Adult-FanFiction.org : Cartoons

The Unknown Princess	By : FlameWolf666 Category: +M through R > My Little Pony Views: 2321 -:- 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
- 5
- 6
- 7
Author’s Note: Our journey continues with a new friend in tow!

Chapter Six: Into the Desert

    Stretching while the rays of the early morning sun began to shine through stained glass windows, Twilight yawned while her wings spread. Soon, they would be leaving to continue their journey. A long journey that would lead them through a desert. From there, it would be up to Fluttershy to lead them to the sphinx; depending entirely on knowledge she had gleaned from books. Some part of her wondered if it wouldn’t be better to leave Flitterfang with the Nekomata. They would know where his family was and could keep him safer than they could. Unfortunately, that decision wasn’t in her hooves.
    Fluttershy had grown very attached to the little colt, not to mention the fact they had just gotten him back. Something told the alicorn that her friend wouldn’t be all that willing to leave him behind again. Sighing, she made her way out of the room she had been given; heading back to the main hall to meet up with the others. Maybe she would even have enough time to ask about the murals in the entry hall before everyone else woke up. As she came into the huge room, she wasn’t all that surprised to see Siabus was already talking to ‘Mama’.
    Hearing the sound of hooves on tile, the odd hybrid turned to grin at her; wagging his bushy tail slightly. “Morning Princess. Not surprised you’re the first one up. Would you like some breakfast? ‘Mama’s’ daughter gathered some fine apples for us today,” he chirped, prancing his way toward her like an excited puppy.
    “Er, thanks Siabus. Breakfast does sound good,” she replied, walking with him to a small table that had a bowl of ripe apples in the middle. Picking up one with her magic, she took a bite; a bit surprised at the flavor flooding her mouth. It was even better than an apple from the Apple Family orchard and she had to restrain herself from asking to see the trees. Besides, she had other things she was curious about and not a lot of time to ask questions.
    “Its delicious Mama but... I have some things I would like to ask you,” she murmured, hoping the elder wouldn’t mind explaining their history to a stranger.
    “Ah, the mural in the entry hall,” cooed the elderly leader, blind eyes seeming to smile at her guests.
    “Many visitors have been curious about it. As you can likely guess,the pictures depict our history. You may go study them if you like. At least until you are ready to leave,” came the offer the young monarch had been waiting for. With a bow, she galloped off to the entry hall; excited to begin recording the tale of these fascinating creatures.
    As soon as she was gone, Fluttershy was coming in with the young batpony on her back. Yet, she seemed sad; almost thoughtful as she made her way to ‘Mama’. Raising tearfilled green eyes to the leader, the yellow pegasus began to shuffle her right, front hoof nervously. “W-with how dangerous the desert is... m-maybe it would be better if Fangy stayed here after all,” whispered her nearly silent voice, her words making the grin fall completely off the young colt’s face. Before the village elder could answer, the youngling was floating off her back to look into her eyes.
    “No! Wan’ stay wiff ‘Shy,” he protested, tears in his wide, red eyes.
    Squeaking as her heart cramped in her furry chest, the kind equine shook her head. “You won’t have easy access to food or water and the Nekomata would at least know where to take you as well as how to keep you safe,” she reasoned, tears rolling down her yellow cheeks while she tried to keep a brave face for the child. Unfortunately, it didn’t really work. Letting out a wail of distress, the batpony clung to his caretaker’s neck while crying as hard as he could.
    “No no no no!” he cried out over and over, his tiny head shaking frantically.
    Finally, all the fuss had drawn the elderly leader off her chair and toward the distraught pair. “If I may interrupt, I see no reason why you cannot keep him with you. You will have more than enough supplies and the Sphinx aren’t terribly deep in the wastelands,” came her wizened voice, a smile on her gray, wrinkled muzzle. Eyes widening with hope, Fluttershy gathered the still sobbing colt into a hug and began to try to comfort him.
    “Y-you already packed extra food and water for the little one?” whispered out of her while Flitterfang hiccuped into her neck.
    “Of course! Helps batponies don’t need much water. They get all the moisture they need from the fruit they ingest,” Siabus pointed out, a grin on his face while the pegasus looked at him with her mouth hanging open.
