What Lies Beyond

by Sparx

Enter The Glade

"Come on now, don't get sloppy!" Smith shouted from his doorway. Rainbow Dash stood atop a thrashing Chuul's back, Iris tight in her teeth. She struck the creature with wide strokes, once, twice, three times. "That won't do, won't do at all." Smith cried out. "You gotta pierce the chitin. Stab into it!"

"Alright already!" Dash yelled as she struggled to balance atop the lobsterlike creature. "Not like I didn't hear you the first time old man!"

"Then DO it already!" An annoyed grunt came from the brown pegasus.

Rainbow Dash returned a grunt of her own as she sank her blade deep into the creature's head, causing it to shriek out in pain before finally crashing down into the muddy beach. "There. See, I took care of it."

"Yeah, but it took you quite a while now didn't it?" Steel Edge huffed and grabbed up a rope in his teeth, throwing it about the chuul as Rainbow Dash descended from the creature's back.

"Hey, I was just practicing a few new moves out." Rainbow Dash replaced her blade in it's sheathe, crossing her forehooves in wait as the older pegasus pulled the giant crustacean around to his tools where he began separating the claws and legs from the main body, and making sure to be wary of the tentacles drooping from it's face.

"Your moves almost ended up with you inside this things tentacles. Youd've been paralyzed."

"But I'm not.. I'm perfectly fine. I know what I'm doing." Rainbow Dash spat at the ground. "No stupid Chuul is going to take me out so easily."

"But what if you have to take on more than one? Or something much more threatening than a chuul?" Smith hefted a chuul claw onto his back and went through the door, Dash following after. "You need to be more careful Dash."

"Fine. But I still say you're worrying too much old man." Dash laid down upon the wooden floor with a yawn. "I can understand training, but why did you want me to come so early"

"Because you're going to be fighting a lot more than just a single chuul today. I have a full days worth of training in store for you." Steel edge picked up a stone in his teeth and struk it against one of his blades over the fireplace, causing it to spark to life. "The chuul was merely you catching us some breakfast." He stuck a sword into the claw, piercing a hole, then he forced a long stick through the hole, all the way down the arm, holding the chitinous mass down with a forehoof. "Your training will be a lot more difficult than that." He gave out a sigh. "But, it'll introduce you to a number of other creatures that exist in this world." Smith stopped for a moment and gave Rainbow Dash a smile. "A true adventure for such a bold pegasus."

This captured Dash's attention, as she raised back onto all four of her hooves. "You've regained my attention." Dash helped Steel heave the spitted claw above the fire. "What do I do?"

"You'll be going into an ancient glade, that still retains it's look of youth and beauty, as do the creatures that reside within. It is usually a peaceful place, that I don't often have to guard. Normally the fey that guard the pond are enough."

"Fey?" Rainbow Dash asked. The term seemed familiar, though she didn't know what it meant.

"Magical creatures, pixies, dryads, and the like. Anyways, the forest and I have been talking, and it tells me that the glade is in danger." He held up a hoof towards Rainbow Dash. "Yes, before you ask, I can talk to the forest and I don't care if you just think I'm being a crazy old man. So, I'll need you to go and defend the glade from attack. It's nothing beyond your capability."

"What is it?" Dash inquired in an excited tone.

Smith simply looked to her without saying a word. "You'll see them, then you can tell me."

"What does that mean?" The phrase was rather annoying in itself, without it coming from the old man.

"It means that they'll tell you what they are themselves. You don't need me to tell you everything. Use your own brain."

Dash gave out a huff. "Fine then."

Dash moved towards the edge of the pond. "This looks like the place." She had made her way to the glade, a rather large clearing surrounded by a dense circle of trees and the most pure pond water Dash had ever witnessed. "I don't see any of those 'fey' or whatever they're called though. Must've been the old man's age catching up with him." She gave out a yawn and crept up to the water. "I could use a quick drink and nap before these creatures appear." Dash sipped up some of the water, it tasted absolutely divine! "I can see why he'd want to defend this place." Then a thought popped back into her head. As she had walked out the door, Steel Edge told her that she would one day take his place. What did he mean? Dash knew nothing about smithing. She only recently found her way around a sword.

Then, a rustle came from a nearby bush. Dash jerked her head towards the sound, then drew her blade. "Come out!" She called over. No reply. She snuck over towards the bush, Iris at the ready. Once she made it to the bush, she quickly pushed the leaves to the side with a forehoof, revealing nothing more than a raccoon which looked up in terror and skittered off. "Woops." Dash gave a slight chuckle as she replaced her sword. "What am I so nervous about? I just need some rest that's all." Dash looked up in the clearing and saw a very comfortable looking cloud. She flew up and pushed the cloud down above the very center of the pond, this way she would be safe from anything that came out from the trees, and she could survey the whole glade. She sat upon the cloud, and crossed her forehooves where she then rested her chin. She gave out another yawn and drifted off to sleep.

