Of Fickle Fates and Eternal Vows

by Orkus

Formulations and Tribulations

With the train station that had arrived here from far behind them now, the alicorn Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, walked through the city's main town in a leisurely stride with her colorful crew of close friends beside her; the unicorn Rarity, the earth ponies Pinkie Pie and Applejack, and the pegasi Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. With them were Twilight's young dragon assistant, Spike, and her student, the unicorn Starlight Glimmer; an individual gifted in magic, and once an antagonist of the group until Twilight showed her the true value of friendship.

They had all been summoned here for one reason. It was detailed in a message Twilight Sparkle's former mentor, Princess Celestia, sent to her not one day ago via a scroll delivered by Spike's fire breath. The reason itself was incredibly dire, and with quick preparation, they made their way here to help out in any way they could.

The entire city seemed to be beset by an atmosphere of eerie silence as they trotted through it. The few who wandered the streets that weren't patrolling guards eyed the eight with a mixture of inquisitiveness and hope, knowing who they were without need for reminder. The occasional pony to poke their heads from their windows showed off the same expressions, before hiding themselves indoors again.

Growing close to the base of the main castle that the city was built around, several shapes came into view. Approaching them, the group could easily see that it was the tall figures of the Royal Sisters and rulers of Equestria, princesses Celestia and Luna, flanked by several earth pony and unicorn guards dressed in regal, gold armor; their groomed fur and trimmed tails dyed white and blue, respectively.

"Greetings, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna," Twilight spoke; all eight of them bowing to the two in respect. "We have received your message, and so we've come to offer you any aid that we can give."

"Greetings to you as well, Twilight Sparkle. I thank you all immensely for heeding our summons," Celestia greeted with a bow of her head in return; her tone unusually mirthless, which only served to tell Twilight just how grave of a situation this truly was. "Follow us, if you may. We have a most thought-provoking bit of information for your collective ears only."

Getting to their legs, the group followed Celestia and Luna to the steps leading up to the castle's main entrance. "It's a good thing we came," Rarity said during the short journey. "Twenty ponies have gone missing without a trace in less than a month... it's disconcerting, to say in the least."

"Twenty-one now, actually..." sighed one of the following guards. "A young pegasus who worked as an assistant to one of the bakers in town was declared missing just this morning. We may have instilled a curfew, but it's still happening. Somehow."

"And remember," Celestia went on with a nod, "the wildlife in the forest surrounding Canterlot have been extremely aggressive as of late. It defies all explanation as to why the animals of our countryside have been so hostile and unafraid of the ponies who venture here on the normally safe pathways to and from Canterlot. We believe it has something to do with what is going on, however, we do not suspect them of being the cause of these disappearances."

"Well, if there's anything I like as much as friendship and books, it's discovering logical conclusions to mysteries," Twilight confidently spoke to her former mentor as they came up to the main doorway of the castle, flashing a grin. "We're on the case, princess."

It was here that Fluttershy spoke up from behind everyone in her soft voice, causing them all to stop and turn to her respectfully. "Twilight, if it's alright with you, I'd like to go out into the outer part of the woods and maybe find out what's been bugging the animals, if I can," she said. "I'm sure that if one of them tells or shows me something, I'll be able to find some sort of evidence to help set things right."

The Princess of Friendship pondered on Fluttershy's proposal and goal for but a second before replying. "Alright, but you're not going alone," she said.

"I'll accompany her," Applejack volunteered, stepping forward. "While y'all search up for clues here, Fluttershy and I will go into the forest and be back by sundown."

She turned next to Fluttershy herself and situated the hat over her head into a more comfortable position. "Is that all right with you, Sugarcube?"

"Yes, I'm fine with that," she responded with a smile. "Let's go now, while we have as much time as possible."

"Alright then. To the forest we go," nodded the earth pony, already turning about and trotting back down the steps, followed swiftly by Fluttershy. They didn't get too far before Applejack briefly turned again to the friends she was departing from. "Good luck finding out what's going on around here, girls!"

"Be safe!" Rarity called out as well, as they began to grow distant.

