“…And they all lived happily ever after.”
Many of the kids cheered and clapped while a few of the colts sat there bored. They had stopped at a little town after Fluttershy saw a cute lost puppy. She and her sisters were now trying to find its owner while Sunset volunteered to watch over the kids and the husbands looked over the map of Splendor Woods.
Whirl Wind yawned, “Well, that’s certainly a predictable fairy tale.”
Gemstone said angrily, “I beg to differ! It was quite a romantic story!”
“A bit mushy, if you ask me.”
Sunset said, “Well, let’s see if we can find any fairy tales in here that everyone can like.” She flipped the pages and soon caught a glimpse at the words “Splendor Woods”. She came to the story and the title read “The Legend of the Two-Legs”. She told the kids, “Hey, guys. Check this out. It’s about a creature that roams around Splendor Woods.”
This caught the kids’ attention very quickly and soon, they focused only on the story.
Sunset read aloud, “’The Two-Legs is a creature that roams Splendor Woods. It is only seen at night, when it is enshrouded in darkness. The Two-Legs was first spotted when King Sombra of Canterlot had disappeared. There were rumors that Sombra had turned into a hideous creature of night, but sightings of the Two-Legs still persisted even after Sombra returned as king. Still, some claim that a hidden side of the unicorn separated from him and took on the appearance of the Two-Legs.
“’Despite conflicting stories of origin, the Two-Legs was given that name because it had no tail, like other bipedal creatures did. With its legs as its only prominent feature, it was hence named the Two-Legs. Even today, monster hunters come from all around to either photograph or capture the elusive beast.’”
The kids just sat there wide-eyed and silent until Apple Jewel said with a shiver in her voice, “You don’t think it’s going to grab us and eat us, do you?”
Sunset skimmed the words as she said, “Well, it says nothing in here about ponies disappearing because of the Two-Legs.”
Whirl said in determination, “If I ever find the Two-Legs, I’m gonna give it a sound whoppin’!”
Discord asked as he and the others came up to them, “The two-legged what now?”
Spike said, “The girls helped the shelter find homes for their animals after they reunited the puppy with a little filly.”
Flash Sentry said, “Let’s get a move on before it gets dark.”
After the royals traveled a long way, they finally arrived at the wondrous Splendor Woods. The kids immediately jumped out of their carriages and whooped in delight.
Twilight tried to tell them as she got out of her carriage, “Now, kids, don’t get too rambunctious and end up getting lost in the woods.”
Discord said as he stepped out of his coach, “Don’t worry, Twilight. I’ll lasso the kids in faster than you can say ‘Rawhide’.” As he said this, he conjured up a lasso.
Fluttershy admonished, “Discord!”
He shrugged innocently, “What? I was trying to make a statement.”
Flash Sentry said, “I think we can lasso the kids in without the rope.”
Discord grumbled as he made the lasso disappear, “Oh, you’re no fun.”
Sunset said, “Why don’t I survey the wilderness while you’re busy either catching the kids or setting things up?”
Rainbow said as she wrapped her hoof around her sister, “Why don’t I come with you? Gotta make sure nopony gets lost in the woods.”
Rarity agreed, “Yes. We’ve already lost you once. We certainly don’t want to lose you again.”
Sunset chuckled, “Guys, you won’t lose me that easily. I’ll always come back to you. But if it makes you feel better, Rainbow Dash can come with me.” When she and Rainbow started to leave, Sunset waved her hoof and said, “See you later!”
Halfway down the trail, Rainbow took a long sniff and sighed in content. She asked Sunset, “Isn’t it great to go exploring in the wide, wide open?” She grunted as she stretched in mid-air, “Gives the ol’ limbs and wings a chance to spread out and go wherever they like.”
Sunset chuckled, “Not much free time between royal duties and raising Whirl, huh?”
“Hardly! You’re really lucky, Sunny. You don’t have to be tied down by royal obligations and all that paperwork.”
The unicorn pointed out, “Yes, but that’s because I wasn’t raised a princess like the rest of you were. I’m more used to helping ponies hooves-on and…” She gave a sly smirk as she said, “…I like to think of myself as a meetable representative of the Canterlot royals.” She and Rainbow laughed until Sunset caught a glimpse at a beautiful bunch of bluebonnets. She said as she stopped, “Hey, Rainbow? Why don’t you scout out the rest of the trail while I look at the bluebonnets?”
Rainbow smirked, “Stopping to smell the roses, huh? Okay. See you back at the camp courtyard.”
When her Pegasus sister flew off, Sunset stepped towards the bluebonnets and sniffed them. She then sighed, “Oh, these bluebonnets are pretty.”
A voice behind her surprised her by saying, “I know, right? They’re Genus Lupinus, in case you didn’t know.”
Sunset turned to face the stallion and asked, “Are they related to silvery lupine?”
