Bat Trails
Introduction: Beginning of Friendship (Part 1)

>Fall had finally come, the leaves from the trees had turned their usual orange-brown and fallen to the ground. Within a thick forest, sounds of the leaves being crushed underhoof could be heard along with the movement of a large caravan of Batponies. The moonlight shined silver and revealed them to be a group no larger than 100, some were paired in groups of 4 carrying wagons filled with cargo of items. Some stuck close making small talk, some walked beside the wagon carriers, and a few (mostly the foals, fillies, and mothers) were playing inside the wagons. 
>Among the crowd of travelers was a young mare Batpony, named Echo. Her coat was of light grey coloring, taken care to say the least. Mane navy blue with a pale blue streak in it, her expression was energetic, sparkling her orange eyes. Her cutie mark was of a cloud-covered yellowish moon with sound waves. 
>She was young, still inexperienced in dealing with the world, but still old enough to take care of herself. Around her waist was a brown satchel carrying all the items she needed for a long year trip. Far, far, far, behind her lied her home of Hollow Shades, a small place within Equestria, relatively silent and where Batponies mostly reside. The place was rather exotic due to the constant darkness compared to the other places in the land, though a natural inhabitant would've never noticed. Being part of the community that Hollow Shades has is an outstanding thing, but sometimes when that community comes a knocking it can be less than liked.
>At certain point in a Batponies life within Hollow Shades (Mainly when they come of age, though the leaders can make earlier) a Batpony must spend 1 year abroad before returning home. What they see and do is up to them, but supplies and gear for that 1 year will be provided by the community. It is a strange and old tradition, but one that is still practiced by the community. Only a few have voiced a change to the thing, nobody has really done anything to change it as its viewed as learning experience and nothing horribly wrong has happened with sending Batponies to see the world as far as Hollow Shades knows it.
>For, Echo it was her time to go on the 1 year exploration into the world of Equestria. Luckily for her she didn't had to leave alone as the Batponies she happened to be around were merchants (Most), so she had some company to keep as they headed towards their (her) first destination of Twilight Village east of Hollow Shades then from there Filly Delphia.
>Trotting along, a few fillies ran past Echo. She smiled seeing their cheerful play as they hoped on to a wagon in front of her, disappearing behind a canvas cover . She could hear them, they were quite loud "Momma, Momma! Is it true the stranger we picked up woke up? Huh! Huh!?" a filly said in excitement. "A stranger?" Echo wondered, kind of curious. The group before arriving into Hollow Shades and her departing with them originally came from the west.

Bat Trails
Introduction: Beginning of Friendship (Part 2)

