The rain fall was heavy outside the opening to the cave that Appleseed took refuge in after evading the Griffon soldiers for over a week now. The denseness of the Everfree Forest was perfect cover for hiding out in when you don’t want to be found. However it provided little to no food that could sustain him for a long stretch of time and his supplies were near their end with just one days food left remaining. Appleseed was getting desperate as he shivered in the cave and reflected on his position and what he planned to do next.
“Aaaah-CHOOOOO!!! Darn it all I wish I had packed a blanket before I made a run out of the farm.” Appleseed said covering himself with his thick arms as he failed to keep trying to make a fire.
“Celestia Damn it! Why am I such a failure at everything I do?” He said smashing a small rock he was using as a pillow making it crumble into small pebbles.
Appleseed lets out a hard sigh as he gives up on making a fire happen in this damp cave and then does his best to get some rest on the hard stone and mud covered ground that was a very far cry from the soft bed and warm blanket of his now lost home.
As the dawn of the next day breaks Appleseed wakes not to the sound of a roster as he was use to back on the farm but another kind of shocking event as he felt his front and hinge hooves were bound with thick tree vines as he looked around he also found four stone tipped arrowhead spears pointing right at his head from above him and also to his added shock these spears were in the hooves of four war painted Zebra’s.
“Umm…Morning Y’all. What’s for breakfest? Oh Celestia tell me it’s not me!?” Appleseed said nervously.
“Be silent Pony. What are you doing in our land?” One of the Zebra’s said shoving the spear right up to Appleseed’s neck in a very aggressive manner.
Appleseed glares at the Zebra he knew he could snap out of those vines holding him down and fling these Zebra’s a mile into the air if he wanted but he thinks they might have food and shelter something he deeply needed so he would for now take the weak Pony position.
“I am just a lost Colt trying to find a place to stay. Please I am so hungry and tired. I will do what I can to work for my meal please.”
Appleseed didn’t think it would be a good idea to share the fact that he was being hunted by the Griffon Empire right now.
The four Zebra talked it over and then decided. “We will take you back to the tribe to be judged by the Chief he will decide what to do with you.”
One of the Zebra’s places a blindfold over Appleseed’s eyes and then cut away the vine bonds around his hooves but as Appleseed gets up he feels a vine leash is placed over his neck and with one of them pulling the leash the other three walk between and behind him as they lead him out of the cave with one of them also carrying the saddle bag containing the Element of Honesty in it.
Appleseed was marched for what seems to him like hours being pulled thought thick bramble bushes & tripping face first onto the ground when he would trip over a unseen rock or tree root. All the while listening to the laughing of the Zebra’s that was not making this any less hard on him to deal with.
After an hour of endless marching Appleseed was sure by now that he was being pulled in circles and being lead down the same path a few times by Zebra’s to be sure he wouldn’t know the true way to their tribe.
Finally Appleseed could start to hear the voices of other Zebra’s around him and the sounds of other kinds of activities like a hammer being used at a forge and sounds of farming activites going on as he was stopped and the blindfold was removed from his eyes.
He winks a few times to get his eyes to focus in the light and he looks up to see before him sitting on a what looked like a throne made up of some very large animal bones, was a strong and older looking Zebra, on his face was the painted skull of a Manticore and large colored bird feathers on top of it. Incense sticks of all kinds were burned around him giving him a very ominous appearance.
One of the Zebra warriors forces Appleseed to kneel before the Chief as he addresses him.
“Chief Thunder Rain we found this Pony hiding in a cave on the boarders of our land.”
“What is your purpose here Pony? Why have you come into our lands?” Chief Thunder Rain said looking down at him from his throne.
Appleseed did his best to put up a worried appearance seeming to be more timid then he really was as he spoke.
“Oh mighty Chief Thunder Rain I am just a simple farming Pony that got lost on his way while traveling to Appaloosa where I have family that can help me out.”
Appleseed was honest as to where he was headed. Appleseed was always told to go there by his Aunt Gingersnaps in case anything should happen at the family farm and they had to leave then they should always head to Appaloosa where the rest of his family members lived at.
“Ha hardly a simple farm Pony is what we have here Chief Thunder Rain here look at what I found in his saddle bag.” A Zebra Warrior said handing it over to the Chief.
Chief Thunder Rain looks inside and with a surprised look on his face takes out the Element of Honesty and shoves it in front of Appleseed’s face.
