Chapters 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!”
A Silver Light in the Darkness
“What... what did you find, Fluttershy?” the studious Twilight Sparkle asked, standing besides her friends as they encircled the unconscious creature that the yellow pegasus had frantically told them about.
Fluttershy simply hovered nearby, looking nervous as she had trouble getting her thoughts together. “I-I-I found him out in the forest. I thought he was just an animal that got hurt... b-but then he... he started talking!”
“Talking?” Rainbow Dash murmured skeptically, looking at the creature like she would any other beast. “This is just like the time you brought back that manticore kitten, isn't it? You thought that thing was saying, 'I love you.' Then it turned out it was just growling at you.”
Looking hurt that her friends wouldn't believe her straightaway, Fluttershy nodded her head in a display of timid determination, saying, “I know what I heard.”
“It kinda reminds of Winona,” the farmpony Applejack said, seeing a resemblance to her pet dog within the creature. “'Cept, you know, more vicious lookin'.”
“Oh, but such a soft coat,” Rarity remarked, running her hoof through the creature's fur.
“And look at these!” Pinkie Pie shouted, tugging on his tails. “I bet he's real good at pin the tail on the pony!”
Twilight rolled her eyes dismissively, murmuring, “I doubt it.” Her gaze was soon locked back on the creature. At first glance, he looked long dead. All that showed anything against it was the subtle movement of his chest as he breathed. Though the unicorn had her doubts that such a creature was anything but a beast, she realized that they should at least find help. “We should take it- er, him, to the hospital. Whatever he is, he might be hurt. At least there, we can see if we can help him.”
“Thank you, Twilight,” the meek mare said, smiling slightly. Though she was now frightened over what the talking creature might be, she didn't want him to suffer. Uncertain glances were shared by all of the others, but none of them had any words of dispute to say and nodded their heads in understanding.
Without waiting for a word of consent, Twilight levitated the point-eared creature up and settled him atop Applejack's back. Despite his size being almost similar to their own, he was surprisingly lighter than one would expect, making it easy for the strong earth pony to carry him without strain. Not needing to say another word, the six friends all turned their gazes back toward Ponyville.
Along the way, Twilight stayed next to Applejack as she further examined the creature, detailing his appearance. Much of his fur was a light, smokey gray. Added with it was a grayish-white that covered his lower jaw, portions of his cheeks and followed a path down his neck, across his chest and underbelly, where it stopped around his inner thighs. The most peculiar thing about his appearance was across his back. Markings made out of a dull-silver fur ran up it, stopping just short at reaching his neck and starting near the base of his tails. They had no rhyme or reason to them, forming no actual design that she knew of. Twilight's mind thought of the stripes of a tiger as comparison, even though the markings were much more intricate than a basic pattern.
While her sights were still placed on the creature. The scholar noticed one much larger detail about him. Having been concealed while he was lying on his side, the attention of the six ponies being placed on the strange creature himself, it had gone unnoticed until now. Wrapped around the creature's waist, a black belt of fine make was worn to strap on an object held within a matching sheathe.
It was a sword, having seen such weapons used as decoration in certain parts of Canterlot castle. The hilt alone was wonderfully crafted, detailed from pommel to guard in ornate symbols and a sparkling blue jewel set into it. As Twilight's focus lingered onto the sword, so too did the gazes of her friends, noticing it for themselves.
“What is that thing?” Rainbow Dash asked, curiously looking at it from her heightened perspective.
“Hm, whatever it is, the craftsmanship is superb,” Rarity said, her eye for quality noticing the details, unable to look away from the jewel that decorated the hilt.
Twilight didn't say anything herself, not having the thought to tell her friends that it was a weapon. She wasn't even sure why such a creature would have it on them. Maybe it held the same purpose as collars did for pets in Equestria, she hadn't the foggiest idea. Still though, it didn't stop her from grabbing the hilt in a magical grasp, consuming it with a magenta glow as she lightly pulled on it.
There was a small resistance as the sheathe released its prize. The double-edged blade nearly sparkled with its flawless surface, not a mark, smudge or notch to be seen. Just looking at the razor sharp edge made the ponies feel as though it could cut them from a distance. While Twilight's curious thoughts were swimming through her head, she continued pulling the sword free from its holding. As her magical grip on the hilt extended to the blade itself, there was a sudden, invisible zap felt from it. It surprised the mare, causing her to immediately shut the blade back into the sheathe fully and take a step back. Though she wasn't injured, the sensation was jarring, feeling as though she had been touched by Pinkie after running her hooves across a carpet.
'Ooo, ooo,” Pinkie Pie chimed, looking excited as she examined the sword for herself. “I know what that is!” Gaining half confused and half expectant looks from her friends, the bubbly mare quickly continued. “It's a knife for a cake! And what better use for such a giant knife than for a giant cake!” Her pink lips began to water as her mind conceived of such a confection. “Just imagine it! Walls of frosting, buckets of sprinkles, enough sugary goodness to keep everypony awake for days!” Pinkie then gasped sharply, realization striking her like a lightning bolt. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake have got to know about our new baking buddy! I've gotta go!”
Without another word, and before her friends could even utter a noise, Pinkie Pie vanished in a plume of dust that had an eerie pony shape to it. All that could be seen of the hyperactive pony was a bright pink streak racing across the land, heading to Ponyville at amazing speeds. Everypony else just looked off to where the mare had gone, stunned silence befalling them. It only lasted for a few moments however, their cargo returning to their thoughts as they remembered they still needed to get to the hospital.
Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, the doctor kept a curious, albeit somewhat confused, gaze upon the creature that had been brought in for him to see. “Are you ladies sure you don't want to take this creature to see Ms. Flummoxed?” he asked, adjusting his glasses slightly. “I'm sure the veterinary clinic would be more adequate...”
“But he's not a pet,” Twilight said, “he's not even a wild animal.” She and the others were all waiting in simple room. They kept a reasonable distance away for the doctor to examine their furry companion, his body being laid out on the cushioned table in the room. She had unfastened his sword from his belt, setting it against the nearby wall as to not be a bother.
“He talks,” Fluttershy added, looking concerned for the beast but still timid at what he was.
“I'll take your word for it,” the doctor murmured, his horn glowing as his eyes ran up and down the creature's body. “Let's just get a better look at this creature...” Though the others weren't able to see, the medical unicorn's magic provided a great insight into his patient. Using a spell much like an x-ray, he was allowed a good look at what was underneath the fur and flesh. “Hm... Skeletal structure seems fine... no abnormalities. Seems much like our own, except less dense... It...er, he, appears much like some canine species I've seen, but I've still never seen something like this.”
As the doctor continued to examine the creature, another pony trotted by. Bespectacled eyes falling into the room, the stallion entered with a fond smile. A white doctor's coat was worn over his natural light-brown one, his mane being a dark-orange shade that was oddly shaped like broccoli.
“Having trouble are you, Doctor?” the earth pony asked cheerfully. “Perhaps I can help.” Without waiting for the doctor's reply, he approached the unconscious creature and began to poke him with his hoof. “Hm...” he murmured as he eyed his paw, spreading the clawed toes before dropping it back onto the table. Sniffing his fur and then opening his mouth to see the row of fanged teeth in his maw, the orange-maned doctor took a step away and gave a firm nod toward the group of mares. “Well, he is most certainly not a pony.”
A thick silence filled the room as the five friends held deadpanned expression, staring at the strange stallion who looked somewhat proud of himself. Even their previous doctor held a similar look on his face as he concealed a sigh and said, “Thank you, Doctor. As always, you've been a big help.”
“Always glad to offer my medical expertise,” the fellow doctor replied. “Now, I must be off, many things to be done.” He then left the room, his company being quickly replaced as a nurse came rushing in.
