//------------------------------// // Ch. 28; The Curse Of GreenWood // Story: Star Wars: A Second Chance // by Dorath //------------------------------// GreenWood was a small, pastoral town, if a bit down-at-the-heels since the lumber mill closed three years ago, filled with hard-working farmponies and hearty shopponies, certainly not the kind of place where a pony would think to find multiple missing foals. Now a pall hung over the town, and the few ponies out and about shot distrustful looks at the quarter of armored figures traveling their streets. Blaze shivered inside her harness, the itching at the back of her mind whispered to her that there was something wrong with this town, and while it could merely be due to recent events, her guts said that whatever afflicted GreenWood was older than the current tragedies. Glancing at her companions, the pegasus felt oddly relieved that she was not the only one unsettled by the town, Silver was watching every movement and shadow, while River and Revan had moved to flank the younger ponies, the hardened veterans shielding the weaker members of the herd. Eventually, the little group reached the simple blockhouse that served GreenWood's gendarme, all three of them, a unicorn and two earth ponies. Those worthies were currently pouring over a map alongside a pegasus mare in guard's armor, her helmet sitting on a desk, disrupting the uniform enchantment. “Yes, Ma’am, is there something we can help you with?” the guardsmare asked, a small frown creasing her muzzle at the interruption. “Afternoon, gentleponies,” Revan replied as she pulled a scroll from a case on her belt, “I'm Legate Revan Vao, these are my apprentices, River Breeze, Silver Chaser and Blaze,” she held up the scroll, “And this is a writ granting me Crown Authority, we've been sent to assist in the search for the missing younglings.” The three gendarmes exchanged confused looks, but the guardsmare gave a relieved sigh as she ran a hoof through her short red mane, “A courier brought word that the Princesses had sent more help, I'm Steel Mist with the Criminal Investigation Division, and these are the local enforcement officers, Wind Bolt, Shadow Tail and Marble Chocolate.” As the three ponies nodded, Steel waved the new arrivals over to the map, “It's been over a week since anypony's seen Graceful Blooming, and it's looking like she vanished without a trace, just like the other three foals.” “Did anything strange happen around the time that the foals disappeared,” River asked, “Strangers in town, family troubles, unusual magical phenomena, anything?” “There have been no strangers in town for months, GreenWood doesn't see a lot of travelers ever since the mill closed,” Marble explained, “As for family, most of them are good, Celestia-fearing ponies, but, well, Carrot Sunrise's folks are mainstays of the inn. We have one or the other of them in here pretty much at least once a week to sleep it off.” The mare gave a rueful shrug as Silver and Blaze started at her in horrified disgust, and Blaze's ears dropped as she watched as the older ponies shrugged off Carrot's family situation to concentrate on other matters. ‘I don't know what's worse, that a pair of sots are allowed to raise a foal, or that everypony seems so resigned to it.’ “We haven't had any weird magic in town,” Wind added, “But there's been lights out in the Nightmare Woods and weird voices on the wind since Winter Wrap-up.” River looked over at the local unicorn, “Voices? Saying what?” Wind shrugged, “I don't know, the voices are usually faint, and nopony is really willing to listen all that close, it's voices on the wind from out of the Nightmare Woods, listening to stuff like that can turn a pony queer in the head.” “We can hear the laughter and the screams clear enough,” Shadow offered, “There's been a few times where you'd almost think the screams were coming from inside the town.” “Perhaps they were,” Revan murmured, so quietly that Blaze doubted that the Inspector or local ponies even heard it, “What are these?” she asked, pointing at the map. “That's the mill and the old quarry.” “They've been searched?” “We're not idiots,” Wind snapped as he glared at the Jedi, “We searched the quarry and nopony goes near the mill.” “Does anypony still live out here?” River inquired, indicating a steading on the outskirts of town. “That's Granny Bridle's place,” Marble explained, “She's lived here as long as anypony can remember, but she went a bit … odd after she lost her husband and daughter in the quarry collapse sixty years ago.” Revan drummed her fingers on the table as she looked at the map, “Alright, River and I'll go and scout the quarry, Silver, you and Blaze look over the mill.” “We already did that!” Wind