//------------------------------//
// Episode 5 - Glory Wings 
// Story: Before Equestria Season One: The War Begins 
// by StrangeFiction 
//------------------------------//

Streets of Neighemburg, Unicorn Kingdom, Evening – 1 Year before the War

Snipes ran around the corner, dodging through the crowded streets. Ponies that saw her coming quickly moved to the side of the street, allowing her access. A small colt began running beside her, easily keeping up despite the speed.
“Who ya piss off this time, Snipes?” the colt asked, continuing to match pace with the older mare. “Da King?”
“Shut up, Rat.” Snipes glanced behind her, checking to see if her pursuers were still on her tail. “If there’s one thing I don’t need, it’s your lip right now.”
Once again, Snipes rounded a corner, but Rat turned right with her and continued to keep up. The two ponies suddenly saw two unicorns carrying swords appear around a corner up ahead. Snipes let out a swear before turning into a nearby alleyway. Too late! She heard the guards approaching the alleyway.
“Them were private guards, Snipes!” Rat was still there. “You really did it this time, didn’t ya?”
“Rat, please leave. I don’t want you involved.” The pair was reaching the end of alleyway. “I bucked this tree, let the apples fall where they may.”
“Alright, Snipes. You wanna deal with this one yoself, you can do that.” They ran separate ways once they reached the street at the end of the alley. Snipes once again looked back, watching as her young friend disappeared into the crowd. She also saw the two pursuing guards come out of the alley, spot her, and continue their chase.
She once again turned a corner into an alleyway, and quickly found herself in a dead end. The two guards rounded the corner and slowly approached her, swords drawn and held aloft by their magic. Snipes began focusing, ready to teleport away. One of the guards, seeing this, ran forward and whacked her across the head. The world went dark.

When Snipes awoke once again, she found herself lying on the tile of an immaculately decorated room. Around her were several guards, their various weapons drawn and ready. At the back of the room was a table, arrayed with all sorts of fruits and vegetables, some exotic. Behind it was a fat stallion, looking at the mare regaining consciousness as he took a big bite from an apple in his hoof. Snipes got to her feet and looked at the obese pony before her.
“Duke. Always a pleasure.”
“Indeed, Ms. Guttersnipe?” The pony allowed bits of his food to fly from his lips as he spoke. “Then why did you run from your escort? You must know that I simply enjoy speaking to you so much. There was no need to flee.”
“Most escorts don’t come with swords.”
“For your protection, Gamine my dear.” The Duke took a big spoonful of a green salad near him. He looked over his prisoner with a greedy smugness in his eye. Snipes was disgusted by this stallion.
“What do you want, Duke?” Snipes stood up tall, trying her best to look intimidating despite her situation. “What does the mighty Duke of Hoofington want with an outlaw like me?”
The Duke slammed his hooves on the table before him, leaving any pretense of hospitality behind. “You know exactly what I want, Gamine. The staff.”
“I no longer have it. I gave it to somepony who wouldn’t use it to take advantage of those around them. If you so much as think I’d ever return it to you, you’re even more of an idiot than I thought.”
“Show me some respect, foal. You’ve no idea what I’m capable of. You’ll disappear. Nopony would miss you, nopony would even care.” The fat stallion circled around his desk, heading towards Snipes. “I will have that staff back, one way or another. If you don’t have it, all I need is the information, and you’ll be free to go.”
“You think I’m stupid enough to believe that? I tell you where it is, I disappear. The information is the only thing keeping me alive right now. Not that I’d give it to you, even for my life.”
“A deal, then. You go retrieve the staff, bring it back to me, and I’ll let you live.”
“Nothing doing.”
The stallion before her waddled around the table, his stubby legs barely keeping his weight up. He finally stood before Snipes, and smiled wickedly as he spoke the next word.
“Rat.”
Snipes opened her eyes wide at this, then glared at the Duke. “What?”
“Rat, Single, Frisk, Anchor, Zebra… those are just a few of their names, right?” The Duke gave a wicked smile. “Yes, we know them. We know all about your friends. Be a pity if those poor foals were to vanish.”
“They’re not part of this!”
The Duke rounded on Snipes. “You made them part of this!” The two stood nose to nose, each one wanting the other to yield. Finally, Snipes eyes shot to the floor, filled with anger and tears. The Duke smiled and turned back to his desk. “Good. You have three days to retrieve the staff.”



