Chapter 1
She didn't know if it was apocalyptic or post apocalyptic but what ever happened here to make it a unfeeling, lifeless, wast land it was definitely not good of cores she was talking about the Equestrian badlands witch are south east to appaloosa.
Sitting down on a rock and putting her saddle bag down on the dust covered ground she started to stare up at the majestic night sky to get directions from the early morning stars.
“There's the north star so if I follow that I’ll find my way out of this hell hole.” she thought aloud as she started to stand and putting on her rather old and burnt saddle bag over her flanks and set off on her adventures.
It had been some time since lights tribe had banished her for what he had been told she had done and many of her tribe including her mother called her a monster but none of that mattered now she was almost in Equestria she had heard many amazing storeys about Equestria from many different ponies “just a couple more miles to go not far now.” she said aloud to herself.
The sun was just starting to rise as She stopped dead in her tracks something to her left was shinning in the early morning sun she walked over to it.
It was a large gold bracelet with a silver timber wolf's head on it. It must of belonged to a dragon or something because it was as big as a necklaces as light slipped the bracelet over her head a horde of bandits jumped from the ground around her the bandits had set a trap by digging holes in the ground and covered them with dead plants.
Startled light began to run but it was already to late with a grunt the biggest bandit who was a griffin picked light up by the tale
The others gathered around as the biggest bandit grabbed lights mane with his other dirt covered taloned hand and flipped light the right way up.
A short griffin in a black cloak stepped forwards
“Settle down now we won't hurt you.” he rasped he was obviously the bandits leader the way he demanded respect from the others was almost comical.
“Put her down fritter she won't run if she knows what’s good for her.” the small griffin said in the rasping tone that sounded like a fork being dragged down a black board.
With a thud light landed on her flank she struggled to stand fear gripping every muscle in her legs. Looking for a way to escape she noticed the leader of the bandits had a metal leg. “Let me introduce myself I'm glint and that's fritter my brother” he rasped “and they ” he rasped pointing at the horde behind him “ are my friends.” a strange smile broke across his beak.
Nervously light spoke “what do you want.” the smile fell from the griffin's faces “well you see one of my friends ran off to Equestria and we need him back but there's royal guards patrolling the only way in and out of the badlands”
“ And that's got what to do with me” light said a little more angry than scared
“ Well we need a distraction to get across the border and you're the distraction” he rasped with a horrifying grin.
“What ?” she said shocked
“ Oh it's simple first we kick the living hell out of you and then we leave you where the royal guards will find you and while the guards are busy with you we 'll sneak rite through unnoticed”the griffin rasped as the circle of bandits started to close in around light as the bandits became more blood crazed light could feel a familiar sensation of burning in her heart. Her eyes flashed a unworldly blue as red and blue flames burst form the ground in front of the young mare the flames shot outwards knocking most of the bandits to the ground leaving only a few standing.
Glint stood there fixed to the spot in awe at lights power. The almost hellish power in lights eye as she turned the bandit's one by one to dust using the shear power of the flames she summoned. “We have awoken hell” the griffin muttered as lights gaze fixed on him and then he knew that the flames he had unleashed was uncontrollable even by the one who had summoned them.
Light shook the ash and mud out of her orange and red mane as he walked away looking back ones in a while trying to remember what happened to the bandits
With a shake of her head and a slight headache dismissing the thought she started heading north again, following the dirt path as a the sun started rise in the distant blue sky with a only faint pink and golden hue and white clouds after walking for what felt like forever she found herself at the grate opening in the mountains either side of her.
As she walked she could see a huge wall in the distances the road itself seemed more trodden and less dusty here as though there was more hoof traffic.
She was closer to the wall now and could see a huge gate in it ponies standing guard over what seemed like the only entrance .
“ I wonder if it's as hard to get through as the bandits said.” she mused Just a short while.
Later she had made here tired way up to the huge gate in the imposing wall the royal guard that blocked her demeaned in a deep ruff voice growling “halt who go's there state your name and reason for coming here ”
Confused light asked “ what by the mane of the sky devils do you mean?”
The guard looked dumbstruck “what?”
The guard stood firm “why did you come here?”
Still confused light answered “ to get in to Equestria why else would I come here”
“Do you have a ID ?” the guard asked
“ Didn't know I needed one, why do I need it?” light asked the guard
“To prove your not a bandit”.
“ Are you a bandit?” the guard shooting at light, giving her a look that skewered her in place
“NO am not a bandit” light whinnied with indigent offence , “ do I look like a bandit?”
The guard looked at the young attractive earth pony mare, her coat a light Gray shinning in the early morning sun, large open bright eyes almost white gold, Care free tussled ginger and red striped mane and tale, her cutie mark was a flaming torch with a purple heart in the middle of the flame add to this her old saddle bag muddy and burns all down the one side.
“ Well you don't look like a one but with bandit you can never tell”the guard said simply
“Trust me I’m not a bandit” light huffed getting inpatient
“ Is any one with you?” the guard asked
“No why?”light answered once again confused
“ You don't expected me to believe that you crossed the badlands by yourself the odds of a fully grown stallion making it by himself are slim at best” the guard said surprised
“Guess I’m just lucky”
“ Well then lets get you out of here before your luck runs out then” the guard said as he turned around and shouted “ OPEN THE GATE ”
The huge green gate stared to open the sound coming from the other side were that of torched gears wheels and chains greatly in need of oil.
The guard busy with making sure that no one was trying to burst through continued with his backwards Vidal, was so used to these screaming wheels and cogs ignored the horrendous nose.
He looked at light “ go on through I’ve got to stay on this side.”
