Chapter One
Animals fled in random directions as a small cart burst through a large bush in the Everfree forest and barreled down the main path. A lavender unicorn was driving it while yelling in fear, while next to her sat a bright pink earth pony who was yelling in excitement. The earth pony looked behind them and frowned.
“Hey Twilight, they are catching up!”
“I know!' The unicorn said in a panicked voice, wiling the cart to go faster, her horn slightly glowing a medium pink color. Her dark blue mane with a pink and purple streak flew behind her, she smiled as she saw a totem pole that was part of the Mystery Hut's decorations. “We are almost there...”
Her dark purple eyes widened in hope, before a tree landed a few feet in front of the cart, thrown by the large monster that was chasing them. Twilight whipped the wheel to the right, to avoid the tree, Twilight and Pinkie screamed as the cart swerved and started to roll towards the hut.
My name is Twilight Sparkle Pines and the excited pink pony next to me is my twin sister Pinkie Pie. We were sent to live in the small town known as Gravity Ville by our parents, when they figured that I spent too much time indoors reading, and that Pinkie spent to much time inside baking, so they decided that small town with fresh air would be good for us. Too bad they didn't check my bag before I left, I filled it with almost nothing but books, and when I checked Pinkie's bag, she had packed a bunch of sweets and party supplies. So we were sent to the town, and it seemed pretty normal, so your probably wondering why my sister and I are being chased by a monster. Well that is a interesting story that starts when we got to the town.
Twilight and Pinkie got off the train and stood looking around for their great uncle. Pinkie was bouncing excitedly up and down, her saddle bags somehow, not flying off, while Twilight frantically looked around the station.
"Where is he? I don't like it when other ponies are late."
"Maybe he was having so much fun on his adventure here that he got lost." Twilight rolled her eyes at her sister's antics.
"Sure Pinkie..." Twilight looked behind her as the train started to pull onto the next station. Suddenly they were approached by a tall purple and green lizard thing, that was wearing a dark brown hat, and a grey- blue t- shirt with a strange question mark on it. Pinkie bounced over to him and smiled her braces sparkling in the sunlight.
" My name is Pinkie Pie Pines! What's yours?"
"My name is Spike, wait did you say that your last name is Pines?"
"Yes! And the nerdy looking pony over there is my twin sister Twilight." Pinkie pointed to Twilight, who was looking at Spike suspiciously, and inching toward her sister, preparing to grab her if he tried anything.
"You guys don't look alike."
"Yeah we get that a lot, but we are twins, just fraternal ones. "
"Oh cool, anyway your great uncle, Mr. Flam sent me to pick you guys up ." Spike smiled. "I'll get your bags and you can follow me." He walked over to their other bags that were piled behind Twilight. He grabbed them and started towards a cart that was parked by the edge of the station. Pinkie bounced eagerly behind him, while Twilight warily followed them. Spike threw their stuff in the back end before getting onto the bench at the front of the cart. The fillies climbed into the back and buckled themselves up, before Spike blew fire into his hand and put it on the set of keys for the cart. He put the keys in the ignition and turned them, the keys being a successful conduit for the magic, started the cart. As it rumbled down the street Spike began to speak to the sisters.
" So are you two excited for the summer?" Spike glanced back at the fillies.
Twilight sighed. "I guess, as long as I get lot's of time to read." Pinkie smiled
"I am excited, i can't wait to get started on more knitting and baking!"
"Baking sounds good, what do you bake Pinkie?"
While Spike and Pinkie chatted Twilight stared out the window looking at the passing ponies, wondering what the summer was going to be like, when she saw a dark brown snake with feathered wings and endlessly spiraling tail fly past the window, in the brief second she saw it, it looked at her with unnaturally bright yellow eyes with red slits for pupils, before it was gone. She sat up and poked her sister. "Pinkie did you see that?!? It was a flying snake!" Twilight looked to her sister with a scared look in her eyes. Pinkie snorted."A flying snake? Quit being paranoid you silly filly, snakes can't fly." She giggled before going back to her conversation with Spike. Twilight was about to say more, but she decided against it and went back to staring out the window, her eye twitching a bit.
They eventually came to a large hut that was hidden a little way in the forest, as they out out of the cart, Twilight looked around the forest suspiciously, something about it unnerved her, Pinkie and Spike continued to the hut and arrived before Twilight. Twilight stopped right outside the hut, looked up at the sign, and raised an eyebrow when she saw part of the H in hut fall off causing the sign to now spell Mystery rut, she shook her head, before continuing into the hut, as she walked in a bell at the top of the door tinkled. She looked around to see that she was in a gift shop, shelves lined the walls filled with strange nick knacks, t- shirts, snow globes, and other random objects, that were over priced. Sitting at the front counter with was a blue Pegasus, with a rainbow mane, a brown and black ear muff hat, and a light green flannel shirt. She was reading a magazine with her back hooves propped on the counter, to her right there was the cash register. Her magenta eyes flicked up and looked at the group.
"Hey Spike. Who are these fillies?” She motioned to Twilight and Pinkie.
"These dudes are Mr. Flams grand nieces.”
“What's up? My name is Rainbow Dash, but you can a call me Rainbow.” Pinkie bounced over to her.
“It's nice to meet you Rainbow Dash, I am gonna call you Dashie!”
