Short Side 2 - Dark and Deep..
Twilight was awoken by a loud rapping on the heavy door to her castle. Stumbling down the stairs she answered it with a bleary-eyed look, staring at the Town Guard Captain who stood there.
“Yes?”
“I am sorry to bother you Princess but we have some missing foals.”
The mulberry mare immediately perked up, shaking her head to clear it and standing a bit straighter, “What?”
“This morning, two fillies and four colts were reported missing to our office, we’ve had guards out looking for them but no luck. Is there any possible way we could get a little help from the Royal Guard? Maybe some other trackers or magic users to help us look?”
Twilight nodded to herself, “Of course! Yes let me send a letter immediately, and please keep looking for them!”
“Of course Your Highness, thank you for the help!” The Captain turned on his hoof and trotted off to help in the search.
“Twilight, what’s going on?” Spike’s voice reached from behind her.
She turned around, thinking furiously as she walked back inside the castle, “There’s some missing foals. But I don’t understand, why would they go missing? We’ve got protection from the forest, why would anypony do this if they did?”
Spike shrugged, a bit more mature sounding than his years as he replied, “There’s a ton of weird things that happen around here Twilight.”
She nodded in return, “I know, but why foals? They don’t hurt anypony, and it’s not like the tanks wouldn’t fire on anything coming out of the forest. This is odd. Spike, I need to send a letter to Princess Celestia immediately!”
Spike grabbed a quill and parchment, penning the letter as dictated, sending it off as soon as the ink dried.
The reply was just as immediate.
Twilight,
Sending whatever is needed to help in the search, please keep us advised on the progress.
Celestia
Twilight felt heartened as she hit her link, calling her friends one at a time to meet her at the castle, that it was most urgent. She sat on her chair and waited, nervously tapping her hoof on the edge of the seat as she tried to figure out why six foals would suddenly decide to take off like that.
-------------
The Boulder brothers were one of the mainstays of the Town Guard, born to a quarrypony father, they worked hard and loved excavating marble and rock for use in building, they grew tall and very strong even for Earth ponies. After their father had passed, they decided to make a life of the Town Guard.
They were courteous, polite to a fault and treated others with respect as their mother had taught them. But everypony knew, if they asked you nicely to come along, you did so without protest.
When the search for Crusader was on, they had gotten the chance to hang around with some of the Deep Rangers, the mottled ponies whose quiet ways caught the brothers attention. By introducing themselves and being useful the Rangers in return had taught them how to track, anything at anytime; they were using those skills right now as they stood outside Spring Flower’s window.
“I’m telling ya Granite this is weird, she got out the window, and then headed that way.” He motioned with a solid hoof, “But there’s nothing else to say if anypony else was with her.”
Granite scratched the back of his head, looking at the tracks as he thought furiously, “I dunno Bastion, could they all just have decided to run away maybe?”
“All six at the same time? I doubt that.”
“Well I’m tellin’ ya, I looked. There’s no sign of anypony else with them, it’s like they all decided to just get up and walk off. Spring here’s just six years old she wouldn’t just take off like that, I know her she’s a good filly.”
“We gotta track em, find out where they went at least, so we can tell the Captain we got a lead or somethin’.” Bastion sat down on his haunches for a moment, looking concerned, “I got a bad feelin’ ‘bout all this brother.”
“You and me both Bast, you and me both.”
The brothers stood up shaking themselves off and following the tracks around the house, heading out to the edge of town where they ended up looking towards the forest between two of the silent tanks. Bastion eyed his brother as they sat there for a moment, seeing the tiny hoofprints lead off toward the forest line.
“I got a bad feeling even more now Bastion, those tracks lead right into the Everfree.”
“Granite, we better go tell the Captain, this is trouble in a big way.”
“Ya got that right, c’mon.”
Heading back into town, the worried expressions on their faces did not settle the townsponies who saw them pass by. They did not stop to talk, but headed straight for the Guard building.
They found Captain Iron Bars, setting behind his desk talking to a runner who was spreading the message about the search for the foals to the outlying farms, to be on the lookout for them.
“Captain, we got us a problem.”
