"I must return and warn my holt. I cannot let them stay in this forest another day."
That was what Fallen Leaf had said the moment they stopped, sheltering under an overhang he'd led them to.
The stag was jumpy, eyes still abnormally wide after nearly dying, or whatever it was the kindersnatches had been going to do to him, but he was firmly focused on his goal and would not be shaken.
"But we need you. You're the only pony here who knows this forest. Only deer." Gloom correct himself.
Fallen Leaf shook his head. "I must warn my holt. Evil is ahoof in the forest, and it seeks to take people. I cannot risk my family by delaying."
Gloom could hardly refute that, but, '-we need him now more than ever-'
"Fallen Leaf, I'm very grateful for all you've done, but you can't just leave us here. We still need your help. It's not just your holt at risk, it's all the missing villagers. And after seeing that... 'scarecrow' thing, it's even more imperative we rescue them as soon as possible. Please, I ask you in the name of the Princess."
Fallen Leaf looked away, studying the forest. The ISND waited tensely, watching their surroundings outside the overhang with distrustful eyes.
Prey was waiting nervously for his turn to come, glancing every few seconds at Crimson. He was thinking about what the scarecrow and the kindercatches meant.
'This is bad. I don't want to fight someone able to create such monsters. He or she wasn't even directing their creations back at the ravine. This all reeks of black magic. Or Necromancy.' Prey shuddered.
"No. I must warn my holt." Fallen Leaf eventually decided, "I will lead you back to my holt, and then from there, safely out of the forest."
"Coward." Lilly muttered.
Gloom gritted his teeth and pretended not to hear the mare, "Please, can you not-?"
"I will not be swayed. I am sorry." Fallen Leaf shook his head, looking away.
Gloom sighed, "Alright." He gave in.
"Thank you. Its not that I... I am sorry, but my duty is first to my family." Fallen Leaf bowed all the way until his antlers touched the leaf litter, "Thank you for saving me. If not for you, those things would've caught me and, and I do not know what would have happened then. But I thank you."
Prey saw Lilly Bloom kicking a tree root in anger, '-you're so thankful you can running away like a bucking coward. We saved your life and this is how you thank us?-'
"No, it's fine. I understand. You were only in danger because you were helping us, so it's not fair to demand any more of you." Gloom said, rubbing his eyes with a leathery wing tip.
"So what do we do now sir?" Scenic asked.
Prey raised his hoof and spoke up; "Captain Nighthawk is sending reinforcements to Alfalfa Dale. There isn't much we can do, except meet up with them when they arrive and go from there. Plus-"
Here Prey swallowed distastefully, "-Nighthawk said a mage would be coming with wide range scanning spells. They're our best chance of finding the villagers."
'And also our best chance of staying away from this dark mage. Let the Night Guard reinforcements confront them instead of us for once.'
"I think Prey is right sir. We need more ponies to be able to fight that scarecrow. My wing blades just bounced off it." Crimson reluctantly admitted. He'd been obsessively cleaning and smoothing down his feathers whenever he thought none of them were watching.
That was funny for some odd reason, but Prey tried not to laugh. Laughing wouldn't help matters.
"Just give me a moment."
Gloom concentrated, trying to feel any guidance from his cutie mark, but he got nothing, leaving only Prey's suggestion. "That's probably the only thing we can do. I don't want to face that thing again like we are now." Gloom admitted.
Scenic looked very relieved by the idea of getting help, whereas Lilly looked frustrated. '-I don't need anypony's help. The hero always beats the monster no matter the odds-'
Prey couldn't believe she was still thinking like that, even after having faced down the scarecrow and the thrill of battle had faded. 'She must really be a bit insane. It's the only reason that makes sense.'
"Prey," Gloom called, getting the lambs attention, "You sure you're unhurt?"
"I'm fine. It was just my backpack I lost."
"You called those things kindersnatches. What do you know about them?"
Prey sucked in his breath. He'd known this was going to come up. Prey didn't want to think about what he'd discovered, but he knew he'd have to tell them eventually. He glanced nervously at Lilly Bloom, wondering how the unicorn would overreact.
Prey licked his lips, "Well... They're from a children's story back home. If you cut down a tree out of season, evil spirits come and posses the stump. In the story, these spirits snatch children who wandered too close and imprison them under their roots, growing off the trapped child's anguish."
"Wait," Scenic gasped, his thoughts having jumped ahead, "You don't mean-"
"-Those things were ponies?" Crimson exclaimed, head jerking around.
"Yes." Prey answered reluctantly. The kindersnatches contained people inside. But knowing hadn't stopped him from cutting that one back at the ravine off.
"No." Scenic breathed. Fallen Leaf muttered a prayer in Fourlon.
"Uh-uh, no way, impossible. There's no way that's true." Lilly shook her head rapidly.
"Prey, how can you be sure?" Gloom rasped.
"I'm sure. That one that I knocked off the ravine edge-"
"-What?" Gloom exclaimed.
"-Just as it was falling off, I saw inside. Behind that wicker casket thing it has for an upper body, there's someone trapped in there. I think we've found what happened to those villagers three months ago."
"But, but those things were monsters," Scenic Paint protested, looking horrified, "They can't be ponies. That's, that's, that's too messed up."
"And that logic worked so well for you last time in the cellar, didn't it?" Prey retorted nastily.
Scenic flinched and Lilly wanted to know, '-what the buck do they keep talking about with this bucking cellar?-'
Gloom's face set as Prey confirmed his fears. '-those were victims, not monsters. And we attacked them-'
"Those villagers are being mind controlled somehow. Like puppets." Crimson said, the corner of his mouth curling with disgust. "Coward. Whichever pony did this is a filthy coward. They're like Garrow, but worse."
"Who is Garrow, what do you guys keep talking about?" Lilly burst out, but she was silenced with a furious glare from Gloom.
"Lilly, you...just be quiet." He ordered. Then he pointed back at Prey, "Why didn't you say this earlier? We could've tried rescuing them from out of those kindersnatch things back at the ravine."
'Because I knew that's exactly what you'd want to do.' Prey thought. However he had his excuse ready, "I tried to tell you, but you told me to save it until later."
Gloom thought back, realising he had. Immediate guilt skewered him. "You're right, I'm sorry Prey. I did say that."
Gloom rubbed his face vigorously and stared around the misty forest; '-buck, I messed up. Now how are we going to find those kindersnatches again to free their captives?-'
What none of them seemed to draw the connection on was Prey had just admitting he'd probably killed a kindersnatch, along with the innocent villager it held. But no one accused Prey.
"Evil spirits. In the story, kindersnatches were evil spirits. But that's impossible. Those monsters were real, physical. They were made, just like the scarecrow." Crimson said.
"The rest of the villagers... Has that happen to them too? Put into kindersnatches?" Scenic asked, face pale "Wait, no, that can't be right. There were only nine kindersnatches. Surely there would've been more if the whole of Mayflower had been turned into those kindersnatches. Right?"
Scenic's logic was based off hope, not common sense. So what if they'd only seen nine? Who said there couldn't be more than one group of roaming kindersnatches? Or only one scarecrow for that matter?
"I..." Gloom looked at Scenic's face of hope. How could he deny Scenic that hope? "That's... You're probably right."
"And we're going to save all of them, right?" Scenic asked, trying to weakly smile.
Gloom nodded firmly before Prey could raise the point that they didn't know how to save said villagers, and that the warlock was probably marshalling these same enslaved villagers to kill them all.
"That is the plan and always has been. Nothing has changed in that regard. We will save them." Gloom said.
'-as many as we can-'
Lilly stamped her hoof in agreement, "Yeah, there's some evil villain out there who's enslaving ponies to make an army. He's using the villagers as hostages and minions so we can't hurt them. And that scarecrow is like the commander of his army. It's sick."
"So you believe Prey's words now, do you?" Crimson asked flatly.