“Okay then, I guess I will just have to call you Pinks.” She looked at Pinkie with smirk , before turning to Twilight.
“And I will call you Twi.” She smiled at them once more before looking back to her magazine. A minute or so later a tall cream colored unicorn in a black suit , a fez, an eye patch and glasses walked through a door that connected to the rest of the hut. Following him was a large group of ponies who were excitedly looking at the merchandise. Most of them had either cameras or sun glasses. Spike stood next to the counter with Twilight and Pinkie. The unicorn with the eye patch was waving a cane around the gift shop and talking excitedly to the crowd.
“ Thank you my fellow ponies for visiting the Mystery Hut. We have now arrived at the end of the tour, feel free to look around our glorious gift shop, and buy our things. We have got a variety of strange merchandise, that is sure to catch your eye.” He said with a large smile before walking behind the counter. He looked over to Twilight, Pinkie and Spike. “Hey Spike, are these the packages that I asked you to pick up?” He smirked.
"Yep, Mr. Flam!" Spike saluted. Pinkie smiled a little at Flam's joke, while Twilight frowned.
“ We are your great nieces, I am Pinkie Pie, and my sister is Twilight.” She said with a smile at Flam, Flam smiled back, brushing back his red and white mane.
"So are both of you earth ponies?"
"I am, but Twilight is-" Pinkie was cut off as Twilight shoved a hoof into her mouth and glared at her. Flam looked at with an eyebrow raise before shrugging.
"Well welcome to the Mystery Hut Kiddos, if you follow me I can show you to your room." He said walking towards the employees only sign that was to the right of the counter.
"Spike could you grab their bags? Rainbow watch the shop will ya?" They both saluted to Flam
“Sure Mr. Flam.” They said in unison as Flam walked out followed by his grand nieces and Spike. He lead them to a stair case near the back door, up the stairs and to a medium sized bedroom with two beds, a closet and a desk and window between the beds. Spike set their stuff on the floor before walking back downstairs. "Okay you guys will be sharing this room. Now I have some rules that I want you to follow, if your going to stay here you have to work, and don't touch anything.”
“Okay Grunkle Flam!” Pinkie turned to Flam, who was to her left.
“Grunkle?” Flam asked.
“It's a combination of great and uncle, so can I call you that?'
“Sure kid. When your done putting away your stuff, come back downstairs and I can show you around some more." Flam stated walking out the door and down the stairs. Twilight sighed before going over to her bag and opening it. This was going to be a long summer.
Pinkie and I were put to work later that day by our Grunkle Flam. All I really wanted to do was sit in the attic and read, so I was pretty bordered working at the Shack, while Pinkie spent most of her time slacking off and trying to find some kind of friend or romantic interest. I was prepared for a boring summer of work until I found the Journal, it was early afternoon when it happened.
Twilight was slowly sweeping the floor in a corner of the Mystery Hut when Pinkie bounced over to her.
“Hi Twilight! What are you doing?” A large smile appeared on Pinkie's face
“Sweeping, what do you want Pinkie?” Twilight asked in a slightly irritated voice.
“Do you think that colt over there is cute?”
She excitedly pointed at an unsuspecting colt that wore a large orange shirt. Twilight restrained herself from face hoofing.
“Pinkie you would think as my twin that you would remember that I do not like colts like that.” Twilight blushed, holding onto the broom tighter as she swept.
“Oh yeah! Sorry Twilight. Then what about her?” She pointed to a filly wearing a pink frilly dress, who was looking at snow globes. Twilight stopped sweeping and leaned on the broom with both of her hooves.
“Hmm, Kind of, I am not entirely sure about that dress though.”
“Oooo, Twilight has a crush!” bounced excitedly up and down.
“No-o, it's just that I don't see a lot of fillies who are like that it's...."
She trailed off and pulled her dark green pine tree hat further down on her head to hide her red face.
Pinkie who was still bouncing stopped, and was about to comfort her twin when Flam came into the room.
“Twilight! Come here!” Twilight quickly dropped the broom and ran over to Flam. He had a few signs in his green magical grip, as well as some nails and a hammer. He handed them to Twilight, who manged to catch them in her hooves for a few seconds before dropping them on the floor, she placed her hooves on the pile of stuff and looked at her Grunkle as he spoke to her.
"I want you to hang these signs, in the forest and just outside of it, so that tourists know where to go.”
He grabbed a bottle of apple cider with his magic, twisted the cap off, and started to drink it, Twilight looked at Flam anxiously.
“But Grunkle Flam the Everfree is dangerous, when ever I go into the forest I feel like someone is watching me, and just the other day I swear I heard someone laughing.” She shivered.
"You're just being paranoid, there is nothing dangerous about the Everfree, now get going with those signs.”
He set his cider down and used his magic to shove Twilight out the door.
Twilight who had just barley manged to grab the signs stumbled a little as the door was slammed behind her, she glared back at the door of the Mystery Hut before putting the signs on her back and heading into the forest.
She grumbled a little a she hammered nails into the trunks and hung up the signs.
“Stupid, Grunkle Flam... sending me of all ponies into the woods,he has a dragon as his handyman for a reason...” Her grumbling was cut off as she tried to hammer a nail into a trunk and found that she couldn't. She paused and tried again, noticing that when she hit the trunk it clanged, and the sound reverberated throughout the trunk, as though the tree was hallow. Twilight set down the signs, and tools, she moved her hooves along the tree, lightly tapping, she eventually found a small door, she pried it open using her hooves. Inside of the tree there was a small compartment with a small radio looking device, with a small lever next to it.
