How come the Creative Corner doesn't get any threads that showcase writing? Surely there has to be some people out there with that talent - I believe the only thread ever posted in CC showcasing writing was some crappy amateur story I wrote. Graphics and levels are nice; don't get me wrong, I love seeing Bam, Tyler, and other pixel artists' graphics and levels here, but I also want to see what beautiful literature you Graalians can put out. Or maybe you all hate writing and books alike...
I guess I can publish my MLP:FiM fanfics here, but I don't think you guys would want to see that. Or would you?
EDIT: Guess some of you did. So, here.
Twilight is excruciatingly confused about her friendship with Rainbow Dash. Why is Rainbow Dash acting this way, and even a better question... Why is she acting this way? What could it possibly be that is causing these feelings to surface?
WARNING: This is a pony romance story. Read at own risk.
Last edited by Talon; 05-21-2012 at 11:00 PM.
Reason: Grammar fail.
I had to write a story that created suspense as part of my exam coursework a year ago. I'll post it up if you want to read it, it's about 4-5 pages long.
My time to shine! I have several storys about a page each that I had to do in preperation for an English exam. I will post them below if anyone wants to hear them?
My time to shine! I have several storys about a page each that I had to do in preperation for an English exam. I will post them below if anyone wants to hear them?
Twilight is excruciatingly confused about her friendship with Rainbow Dash. Why is Rainbow Dash acting this way, and even a better question... Why is she acting this way? What could it possibly be that is causing these feelings to surface?
Twilight is excruciatingly confused about her friendship with Rainbow Dash. Why is Rainbow Dash acting this way, and even a better question... Why is she acting this way? What could it possibly be that is causing these feelings to surface?
I have about a million notebooks with a few pages written in each. I love writing the beginnings of stories. So, here's the only one I have on my phone.
Spoiler
As I dodged through the melee of warring naval factions, the only thought in my mind was
"I'm not supposed to be here"
An arrow whipped by, grazing my sleeve.
I'm getting a little too close the the action, I thought worriedly.
I snatched up a bloody knife from the saturated deck and continued to make my way towards the mainsail. I planned on climbing up to the crows nest, and awaiting the end of the battle in relative safety. A flying dagger pinned itself into the wall of the cabin behind me. I caught her breath sharply and faltered, but soon, realizing the urgency of my situation, continued crawling. At last I reached the mast, and, with the knife's handle gripped tightly between my teeth, I began the long and treacherous ascent to the crows nest. Every inch threatened to hurl me off into the roiling sea. I felt helpless and exposed so high in the air. About halfway to the top, I heard a commotion from below, not unsimiliar to a murder of crows squabbling over an insect. I chanced a peek down, but looked up again instantly, reeling from the sheer height. I allowed myself a few moments to recover, then glanced downward once again. The men on deck had ceased their projectile exchange, and were wildly gesticulating up towards me. I groaned.
Oh great, I thought, this is exactly the opposite of what I intended. I resumed my flight with a renewed vigor. Once I reached the crows nest platform, I noticed the wind had picked up considerably. I peered down again, it looked like they were battling again, but I couldn't tell. I crouched down and breathed in the cold ocean air.
I gasped as a bitter wind whipped my face and swept my dark hair back. The cloudy gray sky warned of an approaching storm. I considered my current situation carefully, while not entirely letting my guard down. I had been a thief living in a large port city known as Kota Besar. The war that had killed both my mother and father now threatened my life as well. The war was between the Kingdom and the Rebels, a group of unhappy farmers and rogues. The Rebs had attacked Kota Besar, and the local citizens rallied to defend it. Unfortunately, on such short notice our forces were easily defeated by the Rebels, and the city was captured. When news reached the capital of the capture, the King immediately sent out a vast army to take control of the city once again. The Rebs took flight, along with as many prisoners as they could load onto their barge to use for ransom. I was one of those captives. Now, the kingdom was attacking the Rebel prisoner ship. A tremulous shudder snapped me out of my reverie. The whole ship rocked back and forth. I grabbed onto a rope for support, dizzy with fear. A third ship appeared to be entering the brawl from the north. Its dual cannons smoking, obviously the cause of the shuddering. As my cold eyes surveyed the scene, it quickly became apparent what had just happened. The ship was sinking.
