"I'll Take The Low Road..."
The sun began its rise. As not many ponies have seen, Celestia was perched on her chamber balcony, performing one of the greatest miracles of Equestria. Everyday.
It entered through the windows, beating onto a certain pink-maned pegasus. It woke her from her forced slumber. She groggily shifted on her sofa. She gasped. Something seemed to suddenly snap her out of it.
"Keith!"
She shot up, fear and concern made itself present on her face in a split second. Leaping off the couch and soaring out the door, she repeated one phrase, over and over.
"Where'd he go where'd he go where'd he go...?!"
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Twilight Sparkle was just checking her logistics list. The fourth time, as said needed on her logistics list. Spike held a nervous expression. Not for himself, but for his friend. The one who took care of him all his life.
"Twilight, are you sure that this is safe?"
"We'll be fine, Spike! Stop worrying! It's just an exploration trip, nothing more-"
"TWILIGHT!" Fluttershy tapped rapidly at the Libraries door.
"Man, don't you think her voice is just giving off a hint of worry?" Spike asked sarcastically.
"Come in Fluttershy! You don't have to knock on a public Library's door!"
She immediately burst in, never once stopping to rest. "He was here last night and he told me he was going somewhere and then I fell asleep and when I woke up we wasn't there and-"
"Fluttershy, calm down!" Twilight placed a reassuring hoof on her frenzied friend. "What's the matter?"
Fluttershy spoke again through rapid deep breaths.
"It's... Keith... he's gone...!" Reassurance vanished from Twilight. It was replaced by the same emotions of Fluttershy.
"WHAT?!"
"I looked everywhere! The town, the blacksmith, the balloon site... he's not here!" She was near hyperventilation.
Spike just shook his head, and walked away. "Well, if you need me, I'll be writing to Princess Celestia to save your butts when you need it."
"G-Go get the others! We gotta find him! It's not safe! Not only for him, but for the Medallion!" Twilight pace round the room, looking for the map.
"W-Where's the map?! It's gone!" Then it dawned on her. On both of the ponies. "Keith took it..."
"GO! Get the other girls! We have to go now!"
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"We're all here, Twi! And we heard what happened!" Applejack and the rest of the Mane Six galloped into the library to greet a greatly disheveled Twilight Sparkle. She was mumbling to herself.
"Oh, of all the bad things that could happen! This is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" Rarity lifted a hoof to her head, over-dramatising the moment. "And I really mean it this time!"
"We don't have much time girls! If Keith did leave last night, then he might have gone quite a distance by now! Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy! Go ahead and fly over the Everfree Forest! Try to see if you can find a trace of him! Everypony else, search by ground! I'll get the Air Balloon up! GO GO GO!"
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The sun was setting now, which meant that I might not be able to read the map for much longer. Unless...
Arty, light me up.
"We're gonna die..."
Pure white light emiited from the pendant, making everything within a ten meter radius visible. I carried on, following the map.
It had been almost a whole day since I left. Even if I wanted to turn back, it would be too late now. I was also conflicted by two hopes. A hope that the Mane Six would find me, and a hope that they wouldn't. Pulling my hoodie over my head, I kept calm and carried on.
Don't you think that light is a little too bright?
"Fine..."
It dimmed down to a five meter radius. Close enough. The sun was almost gone now, and I was still going to travel in the night. I was indeed weary already, but I would not stop until I was satisfied with the distance I put between me and civilization.
However, I would soon come to realize that having a bright light in the middle of the woods in the dark was a bad idea.
As the night drew nearer, the sound of rustling grew nearer.
I raised my attention from the map, taken aback by the sound. I expected something like this to happen, but I was not sure whether I could take it in reality... whatever it was.
The sound of branches braking and the leaves being pushed up made itself clearer. But I still couldn't see anything. It sounded really close. Maybe...
Aura! Shut out the light!
The white light disappeared immediately. Darkness engulfed the surroundings once more.
Only this time, the surroundings had numerous bright yellow eyes.
"We're screwed."
Now! Light me up again now!
The blinding light shown once more, but this time, I saw where the yellow eyes were coming from. Bodies of wood moved on all fours, their camouflage given away by the light. They gave a menacing growl, realizing that they had been found.
Timber Wolves.
I slowly raised a trembling hand to the hilt of my sword. I wouldn't be going down with a fight.
But there were a lot of them. Some of them slowly flanked to the sides, just like real wolves, surrounding their prey.
I drew my sword, hearing the satisfying sound of a steel against steel as it came loose. A snarl came from all directions when I drew my weapon. They knew I would not go down easy by now.
I kept walking, the light of the pendant made itself clear that anything that came close enough would be seen. And eventually hit. I walked till I reached a small clearing from the trees. The green mist and strange vegetation dotted the ground.
I was still surrounded. They would attack anytime now...
They did.
One Timber Wolf jumped out from the shadows, confronting me in the open. I took a step back, instinctively raising my weapon to a defensive position. I had never seen anything like it; wood forming an animal. It was almost perfectly moulded, if not for the odd twig or branch sticking out of its body. It's eyes were unnaturally yellow. It was almost as if it challenged me.
Keep calm. I'll only die faster if I panic.
There we stood. In a tiny arena, caged off by the same thing that challenged me. I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on the weapon. Ready for when it jumped.
In a flash, the wooden beast lunged forward, letting out a roar as it did. The monster had enhanced senses, but fortunately, so did I. In the second it took to jump, I raised my sword in the direction of it's path.
