Arabian Nights

by RidiculousPony

Chapter 1: Amira

It was early afternoon but the sky was dark. A cluster of black clouds had formed over the Everfree Forest and merged into a frenzied windstorm. Two ponies trudged beneath the trees. Since they entered the vast forest, frequent harsh winds made their enchanted carpets too dangerous to use as transportation. They were slowed to the arduous pace of traveling on hoof over the treacherous forest floor. Roots and vines crept over the uneven ground and covered sharp rocks and hoof-falls. Thick vegetation hindered passage and concealed untold lurking creatures.

A light rain fell and the two ponies continued their progress unfazed. KRAKOOM. With a thunderclap the storm broke and the trickle of rain became a torrent. The cloudburst cut through the canopy of leaves and drenched the ponies below.

The lead pony’s cloak was more suited for the heat and windblown sands of the Arabian desert than the wet cold of the Everfree and did little against the rain. Her mane and coat were soaked through in seconds. Amira trembled as the rain leached the heat from her.

“We need to get to cover!” she shouted over the downpour. She looked back at her companion and saw he fared no better.

Brant's dark green mane was blackened by the rain and plastered across his lean face. He yelled back, “Alright! Where?”

Amira pulled at the straps that held a large roll of fabric onto the side of her saddlebags. She caught the roll in her teeth and unfurled it on the wet ground. “I’m going to fly up and look for signs of a shelter.” Without waiting for a reply, she kneeled on the enchanted carpet and willed it to fly.

It floated into the air unsteadily, weighed down by the accumulated rainwater. Once above the trees Amira was battered by the full force of the wind and she fought to stay aloft. Pressed for time, she frantically scanned the forest before her. At first all she saw was a sea of dark green, rippling with the wind.

Then to one side she spotted a large cliff jutting above the treetops. It was part of an elevated ridge that cut through the forest and ran into the distance. Even in the fading light and rain Amira’s sharp eyes sighted a large dark spot at the base of the cliff face—a cave.

Below, Brant paced about and kept a worried eye on Amira. When she descended and dismounted her carpet he ran up to her. “That was crazy,” he shouted, “You could have been hurt!”

Amira ignored his admonition and wordlessly rolled up her carpet. She tried to put it back in the straps on the side of her saddlebag but the carpet had absorbed too much water. Such weight on one side would leave her unbalanced and in danger of losing her already unstable hoofing. She sighed and gave up, then hefted it across her back. Her legs strained under the shared burden.

Aware of Amira’s willful snub, Brant took a deep breath and spoke in a calmer tone, “Well, did you see anything?”

Amira smiled proudly and gestured with a hoof. “A cave, a few hundred paces that way, at the bottom of a cliff.”

---

The ponies climbed toward the ridge. Their pace was slowed further by the water that flowed downhill over rocks and foliage. They worked together and scaled the slick incline to make it to the cliff’s base where they were shielded from the wind and rain. They followed the cliff-face and moved slowly over the uneven scree and underbrush that littered the area.

Amira spotted the cave entrance a few dozen paces ahead. Eager for shelter, she hastened to a run and left Brant behind. He maintained his more careful pace and then shook his head when Amira slid in a patch of mud and nearly fell.

At the entrance to the cave, Amira peered into its dark interior and saw nothing. All of our supplies are soaked, even the torches. I guess I might as well put my practice to use, Amira thought. She held one hoof in front of her and focused her mind on the air before her. A faint glimmer appeared and quickly built into a glowing orb of blue light. She flicked her hoof upward and the orb mimicked the motion. She maintained her concentration and guided it to the ceiling where its light illuminated the entire room. Amira smiled wearily. She was satisfied by her attempt at magic yet drained by the effort. She worked to catch her breath as she stepped into the lit cave.

Once inside, Amira bucked off the heavy carpet from her back and surveyed the cave. After the narrow entrance the cave widened into a single round room several paces across. The floor was free of bones or droppings—signs of an inhabitant—and the interior was dry since neither wind nor rain reached inside.

This should make a safe shelter for the night, Amira thought as she knelt to wring out her soaked carpet. She leaned forward and her cobalt mane spilled from her hood, dripping wet. She paused to squeeze the water from its length and flipped it back over her ear. She returned to wringing the water out of the carpet and laid it out flat to finish drying. Brant caught up and entered the shelter.

He appraised the cavern. “This is a nice find, Amira. I’m grateful for those eyes of yours. Spotting a cave in that weather is quite the feat.”

Brant glanced at Amira and expected her reply but she hadn’t registered the compliment. She stripped off her soaked clothes and muttered to herself about the awful weather. Brant forced himself to look away and sorted the items in his bag, wet from dry, to busy himself. Unlike Equestria, where clothes were typically worn only for special occasions, in Saddle Arabia it was considered indecent to be seen without a saddle and bridle. Brant wasn’t yet used to the new customs.

