Chapter 10: Testy Celesty
"We need you to find the elements, that is why you have been called back. Somewhere between Ponyville and the Northern Border Absol has the Elements of Harmony. I have attempted to find them but they shy from the sun. My sister has also tried but they hide in shadows too dark for even her to search. The Horn has deduced Absol's approximate location and we marked it on a map that you will receive before deployment. Before you go though, I need to test each of you to see if Auto's choices were wise. Is that clear?" Celestia ordered after they had debriefed their old assignments failure.
"Of course Princess, when can we expect testing? Also what kind of testing would each pony be subjected to? If I may be so bold as to ask." Captain Auto Tomaton responded.
"You will be tested one at a time, beginning immediately with you, and each test will be made for each individual thus they will be different for each pony." Luna answered. "Art thou ready?"
"I will pass any test you throw at me." Auto assured them confidently.
"We shall see. Enter that room there."
***
Captain Auto walked into a dark battle. Everywhere around him ponies were caught in a melee of death. This was war. He saw spells fly as well as arrows. He was able to distinguish battle lines by the manner of dress. One side wore Cantorlotion armor and he joined them. Something wasn't quite right... A test of skill? He had mastered his chosen combat style and they knew it. There must be more to the test. Slowly the battle raged on until the ground quaked and he, as well as several other ponies, fell in a cave that ruptured the earth from beneath them. He landed heavily and looked about. The few that had fallen with him were either unconscious or dead. He saw a tunnel to one side. A pony emerged from the dark depths. He saw bright green and a blue hat... Flashburn! "Flashburn over here! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!"
Flash turned towards him and with a sly grin and an evil gleam in his eyes he yelled. "BURN!" and began laughing maniacally as he shot burst of fire at Auto who barely brought his shield about in time to block them. "Time for you to burn like they did! After you abandoned me the Freezers found me! They told me the truth! Ha! Ha! Ha! In fact, why don't you just ask your buddy Discord to send you back in time to kill me when I was your little stooge! Or does he just go forward? Ha-ha!" Auto's shield was beginning to heat up to dangerous levels but Flash pushed on and on. Bolt after bolt slowly wore down Auto's defense until he had no choice but to drop the now lump of melting metal that was his shield. He batted the flaming projectiles with his mace. Auto deflected one after another until a luck swing shot one at the roof above Flashburn's head. "Wh-What!? No! NOOOOO....!" Flash screamed as the cave toppled on top of him.
Auto dropped his mace and cried out, "Why? How could this have happened?" Then he remembered it was a test and felt a strange woozy lightness in his head and he stood in a medical tent. Injured ponies lay in beds all along the walls and Auto looked over them, recognizing none. Until he saw her.
"Auto?" Shadow asked weakly from her cot. She was in bad shape. A bandage covered her head and chest, next to her lay her helmet a hole puncturing through the top. It looked just like her brother's. "Is that you?" She coughed.
"No... no... what happened? Shadow... I promised you the army would never bother you again... I only let you join because I thought... I could protect you..." He fought through his tears.
"It's okay... I-I joined of my own volition... I'm happy to do my part for Eque... Equest... Ugh." She groaned in pain.
"Shadow? Shadow! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no Shadow! You, you will be okay! Please be okay!" He begged.
"It's... o..." she sighed as her last breath left her.
"No... No... NO!" He spun about as he hefted his mace and flew from the tent in a rage. Somehow he was in a forest... How'd he get in a forest? He heard a sound and saw her, Rogue, with three timber wolves.
"What do you want, Warmonger?" She spat. "Come to kill again? Like you did my niece?"
"I don't know what you're talking about..."
"Let me sum up, sic 'em!" She yelled as her timber wolves howled and charged. He spun about to see the entire forest behind him overrun with webs. Even the sky was blocked. Spiders descended upon him and wild animals and monsters approached him from all sides. "I wish I had the ability to banish you to the sun... a few thousand years followed by an execution seems a good punishment... Now, die!"