Field South of Neighemburg, Unicorn Kingdom, Morning – 5 days after the Sack of Swirling Creek

Snipes hated bullies. Powerful beings that took advantage of the weaker and enjoyed every moment of it. She had dealt with bullies her whole life, and not a single one had beaten her. Not permanently, at least.
She was upset about Star Swirl’s statements the day before, how he had seemed confident that he was better than her, better than anyone. She hadn’t been able to shake the feeling of pure hatred and anger since that moment, even when she saw him dragged off by Presto to most likely be chastised. Star Swirl was a bully, and he was being put into a position of power.
As these thoughts went through her head, she continued to walk further South. The previous night she had been one of several to see the lights flashing off in the distance, watching it grow brighter and brighter before stopping. She promised the others she would go out and check it out first thing in the morning.
Still, she thought, Star Swirl did seem somewhat justified in his boasts. The stallion had shown extreme magical power the other day. Presto had given some unbelievable excuse about magical surges due to emotions, but Snipes was right next to Star Swirl when he lit all the training dummies on fire. The young wizard was calm as could be. There was no emotional magical surge.
Star Swirl was dangerous. She was going to need to talk to Presto more about it, get the old stallion to tell her the truth.
Snipes picked up her pace, more sureness in her step. She was now approaching the location the magical lights had been seen the night before. The ground began to flatten out, and Snipes now saw a pony-sized mass near the location, as well as scorch marks on the ground. She paused, observing the sight of what appeared to be a duel of some kind.
Her attention went towards the pony-sized mass as it moved slightly, then saw a magical spark come from its horn. She ran over to see if the pony was okay, and paused in shock when she noticed who it was.
“Star Swirl?”
The pony looked up at her, and immediately blushed at the position he was in. “Snipes?”
Snipes looked over the stallion, and a smile broke across her face. Star Swirl was pinned to the ground by four shackles made of stone, one surrounding each leg. The mare circled around the pinned stallion, relishing the moment. Maybe this pony wasn’t as dangerous as she had originally thought.
“Well, grand apprentice, it seems you aren’t as good as you thought. Who put you in this situation? A group of children?”
“A powerful sorcerer, for your information.”
Snipes scoffed. “I thought there were no more powerful sorcerer’s than the grand apprentice. You made it clear yesterday how much better you were than me.”
Star Swirl attempted to cast a spell to release himself once again. The sparks of magic once again were unable to grow to the necessary power. “Just go away, Snipes.”
“Don’t you want my help? Together we could probably release you.” Snipes began to prep herself to remove the shackles.
“It’s against the rules. No bystanders can be involved.”
Snipes thought about this for a moment before it finally sunk in. “You had a magic duel, and never yielded? It’s still going?” Star Swirl looked away in embarrassment. “You really are pathetic; you know that?”
Star Swirl didn’t answer, instead looking away and trying to use his magic again, to no avail. A flash of light went off behind Snipes, causing her to turn around and fire a couple of blasts from her horn. They were deflected off a shield, and Presto stepped forward.
“Good reflexes, Ms. Guttersnipe, but unfortunately unnecessary in this particular situation.” Presto walked over to Star Swirl, looking down at him as he walked. “Now, apprentice. The duel is still on. Do you yield?”
“No, I do not.” Snipes looked back and forth between the two in shock. These two were the ones that dueled? What had brought this on?
Presto sighed. “Very well, Star Swirl.” His horn glowed and the stone shackles keeping Star Swirl on the ground retreated back into the ground. “Then I yield.”
Star Swirl jumped up as Presto said this, about to go on the offensive once again. Snipes and Star Swirl looked at each other in shock as Presto bowed his head. “It was well fought, Star Swirl, and I can’t allow myself to leave you there until your magic recharges. I yield, for your own good. Now, Gamine, if you’d come with me.”
Snipes silently walked alongside Presto, both of them leaving Star Swirl behind in a state of shock.
“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking… what happened? Why were you two dueling?”
Presto didn’t look at her. “That is a private matter, and I expect you to not mention this to anypony else at the castle. Am I clear, Ms. Guttersnipe?”
Snipes respected Presto too much to say no. “Of course, sir; but, please, call me Snipes.”
“Give up on it, Gamine. It’s not going to happen.”