I rolled up my sleeves, and wiped my newly acquired knife on my white tunic.
A streak of red appeared.
I began to climb down to a lower platform by way of netting and ropes. I hoped to reach one of the rowboats before the rest of the passengers realized that the ship was going down. I had never been a very emotional person, and completely understood the concept of 'every man for himself'. In this way, I had no problem escaping the doomed ship and leaving everyone else to sink to the sea floor. When I reached the deck, I made a b-line for the opposite side of the ship. I knew that if I had any chance of living to flee another day, I had to get to the bowsprit and launch a rowboat off. That meant going through the thick of the fight. I started off at a run, right into the left flank of the King's men. I kept my head low, and my knife poised to lash out at a moments notice. Although I had yet to kill anyone, I was game to start now. A soldier noticed me through the carnage, and started towards me. I ducked behind a crate, and continued to run towards the bow. After what felt like an eternity, I reached the rowboats. I jumped in one and hacked at the ropes lashed to the side of the ship. The boat dropped into the water with a bone-jarring crash. Despite my shock, I started rowing immediately after hitting the waves, to escape the pull of the water under the ship. Meanwhile, the melee on the boat had come to an end. From what I could see, the Rebels had managed to drive off the invading sailors, and were preparing to sail away. The ocean was littered with debris and a few recently deceased corpses. As I rowed away from the battle scene, a glance over my shoulder reassured me that the Rebs hadn't noticed my escape. Now that I was a safe distance away from the ship, I stuck the knife into my belt and started rifling through the storage bags in the boat. The first one was some type of sandbag, for soaking up water, I guessed. The second one contained a near empty waterskin, a sodden nootbook, and a dead bug.
Splendid, I thought, I'm stuck in this bloody tub with very little water and no food. I leaned back against the side of the boat and closed my eyes, but could find no rest in the blustery rain and wild rocking of the boat. After a while of sitting and thinking, I noticed the storm had picked up tempo. The disgruntled waves flooded over the side of my small rowboat, threatening to capsize it. I leapt into action when a large wave drenched my face. I grabbed the sandbag and attempted, unsuccessfully, to to soak up the water. There was just too much, I thought desperately. I decided to fall back on my last resort. I threw the bag around my shoulders and dove into the water. The cold was paralyzing. I managed to flip the rowboat over, and cling to the underside, barely conscious. After hours of drifting aimlessly, I became lost in the black void of unconsciousness.
I awoke to darkness. I blinked twice, then noticed beams of light filtering through whatever barrier was blocking my sight. I allowed herself a few minutes to recuperate, then I lifted myself onto one arm, and put my hand up, feeling the surface around me. Wood. I breathed a sigh of relief. It's just the rowboat, I thought. I pushed up with both arms and flipped it over and off of myself. The bright sunlight that assaulted my eyes left me incapacitated for a few moments. When I recovered, I began to take in my surroundings; I was lying on a beach with pearl white sands, and waves gently lapping against the rolling sandy dunes. A meter or so from the water I saw the edge of a forest, with a creek running to the sea. I had no idea where I was, but I felt completely at ease for the first time since my capture. I'll just doze here for a few minutes to get my strength back, I thought. But I ended up falling fast asleep, sprawled out on the white shores with my head cushioned by a soft sand pile. I awoke to the sound of my stomach grumbling hungrily. I picked myself up somewhat reluctantly, and slowly circled, allowing the warm sunlight to bathe my face. My clothing had since dried out, and was crusted with dried blood, from who knows where, I thought. I peeled off the outer layer of my tunic, leaving behind the still-clean, grey undershirt. I knelt over my damp bag and discarded the bug. I opened the notebook, but found only pages of smeared ink. I kept the waterskin to fill up later, and tossed the book into the sea, which was now calm and satisfied. I was delighted to find the dagger still tucked safely in my belt. I strapped the bag onto my back, tied my tunic around my waist and trudged up the beach. I kept my eyes and ears open for any signs of freshwater, as I made my way into the sheltering shade of the pine trees. I soon reached the cool, comforting oasis of the shoreline forest. I knelt down to the ground and stuck my finger into the sandy soil. Not one bit of moisture, I thought despairingly. I continued walking, going farther into the forest, unwittingly losing myself amidst the trees. After a few minutes of wandering somewhat aimlessly, I noticed the patches of light allowed to filter