Twilight Sparkle read through the letter for the fifteenth time as she paced worriedly about Ponyville’s Books and Branches Library. “This must be serious. Why else would the Princess send a squad of - ?”
“Twilight!” a young male voice yelled out from atop a bookshelf. Spike, the purple mare’s green and purple dragon assistant, was busy placing the books on military etiquette back where they belonged. “You need to calm down. We grew up in the castle. The Princess said she would be sending ponies we know.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about,” the mare replied.
“Really?” the dragon asked. If he had proper eyebrows they would have gone so far up they would have threatened to pop off his head.
“Well, kind of,” Twilight conceded. “What I’m more concerned about is that the Princess feels sending some of the guards to be even necessary.”
“She’s just looking out for you, Twilight.” Spike rapidly descended the ladder and landed on the floor with a soft thud.”Besides, you’re going deep into the Everfree Forest. You’ll need them if you run into anything out there.”
“I’ve been through the Everfree alone before, Spike.” Before the dragon could retort a loud knocking came from the door. Twilight jumped and began to mutter under her breath. “Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no....”
Spike rolled his eyes for the sixth time that day and opened the door. “Hello,” he said cheerfully.
At the door stood four golden-armored stallions, a pair of unicorns and a pair of pegasi. The unicorns had coats of grey and manes of white, while the pegasi were a pure white with a two-toned blue mane and tail. Each one was wearing the same half-bored expression that may as well have been regulation when dealing with the public.
“Hello Spike,” one of the pegasi replied. “May we come in?” The dragon stepped aside without a word and closed the door. The guards looked around the library as though to make sure there was nopony else in there before they let out a collective sigh. “Finally,” one of them muttered.
“My jaw,” another moaned, rubbing at it with a hoof.
“Quit your whining,” one of the unicorns joked, nudging his complaining colleague in the ribs.
Twilight and Spike looked at each other, the guards, each other, then the guards again. “What’s going on?”
One of the pegasi cleared his throat. “Miss Sparkle, we are here to escort you to the site of the magical anomaly you reported to Princess Celestia earlier today,” he said in the authoritative monotone the Royal Guard was famous for. “It’s good to see you again, Miss Sparkle,” he added, a warm smile breaking through and his voice softening.
“I-it’s good to see you again too, Lieutenant Storm Surge,” Twilight replied uneasily. She hadn’t remembered any of the guards ever being this warm and friendly. In truth, she was a little scared.
The other pegasus guard seemed to pick up on this and stood next to his partner. “All that expressionless stuff is just an act we have to do. Around the Princesses, we’re pretty relaxed. As you’re Princess Celestia’s personal protege and an Element Bearer, we’ve decided to extend that honour to you.”
Twilight opened and closed her mouth repeatedly for a moment. “T-thank you,” she eventually stammered out. “I’m not sure what to say.”
“Don’t worry about it, ma’am,” one of the unicorns replied. “Just remember that in public you still have to treat us like guards instead of normal ponies.”
That statement raised a chorus of laughter from the Royal Guards, though it was quickly quelled. “Okay, everypony,” Lieutenant Storm Surge said authoritatively, “get in position, Standard Escort Formation. Arcane Light, you’re on left flank. Firebolt, you’re right. Nimbus Strike, you’ll be bringing up the rear.”
Within moments the guard ponies had taken their positions around Twilight, their military discipline and efficiency returning in full force. She looked ahead and cleared her throat. “Lead the way, lieutenant.”
The trek through the forest passed in relative peace. Lieutenant Storm Surge and the other guards passed the time by talking with Twilight Sparkle about how life had been before she had been sent to Ponyville. For the most part that involved gentle ribbing about her dangerously unhealthy study habits and lust for knowledge. In turn, Twilight made fun of the time she had outdone Arcane Light and Firebolt in a challenge when she had been 15.
They were brought to an abrupt halt when Storm Surge brought a hoof up. “Hold up,” he whispered. He sniffed the air. “You smell that?”
