• Published 29th Dec 2012
  • 2,685 Views, 143 Comments

Sonata de Equestria - MyHobby



Equestria's history is catching up to the present. When Twilight Sparkle uncovers a dark crystal heart in King Sombra's tomb, she and her friends find themselves on the run from timberwolves, windigos, and Sombra himself.

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Second Movement: Part 5- Running the Gamut

Running the Gamut

The snow was falling faster and thicker, and the wind was picking up. The smoky mountain was covered in snow from top to bottom, highly unusual for the beginning of summer. The formerly-sunny June day was transforming into a blizzard.

All of that was ignored by the pony caravan, because they had more immediate concerns on their minds.

Big Macintosh pounded forwards, hoof stomping and heart racing. He hauled his load with a fervor not often seen in the large pony’s mannerisms. His normally stoic face was stretched back in a grimace of anger and determination.

To his right stood an insurmountable wall of stone: the smoky mountain. To his left was a steep drop, resting at an angle only comfortable to goats. To his front was the mountain trail, leading several miles on to the city of Manehatten. To his rear ran the pack of Timberwolves, snapping hungrily at the passengers lying in Big Mac’s cart.

Applejack balanced an iron pipe against the side of the cart, taking aim at the leader of the pack. “Potato cannon ready to fire?!”

Pinkie Pie pumped the air compressor with all of her earth pony strength. “Locked and loaded!”

“Then let’s let ‘em have it!” Applejack pulled the firing lever down, sending a round potato flying straight for the lead monster. It collided with excessive force, shattering the Timberwolf into slivers. “Yee-HAW!”

“That got him good, sis!” Apple Bloom grinned, her adventurous spirit in full bloom. “If y’ weren’t already so good at buckin’ apples, I bet you’d get a potato-launchin’ Cutie Mark for sure!”

“Ah’ll be darned if I want a potato on mah flank!” She loaded another starchy tuber into the potato cannon, signaling the pink pony to start pumping again. “One down, how many left to go?”

“I count eleven!” Rarity exclaimed. She gripped Sweetie Belle tight to her chest, not willing to let her younger sister move even an inch. “Well, ten, now that I get a good look at them.”

Scootaloo sat next to an intensely nervous Spike, a devil-may-care grin on her face. She fluttered her orange wings and turned to Rarity. “You sure? I thought there were eleven a second ago.”

“Yes dear,” the unicorn replied, shuddering at the advancing arbor atrocities. “But then Applejack blasted one. And she really should blast another right now!

A Timberwolf leaped into the air, front paws reaching to grasp at the rear of the cart. Applejack jerked her cannon upwards and pulled the lever in a single, smooth movement. The wolf was blasted out of the sky and down the mountain, shattering on the sharp rocks below.

Reload, compress, fire. They went through the process two more times, and two more enemies fell. The remaining Timberwolves did not slow down in the slightest.

Big Mac was one of the strongest ponies in Ponyville, and maybe even Equestria, but he still had limits. His chest burned, and his fetlocks ached. He was slowing down; imperceptibly to most, but not to natural-born hunters.

Or unnaturally-born monsters.

One Timberwolf had broken off from the back to take a higher road, one that looped up the mountain instead of snaking around it. The high road followed the low road for several miles, and provided ample opportunity to ambush the apple cart. Before long, he straying Wolf was all but on top of the red workhorse, waiting for just the right moment to pounce.

Luckily for the ponies, Fluttershy was also just above Big Mac, flapping overhead to keep Angel out of harm’s way. She was the first to spot the ambush, and she was the first pony to alert the others. “L-l-l-look out! Timberwolf on the ridge!”

With the yellow pegasus’ shout, the monster lost the element of surprise. Thinking quickly, it sprung its attack while its potential prey were still preparing themselves. Claws outstretched, it reached to grasp the nearest pony and caught a screaming Fluttershy on its way down.

