//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Pony Scrolls V: Equestria // by SplitGaze //------------------------------// These were dark times in Equestria. War, chaos, and the loss of thousands of ponies. A total nightmare. I was totally exhausted. I cannot belive we lost the battle at Dodge City. Those damn Zebras. They think Equestria belongs to them. They shall all burn for what they did to us. -"Hey you! You are finally awake!" -"Huh~" -"An arrow hit you in the head. I managed to save you before they captured us." I opened my eyes. An brown earth pony was sitting next to me. I was sitting in a chariot with two other ponies and a white griffon. They all looked at me. I didn't say anything, i tought it's better if i don't. -"You, griffon! What's your name?" The griffon looked almost beaten to death. He was badly injured. The griffon bearly lifted his hed up looking at the brown earth pony. -"I... my name is Skyline. I'm a hunter from the Everfree forest." -"Why did they take you prison?" -"I don't know, i was just at wrong place at the wrong time. Where are they taking us?" -"I don't know..." As far as i can tell... it was morning. I didn't know if the sun was going up or down. I had a big headache. I've never been hit by an arrow before. After some time, i saw smoke behind the dense forest. We were getting closer to a village. I just tought this is it. After a while we saw the village main gate. It was guarded by Zebras and surrounded by walls and towers. The chariot was passing trough the main gate. Before the chariot went trough i saw something walking in the woods. It didn't look like a Zebra i was sure about that. It was all black with red eyes. It had holes in it's hooves. I could't belive it... a changeling! It turned to me! I raised my head looking at it. It saw me looking at it. In a blink of an eye it just disapeared. Before i could see anymore of it, the chariot went trough the main gate. That made me start thinkin again this headache *Arrgh* i think i should stop thinking - for now. After a while the chariot stopped. End of the line. This made me think. Why now! I don't want to die now. I stood up, barley keeping myself on my hooves. One of the Zebras held a list in her hooves. One by one she read our names and told us to step forward. After she said "Skyline from the badlands" she held her breath for a moment. She lifted her head and looked at me closely. -"Hmm... who are you?" I was a bit confused. Why am i not on the list?... I don't care, i'm going to die anyways. At least they will know my name before i die. -"My name is Trogar from Ponyville". -"Well i don't see you on the list but i have to follow my orders. Stand next to the others." They cut the pony heads one by one. It was horrible. After a few heads rolled it was my turn. The guard shouted... -"Prisoner step forvard!" I moved slowly and didn't try to rush neither i want to walk slow like a covard. The guard pushed me to the ground making me bump my head to the ground. It really hurted a lot. I just tought "This is it." The executor lifted his axe high and was readdy to cut my head. I closed my eyed and tried to think of something else. When suddenly... a really loud growling from the nearby forest. I still kept my eyes closed. After a few moments i still realized i was alive. I opened my eye and saw the executor pony holding his axe down looking around like everyone else. A nearby guard said... -"Did you hear that?" -"Don't let it distract you let's continue!" Again the executor lifted his axe, but this time i didn't close my eyes. I was shocked when i saw an enormous thing flying out of the forest. Again this loud growling. This thing landed on the nearby tower. I could't see what is was. Dust flew in my eye because of the beasts wings. A guard shouted... -"What in Equestria is that!" I managed to clear my eyes to get a better look on the beast. I couldn't belive what i saw. A dragon! I tought they were... Before i could thought of anything else the beast opened its mouth and i could hear a thunder like shout. It was actually so loud it pushed me and the others from the execution podium. I stood up, barely. My forehooves were tied up so the only thing i could do now was fun away. In a nearby tower i saw the brown earth pony waveing his hoof callin me. -"Over here! Run before you get burned!" I ran as fast as i could but because of my forehooves tied up i couldnt. Running for my life i turned around quickly to see where the dragon was. It was actualy behind me! Just a few meters to the Tower door. The beast opened his mouth trying to burn me. I jumped into the tower. The tower door quickly closing behind me. Small flame particles hissed trough the cored door. Inside the tower was the griffon and two other ponies. The brown earth pony walked toward me holding a sword in his hooves -"Here, let me cut you loose." Ahh, sweet freedom. -"Thank you my friend, you never told me your name." -"My name is Fawkes. It's better if we stick together now. Come on, up the tower." We all run up the tower stairs. We could her the dragon destroying the village outside. Woah! The whole tower shaked. It was like an earthquake. We kept running upstairs- BANG! The dragon made a hole in the tower trying to burn us out. We took cover quickly. The air was hotter than the Ponyville forge. After the dragon flew away we went further upstairs. Oh shucks, the stairs are blocked and the only way out now is the hole. -"We neet to jump to the nearby building." Seen the look on the others faces i jumped first. -"Ok let's do this!" Not a moment before i jumped the griffor yelled. -"No wait don't..." It was too late i was already in mid air. THUMP! I landed on my back. I can tell ya... that hurts. I looked up just to see the griffon dragging the others carefuly down. I felt like an idiot. After everypony was safe we went downstairs. Fawkes pointed at the chariots. -"We can use them to escape! I'll pull and you two will keep those damn zebras off our hooves!" We ran as fast as we could toward the chariots. While Fawkes was tying himself to the chariots, we jumped onboard. -"Fawkes go! We have been spotted!" -"Alright let's do this!" The village gate was closed but Fawkes as strong as he was destroyed it easly. He was like a pony ram. I saw that he was a bit stunned. I used my healing spell on him. -"Thank you my friend." The griffon was using frostbite and i used flams. A group of zebras were running befind us. Arrows were hitting us from bith sides. I used my flames to keep the Zebras away from Fawkes. -"We never gonna shake them off!" The griffon smiled at me. -"Whatch this." He pointed his claws to the ground making a ice carpet. I didn't understood what he was doind when i lookd up. Zebra by zebra fell to the ground. It was pretty funny watching them faceplaing to the ground. -"Hahahaha! Look at them!" A river! We were getting closer to ponyville, home. I sat down for a moment taking a deep breath. It's finally over. I used all of my magic what was left to heal the griffon's wounds. He was quite happy about it. -"Thank you my freind." I turned around to ask Faw... what in Equest... the dragon was in fron of us! -"Fawkes are you alright!" I leand forward and saw him sleeping. What da hay- i gave him a bump on his head. -"Fawkes wake up what's wrong with you!" How is that pony still running? Looking at his head i saw a dart in his neck. What da... Someone poisoned him. I turned around and... again that changeling! -"What do we do now!" The griffons claws began to glow. He used a slight spark on Fawkes. I quickly opend his eyes. Looking at his face expression he was shoched when he saw the dragon infront of him. He turned left! -"No Fawkes there is the river!" He tried to stop but it was too late. SPLASH!