//------------------------------//
// A Meeting of Minds 
// Story: The Legend of the Arachnapony 
// by RaijingtheClockworkPony 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight let out a small grunt as she adjusted the saddle bag on her back. She had read the tome inside front to back and had found it more frustrating than helpful, and each monster described in the tome was more terrifying than the last and a vast majority of them sounded very close to the description Zecora had given her. She shuddered as some of the stories of the monsters past through her mind. 

Some burned their victims before eating them whole, others only ate the bones of their still living victims and the worst were the creative ones such as the monster simply known as the Screaming Death, a monster that when it screamed the heads of ponies would burst and it would feast on their blood from the stump of the poor victims neck. Fortunately for Twilight that creature was filed in the section simply labeled as 'Proven False.' However there monsters just as horrifying listed in the 'Unknown' and 'Possibly Extinct' sections that made her shiver.

Hopefully Applejack can show me what we are dealing with. This is the perfect opportunity to expand scientific knowledge if it happens to be one of them labeled 'Unknown.' She let out a small squeal of excitement. She would become famous, not that she wasn't already but this wasn't the type of fame she normally got when she and her friends save Equestria. This was academic fame, fame that came from being a scientist. I could write my own book. I could become a well-respected member of the scientific community. A giggle fit for Rarity slipped from her lips as she was struck with the single greatest achievement she could think of. 

"I could get my own shelf in the Royal Library!"

The thought that she would be forever immortalized in a library gave Twilight a burst of energy and made the heavy tome feel all the lighter. She came upon the gate to Apple Farm and was greeted by the sight of Applejack standing there looking up at the darkening sky.

"Applejack!" She called out with an excited tone that caused her voice to rise slightly. She cleared her throat. "I'm ready to see what this creature is. Shall we get going?"

Applejack gave her a small nod. "Ah'm ready but Ah need you to promise me somethin'."

Twilight nodded. "Anything."

The farm pony let out a small sigh. "Ah need you to stay quiet and do exactly what Ah tell you."

Twilight was about to protest but was silenced by the farmers hoof on her mouth. "Ah’m serious. This creature isn't something to mess with. If this gets out of hoof we may be in a heap o'trouble"

Twilight gave a small nod. "Okay."

Applejack gave Twilight a stern looking over then gave her friend a small smile and a nod. "Alrighty then. Follow me and keep quiet."

The mares set off into the Apple Farm in silence. Applejack was in the lead occasionally glancing back at Twilight to make sure she was keeping up. Unfortunately for Applejack Twilight couldn't keep her excitement to herself. 

"What does it look like?"

Applejack turned to her friend. "Big. Kinda scary."

Twilight gave her a small slightly annoyed smile. "How big?"

Applejack tapped her chin as they walked. "Well taller than Macintosh and wider them him to. He's a big one."

Applejack drew in a sharp breath when she realized that she let slip Guardian's gender. "He? How do you know its gender?"

Applejack cursed herself inwardly for not thinking before she spoke. "Ah just do. When you see him you'll be able to tell as well. Now no more talkin'. We’re getting close to where he is."

Twilight stopped for a moment before she continued following her friend. She had never know for Applejack to dodge a question so quickly and with impatience in her voice. As they walked Twilight couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. Applejack said we were getting close to where it is but it’s supposed to be inside the forest. Why are we walking deeper into the orchard? Twilight opened her mouth to ask Applejack that very question when something grabbed her back leg.

Something pulled her up into the air and into the trees as a deep booming voice came from all around her. "I see it runs in the family to piss me off."

Twilight started struggling in the hold of whatever was around her leg when something wrapped around her other hind leg. She started screaming but that lasted for only a moment before a white cloth covered her mouth. The voice continued in its irritated tone.

"First you trespass on sacred ground, an offense I would normally kill the offender of but spared the foals. Then your youth tramples through the forest making life both difficult and annoying for myself. To top it all my dinner turned out to be nothing more than sticks and wood!"

The voice grew from the irritated tone to one of fury. "And now you have the gall to bring this mare here to show me off to? Like some kind of prize animal? Explain yourself NOW!"