The tan stallion looked up, seeing the expressions on the brothers faces.
-------------
Rainbow Dash was tapping a hoof on the floor of the throne room while she waited for the rest of her friends to arrive. Having received the call over the link, she immediately hurried to Twilight’s side, then had to sit and wait for the others.
“I don’t get this, Crusader left the tanks here to protect us, how could anything get in?” She was assuming something came from the forest, ever since the battles started it was the most obvious explanation.
“We don’t know anything came from the forest yet Dash, I’m waiting for the Captain to give me a report here soon enough.”
“I think it was the forest, that place has always been bad.”
“Don’t assume Dash, not until we know.” Twilight had her eyes glued to a book that she was flipping through, old legends and tales of the Everfree.
The cyan mare sat with a “Hmph” on her chair, waiting for the others to get there.
Rarity and Pinkie arrived just a few moments after the conversation ended.
“Darling, what’s the matter?”
Pinkie bounced over to her seat, taking her place and smiling as usual, though her blue eyes were a bit worried. “I heard about the missing foals.”
Rarity put a hoof to her chest, “What? Well how could this happen? You don’t think Sweetie Belle...?”
Twilight waved a hoof, “Nono, I’m sure she’s with Crusader, this happened just last night.”
Applejack arrived just then, slamming through the doors with Fluttershy trailing her, “What’s goin’ on?”
Twilight waited until everypony was seated, “Captain Iron Bars has informed me six foals went missing last night. Just gone, and nopony knows why. He’s got trackers out looking for any evidence and we’re just waiting for the report, that’s all I’ve got so far. I sent a letter to Princess Celestia, and she’s sending some help as well.”
“Ah know Crusader told me he’d made sure them tanks would fire on anything comin’ out of the forest.” Applejack was thinking out loud, “The only thing they won’t fire on is ponies.”
“My friends told me they hadn’t seen anything, but then they’ve been staying away from the area ever since the fighting started,” Fluttershy was looking down at the floor, “They’re really scared to go near that part of the forest, lots of bad things are hanging out in there now.”
“Well as soon as the Captain gives us a report, we can plan from there.” She slammed the book in front of her shut, “I don’t understand, why would foals go wandering off in the night? I mean Spring Flowers mom said she was a good filly, always loved to be helpful around the house. The others were the same. All good foals, kind and polite, they wouldn’t just up and run away would they?”
“Ah don’t know Twi, I mean little ones got their own reasons for doin’ things sometimes. But runnin’ away from home on a whim? I doubt that, I really do.”
Rainbow slapped a hoof on her seat, “I’m telling you, that forest has something to do with it! I don’t know how but it does, it’s been nothing but problems!”
Pinkie piped up, “Dashie, don’t go blaming things yet. Maybe they just hid for a while and will come back? We don’t know, we can’t know until we get a bit more information.” She gave her friend a warm smile, her eyes twinkling in the light of the day.
Rainbow just stared at her for a moment, “You’re right, I know. But still, that forest has always been a problem, I don’t see why nopony ever just got rid of it way back!”
Twilight settled in her own seat, wrapping her tail around her legs as she tilted her head a bit, “It’s been there a long time Rainbow. Celestia and Luna even remember it, ponies pushed it back in building Ponyville with their help. So far it’s just been minor problems, until Crusader woke up.”
Applejack’s head snapped up, looking at Twilight, “You think Crusader might’ve caused it to go nuts?” She was not accusing, just honestly concerned.
“No..well..I don’t know AJ, I find it hard to think it’s coincidence that after he woke up, all of a sudden the forest starts attacking like it did long ago when it was out of control.”
“He always told me he thought it was strange, it suddenly goin’ all out for some reason.” She looked at Twilight curiously, “You think somethin’ else woke up in that forest when he did?”
Twilight threw a hoof up in the air lazily, “I don’t know. But it does make me wonder.” A look of consternation crossed her face, “I hate not knowing things..I really do...”
A knock on the door brought them out of their reverie, Captain Iron Bars stood in the opening, accompanied by Spike who had let him in. “Your Highness.” He bowed politely.
“Don’t bow, ugh...Twilight please.”