Unnamed Woods, Unicorn Kingdom, Afternoon – 5 days after the Sack of Swirling Creek

Noble took off the last bit of his armor, throwing it into the hole he had dug. He hadn’t dared remove it while fleeing General Thunder Cloud and his troops, and it wasn’t until several days of travel that he felt safe enough to pause and remove it.
Noble glanced up into the sky again, scanning it for any sign of Pegasi. He didn’t dare fly himself, as it would bring him out into the open, easily spotted by any and all Pegasi patrolling. He quickly began filling the hole back up, not wanting to stay in one place for too long. Without his armor he could move much quicker, although to where he had no idea.
Where would he go? Pegasi would be attacked on sight by any Unicorn, so that was out of the question. The Earthen Republic’s citizens probably wouldn’t be friendly due to his part in the sack of Swirling Creek. The only hope he really had was to head towards his own Nation and contact the Council of Admiralty. Hopefully they could fix this entire mess.
Noble finished filling the hole, and once again looked to the sky. Through the trees, he saw a cloud moving separate from the wind. Cursing, Noble grabbed his sword, the one thing he hadn’t buried, and took cover in some nearby shrubbery. He quietly waited, glancing up to see what was happening above him. A couple Pegasi came out of the cloud and flew down towards the ground. He could tell that these were some of Thunder Cloud’s troops.
“You sure it wasn’t just another Timberwolf or something?” The two Pegasi had landed and were now speaking to each other.
“Whatever it was, it definitely had wings. Might not be Noble, but it’s worth checking out.”
“Okay, but let’s make this quick. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.” The two began a search pattern, and Noble made sure his sword was at the ready. One of the Pegasi passed near his bush, and Noble held his breath.
“Nothing here!” the further one shouted, coming back to the center. The nearer Pegasus swiftly turned and returned to the center as well.
“I didn’t find anything, either. Let’s go.” The two rounded, ready to take off. One of them backed up a bit.
“Ow!” The Pegasus lifted his back leg looking at where he stepped. Noble inhaled deeply. A bit of his buried armor was sticking out of the freshly dug ground. The two Pegasus soldiers looked closely at the bit of metal sticking out of the ground, eyeing it suspiciously.
“That’s Pegasus Armor. I’d say this ground was dug recently, less than an hour ago. The trail is probably still fresh.”
“Noble! If you’re nearby, come out and turn yourself in! We promise to see to it you’ll get a fair court martial, though no matter what it’ll probably end with your execution. Thunder Cloud is quite adamant about that.”
Comforting. Noble tensed up, ready to strike if need be. The two Pegasi didn’t wait long before flying up into the air. Noble watched them get up on the cloud above, and watched the cloud continue its journey.
Noble took a deep breath. They knew his general location now, so it was going to be tougher to get around. He had to be careful. He sheathed his sword and began to quickly sneak away through the underbrush.



Unicorn Outpost Six, Unicorn Kingdom, Afternoon – 5 days after the Sack of Swirling Creek

