Wayward Wanderers

by Maverick Huntress

Chapter One: The Haze of War - Spike's Perspective

I let out a cry as me and Twilight got sucked into the time-portal once again, the experience just as bad as last time while we hurtle towards what’s probably another horrible future where something else has gone wrong because the Rainboom didn’t happen. There’s a small chance it wouldn’t be horrible and that it actually might be halfway-decent but eh, a dragon can dream, can’t he?

The walls of weird, blue time-stuff abruptly stop as we’re spit out of the portal but this time we hit the table so hard we actually bounce off before hitting the ground! I let out a groan as I get off my back, hoping the scroll didn’t get damaged while I get to my feet. I notice something’s wrong the second I open an eye, the sky a lot darker then I remembered it before we got sucked up. “That’s weird.”

Twilight gets up with an audible huff of annoyment, trotting over to me with a look to match. “Well, you obviously don’t mean us falling because that’s becoming pretty routine now.” She grumbles while shaking out a wing to get rid of any dirt that might’ve gotten in it.

“No, it's just the other times we've come back, it's been day! But look!” I point towards the sky, no sign of the Sun anywhere as clouds lazily drift by.

“Why would the map bring us back to a different time of day than when we left?”

I was starting to wonder the same thing when I spot something moving behind the table, a chill going down my spine when I see that it’s a Timberwolf. “Um, maybe we should figure it out later!”

Both of us back up as the Timberwolf comes closer, a second one soon joining it as it leaps onto the table. It lets out a snarl as the other gets closer to us, their glowing eyes locked on us.

Off to my left, I see Twilight’s horn fizzle out and that’s when I really begin to panic. Without her magic, there’s no way we can take them on! I try to put on a brave face and raise my fists, scooting closer as a third one comes out of the forest.

“Hey, uh, Twilight? I…” I bump into her and gulp as we’re nearly surrounded now, the only visible path blocked by a timberwolf to my right. I’m forced to raise my arm to shield my eyes from something bright and blue, the wooden wolves shying away as well much to my surprise. “A-are you doing that?”

“I’m out of energy, I can’t cast any magic! It must be Starlight-”

Something suddenly slams into table, interrupting Twilight and sending us flying through their air before I crash into something. I let out a cry when I do, the world around me blurry and spinning as I try to get on my feet. Something sharp and gross fills my mouth, making me spit it out and wipe it off my tongue with one of my hands. Once most of it's gone, I look down at my hands and notice they look of a bit… red. Oh Celestia, its blood.

“T-Twilight!” I call out, scrambling out from behind the bush I had crashed into. “i-I’m bleeding! Do you-”

I freeze at the sight before me. Not far from me was Twilight but she wasn’t moving, blood trailing down the side of her face as she slumps against a tree. I could also see a few Timberwolves, their yellow eyes staring at me for a couple of seconds before turning away. I let out a relieved sigh, having expected them to attack me, but that made wonder why. Daring to glance away from Twilight, I saw the reason.

Standing on the table of harmony was a massive… thing. It looked like a dragon, big, burly, and with spines running down its back, but I don’t think dragons glowed like somepony had stuck a light inside them. Even if they did, I don’t think a bright blue color would be a good sign. Even its eyes seem to glow, a urge to flee overtaking me as those beady orbs fell on me.

Fortunately, one of the Timberwolves decides that now would be a good time to attack. Leaping at the probably-a-not-dragon, it latches onto the thing’s arm and… no reaction. I was just as surprised as the Timberwolf as the massive creature looks down as its arm, grabs the dangling pile of twigs and branches, and then sends it hurling through the air with a flick of its wrist. I hear a yelp before it hit a tree and literally splinters into pieces, some of the bits pelting me as I hold up my arm to shield myself from them.

