//------------------------------// // It's A Start // Story: The Four Strangers // by The One and only One //------------------------------// The Four Strangers It's A Start "Do not be afraid. I am peace; I am salvation" - Gravemind (Halo 3) Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo, and Applebloom were trying to get as far away from the opening as possible in hopes that the timberwolves would go away again and not come back, but it was useless. The timberwolves by now knew that they were inside the debris and were circling it, just in case if there were any other exits, most of the timberwolves were at the entrance, ready to strike anything that moved. The girls tried to stay out of sight and hid behind one of the large pieces of debris, which in fact was Tolerance. The girls didn't even notice the 'flowers' moving around on their own. 'I can't seem to make any connection to the minds of our new arrivals.' - Tolerance 'These creatures must not be fully developed, they are just animals running on instinct.' - Restraint 'They seem to be constructed out of wood, is that even possible?' - Mercy 'The universe is vast, any type of being can exist.' - Restraint 'What should we do, if we don't act the equines will certainly perish." - Tolerance 'But we can't kill the animals, it goes against everything The Juggernaut Elite stand for.' - Mercy 'Brother, sometimes one has to an act of evil for the greater good of all, if don't act we won't be any different from the Gravemind himself.' - Obligation 'Mercy has a point, but you are also correct brother, why don't we try to scare off the animals.' - Tolerance 'It's worth trying, there will be no blood shed and everything should turn out for the better.' - Restraint 'It might work, but what of the equines, I suspect that they will react in an irrational manor.' - Obligation 'I'll keep them from harming themselves or anything else, their health is our concern.' - Tolerance 'Yes, any action we do from now on will be reflected on how we are viewed.' - Restraint 'Correct, but if all fails, we may have to use lethal force.' - Obligation 'We understand brother.' - Restraint, Tolerance, and Mercy 'We have a plan, Tolerance will protect the younglings, Mercy and myself will try to scare away the wooden creatures, and Restraint I want you to stay back and look out just in case they find another way in.' - Obligation By now, seven accounted timberwolves were inside the cave, looking around for any sign of their prey. The three fillies began to feel panic crawl up their spines, thinking that this may be their last time they ever see each other again. "Girls...I'm sorry for getting us in this mess." Whispered Scootaloo. "It's okay Scoots, it's all our fault that we are stuck in this pickle." Said Applebloom. "I don't want this to be the end, we don't even have our cutie marks," Interjected Sweetie Bell, "I want to do home." Like an answer to her words Tolerance like a bolt of lightning got in a crouch position and folded his arms around the girls, while Obligation and Mercy stood at their full hight of eighteen-feet and started to walk towards the timberwolves. Restraint stood in the middle of the room in a defense stance, ready for anything to happen. The timberwolves snarled and barked at the two Juggernauts, but they slowly backed away towards the entrance in fear and confusion at the sight of the unfamiliar Flood forms. They continued to back away until a large roar was heard from outside. The timberwolves turned around to find a manticore standing at the entrance with the remains of one of the timberwolf alphas in its jaws. The seven timberwolves started to attack the manticore, but before anything could happen, Mercy, Obligation, and Restraint moved themselves between the opposing predators, Obligation facing the timberwolves, while Mercy and Restraint faced towards the manticore. The manticore, looking at the large Juggernauts, being smart enough to know it wouldn't be able to win a fight against the unknown life forms turned around and walked away from the entrance back into the forest. The timberwolves, being less intelligent, began to attack the three Juggernauts. Feeling that the peaceful approach has failed, Mercy began to attack the timberwolves in defense, grabbing one with his arms and threw it towards the opening, Obligation and Restraint also joined in the battle, smashing their bodies with very little force. Within minutes all the timberwolves had been neutralized, but what surprised the Juggernauts was that the bodies turned into piles of wood upon death and that there was no trace of blood what so ever. Mercy walked over towards one of the piles and began to look at it. "Interesting," Mercy's gruff and powerful voice echoed through the cave, "They seem to have no organs or any type of nervous system what so ever, they are just made out of only broken branches and bark. This will need further study brothers." "Mercy, there are more important things to worry about." Said the powerful and wise voice of Obligation, as he was looking outside the cave. "YeS, LiKe wHAt Do wE DO wITh ThE thrEE YoungLingS." Restraint speaking with his one of a kind distorted voice, which was full of worry and curiosity as he pointed at the now unconscious fillies, who fainted during the struggle with the timberwolves. "I think we should take them to the nearest area with other sentient life, this forest is much too dangerous," Tolerance spoke up, having the softest voice of the three, "I do sense a large presence of intelligence." "Where is this area of intelligence Tolerance?" Asked Obligation. "Its at least one-hundred, thirty-four yards from our current position." "ThEn WHat woULD wE Do tHEn, wE cAn'T JuSt lEaVe tHEm, tHeY prOBabLy HavE a PLacE oF rESidEnCe, aND We cAN't gO thERE liKe tHIs, wE'd Be AccUsEd Of BeiNG ThE aTtacKerS." Tolerance knew Restraint had a good point, they couldn't just come out of the forest with the younglings and expect the local population to thank them, the local population would try to chase them away. They would need to gain the trust of the populace before revealing themselves. Tolerance sat down on a large pile of junk, thinking of ways they could do this, then an idea came to mind. "I have an idea of what we could do."