“…and there were the two soldiers with Noble. They insisted they had seen the letter delivered. Now they’re both dead!”
General Thunder Cloud tired of the arguments made by the mare in front of him. Many had come into the office he had claimed as his own, asking him what really happened with Noble. While almost all the troops had sided with Thunder Cloud in the moment, many were now having doubts about whether it should be Noble leading them instead.
“Noble tried to revolt. It failed. That’s all there is to it,” insisted Thunder Cloud.
Another Pegasus in the room spoke up. “Then why are communications being monitored so closely by you? I don’t think a messenger has left this outpost since we got here! Does the Council of Admiralty even know of our victory here? What are you trying to hide?”
The room filled with agreements from the various stallions and mares that were there for this questioning. Another Pegasus spoke up. “Come on! We all know Noble was too weak to be in a full leadership position. Why would the Council have tried to put him in charge?”
“Indeed,” agreed Thunder Cloud, nodding a thanks to the soldier. “He was good at following orders until the attempted coup. A great second-in-command, but if they were to replace me they’d surely send somepony more qualified.”
“Noble was qualified enough!” the original mare spoke up again. “I bet they wanted you out after the attack on the Earth Pony village. There was no need to destroy that town! This is a war with the Unicorn Kingdom, not the Earthen Republic!”
Again, the room filled with sounds of agreement. Thunder Cloud reached his breaking point and yelled over the noise. “Enough!” The room quieted. “This is borderline mutiny, and I’ve already shown how we deal with mutineers in this army! Another word from any of you criticizing my command, and I’ll see to it that your head is put on a pike!”
“Always with the dramatic threats… that’s why I like you, General.” The voice came from the door, and all heads turned to it. Starting at the door and moving in, the Pegasi in the room stiffened and stood at attention, saluting the figure silhouetted by the hall’s torches.
The orange mare strolled into the room, eyeing each pony she passed. Her armor was without a doubt that of an Admiral – shined to a gleam, with an ancient sigil adorning each side. Her helmet hung at her side, allowing her grey mane to show, flowing down her neck.
“Admiral Glory Wings.” Thunder Cloud didn’t break his salute. “Always a pleasure to have you with us.”
“At ease, General. The rest of you, leave. The General and I have important matters to discuss.” The room quietly filed out, not making a sound. They all knew better than to disobey an order from an Admiral. Once gone, Glory Wings turned to Thunder Cloud.
“Been busy, General?” She put up a hoof to silence the General before he could respond. “I’ve been talking to your troops. It seems that when Noble received his orders, you refused to step down. You made it seem as if he was staging a coup against you and proceeded to kill his allies. Then he fled, and your troops failed to recapture or kill him. Which puts me in a tough situation.”
Glory Wings began pacing back and forth in front of Thunder Cloud’s desk. “As a member of the Council of Admiralty, it’s my duty to see the orders of said Council are carried out. That being said, those orders can’t be carried out as Noble, who was to take your place as commanding officer of these troops, has vanished without a trace. I could allow you to keep command, but the Council has already assured the Earthen Republic that you’d be dealt with through our justice system. If news got to them that we allowed you to stay in command, it would be a diplomatic nightmare.”
General Thunder Cloud patiently waited. The Admiral would tell him to speak when she was ready. In the meantime, he was carefully putting his response together, and now that an Admiral was here, he felt he could clear this whole thing up and regain the full loyalty of his troops.
“Now,” Admiral Glory Wings sat down at the desk, looking at General Thunder Cloud. “Perhaps you might make a suggestion as to how we can proceed?”
“Noble had already undermined my orders when he ordered the attack on Swirling Creek, the Earthen Republic village. He ordered the attack without my knowledge, and by the time I realized what was going on, I had no choice but to finish the attack and return my troops to the fortress.”
“Ooh! I like it… pin the blame on the pony that isn’t here to defend themselves. But will your troops buy it?”
“All my orders I delivered through Noble, or at least mostly. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.”
“Then, to cover his tracks, he made it seem as if you were the one at fault, and used the opportunity to attempt to take command… no, no… there’s still the disobeying a direct order from the Council if that’s the case.”
There was a moment’s pause before Thunder Cloud spoke again, walking around his desk to come closer to Glory Wings. “I caught onto his ploy. He was undermining my authority, and I would have none of it. Just before I ordered his arrest, he gathered his allies and attempted mutiny.”
“Before the orders came.”
Thunder Cloud nodded, rounding his desk and moving toward the Admiral. “Then, when he failed, he fled. The orders, ironically, arrived shortly after, and in the absence of Noble were given to me.”
“You didn’t respond to them because it would look suspicious. You had to carefully word any reply you gave, and have it signed by witnesses. I got here before you could finish.” At this point the two Pegasi were standing face to face, about a meter apart.
“I get off scotch free and you get to keep the best General in charge of the forward troops. It’s perfect.” Thunder Cloud gave the Admiral a wicked grin.
“Yes, perfect.” Suddenly, Glory Wings leapt at Thunder Cloud, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. He held her close to him as they locked lips, engaging in a long, deep kiss. They separated a few moments later, and Glory Wings looked her favorite General right in the eyes.
“I missed you, love.”



East Tower, Neighemburg Castle, Unicorn Kingdom, Evening – 5 Days after the Sack of Swirling Creek