Letting out a roar more blood-curdling then a hydra’s, manticore’s, or even an ursa’s, I feel myself wobble and nearly fall over from the sheer force of the thing’s warcry though I manage to stay up. Unfortunately for the wolves though, they wouldn’t have the choice. The way-worse-then-a-dragon creature launches itself at the nearest Timberwolf before one of them can even make a move, a single swipe of its massive claws sending the unlucky wolf into the air and into pieces at the same time; its halves landing in separate places several hooves apart. The next two leap at the thing in revenge but pretty much end up the same way as one is just smashed into the ground and the other has its entire barrel grabbed and then crushed. It doesn’t even flinch as the head of the crushed wolf bounces off of its scaly chest, still-glowing eyes searching around for any others to fight. Not finding it, it turns its attention back to me.

Gulping loudly, I take a step back and then as many as I end up managing before stumbling into the bushes behind me; trying to keep as much distance between me and that thing as possible! It doesn’t work though as it easily covers in the distance in just a few steps, the ground seeming to shake with each one. I raise my arms up as I curl up, shutting my eyes while I try to imagine myself anywhere but here. “D-don’t kill me, I-I didn’t do anything! I’m, we’re, not even suppose to be here! This is all Starlight Glimmer’s fault! Me and Twilight just wanna go home and get things back to normal!”

I crack open one of my eyes after a few seconds pass and I realize I’m not dead, the thing just looking at me right now; it's soulless, glowing eyes making me even more uncomfortable. “Can you… understand me?” I mean, it wouldn’t surprise me if it could, but then again, it hasn’t done anything else but roar and absolutely slaughter those Timberwolves like they were nothing. That’s when I realized I couldn’t see the broken pieces of wood anymore.

“Behind you!”

I was just a little too late as the second-biggest Timberwolf I've ever seen, or biggest, kinda hard to tell with it being night and all, tackled the not-dragon; actually making it stagger and stumble as the supersized wolf tried to bite its face off. It was just as pointless as the other attacks though, its claws not even leaving marks on the scales covering the not-dragon's body while the Timberwolf’s jaws snap at its head again and again.

Shifting its legs and putting one behind it, the thing stops the giant wooden wolf from pushing it entirely; its owns claws grabbing at the Timberwolf’s neck and the upper part of its mouth. Letting out another terrifying roar, I could only watch it awe and horror as the Timberwolf’s insides were suddenly set on fire, the flames going right down its throat.

I couldn’t believe my eyes as the thing throws the burning wolf, struggling to get up and managing to do so just before its right foreleg falls off; leaving them behind while smoke trails behind the rest of the Timberwolf as the rest of it continues to burn. It was like I stuck in a horror magic-fi movie, trapped with a monster made by somepony like Doctor Neighfario or Mega Mind with my only hope being the hero. I glanced and gulped as I thought of mine, though I knew Twilight wasn’t going to the one to save me since she was still unconscious.

I freeze up as I could feel its eyes on me again, forcing me to look back with a sense of terror and dread way stronger then any I had before. Nightmare Moon, Discord, even Tirek hadn’t made me this scared. None of them explicitly wanted us as dead, though Tirek was willing to kill if the destruction of Ponyville was any indication.

This thing , though, it doesn't play around. It didn’t just take out the Timberwolves, it slaughtered them. That makes me wonder why I wasn’t killed though, it looked at me before and was-

“Hey, get away from her!”

My mouth and body move faster then my brain can as I suddenly find myself standing in front of Twilight and the terrifying thing; arms spread apart as I try to shield her. “I-If you wanna kill her too, y-you’ll have to go through me first!”

The thing looks at me with unblinking eyes for what seems like forever, holding my breath the entire time. Its knocked out of me though when it bats me aside with just one claw, sending me to the ground with a ompf. I get up just in time to see it grabbing Twilight and lifting her up in the air.

“N-no, I won’t let you kill her too!” I cry out as tears began streaming down my face, beating on the thing’s leg as Twilight now dangles above me. I keep hitting until my hands grow sore, throbbing in pain as my eyes sting from all the tears. I’m a sobbing, sniffling mess as my best friend hangs above me, lifeless thank to this… this jerk!

