//------------------------------// // 62: Dogs and Tracks... // Story: An Equestrian Witcher // by OblivionShadow //------------------------------// Oblivion looked up from his work to see Spiked running frantically away from the direction of the gorge. He gave a slight tilt of his head at the sight and he paused at the oddness of the dragon’s normal easy-going gait. “He looks a bit panicked,” Sasa spoke up. “I agree.” He said to her and broke into a lope to catch up with the baby dragon. His longer stride had him a foot behind the baby dragon when Spike reached the others in town. He ran up to them and panted before them. “Aaaah! Rarity... woods... jewels... dogs... a hole... taken... Save her!” He yelled at them. Oblivion said nothing as they blinked at the baby dragon and Twilight set the baby dragon on her back and headed off for the gorge. Oblivion brought up the rear as they galloped ahead. Sasa stayed close at his side as they ran. “So what is actually goin’ on?” Applejack asked as they galloped forward. Spike had recovered enough to finally give a better description. “Rarity and I were gem hunting when some other guys showed up.” “Guys?” Pinkie asked him, her head tilted almost comically sideways. “They were Diamond Dogs.” He explained. “They grabbed Rarity and disappeared down a hole in the ground.” “This’ll be easy. All we gotta do is get ‘er outta a hole in the ground.” Applejack said with a smile. They reached a hill that should have overlooked the flat gorge. As they crested the hill even Oblivion paused at the sight of dozens of holes in the ground. “Okay, maybe not so easy.” Applejack amended. The group made their way to the bottom of the hill and began to investigate the holes that were closest to them. Sasa looked down a hole that was close by him and Oblivion looked down another one. A gasp from the side of him caught his attention and Twilight looked up to him, dirt covering her face as the hole was filled in. Oblivion looked up as the holes were slowly being filled in. Sasa yowled and sneezed against the face full of dirt. She shook her head to clear her face and whiskers of the dirt. “Lovely creatures.” She complained. “When I get my claws on one I’m going to rend them limb from limb.” Oblivion reared back as the hole he was watching was filled in. Sasa growled as all of the holes were steadily being filled in. The black stallion waited as the others all tried to get past the filled-in holes by digging through the layer of fill dirt. Oblivion looked around them and began to track through his ears where the diamond dogs were. He found a hole that was not filled in and his magic covered the dole to keep it dark to prevent the dogs from noticing the open hole. The Witcher waited as girls were tossed around by the dogs and then seemed to be reminiscing when he rolled his eyes and gave a shrill whistle to get their attention. The mares and Spike looked to him as he motioned for them to join him. Once the sounds of digging had left them he showed them the open hole. “Oblivion you’re a genius,” Twilight said to him. “Easy.” He said to her and held out a hoof to stop her from approaching the hole directly. “Our best option is to use bait to lure one of them out for either capture or to follow them.” They nodded as he spoke and Spike held up a large blue gem for the stallion to see. “We can use this.” Oblivion nodded and Spike brought out a fishing line and pole to hold it above the lip of the hole. The stallion stayed back with the others and waited for the diamond dogs to take the bait. He flicked an ear as they all spoke to Spike, praising him for using the gem from Rarity. His ears flicked forward as the gem vanished and he lunged forward and gripped the line in his claws. The line went taut as Spike jumped to his back and tried to keep the line under control. Sasa gripped his tail in her teeth in case she needed to pull and Twilight had a grip on the cat’s tail in turn. “Shit.” He cursed under his breath as he was hailed forward through the dirt. “Pull!” His voice was tense as he yanked back on the line, digging his hooves in, hoping the others would be able to haul back enough to keep him from going into the hole as well. His hooves slid forward as he was pulled to the edge of the hole and his torso was pulled into the hole as Spike held tightly to his mane. “Harder!” He yelled back as he struggled to remove himself from the hole. The Witcher was able to pull back enough to get his