"Enough," Gloom cut in before the mare could respond with something trite and pointless, "We can't afford to waste time. Fallen Leaf's got the right idea. He needs to go warn his holt, and then we need to get back to warn Alfalfa Dale and meet up with our reinforcements. That's all we can do right now."
Gloom looked around at them all. Just a little while ago, they'd been fighting for their lives against an abomination constructed from black magic, while inside a forest which felt wrong and twisted. "Can anypony think of a better plan?" He asked hopelessly.
None of them could.
Prey wanted out of this forest as quickly as possible. It was beginning to feel all too awfully familiar.
"Fallen Leaf, lead us out of here please."
The stag nodded eagerly, "Swiftly done."
---
If the forest was unnerving before, it was nothing to how it now felt. Every distant tree in the mist and shadow might be a kindersnatch or the scarecrow.
Fallen Leaf was leading them back South-East, avoiding the baloth's territory. He trotted fast, ears flicking every which way as his eyes remained locked ahead. He was going faster than before, being less cautious. He was in a hurry.
His mind was locked on one thing and one thing only; '-<my holt must be warned. They must flee the forest>-'
The deer had his priorities. His family came before his own safety. Prey would do the same if he were in the stag's position. But he wasn't. Prey had never had family, that had solely been Gossamer's right, not his. And now Fallen Leaf's push for haste was putting him at risk.
'But demanding he slow down will do nothing,' Prey thought grimly as he hurried along behind Crimson, his progress speeded by the new found lightness of his missing pack, 'He will not slow down, and if we do not keep up, he will certainly leave us behind.'
Prey would've forced the stag to slow, but not with everyone here as witnesses, all of them hurrying alongside him in the mist.
Prey knew the only reason Fallen Leaf wasn't outright galloping was because he had to pace himself, and he couldn't warn anyone if he got himself eaten before he arrived. He was dancing a fine line between caution and haste, but he'd also promised to see the ISND safely to the forest's border.
And Prey could tell how much that responsibility was eating away at the stag. '-<my holt must be warned. My place should be with them, but they would never forgive me for abandoning guests>-'
Prey didn't care about the stag's anguished dilemma. If Fallen Leaf broke and did try to abandon them, Prey was ready to act.
'Life isn't fair, and survival ain't pretty.'
Prey would do what was necessary to ensure his own safety came first. And Crimson's of course. Crimson was important too. It wasn't just himself Prey had to look out for anymore.
---
Ten minutes. Half an hour. Forty-five minutes. Then a full hour of unnerving quiet, straining eyes, and shallow breathing.
Prey could well remember this. The feeling of not knowing if you were being hunted was almost worse than having your fears confirmed. His ears twitched about for the first tell tale gurgle of the kindersnatches, or worse, the whirr-click of the scarecrow.
The ground began to level out beneath the leaf litter, and presently, but what felt like hours later, they came upon something familiar.
Crimson's sharp eyes picked it out first amidst the shadows and mist, "Sir, it's the road to the sacred circle." He whispered, pointing.
Ahead, set into the dirt, mostly covered by pine needles but still clearly recognisable, was the cold grey-white of the paving stones.
"That is good. The road will lead us out. Follow." Fallen Leaf instructed quietly, and sped up even more.
With their path set, and the old stone road to act as a signpost of sorts, their pace only continued to increase.
Gradually, so gradually at first Prey wasn't sure if he was imagining it, the mist started to thin. The clinging grey mist would probably fully dissipate as the day wore on, coupled with them getting closer to the forest's border. It didn't seem possible, but above the dark tree canopy shone the sunlight of a normal day. It wasn't even midday yet, but it sure felt longer. Day and night were different under the trees.
Their road started to grow more and more familiar as it wound between trees and thorn bushes, the scent of pine and mould somehow a touch less old. They were getting close to the border, and that meant close to the site of Mayflower. It was still at least an hour out, but they were drawing closer.
'-will there be a reception committee waiting to welcome us there? More kindersnatches?-', Gloom wondered darkly, shifting his spear to his other wing.
'-well if they are, we'll get the opportunity to try and immobilise them to free the villagers from inside-'
Quietly, Gloom passed that order around to them, making sure that they all understood their priorities. "If the kindersnatches are there, we scout first, make a plan, then engage and capture."
Prey frowned and cocked his head, trying to listen, something pricking the back of his wool. At the same time, Crimson slowed and lifted his muzzle to scent the air.
Fallen Leaf had also slowed his pace, antlers lowering as he peered ahead.
"Traveller Gloom," He murmured back to the Sargent, "I believe we are no longer alone."
---
A brisk wind rustled the dark pine branches and made the needles ripple, yet the wind penetrated no farther than the forest's border. But the current inhabitants of the forest would never know about that.
They were in deep, miles too deep for the cool air to reach, and crouched next to the old fallen road, its stones almost entirely buried under decades or more likely centuries of time. They were waiting in ambush.
---
Prey peered out from behind his tree trunk, keeping low. To his left, Crimson was pressed up against another pine tree, motionless. Prey turned and looked further up the road to his right, and didn't see anyone. Good. That was good.
Across on the other side of the buried road, Prey knew Gloom, Scenic, Lilly, and even Fallen Leaf hid. It was an ambush. Basic, uncomplicated, but effective. Hopefully effective. Or maybe they were the ones about to be ambushed.
Gloom had grimly ordered their current division to surround the road, with the idea being for Gloom's group to attack from the front, and then Crimson to surprise them from the rear when they least expected him. If the group was too large, they'd just let them pass unhindered. Prey was supposed to stay out of any fighting.
Fallen Leaf had refused to help, and had made it clear he was going to be taking off at the first sign of trouble.
"My holt must be warned, that is my first duty. And for that, I cannot die here. I have seen you to safety, but now I must take my leave." The stag had resolutely refused Gloom.
Yet despite that, and his own declaration, for some reason Fallen Leaf was still here.
The stag had kept his word, and guided them to safety. But he hadn't left the moment he was done like Prey was expecting. Guilt had made Fallen Leaf stay, because even if he knew he should be galloping back to his holt with all speed, the stag's conscience wouldn't let him just leave the ISND like this.
So here Prey found himself once again, lying in ambush. Waiting.
Prey had the better hearing. Crimson had the better vision. So Prey listened, and Crimson watched. And Prey also watched Crimson. The pegasus's yellow eyes were bright in the shadows.
Sitting unmoving like this was cold. Nor did it help. Sitting made you stop and remember. The scarecrow, the kindersnatches, and worse. This was just the sort of time the forest started playing tricks on your mind.
Prey fought down the urge to swallow. They were not alone in the forest. Something or someone else was here. The ISND knew it, but did this other party also know it? They all waited, breath shallow.
'There.'
Shapes moving between the trees, following the twisting road buried under the pine needles. The figures looked brownish, although it was hard to tell in the mist, and moved silently with relative swiftness. There were two of them, medium sized, each at least as big as a pony. Prey's heart started to beat faster, he couldn't help it.
They were going to walk right into the middle of the ISND's ambush.
Prey didn't risk turning his head to check, but out of the far corner of his eye, he saw Crimson's powerful wings slowly, oh so slowly, flexing, one feather at a time, the wing blades along their length just waiting to snap open.
The two shapes drew closer, passing behind a line of hanging vines and a boulder. When they came back into view, Prey saw the figures were indeed equines under heavy camouflage cloaks. The material looked waterproof, unobtrusive, and plain. The best type of camouflage. Around the hoods, there was a fur like lining, and the cloak was clinched to the figures upper bodies.
'Is that real fur?'
Prey couldn't tell from here, but the answer would tell him a lot about the wearers. They also wore saddle bags, but Prey had no idea what those might contain.
And both figures moved like they were armed. There was no evidence of it or outlines under the cloaks, but Prey would've bet Lemon Pink's life on it.