His voice became a roar of anger. Twilight could see almost nothing from up in the tree she had been hoisted in but she could clearly see Applejack staring up into the tree roughly a few feet to Twilight's left. Twilight looked over in the same direction but could only see a dark shadow. 

Applejack's voice was as brave as she was stubborn. "She's here to figure out if your what attacked our friend!"

The shadow moved slightly. "I have attacked no pony within the forest."

Applejack took a step closer to the tree. "Our friend Zecora was attacked by something. The way Twilight described the attack sounded just like how you attacked the Timber wolves. She's here to make sure that you didn't attack her. Guardian please tell me you didn't."

The shadow, which Twilight gathered was called Guardian, shifted in the tree once more. Guardian’s voice was much calmer and even a little worried. "Zecora? Mare covered in stripes?"

Applejack nodded. "That's her."

His voice grew softer and Twilight got the sudden image of a colt being scolded by an angry mother. "I have had a run in with this Zecora."

Applejack's eyes widened in fear. "You attacked her?"

Guardian’s voice became defensive. "I didn't mean to scare her as I did. I... mistook her for another type of creature. I let her go as soon as I realized my mistake. I assure you that I had no intention of killing or harming her."

Twilight felt the gag that kept her silent be removed from her mouth as the shadow called Guardian moved around her in a blur of movement. She watched the ground come closer as she was lowered to the ground. Applejack helped her to her hooves as the things that bound her legs came loose. 

Guardian spoke from above the mares. "Leave us Applejack. I wish to speak to this unicorn alone."

Applejack looked up into the tree with a look of anger. "You attack my friend in the forest then attack my friend here and then you expect me to just leave her here with you alone?"

Twilight looked at her friend and was surprised to see that she was staring up into the tree determined. Twilight placed her hoof on Applejack's shoulder. Applejack looked at her for a moment then let out a small sigh.

Applejack looked back up at the tree. "Promise to me that you won't hurt her."

The shadow shifted in the tree. "You have my word. She shall not come to any harm. I simply wish to speak to her."

Applejack looked from the tree to Twilight. Twilight gave the farmer a confident nod. Applejack walked closer to her and whispered in her ear. 

"If he gives you trouble, blast him with your magic."

Twilight gave her friend a shaky smile. "It shouldn't come to that."

With one last look up at the shadowy tree Applejack nodded and walked off towards the house leaving Twilight and Guardian alone. Twilight shuffled where she stood but felt that something was off. Something wasn't where it should be. She looked at her back and saw that the saddle bag was missing. She began to look around frantically, but froze when she heard Guardian talking above her. 

"I'm impressed. Last time I bothered to check a book they had moved on from Old Equestrian runes. You must be very well read to understand any of this."

Twilight felt a small wave of pride and relief mingle with her fear of this creature hiding in the shadows. "Thank you... I guess." She paused for a moment as she thought about the compliment. "Wait... You can read that?"

Guardian’s voice reached her ears sounding almost prideful. "Ego loquor is pariter." [I speak it as well.]

Twilight was stunned for a moment before her mind kicked into student mode and translated his words. "But that's impossible. Nopony has spoken that in several generations. It's been a dead language for nearly eight hundred years!"

A deep chuckle reached her from the trees. "Vos intelligitis me?" [You understand me?]

Twilight stood there for a moment as her brain worked hard to translate for her. She nodded and cleared her throat. "Sum studuit quatuordecim linguarum quatenus." [I have studied over fourteen languages so far.]

The voice shifted in tone to something Twilight could almost call respect. "Gravem. Quis se non inveni tempora lingua loquor. Quid hic agis?" [Impressive. I haven't met another who could speak this tongue in a long time. Why are you here?]

Twilight looked around at the shadows in the tree trying to find the creature and her book. "Applejack vobis iam dixi." [Applejack already told you that.]

"Ilia meum irritum fidem ipso introducet te hic. Hic audire volo rationem." [She has broken my trust by bringing you here. I want you to hear your reason for being here.]

