//------------------------------// // Journey into the Unknown // Story: War of the Fallen Race // by PegasusKlondike //------------------------------// With the demon map guiding them and the railway speeding them along, Twilight Sparkle and her friends made their way to Appleloosa, their first stop on the long trek to the lost fortress of Stronghold. Debarking the train they met Braeburn at the station, having sent a message ahead with the pegasus mail. "Cousin Applejack! What are you and yer friends doin in my neck of the woods?" "Uh, it's kind of a secret Braeburn, but I thank ye and your townsfolk for takin' us in on such short notice." "Oh, its no trouble a'tall. Where are my manners, why don't I have some o' my boys get your luggage?" Braeburn whistled for a pair of his brothers to grab the bags. They planned on staying in Appleloosa for two days, gathering supplies and renting a small wagon to carry everything. While they were there, they wanted to learn as much as possible about the frontier. Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash all volunteered to try and get some information, and what better place than the local salt bar? The trio pushed open the swinging door to the bar. Inside it was a raucous, good looking time. An old pony worked a piano in the corner while others gambled their bits away at a table. On the stage several mares danced away the night. "Okay, Applejack, you hit up the gamblers over there. Rainbow Dash, you try the piano player. I'll hit the bar." "Why do you get the bar? Maybe I wanted a lick or two tonight." "Rainbow Dash, you know what happens when you have too much salt, you get a little too personal with other mares. Besides, we're here for information, not to get hammered." "I don't know what you're talking about! I am very responsible when it comes to salt!" "Will both of y'all shut up? Lets just get this over with before somepony ends up face down in the street." Applejack walked over to the gamblers. "Uh, hey y'all. Whats the price to get in?" "Ante is ten bits, toots. Got an open seat if ya want it," said a gruff, scruffy looking frontier stallion. "Well I'm in Ah guess." She sat down at the table. It was a fairly standard game of poker, but Applejack wasn't really the gambling type. Looking up from her dismal hand, she started questioning the other players. "So, what y'all know about the frontier?" A yellow unicorn with a stained shirt and a deputy star spit a wad of chew into a bucket. "Not safe out there Miss, buffalo are mighty sensitive 'bout who they let go in their territory. Other then them, it's mostly the usual wolves, bears, bandits and syech." A pony dressed in barber's attire took the first hand. Applejack dealt out the next hand. "So, y'all know anything about ruins or what have ye?" The gamblers stopped dead and looked straight at Applejack. "Look toots, there's plenty of ruins out there if you're willin' to look, but by your questionin' you're lookin for something a little more specific than 'any old ruins'. All I can tells ye is that they get more common and dangerous the farther you go into buffalo territory." "Well, I thank ye kindly. Looks like I'll be takin' this one here." The orange mare smugly laid out a full house. Over at the bar, Twilight was having better luck. "What'll ye have miss?" asked the mutton chopped barkeeper. "Just some water for now. Hey, do you know anything about the frontier?" "Well, memory is a tad foggy, but a couple of bits outta make it come back." Twilight rolled her eyes and ponied up five bits. "I thank ye kindly Miss. Its mostly desert wilderness til ya reach the Demon Lands." "Demon Lands?" "Yep, its a completely wild land where nothin' dares settle down, covered in ancient ruins." Twilight leaned closer to the barkeep. "Tell me more about the ruins." "My memory is slippin a mite bit again, maybe if you bought some salt it would clear a little." "Ugh!" Twilight threw down the two bits for a block of salt. "All clear now! Them ruins is said to be built by an ancient race of god creatures, but all them ruins stay empty and nopony stays there long enough to find out anything. Pegasi don't fly there, so the weather is unpredictable." "Do you know about a place called Stronghold?" "Never heard of it. Honest this time. I don't know much, if I were you I'd talk to the buffalo about them ruins." "Thanks for the information." Twilight stopped her inquisition to take a lick off her salt block. Rainbow Dash took the stool next to her. "Well, piano guy was a bust. He's stone cold deaf and tried to get a bit too frisky thinking I was one of the dancers. One lick barkeep." The barkeeper slid her a block of salt. "Thanks." "That's an absolute shame Rainbow Dash, I always thought fishnet would look good on you." Rainbow raised an eyebrow at Twilight's remark. "But what I can't figure out is why we are looking for two thousand year old demon ruins with no information and little preparation." "The prospect of adventure and maybe a little treasure on the side? Who knows? Maybe even a friendship report for Princess Celestia." "Oh yeah." Applejack joined them at the bar, carrying a heavy sack of bits. "Gals, I think I have a gamblin' problem." Rainbow Dash eyed the bulging purse. "I don't think they consider it a problem if you win like that." They all burst out laughing, the barkeep looking at them warily while wiping down the bar. The three enjoyed a little salt and returned to their hotel, determined to strike out tomorrow morning for buffalo territory. ************************************************************************* The miles walked away quickly, they alternated turns pulling the supply wagon with the exception of Spike, who just crashed in the back. Fewer and fewer signs of civilization appeared as they trudged closer to the sovereign territory of the buffalo. Even the road got rougher and the stereotypical roadside skulls became more common. At last they reached the border, a small guard outpost regulating