“Why have you entrusted me with this information?” Snipes had followed Presto up to the tower, where he had told her much of what she had questions about. She now knew about Star Swirl’s unusual magical abilities and the reasons it was being kept secret.
“You’re smart.” Presto was working on one of his brews, carefully mixing ingredients together and boiling liquids over burners. “You saw through my excuses yesterday; I could tell by your expression. Eventually you would have figured this out on your own. Your curiosity is almost as keen and dangerous as my apprentice. He spied on a King’s Council meeting his first evening in the castle; almost got him kicked out. Also, I have a feeling about you. You want what’s best for other people, and are willing to stand up for the weak. Those are honorable things.”
Snipes bowed her head. “But I’ve done so much bad… Surely you know why I’m here – it was either this or prison.”
“You did what you had to protect those you cared about. Do I approve of all your actions? No. But you will be a terrific addition to the casters of this war. Your past will not follow you to the battlefield; I’ve made sure of it.”
Snipes looked up, shock in her face. “You mean…”
Presto turned from his work and walked over to her. “The King has pardoned you, Gamine Guttersnipe. You’re still to join the military, but the limitations that would have been placed upon you have been lifted. You can receive promotions, have a bit more freedom, and when the war is over, you’ll be able to do as you wish.”
Snipes stared, disbelief in her eyes. “You… did that? For me?”
Presto nodded. Snipes ran to him, throwing her hooves around his neck, tears in her eyes. Presto was taken aback, but shortly patted her on the back of her neck. She pulled away, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Thank you, thank you…”
“So, is this it, then?” The voice came from the tower’s door, and Presto and Snipes turned to see Star Swirl standing there, having just arrived.
“Star Swirl!” Presto moved towards him. “I’m glad you’ve finally decided to join us. I haven’t seen you since this morning…”
“Is she going to replace me? Is she your new apprentice?” Star Swirl glared at Snipes, hate blazing from his eyes. “I guess I’m to pack my bags, then?”
“Star Swirl, no… I’m not…” Snipes was suddenly overcome with emotion, unsure how to say what she wanted to. She was still mad at Star Swirl, but now knew things she hadn’t known before. She wanted to express that she wished him luck, but didn’t know how.
Presto saved her. “You are still my apprentice. I helped Ms. Guttersnipe with some difficulties she’s been having. She was thanking me, and no doubt wishes to apologize to you.”
“She can apologize to my flank!” Star Swirl stormed past the two, heading up the stairs to the living quarters. “Either way, I’m going to be packing up. I’m leaving in the morning!”
“That is unwise, Star Swirl!” Presto yelled after him, quickly pursuing. “You still have much to learn, and your abilities must grow before you’ll be ready to go out and fight!
“I’m better off without a mentor that doesn’t allow me freedom! I know what I need to do, and following your orders is only slowing me down!” Star Swirl slammed the door behind him, leaving Presto staring up the stairs after him.
Snipes felt awkward. “I guess… I’ll just go.”
Presto nodded, not looking away from the door Star Swirl had just slammed. Snipes turned back one last time before closing the door to the tower behind her, seeing Presto pound his front hooves against the table he had been brewing on, knocking over several flasks, and yelling in anger. She closed the door, figuring it would be best if they figured this out on their own.



Unnamed Forest, Unicorn Kingdom, Evening – 5 Days after the Sack of Swirling Creek

Noble had dodged his third patrol of the night, and had finally left the Pegasi search area. He breathed easier knowing that he was safer than he was before, and continued moving in the general direction of the Pegasus Nation, staying close to the ground. A couple close calls had kept him moving, and he needed a rest.
After moving a good distance away from the circling clouds overhead, he swiftly flew to a nearby branch and sat to take a breather. Surely they would give up the search before long. He was one pony, after all, and could be anywhere in this large forest. He couldn’t be seen as that much of a threat when faced with the entire Unicorn Kingdom, could he?
Some motion underneath him broke him from his thoughts, and he quickly drew his sword. Out of the bushes came a blurred figure, which he couldn’t make out in the fading light. Pursuing him were several creatures that he recognized from various books and manuals about this area. The wooden bodies and glowing, green eyes were unmistakable – timberwolves. There appeared to be six of them – a whole hunting pack chasing the fleeing creature.
Noble pursued the group over the treetops, deciding not to lose track of the potentially dangerous creatures. He figured he should know as much as he could about creatures he could encounter on his travels, so as to maximize chances of survival. By running along the branches and gliding every once in a while, he was able to keep up with the figures below him. He still couldn’t make out the figure being chased, although he could now see that whatever it was, it was carrying a pack on its back and wearing a hooded cloak. It was larger than a pony, and seemed to have clawed feet on which it ran.
Soon, the entire group reached a sheer cliff face, and the pursuant was trapped by the cliff wall, clawing in a failed attempt to climb. Noble watched as the timberwolves surrounded the unfortunate critter, which turned around, brandishing a long knife.
Noble finally got a good view of the creature – a Dogfolk! The Dogfolk stood on his hind legs, holding the knife, which appeared to made of some kind of gem, in his right paw. He brandished it, attempting to keep the timberwolves at bay. Seeing their prey was armed, the wolves held back a bit, every once in a while snapping their jaws at him to test the Dogfolk’s defenses.
Noble was unsure what to do. The Dogfolk was not his enemy, nor did he know if it would be friendly. One of the timberwolves moved forward suddenly, grasping the poor Dogfolk’s forearm in its jaws. The ensuing howl from the Dogfolk made Noble cringe, and upon seeing the gem knife fall to the ground he made up his mind.
Drawing his sword, Noble glided from his perch, bringing his sword down on the nearest timberwolf. It easily fell apart, the wood making up its body spreading out. Noble quickly dispatched another of the wolves, slashing at its side. The rest of the timberwolves, recognizing the new danger, began to back up, preparing to attack again. The Dogfolk picked his knife back up, stabbing at and destroying a third enemy. The remaining three wolves charged all at once, but Noble and the Dogfolk were able to easily repel the sloppy attack. They were now surrounded by the sticks and logs that had previously been their assailants.
Noble felt rather pleased with himself, having taken on the dangers of the forest and beaten them. The Dogfolk, however, still seemed nervous.
“Does pony have fire?” The Dogfolk grabbed Nobles shoulder, looking him in the eye.
“Sorry?” Noble was confused at the panic in his new companion’s eye.
“Pony. Have. Fire?” The creature spoke slowly, not wanting to be misunderstood.
“No, why…”
“Then pony run!” The Dogfolk took off running away as quick as he could, and Noble, not understanding but nevertheless having seen the terror in the Dogfolk’s eye, quickly followed.