“Doctor,” the nurse said quickly, “Ms. Loose is in the east wing, she's barking at the children there.”
Releasing a heavy, and much needed groan, the doctor rubbed his eyes and murmured, “Not again... I'll... I'll be right there.” About the rush out of the room himself, the unicorn stopped as he turned to the concerned visitors. “I'm sorry, as of this moment, there's no immediate cause for concern with your friend. As far as I've seen, he may be alright after a little time. You're welcome to leave him here to be taken care of. I'll be back as soon as I can.” Then with that, he followed the nurse out of the room, undoubtedly heading toward the east wing.
Several moments ticked by with nopony saying a word. Everypony just gazed at everypony, occasionally looking toward the creature that they had brought. It became apparent that they hadn't gotten any further than what they had originally. However, there was a small victory in realizing that their three-tailed companion wasn't in any serious danger now. But what it actually meant had yet to be decided.
They still had no idea who or what this creature was. What his intentions might be, what his actions might entail. The creature could be as vicious as an enraged dragon, or as sweet as the cuddliest kitten. From the weapon that they had found on him however, things were tilting more toward the former.
“So... what now?” Applejack asked, unsure as to how they should proceed.
All eyes immediately turned to Twilight, the smartest one out of them all. It made the mare take a step back, feeling the sudden weight thrust onto her. Despite her well-read mind and calm demeanor, she hadn't the slightest scrap of a plan. “Well...” the scholar said slowly, piecing together her thoughts as she spoke. “Maybe... we can just wait... I-I don't know... I just don't like knowing what we're up against. Maybe I can write a letter to the princesses? Perhaps they've heard of-” She didn't get the chance to finish, the final words catching in her throat as she was interrupted by her own gasp, hearing a series of groans sounding nearby.
Everypony turned toward the table, seeing the furry creature's body twitching subtly before the thin limbs began to shift back and forth. Tension ensnared the group of friends as the abrupt inevitability was too much of a surprise for them. Still though, the creature began to stand, more groans of unpleasantness escaping him.
“Ugh... my head,” the creature muttered aloud. “... last time I challenge Styx... cheating khart...” Attempting to relieve himself of the throbbing pain in his skull, he shook his head. As his senses slowly returned to him, the strange surroundings he found himself became aware to him.
As it was only a matter of time, the creature's head turned in the direction of his spectators, eyes falling on the mares who were staring at him with the same surprised expression he developed himself. It caused a sudden yelp of a gasp to escape him, being imitated by the five ponies as well, each jumping back a near foot and a half as well.
“What-what are you!” the creature said, attempting to sound demanding but filled with too much shock to properly voice it. “W-where am I? What have you done with me?!”
None of them answered him, the lack of response striking the creature's ire quickly as his brow furrowed into a glare. He jumped down from the table, clearing a portion of the gap set between him and the ponies. It caused the lavender-coated unicorn to panic, her horn developing a magenta glow before the creature was suddenly swallowed by a bubble of magical energy.
The creature was shocked even further at the sudden display, eyes wide as he looked at what he was now imprisoned in. “Magic,” he stated quickly, a familiarity in his tone. “Ha. No such tricks will hold me for long!” His head craning down to his side, another startled gasp escaped him as he found he was bereft of his blade, the weapon no longer hanging at his side. Growling in agitation, the gray-furred creature charged forward, slamming head first into the bubble.
It didn't even flinch. The magic Twilight was putting into it held strong, not so easily damaged by a simple physical force. Only the surface of the barrier showed a slight, miniscule change for a single moment, rippling like water at the point of impact. The creature saw it clearly too, only summoning a determined glint in his eyes as he charged into it again.
Once again, nothing was changed. By then, the other ponies had settled down, sitting in silence as Twilight's concentrated gaze focused on the trapped creature, who didn't appear deterred in the slightest. Again and again, he rammed himself into the magical prison to set himself free, his resolve holding as strong as what was now encompassing him. It left little room to get a word in edgewise, the persistence shown almost comical in a sense.
Time went on unhindered, the minutes slowly piling up as nothing else was done within the room except for the farcical attempts at freedom made by the unnervingly resilient creature. The ponies themselves began to look disinterested, lying down on the ground as they fought back yawns and impatiently tapped their hooves on the floor. Even Twilight was looking bored, waiting for the steam to finally run out of the captive.
That moment seemed to be coming closer however, if his increasingly haggard breathing was any indicator. “I will not... be so easily... beaten,” he said defiantly, staggering slightly as he recovered from his latest failed charge, eyes looking away dizzily. It was the first break in the rhythmic blows that he had been performing.
Twilight looked at the creature curiously for a moment, seeing that he was no longer attacking the magical bubble. He simply stood there, attempting to catch his breath. “You done?” she asked flatly, causing the creature to finally look at her directly.
“Never,” the pointy-eared creature said, still winded but attempting to show an unknown bravado. “Like the crushing tide... I am ceaseless and all powerful.” He paused for a moment, chest heaving quickly from his rapid panting, clearly exhausted. “But... I am not without mercy... To show my honor... still holds... I will allow you a brief respite to... to catch your breath.” Only a frown creased across the scholar's mouth as she raised an eyebrow toward the creature, judging on how serious his offer truly was. But he didn't seem to notice, only attempting to look as imposing as possible before continuing. “Then.... then you will know... the true strength of a prince of Illaisier!”
Rarity's ears twitched as her eyes widened. “A prince...?” she questioned, standing beside Twilight as she stared at the creature. “T-Twilight, you must release him this instant!”
“What?” the unicorn asked, surprise showing on her face.
The fashionista only nodded her head firmly, pointing a hoof toward the him. “Did you not hear him?” she asked rhetorically. “W-we are in the presence of royalty! Such behavior is unacceptable to one such as he!”
All Twilight could do was look dumbstruck, as though her friend had just gone crazy. “Just because he says he is doesn't mean-” she tried saying, cut off as the alabaster mare jammed a hoof into her ribs.
“I said release him,” the civil mare demanded, jabbing the scholar once again for good measure. “This instant!”
Though it was clearly begrudgingly, Twilight's expression softened as the glow around her horn ended and the bubble that encased the newly dubbed 'prince' vanished without a trace. The furry creature stood there for a moment, surprise showing clearly on his face as he looked between the two mares. It seemed as though he himself was not expecting for his freedom to come in such a way.
“I... thank you, I suppose,” the creature said said. “I never expected for a user of magic to be so... coherently understandable...” He soon began to look about his surroundings with a curious, and somewhat confused, look about him. Eventually, his detailing gaze fell back onto the two unicorns, scratching his muzzle with his paw in thought. “Can't be a part of the Pack... No, no... they don't even look like one of those malicious creatures... Then why did I...? Gah, my head is pounding.”
“Uh... excuse me?” Twilight said, interrupting the creature's murmuring. “What... or who, are you exactly?”
The gray-furred creature looked at the scholar, staring at her almost unblinkingly. She noticed his eyes, not nearly as large as their own while his irises held a dazzling azure in them. They only caused her to feel unnerved however, feeling as though they were digging into her very thoughts. “I could very well ask you those same questions,” he responded, clearly seeing that they were on similar terms of unknowns.
“We won't get very far if you don't want to cooperate,” Twilight quickly returned, not wanting to be toyed with by the creature.
“Quite right,” he nodded, his lips shifting into a wry smile. Releasing a huff of amusement, the creature sat down on the floor, becoming more relaxed as his previous exhaustion faded into memory. “Very well, then perhaps you would like to take part in a little... game of sorts.”
Twilight tilted her head slightly in a questioning manner. “A game?”