“No simple farming Pony carries such riches with him. Are you some kind of runaway thief? Have you come here to steal our treasures as well? Maybe you’re a fugitive from the Griffons too?”
“NO! Sir I am not a thief that’s a family airlum. Please I didn’t steal anything nor do I intend too.” Appleseed pleaded but it seems to fall on deaf ears.
“Enough! Take this Pony and place him into a cage. I will decide his fate later.” Chief Thunder Rain said as he took off his Manticore head piece to show a middle age looking Zebra with a few scares over his face from past wounds.
“You heard the Chief move along Pony!” A Zebra Warrior said as he tugs on his vine leash and pulls him out of the Chief’s hut. When Appleseed got outside and was able to see it was made out of the trunk of a massive hollowed out tree.
As Appleseed was being pulled to his cell he was able to take notice of the Zebra’s village. There was very little to any constructed buildings there. Most of the village’s living spaces consisted of mud huts or tents with a few living inside trees that had candles outside of them.
As he passed the Zebra’s he noticed there was two kinds of looks he was getting as he passed by them. One was of great fear and worry. Appleseed was well built for his age and did strike quite the pose yet he didn’t think his appearance alone would cause such fear.
The other look he was getting was that of anger and discust. Some of them would yell insults at him while the rest would toss rocks or rotten veggies at him.
Now these feeling he really didn’t understand? He didn’t do anything to offend them. He didn’t think sleeping in a cave was enough to arouse this kind of hate so he wondered what else could be the cause of all this rage?
The Zebra warrior arrived at Appleseed’s cage where he would be spending his time in, it was a cage made out of thick wood bars tied with tree roots around each cross point.
“In you go Pony.” The Zebra Warrior said shoving Appleseed inside after taking off his vine leash.
Appleseed takes a look around the cage. It was small but gave him enough room to move around in. He knew it would take no effort at all snap this cage like a tooth pick yet he had to figure out what was the reason with all the negativity with all the Zebra towards him here. So he settles down for a good nap and waits for what would develop next.
Meanwhile deep in the far southern region of Equestria in the deserts known as the Bad Lands where no vegetation has grown above ground in over hundreds years. A place so devoid of life that there is not even water of any kind to be found here. There is little to no life on this hellish place that can reach temperatures of over 120 degrees on average.
However it is not what is above but what is below the land that is the focus of attention. For miles deep below the unforgiving land above is the underground domain of the Diamond Dogs. They have over the many years carved out vast areas of this underground world of theirs and made it into a thriving kingdom to call their own.
Inside the very walls all over glitters with the shimmer and shine of diamonds and all manner of gem stones. There are underground rivers they would use for their drinking water and even found a way to grow some of their own food underground as well. It might not be the greatest life but in this kind of environment it’s the best anyone could ask for.
One of the Diamond Dogs rushes toward what looks like a small triangle shaped temple built right out of the rock and runs up towards a throne where a cloaked figure sits upon it only barely visible in the dim candle lights.
“You summon me Mistress?” The small Diamond Dog said as he kneels before the cloaked female figure keeping his gaze down so not to look into her face.
The cloaked figure raises her head and speaks in a deep and imposing voice. “I have felt an awakening. Some Pony has been chosen to seek out Elements of Harmony.”
“Mistress shall I gather the troops to hunt this Pony down?” The Diamond Dog asked trying to keep from being so nervous.
“Not yet. I will go myself to find out why this Pony has been choose and to test him as well.”
The cloaked figure said as she expands into a very large and thick cloud of dark smoke and flies out of the room right through the Diamond Dog. The Diamond Dog hears an evil laughter going through him as she passes throught him and leaves the caves out of sight.
Back at the Zebra’s tribe Appleseed was awakened by the sudden sound of the Zebra Warrior that was guarding him falling onto the ground with a sudden thud. A bowl of green colored soup was on the ground next to him.
“Never fails to trick these guards with a warm meal. Come on let’s get you out of there.”
Appleseed looks up from the ground to see a very attractive female Zebra. Her mane was a mix of black and white, it was long and hanged low to just above the top of her front legs. She had an overly happy smile almost wicked look on her face.
“Hello my name is Penda. Now come on let’s get moving.” Penda said as she removes the lock from the gate using the guards key.
“Woo! Hold up now. I don’t want to be in anymore trouble then I already am here. If I go with you and the guard wakes I will get in a lot of trouble to be sure.” Appleseed said holding the cage closed from the inside.