protested, “We can't be wasting time while those foals are out there!” “I heard you,” the legate replied calmly, “But they're still the mostly likely places for a child to suffer an accident, or for something from outside the town to set up undisturbed, and we need to rule them out.” Revan turned back to her apprentices, “This is a sneak-and-peek, not a reconnaissance in force, ade, you see anything off, you haul ass back here and wait for me and River, got it?” Once Silver and Blaze had reluctantly agreed, she smiled at them and continued, “When you’re done with the mill, swing by Bridle's and see if you can talk to the old mare, she might know about hiding spots and trails that the rest of the town has forgotten. Head over to the inn afterwards and grab some chow, River and I'll find you there when we get back.” ________________________________________ There were more ponies on the streets as Blaze and Silver parted ways with their elders and headed towards the mill, but the town maintained the same cheerless air as before, even the scattering of foals and teenagers were subdued. “How can they stay here?” Blaze wondered aloud, “This town makes my fur crawl.” “This is their home,” Silver replied, “They have all of their memories of how things once were to hold on to, and their hopes that things can be like that again.” Blaze grinned at her fellow apprentice, “You know what River says about hope.” “River Breeze is a remarkably cynical pony, who has seen far too much darkness in her life and has allowed it to twist her worldview.” “Revan agrees with her.” Silver cocked an eyebrow at her, “You do realize that your argument is supposed to counter my point, not prove it for me, don't you?” The pegasus blinked, and then threw a half-serious glare at him, “Fine, you win this round, Silver Chaser,” she grumbled as the unicorn smirked and drew a tally-mark in the air. ________________________________________ “Another almond cookie, dear?” the emerald-coated earth pony asked as she held out a worn tray. “Yes, please!” Blaze hummed happily as she took a bite, before wrinkling her muzzle at Silver, “Don't you judge me! These cookies are delicious and you know it!” “I would never dream of slighting Mistress Bridle's bakery skills,” Silver retorted as he sipped his tea, “But if you keep eating so many sweets, you're going to develop a pudge.” He grinned slightly as the pegasus patted her flank self-consciously, before turning back to their host, “Thank you again for your hospitality, Mistress, and for your knowledge of the old mushroom hunter's shack in Whiteleaf Woods.” “Yeah, the Legate will probably have us out to look the shack over tomorrow,” Blaze added, “But, and I'm not trying to be rude, Granny, but what is with this town? I've been jumpy almost the whole time since we got here.” Brassy Bridle frowned sorrowfully, “GreenWood was a good place once, even if we had the occasional bit of wickedness seep out of the Nightmare Woods, but three years ago, it was like a hex was put on the town.” The elderly mare sighed as she settled back onto her couch and sipped her own tea, “On Hearths Warming, Cherry Glass' little colt, Caramel Crunch, didn't come home. We found him in the millpond a week later, with his head bashed in and his hooves tied with stones. The uproar was the last straw for the lumber mill, and they closed before the month was out, almost a third of the town moved away after that. “Two years ago we had the fire on the Summer Sun Celebration, six houses burned down, but at least no pony was badly hurt, thank Celestia. “Last year somepony murdered Old Tinker, the handypony, and put his head in the birdbath outside the mayor' residence, the gendarme never did find the rest of the poor stallion. “And now, we have these four poor foals gone missing,” the earth pony pulled her shawl closer around her with a shiver, “What has happened to my town?” Putting his cup down and motioning to Blaze with his head, Silver stood up and placed a comforting hoof on the old mare’s shoulder. “We have to go now, Mistress Bridle, but I promise you, we, the Legate and River Breeze and us, we won't leave as long as there is any hope of finding those foals, and the Princesses willing, we will end whatever is plaguing your town.” ________________________________________ The two younger apprentices looked up as River and Revan dropped tiredly onto the bench, mugs and bowls of thick vegetable stew clattering on the table, “Anything?” Blaze asked hopefully. “Nothing,” River sighed, “Other than the gendarmes, it looks like no pony has been by the quarry in a year or more, did you have any luck?” “Some,” Silver replied, “Other than Mistress Bridle and one earth pony teenager, the ponies of this town are rather