Myth Chaser and the Secret of Starswirl

by Myth Chaser

Prologue

Author's Note:

Starting a new story is a weird task. Writing it is the easy part, but actually putting it up online for all to see is... Well, it's pretty nerve-wracking. All I can really say is I hope you all enjoy the story. I've had the basic outline for this story in the back of my mind for a couple of years now and it feels good to finally get it started.

I look forward to bringing everyone that reads this more chapters (and maybe full sequels?) in the weeks to come, as well as going through the feedback! There's a long journey ahead of us. Prepare yourselves.

Adventure Lies Ahead

Heavy panting and the crunching of leaves and grass could be heard as a tan-colored stallion sprinted through the trees as swiftly as he could, rushing alongside the river not too far from him. Saddlebags rested at his sides, the strap wrapped around his midsection, and an empty gun holster was strapped to his hoof. The loud boom of a gunshot sounded in the air, quickly followed by a few more, making the stallion duck his head down in hopes of dodging the bullets. He saw splinters of wood break from the bark of the trees ahead of him, warning him of his perilous situation. There were a few calls out to him from his pursuers.

“Stop!” shouted a masculine voice.

“Come back here!” called another.

How cliche, he thought. Don't these guys read books? Nopony actually stops when you say that. Especially if you're shooting at them. He watched carefully where he was going, not chancing a glance behind him. His saddlebags pounded hard against his sides as he ran through the forest. The stallion could hear the hoofsteps behind him getting louder, letting him know they were catching up. The wind whisked by quickly, blowing through his brown mane, his tail flowing right behind him.

His eyes were focused ahead, spotting a fallen tree laying on the ground. He leaped over it, not losing any speed. A low-hanging tree branch; he ran right underneath with his head hung low. Then the ground was gone and nothing was in front of him. As his eyes widened and he saw he was coming to the edge of a cliff, the pony slowed down, digging his hooves into the ground to come to a halt.

The stallion turned, ready to run in a different direction, but found himself face-to-barrel with a pistol, held up to his face by one of his pursuers, a zebra mare who wore a grin on her face. “You're a quick one, aren't you?” she asked. The gun was strapped to her hoof, resting on it securely with the trigger in the right position to shoot with just a flex.

Now that he was staring down the barrel of a loaded gun, the stallion was sure he was cornered. There was no way she would miss if she took a shot now. “For a moment there, I thought you were actually going to get away,” the zebra admitted just as the other two pursuers finally caught up and placed themselves to either side of the stallion, trapping him between them and the cliff side.

The first was a dark, black-feathered gryphon, with a bow and arrow, the arrow notched and aimed with the string drawn back, ready to fire. One of his wings were bandaged, the reason why he wasn't flying. The other was a dark blue unicorn stallion with a darker blue mane and tail, panting heavily as his magic held a spear in the air, the sharp tip aimed at the cornered pony.

Caught, the tan earth pony stallion just took a seat, feeling the saddlebag shift down his back from the weight of what lay inside.

“Alright, alright. You caught me. Now what?” He looked at the zebra. “Going to kill me? Throw my body over the cliff so nobody will ever find me?”

“Sounds like a plan, considering the importance of what you've just stolen from me, Myth Chaser.”

“Stealing?” Myth Chaser laughed, gesturing to his gun that she held. “Oh, you're one to talk.”

The mare grinned and lowered the pistol as she took a step back, the gryphon's arrow and the unicorn's spear both still at the ready. “How about a trade? You can have your gun back, in return for that artifact.”

All three looked at her in surprise. The gryphon spoke up. “Ma'am, are you sure you want to do that?”

“For once, I'm in agreement with the gryphon," the unicorn said. “That seems like a pretty dumb thing to do.”

“No worries, boys,” the zebra mare said. “I know what I'm doing.”

Myth grinned. If he got his gun back, he'd be able to fight and get himself out of this, with both the gun and the artifact. With a nod, he accepted the trade. “You've got a deal. On one condition, though. Gun comes first.”

“As if.” The gryphon laughed. “There's no way that—“

“Sure,” the zebra mare quickly agreed, slipping the gun's straps off her hoof.

“...what, really?” Myth had to do a double-take. “You'll give me my gun that easily?”

“Sure.” She now had the gun unstrapped and held it up for him to see. “You want your gun back, I want my artifact. It's only fair. The boss did say she wants that thing back no matter what it takes. But, just in case...” She then slid the ammo clip out of the pistol and tilted it, emptying it of every bullet, watching the sleek bullets clatter to the forest floor. After that, the zebra then put the empty magazine back into the pistol and tossed it to the stallion's hooves with a smile.

“Smart mare.” Myth Chaser smiled as he reached for the gun and slipped it into the side pocket of his saddlebag, closing the flap over it.

“Now hand over the artifact.”

The stallion sighed, rolling his eyes. “Alright. You gave my gun back, I guess I should—“

“Shut up." The zebra stomped a hoof. "Hand over... the artifact.”

“You're no fun.” Myth then reached to his belly, and almost immediately heard hooves shuffling, the unicorn stepping toward him and seeing the spear come closer as well as the gryphon pull the arrow back up to aim at his head. “If you want the artifact, tell your goons to cool off,” he told the mare, nodding to the gryphon and unicorn.