trade and traffic, as if there was any. Twilight panicked as she whipped out both maps with her magic. "None of the maps said anything about a border station! What if they don't let us through? Our whole venture could be for nothing!" "Twilight my dear, I'll handle this." Rarity put on a little perfume and threw on a traveling outfit. She approached the very bored looking border guard, the typical gold armored pegasus, but this guy seemed to be a little less professional than his comrades. He snapped out of his daydreaming when he noticed the purple maned unicorn mare coming his way. "Halt! What business do you have crossing the Equestria border?" "Oh hello there! I didn't notice you sir, my name is Avant Garde, a wealthy jewel merchant with the merchant's guild of Canterlot. I am on my way to negotiate for a turquoise shipment that could be the next big hit in this fall's fashion!" "Where are your papers? Nopony crosses the border without identification." "Oh how dreadful! We were attacked by a pack of monsters out there in the wilderness, they must have carried off my papers when they left. If only we had a big, strong, handsome stallion there to keep the creatures away." She blinked her long lashes at the poor guard. The guard swallowed hard, his defenses crumbling. "Well that is a tragedy ma'am. Is there any way I could help you?" "Why, yes there is." Rarity got closer, making sure her perfume had it's full effect. "This could be the biggest trade agreement of the year, and it simply wouldn't do to have it fall apart, it could ruin me! Of all the things that could happen, it would be the worst, possible, thing." Her eyes began to water with fake tears. "Don't cry! How about I let it slide this one time. How does that sound?" the stallion said excitedly. Rarity shut off the waterworks. "Oh, you would do that for little old me?" "I sure would!" He was under her full feminine power now. "Why don't I come along with you, make sure nothing else happens?" "Oh, I don't think that will be necessary. Who knows what kind of baddies could cross the border if such a valiant and handsome guard such as yourself decided to escort such a helpless girl like me." She brushed the tip of a hoof along his armor, just to ensure her control. "When I come back through, who will be here to let me back in to Equestria?" "Me," he squeaked. The guard was visibly sweating now, his armor rattled with how much he shook. "But I absolutely must be going now, time is money after all." "Yes Miss Garde, go right on through Miss Garde!" the guard's face was split by a huge, dumb grin. He raised the bar splitting Equestria from the wilds. Rarity nodded back to the wagon, and it trundled forward into buffalo territory. Rarity looked back at the smitten guard and gave a coy little wink. Stunned by her performance, her friends stared at her with mouths open. Applejack broke the silence, "What...was...that?" "What, never seen a girl work her stuff before? Males of every species are the same, just apply pressure in all the right places and you can twirl them around your hoof like twine." "Who the heck is Avant Garde?" asked Twilight. "Just an old pseudonym I use to get the best prices on fabric." Spike literally smoked in the back of the wagon, his jealousy threatening to light their supplies on fire. "Well, now that we are out of Equestria the only thing we have to go by is the demon map." Twilight scanned it for a few seconds. "It looks like Stronghold is about fifty miles due west. If we hurry, we can be there in two days." ************************************************************************************ From atop a far away ridge watched a scout. His duty was to watch the border station and make sure the Royal Guards didn't try any funny business. Spotting the wagon, unguarded and ripe for plunder, he decided it would be worth reporting to the chief. His massive bulk moved silently through the desert brush, after several miles he came to his village. He walked into the tipi of his chief. "Chief Thunderhooves! An Equestrian wagon is moving across the border, even after our embargo. Shall I take some warriors and make them pay for their trespass?" "No," said the wise chief. "I will go and meet them. They were the ones who did not go by the treaty, and we will not be the ones to spill blood over their infringement." The great chief lumbered out of the tent, gathered ten of his warriors and took off at a sprint for the road the wagon traveled on. ***************************************************************************************** It was Fluttershy's turn to pull the wagon, and she did so without complaint. The sun hung dead center in the sky, beating down mercilessly on everypony. Fluttershy truly wondered what she was doing here, so far from home and her animals. Several times she considered turning back and going home, but she would not abandon her friends in this hostile wilderness. She just wished she knew what she could be useful for! Twilight was the leader and the only one who could read the map. Applejack was strong enough to muscle through any obstacle. Rarity had stunned with her ability to 'persuade'. Rainbow Dash was a fighter and the fastest flier. Pinkie had her Pinkie Sense to help out. Even Spike was more useful with his claws that might be the key to something in Stronghold! She felt worthless, and because of that volunteered to pull the wagon more often than not. Sighing, she looked ahead on the long and dusty road, wondering what really lay in store for her in this adventure. The heat shimmered in waves on the road, but there was something in the shimmering. She squinted, seeing a plume of dust emerge from the horizon. "Twilight, there's something up ahead. I don't like the look of it." Twilight squinted past the midday sun, seeing what Fluttershy was talking about. "It looks like buffalo, maybe they can help us find Stronghold." They stopped the wagon, waiting for the buffalo to approach. And they did, a cloud of