The arboroid landed on the cart’s shaft, a long, wooden beam that connected Big Mac’s harness to the applecart’s body. Fluttershy found herself pinned between a giant Timberwolf and the cart itself. As the wooden teeth gnashed in front of her face, she found herself unable to stop shrieking.

Applejack acted quickly, spinning around to point the potato cannon at the invading monster. On the way, the iron pipe clanged dully against the top of Spike’s head, laying the dragon low. “Sorry, Spike!”

Just as she was about to pull the trigger, the Timberwolf batted the cannon away, sending the launched potato sailing into space. It climbed over the petrified pegasus mare and into the cart, preparing to devour the passengers.

Big Mac was having none of that.

With a mighty buck of his rear legs, the Timberwolf was bumped off of the cart, and under the heavy oak wheels. The vehicle jerked as the wooden menace was ground into the road, and the shaft began to creak with the strain. Macintosh stumbled as his connection to the cart finally snapped and sent Fluttershy tumbling to the side. He rolled out of the way just in time for the cart to go sailing down the road, sans one driver.

Mac’s roll took him right over the edge of the road. One strong hoof caught itself between two rocks, and he found himself dangling over a long row of rocky outcroppings. He was able to use the foothold to pull himself back onto the road, but not out of danger. While most of the Timberwolves had followed the runaway cart, two stuck around to sniff out the ponies that were left behind.

Mac’s eyes zipped to Fluttershy, who was backed against the rocky wall. She squeaked in fright as a Timberwolf slowly approached her, sap dripping out of its hungry maw. Angel was a near-perfect mirror of his caretaker, clutching her mane with all his bunny might.

“Hey!” Big Mac shouted. “Hey! Leave her alone!”

One of the Timberwolves turned to him, while the other continued to stalk Fluttershy. Big Mac and the monster circled each other, neither willing to turn their back to the edge of the cliff. The Timberwolf roared, sending Macintosh’s heart pumping violently. His red coat stood on end as he faced down the magical creature, looking for any kind of opening that he could exploit.

The Wolf acted first, lunging at the stallion with teeth snapping. Big Mac dodged backwards and brought his hoof down on the monster’s snout. He regretted coming close enough to hit his foe, because that put him right in the middle of the Timberwolf’s reach. A swipe of its jagged, rocky claws sent Big Mac sprawling with a deep gash on his cheek.

The other Timberwolf seemed to smile as it loomed over Fluttershy. It licked its lips with a fern and brought its teeth in for the kill. Fluttershy found herself prepared to scream again, and opened her mouth to do so.

“NO!”

Without warning, the monster found itself frozen in absolute, object fear. It had made the mistake of looking into its prey’s blue eyes; rather than finding a helpless little filly, it found itself looking into the eyes of a master.

The mare spoke again, “No! Don’t you dare hurt anypony!” The Timberwolf took another step back. “You are not going to hurt anypony else, do you understand me?”

The Timberwolf found itself unable to look away from Fluttershy’s soul-piercing glare. It felt its rear leg leave the ground, only to connect with nothing but air. In the next moment, the monster found relief from the small mare’s commanding gaze.

The relief lasted until the Timberwolf impacted on the mountain’s stony base.

Big Mac leaped up in time to see the Timberwolf walk backwards off the ledge. Before he could realize what had happened, the other Wolf knocked him back down. The stallion found himself pinned beneath oaken limbs, unable to shake loose.

Before the monster could strike, Angel Bunny leaped up onto the Timberwolf’s head and bit down on an ear with his rodent-sized teeth. The Wolf howled in surprise and shook the bunny off, giving Big Mac enough time to bring his powerful hooves between himself and the Timberwolf. A solid kick freed the stallion and sent the monster flying into a snowdrift.

Angel picked himself up off the ground and dusted himself off, a smug little grin on his face. He crossed his paws over his chest and raised an eyebrow at Big Mac. The stallion smiled and patted the bunny on the head.

