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The Unknown Princess	By : FlameWolf666 Category: +M through R > My Little Pony Views: 2322 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the ponies from My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. I also do not own the O.C. Princess Pi but I have permission to use her. This is just for fun and no profit will be made from this.

Chapter List
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- 5
Author’s Note: Things happen this chapter. Lots of things.

Chapter Four: Perilous Trail

    Some time in the night, Fluttershy had removed the dress from Flitterfang. While she agreed it was adorable on him, she knew the little colt had no ability to remove the clothes by himself should he get too hot. Cuddling the sleeping colt under her wing, she looked up at her friends. So far, they still had no idea where to even start. They had hoped just being on the road would give them some ideas but, so far, nothing. Still, something about this forest tickled a faint memory in the back of her head. She could swear she had read something about this place. Or, at least, the creatures that dwelled inside it.
    Green eyes staring into the looming trees, she crinkled her brow as the feeling got more intense. That was when she saw the little bits of light floating through the leaves, making her jaw drop open. They were pixies! Creatures only found in forests that were guarded by animals that were considered mythical. Unfortunately, she was the only one that noticed. The others were too focused on their misery to even look up. That was when it hit her, the scent of extremely old magic.
    Getting to her feet, she stared into the darkness. Taking notice of her behavior, Discord came to her side; his eyes following hers. Pinkie was the next to notice, standing on her other side just as a faint light became visible in the distance. “Uh, guys?” came out an abnormally nervous tone for the joyful baker. Immediately, the others were on their feet; Applejack staying near Flitterfang while Twilight, Starlight, Spike, Rarity and Rainbow Dash went to back up the others.
    “Who’s there,” Twilight demanded, her own horn surrounded with her mauve colored magic in an effort to cut through the gloom.
    “Do not fear little ones. We mean you no harm,” soothed a gentle voice that held the wisdom of ages. Immediately, a feeling of comfort settled over the group; helping them relax despite the fact it was obviously caused by their visitor.
    “We are aware of your journey as well as what you must do. We simply wish to aid you,” continued the voice, the light steadily growing closer. Soon, the group was able to see a luminescently white figure heading toward them.
    It was tall, slender and impossibly graceful; more seeming to float than walk. Gradually, the being got close enough for the group to make out it was a unicorn. Yet, it was unlike any they had ever seen before. It was taller than even the Princesses, staring down at them with kind eyes that seemed to contain galaxies. A long, shimmering horn spiraled up from the creature’s forehead, the sharp tip glimmering in the firelight. Instead of smooth, its four hooves were cloven; a long, lion-like tail swishing behind it. It felt powerful as well as unimaginably old but it had no malice. In fact, it seemed utterly neutral. “Wh-what are you?” Twilight stammered out, the thing’s magic tingling against her furred skin.
    “Nothing and yet everything. We are what you used to be,” came an oddly cryptic answer that seemed to come from the very air around them. An illusion that was helped by the fact it hadn’t moved its mouth once.
    “We are the elders and we are what you will become again in time. However, there are more important things to discuss this night,” sighed from the rustling branches above them, almost seeming like the forest was talking for the creature.
    “Seek out the Sphinx. The one you call Fluttershy will know where they live. While dangerous, they are the only creatures who can hope to lead you to where you need to go,” continued the figment from the past, eyes focused on all of them at the same time.
    “Can’t you come with us?” came a protest from Rarity, drawing the gaze of the entire group.
    The being before them shook its grand head, no emotion apparent on its regal features. “While I can accompany you to the edge of the forest, I will not wander beyond the boundaries. The creatures here depend on me to protect them from those that would harm them as well as disease and the change of the seasons,” it responded before simply walking toward the sleeping form of Flitterfang.
    “But... the Princesses control the seasons as well as the movement of the sun and moon. Why would this forest need you?” Rainbow Dash protested, only earning a slight smile from their visitor.
    “It is a much different world here. You will find that out soon enough. For now, you must rest. You must travel fast if you wish to save those you care about,” responded their ageless guest, laying beside the colt and curling around him protectively.
    While wanting to ask more questions, exhaustion soon caught up with the group. Yawning, they dug out the tents that had been packed in Rarity’s bottomless saddlebag. Moving to gather the young bat pony, Fluttershy was stopped when the odd unicorn looked down at her. “He would do best out here. His kind are more used to the outdoors anyway,” it assured. Giving a reluctant nod, the yellow pegasus allowed Discord to lead her to her own tent for the night.