“Oh yes,” the creature went on. “It's rather useful where I'm from, called answers for answers. One of us shall ask a question, the other can then answer. In exchange for said answer, the other may ask their own question. It goes on like that for some time, ending when both sides are sated or just grow bored. And as I appear to be the guest in this... perhaps I can ask for the courtesy of starting first?”
Twilight didn't answer right away, her gaze still looking the creature up and down. It was quite surprising to her to be having such a conversation with an animal she had never encountered before, but she was also having trouble reading him.
And just as she attempted to judge him and his intentions, she could feel his own eyes probing her relentlessly, taking in every detail of her expressions and demeanor, gauging her actions and reactions. They occasionally drifted toward Rarity as well as they others that were behind them. From how silent they had become, it was clear that everypony else was giving their undivided attention to what the two were saying.
Eventually though, the scholar saw no harm in playing along with the creature. Nodding her head in understanding, the lavender-coated unicorn gave a simple smile and said, “Alright then, ask your question.”
“Okay,” the supposed prince said, looking somewhat excited as he looked off in deep thought. “Let's see... so many choices, so many choices... Ah, I know. How 'bout the basics. Where am I?”
“You're in a hospital,” Twilight answered. The mare then paused for a moment as she thought one what she was saying, thinking that she should be much more detailed for the strange beast. “It's in the town of Ponyville where we live, within the nation of Equestria.”
“E-quest-ria?” the creature repeated, rolling the name around on his tongue. “Hm... okay then.” With a slight wave of his paw, he gestured for the unicorn to continue, it now being her turn.
It didn't need to take long for Twilight to think of her question, it being the most obvious one she should ask. “Who are you?”
Sitting firmly on the ground, the creature bowed his head respectfully as he said, “I am Prince Arren, son of King Inari and...” a slight sigh escaped him, “next in line to the throne.” Much like how Twilight had, the creature paused as he too thought on his answer. Knowing of the mare's generosity, he figured he could return the favor. “As for what I am... Well... I suppose those are several ways to say it but... For the most part, I'm what we call a fox.” He twitched his ears and wagged his tri-tails in her direction for added emphasis, having a toothy grin plastered on his face. “My turn again... Well, to echo you, I might as well ask who you creatures are.”
Twilight held a respectable demeanor as she pointed to herself and said, “I'm Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia.” Turning toward her friends, the scholar pointed to each of them in turn. “This is Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy. She's the one who found you unconscious in the Everfree forest.” Once again, there was more to her answer that had yet to come, continuing the flow of detail that had been set. “We're ponies, though there are more than one kind. Rarity and I are unicorns, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are pegasi and Applejack's an earth pony.”
“It's a pleasure to meet you then,” Arren said, bowing his head down once again. Through that action, he realized his odd shift in weight, feeling unusually symmetrical. “By the by, none of you would have happened upon a beautiful piece of craftsmanship by chance? You couldn't miss her. Long, shining blade, sharp edge, connected to a beautiful hilt that could bring tears to your eyes.”
Though slightly wondering on his choice of words, Twilight immediately caught on to what the fox prince was wanting, levitating the sword she had set aside toward him. The prince looked at the sight with a display of surprise, eyes never blinking until the weapon was set in front of him. “Ah,” he sighed pleasantly, “that'd be her.” Running his paw gingerly across the length of the black sheathe, he returned the blade to its rightful place by his side. “Thank you, I feel so much more myself now.” A soft chuckle escaped him as he amusingly eyed the mare. “I also hope this didn't count as a question, I wouldn't feel right cheating you.”
Unable to prevent a similar chuckle to escape her as well, Twilight simply nodded, saying, “Well, I can simply ask you two in a row. And there is something I need to know. How can you converse with us now? I've never heard of foxes before, yet you speak Equestrian perfectly.”
“Equestrian?” the fox questioned cocking an eyebrow at her question. “I speak in the tongue of my people, my land.” There was little certainty is his voice however as his eyes trailed to the floor in a downtrodden expression. “Or at least... what's left of it... Then again, I am now noticing the fact that we've been having such civil discourse... Huh... how about that...”
It was all the lavender unicorn could do to keep a straight face as she stared at the fox with shock crackling in her mind. Though it seemed impossible, they were in fact speaking the same language. Perhaps there could be some probability to it, but still, that had to be the mother of all coincidences. Though such an answer wasn't good enough for the dedicated scholar, she could see there wasn't much she could do against it.
“There's something else I want to know,” Twilight continued. “You mentioned your home. Illaisier, right? What is that? Why are you here now? What happened to you?”
Arren merely blinked oddly at the mare, looking as though he hadn't given that answer any thought until just then. “Yes...” he murmured, his thoughts turning to his last memories. “We... we left... flying over water and forest... The others and I were... something loud...” There was a sharp gasp as his eyes widened, pure horror crossing the fox's face. “The ship!”
Without saying another word, the royal fox looked frantically about the room, his eyes quickly locating the nearby window. No time was wasted as he jumped toward it, nearly shattering the glass as he forced it open. With a clear opening outside, he looked out to see an expansive forest stretching out off in the distance. All of the ponies watching him all gasped themselves, seeing the fox immediately jumping out of the window.
“Wait,” Rarity said, attempting to stop him, “we're on the second floor!” It was already far too late as the ponies rushed toward the open window. Surprise fell over them all as they saw him land nimbly on his four paws, barely reacting to the two-story plunge as he bolted straight in the direction of the Everfree forest.
“Don't worry, I've got him,” Rainbow Dash said, flying out the window after the furry creature and disappearing into the thick sea of trees herself.
The cyan pegasus had to admit one thing, the fox was certainly fast on his paws. Gliding across the forest floor with little concern, the trees were barely anything else to him but a blur of browns and greens. Rainbow Dash was still certain of her own superiority when it came to speed however, keeping her eyes trained on the prince as she flew above him. Despite it, he easily made up for it in other ways.
Even if she was able to go even faster, the pegasus was indeed having trouble in keeping up with him. With the dense trees close together, leaving little in breathing word, she had to be more cautious. Much of her attention was forced into moving out of the way for oncoming trunks, not wanting to smash face-first into one. Arren on the other hand, held no such issues, easily weaving around the pillars of wood as though he had lived in the forest his entire life. It made her curious as to what this strange species was capable of.
Almost without warning, Arren stopped in his tracks, coming to a small patch of land that was without the overabundance of trees. The only notable thing about the area was the splashing sounds of the flowing river nearby, as well as a peculiar object lying forlorn on the ground. A bucket, one that looked oddly familiar to the pegasus. The fox payed it little mind as he began looking about the area with a discerning gaze. Rainbow Dash wasn't able to expect what would happen next as the fox's nose started to twitch and he began sniffing the ground around him.
Like a dog, he ran his nose near the ground, walking around in circles like a drunkard as his nostrils continued to flare. After a few moments, he pointed his muzzle upward, taking in the scents that filled the air. It was obvious he found something as his head immediately jerked toward the east, barely missing a step as he again charged forward, leaving the cyan pegasus on his tail to give chase once again.
Everything became dark and foreboding the deeper they went into the forest. Barely any light shined down through the thick treetops. All around them, they could hear the rustling of trees and snapping of twigs, no doubt the inhabitants of the forest watching them rush by from afar.
Arren showed no sign of noticing it however, eyes set straight forward as he continued to run as he could. Even as he ran, his nose continued to take in the air around him, picking up the right scent and adjusting his direction accordingly.
Within the reaches of the forest, the tiniest semblance of light showed clearly. It was easy enough for them to see as a large clearing became apparent, like a large circle of light set into the ocean of foliage. Bursting out from the thick trees into open ground, the fox stopped in his tracks as he again began to look about the area, able to see things more clearly with the bountiful light around him.
