//------------------------------// // Prologue: All this hatred... All these tears... // Story: Monster Travels // by fearanger //------------------------------// (deep in the darkness of Soggalong Swamps) "One down... One to go..." Said Stomper, digging a silver dagger strait into a Marewolf's neck. As he pulled the dagger out of the creature's neck, he starts to think to himself. "I pity these poor ponies.... They don't deserve this curse... I will travel around Equestria and kill the original Marewolf who took my mothers sanity..." *FLASHBACK* "Mother! Mother, where are you?!" I looked around my house trying to my mother. It was about 11:30 PM and close to my bedtime. But I wanted to know why mum always went for a midnight jog on full moons. I asked my dad about this. "Uh... Well... You see son, she likes to take midnight jogs in the full moon because the moon is most beautiful when it is full. It just seems so nice and peaceful. *sigh*" I ran out of the door trying to find her, ignoring my fathers plea's to come back. "Stomper! Come back this instant!" I ran off to try and find her. By this time it was 12:00 PM and that was when I regretted trying to find mother. I heard a howl right behind me, and it came from the dark wall of tree's behind me. I sneaked through and I saw the most horrifying thing in my entire life. A Marewolf! The creature had the same battle scar Mum had during the great griffon battle of Equestria! "M-m-m-mother? Is that you?" The creature responded by charging strait at me! I ran for my life, screaming like a maniac. I got inside my house and Father quickly closed the door behind him. My Brother and Sister Gale Wind and Tear Drop came to see the commotion. "Embers! What's going on?!" "Your Stupid little Brother ended up getting your mother Zapper over here. ON A FULL MOON!" "WHAT?!" Said me, Brother and Sister in unison. That's when the door started to be charged into and eventually broke. Me and my father Embers were sent flying. My Mother was glaring at us with huge, yellow, slit eyes and was ready to pounce at us. She saw me and charged strait at me, but my Dad jumped in front of me and he bucked right in the face, sending her flying back. "Come and get some you freak!" My Mum got up and charged strait and Dad, pouncing him and clearing his insides and covering the room with them. Blood was splattered all over the place and mostly covered Mother, but some splattered all over my face. I was freaked out... (Play this) "FATHER!!!" Gale Wind and Tear Drop occupied my Mother and dodging her strikes. "Stompy! Get out of here!" Send Tear Drop, holding down Zapper. I was but not before I prayed to Celestia to send Father to a better place. Somehow, Embers slowly looked up to me and with half closed eyes and blood dripping from his mouth. "S-s-stomper... *cough* *cough* I'm s-s-sorry... About all t-t-t-t-these times... That I-i-i... *hack* *wheeze* shunned you.... Please... g-g-g-get out of... of...." Father lifted his hoof to me, and I moved in for a final touch from my dieing Dad. I collapsed and started sobbing next to his cold, lifeless body. "Father... *sob* don't leave me!" That's when Zapper grabbed me by the tail, and threw me right at the wall behind me! I laid unconscious and she was getting ready to eat me alive! I got a last glimpse of her showing her fangs and she lunged at me. I didn't feel anything, and that's because I woke up to see that my Sis Tear Drop took the bite! She was screaming in agony and blood was draining from the bite wound. My Mother Zapper threw my Sister Tear Drop far away to the left, broke our table mid-flight and slammed strait into the wall! my Brother Gale Wind galloped over to her safety. "Run Stomper run!" I nodded and ran off to whatever the hell I went. Luckily, Mother chased me and lost interest as I got far enough. 5 days... 5 days it took to find civilization. I wondered the forest for a long time until I came across a valley overlooked by snow mountains way in the distance. I found a lone guild like place full of mercenaries with a river curving along the side of the building. A big and burly Stallion came out and saw that I saw really starving, dirty as hell and lost. "Hey, you's okay? C'mon bub. we'll get you's somethin' to eat." He didn't sound reliable, but he looked sincere and I knew he just wanted to help. I followed him into the guild and he showed me to the novices dorm. That's when he forgot to ask me something. "That reminds me! What's yer name?" "Stomper... Stomper Ele." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (stop the music) "The original or my loved one... Either of them as long as it is the original... I will kill either of them..." That's when Stomper heard a howl coming from the north. He rushed over to the spot where he heard the howl, and found the one remaining Marewolf. He grabbed a crossbow and shot a silver arrow at it striking it strait through the heart without it knowing. "Contract complete. Return to the guild to collect yer reward." Said Strength through the navigation and communication system (N.C.S) strapped on Stomper's front right leg. Strength was the one who brought Stomper in when he didn't have a home. Stomper pressed a button on the N.C.S and he vanished in a bright flash. He appeared in front of the guild and entered the massive mansion like building. He was greeted all around the place and was famous for being such a unique pony, unique because of the root like tendrils coming out from his head. Some say he has the power to talk to the earth, and those rumors where right. This power helped him many times. He had to find timber wolfs from within a really dense forest. Their natural wood stature made it almost impossible to find them! He communicated with the tree's telepathically and they told him of the wolf like creatures hiding from in the tree's shrubs and the surroundings around him. He was going to Strengths room and he was still being greeted and praised. "Hey Stomper! Find any Manticores yet?" "I did once. Put up a fight but I was WAY stronger than him." "Stomper my man.*brohoof* Go get those cockatrices for us." "Sorry, haven't got any yet. I might soon though!'' He finally got to Strengths room. Strength is one of the guild masters that run the guild, the others are skill and will. Once he enters, he is introduced to a warm greeting with Strength going and giving Stomper a light hug. "Heya Stomper! How's my li'l champion?" he broke out of his small embrace and told him of what he had been up to. Strength seemed pleased and he gave him the promised reward. 25 bits. "I just don't know why you's take light jobs. We got's more complicated ones." "Nah... I don't bother..." Said Stomper, looking down at the floor with a depressed face. "Hey... what's the matter? I may be cold but your like a son to me. Whats buggin' you's?" "The reason why I take easy jobs... Father said I shouldn't overdo myself if I ever got a job. He never said it but I knew his dieing wish was 'I want you to live for as long as you can, and don't give in too early.' He wanted me to live life through it's lifetime, and only pass on when it's time. So I try to not overdue myself..." Strength thought about this. "Hm... How's about you's takes the days off?" Stomper looked up to Strength. "What? Where?" "I thought you's could go to Ponyville and relax? Move out of the guild, unwind. I will send a supplier so that you can tackle contracts over at Ponyville, okay? I will even throw in the easy ones." "Hm... *Sigh* Okay... If you want me to relax that badly and you want me to move out, I'll do it, for you." Strength nodded in acknowledgment, and readied Stomper's teleport function on his N.C.S. "Oh, and Stomper?" "Yes?" "Please complete some hard contracts? for me?" "*sigh* I'll try for you." And like that, he vanished again in a white flash. (Play this until 0:25 then slowly lower the volume until muted) ___________________________________________________________________ MONSTER TRAVELS: The hunt for origin