    “I hope you know what you’re doing,” the sighed out of the ancient being as soon as they were gone.
    “This wasn’t exactly my idea,” grumbled a reply, drawing a chuckle from the glowing equine.
    “I know... Do you think they will pass?” the guardian inquired, staring up at the stars.
    “Who can really say. Though, the chances look good so far,” came the response the creature was hoping for.
    “That is good. I could not bear for another... incident,” it whispered, crystal-like tears shimmering in its expressive eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Next Morning~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Wandering through the forest, the group had to admit how different it felt here. They were almost ashamed they hadn’t noticed it last night. This place felt undisturbed as well as full of an old magic. One that clung to their skin and made them feel slightly invigorated. It would be a shame to leave here but they had little choice. Besides, it wasn’t like this was their home. They would have to return to Ponyville sooner or later. “You never did tell us your name,” Pinkie Pie mentioned, curly tail twitching with excitement while she bounced happily, smiling up at the creature leading them through the forest.
    “I do not have one,” whispered its voice on the wind, sounding as neutral as ever. It was like the creature lacked any and all emotion. Yet, it had a warm, welcoming aura around it.
    “Our kind does not see a need for useless labels for we are all one and the same. We share a oneness that not many other species are capable of,” the creature whispered, seeming to even lack a gender.
    “I think I’ll call you Snowy!” the confectionist chirped, what was said earlier seeming to go completely over her head. Rather than becoming offended, the ancient one simply chuckled.
    “If you must,” came out of the eternal being, smiling ever so slightly.
    In all its centuries guarding this forest, it couldn’t remember having company so lively. Even the humans that had existed once upon a time here hadn’t held such vivacity. Something about these ponies screamed of the life and happiness they held within themselves. Not to mention how much they seemed to care for eachother. To see them leave would honestly be saddening. Still, the being hoped they would have a safe journey. Maybe, someday, they would come through the territory again. Anything was possible after all. The creature only wished it could at least warn them about what was to come.
    Coming to the edge of the forest, the elder unicorn looked down at the much smaller ponies. “Here is where I must leave you. If you follow the trail just ahead, it will lead you to the territory of the Sphinx. Be careful though, the road can be treacherous and full of pitfalls. Not to mention thieves,” the guardian advised, looking as concerned as they did.
    “Thieves?” Starlight whispered, going pale while her ears tilted backward.
    “There are many bands out on these roads, all scrabbling for a living in their own way. However, the most dangerous are the Nekomata. They are nearly silent and have been known to run off with all the provisions they can carry. Sometimes, on rare occasion, they have kidnapped children. What they do with them, I do not know,” the being whispered before lowering its head to touch each of them with its long horn.
    “The best I can do is give you what little blessing I can offer. It will not be much use for protection but at least you will be able to travel further with less food,” whispered its kind voice before it was turning to disappear back into the forest it watched over.
    As soon as the figure was out of sight, the small group glanced toward the road that would lead them onward. What their host had told them had them all on edge. All except little Flitterfang. The young colt seemed utterly pleased with life in general, smiling up at the sun shining through the thick leaves. His tiny wings fluttered while he giggled, crimson eyes fixing on the shadowed figures that were leaping through the branches above. Figures the ponies were completely unaware of. “If we stick close together, we should be fine. Besides, it doesn’t sound like any of these thieves have harmed anyone,” Twilight assured, not feeling all that confident.
    “Still, I think Fluttershy and the little one should travel near the middle of the group. I’ll keep an eye on the rear. We need to travel like we’re being hunted,” Discord ordered, quickly taking charge. While this was much different than his normal, carefree attitude, it was for good reason.
    The time for fun and games had passed since the first pony had fallen ill. The fate of Ponyville rested on their success. Not to mention how dangerous their journey was becoming. They all had to be a lot more careful as well as on their guard. They couldn’t afford to spend time worrying over petty things like clothes or if Rarity truly had enough space in her bottomless saddlebag. Ushering Fluttershy and Flitterfang to the middle, Discord headed the rear while Twilight lead the charge. Soon, the small group was moving forward; a disappointingly small number of them actually paying attention to what was happening around them.