closed-mouth with outsiders, but we did learn the location of an old shack the mushroom hunters used to use in Whiteleaf Woods, and the teen confirmed that nopony goes near the mill.” Revan glanced up from her meal, “But you checked out the mill anyway, right?” The young stallion started to answer, and then stopped in confusion, “We must have …” while Blaze slowly nodded in agreement. Dismissing the tingling in the back of her mind as more of the unease that GreenWood seemed to generate, the pegasus decided to bring up something that had been bothering her, “Boss, about Carrot Sunrise's parents ….” “You have doubts about a pair of apparent drunkards being left with the care of a youngling,” the twi'lek finished for her, “And it could be your right, or it could be they were good, if far from perfect, parents who have been driven even deeper into their cups by their pain. We'll look into it, but if everypony is as tightlipped as you two say, I honestly doubt we'll get very far.” Seeing the unhappy frown on her apprentice's muzzle, Revan drained her mug and leaned forward as she continued, “Look, back in Ponyville there's a mare, clumsy, accident prone, a bit of an airhead, and I swear her stove catches fire at least once a week. Doesn't sound like a fit parent at first scan, does she? But Ditzy is a honest, hard-working mare, dependable as the sunrise and absolutely devoted to her daughters, and Sparkler and Dinky both adore her,” the Jedi pointed at the pegasus with her spoon to emphasis her words, “When it comes to interfering in ponies’ families, we need to take our time to line-up our shots and make sure of our intel rather than just charging ahead.” Blaze could feel her cheeks burn with shame as she nodded abashedly to her instructor, “Yes, Legate, I'm sorry if I was being over-eager, it's just … I really don't like the idea of ponies mistreating foals.” “You're protective of little ones,” the twi'lek observed, her crooked grin easing the pegasus' mind, “And you, all of you, want to make Equestria a better place with your talents, and I'm proud of you for that. But,” all humor fell from Revan's face as she caught each of her student's eyes in turn, “No matter how noble our intentions, no matter how much good we create, it doesn't mean we're right. And that is one of the hardest lessons we have to learn, my ade.” ________________________________________ “So, where are Wind Bolt and the rest?” Blaze asked the pegasus guardsmare who was flapping through the morning rain alongside her, while her fellow Force-wielders trudged through the damp forest behind them, “I’d have thought that they’d want to be here to follow up on any new clues we find.” “Wind, Marble and Shadow are doing their jobs,” Steel Mist replied, “With you helping me to pick up the investigative duties, they need to concentrate on keeping the peace in GreenWood. Ponies are scared and looking for somepony to blame, and the gendarme need to be on their toes to keep old grudges and new fears from getting out of hoof or turning into witch hunts.” “Enough jawing, you two,” Revan hissed up at the pegasi, “We’re almost to the shack, so I need the both of you to fly ahead, quietly, and scout things out.” Blaze started to salute with an eager grin as the Jedi continued, “Stealth protocols are still in effect, so you don’t go into the shack until we get there, and you don’t engage any hostiles you can avoid, are we clear, Blaze?” The teen gave a dejected sigh, “We’re clear, Boss.” The two pegasi ghosted ahead on silent wings until a dilapidated, long-abandoned shack came into view sitting in the middle of a small glade, its door hanging open to the world. The pair of scouts slowly circled the edge of the clearing, before perching in a large oak tree to compare notes in hushed tones, “I didn’t see anypony, Steel, what about you?” “It doesn’t look like anypony has lived here for decades, but that door looks like it was forced,” the older pegasus confirmed, “So, what’s the problem, Blaze, what has a bur under your tail?” “B-wah?” stuttered the teen in mortified bewilderment, “H-how did ... but I didn’t say anything ….” “I’m with the CID, remember?” Steel said to her with a gentle laugh, “Observation and getting a feel for ponies is a part of the job, however this isn’t about your mixed feelings for that stallion of yours, but about how you’re chaffing over how your Legate keeps slapping the reins on you.” “It’s not fair,” Blaze grumbled, pointedly ignoring the older mare’s comment about Silver Chaser, “We’re out here to help ponies, but she still keeps treating us like foals, and I know from the Boss' own tales that she was out fighting pirates and infiltrating gang bases and going on all sorts of adventures back when she was an