As she said this the animals descended upon him and as their teeth and claws tore him to shreds he was blinded by the pain. Slowly the pain subsided and he looked about to see he was in a dark alley. Frost covered the cobbled road. In front of him stood a hooded figure. "I knew you'd come for me. I knew you'd never actually give me my freedom as promised. So here I am. Kill me... I won't be going to any dungeon and I won't be banished to anywhere so have at it!" James yell as he threw his cloak upon the ground and launched a crossbow bolt at Auto who deflected it with his mace.
"Please, James. Come peacefully. Please. I can't handle fighting another friend today... Please see reason!"
"You know you're right," James replied sarcastically, "I'll just turn myself in to spare your feelings. Auto, I never thought you'd be so greedy... throwing in your lot with them and abandoning us... You saw what they did! Now slay or be slain!" He cried as he drew his blade and charged.
It was a long battle and both parties gained and lost advantage at different times but Auto was a trained soldier and his endurance was far greater. James dropped his sword as Auto's mace smashed into his hoof. James looked down at his bleeding hoof and then at his sword on the floor. He looked back up into Auto's eyes. "Please. Don't let them take me away. I won't outlive the sentence they put on me... Please kill me... Even if you release me, they will catch me. I'd rather it was you... Please."
Auto lifted his mace and understood this is truly the only solution but he couldn't do it. "James I beseech you. Please don't make me do this..."
"It's okay Auto. I don't blame you, but you know this fate is far preferable to a life on the sun." James started calmly and then he yelled, "DO IT!!!!!" And Auto did.
He stood in a dark bluff overlooking some nameless town. His armor was rusted from negligence and his mace hung heavily at his side. He heard a voice from behind him say. "So there you are! I've been looking for you for a long time!" He turned and saw two female ponies trot towards him. One was Wildpaw and the other was a stranger. Her cutiemark was a small bomb exploding. "I decided after you did all that you did I'd need help exacting revenge so I got Sparkboom here to help me... All I had to do was tell her about how you killed Flashburn..." As she mentioned Flashburn the others cheery demeanor became dark and a slight popping sound could be heard. "I don't think she likes you... good." She said as she drew her bow. "Now prepare to die."
"Ah pony-feathers... Not you too." He drew his mace as a small reddish ball flew out of Sparkboom's horn and floated slowly toward him. Upon contact with his shield the entire hill was wiped from existence. He woke up in a very cold, dark room. He moved and could hear ice crackle on his skin. He turned and saw where he was. The throne room in Canterlot. He looked around and saw shapes incased in ice. Five to be precise. Upon looking at the largest one he saw a familiar face... Encased in the frost was none other than Celestia. Quickly he checked the others which he now recognized as bodies. Princess Luna! Princess Mi Amora Cadenza! Princess Sparkle! But who was the last and smallest? It was with great dread he approached the block of ice. It was An... no... Not Anti-Freeze again... Why have all of his friends either turned against him or died? Why!? Suddenly he was in a room covered in these strange black crystals... He turned and saw Celestia just finishing some spell that made her horn black... But she was ALIVE!!! "Celestia! You're ALIVE!!!!" He ran at her and hugged her furiously... for about three seconds until he realized what he was doing. "Uh, um sorry my liege I shall be going now..." As he ran out of the room as fast as possible.
***
"Okay, there you all are." A breathless Auto panted as he found the rest of the team getting lunch in the mess hall. "I had to warn you, Celestia has given us a second chance but we need to first pass a test."
"What kind of test?" James questioned worriedly.
"She claims it will be different for everypony but trust me, it will be hard. She already tested me. She used some kind of illusion magic to test my skill, will, and loyalty. She made me see all of you either dead, or hating me. By the way Rogue, please don't ever hate me... that was terrifying." Auto explained. "I don't know when she plans on testing you but it may be soon so prepare yourselves. Good luck."
"What happens if one of us doesn't pass?" Anti-Freeze questioned.
"That pony won't be allowed to continue service in this squad and anything that comes with that, I'm sorry James and Flash, but if you don't pass you may find yourselves forced to feel the law's wrath."
"I understand why James would but why Flash?" Rogue asked, confused.