The Earth colt had a light tangelo coat and a dark aquamarine mane with lighter streaks of the same color. He also had very deep reddish brown eyebrows, a hat with his cutie mark imprinted on the rim, and two brown wristbands on his front hooves. The stallion couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The amber unicorn before him had dazzling moderate cyan eyes and her mane was radiant with brilliant amaranth and light apple green. The sun’s rays peeking through the forest enhanced the mare’s beauty.
Still dazed, he answered, “Uh…Yes! Yes, they are! Silvery lupine and bluebonnets both belong to Genus Lupinus. Did I say Lupinus already?”
Sunset chuckled, “Yes, you did. It’s…”
The colt said absentmindedly, “Lupinus.”
She chuckled again, “No, I meant your name.”
Realizing his error, he corrected himself, “Oh! It’s Timber. Timber Spruce.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Sunset Shimmer.”
Shimmer…Oh, how every aspect of that was true in his eyes. Before he could get lost in a daze any further, he cleared his throat and asked, “So *ahem* do you need somepony to escort you back to the campsite?”
“That’d be nice. I told my sister I was meeting her there.”
Timber said as he reached for her hoof, “Let’s take the scenic route, then.”
When they touched hooves, they could feel a spark between them. They drew their hooves back in surprise and saw each other blush.
Timber apologized, “Sorry. Did that make you uncomfortable?”
Sunset shook her head, “Um, no, no. It didn’t, actually.”
When she followed him through the forest on the left side of the trail, she thought that the spark was odd. She only felt it before with Twilight and Pinkie as a sign that they were sisters. She wondered if Timber Spruce was a long-lost brother or…something more…
Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash gazed all around the woods while flying. She then began to fly backwards when she suddenly bumped into something.
The Earth colt with shades of black and gray in his mane turned to her as he said angrily, “Hey!” His face then dropped with shock when he realized who he was speaking to. “Princess Rainbow Dash?!”
Rainbow said as she flapped in one spot, “Um, yeah?”
The stallion then bowed before her and said, “My sincerest apologies, Your Highness! I didn’t mean to bump into you like that!”
“Really? ‘Cause it seemed like I was bumping into you. Who are you, anyway?”
He stood up and put a hoof on his chest as he said, “I am Quibble Pants, Your Highness.”
“Yeah, you don’t have to call me ‘Your Highness’ all the time. Just ‘Rainbow Dash’ is fine.”
He looked at her in confusion as he asked, “Really?”
Rainbow smiled in reassurance, “Yes, really.”
Quibble stood in silence for a few moments before he said, “Wow. That’s really big of you. I assumed that ponies of royalty and nobility would want to be referred to by their title.”
Rainbow pointed to herself proudly, “Well, I’m not like other royalty. Neither are my sisters, for that matter. So, what are you doing in Splendor Woods?”
He answered, “I thought I needed to get away from my problems for a while, do things I’ve always wanted to do.” He then had a rueful look on his face as if he was thinking of something sad.
Rainbow became concerned and asked, “Hey, Quibble? Are you okay?”
He snapped out of his trance and said, “Huh? Oh, I’m fine.” His tone then changed as if he was thinking something up, “I was just sad that…I…haven’t seen the red-tailed hawk yet, and I’ve always wanted to see one.” He flashed a cheesy grin.
Before Rainbow could say anything, somepony said, “A red-tailed hawk?” The voice then chuckled, “I doubt you’d find it in these parts of the woods.”
She and Quibble turned to see Sunset Shimmer and another stallion coming up to them. Quibble was absolutely surprised to see another princess in the woods.
Rainbow said to Quibble and Sunset, “Quibble Pants, meet my sister, Sunset Shimmer. Sunset, Quibble.”
Sunset smiled as she shook hooves with him, “How are you doing?”
Quibble said in an amazed tone, “I’m…fine. Wow. It’s just…so amazing that I’d meet princesses in the woods.”
Timber chuckled, “Yep. And priceless treasures, too.” He and Quibble broke into laughter.
Sunset whispered to Rainbow, “I don’t think Timber knows that we’re actual princesses. Maybe we should keep quiet about that until he meets the rest of the family.”
Rainbow winked, “Gotcha.” She whispered to Quibble, “Hey, Quib –“
He spoke up uneasily, “Um, could you please not use that particular nickname?” He toed his hoof and looked to the side as he said, “It’s kind of personal.”
“Sorry. So, Quibble, maybe you can lay off the whole ‘princess’ thing for now. Sunny and I would like to be treated like regular mares. When other ponies are being formal around us, it tends to make us uncomfortable.”
“As you wish…Rainbow Dash.” He gave a wink before saying to Timber Spruce, “Could you show us where red-tailed hawks usually roost?”
Timber nodded, “Sure. Follow me.”
The four of them eventually got to a ledge with a view of the entire valley. Quibble, not having chosen a campsite yet, thought it was the perfect place to set up his tent. The four ponies then made their way back to the camp courtyard so Quibble could get his gear and the sisters could rendezvous with their family. Twilight and the others had just rounded up the kids – who were now playing quietly – and took inventory of their camping gear.
The alicorn queen turned to her sisters and grinned, “Sunset! Rainbow Dash! How was checking out the woods?”