apprentice.” “Okay, a few things you need to think about,” the guardsmare said, a serious tone underlying her friendly voice. “What we’re doing isn’t an adventure, sure some guard’s work really gets the adrenaline flowing, but if you go into it dreaming about adventure instead of minding your duty, you should take a good hard look at why you’re doing it at all. Second, for some officers – and often the better ones – risking their own neck is easier than risking others and you might want to look at her valuing you and your fellow apprentices like that as a compliment. Lastly, if your Revan was out pulling that kind of guard’s work at your age, then I’d wager good bits that she has a lot of mental and spiritual scars. They don’t look as impressive as the physical ones, but they do more damage and they’re harder to live with.” “Alright, fine,” Blaze sighed, “It’s just … Revan and the Princesses and the Element Bearers and the Wonderbolts … they all make a difference for ponies, they’re all heroes!” “And you want to be like them,” Steel nodded, “You’ll get your chance, Blaze, don’t you worry, there’s no need to rush things, now let’s report back before your Legate starts thinking something has happened to us.” Once the pegasi reported in, the little band headed for the shack, but as they closed in, the ponies stopped, their muzzles wrinkled at the faint smell of rotten meat that wafted out the door. “What do you smell?” Revan asked her hand dropping to her saber-hilt as she noticed her companions' sudden unease. “Something, or somepony, has been rotting in there,” Steel answered, “I'm no scent-tracker, but I think it’s more than a week old.” “Alright, keep your eyes and ears open, just in case” Flapping her wings so she could peer over her teacher's shoulder as Revan slid the door open, Blaze looked around at the mess of leaves that had been blown in over the years and a ridiculous number of yellowed-white or yellowed-brown sticks scattered about. When she realized what exactly she was seeing she dropped to the ground with a thump as her wings stopped working in shock, “Celestia and Luna have mercy ….” After recovering from their initial shock, the group set to work clearing out the grisly shack, with River and Steel laboring away in grim silence, while Silver toiled alongside them in a sickened daze, and Blaze and Revan wore their rage openly as they went about their macabre business. By noon, they had sorted out the bones of four foals and the headless skeleton of a stallion, “Mister Tinker ...” Silver guessed at the identity of the last, “At least now he can be properly buried.” “The Princesses damn it all,” Steel cursed softly, “This was done by one of the thinking races, probably a pony, wasn't it?” “Yes,” Revan growled as she looked up from where she was crouched beside the pitiful piles of remains, “These bodies were dismembered, and it wasn't by an axe or cleaver, the cuts are too clean,” she glanced over at her companions, “I'm thinking the saws at the lumber mill.” “Nopony goes near the mill,” Steel, Blaze and Silver all said together, and then shifted anxiously as River and Revan stared at them. “'Once is accident, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action',” Revan muttered as River stepped forward and her turquoise aura enshrouded the three ponies’ heads, each in turn. “Nothing,” the unicorn mare observed, “I can't find any mind-control spells at all, although our detection of such magics is … unreliable,” she cocked an eyebrow back at Revan, “Force persuasion?” “Possibly,” Revan agreed, “Though to work on trained Investigators and Academy apprentices, the Force-wielder would have to be fairly powerful, or at least have a talent for Mind Tricks.” “So, what do we do with them?” River asked, waving a hoof at the three bewildered ponies. “We take them with us,” the twi'lek decided, “If it's just normal Force persuasion we can just shepherd them to the mill and that should break the compulsion. If it's some kind of domination effect or deep conditioning, however ...” she sighed, “We won't know until we try anyway, so we'll have to burn that bridge when we come to it.” ________________________________________ “Blaze,” River called out gently as the white pegasus started to wander away from the group, “We're going this way.” Blaze blinked and walked back to the group, 'Why are we bothering with this? Nopony goes near the mill, and anyway Silver and I already checked it out … didn't we?' Her pondering was interrupted by their arrival at the shores of Sunny Creek, the dark bulk of the abandoned lumber mill looming over them. As she looked across the stream up at the mill, Blaze felt a fog lift from her mind at the same time as a coldness settled in her