//------------------------------// // Act 1 Part 1: Fire and Ice. // Story: And Bulk was Never Seen Again // by Jake Witt //------------------------------// Welcome to Ponyville, a small village in Equestria. Known for housing the last of the pure ponies in the Harmony District, South of the war between the Canter District and New Lunar Empire civil war, in the safety of the Everfree Forest. "Granny, I caught a Timber Wolf!" a young voice shouted. "Nope," a deeper, masculine voice cut in, "Ya found th' wolf Ah caught." After the red stallion tossed the wooded creature in a burning cage, he wiped his brow with an arm, "Eeyup. Good job, Applebloom." Applebloom's ears perked up at that, sliding her jacket halfway off and pulled her sleeve... "No cutiemark..." The yellow filly sighed as she zipped her jacket back up. "Ah still can't believe it." An old green mare in an orange cloak looked up from her quilt, sighing as realized lost hope in her granddaughter's eyes. Big Mac patted her back with a free hand that decided to return to its woolly later to support his kin. Before he could add some words of encouragement to her searching, big eyed face, the patter of feet rushing near on the ground was heard. A purple colt with purple scales instead of fur and long green scales for a mane and ears ran up, panting smoke as he arrived. "Spike?" the old mare asked, fixing her loose hood. "What's wrong, deary?" Spike looked up to her with his green reptilian eyes. "Ms.... Ms. Smith... I was checking up on your... *gasp* ...flame." he said, staring at the red cage with a lever filled with three angry Timber Wolves standing on red stones and burning logs with moon hay. "There's going to be some... wind tonight." "We're aware." Granny replied nodding, everyone sat on a log, "How's the family?" "Pee Wee has been trying to burn himself, but the night is getting to the point that we might get an ice age," his head drooped as a tear fell. "I had to send him on a long journey to Saddle Arabia, but we both- we all know the dangers and the risk of his absence." "We also know the risk of a useless phoenix," Big Mac added. Spike nodded, "Yeah... How's the search for Twilight? Shining sent a letter earlier... He wants to abandon the unicorns and join the cold." "We haven' found Apple Jack... or Rainbow... not even Rarity or Fluttershy!" Applebloom explained, a cloud of cold freezing her sigh. "Those two wouldn' wan ta be in a scary, dark, and dirty forest!" Just then, a brown monster ran out of the forest, that resembled a bull with hands, using a large, bladed weapon as a crutch as it dragged another creature that resembled a pony with four hooves. Applebloom grabbed her trusty shovel from her tent as Big Mac and Spike got in defensive positions while Granny kept knitting, excepting what fate has in store or hoping her luck that kept her alive will work. The horn creature shivered and panted, it's pleading yellow eyes and trembling gruff voice said, "P-pl-please... Help... us..." He promptly collapsed on the ground face first, almost hitting a rock. "...Wow." Spike said, "They're so... small." The creatures began to stir as they sat near the hearth fire at Colden Oaks, the library structure near Fluttershy's old cottage that now acts as town hall. Colden Oaks is a well insulated cylindrical concrete building with two underground floors and an above ground floor that acts as a library, apartment, science lab with observatory, and occasionally ration storage. There's a wood burning stove that works as the heating system that warms the whole place. The first to wake up with the small pegasus creature... who screamed her heart out at herself. Apparently they might be mutants or was exposed to Everfree Magic? He left that thought for his to do list under "Find gems. Find Rarity. Give gems to Rarity." Thinking about that, he only met her once so why is he so obsessive over her? As soon as the screaming stopped, the other creature woke up, adding more screaming as he tugged brown fur and pinched himself. As soon as the last of the screams died down, I raised my eyebrow. "Are you two done yet?" I asked. ...And they screamed again. Faust! I know one of them knows Equish! I'm sure they don't speak in screams. "Are you done yet?" I asked, they slowly nodded in response. "My name is Spike-" I quickly shoved the nearest objects into their mouths... the mutant mare had a hoofball while the mutant bull had a beaker to shut them up. "Yes. Good. You're done!" I clasped my hands together before quickly taking my things back and smiled. "Hello. My name is Spike the Dragon, heater of Ponyville, messenger of Celestia, and caretaker of Colden Oaks. Your turns, but for the love of Faust or Celestia, don't scream." The bull was almost the same height as me, which wasn't a lot considering I'm a baby dragon. He stood up straight, fixing a headset microphone on his head, a voice too deep or gruff to be believable spoke, "Hi, I'm Iron Will... I'm a... Mini Minotaur..." His name... I thought as a tingling sensation fell down my spine. Just coincidence, I'm sure. Spike turned to the tiny meek mare in green spandex adorned with flowers, "May I have your name, miss...?" She stiffened up when I called her 'miss', but continued to speak despite closed eyes. Her voice was quiet, but smooth. I'd bet my bag of bits that a room would quiet down to hear her voice. "M-my name is Bulk Biceps..." Spike's spine seemed to tingle as a nervous feeling hit him, Bulk?! What?! What kind of name is- "...um...But some of my friends call me Snowflake...uh..." She tried to say more, but the words wouldn't form. OK... Calm down, Spike. Maybe she was joking? No. She looked serious... besides the- She seemed serious. Something is up, but what? "...I'm the Saddle Ranger." She finally said, her eyes shot wide open at that. "I-I'm the Saddle Ranger!!!" Iron Will pounced over to a nearby table, where they're saddle begs were at, bouncing off the table and sliding near Saddle Ranger with said bags in his hands. He took out a paper bag with "PonyCON" inked on it, giving it to his friend. She promptly began to hyperventilate in the bag, each breath expanding and compressing the bag. Iron on the other hand, just stared at his hands with a wide grin. "I really did that... I-I really-" His ax somehow appeared in his hand as he rose it above his head and began chanting, "Mini Montaur-taur! Tiny! Tiny Minotaur! Little Mini Taur-taur! I'm a tiny Minitaur!!!" "Well, whooptie bucking do!" Saddle Ranger replied. "At least you're not a mare!"