“What is this? “ She stuck her head further into the dusty compartment, to get a better look.
“How did this get here?” Her nose accidentally hit the lever. Her ears twitched as she heard a sound like a metal door opening a little ways away from the tree. She pulled her head out of the tree and looked past it. She saw that a small hole in the ground had appeared. She cautiously stepped over to it and looked inside, instead of dirt, the inside of the hole was coated with metal and cobwebs. A strange book covered in cobwebs sat in the middle of the hole, she shook the cobwebs from her hat and mane before picking up the book. It was a tattered dark brown and covered in dust and cobwebs. Twilight brushed off all of the dust and what not, to find the cover, that had a shiny golden hoof print pasted on it with a large black 3 written through the middle. There was a strange thing about the hoof though, it was cracked down the middle, split into two even digits, Twilight had seen deer and moose with cloven hooves before, but none like this. She set the book on the ground and opened it, The authors name had been torn out so Twilight couldn't tell who wrote it. She quickly hoofed through it excited, only to be disappointed to find that half the pages were blank. When she got the the end off the book, she found that there were two more before this one that had more info, she flipped back to the front to read it more thoroughly.
I originally wrote this journal to record the strange things going on in Gravity Ville, but now I am writing it warn and to properly inform anyone who may read it, in the hopes that they can use it to protect themselves. I have recently realized how dangerous this town is especially with him watching me, I am sure that he is now. If you are reading this heed my warning to trust no one! Twilight stopped reading.
“Trust no one?” She mumbled quietly to herself, before reading it some more.
“What is that?” A loud voice said right next to her ear. Twilight screamed and jumped, before spinning around to face her sister who had snuck up behind her.
“Pinkie what was that for?” Twilight held a hoof to her chest.
“Nothing." She smiled. "Grunkle Flam told me to come find you...So what is that anyway?” She pointed at the journal that Twilight held slightly behind her back. Twilight quickly sat on it, wrapping her tail around it.” What's what?” She asked in an innocent tone, her eyes nervously darting around.
“That weird book that I saw you holding.” Pinkie walked around to the back of Twilight, and gently pushed at her tail. Twilight sighed. “I guess I can't hide it from you.” Twilight got up, picked up the Journal with her hooves, and put it inside of her vest.
“Lets go inside to talk about it.” Twilight cast a wary glance around the forest before heading towards the hut grabbing the tools on her way, Pinkie bouncing behind her.
Twilight paced the living room floor on her hind legs, holding the journal in her fore hooves. She flipped through the pages while talking to her sister, who sat on the arm of Flams chair.
“This Journal proves that this town is weird and that I wasn't being paranoid, like Flam said. She held the Journal out to Pinkie, The Journal was turned to a page about flying eye balls.
“OMG, Twilight, that's too spooky.” She said jokingly, smiling and lightly shoving her sister.
“I know, and here is another spooky thing... the writing suddenly stops, and there are a bunch blank pages, like the author mysteriously disappeared.” Twilight spoke in a mysterious tone, smiling slightly. Pinkie suddenly bounced off of the chair at the sound of a knock at the door.
“Who is that?” Twilight asked looking curiously at the front door, while closing the Journal and putting it in her vest.
“Well I have a surprise...” Pinkie said mysteriously, bouncing over to the door. Twilight sat down and rubbed her head with a hoof, mentally preparing herself for the surprise. Twilight knew that Pinkie's surprise tended to be... ecstatic. Pinkie threw open the door dramatically to reveal a strange looking creature. The creature had a mostly pony shape, from what Twilight could tell, which wasn't much, because the creature was wearing a black cloak with the hood pulled up, so that Twilight could only see half of it's face. It's fur was a dark tree brown, with yellowish-green eyes, that appeared to glow.
“This is my new colt friend, surprise!” Pinkie said bouncing onto the the strange looking pony's back. As she landed the ponies back made a creaking sound like wood. Twilight faced hoofed.
“In the half hour that I was gone, you manged to get a colt friend?”
“Yep, I am just that good.” Pinkie smirked.
As Twilight moved closer she could better inspect him. He very strange, indeed. Twilight noticed that his hooves were covered with leaves, like a glove, and that a strange red substance dripped down the front of his cloak.
“What is your name?” He looked nervously around.
“Um... it's Chestnut... Chestnut Oak.”
“Hey Chestnut, what is that on your cloak?” Twilight pointed to the red substance that looked suspiciously like blood.
“Um, it's maple syrup...”
“Ooo! I love maple syrup!” Pinkie exclaimed hugging Chestnut around his stomach, since she was still on his back.
“Okay...” Twilight said skeptically.
“Yep.” He smiled, showing fangs, his yellowish green eyes glowing slightly.
“So where did you two meet?”
“Oh we met by the spooky old tunnels that are next to forest, the shadows were just right to make it romantic.” Pinkie said dreamily from Chestnut's back.
“So you want to go, hug or something?”
“But we already are you silly colt! But doing it outside is more fun!” Pinkie shouted jumping off of Chestnut's back and doing a cart wheel out the door. Twilight stared after them suspiciously.