    She hadn’t expected anything that complex to come out of his mouth, making her feel a bit guilty for making such a judgement about him. Thanking them both, she decided to sit at the table and wait for the others. In moments, Applejack was trotting in; looking a bit surprised she wasn’t the first one awake for once. Being a farm pony, she was accustomed to waking up early. “Morning ‘Shy, you th’only one awake?” the orange colored equine asked, a jovial smile on her freckled face. Before the other mare could answer, they heard a very excited, one-sided conversation coming down the hall.
    “Guess that answers ma question,” the earth pony chuckled before giving a greeting to Pinky and Starlight. From the looks of it, the pastry chef had been talking the poor mare’s ear off.
    Seeming grateful for the interruption, the lavender unicorn made her way to the table; picking out an apple with her magic. Of all the others, Fluttershy was the easiest for her to be around. “I’ll be glad once this whole thing is over and we’re back in Ponyville,” she sighed, taking a bite of the fruit before taking a seat next to the pink maned pegasus. All too soon, the others were coming in; Rarity being the last to drag herself into the room. Seeming to sense everyone’s presence, Twilight came from the entry hall to join them; an abashed expression on her face.
    One by one, they were given a saddle bag full of supplies; Rarity’s bag being particularly invaluable. Even Discord had been given a rather sizeable backpack. Then, with tearful goodbyes, they were leaving; the kits in the village trailing behind until they reached the exit of the small hamlet. Giving the hidden town one, last look, the group was moving down the road with Fluttershy in the lead. Feeling a bit vulnerable, the shy mare faltered until a certain draconequus was by her side. Only then did she feel the confidence needed to take the first step down the path.
    As they travelled, plants grew more sparse and the soil much more dry and dusty. Pressing her wings against her sides, Fluttershy did her best to keep her anxiety at bay. Especially when she saw the first glimpses of the vast, arid land they would have to travel through. A land with precious little landmarks. A land they would have to travel with only the very vague directions she had gotten from a fairly old book. For all she knew, the Sphinx had moved on long ago. Not for the first time, she wondered if she was really the right pony for the job. Surely Twilight would have more knowledge than she did. Looking back at the others, she considered going back to ask the alicorn if she was really sure about all of this. Feeling a paw settle on her right shoulder, she looked up to see Discord smiling at her. “Everything will be fine,” he assured, his words doing worlds to help her feel better.
    Nodding, she continued onward; even when the path they had been following disappeared. Massive sand dunes began to appear around them, bushes and trees replaced with an occasional cactus or tumbleweed. Yet, despite the barren appearance of the land, there were signs of life everywhere. Lizards skittered over weathered rocks in pursuit of beetles. Mice scampered in the scant amount of grass, drawing the attention of a hawk. There was even a tiny, fennec fox, wet nose twitching while massive ears turned toward them.
    Slowly, cautiously, the vulpine came toward them; seeming to be fascinated with Siabus in particular. Wagging his tail, the foxpony bent to sniff at the tiny canine; getting a boop in return. Then it was running back the way it had come, leaving the group mystified. “Does that happen a lot?” Rarity whispered as they began to move again. Grinning, the red furred stallion nodded while his tail swished furiously.
    “Foxes in particular. They trust me. Maybe its cause of what I am,” came a happy response, the sun beginning to rise overhead.
    Soon, the heat of the desert was upon them and they saw no shelter ahead to give them relief. Shielding Flitterfang with her wings, Fluttershy stopped to get her bearings; looking up at the position of the sun to make sure she was still heading the right way. Behind her, the others were panting, their coats covered with sweat while their flanks shuddered. None of them were used to travelling in such extreme heat and were already showing signs of heat exhaustion. They needed a place to rest soon or all of them would get even sicker than they already were.
    Looking down at the spots that had been growing in number steadily on her forelegs, the pegasus found herself wondering how much longer she had before she was useless. Already, she had felt the telltale soreness in her muscles as well as an unpleasant, clogged feeling in her chest. Shaking her head, she looked around until she saw something far off in the distance. Something that shimmered from the heat but she was fairly certain wasn’t a mirage. “This way,” she encouraged, leading the way to the vague shape.
    As they got closer, the object became clearer. Soon, they could see they were heading toward a massive, stone arch. A marvel of nature and erosion that would offer them a much needed break from the unforgiving climate. It was also one of the landmarks Fluttershy had been on the lookout for, making it all the more convenient to head toward it. As soon as they got close enough, many of the ponies were collapsing in the shade; relishing the fact it no longer felt like they were being cooked alive. “Phew, we should stay here until the sun goes down a bit,” Twilight suggested while Rarity dug in her bag for supplies.