>You stood dressed in a maroon academic gown, pushing an empty grey colored cart out of the way inside a large library filled with shelves of books ranging from various of subjects of nature to magic.
>It was nice and warm inside the place you worked, and as the fall season set in, extremely cold winds were blowing outside. You could felt fatigue begin to set in as you completed another day organizing your Master Laechi's Library, your talons and wings aching from moving about.
>Your, Master Laechi was a unicorn who had moved you and their studies of magic to the land of Equestria. You've been under their employment for several years, more than 8 years since uncovering their works using ancient magic known as the Runes.
>Looking up in the building the floors became something of a spiral the further you went, and at the top floor lied your Master's study where they secluded themselves for majority of the day and night until they called on you.
>Stretching your feathered wings from underneath your gown, and performing a few flaps as a test you begun to ascend upwards, viewing different floors of the library and the bookshelves until reaching the top and landing on the red carpet floor. In front of you a shut wooden door with a small glass window, that blurred what was inside except a bright light.
>You walked forward to it and knocked. "Master?" You said waiting for a response from them to enter, or say something.
>There was no response...
"Master. I have finished my work for today." You said again.
>Again there was no response...
>It was strange. At this time your Master would be wide awake continuing their studies on the Runes, and they have always responded to your knocks at the beginning of the day, to afternoon, and end of the day. In fact they responded to your morning and afternoon knocks. Placing your talon on the door you opened it the door, entering your masters office.
>It was a small room, two book shelves filled with books covered both sides, the floor was hard wood with a nice royal blue carpet on the ground with the depiction of a dragon. In the center of the room was your Master's desk filled with papers disorganized, and open books. On top of one was a weird stone necklace object. Behind the desk was a comfortable chair, size of a throne and from your experience in it, unmovable. Lamp light illuminated the room, but nowhere in it was your Master.
>Approaching the desk you investigated the stone necklace. It was small, the size of your talon, cold as stone and had a weird etching in it painted red. You reached for it, but halted as the etching began to glow shining a bright red light in your face, and then...
>BOOM!
>A noise sounded from behind you as something smacked dead against the bookshelf, causing several books to fall down. Turning around you could see your Master, a unicorn of withered age, blue eyes, grey coat, a dark green cloak and scarf, tired, he looked wounded and his face serious as he faced the other bookcase. Around their neck was another stone necklace except the color of the etching was yellow and was shining like the one on the table.
"Master!" You yelled out in surprise and worry at his state, but he turned to you. "Get out of here!" He snapped. Confusion came to you. What was going on?
>A sinister laugh then came and from the other bookcase your Master faced came a rift, it was dark inside, but a white light shined. Piercing purple eyes began to form as the darkness inside the rift began to exit, taking no true form. "So you wish to play hardball with my Runes by throwing them all throughout this land? I enjoy games like this." the voice said snarling at your Master. The eyes turned to you, and you gulped.
"I'll just take these two for now." It said, but then your Master shot a yellow blast of magic from the stone necklace around their neck, which dissolved in a white light after getting so close to the entity. 
>The red light from the stone behind you shined brighter and the eyes that were looking at you let out a small wave of white light you could see. Your master reacted and with their quick speed shielded you, as the both of you went flying back with the desk. Papers and books flew everywhere with the necklace that was on the table slid to the both of you on the floor.
>Groaning you wondered what kind of magic that was before your master grabbed the shining stone necklace on the floor, and pulled you near them.
"Master what-" You started, but they kept you quiet.
"Can't explain. Gather the Runes. My research. From across Equestria and destroy them. The, Runes will find the others spread about. Beware their power, and beware those they choose." He said as fast he could to you, his eyes cold and serious. He then took off the necklace he refereed to as the Rune the thing he had been studying, and placed it in your talon along with the red one.
>The entity that blasted you both, then began to pounce on the two of you. Magic then shot from your Master's horn at you then everything faded to white...
"I'll explain everything when its over..."

* * *

>A child's voice rang, "Momma, Momma! Is it true the stranger we picked up woke up? Huh! Huh?"
>You stirred and slowly your eyes began to open...

Bat Trails
Introduction: Beginning of Friendship (Part 2.5)

>You were confused, dizzy, drool exited from your beak on to the wooden floor. The place you were at was in motion, looking around you recgonized the place as a travelling wagon filled with crates and clothes. In front of you was 3 ponies, two were fillies small, had slit green eyes and black manes. The other pony standing next to them was a mare, way older she had her black mane in a bun.
>Taking a closer look at them. They didn't seem like normal ponies, they had slit like eyes and their wings! Oh god! Their wings were bat like. 
>You began to freak. "Where were you? What happened? Where was your Master? Oh, NO! Your, Master!" You thought, remembering everything that occured their office. The both of you were attacked by a thing, a thing that attacked you over the runes your Masters was studying. "Where was the ruins?" the thought popped into your head. Looking around you tried to find them and heard to two stones clack. Looking down you could see both of them around your neck, tied using strings.
"You shouldn't move around deary." The older mare said to you, the two fillies entered into the conversation "Yeah. We just found you when we was head'in to Hollow Shades." one said, "You've been sleep all through the trip." the second said. "Hollow Shades?" You thought listening to that filly. You heard that name before when you and your Master moved to Equestria to continue your studies, but you never investigate it further. Your, Master thought about making it the place for him to continue his research, but he wanted to settle somewhere in the north-western part of Equestria.
>Putting your attention back on what the older mare said about you not moving around. She was right. You took a deep breathe and exhaled slowly. "So where are you from Griffin? How did you get in Hollow Shades without anything on you except those stones on you" The older mare asked you. 

