//------------------------------// // Oh Deer, Part 3 // Story: My little Short Stories // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// Oh Deer, Part 3 "Oh no, oh no, this is never gonna work!" Shady whimpered, as she snuck through the trees towards the deer encampment. "There's no way I can get close without getting caught! I just know I'm gonna blow it!" "Raaaggahhhh! Why Shady be so hard on self?!" Magic Star growled, following the jittery mare through the foliage. "Need more courage if going to rescue Cheerilee!" "That's just the thing, Magic." the simpering mare replied, looking down. "I don't really think I'm cut out to save anyone." "You need to get brave, face what scares Shady!" The undead mare snapped back, drool coming out of her mouth. "Now, hear deer ahead, you go show whose boss!" "I-I'll try.." She stuttered, as the two came to the edge of a clearing. There, they saw one of the deer scouts out on patrol, looking around through the forest to spot any intruders into the camp. "Well, here goes... the mare took a breath, summoning all the courage she had. Putting her hooves on a bush, she began to shake the leaves. "Sven, is that you?" The annoyed buck exclaimed, as he heard some rustling in the bushes. "It's about time you got here, my shift is almost over." "Nope, I'm not Sven, you big dummy!" Shady called out mockingly, sticking her head out of the bush. "Why dontcha come and get me?" "What the- a pony?" The deer guard ran after her. "Hey you, hold it right-" "GRAHHHH!" Magic Star roared, jumping up and pulling the surprised guard into the bush. Several terrified screams emerged from the shaking shrubbery, before a cracked deer skull was sent flying out of the foliage. "PTOOIE! Ugh, deer meat tough!" Magic star complained, licking the goo off her lips. "Need barbeque sauce!" "Good job, Magic Star!" Shady whispered, motioning the other pony forward. "Now let's get going!" The two galloped forward, coming to a larger clearing where the encampment was. They could see several deer wandering around the huts, going in and out of the longhouses as the two ponies looked on. "Well, this is it!" Shady gulped, looking around at the various huts. "But how do I tell which hut Cheerilee is in-" "Are you two here for the mare?" A voice behind her asked, causing the already nervous shady to jump in fright. "Aieeee!" The earth pony cried out, springing around. "W-who're you?" "My name is Forestpearl." The bizarre looking pony/deer hybrid replied, emerging from the trees behind them. "And I am thoroughly disgusted by my tribe's kidnapping of your friend." "C-can you lead us to her?" The mare replied nervously, not sure if she should try this half breed. "I can, but one of you shall need to make a distraction." The hybrid replied, motioning towards the encampment with her head. "Magic Star, you want to-?" But before Shady could even ask, the undead mare was already galloping out into the clearing. "Grahhhhh! Deer brains!" Magic Star roared, lunging right at one of the deer warriors. "Ahhh, an unholy undead demon!" The buck barely had time to wail, before the mare was on him. Several other deer heard the warrior's pathetic screams, and ran to help their comrade. "Well, that certainly takes care of the distraction." Forestpearl replied, leading Shady forward. "Come on, I'll take you to your friend!" The two mares galloped towards on of the huts, where the shackled Cheerilee was waiting inside. Upon seeing the other mare, the pink teaching pony's eyes suddenly went wide. "Shady? What the hay are you doing here!?" The other mare shrieked , before getting her voice under control. "You've got to get out of here, or they'll kill you!" "Actually, I think I'll kill all of you now." A buck snarled, trotting into the tent, his eyes glistening like fire. "Forestpearl, how could you betray your tribe like this?" "You made my tribe betray itself, Hjort." The mare with antlers spat back. "Your brutality has damned this whole raiding encampment- we all have blood on our hooves now." "And you, stupid mare." The buck snarled. "I spared your life, and this is how you repay me?" "Oh buck off, stag brains!" Cherilee yelled in defiance. "I've had enough of cleaning your hut!" "Gah, stupid ponies!" Hjort snarled in anger. "I'll kill you all!" The buck lunged straight at Forsetpearl, who suddenly reared up and kicked him backwards. "Take that, you monster!" She yelled, as the arrogant stag fell backward towards Cheerrilee. "This is for all the pain you caused me, you stupid creep!" The teacher kicked him backwards, stumbling towards Shady. The pony mare, disgusted by the sight of this jerk who had hurt her friend, gave him a third kick straight out of the tent. "Let that be a lesson to ya- you mess with one mare, you mess with all of us!" Hjort screamed as he tumbled outside, the sound of an undead mare chewing an tearing signaling the end of his miserable existence. "Wow Shady, where did that come from?!" Cheerilee asked, in total shock over what she had just seen. "How did you get the courage to fight, let alone to come and rescue me like this!" "I-I don't know, it just all happened so fast!" The pink mare replied, shaking her head in disbelief at what she had done. "I-I just couldn't leave a friend in the hooves of those brutes." "Which brings up a good question- how are we going to get you past all those warriors out there?" "Not really a problem, actually." Magic Sat came in through the tent flap, giving off a loud *burp* from everything she had eaten. "I've kind of cleared the playing field for us, so to speak." "Magic Star, how can you be talking normally again?" Cherrilee asked in shock, stretching out her hooves after a long captivity. "The last time I saw you, you couldn't form a coherent sentence!" "Huh, you're right. Must've been all the brain food." The undead mare joked sarcastically, in a way the old Magic Star never would have. "Anyway, we really should get out of here right now. We can worry about oddites like my sudden intelligence later." "Forestpearl, wait!" Cheerilee called out to her, as the half breed trotted out of the tent flap. "Are you sure you don't want to come back to Dream Castle with us?" "No, I was raised by this tribe, my place is here in this forest. Besides, my father will needc help expaling what has occurred back in our village." The mare with antlers sighed. "Still, it was nice to finally meet other like myself. Who knows, perhaps we shall cross paths again someday." "Good bye, Forestpearl." Shady replied, as the antlered mare melted back into the forest. "Thanks for all your help..." ... Back aboard the boat, the ponies were happy to see Cherrilee and the others had returned safely. "Oh, Cherrilee!" Wigwam exclaimed, embracing his wife has she came into the room. "Thank the horsemaster you're all right!" "It's okay. Wigwam. I'm back now." The dark pink mare said with a smile. "Everything's going to be all right." The two ponies hugged each other tightly, as the other ponies looked on. "She's lucky that brute didn't have the chance to really hurt her." Magic Star sighed. "Still, being forced to work like a slave, that's horrible enough." "I just hope that young mare will be all right." Shady shook her head. "I don't want to think what those awful deer will do to her for helping us!" "I wouldn't worry about her, Shady." Magic Star replied, smiling. "I have a feeling that little dear can handle herself." "Handle Self!" Baby Cuddles agreed, trotting up behind the two mares. "Me heard Shady was brave hero out there, save Miss Cheerilee!" "Awww, it was nothing, just doing what any other mare would've done!" She replied bashfully. "Besides, after all that, I don't think I'll ever be afraid of anything again!" "Hey Shady, look!" Magic Star called out, pointing her hoof at the ground. "A mouse!" "Eeeeek!" The pink mare shrieked, jumping up on one of the beds beside Wigwam's. "Where?!? killitkillitkillitkillitkillit!" "Ha, gotcha!" The now once-again sentient mare exclaimed, laughing. "Seems like some things never do change!"