through the trees were becoming few and far. I paused and considered my current situation. I'd gone two days without water, I was lost deep in who knows what forest, in who knows what kingdom. I gave up on trying to get out of the forest for the moment, and resigned myself to settling down for the long night ahead. I began to scale the nearest tree. When I was about 20 feet up, I stopped and leaned against the sturdy pine, pulling splinters out of my hands with my teeth. I pulled my knees up to my chin and watched as the meager light quickly faded from the thickly wooded forest. The branches of the tree were fairly close together, allowing me a little relaxation, without fear of falling out. After a while I lost track of time. I finally gave into the temptation of sleep, trying to ignore the howls of the great beasts that roamed through forests at night and the biting cold.
I awoke to bright sunlight shining through to my face. As I blinked confusedly, the previous day's events rushed back to me suddenly. I felt the roof of my mouth with my dry, swollen tongue, and winced; it felt like sandpaper. I halfway climbed, halfway fell down the tree, and landed heavily on the ground. The energy exerted over the past few days had taken a toll. I struggled to my leaden feet. Every step took more effort than the last. I tediously stumbled through the thickly wooded forest, hoping desperately to find water, or food. After an hour or so, I could go no further. I collapsed to the ground and helplessly awaited death. I watched a worm wobbily crawling across the root of a tree, before it disappeared beneath the ground. In my exhaustion it took a moment for the event to register, but after I realized it I was filled with a new energy; the will to survive. I hastily dug my fingers into the ground where the worm had disappeared and began shoveling the loamy dirt aside. After a few moments of rigorous digging, I was rewarded with the feeling of moist dirt between my fingers. A couple minutes longer and the hole had begun to pool with muddy water. I stumbled over myself in an attempt to get at the water. I gulped it down a little too quickly and had to force myself to slow down. I could feel little bits of rock and dirt in my mouth, but I disregarded it. It tasted like the cleanest spring water at that moment. I stood up as I felt strength flowing through me. The empty feeling in my stomach was a reminder that I had a day, or two at best, to find food. I set out with renewed vigor, determined to find my way out of the forest. After a few hours I noticed patches of grass had been trodden down in places. I observed the tracks, human. That means civilization must be nearby! I thought hopefully. I examined the tracks closer to gain more info about whatever had left them. It was definitely a lot, maybe a hunting party of two scores or more, and it looked as if they had passed by only a few hours ago. I judged it safe to follow the tracks in hope of reaching whatever town they had come from. I began to follow the tracks, minding my steps carefully. Within two hours the steps became relatively fresh, and I proceeded more cautiously. After a few more minutes I began to hear the crackling of many sticks being broken underfoot. I crawled behind a nearby bush and watched silently as my prey emerged from the thick undergrowth. A group of about 30 men and women armed with bows and freshly slain deer. I noticed the gauntness of the hunters and animals alike. The humans had an unhealthy pallor, and seemed frail, and timid. Once the party was far enough away, I followed them from a safe distance. Within an hour, they emerged from the forest, and I got my first glimpse of the sky in two days. The opening I had come to was the very edge of the forest. Barren, yellow sand continued as far as the eye could see. On the distant horizon I could make out the village from which the party came from. I realized she could no longer follow the hunters without them noticing, one glance backwards and I would be accused and deftly punished as a spy. I had to decide quickly if I should approach them in hope of finding food, or take my chances on the flatlands. The latter was immediately ruled out, and although the thin appearance of the villagers made I doubt food would willingly be spared, I set off at a fast walk towards the group. When I was within 40 feet, the hunters noticed me approaching. They quickly surrounded me and violently prodded her with spear butts. The circle parted momentarily to allow someone on horseback to enter, someone of importance. He was tall, and noble-looking, even though he wore shabby garments and bore the same appearance as the rest of the people. A beaten, bronze circlet bedded on his silver hair, encrusted with minute emeralds and other precious stones of little or no value. He drew his horse up next to me, it was close enough for me to smell it's musty breath. I stood firmly, unflinchingly. The rider drew his sword from it's sheath on his back, and pressed the rusty metal blade against my neck. A thin line of blood traced it's way down my collar. The man addressed me.