"And be sure to watch out for strange creatures. Should you happen to encounter any, do not engage conversation with them. Come back to us right off and tell us!" Luna also spoke aloud, with enough significance in her tone to cause some of the ponies around her to look at her inquisitively. When the pair had gotten far enough away, the others all went inside of the castle, still thinking on the princess' words. Their journey through the hallowed halls that contained multiple stained glass windows, all depicting the deeds and feats of heroes and villains from Equestria's past and present, was a trip that felt much longer than it really was. It ended with them entering the main throne room.

The area of the throne room that the princesses and their guards walked up to next was situated in the left corner, where a small round table was situated. Beside it, standing diligently, was a blue-furred servant pony with a small mustache on his face. He had what looked like a roll of paper in his held-up hoof.

"We brought you all in here to discuss a matter that has yet to reach the ears of the people," Celestia began, her tone as serious as the expression of concern her sister and herself currently bore. "Just shy of thirty days ago, right before the first disappearance took place, one of the castle maids was wandering out in the forest picking wild mushrooms for the kitchen. As she was getting set to return, she spotted a peculiar creature that fled from her sight, and into the nearby river. The news we received of this odd being is why Luna warned Fluttershy and Applejack to be wary of strange beasts before they left."

Luna continued on where her sister left off. "After we used a precise memory-illuminating spell on this servant, as per her own wishes, she managed to create a colored sketch of the creature in a nearly photographic sense." The Princess of the Night used her magic to lift it from the servant's hoof in a blue halo of magical energy and placed it on the table before them all. Twilight looked over the image, humming in interest. On the paper was what appeared to be an upright shape with a blue fabric wrapped around its shoulder and stomach, like a scarf or cloak in design. It possessed a reddish tint to most of its hairless body, save for its face, chest and underarms, which were instead of a more light and creamy color. With the basic shape of it, it looked fairly feminine, and this assumption was helped by the golden jewelry that was worn over her head, neck and waist. Also extending from the back of the being's head, similar in function to a pony's mane, was what seemed like the tail of a fish; with two fin-like protrusions falling from either side, above the being's cheeks.

"This is... bizarre," Pinkie spoke first with a hoof rubbing rapidly over her chin, which was a feat in and of itself, considering the hyperactive pony's distant view of what the term 'bizarre' meant. "It's most definitely not a pony, it's not a changeling, and it doesn't appear to be a kelpie or any other creature we've seen before... Twilight, what do you think?"

"I have no idea." The alicorn itched at her temple in vexation. "The overall shape it has reminds me of the time I've spent in the human world, but this still doesn't look like anything I've ever seen or heard of there. The closest thing I can imagine is a siren or a sea pony, since it has the appearance of a water-dwelling creature, but it still looks almost nothing like them either."

"So, we've only got a picture of this being and nothing else," Starlight mumbled. "But it brings up a few new questions. Is this the thing potentially behind what's happening? And if so, why? Why would it be kidnapping ponies, and possibly causing the wildlife around it to be in such an uproar?"

"That's what we're here to find out, Starlight," Rainbow Dash said to the unicorn, putting on a grin of confidence and determination from where her wings constantly carried her blue shape in the air. "Now, how about we figure out what to try and do. I'm thinking we set up a secret watch tonight, and see if someone, or something, is doing this when nopony's looking."

"That sounds like a plan I'm willing to follow," Rarity agreed, followed swiftly by the equally-concurring nods of some of her friends. "Let's set up a watch, like Rainbow said, and maybe even a trap to go along with it..."

---

If there truly was a wave of angered wildlife living within the forest, Fluttershy had yet to see it as she and Applejack entered a thicker portion of the woodland.

Everything seemed quite calm and collected, not unlike the outskirts of the Everfree Forest back in Ponyville. The birds were singing about in the treetops, seemingly sending out their lovely songs with no worry in their high pitches. It was the very definition of tranquil.

"Applejack, what do you think is happening here?" the pegasus eventually asked as they pressed further on. "About all the things going on?"

"I don't honestly know, Fluttershy," sighed her earth pony friend. "But with all them disappearances, it's very troubling. Even the ponies living in Canterlot itself all look worried out of their minds. I only hope none of them missing ponies have gotten hurt."

"Yeah, I really do, too. Personally, I agree with the princess when she said that the animals probably aren't behind- wait, do you hear that?"