Rainbow Dash landed beside him, looking around herself but seeing nothing of interest. “Do you even know where you're going?” she asked skeptically.
A sublte forward motion of his head was the only thing that Arren gave as an immediate response. Again he sniffed the air, eyes closed in concentration. “They're close,” he murmured, turning right and looking back into the abyss within the forest.
“Who's close?” the pegasus asked, not exactly sure what the fox was talking about.
The prince walked closer toward the right edge of the clearing, looking ready to break off into another run, saying, “The rest of my-” A sharp, rattling growl broke through his sentence, causing him to take a step back as nearly a dozen pairs of glowing green eyes appeared within the shadows made by the thick canopy above them.
Slowly, the eyes closed in on them, showing the strange creatures that they belonged to as they stepped out of the darkness. Like large piles of sticks and wooden debris, their bodies were a cluster formed to make four pawed legs and snapping, fanged jaws. The pack of timberwolves all snarled viciously, showing their bared, splintery fangs as their eyes focused on the pony and fox.
A Silver Light in the Darkness
The timberwolves made slow, precise movements. Their glowing green eyes never left the pony and fox, large droplets of their sticky saliva dripping from their splintery fangs, as thick and viscous as tree sap and even more disgusting looking. None of the wooden beasts even paused to take notice to the new, three-tailed creature that was with the cyan pegasus. Nor did the simple-minded beasts care, only seeing their latest prey that was foolish enough to wander into the forest.
Though Rainbow Dash was easily able to keep her cool composure, not about to be frightened by walking piles of sticks, there was a nervous sweat occurring on the back of her neck as she could easily see how outnumbered they were. Prince Arren however, having never seen such animals before, merely looked at them with a peculiar gaze, like a zoologist studying their latest specimen.
As the timberwolves converged, they made sure not to get too close to the pair, making Rainbow Dash take a step back for every one of theirs. They wouldn't simply charge at them, not yet, unless the prey tried to run of course. The only sound coming from them were their vicious snarls. Besides the rustling of the leaves from the passing wind, it was the only sound to be heard within the forest, until the sound of galloping hooves sounded nearby that is.
Having fallen behind for obvious reasons, the other four mares who were left behind at the hospital finally caught up, not realizing the predicament they were rushing in to. Their shocked gasps were what took the place of their hooves striking the dirt of the forest floor. Though it was hard to tell, what with their lack of any muscle and flesh, but the timberwolves looked even more excited at the newcomers bolstering what they had already come across.
“What... what are we going to do?” Fluttershy whimpered out, her voice barely able to go above a whisper out of fear for the timberwolves hearing her.
“Can we escape this many?” asked Applejack, looking between the approaching beasts. Though she was proud of her own physical abilities, she had doubts about jumping into a conflict while her others friends were in danger.
Twilight just stared at them, unable to even blink as the ferocious creatures looked more and more ready to attack. “I... I don't know...” she said, weighing her options. She didn't' think they could fight them in such an enclosed area. With their distance away from Ponyville, running seemed like an even less ideal option. Through her worrying thoughts however, her eyes finally broke away as she noticed their fox visitor still standing there, stuck right between the timberwolves and ponies.
Noting it as well, Rarity lightly cleared her throat, looking urgently toward the furry companion. “S-sir, you must get back. These beasts as a vicious lot, very dangerous.”
Shock once again shot into the five ponies as something happened that they would never have expected, to hear a chuckle produced within such a situation. All eyes were set onto the fox, his muzzle sporting an amused grin. “These things?” he asked, nodding toward the timberwolves. “These somewhat eerily familiar looking beasties are a threat to you?” Another huff of joy left him as he lowered his head, matching the predatory stance of the timberwolves almost perfectly, his lips quivering before he let out a sharp snarl of his own.
The wooden canines reacted to that. Each one pausing for a moment, having never encountered their prey to match them in such a way. It only lasted mere moments however, the beasts resuming their earlier methods quickly. As the ponies became spectators to it, they looked between their attackers and their companion, looking so strangely similar. Though, in Arren's case, they could still make out a smile twitching within his own growling.
As it seemed to be a power struggle of sound, something else broke through. It was a much louder snarl, sending a shiver down several of the ponies' spines. The crowed of timberwolves broke apart, revealing a much larger one stepping forward.
Other than its size, the timberwolf was different in several other aspects. Body covered in deep grooves left by claws, large chips from deep bite wounds, eyes so intense that they burned with a green flame. It was clear that this one was the leader of the pack, having earned its title and power through conflict and triumph.
It eyed the fox solely, its deep growls even making its fellow timberwolves show signs of intimidation. All that it could see was a challenger, like so many others that it had taken down. Even still, as the imposing beast of wooden limbs encircled the fox, Arren kept an unfaltering demeanor of ease, as though it was no true threat to him.
The lead timberwolf could see it easily enough, the lack of fear emanating from the three-tailed prey infuriating it even more. Its jaws nearly foamed as it growled more and more viciously, legs bending back in preparation, body lowering to the ground. Without warning, the timberwolf burst into a charge, blazing eyes locked onto the fox prince.
Arren followed the beast's lead, charging at it as well. As they neared, he craned his neck to his side, mouth opened just before he clamped his jaws around the hilt of the sword he wore. With a single turn of his head, the blade was pulled free from its confinement, the metallic surface nearly glinting in the sunlight piercing above them through the canopy.
Not even the pack leader was able to react in time as the space separating it from the fox became non-existent. They both leaped into the air at one another, the timberwolves claws poised and ready to strike while its mouth hung open and ready to snap down with bone-crushing force.
But the timberwolf completely missed its target. All that registered to the ponies, or even the rest of the pack for that matter, was a high-pitched wail of a yelp, the mighty timberwolf's body crashing to the ground. Arren came to a stop as well, landing perfectly on every one of his paws as his momentum slowed, sword still clutched tightly in his muzzle. Everypony watching only gaped at the sight, seeing the leader's right foreleg completely cut off.
All that remained of the limb was a scattered mess of wood, not recognizable as to what it once was. The pack leader twitched and practically flailed about, struggling to move with the loss of its leg. It had been a clean cut, a straight line starting from where its leg used to connect to its chest and running across much of its side. A substance, even thicker than their slimy spit oozed out from the cut. All that the leader could do was whimper pathetically as it tried to stand on its remaining three paws.
Arren didn't give much attention to his wounded adversary. With a sudden flick of his neck, he caught his sword by the guard, using the angle to crane his neck once again and return the sharp weapon to its sheath. It made the ponies even more surprised as they realized that things weren't over yet, still outnumbered by what was left of the pack.
Such a problem found a quick solution however as they looked at the rest of the timberwolves. It was a sight none of them could have expected to ever see, the once ferocious creatures looking as frightened as kittens as they stared at their once proud leader. The strongest one of them had been felled so easily, something that resonated with them clearly.
Perhaps they were simple beasts, only able to latch onto their age old instinct to get by, but even instinct was smart enough to tell them they had bitten off far more than they could chew. It was through that understanding that caused them to run away, their wooden tails between their legs as they disappeared into the forest. Even the leader managed to get away, hobbling into the thick brush at a much slower pace than it had arrived in.
The group of mares still remained dumbstruck at what had happened, staring off at where the beasts had disappeared to. It wasn't until a hearty chuckle from Arren broke into their minds that their stiff attention was softened. “Since it seems I've gained five new shadows, I guess you all should know that we aren't very far now,” he said, nodding off toward a different direction. “Come, you can meet the rest of the crew.”