upper body out of the hole once more but a yank from within the hole had him tumbling forward. He closed his eyes as his body was pulled through the twists and turns. He yelped as he collided with the unforgiving ground and he grunted as Sasa and the others fell onto his back. Spike groaned on his back and Sasa snarled as she tried to get out from under the ponies. “Ouch,” Oblivion growled as he pulled himself out from under the mares and shook himself free of dirt. “Everypony alive?” “That was fun!” Pinkie yelled as she got free and bounced around the room as the others got to their hooves. “Ah think so.” Applejack said to him as she rubbed her back with one hoof. Twilight got to her hooves and stretched out to alleviate any pain of her own. “I’m okay.” “Yeah same here,” Rainbow called out. “Fluttershy, you good?” “Oh yes. I’m fine.” She replied to the pale blue mare. “Okay, now what?” Rainbow asked as she looked around them. “That’s a lot of pathways.” “Indeed.” Oblivion agreed as he scanned the room around them. Holes covered the walls and ceiling above and around them. “This could prove to be a problem.” “You can see our spirits can’t you Oblivion?” Twilight asked him. “Can you follow Rarity’s?” “I can see her yes. But that does not give me a way to follow her. For example.” He said as he went to a wall and pointed. “She is beyond this wall somewhere.” “Oh boy.” Applejack said to him. “Not as helpful as Ah was hopin’ fer that ta be.” Oblivion shook his head and went back to them. “I never claimed it could find her in a labyrinth.” “That’s true,” Twilight admitted. “What about following the gemstones?” Fluttershy pointed out. “It would make sense that they would take her where she could find them the most gems at once.” Oblivion agreed. “But can any of us track gemstones?” Twilight shook her head and Spike looked at the two Unicorns in disbelief. Oblivion shook his head as Sasa nuzzled his shoulder. “Can’t ya make a spell fer it?” Applejack asked him. “Not quickly. The spells I have made were broader searching. Time is relative and memories are not anything physical. I haven’t done a search for a physical item and my form of tracking is for monsters, not gemstones.” “Twilight you know how to find them.” Spike suddenly said as he tugged on the mare’s mane. “Huh?” She looked at him as he stood by her. “No, I don’t.” “Yeah, you do. Rarity showed you once, didn’t she?” He asked her. “Oh wow, your right she did. Now just give me a second while I remember it.” She said and her horn was covered in her magenta aura. Oblivion watched as the mare's eyes lit up as the spell completed and she looked to her friends. “Follow you?” He said to her. “This way everypony!” She called out as Spike jumped to her back and they fell in line behind her. Oblivions ears flicked ahead as he caught the sound of a mare sobbing. “Ahead of us. We are on the right track.” He said to the purple unicorn who nodded in reply as they burst through an open doorway and into a wide empty room. Sasa growled in annoyance as he scanned the room and began to walk ahead, his eyes trained on the far wall. His ears flicked as a sound above him caught his attention and he looked up as a group of burly large dogs fell from on high and landed on the back of each pony. He balked at a makeshift bridle was fastened over his face and his eyes went wide. “Oh hell no.” He cursed as he took off ahead and bucked several times. “He’s still there Chosen!” Sasa called out as Oblivion bucked. “Not for long.” He growled to her. The stallion reared up when his hooves came back to the ground and he fell backward landing solidly on the dog on his back. He got to his hooves as the dog whimpered and he reared up, intending to put his hooves through the offending dog’s small skull as it rolled away from him and took off yelping. The others had mimicked him and had bucked their own passengers as well. He snarled as they fled and Sasa chased them out of the room and slammed the metal door shut behind them. Oblivion gave an angry snort and turned to the far wall. “She is through there or close to it.” He said to the others as they joined him. Spike climbed up his leg and the black stallion said nothing as he reached down and pulled a stone stake from the ground and sat on the stallions back. “Forward Oblivion! Time to rescue fair Rarity.” “Pardon?” Oblivion said as he looked back at the baby dragon. The dragon shrugged and looked defeated for several seconds. “Come on