//------------------------------// // Chapter One: Arrival // Story: A Wanderer's Journey: Equestrian Chronicle // by Medlimakar //------------------------------// Chapter One: Arrival All characters, concepts, and settings are © & TM their respective owners. No infringement is intended by the author. “Speech” ‘Thought’ “Telepathic speech” A bright flash was seen in the skies, out-shining the glare coming off of the gilded rooftops of the castle towers, which seemed to sprout from the mountain side like some sort of exotic mushroom. When flash had faded, two figures could be seen "falling with style" from a pulsating rift which, having fulfilled its purpose, vanished. If anypony had been close enough, they would have noted that, strangely enough, the larger of the two was sitting astride the smaller, and that both were screaming in absolute terror, their eyes still closed from flash that had brought them to the land. Eventually, they decided that screaming wasn't going to keep them from adding a new feature to the local topography. So they then began discussing ways in which they could safely land. Though anyone close enough to hear them would not have understood them, for not only they did not speak the native language, but they also communicated with each other telepathically. "Why, damn it! Why do I always have to appear in the freaking SKY! Just ONCE I'd like to go somewhere new without digging a trench with my FACE!”The larger said to his companion who, until recently had been the larger of the two. "You mean this is normal for you? I did NOT sign up for this!” The smaller screeched, her wings futilely flapping in hopes of slowing their descent. ”Can't you do something about this?" She asked in a somewhat calmer tone. "I would if I could, believe me, but I can't." The larger one said, his equipment rattling in the wind. “I'm not attuned to the local leylines yet, and until I am we'll have to rely on our wits." He explained. "At least you have wings." "Fat lot of good they're doing, you're far too heavy for me carry for some reason." She said humorlessly. Her face brightened suddenly, having just hatched an idea. “I’ve got it!” She shouted, getting her Rider’s attention. “If you hop off, I can grab you in my claws and carry you like one of those silly horses your kind seems to enjoy riding.” She then flexed her claws experimentally only to find that she couldn’t, it was then that she opened her eyes to find that her scaled snout had been replaced with a furred muzzle. “WHAT, WHY AM I FLUFFY?!?” She yelled vocally, surprising them both. Her companion then opened his own eyes to see what his friend’s outburst was about, only to find his vision obstructed by a black tipped snout. “Well that’s new.” He stated as if it were completely normal to have such a change occur. He then looked at his partner only to find that she appeared to be a diminutive, cartoonish horse. “If I not mistaken, you’re a Pegasus, a talking Pegasus.” The Pegasus formerly known as Umbra Darkscales turned her head to look at him and saw what looked like something she and her Rider would have been sent to destroy. “Well, if I’m a Pegasus, what the hell are you?” she asked. “You look like the result of a mating session between a man and a cow.” She said, looking at his lean human torso and bovine head. T.J., formerly a decent example of an elven male, snorted in a very bovine fashion before looking at his own body, starting at the bottom and working his way up from there. “It would seem that I’m a Minotaur, horns, hooves, and all.” He said as if he were teaching a class. He also noted that his various bandoliers, belts, and pouches had shifted to fit his new shape. “Let’s edit your plan; it should still work even with hooves.” He then noticed what seemed to be a temple built out of white marble on the snow covered ground below. “Do you think that you can make it to that temple over there?” Knowing that, linked as they were, he did not need to point at it. “I think so.” she replied, gaging the distance wither eyes. “It’ll be a rough landing though.” They then acted on their plan. TJ leaped off Umbra’s back and she hooked him under the arms with her forelegs, flapping her wings furiously to slow their fall to speed that was less potentially hazardous to one’s health, though it was still going to be a rough landing. They ended up crashing into and though the wall of the allegedly stone temple landing in what looked like a living room. It was furnished for a creature of similar size to Umbra. The strangest part was that everything seemed to be made out of clouds; the walls, celling, and floor were all made from unusually solid clouds. They then heard what sounded like someone abusing a xylophone with a rubber mallet, followed by the sound of a door slamming open and someone coming down the stairs that led to the second floor. T.J. and Umbra both hid behind a nearby couch, TJ’s head peeking around the side so he could see what manner of creature could make such noises. /)W(\ ‘I swear, if there’s anything broke, I’m gonna buck em offa my porch.’ Rainbow Dash thought as she came to the stairs. When she came into the living room she froze, shocked at the amount of damage that had been done. It looked like a tornado had hit, her reading table was shattered, there were Daring Do books everywhere, there was even a chair embedded in the wall opposite a HUGE hole big enough for the Royal chariot to fly through. She then noticed the black pony tail poking out from behind the couch. “I see you back there! Come on out so I can clobber ya.” In response, the pony behind the large and miraculously un-damaged piece of furniture hissed at her and then yelped when a green furred limb shot out and yanked the tail back into hiding. ‘What the hay? There’s two of em.’ she thought, suddenly understanding why there was so much damage. The two Pegasi that were hiding from her had obviously been getting lovey-dovey while flying, which would explain why they hadn’t seen her house. They were hiding from her because they were embarrassed. Who wouldn’t be in a situation like that? Fairly young as well. An experienced flyer wouldn’t have done something like that. ‘OK, maybe a clobbering followed by forced take-off isn’t such a good idea?’ “OK, I’m not gonna hurt ya, just come out.” She said gently. After all, she did have a soft spot for kids. Rainbow saw something poke out from behind the couch and a Pegasus mare slowly came out into the open. The thinly built mare’s coat was shockingly black and her mane and tail were somehow even blacker, seeming to absorb the light in the room. Her cutie mark was the strangest thing she had ever seen, a perfectly balanced set of scales set over a green flame with a black circle in one pan and a white one in the other. That in and of itself was odd, but she could swear that the flame was real as though it was constantly moving. The strange mare then wordlessly beckoned to her friend, who had yet to come out. Rainbow was not expecting what happened next. She had expected to see a green stallion come out and stand beside the mare; instead a hand came up and waved in a manner that suggested its owner’s surrender. A pair of horns then rose up from behind the couch, followed by the head and shoulders of a biped. “The buck…?”