Applejack stopped alongside Fluttershy after the pegasus halted and put her ears to the air. "I don't hear anything," she said after a few seconds of listening.

"That's exactly it..." Fluttershy gasped uneasily. The birds had all gone silent, and what few who still stayed around had taken to the sky without emitting a single tweet to herald their departure. The two ponies had not even a second to realize what such a sign meant before the sensation of harsh tremors began to take ahold of the ground they stood upon. It wasn't long after that when a trio of screeching roars sounded in their ears, somewhere behind them both.

"What the-" Fluttershy yelped in an anxious sputter. A tall, mud-brown shape burst through the thick foliage there as though it was grass to a toad, and came into their full view; its five long, snake-like heads roaring in unison after spotting the ponies.

"Hydra!" shouted Applejack. The monster, with only two legs as thick as tree trunks to walk on, lurched forward. With predatory intent shining in its individual eyes, the many-headed beast began to pursue when the ponies started running off. Applejack pulled off the bundle of rope she had wrapped around her body for just such a hostile encounter and swung it over her head as she ran with Fluttershy, tossing it at the beast after aiming it perfectly. The lasso wrapped itself around the hydra's right leg with honed accuracy on the earth pony's part, but was attached for less than a second as the hydra sent one of its heads down to effortlessly bite the rope in two with its envenomed fangs, causing the earth pony to drop it as her lost grip recoiled on her; sending her to the forest floor as well.

Fluttershy, seeing Applejack in peril, ignored her gnawing fear, jumped into the air and flapped her wings up to the hydra's multiple heads, causing the beast to halt in its advance as her shape appeared in front of it. "We're not here to hurt you!" she spoke aloud with her hooves outstretched, though with enough sincerity to tell any living creature that her words were genuine. As if it was captivated by her voice, the hydra paused in its advance to look at her, and Fluttershy continued. "Mr. Hydra, my name is Fluttershy. I'm sorry we came into your woods, but we heard something bad might have been causing you and the other creatures here to get mad, and we're here to understand why, and to help you, if we can. I just want to know why you and all the other-"

Fluttershy was unable to finish her sentence, as the head she was currently speaking to suddenly grew an expression of mindless rage and lunged forth without warning to snap at the pegasus; grabbing her body in its rancid, fang-filled maw before she had so much as a chance to cry out. Fluttershy managed to get out one pained squeak, and as soon as she did, the hydra violently threw her away. Descending to the ground, she impacted against the wooden surface of a fallen, hollowed-out log as Applejack could only look on in helpless horror from where she stood.

Recovering in less than a second out of sheer terror for herself, Fluttershy witnessed the hydra thundering forth in her direction. Ignoring her injuries as her brain worked hastily to push the priority of self-preservation to maximum, she ran to one end of the tree trunk and crawled inside of it. Coming upon the log and bending over with a feral growl, the great beast's several heads tried to fit themselves inside of her hiding spot, though with little success. They snapped at the small yellow pegasus in their effort to grab her, but all their fangs ever scraped over was the thick, dark bark lining the trunk.

Applejack was swiftly plotting a method she could use to help Fluttershy as she ran about, when her friend's voice spoke something from within the log. "Applejack, g-go get help!" she cried as the beast continued in vain to squeeze its tremendous form through the minuscule opening.

"No way, no how!" the earth pony argued, completely against the idea of leaving her friend alone. She went for her rope and started to ready it for another lasso, but alas, found it to have been broken too short to be usable any longer.

"Don't a-a-argue, just go!" the pegasus continued to yell with terror ripe within her heightened pitch as Applejack tried desperately to think of something else. "This thing can't get me while I'm in here! I-I-I'll be safe! Just go!"

Applejack would have none of that. "Not on your life..." she growled, shifting her battered hat to a lower part of her face as a wave of adrenaline and thoughtless bravery rushed through her body. Running up to the base of the hydra without fear, Applejack spun about, tensed her muscles, and bucked it as hard as her tree-shaking legs could kick.