    “This is simply dreadful for the skin and I haven’t any sun hats with me,” the seamstress lamented, placing sewing supplies on a tarp she had set on the ground.
    Rolling her pink eyes, Rainbow Dash floated over to Fluttershy; settling beside the soft spoken mare. “Where are we headin’ next chief?” she asked, while doing her best to appear cool and uncaring on the outside. On the inside, she was bouncing with anticipation.
    “A rock balanced on a spindle. We have to head in the direction its pointing. From there, we will travel until night time. That’s the only time we’ll be able to see the lights in the sky that hang over the village,” came a response straight out of a ‘Daring Do’ novel.
    Wanting to do a loop-de-loop of excitement and barely able to restrain herself, Dash shrugged like the information was only mildly interesting. “Yeah, that sounds kinda neat. It’ll be better than sitting under this rock all day,” sighed her almost bored voice while she was practically squealing with happiness on the inside. This was just like ‘Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny’! Only she was doing it with her friends! She wanted to fly into the sky and shout her overwhelming joy.
    Only Twilight and Applejack noticed her eagerness, smiling to eachother while they pulled out their canteens and took a sip. Beside them, Rarity was beginning to make all manner of sun hats; one for each of them. There was even one for Spike and Flitterfang. A fact Fluttershy in particular seemed to appreciate. The only one who wasn’t relaxing was Discord, the God of Chaos taking up the position of keeping watch. Beside him stood Siabus, a strangely serious expression on his furred face. “It’ll be a hard journey to the next landmark,” he murmured, looking up at the mixture of creatures to his left.
    “At least there will not be any further enemies. I just hope Fluttershy can make it to the Sphinx. She is getting sicker quicker than the others. Soon, she won’t be able to move under her own power,” sighed a worried response, bushy brows furrowing.
    Placing a black hoof on the other male’s flank, the foxpony gave a reassuring smile. “It’ll be okay, I promise. It won’t take much longer with the Sphinx leading the way,” he pointed out, knowing his words weren’t offering much comfort.
    “I hope you’re right. Otherwise, I might have to intervene on this little... game,” growled the draconequus, his mismatched appendages curling into tight fists. Squeaking, Siabus knew better than to argue; even if they both knew better. No matter how badly he wanted, Discord simply could not interfere. If he did, all would be lost.
    Thankfully, the time passed peacefully. Some of them even managing to get in a nap while the sun continued to beat down around them. Hours would pass before it was safe to continue, Rainbow Dash in particular getting a bit twitchy from the lack of action or movement. In the end, Pinkie had distracted her with a rather spirited game of Old Mare. Soon, everypony was joining in; playing while the sun very slowly moved lower. Finally, it was time to move on; the entire group getting ready much slower than a certain blue pegasus would like. “Come on! The sun will set before we can even get going,” she complained, glaring at Rarity in particular.
    The seamstress was taking her sweet time packing, making sure each pony had the sun hat she had made for them. Snatching the article of clothing, Dash fought the urge to pack for the meticulous unicorn. All it would accomplish was the items she had flung into the bag being removed so they could be placed inside properly. The only other pony that seemed as anxious to get going as she was, was Siabus. The odd stallion was jittering in place, looking excited to just be travelling with them. With how long it had probably been since he had seen another pony, she couldn’t really blame him. Still, she wondered just why he chose to live in the forest by himself.
    While he was unusual, he seemed nice enough. Then again, after what had happened when Fluttershy turned into a batpony, she couldn’t really be sure Ponyville would accept him. The same went for Flitterfang. Would anypony else have taken in a batpony after the incident with Fluttershy? Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus on the adventure ahead instead of such unpleasant thoughts. After all, the two ponies were part of the group now and that was good enough for her!
    Once everypony was finally on their hooves and ready to go, Fluttershy and Discord were leading the way back into the desert. Walking along a weathered cliff behind the arc they had hidden under, the ponies made their way in an unknown direction until nothing but sand surrounded them once more. Pausing for a moment, the pink haired pegasus looked around in confusion. There was no sign of a rock balanced on a spire, prompting Rainbow Dash to fly into the air. After a few moments, she came back down with good news. What they were searching for was a few miles to the north and she was easily able to lead the way. Relieved to have the role taken off her shoulders, the champion of Kindness was more than happy to return to the rear of the group.
