//------------------------------// // XIV - Taking Stock // Story: The Power of Freedom // by Greatazuredragon //------------------------------// Taking Stock Sure Shot stared at the incongruously bright sky for a moment with tired eyes as the few remaining bits of her rational mind screamed that it was supposed to be night! With a firm shake of her head, she banished the thought away and concentrated back into the moment. She had far more important things to do than gape at the newest impossibility the crazy trio had somehow caused. “Gather all the injured around the central bonfire!” she commanded to Forge Fire and the ponies by the blacksmith’s side, while she did her level best to ignore the bone deep tiredness that was plaguing her body, stubbornly remaining on her hooves instead of collapsing into the ground as her muscles kept screaming at her to do. “We’ve got to check everypony for frostbite and make sure nopony’s injuries are infected! Coordinate with the elder, he will know what to do!” The red-coated mare seemed to hesitate for a moment, before, with a final gaze of her own towards the now clear skies, and to the crazy green pegasus calmly talking with the two other impossibilities slowly walking their way alongside Forest’s exhausted looking form, she nodded and trotted away in search of Old Oak. “Woodcutter, did you get those blankets?” Sure Shot asked the lumberjack, upon noticing the stallion emerging from one of the houses alongside three other ponies, all of them carrying large bundles upon their backs. “We have to make sure everypony who got injured remains as warm as possible and gets some rest until they can be healed!” “Got it,” the stallion replied with a nod even as he passed the pile of blankets he had been carrying to another earth pony that was rushing towards where she could see Old Oak was already starting to treat the injured. All the blankets that is, except for a single one that remained on his hooves for a moment before being offered to the exhausted looking sea green mare. “What?” the ranger asked in both confusion and slight annoyance as she stared at the fluffy blanket being practically shoved at her face that was stopping her from trotting off to see what else had to be done. “What the buck do you think you are doing?” “You said to give a blanket to anypony who was injured,” the beige-coated stallion answered as if it was obvious, once again offering said blanket to the now glowering ranger. “So here, for you.” “Oh, buck it all,” Sure Shot spat back as she shoved the hoof carrying the fluffy item back towards Woodcutter. She didn’t have time for any of this nonsense! She had to make sure everything was alright after the attack by those freakish ghost horses! “I told both you and Forge Fire plenty of times already, I’m fine! Now go help the injured!” The very dubious look the stallion gave her as an answer only made her want to grind her teeth. She was fine, damn it all! Sure, she was kinda swaying in place a little. And her body did feel colder than normal. And her hooves did feel like they were filled with lead every time she attempted to move them. But that was nothing! She was fine! “Sure Shot-“ the lumberjack started to say, only for the ranger to once more push the blanket back to him and take a firm step towards the outskirts of the newly erected medical area. “There’s no time for this nonsense! We have to make sure none of those freakish things remain around the village!” she firmly stated one final time. She took several more wobbly steps away from the warmth of the bonfires as she kept herself standing through sheer force of will. “Now stop wasting time and go help the injured!” And with that final order Sure Shot took hold of her bow and started towards the outskirts proper. Or, at least, that had been her intention. After taking but three measly steps, the ground swayed in an unpredictable manner underneath her hooves, making her lose her footing and slip straight towards the cold earth. She cursed underneath her breath as she readied herself for the fall. But a single moment before she hit the ground, Sure Shot found herself floating within the grip of a blue magical aura. “Easy there! You really shouldn’t be exerting yourself like that!” Zelda dutifully said, helping Sure Shot back into an upright position as she quickly approached the ranger still held firm within her magic. The fact that it was a unicorn that was helping her stand upright would have made Sure Shot curse and push the horn head away but a few hours ago out of sheer principle due to her distrust and anger of the horned tribe! The fact that said horn-head was using magic on her person of all things to do so would’ve only aggravated the issue! A few short hours ago she would’ve rather hit her muzzle and lay on the cold ground than trust a horn-head to not have ulterior motives for helping an earth pony, much less allow one of them to hold her with their freaky magic! But this particular horn-head had just helped her to save the village and all of her friends from a bucking army of freakish ghost horses in the span of those very same few short hours. So, despite the fact that a considerable