"State your name"
I tried not to swallow.
"Aeth of Kota Besar in the Kingdom of Aru"
The man pressed the sword harder on my throat.
"What are you doing so far away from your homeland, you are naught but a pup"
"I was kidnapped, in an attack on my city, I escaped from the ship but became lost in that forest" I gestured behind her. "Until I saw your men and followed them"
The man sighed and sheathed his sword.
"Just another mouth to feed, spy or not" He rubbed his eyes wearily. The man waved his hand, and the group seemed to understand.
The men parted ranks again and the man galloped off towards the city.
My hands were tied behind my back with a short piece of rope, and I was led into the city like a common criminal. As the party marched me through the city, I couldn't help but notice he pitiful state it was in. All of the buildings were made of crumbling stone, the streets were wild and unkempt. Weeds grew out of the cracks, and hungry children ran through the streets in search of food. Nervous citizens peered out of their windows, but quickly hid behind their tattered curtains when I met any of their eyes. I felt truly sorry for these people, and wondered what misfortune had turned their life to this despair and suffering. The hunters guarding me from behind noticed her change of pace to observe her surroundings and urged me along as politely as they could. We traveled through the rundown village until I was hopelessly lost. At last we reached a white stone building, now grey with the dust of many decades. The guards halted me roughly and awaited further command. The worn steps upon which we stood were on the verge of collapse. I noticed there were few houses near the building, and even fewer people. That can't be a good thing, I thought ominously. The man from earlier who seemed to be in charge emerged from the building. He gestured for the two soldiers guarding me to enter. I decided to break the silence, I stopped.
"Where are we going?"
My captors remained expressionless but the man standing in front of me answered.
"You're going to a holding cell"
He made it clear that that was all I was going to be told.
I frowned,
"Who are you?"
The man gave a wry half-smile
"I am Plimas, chief of defense for Beok"
Beok. That must be the name of the city. I thought back to my lessons as a child, Beok was a desert city, in the Tokary Desert. The Tokary was a vast desert along the border of the Aru kingdom. The desert ran to the edge of an unnamed forest, which stretched about 12 miles long, running all the way to the coast.
"Ok, uh, where are we going?" I repeated.
In response the man spun on his heel and disappeared into the dense blackness inside the building. My captors followed, half-dragging me along with them.
Upon entering the ancient building, everything was dark. I blinked several times as I waited for my eyes to adjust to the abrupt change in lighting. After a few moments, I could make out Plimas' shape hovering near a door on the far right wall. He severed the rope at my hands with a quick swipe.