"Well, I uh, I may have been the cause of a fire here or there, and I haven't always been able to afford to fix my mistakes... especially when I first arrived. Oh and I was in the Cantorlot Cut Purses..." Flash hastily explained all embarrassed like. "So I may have skipped town... more than once... But I never became a bandit! Um, no offence."
"None taken if I wasn't forced into it I'd have never started." James assured him. "I have an idea! We want these tests over as soon as possible, yes?" There was a general agreement to this statement. "Then how about we split up? She likely doesn't want to test us all at once so if we are alone she can single us out better!"
"Wow, well, I was gonna say keep together for moral support but it is hard to argue with that logic." Auto conceded. So they each went their separate ways, Flash heading toward the library, Rogue toward the Cantorlot gardens, James to a tavern, Anti to her old barracks, Wildpaw started wandering as did Shadow.
***
Celestia paced nervously. "There you are! Swift Code, Power Hacks, and Data Core. My Horn finally answers my calls."
"At your service Celestia. We have been monitoring the satellites you graciously placed in orbit for us. We believe we have located Twilight and her friends." Swift Code a female pegasus began.
"Where!?" Celestia excitedly questioned.
"Rarity appears to be safe in a small village but the others are in the Changeling Empire."
"WHAT!?"
"It appears that Chrysalis holds a grudge still and wants to see us lose this war. If we want them back we may have to either send a covert team in or wage all out war on two fronts. Sorry to say this but, it might just be smarter to just leave them there." Data Core offered.
"I cannot leave my student like that, I have a team that I am testing now. If they pass I will send them. If not, I'll send those who did. Thank you for this information."
"Of course your majesty." They bowed.
"Do you have any information on the elements whereabouts?"
"We think that they have either fled underground with them, have adopted disguises, or have been traveling only at night. Last sighting placed them several weeks journey from the border, if they keep to the stealthy pace they've been setting."
"Thank you, Luna?" Luna dropped down from her perch were she was resting after her shift in the skies.
"Yes my sister?"
"How do you think we should deal with this? Our soldiers are scouring the land to no avail and Auto's group will be pre-occupied. To be frank... I'm at a loss dear sister..."
"We know not where they are, but we know where they are going. If we send a large force to guard the border from exiting they may just ensnare Absol's little group."
"Thank you sister. Horn, give my orders to squads P-13 through P-25, U-3-16, and G-46-58 then return to your station."
"As you say, Princess."
***
"Ponya, Hoof Kang, Mane-o, Sub-Horn, Scorpony, Raidsaddle... FIGHT! Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo PONY KOMBAT!" The arcade machine buzzed after Flashburn put some bits in.
"This'll burn time until Celestia jumps me with that test thing... Now who to play? Hoof Kang? Nah. Ponya? Nah. Raidsaddle! He throws lightning!? Sweet! Take that and that and that and this! Ha! Wait... what's this? Test your might? Ok... how many apples did I buck? A measly four? Ugh... Last round! Who's this Discord-Tsung? Ha! Take that! Wait... but I beat that pony... what? He can MORPH!? I thought DraGoro was hard... LIGHTNING!!!!! HA!"
"Having fun?"
"Yeah... I was on my way to the library but I saw this place and... wait... I recognize that voice..." Flash turned from the credits on the screen to see Celestia standing behind him. "Oh... Hi Princess long time no see! So what brings you here? Business or arcade games? You know you really do need to relax a bit. Take a load off! You know what you could do? You could give me the test while relaxing! That is possible right?"
"No."
"Well that sucks, so when will we begin?"
"Now..."
"Okay! I'll just type in my name for the high score... What!? Only three letters!? I guess... BRN works..."