bones, “Something horrible happened here, I can feel it.” “This place feels of pain and horror,” Silver agreed as he loosened his sword in its scabbard. “Death as well,” River added, “And … sadistic joy?” her face hardened as the unicorn turned to their teacher, “I think we've found our murderer's killing ground.” “We'll probably have to tear the damn place down, or burn it, once we're done,” Revan observed, her eye fixed on the mill, “If it's not a minor Dark Side Fount already, it won't take much to turn it into one.” Pointing at a door on the second floor, she continued, “Blaze and Steel should be able to force that door and help Silver and River inside. Then we should be able to recon the place without advertising our interest to the whole town.” And as easy as that, they were inside, with the pegasi carrying the unicorns up to the door and Revan simply leaping up to the landing. Making their way across the catwalks, Silver and Rain lit their horns to push back the prevailing gloom, as the four ponies and one twi'lek almost immediately began to sweat in the sweltering, shuttered darkness of the mill. As they spread out to search the mill-floor, Blaze found herself dragging her hooves as the malevolence that seemed to fill the building pressed down on her. “What the hay is wrong with you?” the pegasus muttered to herself, “There's nothing there! It's just the ghosts of those poor foals and Tinker and whomever else this bucking monster has murdered, and you're failing them! Now pull it together and prove that you deserve to be here!” Oddly, her little display made her feel better, and the pegasus continued into the mill with a lighter heart and quicker steps, 'Huh, verbal self-abuse as a form of morale boost. Who knew?' Unfortunately, her improved spirits didn't last long, as Blaze noticed a heavy chair barely visible in the light of her friends' magic, and the table with glinting metal objects on it nearby, “Oh horseapples, Silver, River I need more light over here!” As the others gathered around, the increased light revealed the hatchets, hooks and saws sitting on the table, probably taken from the mill's own tools, and the extensive dark stains on the wooden chair and surrounding floorboards, while a faint odor of rot drifted from the bits of flesh caught in the saws' teeth. Revan and Blaze's wrath had returned in full force at this discovery, and it was clear from his face that Silver was beginning to join them, though his fury currently struggled with his horror for dominance, “How can somepony do something like this to another pony … how can anypony be so sick?” “Some ponies are just broken inside,” Steel offered as she laid a comforting wing across the unicorn's shoulders. “Broken, you could call it that,” Revan spat, “And some are so broken that they can never be fixed, or are just flat-out evil,” she gestured at the chair, “It seems pretty clear to me which one we're dealing with,” she added, as River reluctantly nodded in agreement. “Well that's just rude,” a young mare’s voice said from behind them, “You haven't even met me yet and already you're calling me evil.” Turning around, the five people found a brown-coated, green-maned earth pony teen standing with a cocky smirk on her muzzle as she raised a hoof to wave at them, “Hello, I’m Amber Moonlight, and you’re all going to die.” A distortion of the air surged out from the earth pony on her last word, tearing a furrow through the heavy planks of the mill floor as it smashed into the Force-wielders and guardsmare. River and Silver managed to protect themselves with hastily conjured shields, but Revan and the two pegasi took the full brunt of the telekinetic blast and were flung, bruised and bleeding, across the floor by the impact. “Telekinetic Wave! Don’t bunch up!” Revan shouted as she rolled to her feet, her lightsaber igniting with a crackling snap as she spat blood to the side. “You can’t beat me!” Amber gloated, “My powers are beyond the miserable magic of any mere unicorn, beyond even the Princesses themselves, and once you’re dead, no pony in this pathetic little town will even remember that you were ever here!” “Oh, shut the buck up!” Blaze growled as she charged through the air at Amber, her wingblades at the ready, only to veer away, narrowly avoiding an incoming Force-strike as the ranting earth pony turned to face her. The two unicorns were quick to capitalize on Amber’s distraction, unleashing a bolt of magic and a Force-push at the teen. A telekinetic blast intercepted the magical attack, but the Force attack sent the earth pony stumbling. “W-what, h-how?” Amber stuttered in surprise, “No, the power is mine! Mine! You can’t have it!” she shrieked, spittle flying from her lips as her muzzle twisted in an inpony