Unicorn Outpost Six, Unicorn Kingdom, Night – 5 days after the Sack of Swirling Creek

“In conclusion, your orders stand. The fortress will not be here much longer, as the attack must continue. General Thunder Cloud will maintain control over these forces, and Noble will be tracked and killed. This is the final word of the Council of Admiralty.”
General Thunder Cloud looked out at his troops as Admiral Glory Wings concluded her speech. There were still some uncertainties among the stallions and mares under his command, but the majority looked like they were more than willing to accept the word of the Admiral and continue with the invasion.
The Admiral stepped down from the stand in the courtyard and nodded to Thunder Cloud, giving him the option to step up and give a speech as well. Thunder stepped onto the platform and once again looked out at his troops, all standing at attention, awaiting his word. The Admiral had done well in getting them all in line.
“We continue forward for the glory of the Pegasus Nation!” The General looked out over the heads of his troops, allowing his voice to carry to the farthest corners of the courtyard. “I want to make it clear that I am as dedicated as ever to the cause the Council of Admiralty has set our great Nation upon. This war is about reestablishing our dominance over the threat of Unicorn magic. For too long they have lorded over us, thinking themselves better than the rest, but no more! Once again, the Pegasus Nation will be victorious, and be shown as the true masters of ponykind! The skies beckon, and so we conquer!”
“The skies beckon, and so we conquer!” The troops repeated the mantra. The Pegasi dispersed, returning to their various posts. General Thunder Cloud stepped down from the stage, looking at Admiral Glory Wings. She nodded her approval and the two flew into the air, headed to the Pegasus Fortress overhead.
“It seems we have the loyalty of the troops, at least,” Glory Wings said, wings flapping to gain altitude. “But there is still Noble, the final loose end we need to tie up.”
“I have a team of my most loyal stallions and mares searching for him. They are beginning to make headway.” Thunder Cloud looked over at the Admiral for approval. All she did was frown.
“Yes, I saw them on my way over here. That’s not good. Noble is intelligent and quick. He will be able to avoid such a large search group.” The two landed at the fortress, and Glory Wings turned to face the General. “You will call your team back. I will send a small group of my best trackers and fighters to find him and kill him. We won’t take any chances. He can’t stand before a court martial to testify. It would cause too many questions to be brought up. Colonel Flitter!”
A nearby mare swiftly flew over. She was one of Admiral Glory Wings’ elite troops, wearing the special armor specifying such.
“Flitter here, ma’am!” She stood at attention, hoof in a swift salute. Both the Admiral and General Thunder Cloud returned the salute.
“Flitter, have a messenger retrieve the team currently searching for Noble, and then gather together your Find and Destroy team. Noble can’t be allowed to remain a problem much longer.”
“Of course, Admiral Glory Wings. I’ll see to it at once.” She flew off towards the fortress, her silhouette briefly crossing the moon as she went.
“Now,” Glory Wings continued. “You and I have a lot to discuss over the next few days, General. But first…” The Admiral leaned in close and whispered the last bit into Thunder Cloud’s ear. “…we have a lot to do in your personal chambers.” With a quick wink, she flew off toward the fortress, Thunder Cloud not waiting long to follow.