“...calm down, you two,” the zebra commanded the two males. “He's got nowhere to run.”

With that, the gryphon eased up on his bow and lowered it, but kept the arrow notched so he could ready and fire at a moment's notice. Along with that, the unicorn pulled the spear back toward himself, deactivating his magic as he took the spear in hoof. It was dead silent.

“Thank you.” He then reached to his belly again once they relaxed, and unbuckled the strap on his saddlebags. The way he was sitting, his back arched down, the bag ended up sliding down along his back and slid over the edge of the cliff, falling behind him. Myth turned his head, looking down behind him, making sure the bag had slipped over the cliff side like he wanted. He then turned to look back to the zebra, gryphon, and unicorn again. They all stood there, mouths agape in surprise at what just happened as they looked at him. “Oops.” Myth grinned smugly.

“What have you done?” the zebra mare questioned, beginning to step toward him.

He stood up. “I believe I just outsmarted you.”

“Why, you little...”

Myth Chaser smirked and gave a salute. “See you later, fellas,” he said, just before he quickly turned and jumped over the cliff. Fellas? Did he really just say that?

Now, the tan earth pony was free falling, the wind rushing through his brown mane and tail, making him feel a bit cold, his hooves outstretched in front of him, looking down below him at the lake he was going to land in. He knew the zebra mare wouldn't have the courage to take this jump. The gryphon wouldn't dare try to fly with his injured wing. And the unicorn... Well... Myth had seen that wimp fight one on one.

He looked back to where he'd jumped from, seeing the three peering over the edge down at him. He chuckled as the zebra mare then smacked the unicorn on the back of the head, no doubt scolding him for not using his magic to catch the stallion before he got out of range.

The fall was quicker than he'd anticipated. Just as he looked back in front of him, he saw he was about to hit water. Myth quickly took a deep breath and prepared himself. Then...

Splash.

He resurfaced soon after, and squirted a little water from his mouth like a colt, and chuckled. Looking around, he spotted a blue pegasus mare with a black mane and tail standing at the side of the lake, watching him. Myth kicked, swimming over to her, and crawled out of the lake with a limp, panting as if he were out of breath and groaning in pain. “Agh... Help me. I... I-I can't walk... I think a broke something.”

“Oh shut up.” The mare giggled, throwing a towel at his face. “You're fine.”

Myth chuckled as he got up. He knew she wouldn't have fallen for his joke. He did that kind of thing to her all the time. “You catch the bag, Snaps?” he asked, grabbing at the towel she gave him and starting to dry himself off.

“Yeah." She reached behind a tree and brought out the same saddlebag Myth had dropped over the cliff side. “Got it right here.”

“Perfect.” He shook the water off his body and dried off his face. He then draped the towel over his neck. “Didn't I tell you the plan would work?”

“Yeah, you were right.”

“Aaaand...?”

“Don't make me say it...”

“Say it, Snaps." He nudged her in the side. "Come on. A deal's a deal.”

With a groan, Snapshot rolled her eyes. “And you're the ultimate mastermind and overall genius of the family and I shall forever worship the ground you walk on. There, I said it. You happy?”

He laughed and ruffled a hoof through her mane as he passed by her. “Very.” Myth went to the saddlebag and reached in, pulling something out.

“Is that the artifact?” she asked, joining him at the bag as she fixed her mane from the ruffling.

“Sure is.” He smiled, holding it up for her to see.

What he held in his hoof was a small, circular, disc made of gold with runic symbols etched into it. In the middle was a thin needle-like object jutting out from a short stone in the center.

After a few moments of the two looking at it, the mare snatched it out of her brother's hoof and looked at it closely. “Well, what is it?” She looked at Myth curiously.

He just shrugged. “No idea. But...” He snatched it back from her and stuffed it into his saddlebag. “We'll take it back home and wait for mom and dad to get back. They'll tell us what they know, and maybe we can finally start to understand why they sent us to get this.”

“You mean to tell me, we came all the way out here, hiked up these mountains, through these forests, and you risked your life, nearly getting shot... to get something that you don't even know what it is?"

"Hey, you know as much as I do about all of this, okay? Mom and dad asked us to get this thing, and that's it. I'm not even sure they know what it is."

"Yeah, yeah..." she muttered, frustrated that they didn't have a clue what they just risked their lives for.

"Let's just get back home and wait. We'll find out what this is all about when they get back."

“Hold on a bit, this place looks perfect for some shots." She made her way to a nearby rock where another saddlebag rested.

“Aw, come on, Snaps... Again? We've stopped to let you take pictures a dozen times.”

“Hey, I came with you all the way out here and helped you out with your little heist. The least you could do is sit back and let me get some pictures,” she said as she pulled her camera out of her bag, popping off the lens cap and hooking the strap over her neck. “Oh, and... 'See you later, fellas'? That's really what you said?”

“It was a spur of the moment thing." He waved her away. "Just shut up and go take your pictures. And hurry back. The sun's about to set.”

With that, Snapshot smiled, gave a little nod, and with a strong flap of her wings, took off into the air with her camera.