part of her mind kept yelling at her to push the horn-head away and get free immediately before something bad happened, Sure Shot was willing to overlook Zelda’s tribe for the time being and offer her some small measure of trust. Even if said decision caused decidedly mixed feelings in her and made most of her instincts rebel and scream. “Look, thanks for the help, but I need to go and make sure everything is alright,” she woodenly said after taking a deep breath and biting back the slew of curses she had almost spat out by reflex. Zelda was somewhat of an ally right now, and so deserved some measure of respect. “So if you could let me go, that would be great!” “Sure Shot, you have depleted your magical reserves in their entirety,” Zelda gently admonished as her eyes took in a deep blue tinge as she observed the sea green mare’s form, not showing any sign that she intended to comply with Sure Shot’s request. “You need to rest, not go gallivanting around.” “Look, thanks for the concern, but I can’t waste time like that!” the ranger retorted with a tinge of anger as she tried to make contact with the ground so she could get moving already, to no avail. “I gotta make sure everypony is alright! Besides, I’m fine!” “Sure Shot, quite frankly I’m astounded that you are still conscious,” the unicorn admonished once again as she let out a tiny, aggravated huff. “You are in no condition to go anywhere!” “I already told you that I’m fine!” Sure Shot angrily rebuked to the white unicorn, all the while she leveled the fretting form of Woodcutter, who had been taking advantage of her bound floating state to start to cover her with the bucking blanket she had already told him she had no need of, a glare. “Tend to the others! I’m going to make sure none of those things are still around! I can rest when that’s done with!” With those words she attempted to free herself from both the very warm blanket that had just been wrapped around her body and the grip of Zelda’s magic with slightly shaking hooves, while trying to find some traction on the ground beneath her in order to move out of Zelda’s magical grip. All the while, the earth pony mare stubbornly ignored the bone deep tiredness that was plaguing her body, or how the floor seemed to be swaying side to side a little under her, or how there were annoying black spots blinking in and out of focus in the corner of her eyes. She was fine! Buck it all, she had no time to be placed in a bed like she was an invalid or something! There was simply too much to be done after those creatures attacked for her to laze around like this! She wasn’t even injured! “Do not even think about it,” Zelda’s aristocratic voice made a shiver run down Sure Shot’s spine despite the incongruously gentle tone it had. The words had not been shouted, nor had they been spoken harshly; point in fact, the inflection and tone they had carried had been nothing but perfectly polite and soothing. And yet, the ranger somehow couldn’t help but stop all motion the moment she heard those words and Zelda leveled at her a deeply unimpressed look. “But-” she attempted to protest, only to be immediately cut off by the white-coated unicorn. “That was not a request, young lady.” Zelda firmly stated as she started to float Sure Shot’s now blanket wrapped form a few inches above the ground proper. “But-“ the sea green mare attempted to interject once again, to no avail. “You are currently suffering from severe magical exhaustion and have depleted the entirety of your magical reserves and almost all of your stamina, a situation which, if left untreated, could easily lead to severe complications to your health and land you into a coma,” Zelda explained in a tone of voice that brooked no arguments as she looked the ranger straight in the eye. “But I gotta help!” she pleaded, hating how weak that made her sound. The protection of the village was her responsibility! She couldn’t fail her fellow ponies! Not after almost failing so miserably during the attack! “I have to help!” Zelda, for her part, stared at the floating ranger for a long moment, before she closed her eyes and let out a tired huff as she mumbled underneath her breath about stubborn idiots that really should know better. “Stay inside that blanket and save your strength, do so and I will help you stay awake without risk to your health so that you can help coordinate the efforts alongside Old Oak as I help him tend to the injured,” Zelda firmly stated as she started to move towards where Old Oak was already tending to the injured, Sure Shot floating right beside her inside the unicorn’s blue magical grip. “You shall accept these terms, or I shall render you unconscious for your own good. Am I clear?” “Fine,” Sure Shot grumbled her agreement. Slightly annoyed at the situation, but somewhat mollified that at least she would be of some help this way instead of shoved aside like a dead weight. “Excellent,” the white-coated mare simply replied as she trotted towards their destination and a moment of silence descended between the two of them. “Hey, Zelda?” Sure Shot hesitantly asked after a few moments, a plethora of emotions battling for dominance on her