***
The first thing Flash noticed was how very cold it was. How very, very, very cold. The ground was covered in about a foot of frost and a howling gale blasted through the village. It took him a while but he soon recognized the village as what it was. It was his village? How could his village be back? It had been burnt to the ground! Why was it so cold? The Everfree valley never got this cold... Maybe I can warm it up! Flash thought. He focused on pulsating out tiny bursts of heat. But it had no effect. Ok... a bit more then! More heat came through but still no effect. Frustrated he put all of his energy behind the task of warming the village. MMPH! It worked! The ice began to melt away! Wait... Something is wrong... NO! NOT AGAIN! I CAN'T STOP! NO! GRAAAH! He fought with every fiber of his being against the pull of the heat. Looking for some way, any way to stop it. Only one presented itself. Fine... if this is the only way. He ran toward a lake he knew was nearby and dove headfirst into the freezing waters. Slowly the water began to boil and steam until none was left. Somehow his magic persisted though! Ok plan b... If my energy is the source of the magic... I'll expend all my energy! "By the power of the SUN!!!!!" He yelled as he shot a laser of the purest fire into the soft gray white of the sky. It's not working! The heat he was producing increased whether or not he wanted it to. Expanding all of his energy wasn't working either... Ponyfeathers what now!? An idea struck him suddenly. If I must burn let me burn far from here... Goodbye home of mine. See ya in the future! Maybe... He galloped toward a mountain he knew was uninhabited and barren not a plant or creature had called it home for centuries. Flashburn sprinted with all his might far from where his flame could do harm. When he reached the mountain he lighted upon a small settlement. No! Nopony has lived here for... a long time! My flame is so potent now... If it continues to grow at this rate... I'll never make it to the next barren uninhabited land before it grows to the point of burning every place I have to pass! There must be a solution... I know of a way... There must be another! Flash knew there wasn't. Time to see if my teleportation is up to snuff. It is an awfully big target though... I doubt I'll miss. Goodbye Equestria! He charged up his energy for one great push and was enveloped in the fire of his own magic. Ow. Ow. OW. OW! OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW WOW! This stings! With a great burst of flames he erupted into a portal of fire. The first thing Flash noticed was how very cold it was. How very, very, very, very, very, very, very cold it was. The ground was covered in a fine powder and the thin air was hard to breath. It took him a while but soon he recognized the place as what it was. His spell had succeeded? How could that be? He did pyromancy not teleportation! It made sense that it was this cold. The Moon did seem like the kind of place to be cold. Maybe I can warm it up... He smiled to himself as his uncontrollable heat magic raged on.
***
Flashburn opened his eyes painfully to see Celestia's horn slowly fade from black to its usual white. "You always do find the best in a terrible situation don't you?" She questioned him.
"Call it a flaw, I call it a boon." He groaned as he got up. "Did I pass?"
"You sacrificed everything to save a village you didn't even know. You knew that the spell you cast would not allow you to return. Yes you've passed. Now sleep..." He final words had the weight of a spell behind them and he was knocked out cold.
***
"Another water over here Barkeep!" James called.
"Why not order a cider 'eh? Enjoy yourself!" The Barkeep replied as he poured a glass of water. "After all, they cost the same."
"Nah, I need to keep a sharp mind. I have a test that my life depends upon and it can come at anytime."
"Huh, why does this test mean so much?"
"That's classified." He laughed. "I've always wanted to say that... now that it's true... not as much fun as I thought it'd be." The barkeep went pale. "What is it?"
"Why, why your Highness!" He stuttered. "Can I get you anything!?" James turned and saw Celestia. He just looked into her eyes and nodded.
***
"Funny isn't it?" A raucous voice asked. "And to think you sold out those lily livered Equestrian scum for us 'eh!?" James turned and saw his old gang. They seemed happy he was there. "I still can nay think of how you did it! Getting us all pardons and heaps of gems from that icy mare Evandra in exchange for some information! Still I'd hate to be them in about an hour when their precious secret base is torn to shreds by the Freezer army! Ha!" James thought on what this meant... Not only had he betrayed his friends but he even returned to the absolute torment of his previous life!?
"Where did I say they were again?" He asked trying to sound like he was joking.
"About five miles west of Trottingham remember?"
"Ah, if you gents will excuse me I have to use the restroom." James slipped out. He could still make it there to warn them! He grabbed his sword, crossbow, and daggers then galloped at full speed toward Trottingham. It was near nightfall when he finally approached the location the base was and sure enough under a shrub was a door. "Auto!" He hissed into the doorway.
"There you are James! I had thought we lost you in the last skirmish! Bless you you're alive!" The deep sincerity behind Auto's concern truly touched James.
"Look Auto, you and the others need to get out now! Evandra has found this place and sends her armies after you this very second!"
