Cracked

Chapter 1

(Art is not mine)

Twilight sat in her friend, AppleJack's barn. She read a book in the light of her magenta horn, as an orange mare emerged from a door. The mare was carrying a tray of cider and apple pie on her head, with a grey pegasus trotting behind her.

"Hey Derpy, hey AppleJack." Twilight smiled, standing up and closing her book.

"Hey Princess! How's it going?" Derpy greeted, folding her wings and shaking her blonde mane. "Been a long time since I've seen you!"

"Howdy sugar cube, what're you doing up this late?" AppleJack smiled, setting down the tray on a large, square crate.

"Just reading some of our equestrian history. It's pretty fascinating, I'll say that." Twilight grinned, trotting over.

AppleJack whipped out a rope tied to her tail and swung it in the air, hooking up the jug of cider. As the other two ponies watched in amazement, she lashed her tail into the air in a circle and poured the cider in three mugs without error.

Twilight and Derpy cheered, as they all clunked their mugs together.

"So how's it like, in your fancy new castle of yours?" AppleJack laughed.

"I know it might sound a bit strange, but I don't really like it. I like my old wooden treehouse much better, really." Twilight sighed, setting down her mug.

Derpy watched the bubbles in her mug curiously while holding a muffin in her mouth.

"I wouldn't blame you, er- no offense, but if I became a princess, I'd rather stay in my cozy storm cloud house than in a castle." Derpy blushed, gulping down her muffin.

"None taken, I'd do the same." Twilight laughed.

AppleJack held a knife in her teeth and cut the pie carefully, as Twilight hovered the pieces into the air.

Derpy jumped up and chomped a slice, falling on her back with her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.

AppleJack chuckled, picking up a slice of pie in her hooves and throwing it in her mouth.

"Aye, Rarity, Rainbow, Derpy and I are going to find some gems that Rarity wanted." AppleJack spoke up, flicking her ear.

"Why so many?" Twilight asked.

"Whooves reported seeing changelings and suspicious figures on the edge of the everfree." Derpy explained.

"I think Derpy's got some feelings for him, I'll say that!" AppleJack laughed.

Derpy blushed and covered her face with her wings.

"Sure, I'll go." Twilight chuckled, finishing her pie.

-

AppleJack hauled a wooden cart along the dirt road of PonyVille, humming.
A bright pink pony bounced up to her with a wide grin.

"Heeeeey there applejack!" Pinkie squeaked, her hot pink mane bouncing up and down.

"Howdy there, Pinkie! I heard you were taking FlutterShy to Zecora this afternoon?" AppleJack asked the bouncing pony.

"OOOH yes we are! We're gonna find a potion to help her wing now! She walked into some poison joke again.." Pinkie giggled. "Sorry."

"Pinkie, um... Are we going to- EEEP!" A cowering cream pony shrieked, when a large Griffin flew over her.

"Pardner, can you please warn every pony when you're-" AppleJack asked, but the Griffin turned around glaring at the Orange mare.

"Gilda!" AppleJack gasped.

"BUM BUM BUUUUUM!" Pinkie shouted, banging on a random drum from out of nowhere.

"Sorry." She squeaked, throwing the drum rolling out of sight as a cat yowl echoed around.

"Just passing through." Gilda smirked, circling away. "After all, you ponies value your friendship too much to house a crazy Griffin like me."

"I'll beat that thing to a pulp if ah could!" AppleJack snorted, stomping her hind legs on the ground angrily.

Pinkie bounced over to FlutterShy with a wide grin.

"Cmon, FlutterShy! Lets go and get you a potion for that wing!" Pinkie giggled, stroking the frightened pegasus' wings.

"Seeya!" Pinkie shouted, bouncing off with the mare at her side.

A blur of cyan skidded to a stop by the angry farm mare and laughed with a tomboyish voice.

"That was the best speed I've gone without making a sonic rainboom! AWEEEESOME!" The cyan mare cheered, bowing down as if bowing to an amazed audience. "Thank you, thank you!"

"Darling! Please do not get a speck of dirt on this beautiful new dress I made!" A white mare shrieked, trotting over gracefully.

She shook her curly purple mane and the cyan pegasus scoffed, shaking her rainbow hair.

"Aight! We're going to CAAAAANTERLOT!" The cyan pegasus shouted like a coach.

-

"Canterlot caves, eh? Long time since I've been here." Twilight sighed, looking at the crystalline walls.

"Come on, let's go to the north side, Princess Luna said there'd be more ice sapphires and fire rubies there!" The white mare said, then imitating ponies. "My my, Rarity! Such amazing dresses! Goodness, Rarity! Best dressmaker of Equestria!"

"We get it." Rainbow Dash (cyan mare)mumbled, trotting alongside Derpy who was munching on a muffin.

The cross eyed mare looked at Rainbow Dash and held out a rainbow M&M muffin to her with a smile.

"Made one specially for you!" Derpy said.

Rainbow smiled and folded her wings. Even though she is a strange mare, she's got a great spirit. Rainbow thought.

"Thanks, Ditzy." Rainbow nodded, taking the muffin carefully with a hoof.

"Just call me Derpy." Derpy winked.

"Okay, Thanks Derpy." Rainbow Dash laughed.

Wrapping the muffin in a cloth, she put it deep in her saddlebag.

Suddenly, a flashing purple light exploded from in front of them.

"We're here." Twilight gasped.

"The Northern Caves." Rarity sighed in awe.

-
DITZY HOOVES (DERPY)

Next thing we knew, black tufted arrows were raining around us.

"Get behind the rocks!" Twilight shouted, creating a large magenta bubble around everyone.

"Who are they?" A squeaky voice asked.

"They've passed the North Cave border. Whoever they are, they shouldn't be here." A voice snarled, deeper, but more female than the first.

"Show yourselves, Equestrians!" A voice shouted, and I could hear almost a dozen bows being loaded and slow whirring sounds as horns grew with magical lasers.

I prepared to hear wing beats of Pegasi, but there were none. I expected Rainbow Dash to be the first one to react, but Twilight was first.

She slowly rose into the air with her large wings, and her horn lighting up with a swirling rainbow.

Slowly, a dozen of tall, deer horned ponies walked out from the shadows. They had dragon like bodies, but they were some how "majestic." Long, wavy tufts of fur ran down from their ankles,(yes horses have ankles) and thin whiskers waved down from beside their muzzles. Their ears were like discord's but they had tufts of fur in them. They had long, thin dragon tails with enormous, threatening horns. Much more dangerous than a deer or moose's.

Twilight gasped. After that gasp, I heard a whisper.

"Qilins." She whispered.(I call them Kirins but either one is fine.)