Oblivion just once work with me.” The black stallion sighed and faced the metal door. He tapped his hoof and Quen slid over his frame. “Just this once.” He grumbled and Spike smiled widely as the stallion reared up and charged the door. He pulled his head back to keep any of the metal doors from hitting Spike and looked away as he ran into the door frame, allowing his chest and shoulders to take the majority of the hit. Quen erupted in its own explosion and knocked the door away from them and off to the side. The stallion plunged to a stop, his head ringing. “Chosen?” Sasa said as she came up to him. “That did not look…pleasant.” “Never again.” He complained to her. “I will never accommodate the dragon again. My head is ringing.” “Lady Rarity! We are here to rescue you!” Spike called out as a small group of dogs came toward them. Oblivion shook his head and squared off as the dogs charged them. “Save us! Please, save us! Make it stop! Please!” They yelled as they fell to the ground ahead of the ponies. “What the hell?” Oblivion said to them as they groveled. They began to call out their own complaints as the group stared at them, eyes wide as rarity came around the corner. The stallion shook his head and rolled his eyes as Spike slid to the ground, allowing the Witcher to leave them to tend to his still ringing head. “My head is still ringing.” He griped to the cat. “Are you going to be okay?” She asked him. “I will live. That door was solid. I didn’t think it was as well reinforced as it was. I anticipated it falling easily. Quen’s explosion saved me from falling flat on my muzzle.” He informed her as he rubbed his head. Sasa nuzzled him and purred as he recovered. He went back to the mares as Rarity pointed to the wagons of gemstones that she had received. Apparently, the dogs did not want them either and were more than happy to allow her to leave with them. “Oblivion darling. Can you find a way out of here for us?” Rarity asked him as they got hooked up to the wagons. The stallion nodded and his eyes narrowed as the tracks showed plainly against the ground. He heard the mares talking as he led them forward and he tuned them out to allow himself to worry about directing them safely out of the dog’s network of tunnels. Oblivion tossed the bad apples into the pig trough as he passed by like the sound of screaming caught his attention. His ears flicked as Sasa rumbled a growl as the stallion took off, his hooves silent on the packed dirt. Sasa ran at his side as he changed course as the screaming ended and began again. The Witcher followed the sound as he slid to a halt at the ladder of the Crusaders clubhouse. He blinked as the sound was coming from inside. “Apple Bloom!” He hollered over the sound of the screaming. A moment later and the front door swung open and the filly looked surprised to see him. “What is it Oblivion?” “Why are you screaming?” He asked. “Oh. We are trying out a new idea for our Cutie Marks.” She explained. “Scream Therapy ponies.” “Scream Therapy?” He asked as his head gave a slight tilt. “It’s supposed to help release stress. But they are doing it wrong. The stressed pony is the one screaming.” Sasa explained. Oblivion sighed and shook his head. “I don’t think you’re doing it right.” He replied to her and she tilted her head as he went on. “The pony that is having a problem is the one that is supposed to be screaming. It’s not a job for another pony to do for them.” “Oh. I wondered about it.” Sweetie Bell agreed from behind Apple Bloom. “Why didn’t ya say nuthin’?” Apple Bloom asked the other filly. “I don’t know.” She replied. Scootaloo pushed past the yellow filly and looked down at the Witcher and his feline companion. “Did you hear us?” “Kind of hard not to hear you three.” He admitted. “I think half of Ponyville heard you.” “Do you have any ideas we can try?” She asked, her wings buzzing at her sides. Sasa and Oblivion shook their heads in reply. Sweetie Bell stared at him for a second before her eyes went wide and she brightened. “Can you teach us to use a sword?” She asked. “Oh absolutely not,” Oblivion replied quickly. “Why not? How old were you when you were taught to use one?” Scootaloo asked him. “That is not the same,” Oblivion replied. “I was taught after being turned into a Witcher.” “Can we be Witchers?” Scootaloo asked him. “We could be Cutie Mark Crusader Witchers!” He pinned his ears at the sudden yell at the end and shook his head. “No. There are no schools