A dark look crossed Auto's face. He took a deep breath. "Then we are doomed. James run while you can but none of us can leave."
"Why not!?"
"Rogue was injured in the last fight, badly. She can't move. Not even slightly. You go! We will fight to the death here in a last stand. You owe us nothing. Go! I gave the others the chance but they elected to stay. Please go James! Survive!" James was pushed out by the passion in Auto's voice and he knew at that moment what he needed to do.
Dawn rose at with it, so did Absol and his soldiers. It was to be a red day. His ponies would bring his wrath down upon Auto and his team once and for all. The first wave had been unsuccessful but that was expected. Now the second wave broke upon them. Absol would join the third and final wave. As Absol lead the third wave in he heard a strange and alarming sound. Arrows whizzing in from behind.
James knew his band was outnumbered, out trained, and even out spirited. He knew that soon his ponies resolve would break and they would flee but he also knew that he couldn't abandon his friends to certain doom. "Charge!" He yelled as he dropped his crossbow and drew his sword. The battle was a mere skirmish but enough to offset the tides of battle and as James troops fled Absol's number dropped. James managed to cut his way to the door and fling himself past the broken frame into the interior where his friends fought.
"James!? What are you doing here?" Auto demanded.
"I brought reinforcments, they've all fled or died but I couldn't just leave you all here. Now let's fight together." As he finished the door was flooded with Freezers and he dodged spells and arrows. James ducked under a ray of frost and found himself alone in a side room cut off from Auto and his friends by a battalion of Freezers. He made ready for a charge when the light from the door was blocked out by a hulking form. "Absol..." James muttered.
"So you were the one behind the band of raiders... clever. But now, you... will... die." He said in a dreadful clarity and certainty.
James's eyes scoured the room until he found a weak support. "So will you!" He yelled as he threw a dagger at Absol to buy time and slashed at a support with his sword. As the roof fell down upon them he heard Auto scream, "NO! James!"
***
James didn't remember drinking, so why was he hung over? He opened his eyes and saw Celestia standing with a black horn before him. "You would do that for your friends? You have passed now, sleep..."
***
Shadowfax had never been to Cantorlot before! The sight of all these prim and proper ponies strutting about with their nose held up and all of the commoners rushing about created a sort of ordered chaos that was mystifying. The rush of the city was old and well known to her as she was from Manehatten but the attitude of ponies here was. In Manehatten Nopony would have dived out of the way of another pony just because of station. Even guards had to worm their way through the crowds... Why was it these common ponies did then? The answer evaded her though as she rested on a bench. She watched a traveling musician play by a street corner and gave him a few bits. She knew the song he was singing and silently sang along.
"The fire of friendship lives in our hearts
As long as it burns we cannay drift apart
Though quarrels start, their numbers are few
Laughter and singing will see us through
We are a circle of great friends
A circle of friends we'll be to the very end!"
"Good song!" She called out to him. He smiled back but suddenly his grin flew far wider and he bowed. "Huh, didn't realize my compliment would mean so much to you." She began confused. Then she remembered. "Celestia is standing right behind me isn't she?"
"Yeah..." He said.
"Well I'm ready when you are, Your Highness." Suddenly a flash of light gleamed from behind her and she closed her eyes.
***
When she opened them she found herself on a mesa overlooking a battle in progress. A voice sounded from behind her. "Captain Shadow! We listened to your orders and have begun the charge."
"Very good Lieutenant." She replied. The battle raged on far beneath her.
A strange dark shape rose from the west. As it approached she realized what it was! Enemy reinforcements... Now the battle was not only out of their favor but they were surrounded, out-numbered, and had no chance of reinforcements. "Captain! They are doomed! We won't be able to save them in time... Sweet Celestia no! My brother is down there! You ordered his battalion to move in! You did! If you had seen this coming he might have survived! Why did you have to choose his and not mine?" Shadow was racked with grief, she knew this pain before. She knew that even though it was impossible, she had to try. She drew her blade.
