The Birdwatching Society

by FranofFunnyFun

Chapter 1

Rays of sunlight slipped through the needles of the tall pines, scattering as it hit white snow piled beneath the trees. The only sounds to be heard were Applejack’s hoofsteps and the rolling wheels of her cart.

She did not often get to travel to this corner of Equestria. Most travelers headed northward went straight to the Crystal Empire: there were rarely even train stations in between. But by taking the road, one could find all sorts of wonders along the way, hidden in nooks and crannies.

Whinnypeg was a perfect example. Tucked away just off the beaten path, surrounded by thick pine forest and steep cliffs. The small, nature-surrounded village never got much traffic. If you weren’t fond of busy cities such as Ponyville or Canterlot, it might be the perfect place. That is, if you could bear the bone-aching cold.

The perfect place for somepony looking for somewhere to hide, AJ thought. She had been this way only once before, one year ago, at the request of a rather shady pegasus, Crow Feathers. He was fairly nice though, and paid well for her family’s produce.

AJ’s daydreaming was cut short as she came upon a rope bridge spanning a rocky chasm. The bridge’s shoddy carpentry, apparent from a distance, became even clearer once AJ reached the cliffside; about half the planks had fallen into the chasm below, and the rest looked ready to follow suit at any minute. The beams at either side couldn’t support the weight of a small filly, it appeared. There was no way anypony could make it across, let alone pull a wagon full of fruit. This was no problem. She just had to look around…

“There!”

She spied the trunk of a withered tree, teetering over the edge. Just wide enough to support the wheels of her cart. It swayed back and forth at her push. With a mighty buck, the tree fell across the chasm with a crash. It bounced up off the rocky ledge, and rolled away from the cliff, and into the waters below. “Dang it!”

Once more she scanned the area. A short distance upriver was a second conveniently placed tree nearly identical to the first, ready to be kicked into a makeshift bridge. “Here goes,” AJ sighed. This time, the tree fell across the chasm and stayed put. She gave it a few pushes to be sure it wouldn’t give, then carefully stepped on. The trunk creaked in protest under the wagon’s weight, but it held strong.

She stopped, hearing the rapid sound of hooves approaching the chasm from the road. A snow-white pony was charging down the road, from the direction she’d come. As he drew close, he veered away from the road. With a mighty leap the stranger cleared the chasm and landed on his hooves, finally slowing down.

“Huh,” AJ thought, ah reckon ah coulda done that. If it weren’t for this ‘ere wagon.”

He looked back over to AJ, who was now halfway across the fallen tree. Their eyes locked, but he did not stop walking away. It was not a cold or judgemental stare: his eyes were full of concern, as if he was afraid she would fall. Should he offer to help, or just keep moving. She seemed to have everything under control, and besides, what could he do?

WHAM!

The white pony walked headfirst into a hanging wooden sign. The sign swayed back and forth as he staggered back: ‘Welcome to Whinnypeg’. The stranger’s light face turned a bright shade of red, and he hurried off. AJ failed to suppress her laughter. This goof was just what she needed to lighten the mood after a long day of travel.

But her laughter would be cut short. She hadn’t realized the wheel of her wagon had begun sliding off the tree’s round body. Her harness tightened, slowly lifting her off her hooves, before it snapped off and dropped her back onto the log with a thud. She couldn’t look after the wagon overflowing with her family’s quality product as it plummeted into the shallow waters below. She could only stare forward as dread filled her heart and spread through her entire body.

Slowly, she took shaky steps toward the other side of the chasm, refusing to look down at whatever wreckage remained of her wagon. “This ain’t a problem,” she muttered to herself; a weak attempt to remain calm. “Ah mean, it ain’t like ah’ve never had this happen before.” Applejack didn’t hear the creaking and cracking of the dried wood beneath her hooves, until…

The tree snapped in two. The log beneath her hooves lurched downward, catching on the other. AJ yelped, falling with her legs sprawled out on either side of the log. She barely had time to get herself together before the two pieces moved again. Below her she could see broken planks drifting downstream, along with the bright red fruits she once carried. It was nearly a ten, no, twenty meter drop. AJ was still dizzy, so she couldn’t be sure. All she knew was she had to get to safety before–

CRACK! The split halves of the log finally broke apart. The lower half of the tree swung around and crashed against the cliff wall, barely supported by its withered roots. The other plummeted to the bottom, falling parallel to the first tree.