None of them said a word as they followed the fox further into the forest. He moved at a much more normal pace, allowing them to trot behind him. For the most part, their trip was spent staring at the weapon that dangled at the fox's side. They weren't used to seeing such violence take place, much less with a blade. It raised many questions as to the creature's own land as well as what his intentions were. Surely no one would wear such a dangerous thing without reason.
After a while however, the thoughts of the ponies shifted to a more pressing matter. The terrain around them began to change. The once mighty trees were looking damaged, tree limbs bent or broken while wooden debris scattered the ground.
Arren noticed it as well, stopping on the spot. As his equine companions did the same, the fox's ears began to twitch, eyes narrowing slightly before he continued, taking much slower steps while the mare did the same.
There was an unusual tension in the air, even for being in the Everfree forest. Just ahead of them, the trees parted to reveal yet another clearing, but it wasn't a simple bold patch in the otherwise hairy field of trees. It had been created, many of the trees being trampled, smash under something that the ponies could only recognize as a boat. Only, it wasn't a boat, holding many features that would not be seen on a nautical vessel. It was completely broken in half, the stern pointed skyward as it leaned against a tree while the bow half was wedged between the thick trunks of two others. Pieces of shattered wood and metallic components that none of them could discern laid scattered across the area.
As their eyes became glued to the sight, the last few trees around them passing by, they barely noticed their furry guide stopping yet again. Nearly running into him, they all stopped as well, hearing naught but a deathly silence around them.
Then, the quiet snapping of a twig sounded. Prince Arren blinked as, without warning, he jumped backward, causing the mares to trip over themselves from the sudden surprise. Before they could even question the action, their throats were filled with their latest gasps as a loud thud sounded just inches in front of them, a the sharpened tip of a sword cutting into the ground where the fox once stood. It would had undoubtedly cleaved his head from his body had he not moved.
Holding the sword in its mouth, another fox stood there, having fallen from the treetops above for an areal attack. Their eyes were intense, ready to strike down their opponent in one fell swoop. But the attack had obviously failed, the near-victim looking at the fox and smiling broadly. “Not bad,” he said, voice laced with a hint of pride. “You should work on making your steps a little less heavy though. I could nearly hear you a mile away. Also...” a stunted chuckle escaped him, “try and make sure you know who your target is...”
There was another, much more lighter thud that sounded as the sword fell from the fox attacker's mouth. Its eyes were wide as a gasp came from the creature. “Arren!” the fox shouted, with a voice that was clearly feminine. She immediately jumped at the royal fox, wrapping her forelegs around him in a tight hug.
Twilight and her friends merely looked at the scene, having clearly been forgotten. But none of them really took the time to notice that detail as their gazes were focused on the vixen who had tried to run them through. She had a metallic face!
After a few moments of the strange fox nearly suffocating the prince, she finally broke away. The joyous feelings died quickly however as her attention was finally put onto the five ponies who had been lead there. “Look out, behind you,” she said quickly, picking her sword up from the ground and brandishing it threateningly.
“Wait, wait, hold on!” Arren said quickly, jumping in between the armed fox and the others. “Trust me, they're friends. They ended up saving me from... whatever happened to me...” Though still looking apprehensive toward the strange creatures she had never seen before, the vixen clearly took the prince's word seriously, sheathing her blade without so much as a word of protest.
“I'm sorry,” the vixen murmured, looking back to Arren with shock at his appearance showing clearly on her face. “I was just so worried. We've been beset by these strange beasts ever since we've landed. None of us could even find a scent of you to track, we feared the worst...”
A comforting smile spread across the fox prince's lips as he lightly patted her on the shoulder. “It's fine,” he said in understanding. His eyes trailed off toward the surrounding area, as did the rest of the ponies. It looked like a small war had been waged. Bodies of timberwolves were strewn about, nearly a dozen of the wooden creatures lying still. Several had deep cuts sliced into their hides, while others were completely cut in two, each half not being far from the other.
After a moment however, Arren turned back to his equine companions and brought the vixen toward them. Standing next to the female fox, they were taken aback by what she wore, realizing that she didn't have a metal face at all. It was actually a helm, covering the entirety of her head. The detail placed in it was magnificent, perfectly fitting over her face and taking its place. Even her ears were covered, with small slits made into the inward curve to allow her to still hear. All that was exposed was her lower jaw, allowing her to easily talk and still hold her sword.
The rest of her outfit was rather strange to the ponies as well. The more they looked at it however, they realized it wasn't a simple getup that one would normally wear, it was armor. Much of her body was covered by a white surcoat with a black trim and a silvery design placed on the front of the chest.. Just underneath of the fabric, the metallic mesh of protective chainmail could be seen, exposed slightly from where her forelegs protruded out from, where glinting bracers were locked around the base of them. The most familiar detail about her attire was the black belt that she wore, allowing her own sword to dangle at her side, having less stunning beauty in design when compared to the prince's weapon of choice, but it was still of fine make that no one could doubt.
“Everyone,” Arren said, gesturing toward the vixen now at his side, “this is Ashera, captain of the Eclipse Elite, a group of the finest warriors our land has.”
In response to the introduction, Ashera removed the metallic mask she wore and bowed her head in respect. “Greetings,” she said formally. Without her facial covering, the ponies were able to get a better look at her more natural details. With fur that was a dull white, it was nearly pure except for a few marring details. With black fur covering the tips of her pointed ears, two small triangular curves running across the sides of the base of her muzzle and a ring wrapped around the tip of her tail. The vixen's coat was also much more silky than the male fox who stood beside her, making her look much more feminine than her covered body showed.
To bring the introductions to full circle, Twilight bowed her head as well, saying, “I'm Twilight Sparkle, it's nice to meet you.”
“Ah'm Applejack,” the farmpony said with a tip of her hat.
“Rainbow Dash.”
“I'm... F-Fluttershy...”
“Rarity if you please,” the fashion designer said, adding her own courteous bow.
Ashera smiled slightly and gave a passing wave of her paw in friendly greeting. She was about to go further but her voice was silenced as there was a fierce growl coming from far away. Everyone immediately locked onto the source of the sound, seeing it coming straight for them. From the wreckage, several new faces slowly emerged. They were all foxes, fur ranging by many different colors and patterns. Each of the vulpine creatures held looks of curious intent and surprise as they saw their prince once again. One such fox was actually storming toward them, but not having a look of relief, instead one of a white-hot rage.
“Move, Ashera!” snapped the fox, his eyes piercing with anger. The vixen complied quickly, stepping aside and leaving Arren to take the full brunt of the assault as the male fox barred his teeth in fury. “You! You just had to fly all the way out here, didn't you?! Ignoring all the danger for yourself and everyone else! Only for us to crash and for you to be thrown to the wayside! You could have been dead for all I knew! Have you any idea what your father would do if something were to happen to you?!”
The spectating ponies were shocked to see the display. Rarity was most of all appalled at what she was seeing, having never seen someone act toward royalty in such a way, except of course, that one time at the Grand Galloping Gala.
Arren looked away for a moment, developing a look of deep thought before he turned to the fox with a smile and said, “Laugh hysterically alongside you when he realizes I was a victim of my own hubris?”
The enraged fox merely looked at the prince with a frozen expression. His face only moving for a moment as a severely noticeable facial twitch of bottled rage occurred. The kind made of antique glass and having a cap with a needle-sized hole in it. Just as it looked like the fox might pop, his tensed frame became lax and he released a much needed sigh.
His eyes eventually fell on the group of ponies, staring at them curiously for a moment as the mares did the same. Having a rusty-red coat, black ears and white on the tip of his tail, his paws and a portion of his legs were also black, looking as though he were wearing dark socks. Besides that, he had a similar white fur on his lower jaw, cheeks and a patch just on the front of his chest.