Sunset replied, “Oh, the best! We met these two colts, Quibble Pants and Timber Spruce.”
Quibble was grinning widely from ecstasy while Timber said in a calm, friendly voice, “A pleasure to meet you all.”
Twilight introduced herself, “I’m sure. I’m Twilight Sparkle.”
Timber said softly, “Wait. I think I know that name. A lot of ponies who come here would mention it.”
Finally, Quibble could take it no more and practically shouted, “Seriously?! Do you not know who Twilight Sparkle is?! She’s the queen of Canterlot!”
Timber’s eyes widened and he gave a shocked expression. After several moments of stunned silence, he breathed, “You mean…there’s royalty in…?” Suddenly, he began to chuckle in amazement and smile broadly, “I’ve…I’ve got to tell Gloriosa!”
When he ran for the lodge, Sunset and Rainbow giggled to each other. Twilight smirked, “How do I know you kept your status a secret from him?”
Sunset said, “Well, I wanted to know if he’d like me for the mare I am, not the princess I was born as.”
Rainbow said with a smile, “Yeah, we’ve all been there. We want others to see us for us and…” She then trailed off when she realized something. “Hold up. ‘Like’?” A smile then began to spread across her face, “Do you…?”
The amber unicorn quickly denied it, “What? No, no, no. I’m not exactly into him. But…when we touched hooves, I felt something like…a spark.”
Pinkie squealed, “Ooh! I think you like him!”
Discord chuckled, “I don’t believe this! Our little Miss Sunny Patch is falling in love with a woodspony!”
Rarity asked, hungry for juicy tidbits of info, “What’s he like, darling? Intrepid? Bold? A true gentlecolt? Please say ‘a true gentlecolt’!”
Twilight calmed down the chatter and said, “All right, all right. I think Sunset will tell us everything tonight by the campfire. We really need to set up our tents first before anything.”
Meanwhile, Timber had just barged through the door and shouted, “Gloriosa! Gloriosa!”
At that moment, a pale amaranth Earth mare with eyebrows and a daisy chain in her moderate raspberry mane leaned out of the pantry doorway and asked, “Yeah?”
Timber said excitedly, “Okay, you’re not gonna believe this, but there are royals in Splendor Woods!”
Gloriosa gave an expression of disbelief and said, “You’re right. I don’t believe it.”
Her brother groaned, “Oh, come on, Gloriosa! If this is about that prank I pulled a few years ago –“
“You know, that prank was pretty convincing until the paper wings fell off that unicorn.”
“I promise there’s a real alicorn out there this time! I promise!”
Gloriosa then sighed, “You better not be kidding.”
Timber led her outside and upon looking at Twilight’s wings, Gloriosa gasped and her eyes widened with shock. He knew he got to his sister, so he gestured towards Twilight and said, “Your Highness…” He then looked at Sunset and the others and added, “…and family, may I introduce my sister, Gloriosa Daisy.”
Twilight smiled, “It’s great to meet you.”
Gloriosa only uttered sounds of incoherence before shaking her head to snap out of her trance. She then said embarrassedly, “Sorry about that. It’s so wonderful to have royals like you here in our neck of the woods.”
Soarin’ nodded, “Yep. Just grabbing some good ol’ R & R before we get back to our castles.”
Timber and Gloriosa asked in confusion, “Castles?”
Twilight clarified, “Oh, you see, my husband, kids, and I used to live in the Everfree Castle before I got coronated as queen. Afterwards, we moved to Canterlot while my sisters and their families stayed in the Everfree Forest.”
Timber said slyly, “The Everfree Forest, you say?”
Gloriosa warned him, “Now, Timber –“
He shrugged playfully, “What? Is there any harm in mentioning the legend…” He then said to the family spookily, “…of Gaea Everfree?”
Sunset asked, “Who’s Gaea Everfree?”
“Well, you’ve lived in the Everfree Forest, haven’t you?”
Sunset glanced to the side sadly, “Not really.”
Timber rubbed the back of his head while saying sorrowfully, “Oh…Well, I’m sorry to hear that.” He then asked the rest of the family, “What about you guys?”
Applejack said, “Well, we sure ain’t heard of this Gaea Everfree. I bet it’d make a good ghost story fer when we sit around the campfire this evenin’.”
Gloriosa and Timber exchanged discomforted glances and the mare said awkwardly, “Um…Sorry. No can do. We’re sort of busy tonight.”
Timber added, “Yeah! Gotta track down that monster that’s rumored to live in these woods.”
The kids gasped and Gemstone asked in fright, “The Two-Legs?”
“Yep. That’s the one.”
Gloriosa said, “Why don’t you all set up for your sure-to-be-fun camping trip? You can come to us if you need anything.”
Twilight said, “Will do.”
Timber eyed Sunset flirtatiously and said to her before he and his sister left, “And I’ll be seeing you around, Miss Shimmer.”
Sunset couldn’t help but blush at that and put her hoof to her mouth to partially cover her smile.