Who were these two? What were they doing out here? It couldn't be anything good, nor could this just be a coincidence. Not after the kindersnatches and the scarecrow.
The two cloaked people were still coming closer. A few more steps, and they passed right by Prey and Crimson's hiding place, heading on up towards Gloom and the others. The cloaked figures were just about to reach the patch of brown toadstools, which was the predetermined ambush point.
Prey all but felt Crimson tense.
For no reason, the lead equine figure suddenly hesitated, then abruptly held up his hoof. A straw coloured foreleg was revealed. That proved it, definitely a pony. The two figures stopped, hooded faces turning this way and that.
Prey mentally cursed. Somehow, their ambush had been sensed.
'Mud's claim, how did they know?'
Prey knew they should just run. The ambush was a failure, and who knew what abilities these two might posses? There might be unicorns under those cloaks and hoods for all he could tell.
Prey would've activated his runic trap and fled in the chaos, not waiting to see if the two survived or not. But this wasn't the Deeper Green, Prey didn't have a runic trap, he wasn't alone, and Gloom refused to kill.
The two hooded figures turned around in a circle, exchanging low words. They turned to look back down the path, obviously spooked that they were being followed, which was a mistake.
The moment their backs were turned, Gloom decided to go ahead and spring the impromptu ambush anyway.
Gloom, Scenic, and Lilly all jumped out from behind their trees and rushed to surround the two cloaks.
Of course, their two targets heard the movement. Rushing out like that just can't be done silently without magic, and the two cloaked ponies spun around. Crimson exploded out from behind his tree, wings driving down to give him extra speed.
The ambushees instinctively spun around yet again in surprise as they did a double take in both directions. Now with Crimson behind them, and Gloom, Scenic, and Lilly spreading out to encircle them in the front, they were surrounded, not to mention outnumbered two-to-one.
The second cloaked figure reared up and threw their cloak back. They were turned away from Prey, but they didn't need to be for Prey to see the two pairs of yellow wings flare out. Wing blades ran their length, the same as Crimson. Who would win between this Pegasus and Crimson? Prey was a split second from finding out.
"Hold! Friends!" The other cloaked figure shouted, "We're also Guards."
Everyone pulled up short, and for one moment, everything was frozen as they all stared at each other.
Gloom was the first to unfreeze, "We were expecting no reinforcements until tomorrow. Identify yourselves." He barked.
"It's rude to ask for names without offering your own," The figure who'd shouted for them to hold replied, not looking that intimidated by being surrounded. His voice, for it was a he, held a smooth confidence:
"I don't know who you ponies are either, but you aren't the only ones not expecting reinforcements. So let's trade, our names for yours. Sound fair?"
The two weren't in any position to negotiate, but the confident one hadn't even been phased for more than five seconds by suddenly being confronted with the ISND.
"That remains to be seen. You first." Gloom ordered.
The winged one, obviously a pegasus, didn't seem so sure of himself from what tells Prey could spot from his hiding place. The confident one shrugged, "As an act of good faith, we'll go first, but I'll hold you to your word afterwards. I'm Corporal Shimmer, first scout division."
The pegasus with the yellow wings slowly refolded them and introduced himself too, "First Private, Atlas Line, also first scout division."
'First scout division?' Prey thought. It sounded familiar.
"It's your turn now, fair's fair." This Shimmer pony said to Gloom.
Gloom considered the two cloaked figures infront of him. The ISND had them surrounded. But Gloom wasn't looking to start a fight if he could help it, especially if they were all on the same side here. Plus, he still had both Prey and Fallen Leaf in hiding who wouldn't do well in any fight.
"While you're at it, how about ordering your other two ponies to come out from hiding? We're not going to start trouble if you don't." Shimmer added, seemingly not at all perturbed.
His perception startled Prey, 'How did he know?'
Prey wasn't the only one who started. Gloom hid his reaction, but Scenic and Lilly were not so experienced and visibly gave it away. The two people calling themselves Shimmer and Atlas Line definitely saw it.
"Not just yet," Gloom said, not letting this stranger call the shots, "I am Sargent First Class Dusky Gloom, ISND division in the Night Guard, serving Her Royal Majesty Princess Luna. We have our orders-"
"-To investigate the disappearances of the villagers of Mayflower, right?" Shimmer cut across, "Our orders are the same. We received a letter requesting aid. Strange though, I didn't know the Lieutenant had sent a request for a joint effort to Canterlot."
Shimmer's words were obviously a subtle challenge to Gloom. Prove who you say you are, a reverse of what Gloom had been asking just a moment ago.
However, Shimmer's words rang true. Alfalfa Dale had sent out a letter requesting aid, but that letter had never arrived in Canterlot. So it must've gone somewhere else instead.
The pieces fell into place and the dots connected up.
'No. No possible way. There's no way.' Prey thought, shaking his head in denial behind the tree.
He didn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it.
Not taking his eyes off Shimmer, Gloom slowly reached into his backpack and fished around. "We were sent here to investigate the first set of disappearances from three months ago. We didn't know about the rest of Mayflower until we arrived two days ago. Here's my Guard badge and rank as proof."
Gloom held up a dark purple backed silver tag, and flipped it open and revealing the badge of the Night Guard, along with Gloom's name and rank. "As you said, fair's fair. Your turn."
"Fetch your badge for the good Sargent, Atlas." Shimmer said, waving at his pegasus companion.
His companion snorted and flipped off his hood, revealing a dark beige face and proud orange eyes. Apparently this pony wore his Guard badge around his neck at all times, because he proudly lifted it up and flipped it open. But Prey didn't need to read it to know where they came from because he'd already seen the helmet.
Gloom read it out loud, "Private Atlas Line, first scout division of the Border Guard."
---
Hate. Hate hate hate hate hate. It tasted like ash and bile rising up the back of Prey's throat.
The Border Guard. His enemy, the Resistance's enemy. Captain Fire Strike, Breaker, Fleece, Gossamer, and their mother. Everything he'd done. Everything they'd done.
Prey was rational. He was always rational. 'I'm rational.' Prey told himself he was rational.
Prey was not being rational.
Prey could taste blood. He'd bitten his tongue. His hooves were shaking. He was shivering, but it wasn't from the forest's chill. No, he felt hot.
The Border Guard, two of them, they were right in front of him. Proud, self righteous, alive.
'How dare they?'
Gloom was speaking, talking to the betrayers. They were talking back, explaining why they were here and asking Gloom the same. Gloom nodded, satisfied, and put up his spear.
"Prey, Fallen Leaf, join us." He called.
Prey only barely heard him. His eyes were fixed on the two Border Guards. One beige, one straw coloured. Their all too familiar armour wasn't enchanted, it didn't disguise their fur. He hated them. Prey's legs carried him slowly out by themselves, plodding forwards in a daze.
'How dare they? How dare they?!'
Garrow's remnant was egging him on in the back of his head, crooning to see blood and gristle.
For a dark moment, Prey's mindscape shook, non-existent chains clanking in the deep ocean, and Garrow fled. 'How dare they?'
Prey breathed, feeling like his head was about to burst at the seams, and the moment of dark need passed unheeded.
Gloom was speaking quickly now, urgently, gesturing back the way they'd come. "Mayflower... Scarecrow... Kindersnatch...Ravine..." Prey heard the words as background noise.
Gloom's lips were moving, more words were coming out. Prey didn't hear them, his eyes wouldn't leave the two ponies in their midst. Shimmer pulled off his hood, a straw coloured unicorn. Prey shuddered. 'What am I doing?' A small part of him wondered. He was projecting too much. It was going to make him slip up.
But just he hated them so much!
Atlas Line was looking warily deeper into the forest and mist, asking short questions, "When...? Where...? How big...? Fast...?"
The buzzing was so loud in Prey's head that he couldn't focus on what he was picking up from the two Border Guards.
'Calm down. Calm down.' Prey told himself. It wasn't helping.