He also looked three times older than both Arren and Ashera. The heavy lines under his eyes and fading fur color was a clear point. There were also many white and gray hairs that stuck out on his coat, mostly around his muzzle and ears while small streaks could be seen on parts of his body The fur near the tip of his muzzle also looked more scruffy and shaggy than the rest of his body, the hairs poking out and slightly overgrown to where it actually looked like facial hair on him.
“What manner of creature are you?” the now calmed fox asked, eyes running up and down their equine forms.
“Ponies,” Twilight responded, feeling the gazes of all the other foxes on them as well.
“Never heard of them,” Ashera murmured, circling the group as she kept a suspicious gaze held on them. “Such strange paws you have...”
“They're called hooves,” Rainbow Dash responded gruffly, folding her forelegs as she hovered in the air.
The new fox looked taken aback as he fully noticed the flapping wings on the pegasus. “So you can all talk, huh?” he said to himself. “And fly too apparently.”
“Very fast, I might add,” Arren said, winking at the cyan mare in amusement before he nodded toward their scholarly companion. “Twilight here can also do magic. Holding a skill unlike any I have ever seen.”
The red-furred fox merely tilted his head as he examined the horn jutting out from the mare's forehead. “Well,” he murmured, “I suppose it would be rude to prolong introductions...” He cleared his throat before making a respectful bow, nearly pressing his nose into the dirt. “My name is Kaneri.”
“He usually works alongside me,” Arren said, wrapping a foreleg around the fox happily, “as my... How do you usually put it?”
“Indentured servant...” the fox responded dryly.
“Dear friend, that's it!” the prince exclaimed. “Though, I suppose he was technically appointed my aide long ago, but I've never held it against him. Now that we aren't steaming or trying to kill me, I must ask the obvious. Is everyone alright?”
“Luckily, yes,” Kaneri responded, looking back toward the wreckage. “Only minor injuries from the crash and everyone's still alive. Ashera fended off the creatures that attacked us while we waited for a chance to try and find you. We were worried about what had happened to you, but it seems you've been fortunate yourself.”
“Thanks to these ponies,” Arren responded, smiling at the group. He stepped closer toward Fluttershy, his smile widening while the mare adverted her gaze timidly. “Actually, from what I understand, it was you who rescued me.”
“I... I... yes, I thought you needed help,” the meek mare managed to say. “I just... thought you were a wild animal...”
“Should that matter?” Arren asked. “It makes it even more noble if I must say. Helping me even when you didn't realize I was a prince. That marks true intentions far better than anything else I can think of.” At that, the royal fox bowed his head in respect. “I thank you, fair Fluttershy. You have a prince of Illaisier in your debt. Why, if we were back home, you'd be paraded through the streets of the capital as a hero.”
“Sadly, we are no longer home,” a new voice spoke up, growing steadily more clear as the owner stepped toward them.
Arren's ears perked up as he turned, smiling in direction of the fox approaching them. He wore an expensive looking coat, appearing much like the jackets worn alongside tuxedos. It was emblazoned with gold designs near the silver buttons on it, the sleeves nearly touching the ground as they stopped at his paws, while the triangular tails flowed and swayed alongside his own. A small pair of spectacles clung to the bridge of his muzzle, lenses holding a slight oval shape while a thin frame held them together.
The fox's entire body and natural coat was but a single color, a deep, dark brown that almost looked black in the right light, or lack thereof. He looked at the group of foxes and ponies with a rather mundane expression, his posture never lessening into anything short of perfect while his eyes looked at the world with the same light, looking refined and dapper in every sense of the words. From how he was dressed and his demeanor, he looked far more regal than the prince did himself.
“Ah! Talsin, I was wondering when you'd make an appearance,” Arren said to the approaching fox.
Upon reaching a respectable distance to the prince, the posh looking fox bowed his head, quickly adjusting his glasses once he was returned to his typical stance. “We truly are fortunate for you being so unharmed, sir,” he said, his voice sounding just as proper as he looked, holding little in the way of grand emotion.
“You must meet our new friends,” the prince said, ushering the fox closer as he turned to the ponies and gestured at the fox. “This is Talsin. He's my father's confidant, as well as the castle chronicler.”
“It's a pleasure...” dark-furred fox responded, his gripping eyes staring at the mares for sometime. It made Twilight feel unnerved as she felt his gaze fall on her the longest. It was soon interrupted however as a mighty wail burst out from the wreckage of the ship. It almost sounded like sobbing, making everyone turn their heads in the direction of it.
“What... what was that?” Arren questioned, the spine-tingling cries coming out once again.
A groan escaped Ashera as she shook her head in dismay. “It must be Feral. He struck his head pretty bad in the crash, been out ever since, he must have woken up...” As though on cue, another fox jumped out from inside the wrecked ship, mouth trembling as he gazed upon what was left of it, his ears and tail sagging down terribly.
“Why?! Why?!” he cried out in despair, wrapping his outstretched arms around the wooden frame in an attempt to hug it. “My poor, poor Skysaber! You were just in your prime, ready to go on for so much longer! And now this happens to you! You were so much more eloquent than your siblings, streaming across the skies like any bird worth their feathers! My baby, my pride, my everything!” He released another series of painful sobs before immediately pulling away from the downed ship. “Oh well, what's done is done. Can't cry over wrecked airships. Now I can make the new Skysaber even better than the last! Ha-ha!”
“Who... is that...?” Rarity murmured, seeing a strange and eery familiarity in the fox.
“Oh, that's Feral,” Kaneri said, as said fox noticed the group and came bounding toward them with a noticeable skip in his step. “He's the royal engineer. Though he has a brilliant mind... I've always wondered if he was mentally sound.”
“That's where his genius comes from,” Arren said with a laugh. “It's his doing that we even have the airships in the first place. He wanted to be apart of our little journey more than anyone.”
As the engineer approached, the ponies were able to see his appearance easily as well. What the eye caught first were the goggles that he wore, the circular lenses covering his eyes entirely while a black strap kept them secured around his head. Besides that, the only other thing he wore was a pair of tight-fitting gloves over his forepaws, made of a thick, brown material that the ponies didn't recognize.
Feral's coat was a dull, dark-cobalt color in appearance. Patches of a darker blue appeared on the tips of his ears and tail, as well as small streaks across his cheeks. Several tufts of fur sprang up at the top of his head, looking disheveled and messy. It complimented greatly with the deranged smirk he seemed to wear and bubbling energy in his eyes, threatening to burst out of him at any moment.
Looking at his prince, Feral's smirk broadened as he said, “Ah, Prince Arren, I'm glad to see you not dead.”
“The feeling's mutual,” the tri-tailed fox replied.
In a single moment, the engineer's gaze turned straight to Twilight and her friends. They nearly toppled over themselves as the cobalt fox suddenly approached them, breaching their personal space easily. “Hm,” he murmured as he examined them. “And what sort of freakish abominations are you?”
“Uh... ponies...” Twilight said, too weirded out by the fox's actions to sense how much of a broken record her species was sounding like.
“Strange name...” Feral said in response, lowering his head down to the ground as he stared at their hooves. “Stubby looking legs...” Raising his head slightly, he looked more closely to the scholar's lavender coat. “Not very furry...” The mare then immediately jumped back with a surprised yelp as the fox placed his paw against her flank, his eyes locked onto her cutie mark. “What a strange marking too...”
A thick, and undoubtedly forced cough came from Kaneri as he glared at the invasive fox. “Feral,” he stressed, “let's conduct ourselves accordingly around these creatures.”
“Hm?” Feral questioned, not fully comprehending the reactions he was getting. “Um... okay.”