“Y-you’ll… you’ll pay for this!” I shout, wiping my nose and eyes as I try to look up and glare at the thing, Twilight still in its grasp. “I’ll tell Celestia and Luna a-and they’ll-! They’ll…”

I blink a few times, rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn’t just seeing things now. The monster is just moving Twilight’s head around, its claws not so much grabbing her but gently tilting and rotating with one hand while the other holds her up.

“W-what… what are you doing?” I manage to ask after a few moments while I look up with confusion.

I get no answer though, just a brief look before the thing glances up at the sky. I look up too, wondering what made it do that, only to see it carrying Twilight under its right arm now; the ground shaking with each step as it makes its way out of the clearing. “H-hey, wait up!” I cry out as I scramble to catch up, not wanting to leave Twilight alone with it or get ambushed alone by anything else the Everfree wants to throw as us.

---

We eventually arrive at the edges of the forest, the trip leaving me a little bit winded as I had to keep pace with the giant dragon-like-thing the whole time. Now that we were out though, I could stop and take a breather. “There should be… a town… not far ahead…” I pant, grabbing my legs for support. “Hard to miss it…”

I lift my head up so I can point to Ponyville but that’s when I realize it’s still a good distance away. Was it always that far from the forest? No, something wasn’t right here. Looking around, I notice a castle not far ahead, just across a bridge actually.

It looks familiar, yet it wasn’t at the same time. The style and shape of it reminds me of something I had seen before… “That’s it, the old castle! What was it called, the, uh…. The Castle of the Two Sisters I think? Twilight and the others tried restoring it at one point but they never got this far…”

I realize that I was talking to myself when I hear somepony shout, “S-stop right there!” Blinking a few times, I rush towards the thing and Twilight who were now on the bridge; only noticing that somepony that was standing in front of them when I catch up.

It was a pony, but one I hadn’t seen one before. They had bat wings, wore purple armor, and had some creepy-looking eye as their crest. I think they’re called bat ponies but I’m pretty sure Twilight said that wasn’t a nice thing to call them. I stay behind the thing just in case something happens, though I do peek out to look at the strange stallion.

“B-by the orders of the Princess of the Night and of Equestria, you are…” The stallion gulps as I feel the thing leaning down and towards him, shivering a bit as I remember how it felt to have those eyes on me. “H-hereby u-under arrest for trespassing, s-suspicion of arson, a-and suspicion of treason! A-any resistance will be seen as evidence of g-guilt and-”

I think the guardpony finally notices Twilight because that’s when I hear goes into full-blown panic mode, bat wings flaring out as the eye in carmor lights up.

“Alert, hostage situation! D-dragon-like creature with an injured pony, mare, purple, unicorn, possible head injury as well! Requesting backup! Requesti-”

I close my eyes before I see anything as I knew what would happen next, though the sound of crunching metal and bone alone was still enough to make me gag; the dull thump moments later making me throw up a bit as I didn’t even have to guess what made that sound. The bridge shakes as the thing moves, the vibrations weaker once its off. I don’t move though, curling up as I squeeze my eyes shut.

“S-Sargent Glave r-reporting in… S-severely injured, t-two intruders, one hostage…” I hear the hoarse voice of the bat-pony, coughing several times before he continues. “O-outside the main entrance… P-”

Another crunch. This one a lot louder. Wet.

I throw up, unable to hold it back now. I clutch the side of the bridge as everything I ate earlier comes rushing out, the bridge still shaking slightly from the heavy steps of the thing as it moves away from me.

No, not a thing. A monster.

Author's Note:

Beings from another world trapped in one that is not their own, a guard slain by the claws of a monster, an unconscious princess who knows nothing of what is happening around her yet is at the center of it all.

The sands of time shift as the tide of fate crashes into them, guiding those who walk along them to a future not yet explored.

Comments

[Moonlight Blitz]

wowzer this is intense