Fallen Leaf was joining in, giving his own brief run down of what had happened. "Unnatural...Wrong...Kills for pleasure."
Prey had no weapons. No Bone Rot, poison, or blinding powder. His pack was gone, along with the other two runic inlaid knives he'd pre-prepared. All he had left was his touch. He could do it, reach out, break their minds, shatter their souls. 'No, I'll be caught, everyone will see. Fifty-seven years. They're not the same Border Guards. All of those are dead.'
Prey realised Shimmer was doing most of the talking, asking lots of earnest questions, but even then, it felt like the unicorn was always staring sideways at Prey.
Prey willed himself to focus, to see why the unicorn might be looking at him.
'I can't hear him,' Prey realised, 'I can't hear him.'
Shimmer was like Crimson and those few rare individuals Prey had met whose thoughts, for one reason or another, were hidden.
Shimmer was a blank spot in front of him, a black wall of nothing.
'I can't hear him.' Prey thought, and now there was panic mixing with his blistering hate. The buzzing thrummed in Prey's head and veins.
Gloom was still talking, "Night Guard reinforcements coming. ...Train.... Alfalfa Dale.... Message in a bottle.... What are your own orders?"
"Scouting division.... Just arrived.... Will report back.... You should help us."
Gloom was; '-not so sure-'. He shook his head:
"Scarecrow.... Dangerous in there.... Got to.... Mayflower villagers.... Rescue from kindersnatches."
The Pegasus scout, Atlas, agreed with whatever Gloom was saying, but Shimmer shook his own head; "We should work together, that's our best chance." Atlas quickly changed his opinion to agree with his superior.
No. Prey did not want the two Border Guards to work with them. He wanted them dead.
Prey felt like he was underwater. Or was it just in his head? It was hard to hear. 'Calm down, calm down, calm down.'
---
Gloom shook his head on hearing the Border Guard Shimmer's suggestion, '-they don't understand what we saw-'
"Listen, I know it doesn't sound believable, but we can't beat that scarecrow golem thing. We tried, and what's more, it's got hostages. Nor can it be killed, since it's just a puppet, but what if the pony controlling it decides to start throwing the kindersnatch hostages at us?"
"Then we'll do our utmost to rescue them, it's as simple as that. But we need you to work together with us." Shimmer said.
"If you have a plan, then I'm all ears." Gloom said.
Atlas Line rolled his shoulders, "We're scouts, so let's scout. We can find this scarecrow and track it back to wherever it comes from."
Shimmer agreed with his subordinate, "Just like Atlas said. Both of us, along with both you and your other flyer, Crimson wasn't it? Yes, we can track this monster down easily. Together, we'll find out where the villagers are being held."
Gloom shared a glance with Crimson, who responded with a small wing shuffle but no actual words. "Splitting up is a bad idea, half of us are ground bound and there's no way we can carry everypony. And even if I agreed to that, there's all the trees and the mist to navigate."
Fallen Leaf, who was pacing restlessly in front of them, nodded his antlers, "The forest is far too large travellers. You will never find the place."
Shimmer gave Fallen Leaf an understanding nod, but there was a dismissive tilt to his ears. "I don't judge anypony for being afraid. I've faced down many monsters that would've turned a lesser stallion's legs to jelly. I know what I'm getting us into, and trust me, Atlas is no slouch either."
Shimmer said the words as reassurance to Fallen Leaf, but he was speaking just as much to the ISND. Atlas's shuffled in mild embarrassment and pride at his superiors praise.
Shimmer confidently went on; "I've got over six years experience on the border, and I've dealt with any number of monsters in my time. I'm not bragging, but it doesn't matter how big and bad this scarecrow is, we can find a way to beat it. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but I'm saying with all of us, it can be done."
Shimmer certainly looked like he was speaking from experience and not just over confidence. He hadn't panicked in the face of an ambush, he wasn't letting his guard down even now, and he stood with a ready posture that said he was prepared to spring into action at a moment's notice.
Still, Gloom wasn't completely convinced, '-I'm not risking anypony in my unit, and I have yet to hear a solid plan from you Shimmer-'
"Working together sounds good. It'll improve all of our chances, but if that's going to happen, I need to hear a plan that we-" He gestured, encompassing all of the ISND, "-Think will work."
"I get what you're saying Sargent," Shimmer also looked around at the ISND members Gloom had indicated, lingering for an uncomfortable moment on Prey, "I completely understand. You're right, we need a plan. If, like you fear, we're unable to track this scarecrow, then we'll need another approach, correct?"
"That's what I'm saying Corporal." Gloom nodded.
"So we need to take five minutes, sit down, and talk this out. We can formulate a plan together. But going all the way back to Alfalfa Dale and waiting for reinforcements..." Shimmer firmly shook his head, "No, I'm sorry but that's not something I'm willing to do. It'll take far too long and time is something we can ill afford to waste."
"Sir, we should totally join up with these guys sir." Lilly murmured to Gloom.
Atlas Line stepped forwards, bravely meeting Gloom's yellow slit eyes and refusing to look away;
"Please, listen to Corporal Shimmer. With what you say about these kindersnatch things..." His mouth tightened, "It means we can't afford to wait. Any delay means the missing villagers suffer."
'-I know all too well what happens if you dither and only hope for the best. We've got to make our own destiny and save Mayflower-', Atlas Line thought.
Gloom wanted to save the villagers too, of course he did. He was a Night Guard, it was his duty to help innocents, and the thought of what some evil pony had done to them made his blood boil. If he knew for a certainty that joining with these two Border Guards was the correct course of action over waiting for reinforcements, he would do so in a heart beat.
But he wasn't sure, and that was the point. His special talent wasn't giving him any hints, and he didn't know if his choice might condemn the villagers of Mayflower to agony, violation, or possibly even death. The mere thought made his heart clench in fear.
Gloom remembered something Lieutenant Screech had told him once, '-sometimes the worst thing you can do, is to do nothing-'
Gloom didn't know what he should do, so he was going to go with what felt right.
"I agree. We can't wait around for help to arrive. We've got to act now." Gloom announced.
Atlas Line sighed in relief, Shimmer nodded his head in thanks and opened his mouth, Crimson cocked his head, Fallen Leaf raised his hoof to interject, but before anyone else could say anything, Prey exclaimed; "NO! You can't do this."
Gloom's ears went straight up in surprise at Prey suddenly speaking. After everything, the scarecrow, the near escape, the kindersnatches, mist, paranoia, and all these sudden developments, Prey had almost been forced from the thestral's mind. Now he blinked uncomprehendingly at the lamb, "Huh? What-?"
"No, I, we can't work with these two," Prey hissed, drawing closer to Gloom, "We can't work with them. You can't trust them, don't you get it?"
There was a strange almost slur in Prey's voice, and his eyes were wide.
Atlas Line seemed completely bemused by this sudden outburst. He raised his eyebrows at his Corporal, then around at everyone else. '-what's this now?-'
"We're here to help," Shimmer said, frowning down at Prey, "I don't know why this foal doesn't trust us, but we've only just arrived here. There is literally nothing we could've done that might've upset the villagers. Was her rescue especially traumatic? That would explain her hostility."
"Rescue? What are you talking about?" Gloom asked.
"Don't speak to them, don't trust what they're saying." Prey urged Gloom, glaring at the two Border Guards.
Shimmer looked surprised, "You mean to tell me she isn't one of the villager's you rescued? I'd thought..." His brow furrowed in confusion.
"No, this is Prey. He's a he, and he's part of our-"
"Stop it! Stop speaking to them." Prey ordered.
Gloom gave Prey an uncertain look, his ears swivelling to listen to the forest, '-what's going on? Is he trying to tell me something's sneaking up on us? Why doesn't he trust them?-'
Shimmer stepped forwards, lowering himself to get down closer to Prey's level, ignoring the way Prey drew back in loathing and Crimson twitched reflexively. Shimmer smiled at Prey, "Hey now, I don't know what's wrong with you, but I promise we're only here to help. You can trust us, we're here to help."