Unnamed Forest, Unicorn Kingdom, Night – 5 Days after the Sack of Swirling Creek

Noble and the Dogfolk continued to run as fast as they could, Noble still not understanding why. Finally, he jumped up and soared just next to the Dogfolk.
“I’m confused. Why are we running, friend?”
“Pony doesn’t understand timberwolves. Once broken, timberwolf pieces must be burned. Especially when in groups.” The creature glanced behind them, fear in his eyes. “That was many timberwolf. Creates big problem.”
Noble landed in front of his companion, stopping the canine in his tracks. “I need more than that. What could a pile of sticks do?”
“Timberwolf magical creature. Doesn’t stay dead. Reforms.”
“So we’ll have six timberwolves after us again? We were easily able to dispatch them before. I don’t see the issue.”
“Pony being dumb! Have to run! They not form into six, they form into…”
Suddenly, a loud roar was heard behind him. Noble and the Dogfolk looked back to see trees beginning to collapse behind them, as though something massive was taking them down. Noble quickly flew into the sky to see what it was, and immediately wished he had followed his new friend’s advice and just run.
Crashing through the trees behind them was a massive Timberwolf, larger than any living creature Noble had ever seen. Its foggy breath was covering the ground in front of it, and Noble quickly began picking up the toxic, sappy breath of the monster. Noble looked down to see the Dogfolk already continuing to run away, and Noble quickly flew down and joined him. He could have easily flown quickly out of harm’s way, but he had already saved the canine once, and felt he owed it to him to carry through.
The crashing grew louder and louder, and soon both Noble and his companion realized that they were going to be unable to outrun their pursuer. Giving one another a meaningful look, the two drew their weapons and turned to face the monster following them.
The beast crashed through the trees, finally finding its prey once again. It gave a massive roar, causing birds for miles around to take to the skies in fear. The Dogfolk pulled off his pack, pushing it to the ground and rummaging through what was inside.
“Pony keep it busy! I has idea!”
Noble nodded, running forward and slashing at the massive timberwolfs leg. His sword glanced off the tough wood, and the beast swatted Noble away, causing him to crash into a tree. Undeterred, Noble took to the air, flying just out of the timberwolfs reach before coming down on it from above with his sword. The sword broke off some bark, but didn’t go too deep into the actual wood of the creature.
From his perch on top of the wolf, Noble saw into the creature. Wild, green magic was quickly moving from wood piece to wood piece, keeping the creature together and repairing any damage that was done. The beast reared up, throwing Noble from its back. Noble opened his wings to keep himself from flying too far away, and once again took a swipe at the creature’s legs.
This time the sword made it in between two pieces of wood, momentarily severing the magic between them and causing some pieces of wood to fall off. A small victory, and one short-lived, as the pieces flew back into place, secured once again by the magic. The timberwolf turned to Noble, looking at the little pony with its glowing, green eyes. It opened its mouth wide and snapped down, attempting to swallow Noble whole. Noble deftly dodged and rolled, coming back up nearby his Dogfolk friend.
The canine was using a metal knife against a strange-looking stone, creating sparks against some kindling. Noble suddenly saw the plan. Given enough time, the Dogfolk could create some fire to burn the creature, but there was still the matter of separating the magic of the whole creature. Noble guessed that was his role in all of this. Once again he flew up into the air and stabbed the beast between two pieces of wood, ripping a large piece off with his sword.
Now Noble had an extremely good view of the innards of the creature. The wild magic flew out of a singular point to grab the lost chunk and pull it back. Noble was sure that this was the core of the magic. He jumped back into the air and flew back to the Dogfolk, who had finally gotten a small flame.
“I think I know how to break it apart!” Noble shouted over the creature’s roar as it began to run towards the two.
“More time! Fire must be bigger!”
Noble groaned, his muscles already aching from the battle. Nonetheless, he turned back towards the massive beast, and launched himself toward it. The timberwolf was learning, however, and knocked the Pegasus to the ground, pinning him underneath its wooden paw. Noble deftly and quickly stabbed his sword between the leg and foot of the timberwolf, causing the wood pinning him down to fall apart.
Noble quickly flew over and did the same to the other front foot of the timberwolf, successfully knocking it over onto its face. Noble flew back, allowing it to reassemble.