Chestnut seemed ... in a very bad way, so I decided to investigate, I started by reading through the Journal for information.
Twilight was in the attic above her and Pinkie's bedroom, sitting on a window cushion reading the Journal, dim sunlight streamed through the stained glass window that had a picture of a griffon, dragon and a pony fighting, the light casting the room in a radish orange hue. She flipped through the pages and eventually found a page that talked about strange pony looking creatures, that hung around caves.
“Know for their wooden bodies, made from trees and leaves, their habit of luring ponies into a false sense of security before eating or attacking them, bad breath, howling and their green glowing eyes, these creatures are often mistaken for large ponies, but beware, Gravity Ville's natural hunters Timber Wolves!”
Twilight yelled in surprise and terror. She quickly set the Journal down and looked out the window, she looked down to see her sister sitting on a picnic table while Chestnut stalked towards her, a low howl sounding from his mouth. “Pinkie!”
Twilight screamed and pressed her face against the window in panic. “Pinkie Watch out!”
As Chestnut put his mouth near Pinkies neck, Twilight screamed. When Chestnut pulled back a necklace of daisies and lilies was on Pinkies neck. “ Daises AND Lilies! You're so sweet Chestnut.” Pinkie said. “Like a cupcake!” She then tackled him in a hug. Twilight leaned back from the window and held a hoof to her chest. She was panting slightly. “Deep breaths...” she sighed “Is Pinkie even really dating a Timber Wolf, or am I going insane?” Twilight asked herself getting off of the cushion, and massaging her face.
“That sure is a problem.” A voice from above Twilight's head spoke.
Twilight yelped and looked up. Spike was standing on a step ladder, screwing in a light bulb.
“Sorry, I couldn't help, but overhear you talking to yourself, in this creepy empty room.”
“Oh yeah, anyway Spike, what do you think? Do you believe me when I say that Pinkie’s colt friend is a Timber Wolf?”
“I don't know, how many ponies have you seen him eat?” Twilight sighed.
“None.”
“It's okay Twilight, I believe you, I have seen some strange things in this town. I am pretty sure that the mail pony is a bear or something, I mean he is covered in a lot of fur, but you have to have evidence, or ponies will think that you are crazy.”
“You are absolutely right Spike, thanks.”
“No problem, my advice can help and harm.” Suddenly a voice yelled from down stairs.
“Spike the toilet is clogged!”
“ I must go now, I have business elsewhere.” Spike said tilting his hat down, and slithering out of the room, his tail being the last thing to exit through the doorway, eerily swaying back and forth.
Pinkie might be in danger, It was time to use my investigating skills to get some evidence.
Twilight followed her sister and Chestnut all around Gravity Ville, recording what they were doing in a note book, and with a camera that she had brought with her from canterlot, while she spied on them she noticed a few strange things. Like when they were running through the park, Chestnut was unnaturally fast, when Pinkie threw a Frisbee at him, he leaped up and caught it, like a DOG ; Later when they went to the local diner know as the Hay Burger, Chestnut had broken through the door, like he was trying to claw it open and when Twilight had followed them a little way into the forest she saw that the plants seemed to be attracted to him, as though he was made of them. She also manged to get close enough to smell his breath to know that it was foul enough to be a Timber wolves.
After carefully gathering evidence about Chestnut and the strange way he acted, I organized it all, and set out to confront Pinkie, to save her.
The next day Twilight found her sister in their shared room, she quickly confronted her.
“Pinkie we need to talk about Chestnut.”
“Yeah! Isn’t he the greatest?” Twilight face hoofed.
“No Pinkie, listen, Chestnut is not what he seems, he is something much more dangerous.” Twilight stated, pulling out the Journal.
“Oooo, do you think that he is bat pony or something?”
“No, I think that he is a Timber Wolf!” She said quickly turning to the page with her hooves. She held it out for Pinkie to see. Pinkie snorted.
“Oh Twilight you're so funny sometimes with your tricks, you silly filly!”
“Pinkie I am being serious! I have carefully calculated the evidence and everything adds up, the blood on his cloak, his strange dog like behavior, and the way he acts around plants. “ Twilight who was pacing with her back to Pinkie quickly spun around and pointed a hoof at her. “Did you ever notice that his eyes glow?! Or that he has fangs?! “
“Oh, Twilight, he probably just wears really cool contacts, and has fake bat pony fangs, for fun!”
“Don't you remember what the Journal said about this town? Trust no one!”
“What about me Twilight? I am your sister. Can't you trust me?” Pinkie bopped Twilight on the nose and snapped on her ever present pale blue and yellow balloon shaped earrings, that now matched the large blue balloon on Pinkie's sweater.
“Pinkie, he will attack and eat you!” Twilight said grabbing her sister by the face and shaking her.
Pinkie shoved Twilight away, looking a little irritated.
“Listen Twilight, I am going to go on a date with chestnut, we are going to have fun, and I am going to look adorable, so stop trying to mess it up with one of your crazy ideas !” She said lightly shoving Twilight out the bedroom door and closing it after her sister.
Twilight slumped against the door and held her head in her hooves.
“ What am I going to do? If I don't at least try, Pinkie might be eaten...” She sighed, before getting up, and walking downstairs.
Pinkie quickly ran down the stairs as there was a knock at the door, puling on a sequin covered sweater. Chestnut stood at the door step waiting for her.