Firebolt was the first to answer. “Burning hair.” He turned to the mare they were escorting. “How far are we from the anomaly?”
Twilight closed her eyes and focused on how it had felt, like tearing fabric and warping metal, her horn illuminated in a muted purple glow. “About half an hour in that direction,” she replied, pointing a little to the left of the lieutenant.
“That’s the same direction the smell’s coming from,” Arcane Light muttered.
“Okay everypony, be on your guard. Miss Sparkle, if things look to be too dangerous, I want you to teleport back to Ponyville and ask the Princess for reinforcements. Ask for Princess Luna’s Night Watch, they have better combat training than the Solar Flare does. Is that clear?”
Twilight nodded nervously, worried by the tone Storm Surge had taken. He obviously expected trouble of some sort. Slowly the group approached the area, the two pegasi hovering to allow them to enter combat quicker if the need arose.
Their reactions upon seeing the corpse of the manticore were a mix of relief and worry. Manticores were notoriously hard to kill, and whatever had killed this one had done so with apparent ease. A quick investigation revealed multiple lacerations and stab wounds, deep gouges and second degree burns all over its face. Arcane Light was able to identify the cause of death: multiple entry wounds to the throat, severing the windpipe and major blood vessels. Its passing had been mercifully quick. “The body’s still warm,” Arcane muttered. “Whatever did this is still close.”
Twilight was not made of the same stuff the guards were. Her stomach rebelled at the sight of the corpse and, despite her best efforts, she couldn’t hold down her meal.
“It’s never easy,” Nimbus Strike said when she returned, wiping her mouth with a hoof.
“I could track whoever did this,” Arcane Light said, horn glowing.
“No,” Storm Surge replied. “We’re here to investigate the anomaly, not track down somepony with a grudge against the local manticores.”
“Sir, I think Arcane has the right idea,” Firebolt interjected. “Look at these.”
All five ponies leaned in to get a closer look. In the mud was a strange animal track, like nothing any of them had seen before. It was just over twice as long as it was wide and deep, indicating that whatever had left it was heavy. A quick investigation revealed another just like it, and a third that was similar but different. This one was pointed at one end making one wonder just what they had encountered.
Twilight looked at the strange print and focused on it, trying to find similarities. To her dismay it was just like the anomaly except on a smaller scale. “Lieutenant, whatever made these came from the anomaly. I think we should follow.”
“Okay then,” Storm Surge said forcefully. What was meant to be a simple walk had managed to turn into something very different and very dangerous very fast. “We’ll track this thing or things down. Nimbus, take to the air and see if you can locate them.”
The other pegasus took to the sky and was back in less than a minute. “I found them, sir,” Nimbus reported, slightly out of breath. “Three figures, all standing on two legs. Two appear to be armored, one in metal, the other in cloth. The third seems defenseless, but considering what was done to the manticore I doubt that. The armored ones appear to be armed, as well.”
“Okay then. We’ll approach them and try to determine why they’re here. Miss Sparkle,” he turned to the mare, “I am ordering you to return and call for reinforcements. If they prove hostile, I want to make sure that we can eliminate them as quickly as possible, lest Ponyville be put at risk.”
“But what if they’re not?” she replied, incredibly uneasy about the situation.
Storm Surge thought for a moment. “Try and see if you can get the Princesses themselves to assist. Tell them everything you must.”
Twilight Sparkle nodded. With a loud pop and a flash of purple light she disappeared.
Storm turned to the remaining ponies. “Arcane, Firebolt, you’re with me. Nimbus, see if you can’t make a cloud or two, try and catch them off guard.”
“Sir,” he replied with a salute as he took off. Storm Surge gulped loudly as he led the two unicorns towards the mysterious creatures, not knowing what he was getting himself into.
Author's Note:
Because you guys are so damn pushy! If it's not much good then I blame you all!
Next chapter, there will be much confusion.