//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: The Village // Story: A Stampede to Remember // by ShadowGear //------------------------------// "Where is he?" Fang asked. "This is your fault! You told him to go check it out!" said Elytra as she peered around a rock. "Look I didn't think anything was out there!" "What are we supposed to tell the Major?" "Just keep looking maybe we can find some clue as to where he went." "There! I see hoof prints heading up the cliff!" "Follow them. Maybe we can get back before the Major finds out!" "Finds out what?" Carapace asked as he approached the two Changelings. "Major!" Elytra quickly said. "We were... investigating some kind of observer." "Oh yeah? Then where is Sclerite?" Panic started to take over the two Changelings before Fang spoke up. "He went after the observer first and we haven't seen him since." "You let him go alone!?" Carapace yelled. "Find him now!" "Sir yes sir!" they both said in unison as they rushed in the direction of the hoof prints. Meanwhile Sclerite and Little Strongheart were walking together towards the Buffalo village. Sclerite had decided to strike up a conversation with her. "So... what's it like living in a village?" "It's great. Not much happens in the village though. That is why I like to run off on my own sometimes. How about you? What's your life like?" "Well I am the Queen's personal apprentice," Sclerite stated matter of factly. "What's that like?" Little Strongheart asked. "All that really means is that the Queen teaches me how to be a soldier rather than having a regular drill instructor. What really bothers me is the fact that my comrades envy me for getting that position. It doesn't help that I am the runt of the Hive," Sclerite complained. "It must be so lonely living like that." "It's worse than that. Sometimes I hear them making jokes about me getting killed first on the battlefield. How I won't survive a minute or how I am just there to be target practice for the enemy." "Alright! Your turn to ask a question!" Little Strongheart said trying to change the subject. The anger and frustration in Sclerite was quickly suppressed as he thought about what to ask. "I know you said your life in the village is great and all but can you go into more detail?" "Okay! My father Chief Thunder Hooves-" "Wait! Your father is the Chief of your village? I bet your friends also talk about you behind your back," Sclerite interrupted. "It's not like that! They are actually pretty nice. Anyway he runs the village and makes the decisions. Then you have my friend Stone Horn he's from another tribe. Sometimes we would see each other and explore together. In a way he is my big brother." "Hmm... sounds like someone I would like to meet. How long until we reach the village?" "Actually we're here!" announced Little Strongheart as she stopped on a hill overlooking the village. Sclerite looked down towards the village and nervousness quickly built up inside of him. "Yeah... uh I don't think it is a good idea for me to come along anymore. Maybe if I disguised myself as a Buffalo it may be okay," he said as green flames quickly engulfed him and replaced his appearance with one of the buffalo that was standing outside. Little Strongheart rolled her eyes. "I promise you they are not like those bullies just please don't hide." "But-" "No buts!" she said as she began dragging his fore hoof down the hill. Sclerite decided it was best not to resist and let his disguise drop. Things were getting a bit out of hoof. If Carapace caught him he would be more than furious. A thousand insults from his comrades would be nothing compared to the Major if he goes back to his old drill instructing self. It's too late now though so he swallowed his nervousness and followed Little Strongheart into the village. When Sclerite was just outside the village he saw the Buffalos immediately go into a panic. They were running in all directions until ten Buffalo warriors surrounded Sclerite and Little Strong Heart. "I told you this would happen," Sclerite whispered. "Little Strongheart! Get away from that thing!" yelled one of the warriors. "Stay away from her you evil monster!" yelled another one. Sclerite lowered himself into a defensive stance and began charging up magic in his horn expecting a fight. Then he felt a hoof on his shoulder and saw Little Strongheart looking at him with an apologetic look before she stepped in front of him. "No! His name is Sclerite and I won't let you hurt him!" she yelled back. One of the Buffalo charged at Sclerite and was hit by a green magical bolt which knocked him to the ground. Before anypony could react Sclerite flew into the air out of the Buffalo's reach and levitated Little Strongheart next to him. The Buffalo started angrily climbing on each other to reach him but each time they got close Sclerite and Little Strongheart just went higher. "I am sorry for the trouble I caused!" he said a bit surprised that all of this was easier than any magical thing he had done in the past. "No it is not your fault! I was the one who told you not to go in disguise!" she said. "Stop!" yelled a deep voice. "Father! Sclerite let me down!" Little Strong Heart yelled. Sclerite slowly lowered Little Strongheart until he dropped her an inch away from the ground. When she was free she immediately ran into Chief Thunder Hooves' and hugged him. He pried her off of him with a suspicious look. "Wait... How do I know you aren't a Changeling trying to feed on our hatred of your kind?" he said eyeing her. "Tell me something only the real Little Strongheart will know." "I remember you telling me that mom died to give birth to me," she said with a hint of sadness. "You told me about how she was perfect and that no Buffalo could ever get anymore lucky than you to have a wife like her." Chief Thunder Hooves' eyes began to tear up and he hugged her again. "It is you!" he said, "did that monster hurt you?" He then looked up at Sclerite, "hear me evil monster if you had injured even a single strand of fur on her your legs and wings will gain a few extra holes!" "Father don't hurt him he's a friend," Little Strongheart said. Her father looked at her with confusion in his eyes before he sighed. He then looked back at Sclerite who watching the column of Buffalos. "If my daughter vouches for you then do you want to come down here?" the Chief said as the column began to fall apart with Buffalos climbing or jumping off the top. "Uh... no! I would rather stay up here where it's safe!" he yelled not buying the sudden friendliness of the Buffalos. "You're going to have to come down eventually!" "Yeah well... I'll come down when it feels safer!" The Buffalo began to disperse and went back to their routine. Sclerite brought himself closer to Little Strongheart and Chief Thunder Hooves but still kept himself high enough that a Buffalo would have to jump to get him. "Hey Sclerite! Is he going to be okay?" Little Strongheart asked as she pointed a hoof towards the Buffalo Sclerite shot. "Him? I just stunned him so he should be fine in an hour!" The group approached a campfire that was puny compared to the large bonfire in the center of the village. "Are you hungry?" said Chief Thunder Hooves. "No thanks! I don't really eat," Sclerite said as he landed on the ground next to Little Strongheart. "So Sclerite how do you like the village?" Little Strongheart asked. "I would say I didn't like the reception. Other than that I really like your village. It's a bit strange compared to the Hive," he said. "Well I'm sure you could stay for a bit longer if you really wanted to and tell us all about how you lived." Chief Thunder Hooves said sort of prodding him to speak. "Look I would really love to stay and chat about my life up until this point but I should really get going or my commanding officer is going to explode when he sees that I have abandoned my post." "Please Sclerite I want to hear about how you became your Queen's apprentice" begged Little Strong Heart. Sclerite stared into Little Strongheart's begging face and felt stronger and more comfortable the longer he looked at it. Eventually he sighed. Perhaps one story might not hurt too much, he's just going to have to live with whatever punishment Major Carapace gives him. "Well two years ago on the day I became the Queen's apprentice. I had the same commanding officer I have right now as my drill instructor. He was my first teacher and the closest thing I ever had to a father even though I hated him. We were all called for target practice to fire magical bolts at helmets. I never understood why we would train for such a thing since Changelings rarely ever use magic unless you were talking about me or the Queen. So we fired at the targets and I..."