Never knew the little snot had it in him, Macintosh considered bemusedly. His thoughts turned back to the Timberwolf as it slowly climbed out of the pile of snow. The creature growled at them as it advanced, its blank eyes intent on devouring its prey.

The Timberwolf was only able to take two more steps forwards before it was encased in a solid block of ice.

Macintosh gaped; he whipped his head around to look at the forested valley below, finding it completely snow-covered. Everything clicked into place in the Mac’s mind. Unnatural amounts of cold, snow in June, creatures instantly frozen… There’s gotta be another explanation!

He trotted up to Fluttershy, who was still staring down the mountain at the Timberwolf that she had sent tumbling. “C’mon, Miss Fluttershy,” he said quickly, “We gotta catch up.”

Short, halting breaths came from the pegasus mare. Her knees buckled, and she sat down hard. She looked up at Big Mac with tears streaming down her face. “I didn't… I didn’t mean to hurt it…

Mac was startled, he didn’t really know what to say. Didn’t expect somethin’ like that. He stayed quiet, letting the mare sob quietly. Her pet bunny hopped up to her and hugged her hoof soothingly. Big Mac almost missed the eye roll that the small buck shot his way, and chose to ignore it.

A mournful groan drifted through the air, completely unlike the Timberwolves’ loud howl. Rather than triumphant, the sound held a whisper of sadness; sadness and despair. The wind began to pick up, swirling the snowflakes around the two ponies in a tornado of cold. Fluttershy took a step backwards, shivering from fright more than the cold. “Is… I-is that…”

The groan grew into a wailing whinny as a white wisp materialized out of the grey sky. The snow blew harder, and the cold grew stinging as more wisps appeared in the sky. Big Mac could just make out the nearest one, it was vaguely pony-shaped near the front, but the back of the wisp trailed off into a tail of nothingness.

“Are those…. Windigos!?

Both ponies shuddered, childhood ghost stories flowing through their memory like water from a broken dam. One windigo turned its ethereal head and spotted them standing on the mountainside. One by one, the other specters also took notice of the ponies.

Big Macintosh gulped. “Run.”

Before Fluttershy could answer, he grabbed her hoof and took off at a gallop. “RUN!”


The ponies in the cart weren’t faring much better.

Applejack had dropped the potato cannon in favor of gripping the severed shaft, in the hopes of maintaining some sort of steering. As it was, she was only able to keep the cart careening down the path, rather than flying straight off into the blue. Spike was clutching his head where the cannon had clocked him, the three little fillies were screaming with a mixture of fear and excitement, and Pinkie Pie had taken up the position of rearguard.

“But how!?” Rarity shouted. “How were you able to fit an entire party cannon into your suitcase!?”

Pinkie aimed the cannon at the five remaining Timberwolves. She lit the wick with a match, and counted down the seconds until the flame hit the ignition. “I folded it up really small!”

“Bu- But…” Rarity sputtered. “What did you even load it with?”

Pinkie grinned as she squinted down the barrel. “A hundred and fifty-five millimeters of pure, unadulterated PARTY!”

Ka-POW!

Confetti, cake batter, streamers, and party games came flying out of the party cannon’s muzzle. One unlucky Wolf slipped on a stray banana peel and flew right off of the road. Another found itself covered from head-to-toe in cake batter. Another still got its legs tangled up in streamers, tripping itself and two of its pack mates. The Timberwolves found themselves tangled, splotched, pinned, and generally inhibited as the pre-made party flew into their midst.

“Yes!” Pinkie shouted in victory. “Later, party poopers!”

Applejack glanced back to remind her friend not to get too cocky, and failed to see the stray stone sticking out of the road. The front wheels hit the rock at full speed, and the cart leaped right into the air. The screaming mares, fillies, and dragon clung to each other for dear life as they tumbled down the road and into the forest.

