I'm really happy with how I depicted AJ in this chapter. I tried really hard to get her personality right. It's one thing to write an OC pony, but it's another thing to entirely to write a pony that the entire fandom knows and loves. Anyway, I log on here everyday, and alaways find at least 3 or 4 new tracks. That makes my heart super happy! Keep on tracking and commenting, and I'll keep trying to put out the best story possible for you crazy, awesome, groovy bronys. Enjoy!

Chapter 8

Distant Rumblings

            With the subtlety of a tornado, the doors to Midnight’s guest room burst open and Applejack burst in.

            “RISE AND SHINE, EVERYPONY! TRAININ’ DAY!!” AJ’s booming entrance caused Midnight to jump up from under the covers, sitting straight up, the pillow impaled on his horn. She trotted across the floor and flung open the curtains to the balcony doors, flooding the room with early morning light. Midnight brought a hoof up and rubbed the sand from his eyes, blinking as Applejack trotted to the foot of the bed and yanked the covers completely off of him. Instinctively, Midnight moved his hooves to cover his naked self. AJ didn’t seem to notice.

            “I got a big day planned for ya, young buck! I hope ya got a good night sleep, cause yer gonna be hurtin’ by the time I’m done with ya.” Midnight shook his head as he slowly stood up from bed, wobbling as he carefully used all four legs this time. AJ sat down in front of him and took his one hoof between both of hers, shaking it vigorously, causing his whole body to shake.

            “Name’s Applejack, son, but I don’t mind iffen’ ya wanna call me AJ for short. I’m the owner/operator of Sweet Apple Acres, best lil’ apple orchard this side of Appaloosa! And by the time I’m done with ya, you’ll be in good enough shape to buck an entire orchard all by yer lonesome!” She let go and walked away, leaving Midnight still shaking open air with his hoof. He brought his hoof back to the floor and took a deep breath, feeling dizzy.

            “Alright, I’m up. Just… give me a minute…” he said, his words trailing off to a yawn. He stretched his forelegs out before him, and then did the same with his hind legs. Applejack cantered around the room, stretching her own legs as she prepared herself.

            “We’re gonna be down in the courtyard, using the Royal Guard’s equipment and tactics, as well as some of my own personal methods. Why, me and my friend, Rainbow Dash, had this competition a while back; The Iron Pony! Boy, howdy! Wait till you get a load of the course you’re gonna be runnin’!” AJ stood at attention by the door, waiting for Midnight to join her. She turned back to the bed and noticed him still where he had stretched his legs, snoring in a deep sleep, sprawled out on the floor.

            “Oh, tarnation…”

===

            After some loud yelling, gentle coercion and a few carefully placed bucks to the backside, Applejack managed to get Midnight downstairs, out the rear entrance and into the courtyard used for guard training. He peeked his head in through the large wooden gates, cautiously at first, before a pair of hooves met his backside once again, shoving him inside the yard.

            “Ouch! Alright, alright! I’m movin’! Man, I’m just a late riser! I figured I’d be getting up early to be trained, but not THIS early. The sun’s barely up.” he said squinting. AJ only chuckled.

            “Early?! Young buck, I’ve been up for two hours already! You think this is early, you should try livin’ on a farm some time. Anywho, we gotta lot to cover if yer gonna get ta using this pony body of yours all right and proper-like.” Applejack said, adjusting her Stetson. Midnight strolled out of the gateway and into the yard, stopping just in time to keep from getting trampled by what could only be described as a herd of Royal Guards, fully dressed in their armor. His eyes shot open wide as AJ walked up next to him. “Hehehe. Yep, best to watch yer step out here. C’mon, young buck. I’ll start ya off slow.”

            AJ and Midnight entered into the center of the yard, the guards circling around to the far end and stopping before their Captain. A whistle announced the end of routine, allowing the guards to remove their helmets, some even leaving all their armor and clothes near the wall, and peruse the equipment and obstacles in the yard. As they went about their own training, Midnight noticed a few sideways glances as they passed, usually directed at his flank.

