//------------------------------// // Hesitance and Ambition // Story: Guardians of Light: A Shadow Forms // by Alphadude007 //------------------------------// Guardians of Light: A Shadow Forms Chapter 43-Hesitance and Ambition -Buffalo Tribal Lands, Southern Equestria- Word of Chief Thunderhooves's condition spread like wildfire through the camp. By noon it was common knowledge that the chief had had some sort of nightmare that was horrific enough for him to go searching for his daughter. "What could his dream have been about?" some would ask. "Is the chief alright?" others would inquire. While multitudes had questions, Thunderhooves had ordered that he remain alone in his tent and was not to be disturbed while he sought the nature of his night terror. Little Strongheart gazed at her father's teepee with concern etched on her features. Whatever his dream was about, it had something to do with me. She figured. Little Strongheart wouldn't be forgetting the fear she saw in the chief's eyes any time soon. It wasn't just parental protection she saw, it was as if he was scared of losing more than just her. What that was, however, she had no idea. "Little Strongheart." A gentle voice said from behind her. The young buffalo turned around to see a much older buffalo, the fur around his mouth a pale grey while the rest of his body was its natural brown. Resting on a rope around his neck was a knob-like talisman. Little Strongheart recognized the elderly buffalo immediately. "Pathfinder." Little Strongheart greeted with a short bow of her head. Pathfinder gave the little buffalo a quick grin. "It is good to see you are well, Little Strongheart." He said in a frail voice, looking past Little to Thunderhooves's teepee. "But what of the state of the chief?" Little Strongheart hung her head. "I'm not sure. He hasn't spoken with anyone since last night." "Then maybe I can shed some light on what ails our chief." Pathfinder narrowed his eyes at the Chief's abode. "Now if you will excuse me, child, I have work to do." Little Strongheart stepped aside as Pathfinder began walking past her and towards her father's teepee. Little Strongheart watched as Pathfinder neared the teepee and gently pushed open the flap to enter. As the medicinebull entered Thunderhooves's teepee, Little Strongheart looked on with worry. Chief Thunderhooves's ear twitched at the sound. He could barely hear it, but the sound was definitely there. The sound of his teepee flap opening. "I thought I said that I was to be alone." The Chief growled. "Even for the spiritual advisor of the tribe?" a familiar voice replied. Thunderhooves turned around to see Pathfinder looking back at him with a kind look. "I suppose your presence here is not out of pleasure." Pathfinder gave a smirk and shook his head, his talisman swaying underneath his chin. "I'm afraid not, Chief. So what is it that troubles you?" The chief let out a sigh. "It was a dream. Not like any I have ever had before last night." He said, recalling the vision. "And what was this dream about?" Pathfinder asked, noting the chief's hesitance. "I know that whatever you experienced in the dream you do not wish to revisit. But I must know what it is you saw." Thunderhooves's eyes dropped to the grass beneath his hooves. "I saw a large herd of buffalo. They were galloping across a grassy field in the light of the sun." "But that's not all, is it?" Pathfinder inquired, raising an eyebrow. The chief shook his head. "A darkness began to fall over the land, clouds shut out the sun. As the shadow swept along the ground, it neared the running herd. Suddenly, one in the back of the herd fell upon being touched by the shadow. At first, I thought he had hurt himself while running. How I wish that was the case." "Tell me, Chief. What happened to the buffalo?" Pathfinder pressed. "The buffalo got back up, only this time, his eyes were glowing red. Red as the skin of an apple." Pathfinder's eyes narrowed in contemplation. "So the buffalo fell when the shadow touched him, but then got back up with red eyes?" "Him and the dozens of other buffalo I saw fall when the shadow brought them down." "What did the red-eyed buffalo do when they got back up?" Thunderhooves shuddered. "They… charged the other buffalo in the group." Pathfinder's eyes widened. "I didn't realize what was happening until the first red-eyed buffalo took down one of the herd members. Flipped him into the air and left him for the other red-eyed buffalo behind him to finish him off." Pathfinder's eyebrows furrowed. "This is indeed troubling, my Chief. Is there more to this nightmare?" "Yes, there is more." Thunderhooves said with a nod. "I tried to warn the other buffalo, but they couldn't hear me as I cried to them to flee. I wanted to move and attack the red-eyed buffalo, but my hooves wouldn't move. All I could do was watch as the herd of buffalo died. The last buffalo I saw that was slain was…" The chief said, his lower lip quivering. "…My Little Strongheart." Silence hung in the teepee. "And that's why you went to her teepee last night. To see if she was well." Pathfinder deduced. "I couldn't take my eyes off her." Thunderhooves said, recalling the horrible sight as a tear fell from his eye. "Bite marks all over her, the grass stained red with blood. Her blood." Pathfinder put a hoof on the tribal leader's shoulder. "I am sorry that you had to endure such a terrible dream. Was that when you woke up?" Thunderhooves shook his head. "There was one last part of the dream. The shadow that had been down below me began to turn towards me. After seeing such a slaughter, I did not wish to inhabit the vision any longer. As the shadow neared me, I closed my eyes and waited for it to end. But as soon as I closed my