Luminescent mushrooms dotted the forest path, granting enough light to make one forget that the dense canopy prevented the sun's rays from reaching the earth. Tree roots occasionally lifted up from under packed soil like an animal stretching its legs after a long nap. Birds called out in seemingly organized chorus. Long forgotten roads and new paths alike has been reclaimed by the ancient forest, and attempts to forge new trails were routinely thwarted by the mischievous trees. To say the world had changed was an understatement. To say that the world had been replaced was much closer to the truth. The Everfree Forest had always been a thriving nest of secrets, and after the event known as the Dawn of Chaos: its mysteries tallied higher than a prominent Dragon's hoard.
Maud stopped thinking about the fate of the rest of Equestria years ago. Such things were best left to the Unicorns who were willing to spend their lives looking for answers that didn’t exist. She instead chose to focus her efforts on things she could manage.
Her armor consisted of scaled plates forged from dark metal that consumed light instead of being illuminated. She did not wear the standard helmet because the light eating material hindered the wearer’s vision unless they possessed magic to counter it the otherworldly hunger. It was very reasonable to assume that the Dark King still had his old ambitions of conquest and he was very aware that if the world fell to Chaos, then there would be no world for him to conquer. The leather used for the strappings that kept the armor secure were also not part of the original design. The incredibly thick and insulated material was a gift from a Yak settlement. Maud felt it to be a tad macabre that she was literally wearing the hide of someone she might have once known, but could respect the symbolism of the idea of being protected by warriors who fell defending their homes. She also could respect the fact that only Sombra’s forces were gifted small amounts of the material; as his soldiers made the bulk of the defenses keeping the more Chaotic lands outside the realm. The Earth Mare wondered if the Yaks would be persuaded to assist Sombra if he set his sights on global domination. Boulder believed it to be inevitable, and he was often right when it came to such topics. Boulder did correctly predict which Dragon clans would take up arms to slow the spread of Chaos and which ones would willingly resign themselves into his new world.
The brief musings of the Dragons pushed her mind towards her weapon, tightly gripped in her right hand. A strong shaft of strange metal that glittered like fine gems with a steel ball suitable for a canon secured to the end. The non-spiked variant of a morning star was much heavier than the traditional design and very deadly in the hands of the Earthborn Equines. Dragons rarely parted with their prized trinkets and baubles. The weapon in question was taken by force from who Maud assumed was the original owner. Maud didn't like thinking about the fight. Boulder had sustained a serious burn during the attack. Her companion didn’t blame her for any of it, but she certainly did. Even though her oldest and most valued friend wasn’t actually harmed in the encounter, she kept the memory close to heart as a lesson learned about the limits in her ability to protect others. The Dragon was driven to an almost fetal state by the corrupting Chaos but presuming it would fight like a wild animal was a costly mistake.
A low pitch whistle shot out from the canopy, jarring Maud from her thoughts. The trees appeared to be vibrating as if answering the call. The subtle tremors had a unique sound of their own, almost matching the signal that broke the forest ambience. Another whistle rang out and Maud tightly gripped her weapon. A root lifted from the earth and swung at her. The knighted mare narrowly dodged and was rewarded for her instinct to swing her blunt instrument of war. A second root had lashed at her like a massive whip and cracked against the polished orb of metal. She threw herself forward, deftly avoiding a third sweeping attack from another tree. For an Earth Pony of her strength, getting into a run was reasonably simple, but she was far from the might of Big Macintosh, whom had been witnessed making leaps comparable to members of their tribe who were unencumbered by suits of steel. If the trees were nimble then there would be several problems with her chosen strategy: tactfully retreat down the old road and away from the disturbed giants.
Roots continued to tear from the earth, lashing at her at the beckoning of the hostile tenor whom remained unseen. Every step was answered by a tree obeying an order to engage. The sounds of heavy tendrils of ancient wood narrowly missing her soon overpowered the pitch that seemed to command the entire forest. The number of near misses climbed and Maud began to question the limits of her stamina. She could charge, dive, and parry roots for now but gambling her energy against the unknown number of combat ready giants of pine, birch, and oak seemed to be folly. With a stoic sigh and a vote of confidence from Boulder; she forced her mind to make a difficult decision.
To remove her armor would greatly improve the speed of her expedient march down the path. Out running the reach of the one who led the legion of trees would become a more possible conclusion to the encounter. To abandon her gear, put all her strength into fleeing, and swallow her pride as a knight; weighing all of that and more against her life and future battles to fight and win was a choice that a soldier could take without being judged by their peers. A normal Earth Pony of Maud’s status would not regret choosing to prolong their life when faced with such a daunting foe.
But Sombra's Dusk Knights were not ordinary soldiers, and Maud was no ordinary Dusk Knight.