He chanced a glance back Amira’s way again as he worked. He was rewarded with a rather stimulating perspective of her sleek, unclothed form. Under his bridle his cheeks blushed red, painting his tan coat a shade of auburn. He returned to sorting out his clothes and possessions with renewed determination.

He laid out several enchanted objects, ranging from amulets and bracelets to gemstones and talismans. Brant had been a merchant before he had fled Saddle Arabia. He specialized in enchanted artifacts and had managed to bring a useful assortment with him. Brant peered into the last pocket in his saddlebag and let out a relieved sigh. His most valuable possessions were untouched by the rain.

Amira finished laying out her wet clothes in an arc across the floor. “Move over a bit. I want to put up a heat orb there in the middle,” she said and gestured with a hoof.

Brant backed up from the center of the cave and saw that Amira was huddled under a damp but warm wool blanket. It was one of the few cold-weather items they had thought to purchase as they journeyed northward. In the blue light of the orb her vibrant pink coat looked pale and grey, adding to her drained appearance. “Are you sure? You don’t look too well and that magic wears you out,” he commented.

“I’m fine, Brant. I’m not even tired,” she said with a forced smile, “and I need more practice with this—” She corrected herself, “—with my magic.” She held her right hoof outward and her silver eyes gleamed red. A rippling crimson sphere began to manifest in the air before her. Unlike the blue orb on the ceiling this one put out more heat than light. Both orbs were manifestations of Amira's will, so they radiated a peculiar energy that felt... feisty.

The ponies relaxed in the warmth and chatted, giving Brant additional practice speaking Equestrian. Brant was proficient at simple conversations and pronunciation but his vocabulary and confidence with the language were lacking. Amira smirked as Brant inched closer to the orb. He still wore all of his wet travel clothes and was attempting to dry them without removing them in her presence. Amira decided to maneuver the conversation onto the topic of clothing, or the lack thereof. “How are you holding up, Brant? Getting over your fear of nudity yet?” Amira teased.

Brant blushed. “I’ll never get used to seeing mares just walking around in public without at least a saddle on. Not to mention myself,” Brant said and shook his head.

Amira shrugged. “I’ve been to Equestria a few times so I’ve become rather used to it. It’s pretty convenient not needing to get dressed up every morning. And it isn’t like a saddle and bridle actually hide that much anyway.”

Amira’s blanket shifted as they talked and revealed her front left leg. Brant spotted a discoloration over the red glow and looked closer. It was a large bruise. “You’re injured! Why are you wasting your energy on magic?”

“It’s just a bruise,” Amira replied and covered her leg again. “You worry too much Brant. Besides, it only started hurting when I made this orb. The pain is almost gone again.”

Brant was not convinced. "That's from the wolf last night, isn't it?”

The night before, Brant had used one of his gems to make their campsite invisible. The trick was effective against most forest dwellers and possible pursuers but had been useless against a predator with a keen sense of smell. A lone timberwolf had attacked them in the night. They fought off the wooden beast thanks to their larger size and Amira's magic, but the experience had been a sobering and unpleasant reminder of the dangers lurking in the forest.

“Nah, I probably bumped it when I was running to the cave.” She gestured toward the cavern entrance then brushed a loose bit of mane back over her ear. Amira avoided eye contact, expecting Brant to scold her for being reckless.

“Oh, okay then,” said Brant, and he pushed the subject no further. Reminded by Amira’s fidgeting, he moved to dry his own mane. It wasn’t nearly as long as Amira’s but still held a decent amount of water. He struck up a new topic while he wrung it out, “Do you think we’re almost there? Our map has been worthless since we entered this ‘Every Free Forest’.”

“It’s ‘Everfree’ not ‘Every Free’ and the map isn’t entirely useless.” She spread their map out on the floor and looked it over. She pointed to a crudely illustrated mountain range that cut into the forest. “This cliff we’re in might be the tail end of Rambling Rock Ridge, so I think we’re close. If the weather was clear, I bet we could even see the castle from here.”

Brant’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure the princess will help us? What if the Sheikh already got to her?”

“I’m not worried. It would take a lot more than one runaway witch to make Saddle Arabia ask another country for help, nor would the Sheikh want to call attention to it.” Amira smirked. “The princess and I haven’t spoken, but she might recognize me from one of my delegate visits. Also, I heard her title is ‘Princess of Friendship’ now. Maybe she’ll live up to the name.”