The cart finally came to a stop when it shattered against a tree, dumping the passengers into a newly-created snow bank. Apple Bloom poked her head out to get a glimpse of her surroundings. In the distance, she could see a lone timberwolf, covered in cake batter and streamers, prowling around. In the next instant, the Wolf was frozen solid in mid-stride. Apple Bloom gasped, uncertain if the unexpected help was really worth the trouble.

Scootaloo poked her head up next, getting an eyeful of the frozen monster. “Hey, is that the Timberwolf?”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom whispered. “It was lookin’ fer us, an’ it just froze all by itself.”

“Why’d it do that?” Sweetie Belle asked. She had a pile of snow sitting on top of her head. It looked very much like a big, white hat.

“Shh!” The fillies were shushed by Spike as the little dragon crawled out of the bank. “You guys ever hear about the windigos?”

Scootaloo scoffed. “Come on, Spike, that’s just a fairy tale!”

“So was Nightmare Moon…” He edged out of the snow bank and tip-toed up to the frosty Timberwolf. He pricked it with a claw, and then turned back to the fillies. “It’s alright, I don’t see anything.”

Rarity was the next to climb out of the snow. “Oh, my head. My head, my back, my everything aches…” She patted her now-unkempt curls gently. “I’m not at all surprised to find that my hair feels a little tense.”

Applejack pulled her hat out from underneath what was left of their cart. “No time to rest up now, we gotta help Big Mac and Fluttershy.”

Pinkie Pie slid down from her perch on top of a pine tree. “I dunno, Applejack, I don’t see them anywhere!”

Applejack shrugged, then did a double-take. “Whu-? How did you get up there!?”

“I bounced.”

Rarity marched through the snow, determined to rescue their friends. “Well, we won’t find them wallowing around in the snow, let’s get to it!”

She received an answer in the form of a howling wind. Pale wisps began to materialize out of the trees to approach the assembled travelers. Pale wisps with the head and front legs of a horse, and a tail that extended into the ether.

“My stars!” Rarity gasped. “It’s true! They do exist!”

Scootaloo was the first to take off running, and she was followed by the rest in short order. A madcap dash for safety ensued, yet none of the ponies really knew where safety lied.


Fluttershy, Angel Bunny, and Big Macintosh ran with appendages pounding. Big Mac in particular was reaching the end of his rope as far as running went. His chest heaved as he shouted desperate instructions to Fluttershy. “Don’t look back, just fly as fast as y’ can!”

The yellow mare’s eyes grew wide as tear drops flew back in her wake. “I can’t fly in this wind!”

He shook his head in response. “Don’t worry ‘bout it then, jus’ run!”

A small measure of relief warmed the stallion’s heart when a cave opening came into view. It was the caravan’s original destination, a shortcut that their family took to Manehatten. If we can just reach that opening, he thought, we could be on the fast-track to getting someplace warm.

Suddenly, a rumbling sensation ran up his hooves and along his spine; something big was moving. He glanced up the mountain and saw a sight that no mountain traveler ever wants to see.

The windigos had piled up the snow too high, and it was causing an avalanche.

Fluttershy noticed it a few moments after he did. “Um, Big Mac?”

“A few feet from here is a cave, we gotta go through it!” He glanced back up the mountain to see the tumbling snow rolling down straight for them. “Just keep runnin’.”

The first of the snow began to pour onto the road, leaving large piles nearly blocking their path.

“There’s a big avalanche…”

“Keep runnin’.”

A roar not unlike a train rumbling down the tracks reached their ears as the snow reached critical speeds.

“I just think it might be a bad…”

“Run. We c’n make it.”

Big Mac glanced up again; several windigos were riding the wave down. Can’t think about that, gotta keep movin’.

They were mere feet from the entrance now. The avalanche was closing in, the windigos were in hot pursuit, and the ponies were rapidly running out of time.

Macintosh wrapped his forelegs around Fluttershy and threw himself into the cave mouth just as the avalanche impacted the ledge.