“Oh and welcome to Equestria” he said with a smile
Thank you she smiling back as she took her first step on to Equestrian ground she looking back the huge gate started to close again with the ear splitting sounds of rust and lack of oil once again, the guard waved a hoof and attempted a smile she waved back just as the gate slammed shut.
For the first time Light looked at her surroundings there wasn't much to see which was a bit anticlimactic because she had heard many stories of flying cloud cities, huge beautiful cities clouded around the shimmering mountains but the the first thing light sew was a small old guard outpost many of the guards looked bored and only a few seemed to be doing there jobs after all the only ponies that got through the gates had to get past the gate grades first, and after that was mile after mile of forest and a small town off to one side in the distances well even grades need some where to be off duty .
She walked up to one of the guards “ pardon me but do you know the name of that town” she asked pointing at small town in the distances
The guard simply answered flatly “ dodge junction”
“Thanks I think” light said and began walking in the direction of the forest
She didn't really know where she was going but she had a loose idea of where she needed to be but that’s not the same as knowing is it?
She was heading to the canterlot archives but that means getting to canterlot and that was a long way to walk and light was still tired from her long trek across the badlands which was taxing on it's own to say the lest.
So she started trotting down the dirt road through the forest to dodge junction. She thought aloud to herself “ maybe there will be someone who know how to get to canterlot or just a place I can place eat” her stomach gave a grumble of approval .
As she finished her thought a small scaly head on bigger than her own popped out of the of a nearby bush making light fall over in surprise. Looking scared the odd looking thing ran behind light as a deep ruff voice followed behind it
“WHERE YOU GO YOU LITTLE THIEF”
Now able to see the creature light could tell it was a strange half dragon half pony it wasn't much bigger than she was. The strange aggressive voice got closer and loader.
“Quick hide in the bushes and stay very quiet” she told the strange dragon pony
With a nod the dragon pony hid in the thick undergrowth.
Within half a second of the ponydragon hiding a bull run out of the bushes opposite “where did that little fuck go” it roared at the top of it's lungs almost making light deaf.
Light looked at the bull with a look that gave her an air on confusion and with her head on one side said
“Who?”
To witch the bull roared “A half breed looks like a pony but is as ugly as a dragon”
With a raised eye brow light pointed down the path she had just taken “It ran off down that path.”
With out so much as a grunted thanks the bull ran down the path calling out profanities as load as possible. As soon as the dull was out of site the funny looking half pony half dragon thing carefully stepped out of his hiding place “ thanks. I owe you one big time”
He was slightly taller than light and looked half starved apart from his claws and tail. Were for some reason looked twice as big as they should be. But The most noticeable thing about him was his blue and green eye witch was made to glow due to his bright red scales the black and the black spines the ran up his tail and back blended I to his jet black mane.
Light caught herself staring at the pony dragon that seemed to just make him smile showing a mouth full of sharp dagger like teeth.
Light pondered for a moment if it even possible to have to different colours In both eyes and then wondered why she was even asking herself that.
Lights train of thought was cut short by the pony dragon talking “Hi I'm... Um well I don't rely have a name most ponies just call me half breed” he said shyly scratching at his short matted main with a big clawed hoof.
“Well I can't call you half breed now can I” light said with a chary tone
“Um... Well” the pony dragon looked surprised to be talking to a pony
“You could call me drake. I did always like that name” as he looking at light with a toothy smile
“OK the I’ll call you drake. My name is light it's nice to meet you ” she said with her usual happy tone.
The two walked the same path for a bit making light chitchat
“Why was that bull chasing you” light asked
Drake looked at his clawed hooves and simply said I was hungry”
“What ?” said with a confused look on her faces
“Well I haven't eaten in about two or three days... So I took a little something to keep my going till my next meal” drake said with a sad guilty look as if he was ashamed of what he just said
Light just nodded she all to well what hunger will drive some ponies to do. “Well we can get something to eat at the next town” light said with a friendly smile
That made brake smile and with a new spring in their step
They were almost to dodge junction by the time brake had notices the gold and silver timber wolf bracelet around lights neck. He stopped dead in is tracks “um... Where did you get that” he said pointed at the timber wolf head carved out of gold with blue gems for eyes.
Light just looked dumbfounded at the hoof sized wolf head “I didn't even remember that I had this” she held it up so drake could see it better without taking it off and started to explain about the bandit's and how they tried to use her as a distraction so they could get in to Equestria.
With a look of shear shock on drakes face he asked “how did you get away from the bandit's ?”
Light looked blankly at the sky not wanting to give away her secret “a royal guard heard my calls for help and came to my rescue” she said with a nervous smile
“Wow your the luckiest pony I’ve ever met.” drake said with a smile
“But you do know that is from a dragons hoard right” he said now dead serous
“What ?” light said shocked at the sudden change in drakes tone of voice
“ a dragon will hunt down every last stolen gem from it hoard, killing who ever has if they stole it or not ” drake said as if it was some kind of law
“What” light said in a tone of voice that hardly hid the stress she was feeling “what do you mean killing who has it ?”
drake now wore a sly smile " oh i wouldn't worry light the dragon is most likely long dead otherwise the bandits wouldn't have been around in the first place"
that gave light some small comfort although it did make her think about how the bandits could possibly get there hooves on a dragons hoard
" what can you tell me about this necklace then" she asked her curiosity changing her train of thought
“Well to start the fact it a bracelet not a necklace” drake said looking at the oddly linked chain around lights neck. Drake stopped and stared at the wolfs head it looked as if it was glaring at him
“And then there’s that shine. Gold would tarnish over time it would even start to rust out in the bad lands in a couple of days let alone how long the bandits had it. You see dragon's polish the hoard and entwine the rear stones and metals with magic.”
It was the the bit about magic the peeked lights curiosity.