"Trust you? Never." Prey squeaked, "Go away."
Shimmer's eyes flicked up to Gloom and gave the Sargent a look which clearly said, 'I don't know what's going on but I'm doing my best'. The unicorn put on an even more obviously friendly smile for Prey. Prey couldn't hear anything from the stallion, he couldn't tell whether Shimmer meant it, or was planning to gouge Prey's eyes out and sticking them on the end of his horn.
Prey chose to believe the worst. He wanted the border Guard dead this very second.
"Trust has to be earned, yes. However you don't have to trust me if you don't want to. In fact it's smart not to, we are strangers after all. But that doesn't mean we're going to go away just because you say so. Me and Sargent Gloom have an important job to do."
With his piece said, Shimmer straightened, turning his full attention back to Gloom, "We can't afford to delay. We need to talk and-"
"You can't trust them, they're liars. They turn up out of nowhere and want your help. There's no way that's a coincidence, they're just looking to stab you in the back. Us in the back." Prey snapped through gritted teeth, alternating between glaring at Shimmer and at Atlas. Everyone else was completely thrown by this excessive hostility.
Shimmer sighed impatiently, his cloak settling as he shifted his weight onto his other hoof to fully face Gloom, "Sargent Gloom, we don't have time for this foolishness. If you could please put the lamb aside, we can get on with the business of saving villagers-"
"How dare you-"
"Would you give me and Prey a minute?" Gloom interrupted, grabbing the lamb by the scruff of his wool while his back was turned and dragging him off to the side.
"Don't touch me!" Prey twisted free of Gloom's grip.
"Quiet, we need to talk." Gloom snapped, still forcing Prey backwards.
Shimmer pursed his lips, casting an exaggerated look at the forest around them, "Now is hardly the time."
Gloom mentally agreed, but he had to speak with Prey. He couldn't just ignore the lamb, he owed Prey that much. "We'll only be a minute. I'm sorry but we really need to speak."
"Better make it fast then. Who knows how long the villager's have while we delay." Shimmer warned
Prey opened his mouth again but Gloom jabbed a hoof, "No, be quiet. We're going to talk." He ordered.
Prey's wide eyes turned to Gloom. He glanced furtively back and forth between Gloom's stressed out scowl and the others.
"Crimson," Prey suddenly exclaimed. Gloom paused. Prey licked his dry lips, "I want Crimson to come talk too."
Gloom screwed up his brow and glanced back over his shoulder, "Crimson?" He offered the pegasus. Crimson looked back blankly, just as unsure about this sudden change in Prey.
Prey ignored the rest of them. Whatever they they were thinking, he didn't care. He only looked up at Crimson, trying to silently convey with his eyes that the pegasus needed to come with them.
Uncertainly, Crimson trotted over. The three of them stood about ten paces off from the other five. Lilly and Scenic were looking back and forth between the two Border Guards and their Sargent, while Fallen Leaf made up his own singular forth group in this conflict.
Around them, the forest leaned in to listen.
Gloom lowered his voice, "We don't have time to mess around Prey, so tell me, what's going on?"
"Don't trust them, they're dangerous. Send them away, we can do this by ourselves." Prey immediately said.
"Where's this hostility coming from, and why don't you trust them? They seem to be on the level, and what they've proposed makes sense." Gloom responded.
"I don't trust them because they're lying. I know it."
"No, you don't know. You just hate them," Crimson spoke slowly, peering into Prey's face, "I saw your eyes. You hate them. Really hate them."
"Really? Is that true Prey?" Gloom asked, however he didn't need to wait for Prey's reply when the answer was so obvious, "But why Prey? You've never even seen them before today."
"I don't have to have seen an ice viper before to know what it is."
Gloom hesitated, but he had to make a choice here. "You hate them for some reason, but you won't tell us what that reason is. I can't just accept that if you won't tell me why."
Prey opened his mouth hotly, then froze, "I, you don't, I, I.... No, I can't."
"Prey, look at this from my point of view. I trust you, but we can't do nothing. If together we can come up with a plan to save even just one of the villagers from the kindersnatches, I'm taking it. The villagers come first. You understand that right?"
Prey glared at Gloom, but what could he say? Crimson and Gloom didn't understand, they didn't know the Border Guard like Prey knew.
Gloom scowled when Prey didn't immediately confirm they should save the villagers over everything else, "Don't you care about them?"
"Of course I do, you think I'd want to leave anyone to that fate?" Prey protested, but he was lying, he didn't really care. Right now he just wanted Shimmer and Atlas dead.
"Stop biting your tongue," Crimson abruptly snapped, making Prey jump, but Crimson was already shaking his head, "No, I, sorry. I just meant, can you please stop? I can smell the blood on your breath. I don't like it."
"I-what?" Prey hadn't even realised.
Crimson rapidly shook his head, "Never mind, forget it. That's not what's important right now." He looked Prey in the eyes, and Prey felt like for a moment that Crimson could see so much deeper than he ever wanted anyone to see.
"It's because Shimmer is a unicorn, isn't it?"
"What?!" Gloom exclaimed, only just about managing to keep his voice down to a hiss.
Prey took a step back instinctively, 'No,' He thought, panicking.
"I, I, I, that's not true-"
"You don't trust Shimmer just because he's a unicorn?" Gloom demanded, "How can you be so racist, Prey? I thought you were better than- Wait, is that why you're so negative about Lilly Bloom?"
"No, I never- that's got nothing to do with that. Lilly's hot headed, arrogant, and unsafe, that's the reason why I don't like her."
"You're lying," Gloom stated, eyes narrowed, "Don't deny it Prey, I can feel it. You're lying."
This was exactly how Prey had feared Gloom would react.
Crimson gave Prey slow shake of his head that seemed to be apologetic, but also uncompromising. 'You're supposed to help me.' Prey thought, his heart sinking. What'd happened to Crimson's assurances about always saving Prey's life if it was in danger? But Crimson wouldn't, because he didn't understand about the Border Guard, and Prey couldn't make him.
Prey tried to think up a denial, but his head was a mess of worry and panic over the two Border Guards, mixed up with old memories, what Crimson thought of him, the scarecrow, whomever was controlling it, and now this.
"No, no it's not like that, I just, I just..."
They weren't believing any of it, Prey could see it in their eyes.
"...That's none of any of yours business, and maybe if you hadn't let Lilly Bloom mess up everything so much, then we wouldn't be having this problem!"
"Moon rot this!" Gloom hissed. He was disappointed in Prey, but mostly just angry at him for wasting precious time right now.
"Can you only ever think about yourself Prey?" Gloom demanded, despite knowing it wasn't true, "You promised me you would do your best to keep us alive in here, but I'm realising you never promised anything about anypony else. If you aren't willing to do your duty and look to the villagers well being, then I'll do it instead. Shimmer and Atlas are offering a chance I'm not going to pass up."
Gloom straightened his wings and turned around. Prey was left gaping as he still tried to come up with an excuse, afraid of what Gloom would do with this knowledge now that he knew Prey was terrified of magic and unicorns.
None of them had the time, but Gloom still paused for a moment, "I know you're scared Prey, but that's only a reason, not an excuse. Me and Crimson would never leave you behind, so don't think it's okay to leave these villagers behind."
Prey saw Shimmer watching them closely, watching him, as Gloom walked away. Prey couldn't believe it. Gloom had dismissed him in favour of these two filthy traitorous Border Guards? Hadn't they worked together, fought together, survived together?
Prey didn't care about the stupid villagers, this wasn't about them. It was about Shimmer and Atlas worming their way into the ISND. 'Liars. Traitors. Deceivers.'