A sigh of relief escaped Twilight as the fox left her side and took a spot with the rest of them. It was then that she noticed something odd. Besides fur color and general patterns, all of the foxes were relatively similar, four legs, two pointy ears and a single tail. It was like that for them all, except for Prince Arren. None of the others had more than one tail, or even the extensive pattern on their person like he did on his back.
“Why are you different from the others?” the scholar asked to him.
The prince held a look of momentary confusion before he looked down at his own tails for a moment, realization showing on his face. “Oh that...?” he said. “Well... it's really because I'm kinda sorta not really a fox...”
About to further elaborate, he was stopped by Kaneri. “Arren, allow me,” he said as he continued where the gray-furred fox ended. “Prince Arren is apart of a species similar to our own and just as ancient. Kitsunes, as they were once called. Many, many ages ago, they were nearly as plentiful as regular foxes. But now... all that remain are those of the royal family. Though technically speaking, he is part fox, as his mother was one herself. The children of the royal family are all born kitsunes.”
“We're more like... cousins to the foxes,” Arren said. “Except... I do have an actual fox cousin... Cousin One-Tail... But anyway, I suppose it's similar to your kind and how you have the flying ones, the horn one s and the... non-flying-non-horn ones...”
“Earth pony,” Applejack corrected.
“Ah... right... heh-heh,” the royal fox said, smiling sheepishly as he looked back at the wreckage of the Skysaber. “So, Feral, anything to report on the ship?”
The engineer scratched his muzzle for a moment as he pondered something, looking back to the ship himself as he said, “Well, the core was cracked open when I saw it. The cutter-furnace was almost completely melted on the inside. I can only guess that it overheated from us flying for so long... Hm... Perhaps I should have accounted the bad weather and longer flight times for the smaller variation. I'm sure the other ships would have been able to handle it, but since we took the Skysaber...”
“Overheated, huh?!” Kaneri growled, his piercing gaze focusing directly on Arren, his fangs grinding together.
Taking a step back, the prince chuckled uneasily as he developed a large, toothy grin and said, “Now, now, before we start point claws at whose fault this may or may not be, let's just all pause for a moment and be thankful that we're all safe and sound... No one was seriously hurt... and... that it was I who discovered these friendly creatures!” It only caused his friend's glare on him to deepen as it was clear the fox wasn't buying it. All the prince could do was inwardly sigh, realizing how he would now never hear the end of it.
A Silver Light in the Darkness
Though it took some time to get the crew of foxes to understand the situation, as well as to gather what supplies, they eventually managed to walk alongside their pony companions as they headed back to Ponyville. High in the skies, Rainbow Dash flew above them all, acting as their guide as her elevated view allowed her to easily point out the humble town. Many of the foxes were behind the others however, weighed down by both what they could salvage being carried on their backs as well as their curious eyes looking about the scenery.
“Fascinating...” Arren said as he walked alongside Twilight, giving her his full attention as they held an enlightening conversation. “Such powerful magic... able to control the very weather... Beylah, your kind truly are an impressive lot.”
A simple smile was given by the pony, not one to look at the abilities of her kind with such grandeur. “We are who we are, I suppose,” she said modestly. “But I am curious about yours as well. How can we have never seen your own kind before? Where is your land?”
Giving a nod, understanding the confusion that the unicorn held, the prince looked upward at the sky, seeing the rays of the sun still shining down on them. “It is true,” he said, “you wouldn't have seen foxes before. We have always been a... secluded race. Truthfully, we had no idea of what else existed out in the world. Illaisier is our home... just as much as it was our prison...”
“A... A prison?” Rarity murmured. “What do you mean?”
A slight huff left the fox as he continued, saying, “Illaisier is its own landmass, an island of massive proportions, surrounded by water as far as the eye can see. Our own little world.” He paused for a moment, as if to gather his thoughts. “It's a beautiful land, with bountiful sources of food and supplies, having all we could ever need. But when you're certain that there's so much more out there, you get a little curious. We've never before been able to leave the land however. The waters surrounding us are teeming with ferocious monsters, able to pull down any sailing vessel with ease. It wasn't until Feral managed to perfect the airships were we finally able to leave. We were always certain that there were other lands besides our own, but we had no idea of what to expect.” Chuckling slightly, he eyed the scholar with a great mirth. “Certainly not ponies.”
“Well, Equestria is always welcome to new friends,” the lavender-coated mare replied. “It's a shame your first experience in a new land had to be so... catastrophic...”
Arren laughed at that, finding a great deal of humor in her words. “True, most certainly true,” he said. “Hopefully it is only a small upset in our plans. Perhaps once we've had our senses settled in with this foreign land, we will be able to work out a way to make sure we haven't trapped ourselves here.”
“I would hope none of your people are worried for you,” Rarity said. “I could only imagine what it would be like for their prince to simply go missing.”
For just a moment, Arren's expression became completely blank, staring off into the nothingness. Then, his lips parted into a large smile as he chuckled uneasily. “Uh... Heh... More so than you might think, actually. As... I may have 'ran away' by any technical means...”
“You... what?” Twilight asked.
“He wasn't even supposed to be on the ship in the first place,” Kaneri said from behind them, eyes narrowed in his continuing agitation. “The Skysaber was only going through its routine flight across the land. Our plan to leave Illaisier and explore the outlaying lands wasn't even supposed to happen for some time. But Prince Arren thought it necessary to take the ship for his own, dragging most of us with him as he set off across the ocean.”
“Oh, Kani,” the fox prince said with an amused tone, “you make it sound like I forced you. I only planned to take Feral and the Skysaber's crew with me. You, Ashera and Talsin were the ones who came on your own accord.”
Scoffing, the red-furred fox rolled his eyes. “Like I could let you run off on your own,” he retorted. “You'd be lost without me. And I wasn't going to sit around and wait for the king's reaction when he finds out what you did.”
“I couldn't let you go off on your own either,” said Ashera, voicing her own intentions. “There was no telling what dangers that could be out here.”
“And you can not explore new lands without one who can chronicle such findings,” Talsin added.
“There you have it,” Arren chuckled. “And none can say we weren't prepared for what might happen.”
Again Kaneri scoffed as he returned his gaze to Twilight. “Either way,” he said, “our journey was not as known as I had wanted. Why, King Inari himself was unaware. Though, I am certain he will figure out where Arren has gone soon, already aware of what he is capable of. The problem still lies in the fact that none of them would be able to find us now.”
“Is there no other way for you to return yourselves?” Twilight asked.
“Perhaps, yes,” Feral said with a shrug. “Repairs could be made to the Skysaber. Though the frame is barely intact, the inner workings might make a full recovery. Simply starting from scratch would be impossible here, as I'm certain this place lacks the adequate materials needed. Nope, no, nope, such a thing will surely be impossible here.”
“Then we will have to recover what we can once we are properly situated in the land,” Kaneri said.
“Let's not be too hasty now,” the prince interjected. “We can take our time. I'm certain father isn't pacing the floor for our return. Why not enjoy our time here? We set out to find a new land, we can at least make the most of it.” He smiled toward Twilight as he continued. “I would love to know more about your land and people.”
Twilight returned the smile as she nodded her head. “Certainly,” she replied. “Actually, as it turns out, I live in the Ponyville library. You can learn most of Equestria's known history there. You're more than welcome to the books once you're settled in.”
“That sounds fantastic,” Arren returned, still smiling broadly, even more so at the prospect of learning more about the land that he found himself in. It didn't last very much longer however as his ears twitched and the ponies could faintly hear the sound of a flowing river.
As the fox turned away from the group, moving closer toward the source of the sound, Rainbow Dash's voice came from her position above them all. “Hey,” she called down, “I see something in the tree.” From where the cyan pegasus was, all eyes became trained on what blatantly stood out among the green leaves and brown branches, a large piece of metal with a blue piece of fabric attached to it.