features as she spoke. “Yes?” the unicorn asked as she turned her head slightly in order to better see the ranger’s face. Sure Shot moved her mouth without making a single sound for a few moments longer, before her features settled into a determined look and she looked the unicorn straight in the eyes. “Thanks for the arrows,” she sincerely spoke in a barely audible tone of voice, eyes locked into the horn-head’s own blue orbs. “You‘re welcome,” Zelda replied with a small smile, a small smile that was tentatively answered by the earth pony ranger as they reached the warmth of the bonfires. For what felt like the third time in so many minutes Old Oak found himself having to fight back the urge to stare at the impossibly bright sky that had somehow replaced the dark, storm ridden night that had been overhead but moments ago. But in the end, his sense of duty and responsibility pushed aside his incredulity and bafflement as he kept seeing to the injured alongside Zelda. He could always ponder about how little he actually knew about the mysteries of the world and what was really possible or not later. For now, tending to his fellow ponies took precedence. There was a myriad of injuries ranging from cuts, bruises, slashes and puncture wounds plaguing his fellow ponies, not to mention varying levels of frostbite, but thankfully none of the injuries were life threatening or beyond his ability to heal. This, alongside Zelda’s healing spells, meant that there would thankfully be no long term repercussions to this dreadful business. “We have to make sure there aren’t any stragglers near the village!” a slightly miffed looking Sure Shot said from the cocoon of blankets she was nested within right next to a large fire, a sight that nearly brought a smile to the elder’s face despite everything that had just happened. Seeing the headstrong ranger bundled up inside the blankets with only her head poking out was something he could sincerely say he had never expected to see. And even if he had no idea how exactly Zelda had gotten the stubborn mare to listen to reason for a change and at least lay down for some rest, he was nonetheless thankful for it. “If even one of them remains we could soon be buried by a whole new wave of those freakish things!” “Leave it to me! I c-“ Forest Blossom started to say with a confident tone of voice as she proceeded to push her own blanket away and try to rise up upon slightly shaky hooves. Only to stop talking and freeze in place as both Old Oak and Zelda leveled very unimpressed looks at the equally stubborn orange-coated mare. “You will do no such thing, my dear,” the old stallion fiercely stated. He may not have a single idea what exactly it was that Ganondorf had taught the mare to allow her to hit the ice wraiths with her hooves, but the obvious fact that it had left Forest almost as exhausted as Sure Shot was clear for all to see. “You need to rest, not to be gallivanting out in the woods!” “Indeed, you are in no condition to undertake such an endeavor, neither of you are,” Zelda added her two bits even as she finished healing an awestruck looking villager that seemed unable to believe his wounds had been healed already. “She does have a point though, we really should make sure there aren’t any more of those things around,” Woodcutter uneasily stated as he threw some more branches onto the fire in order to keep the cold at bay. Old Oak couldn’t help but nod in agreement; yes it was a valid concern that had to be dealt with. Only, not by the two headstrong mares that seemed determined to fall unconscious due to sheer exhaustion and pure stubbornness! Thankfully, Ganondorf’s gruff voice answered the lumberjack’s words before they could get any more ideas. “Eh, why not?” the massive earth pony nonchalantly stated as he rose to his hooves from where he had been sitting to the side as he examined his equally massive broadsword. “I can check the outskirts for any stragglers. It beats sitting here doing nothing and goddess knows that me helping tend to the injured is a bad idea!” The fact that the last statement caused Zelda to let out an amused snort and a small smile to appear on Link’s face told Old Oak that there was probably a story there. But now was not the time to try and inquire about it. “Your help would most definitely be greatly appreciated, my good stallion,” the elder said as he gave the brown-coated pony a small grateful smile even as he finished applying some ointment to the bruises at the side of his latest patient. “Whatever,” the large stallion grumbled as he holstered his sword on his back and rolled his shoulders around as he turned towards the green pegasus by his side. “So, Kid, how about you put those wings of yours to some use scouting further afield while I secure the perimeter? It would be nice knowing where exactly within those snow clouds over yonder the next wave of those annoyances are.” For his part Link simply nodded his head once in agreement, before with a sudden gale the green pegasus disappeared from where he had been standing but a second ago. Only the fact that a green blur was already disappearing at high speed towards the northern horizon showed