“Yes Your..uhm...Twilight. We’ve got a report from our trackers, the foals were headed for the forest.”
Rainbow Dash leapt off her seat, hovering in the air, “I told you! That forest did it!”
Twilight raised a hoof, “Rainbow, calm down.” She watched her friend settle back into her seat.
“Captain, when the Royal Guards get here, take them into the forest line, search for more tracks please. If they went deeper into the forest, we have to know.”
“Yes You.. Twilight.. We will get right on it.”
They all watched as the Captain turned and left quickly, his hoof clicks rapidly receding in the castle.
“Ya know if word gets out we’re gonna have another military camp like when Crusader was lost. ‘Specially if it’s little ones missin’.”
The Alicorn closed her eyes and sighed, “You’re right, it’s going to be a mess, we have to get them back quick.”
-------------
Royal Guardsponies arrived quickly, they were taken in hoof by Captain Iron Bars, search parties were sent to the forest line. All of them were told, get in trouble, head back towards the tanks and any problems would be swiftly dealt with. The day was already going swiftly when they got the teams organized and moving, armed of course and very wary.
It turned out to be prophetic.
The Boulder brothers led a party of trackers along the forest line, seeing where the little ones had entered the forest. Pointing the sign out, they led a small group into the woods, it wasn’t long before they hit trouble, scrambling back towards the edge of the forest.
Spiders, misshapen and hungry had dropped from the trees on the small group; fended off by pikes and staves as the ponies turned and fled the surrounding trees. They were tearing up ground heading for the sunlight, their hooves digging deep as they tried to outrun the slavering things.
Even the Boulders big as they were, had no problem running like their tails were on fire, screening the rest of the party as they slammed hooves into the things when they got too close. The group were worn when they hit the open country, the ponies turning and waiting with anxious faces to see if the brothers were alright.
Bastion slapped away a spider as he caught up with his Granite, both of them in the fading daylight now as they saw the rest of their group standing and looking for them.
“Run! Run you idiots!” Bastion was waving as they stampeded over the grass, passing the laggard ponies.
The others faces went white seeing what was behind them pour out of the forest and turned like Tirek himself was on their flanks. Dirt flew as the ponies made for the gleaming machines in the distance, not knowing if they were going to make it.
A sharp report came across the flat lands, followed immediately by the ripping sound of repeaters as the guns on the tanks fired over the ponies heads, tearing the spiders with alloy ring penetrators that blew them apart in place.
Granite could hear the whickering sounds of the slugs as they passed by over his head, like the sounds of insects but far more deadlier. He knew, as they all did, one miss and they would be splattered over the countryside. He didn’t stop asking for Princess Celestia’s blessing until they had made the line of firing tanks, their ears deafened to the sounds of the guns as they finished the last of the spiders off.
Twisting a hoof in his ear, he slapped the other on his brother’s withers, “You alright?” He glanced around at the others of his team, shaking their heads and trying to regain their hearing.
Bastion gave him a funny look, wriggling his own ears heavily, “DO WHAT?”
Granite just laughed, hitting his brother on the shoulder, “Yeah you’re fine.”
“DO WHAT?”
-------------
The search was called for the evening, the teams heading back in. A few more fights had been had when ponies encountered the denizens of the forest. The battles had been expected of the Everfree, but even armored and armed, Royal Guards had a rough time keeping the search going while beating back the misshapen creatures.
A worn out Captain Iron Bars reported to the Princess that night.
The six friends had been helping the search as they could, Rainbow Dash had been scouting out the forest from high above; avoiding any flying things that were swarming up at her from the forest, making it almost impossible to get a look.
The rest had been searching the woods as well, having to run back out a few times to avoid getting eaten, bitten or chewed on. It was a tiring day for everypony.
“I’m sorry Your... Twilight, we couldn’t go any further, those creatures make it seem like they don’t want us in the forest looking for the foals.”
“Are your Guards okay?”
“Yes ma’am they got a few scratches, and they’re quite deaf from the guns firing, but we’re good. We’ll head back in the morning light, I’m sorry but the dark makes it far too dangerous.”
“You’ve done the best you can do Captain, please place patrols out tonight?”