"Proper Reinforcements won't reach them for a few hours but we and our squad can! If we can buy them time, many will still survive! Send word to Captain Auto to bring in his legion, we will go in ourselves!" The other pony was shocked by such a display of bravery. "I lost my brother to a hydra, you won't lose yours to a Freezer!" She turned and charged down the hill. "Come my fellows we must aid them until Captain Auto Tomaton arrives!" She landed in the enemy lines and cut her way through to the pinned battalion. "We have come to aid thee! If we can hold for a few hours more, Captain Auto will arrive to drive the Freezers back north! Stand with me and fight! For a free Equestria! For Celestia! For Luna! For our Family and Friends! But most of all, FOR US!" The fighting was bitter and Shadow took many a hit but they were grazing blows that left only slight injuries. They compounded though and she was forced by her own soldiers to rest until Auto arrived. Only half an hour from his charge the line was broken and Shadow rose to the occasion. She fought exhausted and bloody until the line was reformed with her at its core. Her blade snapped and she fought with only the hilt. A horn sounded and the Freezer's line shook with terror as a fresh legion fell upon them. Auto flew in with the air support and landed taking Shadow's place. "I did this Auto. If I had known many of these casualties would have been avoided."
"No. This is war. If you blame yourself for every loss of life under your command, when you act correctly, you will never know peace. Now up, I need you." The battle raged on but now the Freezers were fleeing. It was bitter and harsh but finally victory was achieved.
"It wasn't my fault. I understand this now. No longer will the mistakes of the past haunt me." Shadow resolved without a shadow of a doubt.
***
Shadow felt as if her head had been beaten with a mallet. She opened her eyes and saw the radiance of Celestia marred by a black glow upon her horn. "You have finally put the past behind you and can grow forward, of all the test subjects you were the least likely to succeed and yet you did. Now take a well earned, Sleep..."
***
Rogue communed with the animals of the gardens, well the ones willing to meet with her that is. They had many an interesting tale about the goings on in Cantorlot. Rogue knew Celestia was there before she even crossed half-way across the field. She turned and looked upon the Princess. "So Celestia, you have come to test me at long last. So what is it gonna be? A quiz? A choice? Or maybe you will just use some of Sombra's dark magic on me? Oh, it seems we have a winner. Well beam me up Celly."
"As you wish."
***
Rogue was home in her nice little glen in the Everfree finally the business with that pesky Evandra was finished and she could live in peace once more. It had been dark when she arrived so she hadn't really seen the state of her home, but it was morning now and she was rested. "Time to do some clean up I suppose." She trotted out of her cave and saw her forest had burnt to the ground. All about her the ground was coated in a thick coat of ash that was only slightly disturbed by the faint wind. Fragments of the glen were left untouched by the flame but still were ravaged by the invasion of the ash that coated their leaves and blotted out the sun. The dead forest was silent. Too silent. A forest was supposed to be filled with life and sound but the pure powerful silence that emanated from this wreckage was tangible and heartrending. "Wh-Why has this happened?" Then she understood. "I wasn't here to renew the wards against forest fires... one of the creatures that lived her must have done this by accident... I wasn't here... because of that stupid war! Their stupid war did this!" She was fuming with rage. She threw her nature magic at the ash and re-grew the forest slowly. How long would it take to make the forest live again?
"Rogue!" A voice called from the dark ash fields. "Tragedy has struck! We need your help once more or the kingdom will fall!" It was a solider from Cantorlot. "Discord has allied with Chrysalis and has taken the city hostage!"
"I can't leave! If I go now the forest will die again... Only my magic is strong enough to fix this mess."
"We need an Alicorn to lead us Rogue. Princess Cadence is too far and being assaulted by King Sombra! Twilight is captive... You are our last hope."
Rogue was truly torn. If she left now the Forest might never return to its full strength but if she didn't Celestia might be banished or worse. In the end she thought of all the sacrifices that were made to save the kingdom last time. They couldn't have been for not. "Tell Auto that I am on the way."
***
"Ow." Rogue complained.
"You did good now sleep."
"As you wish ya thug." Rogue winked as she fell asleep.