eyes, a strange voice spoke to me, as if from nowhere." Taking his hoof of the chief's shoulder, Pathfinder's eyes fell in thought. "And what did this voice say to you?" He asked, looking Thunderhooves in the eye. Chief Thunderhooves closed his eyes as he tried to concentrate on what he had heard. "So it will be on the Shadow's day, When the world is made his prey. Ready horn, blade, and spear, For the long night is near." Thunderhooves opened his eyes to see a look of shock on Pathfinder's face, his mouth agape. "Do you know what the words mean?" Closing his mouth, Pathfinder regained his composure. "You know that I have interpreted many visions before. But this…" Pathfinder shook his head in dismay. "I fear this dream you had spells doom for the tribe should we do nothing." The chief stiffened at hearing the word 'doom'. "What force could bring such disaster upon our tribe?" "Horn, blade, and spear." Pathfinder thought over the words, their meaning was obvious enough. What the words meant was easily understandable, but the question of why still needed answering. Pathfinder turned his gaze back towards Thunderhooves's. "I will ponder over your dream, Chief Thunderhooves. I am sorry that you had to experience it, but I know that it came as a warning, not a threat." "A warning?" Thunderhooves asked as Pathfinder turned to leave his teepee. "For what?" "I am not sure, Chief." Pathfinder said, walking towards the teepee's exit. "However I can offer you a parcel of advice on this matter." Thunderhooves's eyebrow rose. "And what might that be?" Pathfinder let out a somber sigh. For the long night is near. "Our time in this land of our forefathers is coming to an end. Order the tribe to pack only the essentials and be prepared to leave at any moment." -Sky above Western Equestria- Trixie looked down from the balloon. They had to be at least a thousand feet above the ground by now. Trees and ponies below appeared as dots against the landscape. A few weather patrol pegasi had passed by a short while ago, making their rounds in their designated airspace. Aside from that, it was her and the three other ponies in the balloon. "Would it kill somepony to get some food in this balloon?" Silver Star bellyached from the other side of the basket. "There aren't any in-flight peanuts or pretzels or anything here." "Save it for when we land, Silver." Speedy Delivery thought with a roll of his eyes. Jeez, Chassis. At least try to stay focused on the mission and not your stomach. "And when's that going to be?" Silver whined. Palm Spring rubbed a hoof on her chin. "Well considering the wind speed and our position over Equestria from where we took off, I'd say we'll reach the mountains by midafternoon." Silver let out a dissatisfied groan at the estimation. "Oh well. I guess I can catch up on sleep I missed last night." Soon only the sound of the wind filled the balloon as its occupants grew quiet. "So… Palm Spring." Trixie spoke up. "Where are you from?" Palm Spring's gaze shot towards the curious unicorn. Oh come on, Cipha! Come up with some sort of alibi! Her mind urged. "Me? Oh, uh… I'm from… Manehattan." Trixie's eye lit up. "Manehattan? I've been there several times myself while on magic tours. A bit crowded for my tastes, though." Palm cracked a nervous grin. "Yeah. Pretty crowded there. Tons of ponies and… stuff." "What'd you do while you lived there?" "Uh… I did… real estate. Beach houses." "Ahh. That makes sense. Your name and cutie mark and all." Trixie said with a nod. "So what brought you to Ponyville?" "Business trip." Palm said immediately as the alibi began to take root and develop in her mind. "There are plenty of rental houses that need to be sold. So how about you, Trixie? What's your story?" Trixie blinked at the tables being turned so quickly. "Well I got the invitation to the party at Pinkie's and I couldn't say no." She said with a shrug. "But that's not the first time you've been to Ponyville." Speedy Delivery piped up. The unicorn turned to face Speedy. "Unfortunately no." She said, hanging her head. "I don't exactly have the best reputation with that town." "How so?" Speedy asked. "I know you said something about an ursa minor incident earlier. Is there more than that?" Trixie held up a hoof. "Okay, the ursa minor incident isn't directly my fault. It was a couple of young fans that wanted to see me vanquish an ursa and almost destroyed the town in the process." Silver snickered from the corner. "What a couple of idiots." Trixie furrowed her eyebrows at the disguised changeling. "They may not have been the sharpest ponies that enjoyed my entertainment, but they had good intentions." "Good intentions can be responsible for the worst of tragedies, Trixie." Palm said. "Nopony was hurt during this incident?" "Thankfully no." Trixie shook her head. "Another unicorn stepped in and pretty much saved the day. She pacified the monster and levitated it back to the cave it came from." "Wow." Speedy breathed. Did we pick the wrong unicorn to bring with us? "Was that the only time you've been to Ponyville?" "No it wasn't. In my pride, I sought a duel with the unicorn that had saved the town and ended up being a local tyrant after kicking her out of Ponyville." "It's a wonder that nopony threw you out of town as soon as you came in for the party." Palm spoke up. "What happened after that? "We had a rematch in which she outsmarted and beat me. It was after that day that I reflected on the actions I'd committed out of stubborn pride. I've done things that I am not too proud of and I realized that I had to put away my old self and embrace the more humble side of my personality." "Such a moving story." Silver remarked snidely. "I think I'm going to cry." There was a collective eye roll