“Are we good yet, friend?”
“Soon! Keep going!”
Noble once again flew down towards the giant, sword raised to strike. The timberwolf roared towards him, breathing out mist that surrounded and suffocated Noble. Unable to see, Noble missed the timberwolf entirely, crashing into the ground, gagging on the putrid gas that he had just flown through. The beast was quick to take advantage of its weakened opponent, snapping at the Pegasus’ wings. Noble was barely able to dodge out of the way, losing a feather or two to the jaws of the monster.
“Fire ready?”
“A couple more seconds!”
Noble dodged another spray of mist, flying high above the timberwolf and then coming down to slash at its eyes. The eyes seemed to be the one part of the creature that didn’t break apart, however; the monster was undeterred and once again spewed putrid mist from its mouth, catching Noble head-on. Noble collapsed to the ground, unable to keep the contents of his stomach where they were supposed to be.
“Ready!” Noble looked over at the Dogfolk, noting the roaring torch in his hand and the sack of unknown substance in his other. Noble quickly recovered from his sickness, ignoring the nasty taste in his mouth, and flew up above the head of the timberwolf once again.
The timberwolf followed Noble, lifting its head to continue looking at him. It opened its mouth, ready to roar once again. Noble looked down the monster’s throat, seeing the core magic within. He lined himself up and charged towards the timberwolfs mouth. The mist was formed and began going towards him, but Noble closed his eyes and held his breath, sword held out in front of him to stab into the beast’s core.
Noble knew right when he hit the center, because suddenly he couldn’t hear. The sound was deafening as the core exploded, causing the massive creature to burst into many little pieces of wood. The pieces scattered throughout the clearing that had been made by Noble’s battle with the timberwolf, hitting the trees on the edge of the clearing and bouncing around.
Noble fell to the floor, still unable to hear anything and quite dazed. He saw something fall on the ground nearby him, and looked to see the pouch the Dogfolk had been holding. He looked back to see his canine companion shouting. He stared, trying to comprehend, but just shook his head as he failed to read the Dogfolk’s lips.
Finally, the Dogfolk made a flapping motion and pointed into the sky. Noble understood, and began flying into the air, stumbling a bit as the lack of hearing threw him off. He saw his companion throw the torch, hitting the bag just as green magic began glowing around the sticks that used to be the timberwolf once again.
Noble got out of the way just in time as the torch and pouch together exploded, spraying fire throughout the entire clearing. The flames immediately began consuming the various pieces of the timberwolf, and Noble started to hear a howling cry come from around the clearing as his hearing slowly returned.
Noble flew over to the Dogfolk and landed next to him. They watched the fire burn for a bit before the Dogfolk spoke.
“Maybe best to leave before we also burn.”
“Hm? Oh, yes… actually…” Noble took off once again, circling the clearing as fast as he could, creating a cyclone that was able to put out the fire before it could spread any further. He returned to the canine, who was watching in awe.
“Pegasus pony talented. Glad to have fought with him.” The Dogfolk bowed his head, placing a paw over his heart. Now that Noble had a better look at him, he saw that this particular Dogfolk was actually missing the top half of his left ear, which he seemed to keep covered most of the time with the green cloak he wore.
Noble returned the bow. “I’m Noble. Ex-colonel of the Grand Army of the Pegasus Nation. Now just an outcast trying to make his way home.”
The Dogfolk nodded, pointing to himself. “Giuliano. Previous miner for Dogfolk people, now an outcast trader, seeking treasures and riches.”
Noble once again bowed his head. “Well, it seems we’ve had quite the adventure together, Giuliano. Would you mind traveling with me for a while? I’ve been rather lonely traveling on my own, and something tells me you could assist me in knowing more about the dangers of this forest.”
“Sure, Noble. We make good team.” Giuliano looked back at the clearing, now just a smoking field of ash. “Perhaps Noble can help Giuliano make his way through this forest, as well. Where Noble going?”
“Pegasus Nation. I hope to speak to members of the Council of Admiralty and clear my name for a crime I didn’t commit. To warn you, I am being hunted…”
“Giuliano not scared. Noble saved Giuliano. Giuliano help.” The canine seemed very sure of this. Noble nodded his appreciation.
“Shall we?” Noble beckoned in the direction of the Pegasus Nation, and the two headed off deeper into the forest.