Spike couldn’t help but let out a terrified scream as he glanced back at the pursuing poltergeists. A low branch pelted him across the back of his head for taking his eyes off of where he was going. He found himself lifted into the air to be placed on Pinkie’s back, next to a shivering Scootaloo. The orange filly couldn’t take her eyes off of the windigos chasing them.

“W-w-w-w-what do they want?” she asked with wide eyes. “Wha-what do they want from us?”

“I dunno!” Spike shouted. “The old stories just say they freeze ponies on the spot!”

Pinkie herself made a quick peek behind them. “Ack! Creepy-weepy, time to leapy!” With that, she leapt over a fallen log blocking the path. When she landed, she slipped, tripped, and fell onto a large patch of ice. “Even the river’s frozen over!”

Applejack and Rarity ran up to assist her and her fallen wards. When the three of them had finally situated themselves, however, they found themselves completely surrounded by the flying ghasts. There was nowhere to turn, and nowhere to hide. The misty monstrosities began to close in, and each pony could feel ice slipping up their hooves.

On the riverbank, a series of bushes parted to reveal a strange figure concealed beneath a tan cloak. The figure raised a wooden staff into the air and brought it down hard, making a loud clacking sound against the ice. “Everypony, gather ‘round, I am happy that you have been found!”

Apple Bloom brightened at the sound of the figure’s voice. “Zecora!” Her smile became a worried frown as the dirge of the windigos howled around her. “You gotta run! The windigos-”

“We have nothing to fear, Apple Bloom, dear.” The zebra lifted the hood off of her head to reveal her striped mane. “For we are all friends here.”

Zecora motioned the ponies to her, and was quickly gathered up in a group hug by the three little fillies. “Find it in your heart to show your love,” Zecora smiled. “We can drive away those monsters above.”

The three older mares and Spike likewise gathered beside Zecora, hugging each other to share warmth and hope. Applejack gulped as the sound of the ghostly beings drew closer. “Z-Zecora’s right. We just need to do what Smart Cookie an’ her friends did all them years ago.”

Apple Bloom chewed her bottom lip. “Fight with each other until it’s almost too late?”

“No!” Applejack sighed. “We need to hold onto our friendship, focus on the love we have for each other!”

Her pep talk was cut short as the windigos flew shrieking around the assembled friends. Hollow eyes and flowing manes cast a glimmer of terror into each pony’s heart. Sweetie Belle began to cry, and Rarity hugged her close. “It’s alright Sweetie, just focus.”

A harsh cackle seemed to flow from everywhere at once. The collected ponies jumped as they were suddenly addressed by the windigos.

“We see your fear
We see the hate
We see your doubts
It is too late

“Soon you will die
You have no choice
Your world will freeze
Through ghostly voice

“Just give up now, you pony fools
This kingdom is by your Sombra ruled
No hearths-warming spell to keep us away
No loving ruler to keep us at bay

“Your pathetic lives are so grating to us
Your pitiful hope, your misplaced trust
Your bodies will freeze, you hearts will stop
As the windigos harvest their bumper crop”

Silence followed for a few moments, but nothing happened. No frost gripped the ponies hooves, no chill stopped their hearts, and nopony ever stopped hugging the others close. Sweetie shivered, but was able to put on a brave face while in Rarity’s grip.

“You wispy creeps are nothing to us
The Apples are a family to always trust!
We can always hope with friends as true
As Pinkie, Spike, and Scootaloo!

“Give up now? I wonder why?
All you’ve done is make me cry
We stand together, and together achieve
Now do us all a favor and just leave!

The windigos sounded off with a collective shriek. They writhed around in the sky for what seemed like ages, before the sun burst through the clouds and burnt up their wispy bodies like morning dew.

Spike’s eyes darted around the forest. “Are they gone?”

Zecora shook her head. “A small group, the advanced scouts, there’s plenty more of these ghostly louts.”