    Staring down at the slowpokes below her, the speedster honestly wished she could just fly ahead and be done with it. Or, at the very least, force her friends to move faster. Still, at least they were moving. She was grateful for that. It shouldn’t take too much longer to get to the balancing rock. From there, it would only be a short journey to the village of the Sphinx. A prospect that was more than exciting for her. She had only heard of the creatures in legend. To actually get to talk to one was beyond her greatest hopes.
    Oblivious to Rainbow’s thoughts, the group below continued onward. Having handed Flitterfang off to Applejack, Fluttershy was lagging behind. After days of putting on a strong front, she was finally showing just how sick she was. Coughing quietly, she walking even slower than normal; a certain God of Chaos being the only one to stick by her side. “Do you need me to carry you,” came an offer that utterly flabbergasted her. Looking up at her companion, she felt a flush color her cheeks while she shook her head.
    “I appreciate it but... it’ll only remind the others of how sick they are and cause a panic. We can’t afford that when we’re so close to actual help. I just hope that we aren’t too late for Ponyville,” sighed her quiet response, causing the creature next to her to give her an apprehensive look.
    “I’ll be fine. I’m stronger than I look. Besides, the Sphinx can’t be much further off,” she assured, hoping that she was right. In all honesty, she didn’t know how much longer her strength would hold out. It was taking every ounce of willpower just to move forward and she couldn’t keep it up forever. Sooner or later, despite how much she didn’t want to, she would collapse.
    Unaware of her plight, the others talked cheerfully amongst eachother; ignoring the spots appearing in greater numbers on their fur. It would do them no good to dwell on the symptoms that were steadily getting worse. Especially since there was nothing they could do but complete their journey. “I wonder what the Sphinx will look like!” Pinkie chirped, tail twitching while she bounced.
    “I could tell you if you wanted. I’ve paid them a visit more than once,” Siabus responded before looking horrified at what he had said. Everyone halted in an instant, turning to look at the very nervous foxpony.
    “If you know where they are, why didn’t you say anything earlier!? You could have saved us a lot of time by leading the way,” Twilight hissed, ears flattened while her wings puffed up from anger.
    “I... I can’t,” he whimpered, hunching slightly while his tail tucked under him.
    “Why not!” Dash protested, crossing her forelegs while leveling a glare at the red stallion.
    “I just... I just can’t! This is supposed to be your journey,” he confessed reluctantly, shuddering slightly while avoiding their angry gazes.
    “What do you mean?” Starlight murmured, moving closer to the cowering pony.
    “I’ve already said too much. Please... I can’t say anymore or...,” he whispered, interrupted when Discord placed himself between him and the others.
    Blinking, the others looked up at their companion with confusion and a hint of betrayal. “I know it seems cruel but we really can’t explain any further. It will become clearer soon. The best we can do is continue on our quest,” the draconequus declared, giving them all a rather apologetic glance. Finally, after a few tense moments, the group got moving again; a strange silence filling the air. Where there had once been comradery, there was now doubt. Rubbing the back of his head with his eagle claw, Discord could only hope their journey ended soon.
    Looking up at the rock, the group began to head where the thinnest end was pointing. As the orange of the sun settled into purple dusk, lights began to become visible in the distance. Barely able to contain their excitement, the herd managed to keep walking at a steady pace. Despite wanting to run the rest of the way, they all knew it would waste precious reserves of energy. Energy they would need for the rest of the trip. Still, it became harder to contain that urge as they got closer to civilization.
    Walls made of stone loomed ahead, covered in intricate carvings that resembled ancient hieroglyphics. In the center was a huge, wooden door. Approaching the entry, Twilight gave a knock; hopping back slightly when it swung open. Before them was a sandy colored creature with a body of a lion. It was the face that was unusual. It was unlike anything any of them had seen. The closest comparison any of them has was a hairless monkey and even that seemed wrong. Smiling at them with a strange mouth, the winged creature bowed. “Welcome, we have been expecting you for quite some time,” it purred. It was at that moment Fluttershy collapsed, eyes rolling up in the back of her head as she became deaf to the calls of her name.
- 5
- 6
- 7
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Unknown Princess