Penda sighed. “The sleep position will keep that guard in dream land for hours. Don’t worry I will have you back here before he wakes none the wiser. Besides we won’t be gone to long and I got you some food where we are going too.”
The mention of food made Appleseed’s stomach give off a roar that would cause a Manticore to run in fear.
“Well just as long as we are back in time.” Appleseed said licking his lips causing Penda to giggle.
As the two wondered off into the woods Appleseed thought now would be the best time to get some information as this is the first Zebra he’s met that hasn’t yet wanted to pelt him with rocks or call him a monster.
“So what is with all your people and their hate for me? I’ve never even been here before and for some reason I am seen like some kind of hated criminal?” Appleseed said keeping pace with Penda as they head out of the villages and back into the Everfree Forest.
“It’s not you, its Ponies in general that they hate and fear. You see it happened a long time ago just after the great war with the Changelings had ended. As I was told as a child by my teachers that after the war our race decided to side with the Ponies when the Griffons started to take over. As a result of that we were made an example of what happens to those that oppose the Griffon Empire. Our homeland was wiped out and we were forced to wonder the Everfree Forest for decades after with no place to call home. There’s very little of our race left just a few hundreds of us remain.” Penda said as she wandered through the forest.
Appleseed was stunned. “That’s horrible! I didn’t know that they never told us this in school?”
Penda stop and stares back at Appleseed angrly for a moment. “Would you want to be reminded of your race nearly wiping out another just cause of their loyalties to you?”
Appleseed looks down not saying another word about it.
Penda sighs then rubs the side of Appleseed’s face soft and gently. “Hey I am sorry to snap at you like that. I am not like the others or my father. I don’t harbor any hate for you or your kind. I happen to like Ponies. Now come on we are nearly there.”
Appleseed blushes through his red coat as she touched him he was a stud that’s to be sure but never had any mare touched him like that before.
“Oh who’s your dad?” Appleseed inquired.
“Oh you already met him he’s the tough moody guy in charge.”
“WHAT! YOUR DAD IS CHIEF THUNDER RAIN?!” Appleseed shouted very worried if he got caught now.
“Oh yes he is always over protective of me too. It’s very annoying. So I take the chance to get free of him and my personal body guards when I can. But don’t worry he’s really a nice guy on the inside he just cares and worries for his tribe is all. Now we are here.”
Penda moves some hanging vines out of the way to show an open grove with a most lovely waterfall, around the waterfall was all manner of different colored glowing plants that reflected off the water making the whole place look like something out of a dream.
Near by the waterfall was a tree stump and on that stump was a jug full of some kind of fruit juice as well as a bowl of fruits and veggies.
Appleseed rushes over to it and just dives right in his hunger over riding his manners at the moment.
Penda giggles as she goes over and joins him and enjoys the food as well.
“So tell me about yourself. We don’t get a lot of visitors here at the village. How did you come to this place and don’t give me that lie you told my dad ether. I want the real story.” Penda said munching some corn.
Appleseed finishes devouring an entire watermelon then wipes his mouth and goes into his tale thus far. “Well it all started like this….”
As Appleseed regales Penda with his amazing tale, not far away a pack of Timber Wolves were resting in a field when they heard a sound of approaching laughter. Then suddenly a dark cloud with glowing red eyes was before them and spoke.
“Hmmm yes these will do well for my test. HAHAHAHA!”
The dark cloud swirled around them then flies out of sight leaving the 4 Timber Wolves now with red glowing eyes as they all got up off the ground and started to run at top speed towards Appleseed and Penda’s location.
Back at the waterfall Appleseed had finished with his story leaving Penda feeling quite sad as well as a bit confused.
“That’s so awful to hear about you loseing your home and your Aunt. I am so sorry for your loss Appleseed. Yet I can’t believe you’re really that strong. I mean that’s not possible to do those things you said it would be like you’re some kind of super Pony or something?”
“I am not sure what I am I was born like this and I’ve just got stronger as I grew up. Please don’t tell anyone else about this please I don’t want anyone to see me any different than any normal Stallion.” Appleseed said looking nervous he’s never told anyone about his real abilities yet for some reason he feels he could trust this female Zebra more than any other.
“Don’t worry your secrets safe with me even if I think it’s still all bull.” Penda said with a smirk.