training new Witchers any longer. So there is no chance of that.” The three fillies grumbled at his reply and he ignored the sounds of displeasure from them. At his side, the large feline rumbled a purr as the stallion spun on his heels to leave the fillies to their crusading. “Oblivion wait.” Apple Bloom suddenly yelled at him. He paused as the sound of the fillies hooves on wood rattled over his ears. She caught up to him and came around to the front of him, her eyes wide. “Yes?” “Can ya teach us how to hunt as you do?” She asked. “Hunt?” He asked her. “Do you mean how I track?” “Yeah, that.” She amended and nodded as he spoke. “Like how ya found me that time I broke your stuff in your saddlebags.” “You want to learn how to track monsters?” He asked them as the other two joined the yellow filly. “Do ya have time?” She asked him, her eyes wide and pleading. At his side, Sasa chuckled as he considered the request. “It’s better than sword work.” She jabbed at him. “Fair point.” He replied to the chuckling feline. “I can teach you a few things. Nothing that will allow you to hunt real monsters but we can use Sasa to teach you a few things.” He agreed. “YAY!” They shrieked out and he pinned his ears. “First thing about tracking is to know what you are looking for. In this case, we are looking for the tracks of a very large cat. Do you know what a cat paw looks like?” He asked them as they listened to him. “Umm…Like a dog’s paw?” Scootaloo asked. “Not really.” He replied and had Sasa pick up one of her paws to show them. "See how her paw pads are laid out?” He said as he pointed to the paw pads. “When you’re tracking your looking for a rough shape of the print. You’re never looking for perfect prints, only pieces of the print.” The fillies looked as he instructed them. He gave the cat back her paw and she went over to the block of sand and pressed her paw into it as Oblivion led the fillies to it. He pointed to the paw print and began to show them what the outline was to look for. He knew that if he didn’t keep it interesting then he would lose them quickly. The Witcher began to explain how to look for the shape of tracks and how to know what direction the cat had gone. “Sasa can you put down your paw and make it appear as if you went a different direction mid-step?” He asked her and the cat nodded. She pressed her paw down and then turned the direction of her paw as she stepped away. “Now look at the shape of the print. What do you see?” Apple Bloom put her muzzle close to the track and stared. “It’s not the same print. It’s a different shape.” “Very good. What part?” He pressed her. “The main pad. It’s wider and…” She paused as she tried to figure out more details. “It’s rounded.” Sweetie Bell supplied. “Exactly. That means that the cat changed direction. Instead of going the same forward direction she changed direction while the paw was on the ground. That means we need to look at the other directions and see if we can find other tracks.” He informed them. “So we would need to look around the print for more paw prints?” Scootaloo asked. “Yes. Sometimes the prey changes direction to get rid of a predator or a predator changes direction to try to confuse those that might hunt for it. It changes depending on what you are looking for.” “So when you were looking for me you were looking for pony tracks?” Apple Bloom asked as she looked to him. “Yes. Small pony tracks.” He said to her. “Does it change if you’re looking for a pony?” Sweetie Bell asked him. “Not really. Here.” He pressed his hoof down into the sand and they watched as he then pressed his hoof down and turned it to show a change in direction. “See how the hoof is changed as it turns?” The fillies nodded as he spoke and he could see them looking at the track closely. He looked down and he could see the impression of his claws in the sand and he cursed at himself for a moment before he decided it did not matter if they knew. Apple Bloom looked at the bottom of her hoof while he spread out his claws for them to see. “What the?” “I am a Witcher. All my kind have clawed hooves.” He said to her. “It’s how I am.” “Wow.” Scootaloo impressed as she reached out a hoof to poke at one of his claws. “That’s awesome.” “What do you need them for?” Sweetie asked. “I am a Witcher. I use them to fight monsters.” He said to her and they nodded as he folded his claws back into his hoof and went back to the lesson. “As you can see the change of direction is there as