Introduction: Beginning of Friendship (Part 4)

"No." You said with a stern expression. "I'm not going to go under your employment."
>Miss Alight looked at you. "So how are you going to get to Fillydelphia? How are you going to pay for your trip to Unicorn Range?" She asked with unsavory eyes.
>You didn't have a correct response to that, but you weren't going to pay that 20 bits or go under that employment contract. You moved towards the back near the covers that covered the wagon, and moved them revealing bright moonlight and a large swarm of wagons being carried by batponies, a few of them marching. "From that map you showed me. I'll just head east to Fillydelphia, and get a way to Unicorn Range and my Master on my own."
>A mare was trotting behind the wagon you were on and the both of you made eye contact. She had a light grey coat and a navy blue mane with a pale blue streak in it. You stared at her for a second, "What the hell was she looking at?" and started to feel a tingle on your neck, the rune around your neck started to shine the red light from when you were in your study. 
"Huh?" You said in confusion at the rune before the wagon came to a complete halt, and you were sent flying back next to Miss. Alight and the fillies. The rune that shined a red light stopped
>Miss. Alight moved past you and to the front and poked her head out. "What's going on?" She asked the batponies carrying the wagon "We shouldn't be breaking so early." "There is something wrong, Miss." One of the ponies carrying the wagon responded, taking a peek you could see 4-5 more wagons in front who were the head of the caravan. Miss Alight looked back at the fillies, "You two stay here. I'll be back." She said commanding them to stay where they were, and jumping out to go to the front and check on what was slowing everybody.
>You got back on your talons after losing your balance, and heard a mare voice speak to you "What was that light I saw?". Looking at the end of the wagon the bat pony that you saw with the light grey poked her head in into the wagon. "Huh? Griffin what was that light I saw from your neck?" She asked again.
>She was asking you about the Runes your Master gave you. You had no obligation to answer, but as she stared at you and tried to enter into the wagob the rune that shined a red light, started to shine again. "Was the rune reacting to her?" You thought.
>As the mare bat pony finally climbed in a distant shout came from far behind her, behind various other wagons. "We're under attack!" somepony yelled.
"What?" You said. "Get the safety equipment everybody" another pony yelled.

Bat Trails
Introduction: Beginning of Friendship (Part 5)

>The caravan was under attack? Running to the back with the rune necklace shining brighter as you got closer to the mysterious mare pony, looking from behind the cover of the wagon you could see a pitch black cloud hover over the other wagons.
"Get the staffs." A batpony yelled, and you could see some batponies hurrying into wagons, some to hide, some getting out large wooden sticks to go fight.
>If the caravan was under attack, running away wouldn't be a good thing for you to do. Then staying with these fillies and mare wouldn't be that good either. Assisting them seemed like a reasonble thing to do.
"Hey you two. Do you have a staff?" You asked the fillies turning to them. They focused on your rune necklace kind of blinded by the light it was shining. "Y-Yeah we got one." "In behind that crate next to you." They said.
>Turning to your right you found a crate and pushed it to the side to get a large wooden staff, it had no cracks, and looked new. You grabbed it with your beak, carrying it and turned to the fillies and mare telling them to stay there with the best of your ability, and then hopped out of the wagon.
>The mare told you to wait as she followed you saying she'll help, and the fillies wishing you two good luck as they stay in the wagon.
>The both of you raced to the end of the caravan past several wagons, and joined a group of bat ponies carrying staff's in their mouths stopped below the pitch black clouds. The light from your necklace illuminated the clouds as the mysterious mare kept near you.
"That light. You who stole our King's rune, and have assigned it a owner has shown them self." a male voice boomed from the clouds above. "What is going on?" One of the bat ponies said carrying a stagg in their mouth. "What runes?"