            “I guess everyone’s not used to seeing a pony as old as me without a… whatever these are.” Midnight said, gesturing towards Applejacks flank with a hoof. She gave him a quizzical look, causing him to blush a bit. He worried he offended her, having just brought both their attentions toward her backside. AJ only giggled.

            “Yeah, I guess they’d kinda not know what to make of ya, seein’ as how most colts about your age have their cutie marks for years already. Don’t think nothin’ of it, sugarcube. They just don’t know yer story, is all. Maybe you’ll get it before Celestia and Twi find a way to send ya back to yer own world.” She walked over to a large empty cart, the poles in front sticking into the dirt with a heavy wooden yoke hanging between the poles suspended by ropes. “Now, get up in there, and show me what’cha got, young’un.”

            "Wait… wha?” Midnight mumbled, his eyes wide. “Like… get in there, between the poles and put that collar on? What for? I thought I was gonna get training on using my wings and magic!” Applejack paused, then broke out in laughter.

            “HA! Oh, Midnight, you are a card, I tell you what! Sugarcube, do you see a horn on my head?” Midnight answered her, slightly annoyed.

            “No….”

            “Well, do ya see a fancy set of wings on my back?”

            “No, no wings. But, I..”

            “Listen here, young buck; I noticed the way yer having some trouble keeping yourself upright. Ya gotta really focus on using all four legs at once, right?” Midnight nodded, a little embarrassed. He thought he was doing alright, considering he was a bipedal creature all his life up until two days ago. “Now, don’t feel down, son. I’m here to help ya get used to that little adjustment. Just put that collar on and follow me.”

            Slowly, Midnight worked his way under the poles and, being careful of his horn, positioned the collar over his head, resting it around his neck. It felt heavy, and he had to push hard just to get the cart to start rolling. Apparently, it hadn’t been used in quite a long time. Applejack led him to the point on the field where the guards had ended their morning laps, taking him there in a zig-zag pattern and a few circles, causing Midnight to grunt as he turned the old cart, getting used to the chore of pulling. AJ drug her hoof across the ground in front of Midnight, making a line. He positioned himself in front of the line, already guessing what he was supposed to do for this exercise. AJ disappeared around the side of the cart, and Midnight felt it shake, the poles weighing down the collar around his neck. He looked back and noticed Applejack smiling, her forehooves hanging over the front of the cart.

            “Oh, no. No dice, AJ. I can’t pull the cart with you in it. I can barely pull it empty, let alone with you in it.” As soon as he finished the sentence, Midnight regretted it. AJ shot him a dirty look, scowling at him from under her hat.

            “You saying I’m too heavy to pull, boy?” Midnight felt like cowering under the heavy collar. He didn’t remember a lot about his life back on earth, but insinuating that a female is heavy seems like universally unforgivable offense. Midnight tried desperately to correct his mistake.

            “I just… I’m having trouble with the cart all by itself! Whether it’s you or anyone else, I wouldn’t be able to pull it.” She seemed to buy his excuse, hopping off and moving to his one side. She sighed and shook her head.

            “Young buck, I made a promise to Luna that I’d do my best to show you how to live like a pony for the time you’re stuck here. Now, I know you wanna get started tossin’ magic all over the place and flyin’ everywhere, but everypony learns to walk before they learn to run, or fly, or cast spells. I noticed you almost trippen’ over yourself like you got four left hooves. Now, bein’ a regular, ol’ Earth pony may not afford me all kinds of fancy bells and whistles, but we’re the backbone of Equestria! So I know what I’m talking about. Trust me, sugarcube; the quicker we get you up to speed on the basics, the sooner, and easier, everything else will come.”

            Midnight hung his head, his ears flattening instinctively with his low mood. He had only given her a hard time since he woke up, and all she wanted to do was help. He, after all, wanted to learn more about life in this world. He had ASKED for this kind of help.

            “I’m sorry, Applejack. You’re right. It… does feel awkward, ya know? Walking. And I think I got a little too excited about magic and flying to realize that you were only trying to help. I didn’t mean to insult you…” He paused, feeling AJ nuzzle his neck. She gave him a gentle grin and chuckled.