The tree’s base half swung back and forth slowly, barely held by a few dried up roots. Applejack’s legs wrapped the log tightly, lest she follow her cart into the chasm. There was nothing to climb up on. Anything else was long since eroded. But luckily AJ was prepared: she pulled a rope out of her mane and tossed it up to the cliff’s edge, where it looped around the freed roots of the tree. She gave it a few tugs to be sure the rope wouldn’t come loose, but she had little faith that the roots would actually hold strong. She wished there was something more solid she could lasso, but this was the best she had. Now she had to act fast before…

The log jolted downward. AJ lost her grip and fell several paces back before catching herself. All but a few roots had been freed from the earth. A shower of rock and dirt rained down and bounced off her hat. She climbed faster and faster. Now, her movements were beginning to shake the tree loose, but she didn’t care. She only had seconds to act.

Her hoof finally crested the roots of the falling tree. The roots holding her rope in place snapped. She grasped for the. AJ’s heart shot into her throat as gravity took its hold. There was nothing more she could do.

But then she saw a rope fly over the cliff’s edge, right above her. AJ wasted no time grasping it as it reached her. It must have been that stranger she saw earlier. She never saw him jump over the chasm again, but was grateful he did. She held tightly to the rope, ready to start climbing up. But it kept falling, and so did she. “Whoa! No no no no—”

The rope snagged on the few remaining roots, and came to a stop. The white pony rushed over and began to pull the rope back up. At last, Applejack pulled herself back out of the ravine. She finally breathed a sigh of relief, letting the crisp, cold air fill her lungs. The stranger stood before her, a snow-white stallion with an unkempt jet-black mane. His fur was noticeably longer and thicker than normal: perhaps an adaptation to the cold climate. Emblazoned on his flank was the symbol of a coniferous tree.

“That sure was a close one,” AJ said, after catching her breath. “Honestly, ah’m not sure what I’d done if ya didn’t show up.”

She expected him to stand proud for the successful rescue, or maybe concern for her safety. But instead he hung his head in shame. “I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

“When I threw you that rope, I didn’t mean to let go of the entire rope.”

“Oh,” she replied, before bursting into laughter. The white pony followed suit awkwardly.

---

“I see you’ve met my grandson.”

The strange Crow Feathers hadn’t changed one bit since AJ's first visit here. His silver dreads hung loosely from his wide-brimmed leather hat, decorated with feathers and small animal bones. The black, feather-like fur on his scarred body bearing likeness to his namesake animal. From atop his raised wooden porch, he stared down with dull emerald eyes at Applejack and the white pony, who had introduced himself as Dark Wind.

Crow Feathers owned the largest house in Whinnypeg. At the northern edge of town stood the two-story wooden manor, before a backdrop orchard of maple trees. Though Whinnypeg was a relatively new village, all the buildings were dilapidated and falling apart. But Crow’s mansion was by far the worst, almost like it was abandoned for decades. There were rumors that the town was cursed, causing buildings to decay at a much faster rate, but few actually believed that superstition.

“Never thought that boy would take a likin’ to anypony. ‘Specially a stranger.” The old stallion adjusted his hat. “I notice there’s no wagon with ya. Didn’t I order a few crates o’ apples.”

“Well ya see, that’s just it,” AJ said. “Ah had a-uh… mishap at the ravine, and, well, my whole cart got turned into applesauce.” She turned to Dark Wind. “If it weren’t for your grandson, I’d be the same.”

“I see. I can tell you ain’t lyin’, you bein’ the honest one. You wouldn’t try to cheat me…” he glared at the house across the street and shouted: “unlike some ponies I hired to fix m’ roof!” There was no response. “I won’t mention your name, Maple!”

Crow adjusted his hat again. “Well now, after a close one like that, I’m sure you’d like to come inside an’ relax by the fire. I’ll put on some tea. Or maybe some cocoa? Eh, why not both?”