    While the motherly pegasus could be excused for being distracted by her young ward, the others didn’t have the luxury. Rarity was still obsessed with her outfits and fabrics, currently trying to find the perfect hat to shield her from the small amount of sun peeking through the thick leaves of the trees. Rainbow Dash seemed to think that whatever was ahead was no match for her, fluttering in an almost lazy manner. Pinky Pie seemed to be under the impression she could make friends with the Nekomata if she just made them enough sweets and was babbling on about whether or not they would like cupcakes. Only Starlight, Applejack, Spike, Twilight and himself were taking things as seriously as they should.
    Still as they wandered down the path that was shielded by the ancient trees, it was hard to feel anything but relaxed. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, there was nothing happening that caused any feelings of paranoia. Shaking his head, Discord kept watch on the branches above; not wanting to be fooled by the deceptive calm. If so much as a leaf rustled in the wind, he went on the defensive; fully prepared to use his magic to defend those that were important to him. The fact that nothing was happening right now did little to help set him at ease. Instead, it made him much more tense.
    He was so distracted by falling leaves and flitting shadows that he failed to notice the figures watching them from amongst the branches. Nor did he see the many pairs of glittering, green eyes. Eyes that observed every small movement the group made. Eyes that were searching for any cracks in their defense, Twitching a split tipped tail, the one that was obviously the leader made a few hand signals. Then, with the quietness of ghosts, the small army began to hop through the branches; positioning themselves for a strategic strike. Once they were situated, the one in charge made it fairly clear what their main target was before they began to put the plan into action.
    As they began to reach the edge of the forest, more leaves fell from above them, followed by the sound of snapping branches. Jolting, the ponies paused to look above them while Discord edged closer to Fluttershy and Flitterfang. Just as Rainbow Dash was getting ready to fly up into the foliage to have a look, he was making a sharp motion with his eagle claw to stop her. “Stay where you are. This feels more like a distraction. A way to test the boundaries to see if we’re as dumb as we look,” the draconequus murmured, keeping his voice low so their assailants couldn’t hear.
    Rustling followed his declaration, shadowy forms darting overhead and causing an atmosphere of rising panic. “You mean to tell me there really are thieves out here?!” squeaked out of Rarity, a horrified look on her white furred face.
    “What, did you think the Elder was telling us that just for their own amusement?” Twiligh huffed, fearful, purple eyes staring at the branches above them.
    “Yeah, Snowy would never lie to use like that,” Pinkie chirped, still sounding far too cheerful given the situation.
    “All of you be quiet. I need to listen,” snarled Discord, his long ears lying against his skull while he glared up at the dapples of sunlight. Thankfully, his companions fell silent; allowing him to hear the extremely subtle movements of the things that were watching them.
    Suddenly, a dark form dropped from above; verdant eyes glittering at them from a small slit in the black bodysuit they wore. Pointed, cloth covered ears twitching, the cat-like creature darted at them on two legs; drawing Discord to run to the front to defend the group. In the chaos, another figure was sneaking up behind Fluttershy; picking up the tiny bat pony positioned on her back. Shushing the colt with a clawed hand, the ninja -esqu thief hopped back into the branches; leaving a similarly sized plush behind. Having kept one eye on the target, the one set to distract them hopped away before simply darting back up into the trees like a black blur. “Well, I guess we showed them,” Rarity crowed, making it seem like she had done most of the work to defend them. Unconvinced, Discord whirled to look at Fluttershy; the rest following suit. What they saw made their stomachs drop.
    Unaware of what happened, the yellow pegasus shifted her gaze to see what they were staring at. Grabbing the toy that had been left behind, she could only feel a mixture of disbelief as well as a disturbing numbness. This all had to be a bad dream. None of this could be happening. Surely, she would wake up with Flitterfang safe in her arms. Feeling her consciousness begin to break free, she allowed her eyes to roll back in her head as she went into a faint. She was only saved from a hard fall by Discord catching her in his mismatched arms. Hissing out some rather colorful language, the odd mixture of animals straightened; a rather frightening glare on his donkey-like face.
    Without another word, he began to walk into the depths of the woods; the other following close on his heels. Using his innate ability to sense aura’s, he followed an invisible, winding trail. For a wonder, no talking or singing came from the equines behind him; the seriousness of their situation seeming to have finally sunk in. Brushing a pink lock of her mane out of her face while he walked, Discord softened just slightly. “I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to get him back,” hissed a stern promise, his magic flaring in a dangerous, mauve colored aura around him.
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The Unknown Princess