“So what about you? What’s your life story?” Appleseed asked.
“Oh…Umm there’s really nothing special about me I just your normal over pampered and rebellious Chief’s daughter.” Penda said looking down trying to avoid the topic.
Appleseed was about to ask more but them he hears something, he takes a look at the top of the waterfall then leaps right at Penda tacking her and moving her out of the way just as one of the large Timer Wolves jumps and lands right on top of the stump in front of them where Penda had just been sitting.
“You okay?” Appleseed said as he looked down at Penda as he was ontop of her.
“Yes I am good now please get off of me your heavy!” Penda said blushing as was Appleseed too as he gets off her and then glares as three more Timber Wolves growl and come out of the forest around them and start to slowly approach them their sharp wood teeth and claws looking ready to tear and slash.
“This is not right Timber Wolves never come into this area something wrong here?” Penda said as she goes to stand next to Appleseed.
“Stay back I will handle them.” Appleseed grabs a tree branch next to him on the ground and rushes at the first Timber Wolf and letting out a loud yell breaks it over the Wolfs head causing the branch and the Wolf to shatter into splinters.
Penda watches with amazement. “That kind of strength is not possible. He was not lying he really is that strong!”
Just then another of the Timber Wolfs comes up from behind Penda and growl at her then takes a lung at her intending to rip her apart!
Appleseed looks over as the Timber Wolf lungs at Penda from a far with the other Wolf on top of him keeping him from getting to her in time.
“PENDA LOOK OUT! MOVE!” Appleseed smashes both his hooves over sides of the Timber Wolfs face making the wood beast crumble dead over him in a small wood pile.
As Appleseed comes out of the pile and rushed over to save Penda he stops suddenly seeing she didn’t need any kind of saving at all.
Penda had her hooves pointed at the Timber Wolf her eyes were glowing a pure white color as the Timber Wolf was hovering in the air unable to move. Penda looks intensely at the Wolf then moves her hooves wide to the side and the Timber Wolf was ripped apart and then falls to pieces to the ground in front of her.
Appleseed was stunned as he approaches her. “Now it’s your turn to tell me the truth because you’re no normal rebellious Chief’s daughter that’s for sure.”
The last Timer Wolf makes a run for it out of sight as Penda sits on the now cleared tree stump and looks down at the ground.
“Your right. I am no normal Zebra as you have just seen. You see my dad is the Chief and my mom was a Unicorn Pony.”
Appleseed looked confused. “But you told me before that all your kind hated Ponies?”
“It was long before I was born. As a young Zebra before my father founded our tribe we were nomadic moving from place to place keeping out of the reach of the Griffons and others that wanted to take what our people had. It was in those days my father came upon a young female Unicorn that was being hunted by the Griffons. They wanted to take off her horn and make her into a slave for her crimes aganst them. My father felt pity for her and took her into the clan despite the out cries of the other Zebras. The clan soon found out she was a very powerful Unicorn. She could do amazing thing no other Unicorn could do. However after she and my Father fell in love and started to have me something unforeseen happen. As I was growing inside my mother she became weaker not just in her powers but her life force grew less and less as well. Just a few minutes after I was born, so I am told by my father, my mother passed away. It seems that all her powers must have transferred to me. I am the cross breed of a Zebra and a Unicorn. I don’t even know what I really am?” Penda said looking about ready to cry.
Appleseed goes right up to her and gives her a comforting side hug.
“You’re Penda the daughter of a Zebra and a Unicorn that loved each other and love you very much. You are not reasonable for what happen to your mother. I am sure she wanted only the best for you and your father. There’s also nothing wrong with being different like me. My Aunt always told me that we are gifted with this special ability so we can help others and it’s our duty not to find out why but what we can do to help others with them.”
Appleseed said as Penda made eye contact with him looking about ready to say something back to him when they hear cries and screaming coming from the Zebra’s village.
“That came from the village. Come on we have to hurry!” Penda said breaking out of Appleseed’s grip as she and Appleseed rush back to see what’s going on.
As the two enter the village they see it’s under attack by a giant four headed Hydra. The giant beast was roaring out of all its heads as it proceeded to trample over huts while crushing and eating villagers in it rampage.
The Zebra warriors did all they could to fight the Hydra but it was having very little to no effect on the beast only resulting in more of them getting killed.
All the Zebra were too busy to notice that all four of the Hydra’s heads had glowing red eyes just like the Timber Wolves did.