"So how do I look?"
"Very Shiny..." He replied in a growling voice, his eyes glowing as though Pinkie was a prize or treasure that he could keep. Pinkie sadly took no notice.
"Aww... you're so sweet, let's go." Pinkie stated grabbing his hoof, and bouncing out the door. Twilight, who was sitting in Flam's chair watched them go with a sigh. She tore her eyes away from the door and back to her notebook, that she had used to record evidence, and the photos that she had taken which so far had proved to be useless.
"Maybe Spike is right, I mean I have been known to exaggerated over small things... and I am really paranoid... wait, what was that?" She stopped mumbling to herself as she carefully looked at one of the photos that she had taken , it showed that at one point Chestnut had fallen down, and to heal himself he had grabbed bit of foliage, and when in disappeared beneath his cloak it didn't come back out.
"I was right..." She whispered, before putting the camera back into her vest, leaping off the chair, and sprinting out the door. When she got outside she spotted her Grunkle Flam entertaining a group of tourists.
Flam smoothly walked over to a display that had round rock that looked like the moon with a black unicorn's face carved into it.
"And here we have mare in the moon rock." He pointed his cane at the rock and smiled.
"Is it really a mare in the moon?" One Tourist asked.
Flam sighed."No it's a rock that looks like a mare in moon.
"Is it a moon rock?"
"No it looks like a moon rock."
"Grunkle Flam!"
"Is there really a mare in the moon though?" Flam face hoofed.
"No, I just have a rock that looks like it!"
"Is it a face?"
"Grunkle Flam, Pink-"
"No it's not an actual mare or face!"
"Grunkle Flam!" Twilight shouted for the third time jumping up and down to get Flam's attention, sweat dripping down her face. She anxiously looked toward the forest before going back to get Flam's attention.
Pinkie stood on a path in the Everfree forest with her back to Chestnut. She giggled in joy.
"We are finally alone."
"Yes.... alone. Chestnut replied in a growling voice, the leaves slipping from his hooves to reveal claws as he reached for Pinkie.
Twilight was still trying to get Flam's attention when Rainbow Dash pulled up in a small cart next to the shack.
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight ran over to the pegasus. "I need the cart so that I can save my sister from a timber wolf!"
"Okay, try not to hit anything." Rainbow said, tossing the keys to Twilight. Twilight caught the keys in her mouth and jumped into the cart, she placed the keys in the ignition and turned it, it didn't start.
"What! Why won't it start!" She yelled, hitting it with her hoof. She ground her teeth, before face hoofing remembering that carts were powered by magic. She hesitantly used her magic to touch the key, and turn it, it started up with a purr. She sighed in relief, and wiped sweat from her brow. Using magic always made her tired, her eyes drooping a little, she shook her head, she couldn't fall asleep now! She had to go save Pinkie! She backed the cart up, and was about to speed off into the Everfree forest, when Spike stopped her.
"Hey, you'll need this for the Timber wolf." He said handing her a large frying pan, and a bag of rocks.
"Thanks." Twilight replied grabbing the items and placing them next to her.
"Also this, in case you come across a cake ." He handed her a fork.
"Okay..." Twilight looked at him strangely, put the fork in her vest, and backed the cart up.
"Better safe then sorry!" He yelled after her as she drove the cart into the Everfree.
Pinkie and Chestnut now faced each other in the forest. Chestnut turned away from Pinkie and spoke in his growling voice.
"Pinkie now that we have gotten to know each other better, I think it's time that I tell you something...."
"Chestnut you can tell me anything, I am the best pony at keeping secrets." Inside pinkie's mind it was a different story.
"Please be a Bat pony..."
Chestnut turned back around and faced her.
"Okay, just please don't freak out, okay? Be calm." He said as he started to take off his cloak.
Pinkie watched with a small smile, she was nervous and excited at the same time. Her smile dropped and she stared at Chestnut open mouthed when she saw what he really was.
Standing in front of Pinkie were three dogs, one on top of each other. A small one with tree brown fur stood on the top who was busy shaking leaves off of his paws, while a gray medium sized one sat beneath him a few leaves still stuck to his paws, and the third dog was a large one that had dark brown fur, that covered his eyes. They all wore identical gray vests and collars with gems on them.
"What? Is this too weird? Do you need sit down or something?" The small brown one at the top asked.
"Ummm..." Pinkie stuttered not entirely sure what to say.
"Let me explain, so we are diamond dogs... basically dogs that are sentient and we love to hunt gems, and other shiny stuff."
"What..."
" Anyway, my name is Spot, this is Rover, and the one on the bottom is... I can never remember your name." Spot said pointing to himself, the gray green eyed dog beneath him, and the last brown dog. "Princess."
"Princess really?" The large brown dog nodded. "Are you sure that your male?" The dog nodded again.
"Okay... anyway, we diamond dogs have been looking for a new queen who can help us find gems, and other shiny objects, and we assumed that since you wear such shiny clothes that you must be good at finding objects like that. So Pinkie , will you marry us?" Spot held out a golden bracelet with large solid blue diamonds on it.
Pinkie sighed. "Listen guys... You are all really sweet and cool, but I am a pony and your dogs.... It just wouldn't work, I would really like to be your friend though!" She said smiling.
"Just friends, we understand, we will never forget you Pinkie. "
"Good, well it's getting late I better head home." Pinkie said starting to turn around.