As creepy as Crow’s mansion was on the outside, the inside was even more so. Though he kept the interior tidy, it was still broken down and decayed. But what was most unsettling about it were the bones. Greeting them was a complete bear skeleton, posed as if it was lunging to attack. Every wall was lined with tables and shelves housing smaller specimens: skulls, ribs, fragments, and the rare full body of a small animal. Every inch of space was filled with displays. It was as if his house was a museum, only with far less free space.

Crow led them past his exhibits, zig-zagging all around the hall and into the lounge, where they wove through even more displays to reach a seating area. Before an unlit brick fireplace were a pair of well-used gray couches on opposite sides of a coffee table, upon which stood the bones of a bird, likely a raptor.

“Dark Wind my boy, mind puttin’ on a pot o’ tea? And uhh, some cocoa too.”

“Aw, I wish you’d told me before we got here!” He whined, already snaking his way through the maze of bones.

“Ah didn’t know ya had grandkids,” said AJ, taking a seat on the couch.

“Just the boy. He’s the only son o’ my only daughter. He mostly just runs about in the woods doin’ Celestia knows what. Glad he ran into ya at the right time. I had a feelin’ you’d run into some major troubles on the way. I found a spine in my backyard, is why.”

Applejack shuddered, remembering her conversations with Crow Feathers last year. He had a hobby of walking into the forest and collecting stray bones off the ground. To him, finding a skull was a sign of good luck. But nothing good would come if a spine was found. Even as old as he was, the fact that he’d amassed such a collection was more unnerving than impressive. She thought about her friend Fluttershy, unsure if the animal-loving pegasus would find this place horrifying or fascinating.

“It is a shame about your wagon,” Crow continued. He reached under his wing and pulled out a small, jingling pouch. “I can’t rest easy knowin’ ya came all this way for nothin’.”

“That’s mighty kind o’ ya,” AJ said, “but ah can’t accept this. Ah got no apples for ya!”

“I insist. Besides, I think I’ll head down there tomorrow and fish out a few fruits to replant here. I’m sure they won’t all die this time around. Plus, the best bones walk along the river.”

AJ nodded, and tucked the pouch under her hat. Crow was always persuasive, and it was hard to turn down money. Her family business had hit a few bumps lately, and this would be very helpful. “Ya know, all the houses here look worse than an apple orchard after a cyclone. And ah don’t think it’s normal to find so many bones. Ya think it has somethin’ to do with that curse ah’ve heard about?”

“Oh, don’t ya worry about the houses. They look that way cause o’ GOOD-FOR-NOTHING CARPENTERS WHO CAN’T FIX A ROOF! Carpentry is literally stamped on your flanks!” he shouted out the one window in the room. Crow adjusted his hat and cleared his throat. “Ahem. Don’t worry about us, ya hear? If this town needs ya to come in and save us from angry bones or somethin’, I’m sure that magic map o’ yours will send ya on a ‘friendship quest’.”

“Okay, ah guess.”

The door creaked open, and Dark Wind entered, carefully balancing a tray with some tea sets on his back. He slowly wove through the entire room once more. It was hard to believe this was the same clumsy pony she'd met at the ravine.

“At last!” Crow set aside a teacup, then scooped up all three teapots and poured them into his cup all at once. The brown fluids of varying shade and opacity swirled together, as he lifted the steaming cup to his lips. “It gets pretty cold up here. If ya need a warm place to stay, ya can have the boy’s room.”

“Y’all’ve already done too much for me, ah couldn’t take your grandson’s room.”

“Don’t worry, he only sleeps there in the winter. Right now he lives in this tree stand just outside o’ town. Never really connectin’ with anypony in town. Been like that since, err… never mind.” He stopped, seeing his grandson stand up to leave at that topic.

Crow stood up. “Applejack,” he said, “I’d like to ask a favor o’ ya. When you leave this village, I ask that ya take Dark Wind with you!”

“Huh?”

“What?!”

“My boy, you’ve spent far too long running among the trees, distancing yourself from everypony. In order to grow, ya gotta leave our town. Make a new start in Ponyville. Make some friends.”