as Trixie continued her story. "I went back and asked for forgiveness from the unicorn I'd been holding a grudge against for two years. To my relief, she forgave me. When I came for Pinkie's party, I saw that the rest of the town shared her merciful attitude. I know I can't go back and fix all the bad things I've done, but what I can do is work past them and better myself through the experiences I've had." Palm Spring thought over Trixie's tale. This unicorn has been horrible to Ponyville and yet they still forgave her? If something like that happened at the hive we would have either banished them or just used them as a food source straight away. She turned her eyes toward a single mountain that rose up in the east. On that mountain sat the silhouette of a familiar city. Its castle's spires shot into the sky, the bustling city nestled at the foot of the castle. Canterlot. The failed changeling assault and the forgiving of Trixie in Ponyville showed that just because ponies weren't ruthless or strong in force didn't mean that they couldn't overcome adversity. Cipha's mind went back to the hive. The only way the hive's condition could be saved was if Chyrsalis's gamble that freeing the creature she found in the mountain would work. But at what cost would the hive thrive again? The enslavement and feeding off the population of Equestria. After seeing the way these ponies live, we wouldn't just be destroying their country, but their way of life also. The cheery way ponies lived their lives would be dashed. No more parties, no more caring for one another, no more redemption stories like Trixie's. Deep down inside Palm, she knew that destroying such things was an atrocity. What if we desert? She remembered Fang's words outside Ponyville. No. That's out of the question. If Chrysalis's bet works, then the three of us wouldn't be able to go anywhere without persecution. Reviled by ponies for lying to them, hated and hunted by the hive for desertion. We wouldn't have anywhere to go. But what if it doesn't work out? The thought nagged in the back of her mind. What if the creature betrays the queen and takes the power of the hive for itself? I wouldn't be surprised if that happened. Cipha thought, grimacing at her choices. So what is there to lose? Living with the regrets of causing the downfall of a peaceful civilization or running and dying with a clean conscience. It was at that moment that Palm Spring made her decision. A sudden wind kicked up from the south, the balloon lurching towards a faded mountain range in the north. "Now that's more like it!" Silver exclaimed. "Hope this gale keeps up 'til we get to the mountain." Palm looked to the snow-capped peaks in the distance. The three of them were going to have to make a choice, and decision time was approaching with every second. -Mountain Cave, Northern Equestria- That should help them on their way. The Shadow thought with a smirk. The sooner he was free, the better. Nothing a little environmental manipulation magic can't speed up. His yellow eyes turned to the changeling queen in front of him, her back turned to him as she stared at the cavern entrance. "You wait for your scouts' arrival?" The Shadow asked. "They were ordered to come with the unicorn today. When they will come during the day, however, I do not know." "They'll be here soon enough, my queen." Raspian reassured. "They may not be the most cohesive unit I have assembled, but I know for a fact they will get the job done." "So sure in your troops' abilities to perform their duties, Raspian?" The Shadow piped up. Raspian gave the shadowy figure a look of contempt. "I do not have any reason to doubt the effectiveness of the scouts I chose, Lodestar. They have proven themselves to be some of the best our hive has to offer." The Shadow returned Raspian's look with one of his own. "Yet why do I sense uncertainty in your words?" "Uncertainty?" Raspian spat, as if the word tasted bad in his mouth. "You sense nothing, creature." The Shadow's yellow eyes flared. "I may have been imprisoned in this cave for years, but I can assure you my senses have not dulled during my incarceration. Yes, I feel uncertainty in you. An almost tangible uncertainty at that, fear, dare I say." He said, Raspian trying to steel himself against the accusations. "And I must say it is delicious." Chrysalis spun around to face the ancient being. "Enough, Lodestar! As my captain said, we all can trust that the three scouts he recruited can see their mission through to success." "How can you be so sure, my queen?" The Shadow snapped venomously. "Knowing the state of your hive, I wouldn't be surprised if they have had a change of heart. Silence hung thick in the air, the thought sinking into the changelings' minds. To the Shadow's surprise, Raspian stepped in between him and the changeling monarch. "I understand that both of you want this operation to succeed as much as I do, but we have to keep our heads about this." He said, turning to Chrysalis. "Your Highness, I can guarantee that Fang, Cipha, and Chassis will complete their assignment. And as for you..." Raspian turned to face the Shadow, his blue eyes matching the Shadow's golden ones. "As long as you keep up your side of the deal, then there is no need for uncertainty. We set you free, you help us get love to feed on. Keep antagonizing our operation and we may reconsider our choice of freeing you." He couldn't see it, but the Shadow's figure stiffened at the captain's threat. "We stick to that simple plan and we don't keep snapping at each other, we all come out of this alright." "Ah, but captain, you forget one thing." The Shadow growled. "And what is that?" The Shadow gave the changeling a fanged grin. "Since when is anything so simple?"