well.” At his words, they looked back to the print and refocused back on his lesson. “It rounds out the same as Sasa’s print.” He supplied them as they nodded as they saw what he meant. “So it’s the same for any animal?” Scootaloo asked. “Not always. Some creatures are built differently but in this case, yes. In this case, they are the same.” He replied to her. “This is so cool.” Apple bloom gushed. “Ah never get ta spend time with ya since ya got back.” “I have been busy.” He explained to her. “But we have time right now.” She nuzzled him and he brought his head up to tell Sasa to make a tracking path for the fillies for them to follow. “Be sure to step heavily in places. I will be with them and wait for us at the end of the path. You will be the reward at the end.” “Understood.” She replied and slunk away as the fillies began to rapid-fire questions. The she-cat slunk along the ground and reached the beginning of the apple orchard and began to stomp her way across it, weaving through the trees. She ensured that it would be easily seen and if needed Oblivion would be able to help them. She reached the edges of the Everfree and she stomped onto the main road and followed it for several strides before she weaved off the main path and toward Zecora’s house and then veered off to a small clearing she and Oblivion had used for hunting several times. She giggled at the thought of the little fillies following the winding track and the thought made her laugh. She didn’t do any tracking backward since that would be beyond their skill and would only upset them. “Done Chosen.” She called out and waited for them to find her. Oblivion looked up as Sasa called out to him and he looked as the fillies watched him. “I think something is missing.” He said to them. The fillies stopped and began to look around them when Sweetie Bell gasped. “Sasa is missing!” She shrilled out to the others. Oblivion nodded at them. “She is. I’m not sure exactly where she is.” “It’s up to us to find her. Come on Big Brother!” Apple Bloom said as she took off at a run. “Do you know which direction to go?” He asked as the filly slid to a stop. “Oh…oops. We can track her though.” She replied with a sheepish look. “Over here,” Scootaloo said. “I found a track.” Oblivion joined her as she pointed to the cat’s paw prints. “Well done. Now follow it.” They nodded and the three of them began to track ahead and they paused when the tracks vanished by a tree. “Did she go up the tree?” Sweetie Bell asked as the fillies looked up and went around the tree. “No over here,” Scootaloo called out as she found the next print. “Nicely done, Sasa.” Oblivion praised the feline from afar and he heard a low laugh in return. “Good find.” He praised the Pegasus who smiled in reply to him. “Keep it up.” Oblivion fell in behind them as they slowly made their way forward. They lost the track when it entered into the Everfree but a bit of help from him and they regained the cat's trail. The Witcher watched as the group found the main road and then found the cats tracks once more. “This way!” Apple Bloom called out to her friends. The fillies trotted forward as Oblivion followed behind them. They followed the main road for a while then the tracks veered off to the left and began to go into the forest. The fillies paused and he was on their heels. “I am with you so it is allowed.” He said to them. He was aware that they had been grounded after their last adventure into the Everfree. “I will explain if anypony asks.” They smiled at him and took to looking for the next track in the cat's trail. It took them a moment but they found it and began to follow the trail deeper into the forest. “This is close to Zecora’s.” Apple Bloom observed. “That’s true. Could she be waiting there?” Sweetie asked him. “Do you think she would make it that easy?” Oblivion asked them. “Nah.” Apple Bloom replied. "No way.” Scootaloo agreed. “Then lead on.” He said to them and they put their noses back to the track. Oblivion watched as they entered into an area that had a lot of vegetation on the ground and they looked uncertain as they began to walk around. Finally, Apple Bloom looked back to him and he nodded to her. “Come back.” He said to them and they rejoined him as he pointed out an imprint in a leaf. “Sometimes the track is not as easy as it had been. Sometimes you’re not looking for a track in dirt. Anything soft can leave a track, like a leaf.” They looked at the leaves and slowly began