Nilt looked on from behind his leaf within the tree, staring down at the cyan pony resting on a cloud. He had heard tales of the flying equines, even the magical horned ones, but never had he seen even the earth variety. After all he was only one hundred and seven years old, very very young for a sprite. She was a rather beautiful creature, much different than him. She was far larger than he though, and much much different looking. Where he himself had hands and feet, she had rounded stubs. Her wings were much different than his, feathery like a bird's, while his appeared as leaves stuck upon his back. He noticed she wore no markings of her clan in paint upon her face or ears, nor any leaves upon her body; however she did bear a mark to the rear of her body. Perhaps that was the mark of her clan?

The little sprite flew in closer, bringing a large leaf that he could hide behind should she awaken. He brought the glow of his body down so that she wouldn't wake up when he came close. As he approached, he realized that she was colossal compared to him, just to be safe, he drew his short sword and held the leaf up like a shield. He noticed that as he got closer, the wind picked up as well, sucking him in and blowing against him. Nilt flew closer and landed on the pony's muzzle. She was soft, comfortable. Her spectrum mane would make great, beautiful clothing, or bow strings.

Suddenly, the pony began to stir, the extra pound on her nose causing her to drift awake. Nilt panicked, he did the first thing that came to mind and stabbed the giant creature with his blade; right between the eyes.

"OW! What the hay?" Rainbow Dash felt a small prick in her brow and hurried to open her eyes. she saw what looked to be a tiny bug standing on her snout and tried shaking him off. Nilt flew off her snout and hovered in front of her, sword at the ready. "What the fuck are you?" Dash addressed the small creature, with strange blue markings about his face and long pointed ears.

Nilt kept his position. "I am Nilt, son of Elkman the Brave. Sprite guardian of the Everfree glade. Turn back stranger, or face my wrath!"

"Nilt? That's a weird name." Rainbow Dash stood upon her cloud, looking down on the creature. "Are you what I'm supposed to fight?"

A tinge of fear crept onto Nilt's face. "Fight me if you dare beast! But I must warn you, I will not be an easy opponent." Dash couldn't believe what she was hearing. This little bug wanted to try and fight her. She gave a smirk, and blew a quick breath his direction which sent him reeling away. But he came back to eye level rather quickly. "That's it crature, prepare for a swift death!" Nilt dashed in the air towards his prey.

"Whoah, hold up little guy." Dash held out a forehoof to stop Nilt in his tracks. "Look, you're a guardian of this glade right? Well I was sent here to guard it as well."

Nilt flew a few inches back and looked Rainbow Dash in the eye. "Guard? You are a guardian as well?"

"Yeah I guess. I've been told that I need to help out. Apparently there's supposed to be an attack here today." Rainbow Dash perked her ears up. "Gotta be alert."

Nilt looked rather unimpressed. "Then why were you sleeping?

Dash gave a slight cough. "Well..." Suddenly she stopped, her ears perked even more as she noticed a sound coming from all around her. "Do you hear that?"

Nilt perked his rather large ears up as well. "Uh-oh."

"What uh-oh? What's wrong?" Dash tried to listen in closer, and soon it became loud and clear. In thick rough voices came an ugly raspy tune.

Suddenly Dash understood Smith when he said that she'd know what the creatures were. "Goblins." She said. She remembered a story of Daring Do when she had to make her way through a goblin camp. One of her favorite stories, not to mention one of her most dangerous. The memory perked her ears anymore. "No trolls." Then she did hear something. A more intelligent voice rang out, stopping the horde from proceeding.

"I smell... a smell that I haven't in years. The smell of.........PONY!"

"Oh shit! Bugbear!" Dash drew Iris quickly as the goblins Ran through the trees into the glade, led by a rather large hairy looking goblin carrying a crude morningstar. The goblins screeched "PONY PONY PONY PONY! STINKING PONY!" Dash was slightly confused, why did these creatures hate her so much? The goblins surrounded the pond, but did not go in. Again they started to sing:

Dash started to feel beads of sweat form on her brow and Nilt settled down in her mane, holding his leaf shield and sword at the ready. "Are you ready for battle guardian?" The small sprite asked.

"Uh... There's gotta be at least fifty of them. How are we going to-" Before she could finish her question she heard a screech as one especially small goblin ran through the horde, screaming it's head off with blade over it's head, until it hit the pond and was pulled under. Seconds later the body resurfaced with it's face in the water. "Oh..."

"Yeah... Goblins are stupid."