“Grandpa, I… no!” Dark Wind shuffled nervously. His thick tail brushed a few stray bones off a table. “I mean, I don’t know! Whinnypeg’s always been my home! I can’t just leave! I—“

“Relax, boy, ya know ya aren’t attached to this town or the ponies here. I know you’re afraid, but once ya go to Ponyville and make some new friends, you’ll be thankful. And I’ll always be here, just a letter away.”

Dark Wind backed into a table and knocked a small rodent skeleton onto the ground, where it’s pieces scattered. He dashed through the maze of displays, carelessly knocking over a couple on his way out.

“Aww, there he goes,” Crow groaned.

“Ya know, that was a pretty big bag o’ apples to drop on us right now,” said Applejack. “Ya coulda at least talked to him first. Or me! Ah cannot take care of Dark Wind!”

“I don’t expect you to take care o’ the boy. All I ask is ya lead him to Ponyville and show him in the right way. He’ll find his way out from there.”

“That sounds an awful lot like takin’ care o’ him. Say, was this your plan the whole time?”

“Er… not originally,”

AJ reclined. “Look. Even if ah just take him to Ponyville, but ah’m not sure about it. Ponyville ain’t in such a good state right now…”

“Don’t you worry about that. My boy is capable of handling himself. Even has quite a few bits from a few odd jobs. It’s just… he needs to reconnect with other ponies.” Mr. Crow’s face turned to one of sorrow. “His mother and father have been gone for almost ten years now. He’s been dissociatin’ from other ponies ever since. This place has too many memories. If he’s gonna make some friends, it can’t be here.”

AJ silently nodded. She remembered the pain she felt with her own parents gone. Dark Wind must have gone through a lot of grief as well. And it seemed, was still going through it.

“Yeah, ah understand. Ah planned for this to be a day trip, but ah can take him along if we meet up before tomorrow mornin’.”

---

The rising sun of a new day banished the chill of the Whinnypeg night. The seven thick blankets piled on Dark Wind’s bed barely kept the cold at bay. It was still an unbelievably cozy bed, and the walls maintained much integrity, compared to the rest of the house. To Applejack’s relief, there were no bones on display here. She found herself sleeping much later into the morning than she intended. But with the departure of the night, so too must Applejack depart Whinnypeg. Her stay was brief in this odd little town, tucked away off the beaten path and surrounded by pine forests. With her saddlebags loaded with supplies generously donated by Crow Feathers, she set out on the long road ahead. She hadn’t seen Dark Wind since their conversation yesterday. Maybe he’d decided to stay after all.

The ravine lining the town border came into her view. It was only yesterday when she’d nearly fallen to her doom, but it felt like ages ago; she didn’t feel any fear as she approached. She remembered Dark Wind clearing the gap in a single leap. It was impossible for her to do with a wagon, but with the light load she had now, maybe…

“Heading out of town, eh?”

A brown stallion wearing a green beanie lay across the length of a ramshackle wooden bench. He stared at her with kind, yet vacant eyes. “It won’t be easy to cross, ya know. Bridge is out.”

“Yeah, ah know,” AJ replied, allowing some scorn to seep into her voice.

There was a pause, then the brown pony spoke again. “There’s a dead tree just a few minutes walk upriver. I bet it could fall across the ravine if you bucked it hard enough, like a makeshift bridge.”

AJ sighed in exasperation.

It was not long before the last building vanished from view. The long journey home had begun. But as tranquil as the journey may be, the lonely road was, in fact, quite lonely. Until she heard the sound of hooves fast approaching; this put a smile on her face.

“Ah was wonderin’ if you’d show up.”

“I’m sorry,” said Dark Wind sheepishly, “I just had to uh, pack my things, and…”

“Ya needed time to say goodbye.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but AJ continued. “Ah know it must be hard, leavin’ your home behind like this. Now ah did agree to take ya to Ponyville, but ah don’t want ‘cha to feel pressured into leavin’ if ya don’t want to.”

“Oh don’t worry.” DW smiled. “I had another talk with grandpa, and I’m certain now it’s best for me to leave. Besides, I’ve always wanted to see Ponyville!”