frenzy and pieces of the floor tore free to whip about her in a telekinetic wind, while all of the dark emotions that filled the lumber mill surged forward to enshroud the earth pony in a visible cloak of darkness. However, before Amber could unleash her fury, a thunder crack shattered the air as a lightning bolt streaked from Revan to smash into her, while Blaze flung the torture table into the earth pony with all the force the pegasus’ righteous wrath could muster, leaving Amber in a moaning heap on the floor. As they gathered around the fallen teenager, Revan looked at her companions, “Does anyone recognize her?” Silver Chaser spoke up, “Yes, she is the teen that spoke with us on our first day in GreenWood, while Blaze and I were on our way to the mill.” “I’m certain that I’ve talked to her a time or two as well,” Steel added, as she slipped a set of hoofcuffs from a pouch and quickly restrained the earth pony. “That’s probably when she used her Mind Tricks on you,” River observed, before turning to the legate with a frown, “Will you put your saber away? We need answers, not another corpse.” Revan raised a brow at the unicorn’s words, but deactivated the saber and returned it to her belt, “You want answers? Fine,” she said as she knelt beside Amber and pulled the teen’s head up so she could meet the dazed earth pony’s eyes, “Wake up,” Amber shuddered, and then her eyes snapped open as her wits returned, “Ask her your questions,” the Jedi instructed, “But I doubt the answers will give you any peace.” River nodded to her instructor before she turned her attention back to Amber, “Did you torture and murder four foals and hide their bodies in the old shack in Whiteleaf Woods?” “Yep, and Tinker the handypony too,” the teen admitted with a happy smile that sent Blaze’s insides twisting. “Who made you do these things?” Steel asked her voice heavy with mixed anger and regret, “Who helped you?” “Made me? Helped me?” Amber sneered at the guardsmare, “I did it all on my own!” she declared proudly, “These useless, weak-willed, herd-followers couldn’t make me do anything, and certainly none of them have enough guts to ever actually be of any use to me.” Steel and River exchanged disturbed glances, but Silver had more questions to ask and was unwilling to wait on his elders, “Did you have anything to do with the Summer Sun fires two years ago, or with the death of Caramel Crunch?” “They ruined my fun,” the earth pony pouted, “All that effort to get those houses to go up together and not one pony had the decency to die!” Amber’s smile returned with a blissfully reminiscent sigh as she continued, “And little Caramel! You never forget your first time, you know, and his fear was so yummy!” Blaze had heard enough, lunging forward, she grabbed Amber and started to shake the earth pony, “Why?” she demanded, her wings quivering with a barely-restrained need to plunge her wingblades into this, this, thing! “Why? Why?” Amber laughed in Blaze’s face, “Why not? I did it all because I could, because I wanted to, you stupid filly!” Revan put a hand on the young pegasus’ shoulder and gently pulled her away, before she turned a hard eye back to Amber, “How did you learn your … ‘powers’, who taught you?” “The spirits of the Nightmare Woods,” she replied, her eyes going distant and dreamy as her smile softened, “Their voices came to me after I did sweet little Caramel, and they taught me what I could really do.” “Satisfied?” Revan asked as she turned to the older mares. “Almost …” River said as her horn ignited and her turquoise magic encased Amber’s head for a moment, “Nothing, I can’t find any spells compelling her behavior,” the unicorn grimaced, “This is just who she is.” “Alright,” the Jedi turned to her two younger apprentices, “Go on outside, we’ll join you once we’ve dealt with her,” she gestured at the restrained earth pony who was grinning arrogantly as she watched her captors. “Wait outside? No!” Blaze protested, “We want to see this through!” Revan sighed and put a hand on Silver and Blaze’s shoulders, “Listen to me, ade, I have enough blood on me that a little more won’t even be noticeable, but I would prefer to keep it off the two of you for a while longer if I can … please?” Silver waved a hoof over at River and Steel, “Then why are they staying?” River put her hoof on the younger unicorn’s other shoulder, “Just because the Legate is already bloody doesn’t mean we should leave her to take it all, warriors share that burden for each other, understand?” Silver Chaser nodded and gently herded Blaze from the mill as Amber began to laugh mockingly at them all. Silver closed the door firmly behind them, the earth pony’s laughter following after them, only to abruptly cutoff a few moments later.