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief as the sun warmed her skin. “Well, at least we’re safe for now, provided that Fluttershy and Big Mac got away safely.”

A rumble sounded beneath the river’s icy covering. Cracks appeared all around the ponies as the ice began to shatter. A large, purple fist punched a hole through the covering, followed swiftly by a lizard-like head bearing a spectacularly styled orange mane. “There’s no need to fear, Steve Magnet is here!”

“Oh, Steven!” Rarity exclaimed. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

“Oh, Lady Rarity,” he chuckled. “That is what all true fashion-connoisseurs strive for!”

“Yeah, yeah, s’nice to see you again,” Applejack interrupted. “But can we save the teary reunions until after we save Mac an’ ‘Shy?”

Steve nodded. “Lead the way; I’ll follow as far as I can.”


They reached the site of the avalanche an hour later. Applejack stood on top of a mound of snow where the entrance to the cave should be, clutching her hat. Pinkie walked up behind her and placed a hoof on her back. “It’ll be alright, Jackie, they’ll be alright, I just know it!”

Applejack said nothing. She placed the hat back on her head and walked back down the long road to Manehatten, followed closely by Apple Bloom. Rarity sidled up beside her and nuzzled her gently. “I used my gemfinding spell to look for the Element of Kindness, I couldn’t find even a trace of them.” She glanced back at the aftermath of the windigo’s appearance. “They most certainly escaped the attack.”

Applejack nodded and pulled her little sister close, her face neutral. “Thanks, Rare. Means a lot.”

Zecora raised a hoof in the farmer’s direction. “Shall we continue on to meet them there? Quiet stallion and quieter mare?”

Her answer came in the form of a small smile. “Big Mac knows his way around, he’ll troop right on over to our old family cottage. They’ll be safe there until they can travel on to Manehatten.”

“There, you see?” Pinkie leaped over. “It’s a happy ending!”

She was disappointed to see that Applejack did not share her enthusiasm. “It ain’t over, Pinkie, not by a long shot.” The orange mare hefted her saddlebags and trotted down the road. “Nothin’s that easy.”


Dusty had begun to doubt his choice of residence. The house appeared to have been abandoned for some time, and the empty larder did nothing to dissolve that idea. He was afraid to set foot outside the building, the unnatural June snow gave him the jitters. The only thing that seemed to be edible was the straw in his mattress, and there wasn’t enough nutrition in that to keep him going for long. He could stuff himself full of it and still be slowly starving himself to death.

He tried to keep his mind off of his impending death by reading through the house’s small library. It seemed to mostly contain books about the caring, cooking, and harvesting of apples. It was kind of an oddly specific library, now that he thought about it.

He placed the most recent book back on the shelf and walked back to the bed, the only source of true comfort in the cottage. On his way over, he tripped on his weak leg and knocked the nightstand over. He groaned as he leaned down to set it back upright.

A new sight caught his eye as he bent low; there was something under the bed. He reached for it and dragged it back towards himself. His hoof retrieved a small picture frame displaying a smiling family of six: two parents, a grandmother, and three children.

Dusty Shelves’ heart skipped a beat. “A-a-a-apples? Th-the Apple family? What’s their p-p-p-picture doing-”

His eye shot to a window, gazing out into the blizzard. He could just make out a small, rusted mailbox leaning into the wind. It was decorated with a simple, faded drawing of an apple.

He snorted. “Huh. Figures that I c-c-can never es-esc-escape Ponyville forever.”

Might as well sleep easy, he considered. Nopony who’s an Apple is gonna come back to this place.

Author's Note:

News time, in case you don't follow my blog!

The first song in the Sonata de Equestria Original Soundtrack is complete, and it's even a villain song!

Because of my actually getting off my big flanks, i'm well on my way to other songs. But i'd to involve my readers, too.

Sound off, Sonata fans! What songs in this story would you like to see in real life?

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