But Crimson was here, he still had a say in the matter. Crimson had saved his life, so that meant he wouldn't so casually dismiss Prey's words-
Crimson shook his head just once at Prey, "Nopony is born any better than any other pony, trust me Prey, I know from experience. You're being racist and wrong. But you're not a bad pony Prey, just misguided. I can explain why it's wrong to you if you need." He offered.
Prey gaped at him.
"Later it is then. But right now Prey, we all need to work together. You said you would do anything I asked, didn't you?"
"Yes." Was all Prey could say.
"Then from now on, never be racist again."
Prey stared at the leaf litter between his hooves. This wasn't fair. He was only trying to keep him and Crimson safe. Why couldn't anyone else see this? "But they killed Breaker." He whispered.
"Pardon?"
"Nothing." Prey quickly shook his head, "I, I'll try."
What else could he say, even if it was a lie? It was Crimson who was asking. He owed Crimson.
Crimson gave Prey an encouraging nod, "Good. Come on. Sargent Gloom is discussing a plan. They will need our help."
---
"My holt must be warned." Fallen Leaf stubbornly insisted, shaking his head in answer to Gloom. He spoke with calm seriousness, but the white of his tail was flared even now in fright.
There was still dried blood on Fallen Leaf's fur from the numerous small cuts and thorn punctures he'd taken, but the stag's minor hurts and fear didn't matter to him when he thought about his holt, waiting oblivious of the danger for his return even while the scarecrow, kinderstatches, and who knew what other dark creations roamed the forest.
Prey hated the stag. He hated everyone right then. The deer were going to be escaping the forest, while he was forced to stay inside. It was a bitter realisation. Prey flexed his hoof, glaring from under his brows around at everyone. He imagined wiping all of their memories, killing the two Border Guards, and then restarting everything over again.
But he'd never be able to pull it off. Everyone was on guard, and there was no way to get anyone alone one at a time. He'd be caught straight away in any attempt.
Gloom was still trying to convince Fallen Leaf to stay and act as a guide while the rest of them all looked on. Shimmer and Atlas, who did not know the stag, were watching the exchange neutrally.
"There's more of us now, and we have a better chance of rescuing the Mayflower villagers. You know your way around this forest, we don't. If we encounter the scarecrow again, we'll also have a better chance of defeating it, which'll keep your holt safe too." Gloom reasoned.
'No it won't,' Prey thought, 'This won't protect anyone at all. It's just going to get everyone killed.'
Gloom's argument was not swaying Fallen Leaf, even Scenic and Crimson tried adding a few words that didn't do any good:
"We kind'a did save you, so, uh, could you maybe help us out please?"
"Ponies are in danger. You have to help."
It didn't work. Fallen Leaf just repeatedly shook his head, looking guilty, but not willing to change his mind.
Shimmer sniffed and turned his head away, "Fine. In that case, you can leave. Go back and warn your family." He dismissed.
Next to the unicorn, Atlas seemed most surprised by his Corporal's abrupt attitude, but Shimmer didn't seem bothered by what anyone else might say. Shimmer pointed off into the forest while staring Fallen Leaf in the eye, "Go on. You obviously don't want to be here, and we don't want to waste time trying to convince somepony who's not committed. So go on, leave."
Gloom made a movement to disagree, but caught himself, frowning. This was the exact opposite outcome from what he'd been trying to achieve. The Border Guard Corporal had just completely undermined his attempt to convince Fallen Leaf, but Shimmer didn't appear perturbed as he held his pose, waiting for Fallen Leaf to either follow his pointing hoof and leave, or give in.
'-<letting me go just like that? Why?>-'
Fallen Leaf had not been expecting this, but his guilt only held him back for a second in the face of his duty; "Then I will take my leave immediately. My holt, it is...I must get back."
Fallen Leaf bowed low to the dirt, "My apologies. <None of this is what I wanted.>" He muttered, unable able to meet any of the ISND's gazes.
Keeping his gaze lowered, Fallen Leaf turned and cantered quickly off back up the broken road before anyone could change their minds. Prey watched his antlered outline fade into the mist, and wondered if the stag would survive.
"That's him gone and enough of our time wasted. I must apologise Sargent Gloom, I didn't talk that out with you first, but we had no time and arguing further with that stag would've been pointless. If he wasn't going to help, it was best he just leave. I'm sorry if my method left a bad taste, but it was for the best."
"No, you're probably right." Gloom said.
"The villagers. We've gotta' save them from this villain's clutches, and quickly too." Lilly broke in.
She'd just rudely interrupted two non-commissioned officers talking, even if they were from completely different military commands, but Gloom didn't even register her slip. There were far bigger concerns hanging over them right now.
"Yes, we've lost enough time. We need a plan. Corporal Shimmer, what did you have in mind?" Gloom asked briskly.
"Perfect. Atlas, get our map out." Shimmer ordered.
Gloom was about to order Prey to do the same so they could compare the two, but then remembered the map had been lost along with Prey's backpack.
'-Moon damn it. That means Prey has no rations or water either. Doesn't matter, we'll just share ours-'
Atlas Line was pulling stuff out of his pack, looking for the map. Shimmer flicked his tail curtly, "Hurry up."
"Sorry sir, I know it's in here somewhere."
Leaving aside his subordinate for the moment, Shimmer turned to Gloom, speaking in a quick, all business tone; "First things first. What are your strengths? I'm a unicorn of tier two with experience in scouting. I have a detect life spell so I always know when anything living is near by, and my special talent is camouflage magic. Atlas Line is an excellent flyer, and his special talent is making and reading maps from an aerial view. How about your team?"
Prey held his breath, waiting to hear what Gloom would say. 'Will he lie? Try and keep the sensitive stuff secret? He'd better, or else.'
Gloom realised he didn't have a summary of his squad prepared like Shimmer did. '-we haven't got anything like that. Two of us are completely new, and all we ever do is scrape by-'
However Shimmer was expecting an answer. Gloom just wanted to get on with making the plan, but Shimmer's enquiry was completely reasonable. They'd just met, and they needed to start working together as quickly and effectively as possible. An exchange of information and abilities was the best way to do this. Gloom thought fast.
"I'm Sargent Gloom, I'm a thestral. Me and Crimson both come from the clans and have excellent night vision. My special talent is knowing when I am travelling along the right path." Gloom didn't add the, '-sometimes-', He was thinking, and quickly moved on to the others:
"Crimson is the fastest flyer of us two, and he's likely the best wing blade user you'll meet-"
Atlas Line made a dubious noise in the back of his throat, but he was otherwise a bit busy rummaging with increasing intensity for his map.
"-Because of his special talent." Gloom lied with a straight face.
If Prey had cared more right then, he would've watched for the red pegasus's reaction to Gloom's lie, but Crimson had ignored his dire warnings about the Border Guard. Prey ground his teeth. Crimson could go and get stuffed right now.
"And this is Prey. He's...with us. Don't think of him as a foal, he's actually very intelligent."
Flattery would get the Sargent nowhere. In fact, it only made Prey hate Gloom more at the moment.
Gloom hurriedly moved on, maybe sensing Prey's seething anger or perhaps just keen to skip over why he had a child under his military command, "Scenic and Lilly are new, this is their first mission with us. They're trained as Royal Guards." That was all the complimentary information that Gloom could think up for the two of them right now.
Shimmer nodded at what he'd been told, a serious, deeply considering look on his brow. Then his ear twitched in annoyance, "Atlas hurry up with that map."
"Sorry sir." The pegasus apologised, digging through his whole pack, embarrassment tinging the tips of his ears red in frustration. '-where the buck could it have gone? I know it was here-'
Shimmer sighed in frustration, and his horn briefly flashed, and Prey's heart jumping into his throat.
"Check zip on the other bag, left cheek." Shimmer said tersely.
'-I know I didn't put it in-Oh...-'
Atlas was left shame faced in front of them all as he came up with the map. This was a tense, deadly serious situation and he'd wasted precious seconds. They were supposed to be professionals, and he'd just made himself and his Corporal look bad.