"Because we are going to kidnap you."
"Wait what?" Pinkie turned around faster, but she was too late as Spot leaped at her followed by the two other dogs, causing Pinkie to scream, the sound echoing through the forest.
"Don't worry Pinkie I coming!" Twilight shouted as she whipped the cart around a bend in the road.
"Help me!"
"I am going to save you from that Timber wolf!" Twilight shouted, as the cart went over a small hill and down a long slope. When she came to the bottom of the slope she stopped the cart, and jumped out, the frying pan in her mouth and the bag of rocks hanging off of her tail. She did a double take as she realized that it was not a pack of timber wolves, but a pack of mangy mutts. Pinkie was shouting.
"Get off of me you meanies!" She bucked one of the dogs that tried to tie a rope around her torso.
"What in Tartarus is going on here?!" Twilight spit out the frying pan in her mouth.
"Twilight, it turned out that Chestnut was actually a bunch of Diamond Dogs, and that they are big jerks!" She hit another dog with her hoof, before crying out in pain as one of the dogs started to pull on her tail.
"Diamond Dogs?" Twilight muttered questionably. "I was really off." She took the Journal out of her vest and flipped through it until she got to the page about Diamond Dogs.
"The mangy moleish dogs of Gravity Ville, weakness unknown."
"Pony feathers!" Pinkie yelled as the dogs manged to tie her down.
"Hey! Let go of my sister!" Twilight yelled scooping up the frying pan with her right front hoof, and striding on her hind hooves towards Spot who stood on a rock, overseeing the whole operation, he turned around to face the angry filly.
"Hello! This isn't what it looks like, she isn't in any real danger, she is just going to come live with us under ground, and marry all 100 of us diamond dogs, to become our Queen. Isn't that right dear?" Spot turned around to face Pinkie.
"You guys are flank faces! And-" Pinkie was cut off as one of the dogs covered her mouth.
"Give me back my sister now or else." Twilight snorted, her eyes narrowing, as she held the frying pan in font of her in a threatening manner.
Spot scoffed. "You think that you can stand against the pack of the Diamond Dogs? We are a powerful race of canines, descended from the fiercest hunters the mighty dire wolves! We will-" Spot was cut off as Twilight used the frying pan to hit him off of the rock and into a nearby by bush, a blank expression on her face. She then ran over to where Pinkie was tied and the fork to cut the ropes. Pinkie bucked at the dogs that tried to grab her, and Twilight flung her tail around scattering the rocks in the bag, hitting most of the dogs in the face. She then threw pan into the air, it landed on her back as she grabbed Pinkie's hoof and ran with her to the cart. Spot stood up from the bush and shook his head.
"Get her! She is taking away our Queen!"
"Safety first." Twilight buckled up her seat belt, with Pinkie following suit. Twilight quickly used her magic to start the cart and back it up, and away from the dogs.
"You have messed with the wrong canines filly... Diamond Dogs unite!" Spot howled, the sound echoing through the forest. Various Dogs popped their heads out of the ground and ran towards the howl. The dogs started to form a close knit group some of them linking arms, and climbing on top pf each other.
"Hurry Twilight! They're coming"
Twilight nonchalantly waved a hoof. "I wouldn't worry too much sis, what can a few dogs do?"
The cart jerked to a stop as Twilight heard pounding footsteps approach them from the rear, she looked behind her to see a hundred dogs chasing after them in a formation that made them appear as though they were a large wolf.
"Drive, Drive!"
Twilight quickly turned around and used her magic to speed the cart up, panting a little as it took some of her energy. As the cart barreled through the forest diamond dogs broke off from the pack and attacked the cart, Pinkie punched and bucked at any of the dogs that came near, knowing that Twilight was concentrating on driving. When Pinkie started to get tired from punching she resorted to other methods. Suddenly a single large dog jumped onto the cart, and began to attack Twilight, Pinkie quickly grabbed a large rubber ball out of her mane, and shook it in front of the dog.
"Do you want it boy? You want the ball? Go get it!" She yelled hurling the ball into the forest, the large dog bounding after it. While she was distracted a dog manged to attack Twilight. Twilight was shaking her head, to fling it off. Pinkie began to punch the dog, as well as her sister, after five punches the dog let go, and took Twilight's hat with it.
"My hat!" Twilight yelled, turning around, Pinkie quickly grabbed the wheel.
"Twilight concentrate!" Twilight spun back around and grabbed the wheel, a sad and slightly scared look on her face.
"It's okay Twilight, I am sure that you can get another somewhere." Pinkie comforted her sibling.
"Yeah, but-" She was cut off as they went over a hill, and the cart skidded a little.
Pinkie laughed a little.
"This is kind of fun Twilight!"
Twilight looked at her sister like she was crazy, before yelling in fear as another dog attacked her. Pinkie quickly punched the dog, and screamed in excitement. She turned around to get another dog, that had landed on the cart and noticed with a frown that the pack of dogs were getting closer
"Hey Twilight.... they're catching up!' Twilight turned a little.
"I know!" She said her voice scared and her horn glowing as she tried to speed up the cart. She soon spotted a totem pole that was painted with strange pony faces. She recognized it as one of the hut's decorations.