to follow the track, though their progress was markedly slower due to the different terrain. They made slow progress and he only needed to help them occasionally. Scootaloo found the next track as they left the leaf litter and made their way into the grass. They stopped and looked back at him. “Okay for tall grass you aren’t looking for tracks on the ground any longer. Their useless to find in this high of grass. So now you are looking for broken grass and anything that looks out of place. Look ahead and around you.” He instructed them and the three of them began to do as he had told them. “Here!” Sweetie Bell called out and they ran to her to see a small bit of fur. "That is light like her fur. Is it hers?” Oblivion came up to her and his eyes narrowed as the cat's scent washed over his nose and he nodded as his eyes went back to normal. “Good eye. That is her.” The filly danced on her hooves as the others joined her and began to slowly walk into the grass. Oblivion stayed behind them as his eyes narrowed once more and he could see the trail plainly ahead of him as they slowly walked ahead of him. They paused and he watched as they turned to look at him. Sweetie Bell gasped at the sight of his eyes but he waited for her to speak. “I can’t find anything.” She said to him. “You’re doing very well.” He assured them and he watched their spirits brighten. “Look for things that are broken or out of place.” He reminded them. “Here. Bent grass?” Scootaloo called out as she pointed ahead of them. “That’s not normal unless somepony walks on it right?” “Correct.” He replied with a nod of his head. He could sense that Sasa was just ahead of them and he knew that they would soon spot her bright coat. Sure enough, he looked down as they went forward several more feet and Sweetie Bell saw her first. “There she is!” She shouted and jumped out of the tall grass and loped out the big cat, her friends on her heels. Oblivion emerged into the clearing as the girls surrounded the cat who purred loudly at their excited greeting. “We found her.” They intoned and looked to their flanks, hopeful. He watched as they became upset at the lack of Cutie Mark on their flanks. “You did well. But learning a skill is not the same as a special talent. You still have the potential to find out what makes you, you.” He said to them as he reached them. “You were able to find Sasa despite her making it a bit difficult for you. That’s is something to be proud of. Should you need to you will now be able to find your way home or find others if you wish to.” They looked at him as they spoke and he could see the smiles coming back to their muzzles. “Ya mean if we got lost?” “Exactly. You would be able to track your own steps backward and find your way if possible. It’s not always possible. For example, if it rains it’s difficult to track in. But you did well for a first time outing. That is a feat to be proud of, little ones.” They all looked happier as he turned to lead them the short way out of the forest and back toward the farm. Sasa stayed behind them as they chatted happily between themselves. “Well said Chosen.” Sasa praised him. “They did well for their first time. You chose a good path to lead them on.” He replied to her. “It was fun.” She said to him with a chuckle. “I knew they would succeed.” “As did I.” He replied. The black stallion walked ahead as the three fillies followed him back onto the farmlands and he was quiet as they ran ahead of him to see if they could find Granny or Big Mac. Oblivion looked to the farm entrance and broke into a trot as Applejack sat in front with the wagon that she used to sell goods out of in town. “AJ what are you…doing? What in the hell?” He asked as he stared at the side of the wagon. “It’s a promotion. Since Fluttershy is a big fancy model now.” He stared for a moment before he replied. An image of Fluttershy with a bottle of juice sat on the front of the wagon and on the banner as the farm mare sat happily under the banner. He looked up as Sasa blinked at the sight and her head tilted to the side. “Do I even want to know how this came about?” He asked the orange mare who smiled and shrugged. “No. Never mind. I’m good.” He angled back to the farm and decided that this was not something he needed to worry about and that it would be fine in another’s hooves. He did not need the aggravation that was already growing behind his eyes. “Not my circus, not my monkeys?” Sasa asked him. “Exactly.” He agreed.