“This doesn’t make any senses we have lived here on this land for years not once as any forest beast come here?” Penda said in horror.
“We have to stop that beast. The only way is to do it together. I have an idea Penda but I will need your help.” Appleseed said as he takes her over to her father’s Tree hut that was the tallest place in the village.
Appleseed and Penda got to the top of the Tree Hut and then look over and see the Hydra lay to waste all things around it from above.
“Now listen Penda I want you to toss me onto one of that things heads I will distract it and give you the time you need to take it down.”
Penda looks at Appleseed like he was crazy. “That’s madness are you even sure you can distract that thing long enough?”
“Not one hundred percent sure no, but I won’t just stand by and let your people get hurt ether. Now toss me!” Appleseed said with a large gulp as he ready’s himself.
Penda’s eye glow white again as she uses her strange magic to lift Appleseed into the air and give him a mighty push sending Appleseed fly right at the Hydra landing on top of one of its heads.
Appleseed grips the beasts head tight with one hoof and starts to pound at it hard with the other one. Causing the Hydra to shack its head wildly around causing Appleseed to get bucked all about.
“Woo-nelly! Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea?” Appleseed said hanging on for dear life as he keeps hammering hard at the Hydra and avoiding the snapping sharp teeth of the other heads trying to bite him off.
Penda rushes back down the tree to the ground level and looks around seeing a large broken tree near by with sharp edges on it. Then she gets an idea. She focuses at the tree and with her eyes now glowing intensely white she starts to lift the heavy tree into the air.
Appleseed was doing his best to beat his hooves at the Hydra’s many heads while avoiding getting eaten by them at the same time but the Hydra was getting closer to him with each attack. “Penda if you’re going to do something do it soon!”
“Appleseed when I say now jump off…NOW!”
With that Appleseed gives the Hydra a last might hit right into one of the beasts eyes then leaps off hitting the ground then making a run for it.
As the Hydra cries out having one of its eyes blooding Penda takes the open moment and with all her magical might flings the broken tree at the Hydra. The tree rips right through the center of the hydra making the monster cry out in great pain for a moment before falling to the ground dead. The red glow leaving its eyes as it let out its last breath.
From a distance in the shadows of some trees outside the village the cloaked figure from he Diamond Dog’s temple watched on with deep interest.
“Well this was an unexpected outcome. I will have to keep a watchful eye on those two in the future.” Then cloaked figure again turns into a dark cloud and leaves back into the direction of the Bad Lands.
All the Zebra’s cheered and gathered around Penda and Appleseed declaring them both as heroes. Chief Thunder Rain and his remaining warriors come over and escort Appleseed and Penda into his Tree Hut for a talk.
“I want to apologize to you Appleseed. I was wrong to accuse you of any wrong doing. You’re not our enemy. No Pony really is our enemy. It was our own fear and ignorance that caused us to show you such hate and for that I am deeply sorry.” Chief Thunder Rain said feeling very humbled right now.
“You’re free to go. I will provide you with as much food and drink as you need for your journey. I will even provide a guide to help you to Appaloosa and this belongs to you as well.” Chief Thunder Rain motions for one of his Warriors to hand Appleseed back his saddle bag that had the Element of Honesty still inside it.
Penda then steps forward. “Father if I may I wish to join Appleseed on his journey?”
Both Appleseed and the Chief where stunned silent at this.
“My daughter why would you want to do this?” The Chief inquired.
“Father I feel what happen with the Hydra was not some random event. I believe that the beast was being controlled by some form of dark magic? I could feel something within it as I did with the Timber Wolves back at the waterfall. Something very powerful and evil is behind this and I will not let what happen here go unanswered for. Please father let me go with Appleseed on his travels. Think of this as my test of womanhood if you wish I am of the age now to take up the challenge where I must prove that I can one day be worthy to take up the mantle of Chief someday.”
The Chief was quite for a moment then nods. “Very well my child. I grant you approval to travel with this Stallion. Appleseed I leave my daughter in your care watch after her and keep her safe.”
Appleseed bows. “I will do my best Sir. I give you my word.”
Later that evening as Appleseed and Penda get all the supplies they can carry the villagers all gathered to sees them off as they look at each other.
“So I guess this is the start of some great adventure isn’t it Appleseed?” Penda said with a smile.
“I guess it is Penda. I guess it is.” Appleseed said smiling back.