            “No worries there, Midnight. I might have been a little over-anxious myself. Tell ya what,” She hopped out of the cart, taking place next to him on the ground.  “just follow me. We’ll get you all co-or-dee-nated in no time.”

            AJ started a slow trot down the track, guards still running to and fro around the field in their exercises as sergeants hollered orders back and forth at them. Midnight followed, paying careful attention to Applejack’s legs as she walked, noticing a pattern. In a short while, he was comfortable enough to relax a bit, letting his mind wonder. He wondered where Princess Luna was at the moment; what she was doing, what her responsibilities were in the palace in the morning… what she liked for breakfast. He looked up just in time to keep from running into Applejacks rump as they turned around a bend on the track. Pulling the cart wasn’t such a bad warm-up, after all. He could feel it getting lighter already.

===

            “No… no… no! Ughhh! Nothing!” Twilight groaned as she slammed shut the half dozen books she hovered in front of her with her magic, sending them flying through the air and back onto the shelves where they all came from. “They were the last books in the library that had anything to do with mythological, mystical, theoretical or legendary beings, and STILL no mention of anything like what Midnight described as a Human!” she fumed, placing her hooves over her head as she rested it on the desk. Across the library, Celestia looked up from her own set of books toward her student.

            “I know, Twilight. It is rather frustrating. Even with all my vast knowledge, I cannot recall a single instance where I have heard of anything such as what he has described.” Celestia lied, straight-faced. Of course she knew what humans were. She knew of their destructive tendencies, their taste for violence, the jealousy and hatred and general distrust they held for everything except themselves. But she could by no means tell Twilight. ‘No,’ she thought. ‘I’ll not disturb your fragile heart with the evil truth know about our dear friends’ people.’ She had to eventually take care of him, but doing so would have to be done very carefully. Luna seemed to be growing attached to her new pet project. Celestia would have to figure out a way to distance the two of them if she wanted to be able to remove the human without hurting her little sister too badly.

            Twilight stood up from the chair she was in and walked slowly over to her teacher, head held low in disappointment. She prided herself on her ability to find any piece of knowledge in this library she wanted. If it was here, it would be hers. She HAD spent most of her fillyhood in this very library, after all. It did pain Celestia a bit to see her student so upset by this, but she had to maintain the lie just a while longer.

            “I mean, there’s not even a mention of anything like a human in the FOSSIL records!” Twilight whined. “I’m so sorry, Princess…”

            “Do not worry, Twilight. I have scholars across Equestria, as well as contacts in the griffon kingdom and dragon isles, looking their records over for a mention of humans. We’ll find something, I’m sure of it.” Celestia mused, standing up and walking with Twilight out of the library. Together, they moved down the hall to the stairs, heading into the throne room to meet Luna.

            The huge, ornate doors opened and Celestia and Twilight strolled inside. They were greeted by the guards and various other ponies walking to and fro, going about their business in the palace as they approached Luna atop the platform where the two thrones sat. As a pair of unicorn ponies walked down the steps of the platform, Luna caught sight of her sister and Twilight, and stood up.

            “Back already, sister? Oh, thank goodness. Did you have any luck in the library?” Luna quickly blurted out, making it apparent she had been thinking about their fact-finding mission in the library for a while. She stood up from the throne to greet them as they approached the top.

            “Sadly, Princes Luna, we couldn’t find anything. It seems there’s no mention of humans anywhere in Equestrian history.” Twi said, sadly. Luna sighed and nodded at the disappointing news. Disappointing, that is, perhaps for Midnight.

            “That’s quite alright, Twilight. Honestly, I’m just kind of happy to see you both. I’ve been here all morning, hearing reports and requests from visitors since I sat down.”  Celestia gave Luna a curious look.

