Outcasts of Equestria

by Old Ben Kenobi

Chapter 13-The Hollow Shades

Chapter 13-The Hollow Shades

The towering trees of the Hollow Shades enshrouded the 6 ponies and dragon. It was as if they had travelled back to the first day that they had met, under the creaking willows of the Everfree Forest. These trees felt just as ancient but somehow even more foreboding.
"Well gang," Came the voice of Twilight Sparkle, "We're here."
Spike gave an audible gulp.
"Do we have to go in there?" He said, nervously. "Can't we send a message there using your magic?"
Twilight shook her head.
"And risk alerting anything that might be unfriendly?" She said. "No, we'll have to get in there quickly and quietly."
Spike nodded.
"Alright y'all," said Applejack, "We might never have been to see these ponies, but I do know a tale or two from my old Granny Smith. So follow me!"

Applejack lead them beneath the trees across the path. It seemed to Fluttershy that the forest itself was displeased with their presence: she would occasionally see large, insectoid eyes in the branches that would scamper away as soon as she looked at them, and more than once the group tripped over roots that they were sure weren't there mere moments ago.

As they walked, they came to a fork in the path. On one side, there was a still pool and on the other, a churning river.
"Ah great, which way now?!" Said Rainbow Dash, "I'll check both." She tried to down one of the paths, but Applejack grabbed her tail.
"Hey, what gives?" Said Rainbow Dash.
"We can't just go chargin' down any path we find!" Said Applejack, "Who knows what varmints we'll find in here..."
"Do you know the way, Applejack?" Asked Rarity.
"Ah'm not sure," Applejack replied, "Though Granny did tell me that a riddle got people through these parts. Never managed to solve it though."
"Do you remember it, Applejack?" asked Twilight, "Can you recite it to us?"
Applejack coughed, then began.

"To all things and mares I appertain,and yet by some am shunned and distained.

Fondle me and ogle me til you’re insane, but no blow can harm me, cause me pain.

Foals delight in me, elders take fright. Fair maids rejoice and spin. Cry and I weep, yawn and I sleep. Smile, and I too shall grin. What am I?"

The group stopped. Each of them tried to silently figure out the riddle.
“Foals delight in me, elders take fright...time, perhaps?” Said Rarity, “Sweetie Belle was always looking forward to the future when she would get her cutie mark...”
“Maybe,” said Twilight, “Though I don’t see how the line ‘Smile, and I too shall grin’ works with that...”
“Well if time is right,” said Rainbow Dash, “Perhaps we should go towards the river? That flows ahead, like time!”
Suddenly, a loud screech filled the air. It sounded like a cross between the mournful braying of a pony and the snark of an enraged hydra.
All the company gasped, but the worst affected was Fluttershy. She collapsed into a shuddering, whimpering heap.
“Fluttershy, do you know what that was?” Asked Twilight, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.
“K-kelpie,” she whispered.
“Are you sure?” Said Twilight, “I know there used to be a race of kelpies in Equestria’s past, but I thought they were all extinct.”
Fluttershy shook her head.
“Kelpies used to be a friendly, but rare, race of Pony that lived in rivers and lakes,” she explained, “They always preferred water, but would sometimes find secluded areas of land to stay in and even help other ponies. But as more of Equestria’s land became inhabited, there were fewer and fewer places for them to live outside the water. Then, something changed,” she gulped. “Maybe they found something that changed their race from good to evil, or perhaps they spent too long inside the darkness of water and not on land with other ponies, it they became more and more cruel. Now, only some of them still survive, not ponies, but dangerous monsters who drag ponies into their lakes...and are never seen again.” She looked positively terrified now, and the rest of the group did not seem much better off.
“I’ve never heard that story before,” said Twilight, somewhat impressed.
“I had to know which creatures can’t be tamed or reasoned with,” explained Fluttershy, “And they’re one of the few examples.”
“And I’ll bet there’s one in the wrong water,” said Rainbow Dash. “Okay, this riddle just got way more intense.”

As the company sat around, Pinkie Pie leapt up.
“I know the answer! I know it! It was so obvious!”
And she started hopping off to the pool.
“Pinkie, wait!” Called Twilight, and the group ran after her, “You have to tell us first!”
But it was too late. Pinkie was staring into the still pool, and where she stared, ripples appeared on the surface. Something was rising out of the water.
Twilight’s horn flared with purple magic, flecked with dark black sparks, ready to blast whatever the horrible entity in the pool was into oblivion. Except the entity wasn’t what she expected. It had curly pink hair and a pink body, with three balloons as a cutie mark. A clone of Pinkie Pie!

The original Pinkie looked back at them, then smiled and waved. Her clone did the same, in union.
“The answer was a reflection!” Pinkie Pie said, “I remembered back to when I used the mirror pool to clone myself!”
The group was relieved, though Twilight looked annoyed.
“Pinkie!” She said, “Don’t run off like that again. Especially when there are dangerous creatures about!”
Pinkie looked abashed.
“You’re right, Twilight,” she sighed, “I just got excited. Won’t happen again.”
“Thank you, Pinkie,” Twilight’s haze softened, “And well done for figuring it out. None of us got it that fast.”
Pinkie beamed, at they all took the road by the pond. Her clone gave one last wave, then jumped right back into the pond. Fluttershy lagged behind a little and gave the river one last look. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she could see the head of something. It’s mane hung down like clumps of blackened pondweed, and it’s eyes were as white and blank as a pearl. But when Fluttershy tried to get a closer look, it vanished, and the river was empty. Her heart racing, she ran to catch up with the others.

After some walking through the dark, ancient woods, they were stopped.
“Look over there!” Said Rainbow Dash, “Lights!”
And there were lights. The lights of the ancient Pony civilisation that dwelt in the heart of the Hollow Shades.

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