As soon as she had departed the Colt Scout cabin and started towards the forest, Remy had a nagging feeling something had already gone wrong with this mission, as if she had forgotten something. As she, Captain Swift, Lance, Sky, and the sheriff ventured forth, Remy went over a mental checklist—not like there were many supplies to bring. Just her saddlebag filled with field meds and a small (but fatally sharp) combat knife. And of course, the walkie-talkie she had snugly stuffed in her saddlebag. She had everything, but the deeper they plunged into the foggy woodland, the more that feeling ate away at her sense of security.
“Sir,” Sky spoke up in a low voice.
“Talk to me,” Swift replied in an equally quiet tone.
“Should I survey our route from above?”
Swift stopped, as did the group following his lead.
“No, the fog is too thick. But… do you think you could see the Chomplane plantation if you flew above it?”
Sky nodded. As she did, her leathery batpony wings extended.
“We’ll stay put here, just go above the fog layer, find the Chomplane plantation and fly back down to us.”
“On it sir,” Sky replied and in an instant she flew off into the fog above them, disappearing.
Swift sat on the ground and took his walkie-talkie from his belt. After several seconds passed, he spoke into it: “See anything up there Sky?” There was a moment of silence and suddenly Remy felt the feeling from before becoming stronger. But now she realized that it wasn't that she forgot something; no, she knew now that "forgetting" was just her brain searching for a reason. Something was wrong with this place, and they needed to leave while they still could.
“Sky, report,” Swift said into the walkie-talkie again.
“Sorry sir,” the radio said back in Sky’s voice. “The fog is thicker up here but I see it, we’re on the right track, just keep going north and we should-”
“Sky?” Swift asked. “Sky repeat that last bit, I think we might be too far apart.”
Silence.
“Sky do you copy?” Swift asked, his voice getting a bit louder.
Silence.
“Sky answer-”
With a quiet thud a walkie-talkie fell from the fog above them. Landing in front of them and partially embedding itself in the mud and wet leaves.
Everyone looked at it quietly. Swift put away his radio and slowly approached the one on the ground.
“Captain what in the fuck is-” Lance started but stopped as a twig snapped behind them. The team spun around, staying close to each other and looking off into the fog of where the twig had broke. Then another snapped, except it was closer to them.
“No…” the sheriff said quietly to nopony.
“Quiet!” Swift hushed him.
Remy’s heart was pounding, as if it might just explode before she could see whatever had made the noise.
Snap
Another twig broke, this one even closer than the last.
Lance took out his spear and aimed in the direction of the noise.
From the fog, a silhouette of a pony could be seen coming into view, a stallion, or one big mare.
“Fuck no…” the sheriff cursed.
“Quiet!” Swift hushed again. “It could be one of the missing ponies.”
But the sheriff didn’t hear him, panic was already setting in. “It’s that thing…”
“I swear to Celestia, Quick Draw if you don’t-”
The silhouette stood up on its hind legs and made a sort of snarl at the group. That’s when the sheriff had seen enough. The old stallion bolted north into the fog. The creature in the fog ran after him, ignoring the other three ponies in front of it.
“Run!” Swift ordered. Remy didn’t have to be told twice. They spun and ran. Within seconds they heard a bloodcurdling scream from somewhere in the forest. It was the sheriff.
“Keep going!” Swift yelled.
Remy’s legs kept pumping, running like she never had before. Then she heard it, the thunderous sound of something big chasing them. Lance was in front of the group, he turned as he ran and his eyes went wide before he faced front again trying to run faster than his lean body could handle. He had seen it, which meant it was close.
“Into the plantation!” Swift ordered. Remy hadn’t even noticed in her but the doors to the Chomplane plantation were open wide and only 30 feet away. Without thinking they bolted inside. Swift turned but saw nothing behind them, but didn’t need to wait for an invitation to slam the doors shut. With a flick of his horn he locked the three separate deadbolts on the massive wooden doors and slumped down, exhausted and sweating.
“What the…” Lance began, panting heavily. “What the fuck was that?!”
“I-I don’t know Lance,” Swift replied.
“It was like a pony but covered in thick fur like a bear… and its mouth… those teeth, fuck!” Lance yelled to the empty main hall in which they now stood, his voice echoing through the massive chamber.
Remy took a deep breath, trying to steady her breathing. She studied her surroundings, the main hall of the Chomplane plantation was dated, to say the least. The once pearly-white paint was peeling from the walls and yellowing in places. The neat wooden floors were covered in dust and… fresh mud?
“Guys…” Remy said panting. The two stallions looked at the rookie who was pointing to a muddy hoof print on the wooden floor.
“So what Remy?” Lanced replied in an annoyed tone. “It was probably from us.”
Swift got up, not fully recovered from their little hike but enough to join them in the center of the room.
“Look,” Remy said, moving her hoof to another hoofprint, and another. The muddy tracks led to a door at the far end of the room—once an ornate wooden door with gilded trim, now weathered and cracked. “You think it could be Sky?”
“It’s possible,” Swift replied. “It just rained last night in this area for the first time in weeks… so whoever made them was just here.”
“What do you want to do Captain?” Lance asked.
“These tracks could be a few things. It could be Sky,” he began.
“Please Celestia let it by Sky” Remy thought to herself.
“Or it could be one of the ponies we’re looking for. If that is the case then Sky hasn’t made it here yet”
“Or she’s-” Lance started.
“Don’t you fucking say it,” Swift ordered angerly. Lance looked down at the floor, ashamed.
Remy knew they were all thinking it though. She didn’t want to, but her brain didn’t care. Sky’s walkie-talkie falling through the fog… she could be dead… just like Quick Draw.
“Look…” Swift began. “If these are the tracks of one of the missing ponies then that means Sky is still outside. That… thing... can’t fly, so she is fine. I will stay here. If she comes back I will greet her and fill her in on the situation.”
“What about us Captain?” Remy spoke up.
“I want you and Lance to investigate those muddy hoofprints,” Swift said firmly. “Don’t go too far in, and if you find anything, radio me. If you head into trouble, report back here. I’ll get in contact with Bow and update him on the situation. Understood?”
Lance and Remy nodded in unison and turned, walking slowly towards the door.
“Be safe,” Swift ordered.