"Hey, you! Ya ugly, overgrown horned-toad! I think you're missin' an even tastier morsel down here!" she shouted as she reeled back and did it again, pounding the full force of her hooves against the scaly flesh of the titanic being's left foot. Feeling the kicks in the way a bear feels the sting of a bee, the hydra pulled its heads out of the hole and stared downward at the pony with its multiple, malevolent gazes. First one, then two, then all of its mouths opened and unleashed piercing shrieks and roars, causing the minuscule-by-comparison earth pony to realize that now was the time to run. Turning around as the monster made its first step toward her, she ran off; successfully luring the hydra from Fluttershy.

"Stay put and don't you worry none! I can escape it, Fluttershy!" Applejack hollered, her voice growing more distant as she was chased into the denser part of the forest by the hydra; the thunderous footsteps of the fiend growing weaker as its distance from where the pegasus in question currently hid was lengthened. "I'll be back with the others shortly, you'll see!"

Now all alone, and feeling both fatigued by the experience, and hurt from the festering injuries she gained from the monstrous creature, Fluttershy decided not to move. For her, just being alone brought upon a new kind of fear entirely, but with a shivering body, she endured it with faith and hope to keep her company. And with the knowledge of just how much her dear friends cared for her, that was enough.

From what she assumed was because of the tranquilizing venom lining the fangs of the hydra that now infected her bloodstream, she soon felt herself nodding off slowly, and very much reluctantly. But she did not worry, for she knew in her heart that Applejack would outwit and escape the hydra. She would go back to Canterlot to inform the others, and they would soon be here afterward. They would come for her. They would come for her... They would come...

Comments

[Blitz Brigade]

I saw the picture of Mipha and I was like "whaaaaa so cool!" There should be one about revalI and Sidon as well. This is awesome

[Marwile]

Just one question: Why did Celestia wait with showing the picture of Mipha until after Fluttershy and Applejack were gone? Wouldn't it have made more sense to show them the 'mysterious creature' that has been seen in the forest they are going to?

[Dilos1]

I must say, I am particularly enjoying this. Having beaten the game a little while ago, I can honestly say that I am very much looking forward to reading more of this. I particularly liked the way you described Mipha's thoughts and feelings.
One little bit of criticism that I feel is worth mentioning is that the story doesn't really take the time to develop the environment our characters are in. Sure we know that it's somewhere around Canterlot, but I think it would be beneficial to your story if you slowed down just a little bit, and gave yourself the time to flesh it out a little.
Aside from that, you are doing pretty good so far, and I look forward to reading more.

[Orkus]

8084723 I've been working so quick to put this out with the little time I've had, I suppose I didn't focus on answering that question as well as I thought I did. Worry not, I believe that I've mended it with the proper form of speech Luna gives to them before they depart.

[Camlio]

I have to agree with Dilos1 here, there's very little information or anything helping us feel a connection into the story of the land as is, there isn't a single mention of the threat beforehand, hell the fact that it's mentioned that Mipha was seen WEEKS ago when we're supposed to be following her based on how you set up the story last chapter. Making it feel a bit like a false promise, especially when it's starting to feel like a generic 'Character from X needs to help MLP cast with Y and nobody is going to learn anything for several chapters and we're not even going to see said character for another three' trap that happens with a lot of crossovers.

So word of advice though as it's simply advice you can feel free to ignore it.

DO NOT jump ahead in the story's time only to leave the character you're story is set up to follow by the way you've designed it alone for that time as you'll have to not only explain what they've been up too during that time but, explain how they are able to avoid these perils that have apparently claimed 21 ponies lives by herself without anybody seeing her again at least once in a month's time.

It'll just make your story more convoluted and make Mipha feel very, VERY underwhelming for a main character and let's face it, Convoluted and Zelda never mix well.

[nintendohero64]

Good Chapter hope the next on well explained how Mipha got adapt to the world of Equestria.

F.Y.I I in joy playing Zelda Breath of the Wild it one of my top best Zelda games so far!

[Albi]

The writing here isn't bad, but a lot of the character dialogue just sounds the same. It's stiff and not really personalized. Now, I'm not saying you should force Applejack's accent to the front of every sentence or shove 'darling' after every other word for Rarity. But I would do a little more to make the characters sound like themselves.

[Texus]

I honestly can't wait to see shy Mipha appear again in front of the shy Fluttershy.