Dark Matter feared almost nothing. Countless ponies had fallen to his power and none could match him. None except one. He lifted his masked head to look through a window in reality itself. This image shimmered with a dark purple glow. The aura violently pulsed and crackled with pure energy to keep the connection open. On the other side sat a silhouetted figure at a desk. The only color in the room came from a dark purple glow from its horn, almost as dark as the figure itself. It leaned back in its chair and raised its head to meet Dark Matter’s kneeling figure.
Have you found her?
The words weren’t spoken, they were injected into Dark Matter’s very thoughts. The voice was like a whisper in the wind, it sent chills up his spine. He didn't raise his head, the darkness in front of him already knew the answer.
Although he couldn’t see them, he could feel the eyes digging into him like a million daggers. Begrudgingly the armored pony raised his head to meet the invisible stare.
“She is within my grasp master, you will have her soon… I swear it,” he said with conviction, “My soldiers prepare to enter the forest as we speak.”
Dark Matter watched the silhouette nod slowly, horn still glowing deep purple. It rested its hooves on the desk before it.
You are trying my patience. I expect more from one of my most prized assets… My Petal is the key to our plan. There can be no more delay, find her Dark Matter. Do not forget that even you can be replaced.
Before Dark Matter could say a word in response the window faded from existence. He stayed very still for a moment, white-hot anger building up inside him. With a sudden snarl and illumination of his horn, the trees before him disintegrated in a display of bright purple light. The Unicorn stood before the burning clearing angrily huffing and stamping his hoof. He sighed and his breathing slowed to normal. Failure wasn’t in Dark Matter’s nature, he’d never failed the president before in his entire life in the Void Commission.
He wasn’t starting now. With a turn and a sway of his cape, he started back towards the ruins of the bandit town. Last night’s destruction was cleared away and replaced by tents and supply boxes. The commander awaited at the bridge connecting the forest’s edge to the ruins, his dark violet armor softly shimmering in the rising sunlight. For a split second, Dark Matter saw his helmeted head turn to the remains of the trees but it quickly snapped back to attention.
“Dark Matter, sir. Any new orders from the president?” He asked, voice still carrying the same respect and monotone focus as it always did.
“No commander, our mission remains the same. Is the task force prepared to leave?” Dark Matter answered with the same respect, although the agitation in his voice wasn’t hard to notice.
“Yes sir, Squad Nine is ready to move out at your command.” The commander pointed to the other side of the bridge, at the edge of the square stood six Unicorns. Three were standard soldiers, two scouts, and the captain of the squad looking anxiously as his two superiors talked. His maroon eyes winced when he saw Dark Matter turn towards him.
“Good,” Dark Matter nodded, “Attend to the base and await my orders, I may need reinforcements…”
The commander nodded and trotted quickly back into the square, passing the awaiting squad.
Dark Matter approached the six ponies with a quick trot, not wasting any time. He could see the anxiety building on not only the captain’s face but now the scouts as well. The one who’d delivered the news last night looked as if she was about to faint. Dark Matter arrived in front of the captain and nodded at him.
“It’s time to move, we have no time to waste. The president’s prize lies in the forest and none of us can return until we find it,” The captain gulped, “This is your chance to redeem your failure, captain. Let’s go.”
The masked pony turned and headed back towards the forest, his previous display of anger visible to the six behind him. He could feel the fear in them, they kept a good distance behind him as he entered the forest.
This entrance was the same one the target and her Pegasus companion escaped through, Dark Matter still couldn’t believe the incompetence of the ponies behind him. They gave no chase to them in the slightest because of their fear of this forest. Petty superstition prevented them from getting back the president’s prize, it was pitiful.
Thoughts about the failures of his underlings weren’t going to get Petal back though, so Dark Matter pushed forward. The morning light started to fade as the seven ponies got deeper, the layer of trees he destroyed only the surface of this forest.
The Everfree was a vast obstacle, he would destroy it but he couldn’t risk burning away clues of Petal’s whereabouts. Before they got any deeper Dark Matter put his hoof up.
Squad Nine stopped behind, silently awaiting orders. Before Dark Matter was a steep incline, if he’d taken another step he would’ve tumbled down to the bottom.
“Illuminate.”
All seven Unicorns horns lit up, a bright aura of purple hovering above as Dark Matter carefully stepped down the incline. Keeping his footing wasn’t difficult, approaching this hill at running speed though…
The seven of them reached the bottom and Dark Matter scanned the clearing for any clues. If the scout was right then the targets came this way. But if they were running they would’ve fallen, and fallen hard…
Something caught his eye and he whirled to face it. The ground and dead grass were stained a copper brown. The same color trailed and snaked into the trees ahead. Dark Matter walked beside the trail and inspected the dirt.
Hoofprints went in a straight line with the trail, a wide indent following close behind it. One of them had dragged the other away from the clearing and further into the forest.
“Squad Nine, this way,” He said quickly and started down the path. The six trotted over, quickly inspecting the trail and following close behind Dark Matter single file.
He arrived at a large tree, larger than most trees in the forest. Ancient leaves long dead surrounded the trunk in a circle. Squad Nine came from the trees behind and stopped in front of the tree.
“Be on alert… Something doesn’t feel right,” Dark Matter walked slowly to the trunk and inspected the leaves. Many were crushed and showed the indents of hooves and bodies. There were more than two here, more than four even. Tracks spread out in all directions of the tree trunk, in one area the leaves were crushed and spread apart. Whoever came here fought against the targets.
There weren’t signs of blood though, and a scuffle like this meant no magic was cast. The targets weren’t killed. They were captured.
“More ponies came here than just our targets, they captured and took them from here…” Dark Matter said, turning to the captain.
The captain looked surprised but he nodded, “What’s our next move, sir?”
Dark Matter scanned the leaves and dirt, looking for a pattern in the hoofprints and indents. At the very edge of the leaves and into the trees he saw a new pattern.
“There.”
The seven of them moved on the line of prints, five sets in total. They went deep into the trees but with his horn light, Dark Matter could see that beyond those trees there was a trail.
“Whoever these ponies are, they obviously weren’t expecting to be followed. Their tracks betray them…”
Dark Matter motioned for the squad to follow at a quick pace as he made his way up the trail. The prints didn’t deviate at all, they were going to lead them to straight to the targets.
Something peculiar slowed his pace though, at the end of the trail there was light flooding into the forest. The sun wasn’t obstructed in the slightest.
Quickening his trot into a gallop, Dark Matter reached the end of the trail and ran right into a gigantic clearing, completely absent of trees. Instead of a forest, there was a gigantic structure, an ancient and derelict castle. Squad Nine arrived behind him and broke their silence, marveling at the castle amongst themselves.
It was stupendous for sure, a relic of the world before the war. Dark Matter wasn’t looking at the castle anymore though. The tracks didn’t lead to it at all. The tracks lead downward, the trail transformed into concrete and went into a tunnel. To the side of the entrance was a worn down sign. The paint was chipped away but the words still stood the test of time.
BUNKER 00. NO ENTRY TO UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL.
For the first time in weeks, Dark Matter felt a surge of triumph rush through him, and in an almost elated voice he turned to the captain,
“Contact the commander, tell him to send all reinforcements.”