"Our king?" You thought. You knew when they were talking about runes, they were talking about your Master's runes they got from a far away dig of a long gone equestrian kingdom based on Horse mythology. This being to know about the runes must've been assosciated with the thing that attacked you and your Master.
>A giant flash of light shot from the clouds blinding you and the group, forcing you to raise your academic gown and wings to take cover from the darkness. "I will take what belongs to us and leave you swine." The male voice said as the light slowly vanished and you could see again.
>An earthy pony adorned in stone armor that had etching that shined bright blue lights stood in front of you and your group. Their face and body covered by their armor, but you could see they had crystal blue eyes. Next to them was a pack of wolves, made out of stone with etchings that radiated a bright blue light of magic.
>The pony was addressing you and the mysterious mare. "I the son of the King, Sigur will be your opponent. Come fight me you wretched theives." They said with their voice booming and the stone wolves started to spread out and focus on the group of caravan bat ponies near you.

Bat Trails
Introduction: Beginning of Friendship (Part 6)

>Looking around the caravan bat ponies didn't look up to the task of fighting the stone wolves. You walked forward and stopped.
"Hey, Sigur. Can we talk this out?" You said to him, but his crystal blue eyes narrowed at you. "Talking is for the weak. We settle this now. Come at me."
>The name Sigur seemes familiar to you as if you heard it somewhere in your studies under your Master. If only you could recall old lore of the past. 
>It seems Sigur is too hot headed to be reasoned with...

Bat Trails
Introduction: Beginning of Friendship (Part 7)

>Your only option was to accept Sigur and took one paw forward. He readied himself, you didn't know what he planning, but you had to proceed with caution.
>You moved right, strafing him and keeping a close eyes on the stone wolves he had. You then charged while he stood still as the stone that surrounded his body, and with all your forces you slammed the staff at his face with a large WHACK!!!
>The staff broke in half.... wood flung everywhere, the half of the staff fell to the floor. Sigur dug into the ground at that instant and rammed forward head butting you, your mouth flew open dropping the other half of the staff and you went tumbling backwards towards the mare you met in the cargo.
"To think father would have his runes stolen by these fools." Sigur said out loud disappointed at you, as if he was expecting a real fight. The stone wolves neared the bat caravan ponies and you, blood dripped from your beak, and the damn rune around your neck wouldn't stop shining. "Sick'em!" Sigur said and wolves darted at the bat ponies, some of them smacked them with the staves, few went down or backed away, a few broke.
>One came charing at you and the mare behind threw her backpack at them, stopping it in the air and making it fall down. You were frozen for a second, but thankful she helped and you got back on your talons. 
>You had no weapons and so does the mare.
>You heard a stone growl and looked to your side, another stone wolf showed up. A growls came from behind you as the other bat ponies continued to fight and some lost their weapon and started to flee. 
>You were beginning to be surrounded, Sigur stared emotionless. The mare next you started to freak out of fear, "Please no. Not like this. Stop this." she yelled, as if it would do something yet-Something happened.
>The red light lit up and blinded you and everyone. Everything went red, then stopped. You opened your eyes.
>Everyone around you had stopped with doing anything. The mare behind you however was moving. Around your neck you started to hear a sound fade in and out, and looking down your red rune's symbol was glowing in and out.
>Looking around everyone seemed to be in a trance, no longer doing anything including Sigur. The magic blue color that was on them and the wolves turned red.
>What did that mare do? What is going on? 

Introduction: Beginning of Friendship (Part 8)

>You decided to investigate the mare.
>You turned to her, she had simply yelled yet and the Rune had reacted by letting out a blinding light that had stopped everything in motion.
"What did you do?" She asked her, but she frowned and reeled back. "I didn't do anything." She replied uncertain of how to answer you. "The rune reacted to your voice. You did something." You responded explaining the situation to her, but the Mare didn't have any idea of what you were talking about. 
>A calm breathe exited your mouth. It was obvious she had no idea what she did, but the ruin reacted to her for some reason. She was connected to it somehow.
"Who are you?" You asked her calmly to try and make progress when talking. The mare relaxed saying "My name is Echo." with a smile. "Echo." What a strange name you thought.
"What is yours?" Echo asked.