket was held in the yellow-coated pegasus' mouth while a small gardening shovel stirred around inside. Though the time was early, she was fully awake as she happily made her way toward the nearby forest.

With the heavy downpour that had occurred the other day, it was the chance Fluttershy needed to collect worms for the avian animals that she took care of. She knew of the perfect spot to find them, having the kind of worms that her feathered friends loved the most. It was even away from all of the vicious creatures that took up residence within the Everfree forest, preventing her from endangering herself in any way.

Beset by towering trees and shadowy surroundings, the timid mare simply followed the river that flowed just next to her house, keeping her from getting lost as she was undeterred in her journey.

In no time at all Fluttershy was able to find the right clearing, where she knew the best worms could be found. Setting her bucket aside, she took the shovel in her mouth and readied herself to dig. Just as she was about to scoop up her first chunk of earth however, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. It almost seemed like a fluffy creature, hiding just out of sight near the river due to her presence. As she neared it however, the pegasus was shocked at what she found.

It was a strange creature, near the same size as herself. Caught in the thick brush next to the edge of the river, its tail kept the unconscious thing from flowing further down the river. Thankfully, its muzzle was just above the watery surface, keeping it from drowning.

Curious, but still somewhat cautious, Fluttershy approached the creature. She was quickly able to see that it was unconscious, having made no move toward her own advances. Taking a chance, she grabbed the bushy tail and pulled, dragging it up onto dry land.

Examining the soggy creature, Fluttershy was unable to discern what it was, having never seen anything like it. It had a long muzzle, pointed ears and a large, extremely bushy tail. A gasp escaped the mare as she suddenly realized she was wrong. Instead of one oversized tail, it had three smaller ones. The damp fur had made it difficult for her to see it at first, but upon closer inspection, she could easily spot three tails connected to its flank.

There was a small voice in the pegasus' mind, meekly whimpering that she should leave now while she had the chance, not wanting to be around when the beast would finally wake up. But Fluttershy quickly ignored such a thought, her kind, gentle and loving side taking over as she looked down on the helpless creature with sympathy.

“Oh... you poor thing,” the mare cooed softly. “You're such a mess. You need some love and care, thank goodness you've found the right pony.” Hovering over the creature, Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around it and began to flutter back toward her cottage. Given the pegasus' nature however, she failed to fully lift the sizable animal off of the ground. She didn't notice as she lifted its backside into the air while its face dragged across the dirt.

Returning to her humble abode, Fluttershy rested the unconscious creature in the center of her floor. Seeing a new face returning with their caretaker, the many animals that the pegasus looked after revealed themselves. Critters of all colors and species circled around the strange newcomer. Angel Bunny also took interest in the furry beast, climbing atop it as it poked and prodded the still form.

“Now, be nice Angel,” the mare said as she placed a pillow under the creature's chin, patting it once on the head for good measure. “That's a good...” She trailed off as she looked questioningly at the creature, unsure how to finish. The pegasus became noticeably more anxious and hesitant as she looked around cautiously, as if expecting to see somepony spying on her. With quick movements, she lifted up the creature's hindleg and adverted her gaze downward, immediately jerking her head fully upright as her cheeks flushed with a red tint. “...boy... A good boy...”

Disappearing into the other room, the other animals closed in on their visitor. Their noses twitched as they took in the strange scent, each acting unsure if they should be wary or accepting. None of them had long to decide though as Fluttershy entered the room again, placing a bowl filled with water next to the pointy-eared creature.

Not finished yet however, the mare took out a large heat blanket and draped it over the damp animal. It was already set to a cozy warmth as she turned it on, certain that it would dry his wet coat and help in coaxing him to awaken so she could further inspect him. “That should do it for now,” she remarked to herself, a hint of pride in her voice.

A sudden tug on her tail caused Fluttershy to look down, seeing Angel holding up a flower to her and pointing toward the exit. It took a moment of the bunny's game of charades to clue her in on what he meant, but a gasp of realization came from her the moment it hit her. “Oh my,” she murmured, “you're right, I need to water the plants, don't I?. Thank you, Angel.” She patted the rabbit's head in appreciation before grabbing her water pot and flying outside.

With his caretaker gone, it allowed Angel to inspect the new creature more thoroughly. Lifting up his paw, Angel poked at the short claws that protruded from his toes. It didn't take long for the weight of the limb to be too much for the small bunny however, causing him to drop it and find other means of examination.

Climbing on top of the furry creature's head, he jumped up and down repeatedly. After a while, the long-eared critter grew bored of that as well, not getting any sort of reaction from the unconscious visitor. So instead, Angel resigned himself to repeatedly thump his foot down on the creature and generally be a nuisance. Things ended quickly however as the creature shifted his head, knocking the white rabbit down onto the floor.

Pained groans escaped him as he stood on his wobbly legs, the strained limbs shaking under his own weight. The entire world was swimming to him, his thoughts lost in a raging storm thrashing in his head. His own skull throbbed continuously. It felt as though he had lost a drinking contest, putting up a good fight, but being utterly trounced inevitably.

Body wracked by pain, senses all but disoriented, none of it registered to the creature save for a soft noise flowing from a short distance away. Nothing else was noticed by the creature. He didn't feel the splash of water on his paws, knocking over the bowl of water set aside of him. The chirps and squeaks of the animals were unheard, the furry animals scattering as the much larger creature moved.

All the creature's heightened hearing was able to grasp was the gentle humming that sounded nearby, causing him to follow it like a sailor entrapped by the melodious song of a siren. It led him outside, stumbling about with what little coordination he was given. It took no time at all for him to locate the source of the sound however, seeing a large yellow blur floating about through his hazy vision.

Fluttershy continued to hum cheerfully as she watered the plants that decorated her home. Water rained down on the green foliage from the pot she dipped over it, creating a miniature downpour for them. The parched plants took in the liquid greedily, always drinking up every drop that the pegasus gave. Before long however, the pink-maned mare was stopped, frozen in mid-air as she became aware of her company.

Only aware that there was another presence nearby, the creature's blank gaze fell on the pegasus as he took several more uneasy steps toward her. “Where... where am... I...” he tried to say, his voice trailing off as with a heavy thud, he collapsed back onto the ground.

A sudden splash followed the creature's crumpling form, the water pot falling from Fluttershy's grasp as she gaped at the strange, pointy-eared creature. “You... you talked...” she murmured, her voice a shaky squeak. It was then that she realized how far she had fallen from her area of expertise. That knowledge was what led her to her next move, bolting off toward the town of Ponyville as she called out for her friends. “Somepony, anypony, help!”