"Private" He barked at the man to my right
"Fetch Arden"
I could see the color briefly drain from the private's face, but he quickly regained composure and rushed off into the darkness. I gingerly rubbed the circulation into my hands, as Plimas stalked back and forth, pondering something deeply. As I took in my surroundings I had enough light from the dim candles to notice the man to my left had disappeared also. A brief thought flashed through my mind concerning escape, but I quickly dismissed it, knowing I couldn't get far in the desert with no sustenance or supplies. The chief of defense halted his pacing in front of me and seemed to consider me for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak, but at that exact moment a man came through the door. My eyes shot towards him. He had white hair, and a face so wrinkled its features were hopelessly lost. He was wearing a black cloak embellished with strange symbols, and seemed to float, rather than walk as he made his way across the room. Of all these strange things, the strangest was the coldness he carried with him as he entered, I felt as if the temperature dropped 10°. My instincts told me to run and to get as far away from this man as I could, for he was surely evil, but my joints stayed frozen in place. The man came to a stop beside Plimas, who also seemed to feel the strange effect of the man I assumed to be Arden. Arden hissed.
"Who is this"
Plimas shuddered visibly, and directed his vision downwards.
"She is a child we found on a patrol"
I recovered quickly when she heard this.
"A child?" I gagged indignantly
"I'm not a-" I was cut off by Arden's hypnotic tone
"Silence! Search her!"
Reluctantly, I surrendered my dagger. Arden nodded for Plimas to check me for any other weapons, projectiles, or explosives. None were found. Now that my mind was working properly again, I was desperately formulating escape plans mentally. I had a feeling this guy was bad news, and I didn't want to take the risk, desert or not. I watched carefully as he drew a clear vial out of his voluminous cloak. As he handed it to Plimas a look of understanding passed between them. I couldn't take it any longer. I lashed my fist out sharply, dealing a blow to Arden's wrinkled hand. The vial smashed onto the floor and bubbled suspiciously, but I was already up and running. I dashed out the door and into the bright sunlight. I needed to get lost amidst the city, and nab some food in the process. I ran as hard and as fast as I had ever run before. Over the pounding of my heart I heard the clatter of soldiers rallying for a manhunt. I reached a more densely populated area of the city within moments, and dodged into an alley between two apartments. I dropped behind some vender's rotting cart to catch my breath. I wheezed heavily for a few minutes, unaccustomed to intense physical activity. Soon, I decided it wasn't safe to stay any longer. I peered over the edge of the cart to make sure there were no soldiers nearby, then proceeded to scale the wall to my left in order to reach the open window up above. As I neared it the smell of baked goods reached my nose. My stomach grumbled so loud that I froze for a moment, expecting someone to jump out of the shadows and sack me. I cautiously climbed through the open window and dropped silently into the room. It was a tiny kitchen with only a stone oven and a pantry. I tore open the cupboard ravenously and shoved some stale bread down my throat. I scooped up the remnants of the pantry and dumped them into my bag, along with the two loaves cooling on the counter. I shouldered my bag, scratched a quick thank-you note onto the table, and promptly leapt out the window. I landed lightly on the ground. I was back in my element. I checked both ways for soldiers then ran across the street to the adjacent alleyway. I knew my only chance of getting out of the labyrinth of homes safely was to ask a local for directions. I weighed my odds, and figured it was better to take my chances now, than to wait and risk recognition. I spotted an old peddler reading a newspaper by her cart. I attempted to tidy up, somewhat unsuccessfully, so she didn't run away screaming at first sight of me. I approached her cart cautiously, but at the same time walking heavily so she wouldn't be surprised. When I reached the cart I gave a light tap to the corroded wood to gain her attention. She slowly lowered her paper and fixed me with a one eyed glare. I gave her a what-I-hoped-was- charming grin.
"Excuse me miss, can you direct me to the city gates"
She remained silent, all the while keeping her crusty gaze on me.
"Ma'am?" I pressed hesitantly
"You fr'm outta town?" She finally grunted
"Yes ma'am"
"Where's your charter eh?" She said, still glaring.
"Char.... Uh.. I'm here with my parents" I recovered neatly.
She gave another grunt, then leaned back heavily.
I awaited her reply nervously, sure that she hadn't bought my parent story.
"Down four streets then take a left"
I almost sighed with relief, but managed to hold it back.
"Thank you very much! Thank you!" I gushed
"Beat it"
And beat it I did.