***
Wildpaw had been watching when Flash and Rogue had been tested and she thought she understood what was going on. For a wandering Hermit she actually knew quite a bit about what had happened when Twilight had saved the Crystal Empire. "So Celestia is using Sombra's magic to see if we would remain loyal in even the worse circumstances? Well played..." She mumbled to herself.
"Hmph, clever of you to find out."
"Wow you are a stealthy one aren't you Sunny?"
"Yeah, now enjoy the test."
***
"Once there was a pegasus that could really fly,
here and there faster than anypony could say hi,
This flier had a daughter whose wings were so small
That she could not fly at all.
She was ashamed and abandoned her in Ponyville without even a goodbye."
That is actually a rather depressing limerick. Wildpaw pondered who it was about as she flew home. Something wasn't right... She was curios until she noticed that the forest was a shade to light. "Oh no... the canopy is covered in... webs." Ponyfeathers she hated spiders. Spiders are the worst form of life to exist in ever. IN EVER! "Spiders... why did they have they have to be spiders... spiders can go spin a web in Tartarus for all I care. I mean honestly what do they even do!? Every other animal has a purpose but giant spiders?" She landed in a less web covered clearing.
"Help!" A voice shrieked from within the forest. "Please they are coming I can hear them! I'm stuck in a web!"
"Ponyfeathers." Wildpaw cursed. She approached the voice but upon reaching the edge of the forest she came up short. She HATED spiders. She looked about and every branch seemed to be a hairy leg and every jutting root appeared to be the waiting poison drenched fangs. The very shadows seemed to shift and breath. She took a step back. "No..."
"Help! I think I see one! Oh sweet Celestia NO!" The voice cried in terror.
Wildpaw gulped and took a step forward the web pulling on her hoof disturbing her so profoundly that she had a thought. How do I know this pony isn't a Freezer or a raider? She took a step back.
"Please somepony help! I'm just a mail pony for the princesses! Stay back you stupid eight-legged freaks!" The voice was trembling with absolute horror.
"Ponyfeathers..." She dashed into the darkness. "Ponyfeathers ponyfeathers ponyfeathers ponyfeathers ponyfeathers ponyfeathers!!!!" She cried as she bolted at full speed past many a writhing dark shape. She saw the pegasus hanging from their wing in a tree. "SHHHHHHH! Don't speak or I will lose my nerve!" She hopped up and sliced the web holding the wing. "Follow me! Run run run run run run run runrunrunrunrunrunrunrunRUNRUNRUNRUN!!!!!" She turned and the fled at incredible speeds but alas they were a bit too slow. With an incredible amount of defeat in her voice Wildpaw stopped and muttered, "Pony...FEATHERS!!!" She tossed a spare dagger over to the mail carrier as they looked at the exit, covered in webs. A hissing sound emanated from the trees above the blocked path. Almost like laughter. She un-shouldered her bow and shot at the shadowed masses that moved in from every side as the mail carrier began cutting through the webs. The spiders continued their unending advance as Wildpaw ran out of arrows. "You keep cutting, I'll lead them away." She sighed as she dropped her bow and expended quiver and drew her sword and dagger. She flew deeper into the forest while clacking her blades together attracting all the spiders to her. She fought but it was all for naught as a spider landed on her back and bit her. As her eyes slowly closed she saw a shaft of light and a pony flying away. "Rain, snow, hail, giant spiders, abandoning your savior, the Equestrian Postal service will deliver on time..." Wildpaw sarcastically sighed as the lights faded.
***
"You suck." Wildpaw said through gritted teeth and a head ache.
"You passed by the skin of your teeth, now sleep."
"No. I... Don't... want... to...." She said as she fell asleep.
***
Anti sat in a her old dark barrack. She was alone as all the other soldiers were out on patrol or were on leave. The door opened and Celestia walked in. "Have you come to test me?" Anti asked solemnly.
"No." Anti looked at her confused. "I've come here to tell you that of all that Auto has chosen only you have earned my absolute trust. You don't have to pass a test but I need to make you three offers. One: I send you back to the Northern Border and you return to life as it has been all this time. Two: I send you with Auto and nothing is different. Three: I send you with Auto but you report to me on their actions and plans. That way I'll be able to judge them even more accurately."
"I don't want to return North..."
***