            “What do you mean, Luna? There was nothing more on the schedule than the daily debriefing and a lunch meeting with the staff.” Celestia looked over the groups of ponies about the throne room, recognizing some of them. One was an ambassador from the dragon territories and his assistants. Another was the co-president of the Royal Canterlot University Magic Studies department, wearing a saddlebag full to the brim with scrolls and books. And in the far corner, apart from the other groups, were two griffons, a male and a female, both wearing the royal crests of the griffon king on their capes.

            “Since I got in here, I’ve been mobbed by all these different groups bringing me news of their troubles.” Luna said, motioning to the few larger groups in the gallery with a hoof. “They have research studies to show you, something about random energy fluctuations in the magical field around Equestria. The dragon territory ambassadors want to schedule an audience with the Dragon Highlord on foreign relation with his kingdom and ours and the griffons over there want to discuss some event that occurred recently in the jewel mines they share with the diamond dogs in Agartha.”

            “Oh, Luna, I’m so sorry. If I’d have known today was going to be so hectic, I certainly wouldn’t have made it your first time hearing over the gallery by yourself. Why don’t you go check on how our friend Midnight is fairing with Applejack in the training grounds?” Celestia said with a smile, only realizing what she said AFTER she already said it. Luna’s mood seemed to improve immediately.

            “That sounds like a wonderful idea, sister! Twilight, would you care to join me?”

            “Certainly, Princess Luna. I’d be glad to.”    

            The two mares trotted down steps of the platform and out of the throne room, leaving Celestia behind to manage the flood of visitors alone. She sat atop the throne and looked out across the room. More unscheduled guests seeking an audience were already coming in. Each with some new, strange problem. She really didn’t have time for this, not with the added chore of keeping an eye on her sister as she lauded over her new human-pony hobby. Hopefully, Twilight would be able to fill her in later on Luna’s ‘pet project.’

===

            “Princess, where are we going?” Twilight asked, almost galloping to keep up. Luna didn’t answer, but continued to lead Twilight through a few old servant’s entrances and narrow halls to the inside of a large tower. A spiral staircase lead up into the darkness. Without hesitation, Luna began to climb the steps with Twilight cautiously close behind. After only climbing about two or three stories up, they reached a door, which Luna quickly blew her way through, filling the top of the stairway with early morning light. They both stepped out top of a wall between two large parapets, running half way down to the next tower before stopping.

            “I used to watch the guards train and compete from here in the early days of mine and Celestia’s rule. We should be able to watch Midnight train just fine from up here.” Luna said, eyes darting around the yard as she hung her forelegs down over the side of the wall. Twilight giggled to herself at Luna’s surprising giddiness over watching her guest. Twilight mused. They watched from the wall as Midnight pulled a cart around the training ground with Applejack riding in the back.

===

            “Remind me how this… is supposed to… help me…” Midnight huffed. He finally agreed to Applejack riding in the cart he was pulling, giving it less weight than he assumed. But now, he was starting to feel the effect of this exercise; muscles he literally didn’t know he had working and burning as he maintained what AJ called ‘a good trot.’

            “S’posed ta make ya feel out yer new muscles and learn which ones ya can rely on, depending whatever task is at hoof. Figured this’d be a good way ta show ya, seen’ as how there ain’t no real way ta explain it.” As soon as AJ finished her sentence, the cart shook, and the yoke around Midnight’s neck pulled back tighter. He paused a moment and looked back in the cart, finding it another passenger.

            “Sky Shield?!” Midnight exclaimed, seeing the smiling pegasus leaning over the front of the cart with Applejack. He was out of his Guard uniform and armor, showing his pure white coat and short cut,, sky blue mane.

            “Well, hello, soldier colt. Checking on your friend, here?” AJ asked, giving the stallion a coy smile.

            “Well, kinda. He looked like he was getting used to pulling you, so I decided to hop up and make it more of a challenge.”

            “That’s so considerate of you, Sky. Real… ugh! … helpful…” Midnight grunted out as he started pulling the cart again. Sky and Applejack laughed as he drudged forward, slowly pulling the cart once again.