what had just happened. “Always on the move,” Ganondorf stated with a chuckle as he also started away towards the outskirts of the village, completely unminding of the impossible display of speed that had just been shown or of the gawping ponies all around that were either staring at the quickly disappearing green blur or looking at his own large form with wonder. A moment of silence then occurred, as Old Oak and Zelda kept tending to the wounded and everypony else either stared at the retreating form of the massive stallion carrying a humongous magical sword or at the sky where Link had already disappeared from view. A moment of silence that lasted until Forge Fire shook her head and turned her bewildered eyes towards her fellow earth ponies. “Okay, so I know that a lot has happened in far too little time, most of it bucking insane, but just checking something,” the blacksmith hesitatingly said as she massaged the back of her neck, as if unsure about her own words. “So, call me crazy, but back during the fight, did Link kinda use that flute of his to turn night into da-“ “No, he did not,” Old Oak fiercely interjected in an inarguable tone of voice as he leveled a fierce warning stare at the now very confused and uncomfortable looking blacksmith. A look that apparently Forest Blossom missed completely, as she immediately replied. “I’m sorry, Elder, but , even as exhausted as I was, I’m quite sure that he did summon the sun wit-” the orange-coated mare started to say, only to stop mid sentence as the elder turned the full brunt of his glare straight at her. “Let’s make something perfectly clear, yes?” Old Oak firmly stated in a deceptively pleasant tone of voice as he looked each and every single earth pony around him straight in the eyes, causing the wave of mutters and whispers that had been gaining strength to swiftly disappear. “Our green pegasus friend did not do something that, if it ever reached the ears of most of the unicorn nobility, or good part of the pegasi leadership for that matter, would quite possibly cause open warfare to erupt between their tribes. Especially right now when we are facing what looks like an invasion of ice wraiths and need to stand together more than ever before to have any hope of survival. Are. We. Clear?” A moment of tense and uncomfortable silence permeated the area the moment that he finished his question and the ponies truly processed what it would mean if the unicorn nobility were to learn that a pegasus had controlled the celestial orbs. The control of the sun and the moon was one of the unicorns’ greatest trump cards in their dealings with the other tribes, and as such the fact that a non-unicorn could somehow do what, for generations, was thought to be impossible, and as such destroy said trump card, could turn things ugly. Fast. They simply couldn’t afford for that to happen, not with those wraiths about to invade their lands. Not if there was to be any hope of avoiding the future Zelda had foretold. If there was to be any chance of the Three Tribes surviving what was to come, they would have to work together. And as such he would make damn sure that everypony present realized that nothing odd had just happened! End of story! “Here! I brought all the supplies you asked me to bring so that we can tend to everypony!” Singing Blossom happily proclaimed as she popped up while carrying her small saddlebags. Her cheerfully bouncing form and huge smile as she neared them unknowingly broke the tension that had descended upon the group. “Though, since I wasn’t certain about everything that we are going to treat I thought it would be best if I brought a little of everything! “I got the aloe vera goop, the crushed garlic cloves, some turmeric milk, the smelly poultices you told me I can’t make yet but that are good for both fever and treating cuts, that tasty smelling paste of onions and honey that helps healing faster, peppermint, lavender, chamomile…” the tiny filly dutifully said as she stopped right next to the elder and Zelda and proceeded to remove each item from the ordinary looking saddle bag resting at her sides as she spoke their names. An action that served to finish what remained of the tension completely, as the gathered earth ponies either gaped or stared in incredulity as the small filly kept removing more and more items from the even smaller tiny compartment and causing an ever growing pile of medicinal supplies that dwarfed Singing’s form to appear. “…and plenty of fresh wraps and bandages for the wounds! Did I forget something? “No, Singing, you did not. Well done,” Old Oak praised the filly as he started to sort the fresh supplies while he pushed the incredulous questions about how exactly their three saviors had so many enchanted items to the back of his mind. Helping and tending to his fellow ponies had to come first. Incredulity and bewilderment could wait until later. Wonder Bolt flew one final time around the perimeter of the village’s center, nothing but willpower keeping his bone tired muscles moving, as he made sure that the remainder of the squad had landed safely at the hive of activity that had taken over the front of the village