Twilight tried to think as he talked much more rapidly. She swallowed as she finished placing the words. "Quare?" [Why?]

Guardian's deep voice came from directly behind her now. "Because I want to why you would risk yourself to see a monster."

Twilight leaped away from him as she screamed.  When she turned around her scream stopped dead in her throat as she gazed into the black featureless eyes. She scrambled away from his towering form as he began to read aloud from the book he was holding. 

"Arachnapony. Status: Unknown but believed to be merely a myth. The Arachnapony is said to be the spawn of fear and darkness. The main belief is that they were created by Nightmare Moon to be her enforcers of her nocturnal rule..."

He paused for a moment and stared silently at the book. Twilight however was staring at him in absolute terror. This thing had surprised her and was now reading her book. When he paused she got the distinct impression that something on the page had either surprised him or angered him but she couldn't tell which. 

She continued for him. "The Arachnaponies are born hunters and never lose sight of their prey. Like the spiders they so closely resemble they prefer ambushing their victims rather than stalking or hunting them. They are massive creatures that are twice the size of an average pony, in size, speed, and strength. They are nocturnal to the extreme and hate the sun for it burns their eyes and weakens them. They are a savage race and can devour close to three times their weight in..."

She swallowed hard when she noticed something very close to a scowl pass over Guardians features. Afraid that everything she was about to say was true she paused. Guardian looked at her and waited for her to continue. She found that she was shaking now when she spoke. 

"...flesh of their victims. They kill their prey by injecting them with an incurable poison that liquefies the internal organs of the captured creature, much in the same way a spider does. The only way to find one is during the day when they are asleep and weakened by the sun’s rays. They can be found in huge webs that are as strong as steel and while they sleep one has to stab them in the heart with a blade forged on the longest day on the year."

Guardian closed the book and took a step towards her. "Finish the rest of it."

Twilight swallowed again and tried her best not to collapse. "There is very little evidence to suggest such a fearsome creature has or ever could exist. The evidence provided has long been under scrutiny due lack of consistency. Many of the claimed pieces of an Arachnaponies carapace have been proven to be from the Giant Red Widow spider. Sightings have been claimed throughout the years of the legends creation but as of the last two hundred years none have been made and the legend has slipped into obscurity. For more on the eating, mating, and hunting habits of this creature please refer to section—"

She was silenced by Guardian when he approached her mid recital. By the time she had realized he was in front of her she was nearly done. She let out a small squeal of fright but stood her ground as he held out the book to her. 

His tone was amused. "Do you believe such a legend is true?"

She took the tome back and held it like it was her child. She glanced around and noticed that the saddle bag had somehow been placed beside her. She quickly put the book back into the protective bag.

She looked into the eyes of the massive creature in front of her. "I never put much stock into legends and mares tales."

He tilted his head to the side. "And now?"

She gave a small smile hoping that it would make Guardian less imposing to her. It didn't. "Hard to ignore the evidence in front of me, isn't it."

He nodded. "And now I ask you again. Why is it you came out here with nothing but a book when I could have been any number of horrible creatures that would have killed you the moment they saw you."

Twilight stood there staring into those featureless eyes as she tried to think of the answer. Her first thought was that she had wanted to keep Zecora and the rest of Ponyville safe but when that thought passed through her mind a tiny voice at the back of her head told her that it wasn't. She came out here for another reason. 

"I... I wanted to know the truth. I wanted to discover what you were because I wanted to keep my friends safe and to know the truth."

Guardian straightened his head again and his lips pulled into a smile. "I'm starting to enjoy you ponies again. It is an honor to meet you miss..."

"Twilight Sparkle." She finished for him. He bowed a little at her name. 

"Miss Twilight Sparkle. I shall answer some questions if you wish but not tonight. I have promised some foals that I would 'play tag' with them." He paused for a moment and looked Twilight over. "If you think it is possible tell Zecora that of what you have seen tonight and let her know that I am truly sorry for what I did."

Without waiting to hear Twilight's response Guardian leaped back up into the trees leaving a rather shocked and curious Twilight behind in the darkness of early night.