"Sorry sir." Atlas said again, trying to offer the map as quickly as possible to make up for his previous blunder.
"It's fine. It happen's to everyone," Shimmer said tersely, not even looking at his subordinate as he began unfolding the map, "Just remember it in the future."
Atlas grimaced, not placated about his mistake. However, they had bigger concerns right now than his ineptitude. Shimmer levitated the map, and he, Gloom, Crimson, Scenic, and Lilly all crowded round.
Prey narrowed his eyes into slits. He didn't believe it. That whole thing seemed engineered. Shimmer must've staged it on purpose! But for what reason? To make his teammate look incompetent in front of the ISND and get Gloom to trust Shimmer over Atlas more, Prey was sure of it. It was all some plan to manipulate them. Prey shook with suppressed anger.
'What kind of game is he playing? And how can I ruin it?'
Anything Prey could do to hurt the Border Guards and get away with it he was going to try.
"We're here, roughly," Shimmer said, pointing at a spot on the map, "Alfalfa Dale is there, and Mayflower is over here."
"How accurate is this scale?" Gloom asked.
"Very. Atlas Line is good at cartography even if he can't keep track of his work," Shimmer said, tracing a line down the map, "With the skills you listed for yourself and your team, I estimate our best chance for success is to track this scarecrow back to wherever it came from. You said it was...'made', am I getting that right?"
"Yes. It wasn't living. A golem of some kind." Gloom nodded grimly.
"Somepony evil made it. Nothing naturally has a carved pumpkin for a head and metal in its legs." Scenic put in. He didn't even notice the sideways look Shimmer was giving Scenic for cutting across his own commander.
"As I was saying, we need to find this scarecrow and track it back to wherever its lair is."
"Because that's where we'll find its creator, the same pony who kidnapped the villagers with the kindersnatches. I understand." Crimson said, nodding to himself. Prey noticed his shoulder plate had a disturbingly deep score down it, taken from the scarecrow.
Lilly decided it was her turn to join in too.
"And we can definitely beat them, who ever they are. They won't be able to hide behind their pet monster. We'll make them tell us what they've done with the villagers and then rescue them." She declared, already fired up and ready to go again.
So quick was she to forget the danger and approve of Shimmer's idea, merely because it promised the storybook defeat of the villain she wanted. She'd completely missed the point that they didn't have a clue who the scarecrow's creator was, or how strong they might be, or even if this plan would work. In Lilly's head, success was already a given. It was a Plan, with a capital 'P', therefore it had to work.
"Well, quite," Shimmer said, "The best plans are simple. But, and here's the big but, we need to plant a tracker on the scarecrow first."
The unicorn patted his backpack, "I've got that bit more than covered for you, but finding the scarecrow again out here, in all these tree's and mist, that's going to be the challenge." Shimmer said, his eyes narrowing as he calculated.
The others wore similar expressions of serious contemplation mixed with worry, or outright fear in Scenic's case, although the stallion was making a masterful effort to control himself.
Shimmer and Atlas hadn't faced the scarecrow and kindersnatches, but the rest of them had.
Gloom's thoughts on the matter put it quite succinctly, '-we couldn't beat that scarecrow last time, so how will we succeed this time? However there's no choice but to try-'
Prey would've pointed out the rest of the abundant flaws in the plan, but he refused to interact or even indirectly help the Border Guards at all. The traitorous, vile, filthy, lying, zoma'grika, golom'die, iz val hien-
Prey broke off and spun himself to face the shadows of the forest instead. He didn't want to even have to look at them, and someone had to keep watch.
"Uh, how though sir?" Scenic asked, not even noticing as he rubbed at a small cut on his leg and made himself wince at the sting, "That scarecrow, I, I don't see how even if we can find it again we're gonna' be able to beat it up enough to put a tracker on it. All it wanted to do last time was rip us to pieces, and if it weren't for the ravine, it would've kept coming at us."
Scenic rubbed at the shallow cut harder, not realising he was doing so, "So what I'm saying sir is, uh, how are we going to get it to go back to its lair instead of madly chasing after us?"
'Or stop it from killing us. Or bringing backup along. Or its creator getting involved. Or the normal horrifying mix of forest monsters, or any number of other things.' Prey cut himself off and shook his head violently, twining his hoof around and around the end of his ribbon. Everything was making him so angry, so confused and scared. He hated them.
His list just grew two names longer.
Shimmer however had an answer to Scenic's question. He seemed to have an answer to everything, the infernal unicorn wouldn't shut up. Prey longed for the silence of a slit throat.
"I know how we can do it, but it's going to require trust on everyponies part. Taking into account all your strengths Sargent Gloom outlined, I believe our three flyers will be best at keeping the scarecrow distracted while me and Lilly do the job of secretly placing the tracker on it. Once that's done, you three just fly off to safety, and we'll all regroup later. If what you said holds true, the scarecrow will give up once it no longer has targets and I can guide us with the tracker after it."
No, the ISND hadn't said that, they were just making assumptions. Reasonable ones, but how dare Shimmer act as if it had anything to do with him?
"How will we get to that stage?" Crimson asked bluntly, "I mean, how will we find the scarecrow? Or is the plan to let it find us?"
Shimmer patted Atlas and Gloom on the shoulders, making Gloom's wings tense in alarm for a second in surprise, "That's something Sargent Gloom and Atlas will have no trouble with. If they put their special talents together, I'm certain you can pull it off."
Prey let out a bark of giggling laughter. It sounded completely false and forced, and he didn't care.
"There's no need to worry about that. he says? Good call, because here the scarecrow comes right now."
A second of frozen silence iced over everything, the mist a blanket of stillness. The second didn't last long.
Out of the mist came a sound, slowly getting louder, closer, a whirr-click skittering.
Louder, like a giant spider, moving closer. Everyone could hear it now, but none of them seemed able to move. How had it found them?
If they ran, would it simply follow them again? Prey's eyes were riveted on the direction of the approaching sound, but he was still able to pay just enough attention to his surroundings to hear that everyone had stopped breathing. He himself was also holding his breath, unable to help himself.
Louder. Whirr-click skitter.
Why were they all just standing here? Prey began to back up.
A flicker of orange light. It vanished, came back a second later, stronger. Then again, brighter, as the scarecrow came closer. It's body was still hidden, which made it all the worse. The horrible skittering noise sounded like it was on top of them already.
Gloom finally seemed to remember what was going on as he saw Prey backing past him. He snapped from whatever stupor had frozen him, "Get a grip, here it comes. Now's our chance Corporal Shimmer. We mark it, then we run."
With a *snick*, Crimson's wing blades flicked out as he moved forwards to place himself in the scarecrow's path. Atlas Line saw Crimson, and hurriedly followed his example, moving to block, '-whatever's coming out of this mist-'
"Here it comes," Shimmer said in a low voice, horn lighting up as he backed up to get some distance, "Brace yourselves."
Prey's mouth twisted in hate, 'Protected by a Border Guard? Me? I refuse.'
The scarecrow charged out of the mist in all its awful glory, orange light still flickering on and off from the knife wound Prey had dealt it earlier. That damage looked no more significant than a bee sting.
It all happened at once.
Lilly let out a gleeful shout; "Come get it!" And fired.
Gloom, Crimson, and Atlas all charged. Prey heard Shimmer let out something that was probably a curse word, and Scenic froze up again.
The scarecrow didn't slow or hesitate in the slightest and charged straight into the midst of them.
In less time than it took to draw a shaky breath, everything had devolved into a fighting mess of chaos.
Atlas narrowly avoided being trampled, Crimson dashed around the scarecrows side and slashed ineffectually as he went, Gloom stabbed and backpedalled, and Lilly shot it with her useless concussive spell.
There was nothing Prey could do, he was helpless in this fight. Again. He had no resources or way to damage the scarecrow.