The big Captain stood straighter, “Yes ma’am, we’ll put armed patrols everywhere.”
“Thank you Captain, please try and get some rest?”
“Yes Twilight.” He turned and trotted off, heading for his office. The big Guard pony swore to himself he’d be damned to Tartarus if he even thought about sleeping tonight.
The six friends looked at each other. Their coats shaggy, dirt on faces, even Rarity’s. They needed food and rest, but none of them wanted to go to sleep thinking about lost foals somewhere in that evil place.
Twilight got up with a yawn and stretch, “I’m sorry, we all need food and showers and sleep. Please, take care of yourselves? We won’t be any good to anypony tomorrow if we don’t.”
Five heads nodded in unison as they walked out of the throne room, each heading to their room for a quick shower.
Applejack stayed behind, looking out the window towards the forest. Her mind thinking on the poor little ones out there and hoping her best nothing bad had happened to them.
“We’ll find ya, ah know we will.”
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BURN IT DOWN!!!! It's no coincidence the forest waited until Crusader was gone to do this.... whatever is controlling it is smart. I just have to wonder about the Tree of Harmony, shouldn't it be helping the ponies fight the forest????
Yep, it's a bucking hostage situation, well played, forest, well played. Oh yeah, imagine how pissed Crusader will be when he gets back. I also get the feeling that one or more of the tanks will end up playing a part in the final rescue op
FUCKING BURN THE GODDAMN FOREST DOWN!!!
What if it is the Tree of Harmony?
Doesn't Celestia have the same comunicator as Twilight? Why send letter? Is it because without Crusader it doesn have the range?
You know... I realized something...
The Tree of Harmony has been referenced several times about how it should be trying to help the ponies stop the Everfree.
I, however, believe it is the Tree of Harmony behind all of this
But keep in mind this:
1.) The Tree of Harmony is in the thick of the Everfree, which has been heavily bombarded by Crusader multiple times now.
2.) The Everfree itself has interfered very rarely, if at all, in the ponies lives before Crusader came into the picture.
3.) Keep in mind what harmony is, it only means that things go in a predictable, steady pattern or in a form that works well with itself, while chaos is the opposite, with it being random, exaggerated, and commonly arbitrary. In the land of Equestria, it is a commonly accepted belief that Harmony is good, and chaos is evil.
This is completely false, however. Just because something is harmonious doesn't mean it is good.
Think of the Terminater series. Skynet is harmonious, in a way. It is a complete system that works well with itself, and generally doesn't fall out of its patterns.
And yet, its goal is to kill all humans. So is it good? No.
Need more? How about the Markers from Deadspace? Their harmonious too, with them trying to convert everyone into monsters, to kill more people and make more monsters, just so it can combine said monsters into a planet sized one to destroy other worlds.
Rince and repeat.
This "Harmony" also applies to plenty other well know evils, even in our own history! Despots from every time period wanted a "harmonious" world that was completely subjugated to them, and them alone.
Now in Eqeustria, everything was going fine and dandy, until Crusader woke up. Now the greatest foe against the harmony of the world, is right next to the Tree of Harmony.
Normally, the Tree would have the Element s to take care of this, but then the threat befriends them and the populace. Now it thinks that it has corrupted them, and the Tree has to do all of this alone.
So, in an attempt to "cleanse" this threat, it uses it's magic to create more offence-coordinated creatures to destroy it.
Classic threat removal, right after Stalin's own heart.
Fluttershy's thoughts on the everfree... pinkie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/rsz/mlfw10410_medium.jpg
5711696 You're a genius...
5711696 Fucking genius. Give this man an award for conspiracy of last year.
5711696
... This is scarily possible.
Or it is a biological bolo that went crazy.
Who knows? Not me.
8302539 See below please :)
5711696 Absolutely scarily possible. Militia Man makes a really good argument, especially about Harmony. Gives you a little shiver about the things that could be going through its 'mind' about what it should do to get things back on an even keel eh?
5711696
Exclamation: HARMONY IS BALANCE YOU IDIOTIC MEATBAG, NOT ORDER!
9726745
Statement: It is only a theory one that has been disproven but a theory nonetheless.