New Moon (My Little Pony)

02 Fracture

A party of two ponies and griffons scavenged within a dark forest. The constant rustle from the grass, trees, and bushes and clicking from crickets were working their nerves. From dawn, the group had traversed the woods and for hours they quivered for signs of predators. Within the night, with only lamps from each creature and a small amount of light from the crescent moon, they were finally able to discover a cave within a clearing.

Their travel possibly took them to every end of the Everfree forest. Running into manticores within large crevices, cockatrices looming from the bushes, and Timberwolves that pounced at their inconvenience. A few amongst the group met their demise by their sharp jaws.

But their leader did not care. He saw their fate as an inevitability, which is why he brought only the most expendable of his collection with him. Those he can easily replace. If he was truly walking on a fool's errand from his anonymous source, he preferred not to damage his most valued belongings.

But now, here he was. Within this cave lied the object to his most desired treasure. "I've finally found you," said a yellow stallion who approached a diamond-surfaced tree within the cave. He rubbed down its crystalline trunk with a hoof. It was densely smooth despite its sharp edges. Yet also so fragile that he could possibly rupture it if applied enough force.

"Is this it," a male gray griffon voiced as he approached the yellow stallion. Behind the yellow stallion remained only two griffons and a stallion that gazed neutrally at him. The last of his attendants to survive their journey. "This is what you risked our life for Gold? You forced us into these awful woods and lose so many friends just so you can find some stupid tree!?"

The yellow stallion's horn radiated red as a metal collar strapped around the griffon made a clunking sound. The griffon collapsed to his knees, bearing his claws on the collar that clenched around his neck and had him gasping for air moments later.

"Wait," the griffon croaked. "Stop.Please."

"I usually don't like to hear any guff from my belongings," Gold said. "Especially from ones so common." Gold gazed coldly at the croaking griffon and then unfastened the collar before the griffon's eyes went bloodshot. Despite the griffon's dull worth, he rathered not blemish his property. "Let this be a reminder to never question my actions. I bought you only for your leniency. If you can't do something so simple, then I take you back to that cesspool of a cell those vendors placed you in." The stallion turned towards other the griffon, a blue griffon that glanced painfully at his heaving companion before him. "That goes for you as well."

"Yes sir," the blue griffon answered.

Gold turned his attention back at the tree. He noticed six empty sockets within its branches. No doubt the missing objects that belonged there were presently in Princess Celestia's possession; which only confirms this was indeed the place he was looking for.

"So you are the fabled Tree of Harmony," Gold spoke to the tree. "Many centuries ago, my ruler used your powers to seal away a very rare specimen. You might remember it to be the embodiment of the night. A monster the epitomize all the terror that lurks beneath the moon. I really must thank you and the princess for preserving her, else I may have been given this opportunity. I intend to add her to my collection and you will be the key to do so."

The stallion nodded at the two griffons. "Make yourselves useful and break a branch or two for me."

The blue griffon flapped by the gray griffon's side and helped him back to his feet. The blue griffon was able to recollect his breathing and grimaced at the collar that remained harnessed around his neck.

"Move," the stallion behind the two said with a rough voice. The gray griffon quivered and swiftly flew before that stallion's horn may alight. The other griffon somberly followed behind him.

The two withdrew an ax holstered with leather belts to their back. Picking a particular spot, the two slammed the curved blades of the ax upon the branch, bashing shards off of it until it finally broke off and fell.

The stallion enshrouded the fallen branch in a red aura before it hit the ground and levitated it before him. He was quick to notice the light emanating from the tree to suddenly flicker and dim permanently from its initial brightness. Before the two griffons could begin on another branch, the stallion yelled, "Stop!"

The griffons halted and glanced at the yellow stallion. Without a word from their beaks, the two descended themselves to the ground. "I'll settle with one for now. My efforts may prove fruitless if my only resource of the elements were to die."

The stallion placed the branch atop the back of the returning griffons. "Be good slaves and carry it for me." The griffons quietly heaved the branch out the cave as the two stallions followed behind.

When they returned back under the dark night, Gold looked up to the sky for the moon, where his greatest treasure currently lied. Soon he hoped, he will finally find a way to undo the barrier that binds the mythical creature. He waited to see the crescent moon within a clearing of the moving clouds, but to his dismay, it appeared nowhere in sight. "Odd, I could've sworn I saw it before."