Atlas was good with his wing blades, but he was far below Crimson's skill. Indeed, he only just managed to knock aside a stabbing leg which sought to impale him. If not for the warning of their previous fight that Gloom had given him, the pegasus would've almost certainly already died.
"Take that, and that, and that!" Lilly was yelling.
Scenic looked around frantically for some way to help, spotted a fallen branch, grabbed it up and ineffectually bucked it at the scarecrow. It narrowly missed Crimson and bounced harmlessly of a metal leg.
Prey saw Gloom managed to duck in and score a strike on the scarecrow's main body, but then the spear was almost wrenched from under his wing claw as the scarecrow spun around.
"Place the tracker already." Gloom shouted in a rasp.
Shimmer wasn't blasting the scarecrow or casting any other sort of spell like the unicorn should've been doing. Instead, he was digging in his pack.
"Buy me one minute!" Shimmer shouted back, pulling out something small and round, and beginning to focus his magic into it.
'Now would be the perfect moment.' Prey thought, 'Sneak up behind him while he's distracted, get my hoof on him, destroy his mind.'
The Border Guard was on Prey's list. He had to die for Prey to be safe. But Prey hesitated. He couldn't read the unicorn's mind. What if Shimmer noticed him? What if he knew what Prey had planned? The lethal fight with the scarecrow was still ongoing, Crimson was risking his life this very second, and Shimmer might have some way of impacting the fight.
But Shimmer was still a Border Guard.
But not a Border Guard from fifty-seven years ago.
'That doesn't matter, he still deserves to die.' Prey told himself.
"Any time now!" Gloom shouted.
"Patience!" Shimmer shouted back, as if they weren't fighting a terrifying, unliving construct and were instead baking bread, "It's almost ready."
Prey wanted to kill Shimmer. But he couldn't, not yet. He squinted at what Shimmer was levitating and focusing his magic into. Crimson wove around a tree and the scarecrow tore a splintered chunk out of the trunk instead of the nimble pegasus.
Something which looked like a mini compass but without the spindles started to glow as Shimmer's magic charged it up.
It must be a tracking device of some kind, Prey realised. But how was Shimmer going to attach it onto the scarecrow? It was insane, but without the scarecrow's kindersnatch backup, this was actually their best shot. Gloom would not get a better chance to enact their plan.
It was an awful plan. They were all going to die. And Prey would never get a chance to say "I told you so."
A tiny misstep, or maybe it was a moment of distraction, in the end it didn't matter. Either way, it cost Gloom.
One of the scarecrow's limbs lashed out low in an unexpected sweep. The blow was so fast it almost blurred. This time, Gloom didn't manage to jump aside and the strike went into his side.
Gloom was sent spinning off his hooves with a yell of surprise. When he landed it turned into a cry of pain.
"Sir!" Scenic shouted, galloping over in panic.
For a horrible moment, Prey didn't know what he felt. Then Gloom staggered to his hooves, and it didn't matter, because he was still alive.
That blow had been hard and fast enough to snap bones and rupture flesh. Gloom limped and staggered a couple of steps, trying to get his breath back, and as he turned to the side, Prey saw why the Sargent had been able to get back up at all. The armour plate on Gloom's upper right flank had taken the hit. It had saved the Sargent's leg, and quite probably his life, but even from back here Prey, could see the metal was badly misshapen.
Gloom let out a hiss between his teeth and pushed Scenic off. The thestral had managed to hold onto his spear despite getting knocked for a loop, and raising it, he started limping back towards the fight.
"Any time now Corporal!" He shouted again, voice hoarse with pain.
"I'm ready. Quick, keep it distracted." Shimmer called. Prey looked, and saw the unicorn with the compass object floating above his horn.
Keep it distracted? Much easier said than done.
Perhaps some unknown parameter in the spell matrix of what passed for the scarecrow's brain triggered, or perhaps the thing actually did have ears and understood words, because it abruptly switched from trying to violently kill Crimson and Atlas, and skitter-charged at Shimmer instead.
"Oh no you don't." Lilly shouted, and with suicidal stupidity jumped bravely into the scarecrow's path.
"Lilly run!" Gloom yelled.
Lilly stared into the rotting pumpkin face of the golem baring down on her and did not flinch.
Somehow over the sounds of panic, Prey heard her mutter to herself, "This'd better finally work. It's now or never."
The blue shine of Lilly Blossom's magic changed to a pink, and flashed right as the scarecrow reached her.
The vibrating, ringing *CloOoOoOm* sound, like a bird smacking into a glass window, but magnified a hundred fold filled the forest. The scarecrow rebounded backwards.
Underneath her shimmering pink shield still vibrating from the impact, Lilly had been driven to her knees, gasping. Prey hadn't thought the unicorn knew a shielding spell, yet somehow in the do-or-die moment, she'd successfully pulled it off.
"Ha! Take that, you overgrown straw bale." Lilly panted in triumph. Then the scarecrow regained its footing and in its single minded focus, instead of going around the magical pink barrier in its path, it simply charged again.
Beneath the smooth, pink tinted shield, Prey saw Lilly's ears fell flat, "Oh sugar!"
The scarecrow impacted Lilly's barrier for a second time, and this time, it didn't stop.
Lilly was harshly crushed flat to the ground beneath her own shield as the scarecrow went right over the top of her. Her shield was the only thing which kept the scarecrow's sharp legs from going straight through Lilly's head, helmet not withstanding, its legs finding purchase on the magical surface as the shield bowed inwards under the golem's weight.
"Lilly!" Scenic was yelling, forgetting about Gloom who he was supposed to be helping as he saw Lilly's plight.
The shield almost collapsed, almost. It bowed inwards to less than a few inches from Lilly's furiously sparking horn, the mare straining, but the scarecrow wasn't interested in finishing its trapped victim off. Its target was still very much Shimmer, Lilly had merely gotten in the way.
But now Crimson and Atlas were there too, Lilly's act of stupidity had delayed the scarecrow for the few seconds it took for both of them to get in front of the scarecrow again, and Gloom now stumbled back into the fight as well.
Scenic rushed over to where Lilly still lay stunned, her shield spell starting to flicker and die, "Come on Lilly, get up. Let me help you." He shouted, trying to get to Lilly out from under her shield while Gloom, Crimson, and Atlas surrounded the scarecrow.
Surrounded, what an inaccurate word.
The three of might have the scarecrow in their midst, but it was not it who was trapped. They were the ones in danger, yet Crimson did not hesitate to jump up, a flap of his wings giving him extra height, and slashed at the scarecrows legs, trying to hit something in the joint.
"Got it!" Shimmer shouted. Prey's attention darted back to the unicorn for a second to see that the compass tracker thing he'd held had split in two. One half remained with Shimmer, and the other darted forwards in his green aura. The little half wove above the scarecrows head, then jabbed down onto the middle of the golem's back.
'Why doesn't he use his sword and do the same?' Prey briefly wondered, before remembering that normal blades had so far achieved nothing.
The scarecrow didn't notice the tracker landing, and by some magical means, nor was the tracker shaken off when the scarecrow jerked forwards at Shimmer again.
The unicorn had a light of triumph in his eyes, but when the scarecrow charged him again, ignoring the other three Guards harrying it, his look vanished and he retreated.
"C'mon Lilly." Scenic was begging Lilly, pulling the groggy mare to her hooves.
"I've got this, I can do this, just watch me." She was mumbling, pressing a hoof to her horn.
And Prey? Prey was useless. All he was doing was hiding behind a tree and watching this all unfold. He was even less use than Scenic at this moment, but there was nothing he could contribute to the fight.
Now he could only watch helplessly as Crimson, the one person he owed, threw himself into the scarecrows path to protect Shimmer, a Border Guard, and a unicorn.
---I---
[[[Reference Sketch - Kindersnatch concept art]]]