            “Not working TOO hard, I trust, dear Midnight?” a voice rung out from high above them. The three ponies looked up to find the source, finding Princess Luna and Twilight spying on them from the wall.

            “Hey, good morning, Princess!” the human-turned-pony chirped from below. “Um, how long were watching me for?” Luna grinned from beside Twilight.

            “Just long enough to know you’re having trouble. You know, I’m sure I could find you a nice, small empty wheel-barrel or servant’s cart to pull, if that one is too heavy for you.” Applejack and Sky snickered from behind their hooves in the cart, prompting Midnight to snort in annoyance.

            “Oh, no, Milady! Don’t worry about me! I’m just warming up. Sky was just about to get some of his friends to hop in the cart to give me a tougher workout. Right, big guy?” the young stallion said, looking over his shoulder to the pegasus.

            “Um… sure, I was. Just give me a minute.” Sky said, looking a bit stunned at AJ before hopping down and trotting next to Midnight. He leaned over and whispered in his new friend’s ear. “Hey, you sure about that?I got some pretty big friends, here. Think you can you handle like, five of me in that at once?” The pegacorn chuckled to himself a bit.

            “No, not at all. But I’m not about to punk-out in front of the princess. Get your buddies, now.”

===

            In the corridors of the palace, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash enjoyed a tour of one of the more extravagantly decorated wings, led by the head of housekeeping, Dusty. More accurately, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie did. Rainbow only hovered above and slightly behind, trying to keep awake. It was well past her naptime, and she very much wished to find a high cloud to catch some early afternoon sleep.

            “Oh, I simply MUST thank the Princesses again for allowing us this chance to stay here. So much history and glamour and culture and style…” Rarity gushed, slowly strolling down the hall with Fluttershy and Pinkie close behind. Fluttershy smiled politely at Dusty’s explanations of the various pieces, while Pinkie, uncharacteristically, trotted beside her, looking up and down the hall as they went.      

            “Pinkie, are you feeling alright? I didn’t see you act this weird since we hid your surprise birthday party from you.” Dash inquired. Pinkie looked up at her flying friend, a little stunned at her words. She remembered that day, and the mood she was in. It HAD been a pretty disturbing time in her life, but to compare her mood now to that?

            “Oh, I’m sorry, Dashie. It’s just I can’t get that jester off my mind, is all. I have this ucky-yucky, icky-sticky feeling I know her from somewhere. I just can’t put a hoof on it.” she said, shaking her head, troubled. Dusty stopped ahead of them, turning back to Pinkie.

            “Jester? What jester, Miss Pie?”

            “Oh, s-she means that really scary looking unicorn mare from yesterday. She popped up in the main foyer and s-s-scared the daylights out of us.” Fluttershy stated, slinking back behind Rarity a bit. Dusty continued to look at them, puzzled.

            “Miss Fluttershy, Miss Pie... I’m sorry, but the Palace doesn’t have a jester. We haven’t had one for something like, maybe five hundred years.”

            “But, that’s impossible! We all saw her the other day! She mimed all of mine and Pinkie’s moves down to the letter!” Dash exclaimed as she landed next to her timid pegasus friend. The four looked at each other with worry. “So, if there wasn’t a jester hired by the palace in hundreds of years, what the hay did we see yesterday?”

===

            In the throne room, Celestia was fostering a growing sense of dread. For most of the morning and early afternoon, she was inundated with reports of strange happenings throughout her realm and beyond; fluctuations in the magical field, crops and entire sections of forests burning to ash overnight without any clear cause, out of season tidal events, disappearances, even reports of the very disturbing act of grave-robbery. And more visitors were coming in, still. Finally, she closed the open court in late afternoon, leaving several groups to wait till tomorrow to be heard. As if this strange visit from the human-pony wasn’t enough to occupy her mind, now she had all this new, strange activity to worry about.