“Is that... your chest piece?” Kaneri questioned.
Before the prince could answer, Ashera was already climbing the tree. “I've got it,” she said as she jumped from branch to branch, balancing on the precarious platforms as she ascended it. In moments she was already on the same level as the armor, the cape badly tangled and gripped by the branches. But with one quick swing of her sword, the piece of metal was freed, crashing onto the ground with a light thud.
“That's right,” Arren murmured as the others began to crowd around the chest plate, “I crashed into a tree when I was tossed off the ship...”
“It's badly damaged,” muttered Rarity. Though her expertise in attire was mostly with fabrics and the like, she could still see the excellent care put into the armor. “Such a shame, it looked quite beautiful.”
Besides the thick dents smashed into it from the abusive landing it suffered, the cape itself was in tatters and noticeable cracks stretched across the metallic surface. “Perhaps it can be repaired?” Kaneri thought aloud, running a paw against it.
Shaking his head, Prince Arren merely turned away from it and stood on the path they were once on. “No,” he said, almost offhandedly, “just leave it.”
“But this is your ceremonial armor,” Kaneri protested, looking shocked that there was little care in the royal fox's voice. “It can't just be cast aside.”
“Sure it can,” Arren returned. “It's not everyday I'm bested in such conflict, by a tree no less. Let the forest keep its prize, I never cared for the insufferable thing anyway.” Leaving the discussion at that, the fox continued on the path that they had already been following. With only a simple glance back toward it, the others did the same.
Things remained quiet for some time, more of the forest passing them by and being left behind. Any sense of progress seemed to be non-existent as much of the forest looked the same, always crowded with brush and trees, odd plants and the constant sounds of insects and other wildlife.
“There's something I'm curious about,” Arren eventually said, looking at Twilight curiously. “The ruler of your land. It seems as though it has its own royalty if I'm not mistaken, you mentioned a Princess Mole-”
“Celestia,” Twilight corrected.
After a short chuckle, the fox nodded and said, “Ah yes, that's right.” He then turned to Rarity. “Perhaps it is you I should be asking however.”
The alabaster mare looked at the fox in confusion. “Excuse me,” she questioned, not understanding him.
It was Arren's turn to look confused as he said, “Surely you are in touch with the nobility of this land? From what I've seen of you, you remind me greatly of the nobles of my own home. I would had assumed to call you Lady Rarity had you used the name yourself, I thought it simply a matter of humility on your part. You certainly seem like one cut from noble cloth.”
“Oh, you think that I?” Rarity burst into a small fit of giggles, cheeks blushing slightly. “Oh, well, while I do like to hold myself with an elegance and poise befitting royalty, that is not the case. I am of humble beginnings and nobility is far from my family. Actually, out of all of is, Twilight's the closest to the princesses.”
“Just as Celestia's student,” the unicorn replied. “Under her, I was able to develop my magic.”
“So your rulers have the most powerful magic?” Talsin asked, listening to the unicorn with an intrigued look about him.
“Well,” the scholar explained, “there are only two, Princess Celestia and Luna, they are both sisters who rule Equestria together.”
Just two princesses?” Kaneri questioned, looking skeptical. “You are not ruled by a king or queen?”
Twilight merely shook her head. “There hasn't been a true king around for over a thousand years, even longer since one had any real power. And yes, Celestia and Luna are the most gifted out of all of us. Besides ruling Equestria, they also move the sun and moon across the sky for each day and night.”
Every fox listening immediately stopped in their tracks, surprised looks on their faces as Twilight suddenly found many pairs of eyes on her. “They... move the sun and moon?” Arren asked, thinking he had heard the mare wrong.
“That's ridiculous,” Kaneri said flatly.
“It's true,” Twilight argued understandingly. It wouldn't be the first time that an outside nation had trouble figuring out what Celestia and Luna did. It was well written in history that the neighboring lands each had their own bouts of skepticism.
Feral shook his head, goggled-covered eyes looking skyward for a moment, seeing the fiery circle that was the sun bearing down on them. “Such a thing?” he questioned aloud. “No, no, no, that can't be right... It's a gravitational thing... The world moves around the sun while the moon moves around us. It's the most logical reasoning. Very good sequence.”
A mild laugh escaped Applejack as she looked at the disbelieving foxes. “Gravity? Now that sounds like nonsense.”
Most of the foxes continued to look at the ponies as though they were crazy. The only one who looked any different was Arren, scratching his muzzle in thought before finally saying, “Well, I suppose it could be true. After all, ours is only a theory... It was never fully proven.”
Kaneri then looked to his friend, raising a questioning brow as he said, “You can't seriously think that it's possible to-”
“It just might be,” the prince said, giving the red fox a knowing look. “After all, we know full well what kinds of things magic can do.”
Kaneri didn't say anything after that, just giving a slight nod of his head as he developed his own expression of thought. The others showed their own understanding as well, no longer looking skeptically but more open-minded toward what the ponies were saying. Of course, thy weren't fully convinced just yet.
The kitsune royalty was clearly intrigued however, a somewhat excited smile on his face as he looked at the scholar, saying, “I would like to meet these princesses. They sound very interesting.”
“Of course,” Twilight said, already aware that they would have to meet eventually. “I know they will want to meet all of you too. It's not everyday we come in contact with a whole new species. I'll write to them as soon as I am able.”
Just then, the seemingly endless expansion of trees finally ended. The forest broke open, revealing a large, open landscape where off in the distance, a simple town rested. The straw roofs and wooden walls could be seen from the distance, looking just as happy of a place as it had when they left.
Relieved smiles were had by the ponies, glad to finally be free of the forest and to return home. As the mares and foxes all headed toward the town, Arren continued to stand beside Twilight as he offhandedly said, “Speaking of royalty... I'd prefer it if you didn't mention my title to any others we might be introduced to.”
Twilight looked at the fox curiously for a moment, not sure if she fully understood. Rarity seemed to catch on quickly however as she almost looked shocked at the request. “You don't wish for them to know you're royalty?” she asked.
“When we meet your own rulers, then very well,” the prince replied. “But I see no need for every soul we meet to know. I'd rather not make them feel any sort of obligation to treat me as they would their own nobility. I get enough of that in my own land, I don't need it here.”
Though about to question why, the young scholar paused as her thoughts returned to Arren's reaction to his own regalia, how uncaring he seemed toward it. It made her think how little weight he put onto his own title, maybe even a resentment. “Alright,” she said, “you won't have to worry.” Arren gave a small smile of gratitude before the mare continued. “But it's not like something you should worry about. Everypony is nice to everypony else. They might act a lot differently toward the princesses when they visit, but I doubt they would make you feel too uncomfortable about it, even if you are a-”
“Monster!”
Everyone stopped as the shrill cry of a frightened mare filled the air. Practically standing on the edge of Ponyville, they looked into the two to see a mare staring wide-eyed at them, a shaking hoof pointed toward the furred creatures.
“Monsters from the Everfree forest are attacking! Everypony run!” another pony shouted. In moments, all that could be heard were the panic-stricken screams of the town's inhabitants as they frantically galloped across the streets, running into their homes and slamming them shut.
Then, everything was silent. The dust kicked up from the many fearful hooves began to settle, the doors and windows of all of the homes were barred and locked, the entire town now looking deserted. The group of foxes, now dubbed monsters, simply stared blankly at the emptiness now around them, unsure of how to react. The ponies on the other hand held deadpanned expressions, Twilight bringing to her hoof to her face as she sighed in exasperation.
The silence between them all was quickly ended, shattered as Prince Arren burst into a fit of laughter. “Not the reception I was expecting!” he said in his merriment. “But certainly much better compared to what I'd receive back home!”