"We are almost there." Her eyes widened in hope, but quickly shrunk in fear when a large tree landed in their path. The sisters screamed, and Twilight quickly swerved the cart to the right to avoid the tree, she swerved too hard and the cart rolled over a few times, before coming to a stop a few feet away from the side of the hut. Pinkie groaned as she got out of the cart, which was now on it's side. Twilight was still laying in the cart her hooves splayed out, her eyes lightly closed. Pinkie ran over to her sister and quickly grabbed her.
"Twilight, wake up you sleepy head!" Pinkie shouted shaking her sister. Twilight's eyes snapped open and she looked at her sister with worry.
"Pinkie are we at the shack?" Pinkie nodded, quickly looking up at the large pack of Diamond dogs approaching them.
"Oh where is Grunkle Flam?" Twilight moaned in fear holding onto Pinkie.
"And here ponies, we have the world's most distracting object." Flam said pulling the cover off of the cane in his hoof. On the top of the stick there was a wheel with the sun and moon painted on it in a yin and yang formation. It slowly rotated capturing all of the ponies attention, including Flam's
"What was I saying again?"
" Give it up fillies... You should marry us Pinkie, before we do something crazy. "
Pinkie and Twilight backed away the pack of Diamond dogs came closer, until they hit the side of the shack. Twilight looked to her left and right to see that they were surrounded, she started to panic a little.
"There has to be another way out." She started to pull out the journal, but stopped when she noticed Pinkie walking forward.
"I have to marry them."
"Pinkie, what are you doing, are you insane?!?" Twilight rushed to her sisters side, Pinkie turned to her.
"Twilight trust me."
"What?"
"Please Twilight, this one time just trust me. I Pinkie promise that I have a plan. " Pinkie said in a serious tone her hoof held over her heart. Twilight looked at her worried, and then to the dogs. Her eyes became more concerned and her frown deepened, but she slowly backed away from her sister, being careful to not bump into any of the dogs that surrounded them. Pinkie sighed before slowly walking forward to the pack of dogs, she looked directly at Spot.
"Okay Spot, I'll marry you and the rest of the dogs." Spot smiled. Stepped down form the large brown dog that he had been riding on, and pushed his way through the crowd. He walked up to Pinkie and presented her the diamond bracelet, Pinkie held out her hoof, and Spot slipped it on.
"Okay, now let's get you into the woods, and underground to our tunnel homes." Spot said turning around.
"You may now kiss the bride." Spot stopped and turned back around.
"Don't mind if I do." He leaned up towards Pinkie. As they were leaning toward each other Pinkie shook her mane, and multiple rubber balls of varying sizes, some gems, and a few cup cakes fell out of her mane. Just before her and spot touched she grabbed a bottle of glitter that she had hid in the bush next to the shack and blew some of the sparkly substance into his face. As he backed away rubbing his eyes, Pinkie scooped up the gems and balls and leaped into the air.
"Hey dogs! I got a surprise for you!" All of the dogs quickly turned their heads to face her. She spun and threw the balls and some of the gems towards the woods, half of the dogs getting distracted and running after them. The ones that stayed behind moved forward to attack as Pinkie was falling back down, what they didn't anticipated that Pinkie might land on one of them. She landed on the biggest one and pushed off of him onto the next one. She jumped from back to back, confusing them, and making them attack on another when they tried to grab her. While Pinkie was doing this Twilight noticed that Spot was finally able to see again, and that he was sneaking up behind Pinkie. She ran over to him and quickly bucked him, he flew a few feet, before charging back at Twilight, who manged to grab the frying pan from the cart and hold it up in defense. They fell backwards as Spot landed on top of her, Twilight manged to use the pan to hold him away from her, gagging a little at his bad breath , it was nearly as bad as a Timber Wolves. He manged to grab a hold of the pan with his jaws, he wrenched it from Twilight's grip and flung it off to the side before lunging his fangs at her shoulder. She screeched as he almost bit her, the screeching was high pitched enough that it hurt Spot's ears. He whimpered in pain and leaped off of Twilight, Twilight laid there for a few seconds before Pinkie yelled at her.
" Twilight, the gems!" Twilight started, nodded and rushed over to the gems that had previously fallen out of Pinkie's mane. She threw them at the diamond dogs that were trying to attack Pinkie. The dogs quickly stopped and began to fight over the gems, Pinkie picked up one of the gems and threw it into the forest the dogs following. She giggled a high pitched annoying giggle at the few that hesitated, causing them to look at her pain, and the sound assaulted their ears and nerves. Pinkie ran over to Twilight, they were about to speak to each other when, Spot tried tackling them again. They saw him coming and spun around, as he was about to land on them, they both lifted their back hooves and bucked him into the woods. They bro hoofed before Pinkie spoke.
"Hey Twilight, I am sorry about ignoring you earlier, and your advice, you were just looking out for me." She looked down.
"It's okay, I mean you saved our flanks back there!"
"I geuss that I am a little sad that my first friend in this town, and my first colt friend turned out to be a bunch of smelly dogs...."
" Hey, look on the bright side Pinkie, maybe the next one will be a bat pony."
"Silly Twilight, your just saying that to cheer me up." Pinkie lightly punched her sister, smiling, Twilight smiled back.
"Awkward sibling hug?"