            As dusk grew nearer, Celestia managed to slip away from her guards and attendants and find Luna. She hadn’t seen her little sister since she left with Twilight in the mid-morning, and hoped she wouldn’t find her with that bothersome Midnight. Even though he didn’t SEEM to have evil intentions in mind, he still claimed to be a human. All the descriptions of humans he gave and the information he remembered about his human world made it obvious to Celestia that he wasn’t just some crazed pony off the street. He knew too much to be anything BUT a human.

            “Princess Celestia! I think you should come here and see this.” Twilight’s voice rung out from down the hallway, beckoning to her as she mused over the day’s events. She turned to meet her student as the purple unicorn galloped towards her.

            “Twilight, my dear. Is everything alright?” Celestia asked with a hint of worry.

            “Well, yes, but… Honestly, Princess, I don’t know what to make of it. It goes against everything I’ve ever learned about the various biology’s of the three tribes of ponies.” Twilight seemed troubled, giving Celestia a small knot in her stomach. She moved closer, bringing a wing over to her student’s side.

            “Twilight, it’s alright. Just tell me what it is.”

            “Well, I think it would just be better if I showed you. Come with me to the courtyard.” Together, they trotted off to the tower that Luna had shown her earlier, leading to the top of the wall overlooking the yard. As they exited the door to wall, Celestia noticed her sister and Applejack on top of the wall looking down into the yard. She moved next to her sister without a word and joined them in their observation. Immediately, her jaw fell open at the sight before her.

            “Hey, Princess Celestia! I think I’m getting the hang of this!” From the yard below, Midnight lead a chain of not one, but three carts, chained end to end, each packed with half a dozen royal guard ponies. Midnight continued around the yard in a casual trot, a content grin on his face. “I had no idea these little pony bodies of yours could be so strong!”

            Celestia looked down from the wall, speechless. The guards in carts behind him cheered him on and ordered him to go faster. She looked over to Luna, noticing the annoyingly overjoyed expression. The look of Twilight more closely matched her own; one of utter shock and disbelief. Celestia looked back towards Applejack, a broad smile on her face as well.

            “Shewt, Princess! Where did you find this here young’un? This here is one of the most gifted young stallions I ever seen since my brother, Big Macintosh! Shucks, I think even HE might have a hay of a time pullin’ that much weight.” To Celestia’s surprise, even Applejack seemed to be impressed. Looking around the yard from above, Celestia noticed much of the usual equipment and supplies in shambles. Broken planks of wood, piles of hay, barrels crushed or smashed open; everywhere, disaster after disaster.

            “How, did… I mean, how… What in all Equestria happened here?” Celestia asked, barely composed.

            “Well, we started off gettin’ him used to using his muscles by pullin’ the cart for a while. Then, that Sky Shield fella’ got a bunch of the guards to hop up in there. We all thought it was gonna be too much for him, but soon as he saw Princess Luna was here watchin’, he took off like pegasus bucked in the backside! Since then, the guards have taken quite a shine to young buck. They’ve been helping me whip the young buck into shape; buckin’ barrels and bales of hay. They’ve even been teachin’ him some of their combat moves!”

            “It’s true, sister! It was amazing! Applejack had him buck barrels and hay bales across the yard for exercise, but soon, he was kicking them into the far wall. Eventually, they started breaking as soon as he hit them. Then, they did some slalom around obstacles in the yard, then he raced AJ and half a dozen of our guards and won!” Luna giggled, sounding absolutely giddy as she watched Midnight exercise in the yard. He had met every challenge Applejack had thrown at him, surpassing her expectations every time. Celestia looked down as he stopped the carts, slipping out of the yoke, the guards hopping off the carts and congratulating him for his efforts. Already Applejack, one of the most scrutinizing members of the Elements liked him. Her sister seemed to be completely infatuated with him. Her royal guards loved him, and they had only just met him. And on top of all that, he appeared as strong, if not perhaps stronger than even the toughest of Earth ponies. Celestia faked a smile as she felt a vain pulsing in her forehead.

===

            “Do you think she took us seriously, ma’am? The princess seemed a little preoccupied!” the male griffon yelled over the roar of the wind to his companion. The two massagers, still dressed in their royal court of Althera uniforms, had left the palace just about an hour ago, dejected. Celestia barely gave them any consideration, surrounded by dozens of whiny, complaining ponies who all had problems less important than theirs.