Brant made to reply but was silenced by a rumbling sound that became a violent tremor. The floor shook and dust was dislodged from the ceiling. Brant leapt to his hooves and discarded his cloak.

"Stay near me!" he shouted over the rumbling as he searched for its cause.

“No, we need to get out before the cave collapses. Come on!” Amira grabbed her saddlebag with her teeth and made for the exit.

With a loud scraping sound the floor tipped out from under the ponies and sloped downward into the mountain. As the floor fell away, their loose supplies slid toward the back wall and disappeared into darkness.

“I don’t thinks so, silly ponies. You won’t escapes our tricky trap,” an awful voice reverberated through the cavern, followed by barks of laughter. Large yellow eyes gleamed in the dark. “Gets them!” it screeched and then three large dog-like creatures leapt out of the tunnel. They wore wrought iron armor over their bulky chests and forearms, and gems of varying quality adorned their helmets. Thanks to Saddle Arabia’s copious wealth, the country had no shortage of run-ins with this tribe of gem-hoarding thieves.

“Diamond Dogs? Run!” Brant shouted as both ponies clambered for the exit. Their hooves fought for purchase on the smooth stone.

Large paws grabbed for the ponies and one found the straps of Brant’s saddle. Another dog—a scrawny mutt—jumped onto Amira’s back, but she reared out from under him and he fell away holding nothing but a blanket.

Brant struggled against two dogs that now held him in a firm grip. He yelled out, “Keep going! If they’re working with the Sheikh, then they only want you.”

Amira scrambled up the slope with her mouth clamped on her saddlebags. She prayed with every hoof-fall that she wouldn’t slip. Even in her panic she considered Brant’s command. If they take Brant to the Sheikh, won’t he be executed for helping me escape?

She stopped at the mouth of the cave with her mind made up. I won’t let Brant sacrifice himself for me. Not for a witch. She looked back toward Brant and the dogs that held him. Light swelled in her eyes. She focused what energy she still possessed toward the spell she had used only once before. The spell that had branded her a witch and ruined her old life.

Before Amira released this power, her eyes met Brant’s. In them she saw a pleading determination. A look that begged her to leave. Begged her to run.

Tears replaced the magic in her eyes. She gave a solemn nod then turned and ran out of the cave.

For several minutes Amira galloped on. She made no attempt to avoid the twigs and brambles that scraped against her as she darted between the trees. She had no idea what direction she was going and her map was left back in the cave. Left back with Brant.

She came into a small clearing and stopped to catch her breath. She looked up and saw that the sky was clear—the storm had stopped. Exotic plants and night-blooming flowers filled the clearing. They glistened with raindrops illuminated by the moon's silver light. Small puddles on the ground reflected the star-filled sky. Crickets chirped and night-birds sang and Amira began to sob. She dropped her bag and collapsed to the ground in tears. She trembled from the fatigue and emotions that had caught up with her. Other than Amira’s cries, a sympathetic silence fell over the moonlit garden. She spoke only once more, then joined the silence as exhaustion and sleep claimed her.

“Oh, Brant… I’ll come back for you. I promise.”

Comments

[Vates Despero]

Tha... fuck?

[shinigamisparda]

Much more detailed and exciting for sure. I hope to see how this goes and I can't wait for the edits to catch up with the story.

[Europa]

You bastard! You blew it up!

Oh well, on to read the new version.

[Tobl]

Okay, I'm sure the new version is better and everything. But I liked the old version already (else I wouldn't have faved it), and I don't really feel all that compelled to read the same story again. It would be great if you could give readers like me an update with what has changed once you get to the old point of progress (chaptername blabla OLD PEOPLE LOOK HERE). If not, I will keep this faved for a little, but I doubt I'll find the time again.

[Europa]

More detailed, for sure. Let's see how this goes.

I'm just glad they didn't meet a cockatrice. That would be nasty.

[RidiculousPony]

5594937

I can do that, but more than just plot points will be changing. Watching characters grow and improve would be better than just being told that they did.

In any case I WILL be making a big post when the re-work has caught up to where the story was before, so I hope you tune in then

[Skydancer]

Still some word choice glitches here and there (harsh winds frequented the woods? How about blasted, or scoured, or swept? I don't think they're dropping in for a regular friendly visit), but it looks better already.

[The Rogue Wolf]

I don't think we see nearly enough about the Saddle Arabians. I never saw the original story this apparently springs from, so this will be an entirely new experience.

[Dawn Swordspony]

I was so happy to see a new chapter!.... oh, I guess this is good too...

[0]

Yikes, unexpected chapter erease. Oh well, I shall play the waiting game.

[Themaskedferret]

Interesting idea, hope to see more

[Pony_Person_123]

Are you going to kill him or let him be rescued?