//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Ponyville encounter // Story: Picking Up The Pieces // by Silver Dragon Blade Wing //------------------------------// Ponyville Beep! Beep! Beep! Be- The alarm was silenced as a hoof came down on the off button. The hoof was attached to a dark grey Pegasus stallion with light gold eyes and a silvery blue mane. He through his blanket and slid off the bed, revealing a stormcloud with a lightning bolt cutie-mark. He started rubbing the sleep from his eyes. I hate Mondays, Remember Thunderlane, only one more mouth before summer vacation starts He walked into the kitchen and started making breakfast, eggs and haybacon. Thunderlane had finished cooking and laid it out for him and his brother, and was just entering the hallway when a loud CLANG sounded from outside. Thunderlane rushed out, to see the local mailmare, Derpy Hooves, stuck in his mailbox. Her head and front legs sticking out the back and her rump, tail and back legs out the front. she turned her head to look at him. "Sorry Thunderlane," she said with a sad tone, "I didn't mean to crash into your mailbox, again," He just smiled softy. "It's okay Derpy, I was going to replace that mailbox at some point anyway, for now lets get you out of it," After a bit of pulling, Derpy popped free of the mailbox, sending her and Thunderlane flying backwards as they tried to right themselves by flapping their wings only to crash in a heap. "Sorry," Derpy said as she got off Thunderlane and helped him up. "No harm done." He said brushing himself off. "I've been hit by lightning before and that hurt, though you should maybe layoff on the muffins," Thunderlane said jokingly as he poked a hoof against her belly, causing Derpy to giggle. "Oh stop," Derpy said as she shielded her belly with her hooves. They chatted for a few minutes before Derpy give him a newspaper and left to continue her morning route while Thunderlane went to wake up his brother. Entering his brother's room he saw his younger brother Rumble, a little gray Pegasus colt with a swept back dark gray mane and tail and purple eyes still fast asleep. Thunderlane slowly walked up to the bed and pulled the blanket away. Now without any cover against the cool air, the colt curled up trying to retain warmth. Seeing Rumble still asleep, Thunderlane smiled mischievously, walked to the side and slowly extended a wing till the tip of a feather was just about touching Rumble's side. Thunderlane then began a tickle assault on the colt's side then belly when Rumble flipped on to his back laughing. Thunderlane then leaned his head down drawing in a breath. Rumble's eyes snapped open hearing that. "No big brother not that!" Too late, Thunderlane blew a big raspberry into the colt's belly. Rumble squealed with laugher, legs moving about and wings flipping like crazy. "ALL RIGHT ALL RIGHT I'M AWAKE I'M AWAKE!!!" Rumble half-shouted half-laughed. Thunderlane let up smiling at him. "Come on Rumble, time to get up, breakfast is on the table and then its time for school," "All right big bro, be with ya in just a minute," Rumble said stretching. Thunderlane nodded and walked back to the dining room with Rumble coming in just a minute after he sat down. As they ate Thunderlane read the paper. He didn't find anything worth reading till he found an article that filled him worry; Timber Wolf Attack on Rock Farm. Farmers evacuated to Ponyville Safe Zone and Townsfolk to other Safe Zones. No Lives Lost. He let out a sigh of relief at the last part, That was good news among bad. So that's why Pinkie Pie's family came here last night, their farm was attacked by Timber Wolves! A mouth ago Timber Wolf attacks had began to increase in frequency with the wolves becoming more bold and hitting areas deeper and deeper out of their hunting zones every day. So far no lives had be lost but Thunderlane knew it was only a matter of time. The Princesses believed that another invasion coming though the wooden wolves had shown no signs of coordination but he was still worried, Ponyville was so far one of the safe zones but he wasn't sure if it would stay that way. Equestria's Military had been trying to hold the wolves back, key word being try. the Nobles in Canterlot would not give any more funding to the Guard because 'they felt threaten by the larger Guard force'. At least until a few had been badly hurt but thankfully not lost in one attack, then Princess Celestria went 'Daybreaker' on their flanks. Funding was not a problem after that. The Ponies had lost several outlaying towns and cities since this began and the wolves packs were getting bigger as time went on. The Princesses were doing everything they could but some thought it wasn't enough. Shaking the thoughts from his head he noticed breakfast was done and Rumble had just finished getting ready. "Come on Thunderlane let's go," "Coming Rumble, I'm coming," After dropping Rumble off at school Thunderlane took to air and just flew around. Glad I have the day off ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ponyville School House Rumble walked onto the playground and meet up with his friends, three fillies known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders or CMC, Apple Bloom, a yellow filly with orange eyes and red mane and tail. She had a large pink bow tied up in her mane. Sweetie Belle, a snow-white filly with a fluffy purple and pink mane and tail and light green eyes. And Scootaloo, an orange filly with a wild purple mane and tail and purple eyes. With them was Dinky, a Unicorn filly sightly smaller than the rest of them, she was purplish in color with a messy blond mane and tail and yellow eyes. Scootaloo spotted him first, "Hey Rumble!" "Hey Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Dinky. How are you doing today?" "Doing well, we were just plan our next cutie mark crusade." Sweetie belle said. The five of them chatted for a few minutes when Scootaloo suddenly said, "Ack! What is that smell, AB what did you have for breakfast?" "That wasn't me! That was-" She stopped when she and the others noticed Dinky's eyes were wide as dinner plates and she was pointing her hoof at something behind them. The four foals slowly turned around, and saw a number of green glowing eyes a little ways behind them. If there was one thing foals all had, it was a scream that put any other alarm to shame "TIMBER WOLVES!!!!!" The foals screamed at the top of their lungs. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sweet Apple Acres Applejack and her bother Big McIntosh, better know as Big Mac, had been working the apple trees when they heard the screams. "APPLE BLOOM!!" Applejack took off like her tail was on fire with Big Mac right behind her. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Skies above Ponyville Rainbow Dash was going through today's weather schedule with the weather team when the screams reached her ears. "SCOOTALOO!!" She dropped everything and shot off towards the School, the weather team on her tail. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sugercube Corner Pinkie Pie Stopped mid bounce. "Mrs.CakeI'mneededelsewereseeya!" Pinkie was out the door before Mrs. Cake could say anything, then the screams were heard. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Carousel Boutique Rarity and Spike heard the screams right after she had let the dragon in. "SWEETIE BELLE!! SPIKE SEND A LETTER TO TWILIGHT!!" She was out the door and down the street in the next second. Twilight was in Canterlot working with the Princesses on ending the Timber Wolf crisis. "ON IT!" Spike yelled after her pulling out a quill and scroll. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Marketplace Fluttershy and Derpy had been talking when the screams reached their ears. "DINKY!!" Derpy took off with Fluttershy on her heels. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thunderlane heard the screams and was flying at top speed back to the school. He arrived to see Scootaloo on her scooter pulling the other four foals in a red wagon behind her, wings flapping like crazy, away from a pack of ten Timber Wolves. He shot at the wolves, hitting the lead wolf right through the head. "Go! Get out of here! I'll hold them off!" Thunderlane shouted. "You can't hold them by yourself big bro!" Rumble shouted back. "JUST GO!!!" Thunderlane fought the wolves like a stallion possessed, kicking, slamming and smash them apart but they just reassembled each time. He had taken damage as well and he knew he couldn't keep it any longer, but before he could run one of the wolves landed a blow on his back sending him skipping across the ground. By this time the rest of Ponyville had arrived to see him hit the ground and a wolf jump into the air to finish the badly wounded Pegasus off. Rumble could only watch in horror, tears flowing from his eyes, remembering the weather accident that took the two brothers parents long ago. NO!! I already lost Mom and Dad, I can't lose him to! Then something happened that nopony ever thought would happen. A large light green colored bolt of energy shot out of the bushes and utterly destroyed the Timber Wolf about to take Thunderlane, leaving nothing left, not even ashes. Two massive shapes came out, smashing into the Timber Wolf pack. To the Ponies shock the shapes were Changelings! At least, they looked like Changelings. They were big, a Manticore would only come up to their knees on all fours, they didn't resemble Ponies like other Changelings, more like dragons. Their legs were thick and in place of the normal holes they had pits, sharp blades jutted out of the lower legs, their heads were arrowhead-like shaped and heavily armored, their red colored wings were at least the same size as Princess Celestria if not bigger. Long, thick, heavy and powerful tails like that of a dragon trailed behind them, and their thick armored carapace was layered. The most distinctive thing was their small six red eyes. One of them was sightly larger than the other and had what looked like a scar of some sort over it's left set of eyes, it blocked the pack from the Ponies then let loose a loud, deep battle roar. The smaller one picked Thunderlane up with it's magic and quickly but gently floated him over into the hooves of Rainbow Dash, Cloud Chaser and Flitter who then give him to the medical Ponies who rushed the Pegasus to the Hospital with Rumble in tow. The Timber Wolves growled and charged, the larger Changeling just scoffed. "Amusing," He said in a deep rumbling voice. The smaller one smashed one wolf while another tried to bite his leg, only for the wolf's teeth to shatter. "Pathetic," He said smashing that one to splinters, then used his magic to burn the remains, leaving not even ash. The Ponies could only watch in shock as the armored Changeling curb stomped the Timber Wolves. Finally Cloud Chaser said. "What in the name of Faust kind of Changelings are THOSE?! I don't remember seeing any at the wedding!" "Are the wolves even scratching them?!" Flitter asked. "I don't think so," Applejack said eyes wide. "Nope," Big Mac said. By this point only three of the ten wolves were left and they seemed to finally grow brains because the three turned tail and ran. "They have not accepted their fate!" The larger one fired a bolt at one wolf and burned it away. "YOU CANNOT ESCAPE!" The smaller one grabbed the last two. "We shall end this, crush them!" The larger on said. The smaller one did so, crushing the wolves to splinters then burned the splinters. Just than there was flash and Twilight, Shining Armor in full guard armor, Black Death, and the three Princesses appeared. The two Changelings took off into Everfree though the larger one stopped and looked Black Death in the eye for a few moments then went into the Everfree. "Princess, what where those?" Twilight asked looking at her mentor." They looked like Changelings but-" "I know just what they were!" Black Death said. He turned to her. "Those Miss Sparkle, were Changeling Juggernauts!!"