elder’s house, where what looked like a makeshift field hospital was being built under both Old Oak and Zelda’s firm instructions. As he slowly landed he examined his fellow flight mates as he made sure that nopony who had been injured was attempting to play it tough and not seek immediate medical aid, something he was glad to see apparently wasn’t happening. Pushing to the back of his mind the small deferential nods and looks of respect his fellow pegasi were giving him, something that had literally never happened to him before and that quite frankly unnerved him a little, he continued with his self imposed inspection in order to make sure that all the five pegasi standing at attention before him had nothing but light cuts and gashes that posed no immediate threat to their health and as such could be excused from immediately going to the healers as the rest of the squad had already done. “Sir, the remainder of the squad is already being treated by the war mage and the earth pony healer,” a pegasus that Bolt knew had derided and insulted him more than once in the past spoke to him with nothing but respect in his voice as he saluted the scout, before he continued with his impromptu report. “There were no fatalities in our ranks, but less than half our number is currently flight capable, and nopony has escaped injury free.” “Good work, soldier,” he replied with a sigh of relief at the news that somehow they hadn’t lost anypony to the wraiths’ seemingly unending horde, even as a voice inside his head questioned in bewilderment why exactly was that report being given to him of all ponies, or why the buck the soldier was saluting him of all pegasi? It wasn’t like he had any kind of ranking on the squad, after all! And talking about ranking members of the squad. “Where is sergeant Fierce Breeze?” “Sir, sergeant Fierce Breeze ordered us to land and tend to our injured as she made a final recon of the surrounding area for any of those creatures remaining!” the pony that apparently hadn’t gotten the memo that Bolt wasn’t part of the chain of command continued his report, hoof firmly raised in a picture perfect salute. “See to your injuries then and get some rest, I will go find and offer support to the sergeant!” he immediately replied as he inwardly cursed as he remembered the battered and injured covered state the mare had been last he had seen her, a memory that made him question what the buck she thought she was doing by not immediately going to see the medic! All the while trying not to think too deeply at his flight mates’ odd behavior towards his own person. “Sir, yes, sir!” all five pegasi replied as one before they started to slowly move towards the healers to see to the myriad of gashes and cuts that littered their forms. Wonder Bolt simply blinked in confused astonishment for a moment, before with a shake of his head he decided that he was too tired to even try to make sense of this utterly bizarre turn of events. He had to find Fierce Breeze and make sure she was okay, then he could proceed to see to his own injuries and collapse somewhere for some much needed rest. Afterwards he could try and make sense of things. Thankfully for the very tired azure-coated pony, as he had but started to flap his leaden feeling wings in an attempt to take flight a firm voice called to him from above telling him exactly were the second in command of the squad was. “Bolt, status report!” Fierce Breeze bellowed as she landed right next to him on unsteady legs and his fellow pegasi stopped and saluted the pink mare. The deep red stains covering several patches of her pink coat, the sweat that covered her brow, and the way her wings kept trembling before she firmly folded them against her sides told Bolt that the mare really should had gone to see the healers already. But as he opened his mouth to say just that, the glare Fierce Breeze leveled at him made him rethink his priorities. “Ma’am! There have been no casualties, and we have started tending to our injured as best as we can! Only six members of the squad remain flight capable though, and nopony is uninjured!” he dutifully reported while also directly placing the sergeant amidst the rank of those that weren’t currently flight capable. “Quite a few of our flight have injuries ranging from cuts and gashes, up to varying levels of frostbite, but nothing immediately life-threatening. Especially with the fact the war mage is tending to all injured with the aid of the earth ponies!” “Good! See to the injured as best as you can, afterwards get the more intact members of the squad patched up and start a staggered patrol of the surrounding area! Do not exhaust yourselves, but I want a tight search pattern all around the village’s air space! If those things come back I want it to be known on the double!” she commanded as her eyes warily took in the dark snow clouds in the distance, a scowl firm on her muzzle. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” Bolt and his remaining flight mates spoke as one. But taking in the clearly exhausted and injured form of the squad’s second in command, Wonder Bolt decided to take the plunge and try and suggest that the mare go seek some medical help and rest a little. “Ma’am, if I may be so bold, don’t you think you sh-“ “Now, Bolt, listen up!” Fierce Breeze barked as she effectively stopped him from speaking any further as she took two wobbly steps towards the azure-coated pegasus. “You are in charge of the squad for the moment, do not buck it up! Am I clear?! “Ma’am?” Bolt asked in utter bewilderment, convinced that he couldn’t have heard her right. “I asked, am I clear?!” the mare fiercely repeated as she moved even closer to the scout until their muzzles were nearly touching each other as she stared straight into his eyes. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” the very confused and thoroughly cowed scout immediately replied more out of habit than anything else, even as his mind wondered what the buck had just happened! “Good! Do not disappoint me, scout!” the sergeant said with a satisfied nod as she took a step backwards. “Now, if that’s all, I think I’m going to pass out.” And with those words, Fierce Breeze proceeded to do exactly as she said as the second in command of the squad proceeded to fall to the ground in an unconscious heap that Bolt barely had time to jump forward to catch before she hit the ground. “Medic!” the now more than slightly panicked scout shouted as he proceeded towards where Zelda was as swiftly as he could as he carried Fierce Breeze, his equally panicked flight mates hot on his hoofsteps. “Well, that’s not good.” Link muttered to himself as he gazed at the raging blizzard that covered nearly everything in sight as he peeked from his hiding place amidst the topmost clouds of the ice storm, the smothering, swirling white mass only being broken by the pale blue figures of the equine specters that were galloping and shrieking all around it. The Wielder of Courage calmly took in everything all around him for a few moments longer, as he analyzed everything that there was to see at this particular spot. Then he rose from his half crouching position and started to fly away to another location before the creatures could detect him. He paid little mind to the arctic winds that were buffeting his form at this altitude, as he focused both on what he had seen and remaining undetected by the ghostly horde madly screeching all around him. He idly took cover behind some dark clouds as a pair of the creatures rushed away through the sky, before he continued onwards. This had been the third area of the horizon spanning blizzard he had investigated so far, and what he had seen up to this point was more than slightly problematic. There were easily hundreds, if not thousands, of the wraiths scattered throughout the massive storm. And if they all possessed the same multiplying abilities that the wraiths that had attacked the village had displayed, that meant that the army that was currently galloping amidst the frozen winds could easily become a horde at a moments notice as they moved southwards alongside the storm. And that was not even mentioning the problem caused by the storm itself. He swiftly dove towards the ground in order to take cover beneath the snow laden trees as five more wraiths galloped into view and started to screech and shriek at each other. And while he waited for the creatures to move away so he could continue on his way he pondered the current situation and what it meant to the village but a few hundred miles to the south of his current position. An opposing force with a vast numerical advantage, terrible fighting conditions, the presence of non-combatants that had to be protected, and a complete lack of defensive fortifications to use. He had faced worse odds in the past, yes, but not that often, and rarely with results that he could call acceptable in regards to collateral damage despite emerging victorious at the end of them more often than not. If it was simply a case of numerical superiority he was certain that he and his fellow Triforce Wielders could easily carry on the defense of the village with little trouble while minimizing the casualties amidst the ponies. But sadly, it wasn’t a mere case of numerical advantage. Link scraped his hoof atop the snow covered ground. His brow furrowed as he confirmed that beneath the foot deep covering of snow there was a very solid looking layer of ice covering the ground. He then proceeded to look at the dead leafless trees all but smothered by an equally thick white mantle of snow, the large lake that was frozen solid all the way through but a few steps away, the complete lack of signs of life as far as his senses could reach, and finally to the sky that was hidden from view by the gargantuan blizzard that stretched as far as the eye could see. Yes, this was most definitely not merely a case of a numerically superior force. “Not good at all,” Link concluded with a solemn nod as another freezing gale of wind battered his body and the temperature seemed to drop even lower. With one final look around he confirmed that there were none of the creatures in his immediate vicinity and took flight towards the village as fast as he could while making sure to remain unnoticed. The others had to be informed about this as quickly as possible.