"Awkward sibling hug." Pinkie tackled Twilight in a hug, and Twilight stumbled a little before they both patted each other on the back. They then started to head toward the front of the hut, before Twilight stopped her eyes winding a little in fear, Pinkie continued a little bit before noticing that Twilight had stopped. Twilight was quietly muttering to her self, one of her eyes twitching, Pinkie walked over to her.
"Hey Twilight are you alright?" Pinkie asked softly, gently putting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. Twilight's head snapped up towards Pinkies and their eyes met.
"I-I don't have my hat, which means my horn isn't covered, and Flam doesn't know that I am a unicorn..." She gulped and her hooves started to fiddle with each other. "What if he doesn't like it, I mean he is a unicorn, but it's still weird that I am one of the only unicorns in a earth pony family... what if he hates me and want's to kick me out or-" Her worried mumbling was cut off by Pinkie hugging her.
"Twilight you silly filly, Grunkle Flam won't kick you out, plus I bet you that he doesn't care what type of pony you are. You know that I don't care... But if it makes you feel better I will mess up your mane enough so that it covers your horn." Pinkie smiled gently at her sister.
"Okay... Thanks Pinkie."
"No problem Twilight." Pinkie then put her hooves on Twilight's mane and rubbed furiously. After a few minutes of rubbing Twilight's mane proofed up in a little afro, a few of the leaves that were stuck in it falling out, Pinkie giggled a little.
"What?"
"Your mane is in a little afro."
"Really?" Pinkie nodded and pointed to the window. Twilight smiled when she saw her reflection, her mane now covered her horn, and it looked ridiculous. She giggled as well.
"Pinkie you always know how to cheer me up." Twilight stated heading into the hut, Pinkie following.
They trudged into the hut, dragging their hooves a little, Pinkie shut the door behind them, with a half hearted kick. Flam was standing behind the counter counting the money. He winced a little when he saw the state they were in.
"Hey you two get attacked by a bear or something?" He then snorted at his own joke. The two fillies looked briefly at him before continuing toward the employees only part of the hut. He frowned and looked down before looking back up and holding out a hoof.
"Hey!" He nervously shuffled the money as the fillies turned their heads to look at him. " I, umm think that I over stocked some stuff, so you guys can have something from the shop for free, on the house."
"Really?" Pinkie smiled hope and excitement in her eyes. Twilight raised an eyebrow and looked skeptically at her Grunkle.
"What's the catch?"
"The catch is that you have to do before I change my mind and I make you pay for it. Now take something."
Flam opened the cash register and organized the money while Twilight and Pinkie walked around the shop looking for something to get. Twilight spotted a shelf with white and pink baseball caps, she rushed over to the shelf, she grabbed one and put it on her head, it fit her perfectly. She smiled, now she didn't have to worry about Flam finding out about her horn or anything. As she looked in the mirror below the shelf and adjusted the hat, she noticed what the symbol on the hat was,it was a six pointed pink star that was the same color as the bill of the hat, Twilight turned around to see what Pinkie had found. She saw that her sister was halfway into a box, her flank and hind legs in the air, Twilight put a hoof over her mouth to hide her smile. Pinkie fell all the way into the box, Twilight was moving toward it to help her sister, when Pinkie popped out of the box with an item in her hoof, a triumphant smile on her face.
"Grappling Hook!"
Twilight and Flam looked at Pinkie before glancing at each other.
"Wouldn't you rather have a toy or something?"
Flam said rasing an eyebrow at Pinkie, Pinkie jumped out of the box and stood on her hid hooves the grappling hook held in her right hoof, a serious look on her face. She shot the grappling hook, confetti popping from it, as the hook caught on a rafter. The line then pulled Pinkie up to the ceiling, and she hung from the rafter, left over confetti landing on her shoulders.
"Grappling hook!" Flam shrugged his shoulders.
"Fair enough."
It was later that evening when Twilight and Pinkie were in their room in the attic. Pinkie was bouncing on her bed, while Twilight sat writing in the Journal.
This Journal told me to not trust any one in Gravity Ville, but when you battle a hundred dogs, side by side with someone, you realize that they have probably always got your back.
Twilight then turned to Pinkie who was testing her new grappling hook, by grabbing one of her stuffed animals, confetti getting all over her bed.
"Hey Pinkie could you get the light?" Twilight asked indicating the lantern on the desk in between the two beds.
"Okay dokie Lokie!" Pinkie said shooting the hook at the lantern, sending it and a bunch more confetti out of the window that had strange swirl designs on it.
"It worked!" They both laughed.
Our uncle told us that there was nothing weird in this town, but who knows what other secrets are waiting to be discovered.
As the fillies upstairs were drifting off to sleep, Flam was down in the gift shop area of the hut, a lantern held in his magical grasp to penetrate the silent darkness of the night. He was still wearing his fez, but other than that the only things that he had on were a gold chain and a lose white sleeveless shirt. He walked over to the vending machine. He looked up to the ceiling and behind him, as if someone was following or watching him. He Then turned around and quickly punched a code into the vending machine. A normal pony would happen to wonder why he was getting a snack at this time of the night when the vending machine popped open with a mechanical, and slightly magical sound. He walked into the small room and staircase that was hidden behind the machine. He mostly closed the door, but stopped and looked suspiciously around again one last time before closing the vending machine completely. The light from the vending machine cast an eerie glow on the floor of the hut, before it flickered and went out completely, throwing the gift shop into mysterious darkness once again.