dust rising as the buffalo encircled the wagon and the ponies. The buffalo pawed the ground, snorting at the ponies. A bison wearing a war bonnet addressed the friends. "Begone Equestrians! You know of our agreement, you merchants are forbidden entry until you lift the tariff on turquoise from our mines!" "We aren't merchants sir!" Twilight fearfully said. "Then what are you, spies for your Princess?!" "Not at all! We are just explorers. Wait, I know you. You're Chief Thunderhooves! We are friends sir!" "Prove it." "We helped with the Appleloosa compromise, look, we even brought an apple pie!" She rushed to the back of the wagon and presented the Chief with an apple pie Braeburn had sent with them. The Chief took in the ambrosia-like scent, recognition dawning in his eyes. "Hmm, I do know you ponies after all, my apologies for the intimidation. Now what are you doing in our lands?" "We are looking for a place called Stronghold. Some ponies think it might hold the key to uncovering our past." "Stronghold?" Chief Thunderhooves considered for a second, then his eyes grew wide and he spat on the ground. "You must mean the fortress of the accursed Hunters!" "The Hunters? Everypony else has called them Demons." "Yes, a long time ago, before my father, and his father, and his father, and his father..." "Skip it already!" shouted some of the other bison. "Yes, the ones you called Demons would hunt us bison for sport and for pittances of meat, they very nearly wiped us out. But in the end they enslaved us buffalo, sending us to horrible places to keep our species alive for later. We gladly fought them in the ancient war and triumphed!" Several bison stamped their hooves in agreement. "Why would you want to go to such an accursed place?" "We found a map that leads us there, we were told there might be ancient knowledge and possibly treasure." "It is far to the west, a good days run for any warrior. We can get you there safely if you wish. But for your well being I would suggest not taking anything from the Hunter's Fortress." Twilight was positively beaming. "Yes, we would love that chief! But what about our wagon?" "Climb in, one of us will pull it." The pegasi flew to save room, and soon they flew down the dusty road through the buffalo territory, eating up the miles beneath their hooves. Though bumpy, this was preferred to the extremely slow pace they had taken before. Within ten hours, they stopped, the wagon creaking in protest to its rough treatment. The prairie and desert landscape stopped abruptly at a thick forest's edge. The buffalo that escorted them were making odd signs in the air, as if to ward off any malevolent spirits. "This is as far as we will go, friend ponies, beyond this forest lies the Hunter's Fortress, and your answers." The ponies hopped out of the wagon. "Thank you Chief Thunderhooves, we can never repay you." "Perhaps a few more pies would make us even." "Someday perhaps Chief, but now we have a mystery to solve." The great buffalo bowed before the unicorn. "Twilight Sparkle, may the Dream Walker smile upon you and your friends." ****************************************************************************** The forest was dark and untamed. Though rife with the noises of late evening, there seemed to be a different quality to them. For one, there were none of the calls of magical creatures, and the local plants were just that, plants. No exotic flowers or alchemical plants to be found, the trees didn't have the life like quality of those around Ponyville. They were just trees, oak, hickory and walnut. Nothing spectacular or mysterious about anything really. "You guys, I know this sounds weird, but I feel like we're trespassing," announced Rainbow Dash. "Nothing is right here, even the animals are different," said a wary Fluttershy. They had seen deer and rabbits, but they ran away before they could get close. "This is more depressing than my days on the rock farm," Pinkie said, her mane on the verge of deflating. "I think we should turn back." "No, we make it to Stronghold or we have to stay in this forest. I for one hate it here. According to the map, it should just be a couple more miles." They trotted along, having to stop several times to clear brush for the wagon. And at long last, in the fading light of the sun, they laid eyes upon the demon citadel of Stronghold. "Uh, that's it?" said Applejack. They had all expected some kind of giant castle with black towers and a moat. This thing in front of them was pitiful, no more than a collection of a couple piles of rubble and some buildings overgrown with brush. "That can't be right, the map says it's right here. All I see is that poor excuse for a village! Where are the walls, the towers the anything!" Twilight used her magic to whip out the map, turning it every direction to see if she read it wrong. Applejack walked over to the frantic unicorn. "Twilight, it's gettin' dark, maybe we should just stay here fer the night. Let's go to that big building over there and see if there is some shelter. And I don't like the sound of the weather." Thunder rumbled off in the distance, the last rays of sun darkened by the approaching storm. The storm moved quickly, and by the time they found an unblocked entrance they were all drenched. Soggy and miserable, the ponies and dragon took a look at their shelter. It looked like it had been white originally, but centuries of muck and weather had stained the walls. Dead plants covered nearly everything and nothing stood as it had originally. "This tells us nothing! Where are the books, the technology, anything to make this trip worth it!" Twilight angrily shouted. She kicked over an ancient desk, filling the air with dust. "Don't be mad Twilight, it was the journey that made this adventure special, not the destination." "Thanks Pinkie, but I'm not sure our journey will answer the riddles of life and change the way we look at our history. Let's all get some sleep, maybe we'll find something in the morning."