            “Honestly, Spire? I don’t care if she took us seriously or not. We did our part. Her loss if she chooses to ignore us. Right now I just wanna get out of this pony-populated country and back to Althera. Too many colorful little… what the buck is that?” The female griffon paused mid-sentence and pointed ahead with her claw to the horizon. Spire looked out and noticed the object; a slow moving ball of fire, traveling towards Canterlot just outside the airspace above the Everfree Forest.

            “The Fire Star! The same phenomenon our scouts reported near the Swayback Mountains a week ago! What do you think we should do, ma’am?” he asked. They both stopped and hovered in mid-air for a moment, pondering the strange sight. It seemed to swerve a bit, correct its path and then speed up for a few moments. It didn’t behave like anything either of them had ever seen before.

            “I don’t know. Hey, remember that cliff on the side of the mountain, where we stopped for a breather before we made the palace?” the young female asked.

            “Yes, Ma’am.”

            “I want you to drop low to the ground and make your way there. When you get there, wait for me to arrive, but no longer than an hour or so. If I don’t show up, I want you to return to court without me. DO NOT come looking for me. Report my actions and have the king send a detachment to this area, and another to Canterlot. This thing has to be stopped.” Her words seemed to stun the young male. Such bravery was more the stuff of a seasoned veteran, not a newly appointed royal messenger. He felt she needed him there for whatever she had planned, but she did outrank him, at least by royal bloodline.

            “Very well, ma’am. Be careful, and good luck.” With a worried look and a quick salute, Spire went into a quick dive and darted out toward the mountains, just above the tree line. The young, female griffon pumped her wings, rising almost one hundred feet above the flight path of the flaming object. She increased her speed, keeping a good distance from it as she slowly began to drift down and to the left, keeping at least twenty feet between herself and the anomaly. Suddenly, the fireball stopped in mid air, hovering. She stopped, stunned by this action, quickly zooming behind a cloud for cover. She waited a minute, maybe two, then slowly peeked around the cloud. The fireball had vanished.

            “What in the h..” She was cut off by the sudden roar of flames, coming down on her from above. She dodged, barely. Heat from the flames, licking at her fur and feathers. She could smell the singe the heat left behind. The fireball curved below her, rising up again, heading right for her. She looped back, dodging again as she took flight, choosing to run. The fireball turned again and followed. The female griffon dove straight for the forest below, hoping to lose it in the thick growth. She was drawing nearer, each leaf below her coming into view. Another roar of flames, and this time, she saw stars. She was flying upward now, but not of her own power. The object, somehow struck her, sending her back up in the air at great speed.

            “How did it… I was so low underneath it…”

            Another blow, this time from the side, spinning her in the air. Her left foreleg and side were burning, she could feel it. Pain and heat. Amazing pain. She barely started to fall back to earth as the final blow struck, a devastating blow from above, sending her spiraling to the ground with fantastic speed. She felt everything going black as she looked back up. The fireball came to a rest between her line of sight and the sun. She could now see an outline of the body of the fireball, outlined by the sun’s powerful rays. The image froze her mind. It was impossible, she thought. But somehow, still made sense. She reached her burning claw up to her face and felt where the final blow had landed. It was a familiar sting. One she felt before. Before she broke through the forest canopy, the broken female griffon recognized the pain.

            “… damn dweeb… no fair… wearing horseshoes…”

*****************************************************

I'm also currently working on a super hot and sexy-sexy one shot I hope to upload in a while, so keep an eye out for it.

Also, (sigh)....

I do not OWN 'My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic' or any of their respective characters. MLP:FIM is a registered trademark of Hasbro, and all their respective companies and owners. This is an obvious a fan-made work of fiction, with no intent to make a profit, blah, blah, blah... blow me till you choke, copyright laws. There, done. Next Chapter: Parkour Pony Estimated time remaining: 13 Hours, 57 Minutes