The wolf flew forward. But instead of landing on me, it came into contact with re-enforced steel.
Its head went straight into the sword. As it did, the glow of its yellow eyes slowly faded. The next second, the body of the wolf which was also formed of wood, fell into lifeless blocks and sticks. There was no blood. Just wood. I stared in shock at the short spectacle. The only think I could think of was...
That was easy...
The rest of the pack howled and snarled at the fall of on of their pack mates. I wasn't sure whether I had made them scared, or just a lot angrier.
A moment later, 3 timber wolves approached from the thick of the trees, only distinguishable from the eyes. I readied myself once more, holding my sword out forward. Honestly, I was just performing stances I had seen in video games, but it seemed to work.
The one in front of me rushed forward. I stuck a foot out to kick it in the snout. But I didn't notice that the one on my left had jumped as well. Multiple sharp pains were felt where its claws dug beneath my clothes, into my shoulder. I cried in pain, but I wasn't going to stop now. I raised the sword in my left hand backwards, letting the blade slide through the beast's body. It let go, only to turn into another pile of timber.
I quickly glanced at the damage. My clothes were ripped at the shoulder, and a dark patch of red grew bigger on my clothes. I ignored pain, I wasn't out of the woods yet.
Gasping for breath, I barely had time to recover as the wolf to my right ran through my legs. I felt my legs give way, and I caught myself by pushing the sword into the ground. I was leaning forty-five degrees on my blade, and extremely vulnerable.
And the entire pack took advantage of it.
From every direction, wolf after wolf appeared, seemingly appearing from the trees. There were a lot more than I had originally thought, and that was when I panicked.
One by one, they came closer, I pushed myself back up, only to be pounced on from my right. It dug itself into my back, where I could barely reach it. Another bit my leg, ensuring that I fell this time. The wolf on my back was only a diversion, as it leapt away as soon as I fell. Lying down now, I kicked out at the wolves, in my last attempt to hold them off.
They crowded around me now, it was the last thing I saw before I shut my eyes, feeling something step onto my chest, and pushing the Medallion into my solar plexus. Other wolves bit down, ripping at my clothes and occasionally, flesh.
The Medallion!
It struck me that, if I died here, not only would I be wasting a life, but the hope of discovering somethings that would change both our universes. On top of that, I still didn't want to die.
And so I willed myself. Ignoring the pain and the sounds of rabid snarling. I concentrated.
Do something!
I felt the hot breath of a beast directly on my face.
ANYTHING!
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHH!!!!"
I yelled at the top of my lungs, right into the face of my oppressor. I sounded a lot louder than I had liked, and it certainly affected the creatures around me. They stopped for one moment, to stare in fear and anger.
I shouted again, this time a tiny, single ball of light rose from my chest. It floated into the air. Some of the wolves stopped to watch. Others just whimpered and began to back away. The longer I shouted, the bigger it grew. So I did, until I was pretty sure my lungs would die out. The light was as big as my fist when I stopped.
As soon as I stopped, the ball burst. With great effort, I raised my arms to cover my eyes. What came with it was an unrelenting force, strong enough to push me into the ground, and threw the monsters off their feet, back into the trees. It sent out a wave that could be seen and felt. From the ground, I watched as the Timber Wolves retreated, cowering and whimpering at this unknown power.
Soon, the sounds of activity around me stopped. I was alone again. Like I was glowing on the ground. I could feel no pain, I was just tired.
I can't...die here...
I rolled onto my front and got up on one, bleeding knee. A hole where the fabric was torn. Rarity's clothes were certainly not made for fighting.
My whole body shook at the effort it took to stand. As soon as I straightened up, my knees buckled and gave way. Confirming that I wouldn't go any further. I was exhausted and without looking, I was pretty sure half my chest was covered in blood.
Using what energy I had left, I raised my head. It hurt my shoulder and neck, but I couldn't breathe face down. So there I lay, thinking it was the end of the line. The shame filled my heart. I had disappeared off the face of two worlds now.
Just as I had given up hope. I heard a slow clopping through the woods. My eyelids were getting heavy and I strained to see who was there.
A pony that dawned a brown cloak stopped a few meters away. It didn't say anything, it didn't do anything. The hood of the cloak covered the pony's face.
I spoke two last words before I slipped away.
"Help... me..."
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Ugh... Am I dead?
"Surprisingly enough, you're not dead. Congratulations, asshole."
Wait, so where am I?
"You're asleep! Let's wake up and find out shall we?"
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I phased back into consciousness. Still closing my eyes, I sensed for the pains in my body.
Not much? Only my chest.
I wasn't sure why I wasn't feeling anything else, besides a slight neck pain. But then I remembered. Somepony saw me.
I opened my eyes. Hanging above me was a spin-off of a strange tiki mask. I was shocked at first, then more so when I realized I was in a room full of such things. There were also jars of items, potions, strange objects...
I knew exactly where I was.
Zecora's Hut.
I turned my head as slowly as possible. A black and white striped zebra with a same coloured mowhawk was talking to something.
I sat up, letting her know I was awake. She calmly turned to me. And what followed her made my face pale.
Behind her stood the Mane Six, looks of mixed confusion, concern, anger and betrayal were obviously present.
Uh oh...
************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Musical Suggestion: Shadow Archon Battle Theme. (TTEoAP Fan Music)