Maud deflected another lash from another determined root. She positioned herself against an unloving giant sentinel of the forest. Her weapon was poised to batter at the next attack and she silently cursed her lack of a shield. She had gotten far without one, but today gave another sound argument for sacrificing the versatility she wielded her weapon with in favor of a more focused means of repelling blows. Roots from the awakened giants writhed and coiled as if taunting her while telegraphing intent for a more coordinated effort to strike her down. Amidst the cracking of limbs further rending of the earth, she could hear Boulder offer an observation. Maud relaxed her stance and let her weight rest against the tree that had somehow deferred itself from the warden’s draft.
“You're right” Maud uttered in her usual stoic tone. “They aren’t willing to risk striking their own kind to hit us.”
Maud took the opportunity to rest herself. She wasn’t in danger of running out of breath, but the Warden had a clear advantage from having spent a minimal amount of stamina in the ambush. As long as she remained against the neutral tree, her unseen foe would either let her be in peace or face her without the aid of the forest. Refusing to fight on a Druid’s terms was not the same as a full retreat if Maud equally refused to disengage. Vigor slowly returned to her still awakened muscles as she waited for a change. Eyes roamed the active roots of her worldly opponents and she caught the gradual receding aggression. A new pitch was stuck in the wordless melody in the air and the forest went still. The order to halt was given, and once more the trees obeyed.
Just as suddenly as the sleeping guardians of the wood rose and engaged her, they had returned to their posts. The forest became still and silent. It seemed as if the assault never happened. The population of glowing mushrooms had somehow remained undisturbed by the hundreds of lashes from lethal trees. Maud found herself admiring the discipline of the conscripted force that the Warden roused to obstruct her. Her foe would make an excellent Dusk Knight, if she herself could conform to the ridged standards and responsibilities that came with the title.
Lightning struck the forest floor with enough intensity to push the armored champion. The flash of light was nearly blinding and the sound almost deafening. The impact site of the sudden show of force was less than twenty feet away from Maud’s position. All the luminescent witnesses were once again undisturbed by the ever-escalating engagement. The ground had no visible signs of damage from a blow that could tear down the mightiest tree in the forest. Where Maud expected to see scorched earth, standing proudly, was the Warden of the untamed forest. Adorned with the hides and scales of beasts that few dared to cross and fewer succeeded. She was armed with a Bo Staff made of wood that suspiciously looked like it might have originally been flesh from some horror from beyond the stars. She stood shorter than Maud and had considerably less muscle in her mortal from, having a more dexterous physique one might expect from a Pegasus. The stance she had was undisciplined and carefree but her reputation demanded that she be regarded with the same caution as a dragon who caught you stealing an egg. Fangs from beasts unknown to Maud were tied into the Warden’s deadlocks, another testament that Tree Hugger had adapted to the changes beget by the Dawn of Chaos.
Maud locked her eyes onto the druid. The fierce gaze of the Dusk Knight was met with a whimsical smile. One weapon in a vice like grip of disciplined poise while the other casually treated as a waling stick. A soldier who came to obey a potentially grim mission handed down by a warlord, a wanderer who served neither crown, country, or God. A titan who stood against the spreading Chaos confronting another who embraced it. Their only common ground was they both wore tokens of fallen warriors as post mortem tribute to their memory. Maud silently acknowledged a rare truth: that she was facing an opponent of equal or greater strength.
“You’re a stubborn one” Tree Hugger mused gently. “Not a lot of folk get past my friends, and even less are in as good shape as you.”
“In that we are matched” Maud retorted dryly. “you made me chase you a long way from your home.”
“Chase me?” The Druid openly laughed and Maud could have sworn she heard the trees share her amusement. “You did not chase me, dear traveler. I invited you here. I thought you would reconsider a few things after seeing this forest.”
“There is nothing to reconsider. I have my orders. My King does not wish to risk having to contend with you if the Chaos twists you into something that could threaten the realm. Others share the same concern. You should be thankful that I’m the one who reached you first.”
“I am” Tree Hugger interrupted in her consistently casual tone. “I’m glad that you’re the one who caught up to me first. I appreciate the letters you’ve been sending me. I’m glad we’re still friends after everything that’s happened.”
“Don’t twist the situation” Maud replied before taking a step forward. “I wanted you to come for a reason other than I made you. I don’t know whether the changed world is already affecting you or if you were always incapable of taking things seriously; but this isn’t another round of you misinterpreting my messages. I’m here to ask you in person: please come with me. Don’t make me tell you, and please definitely don’t make me force you.”
“I really dig strong ponies. The Alpha vibes you give off really suite you.”
Indignation cascaded over Maud’s senses as the wanderer displayed casual disregard for the dire situation that led to their encounter. This was not the first time Maud had attempted to convey the very real danger that Tree Hugger was in or the danger that she could represent. There was no denying that the far traveled Druid had adapted to the changes that turned all Equestria into one of the Draconequus’ most vivid daydreams and there was no argument that her odds of remaining untouched by the spreading Chaos were significantly better than most souls that Maud herself knew. The fact that she stood as if unaware of the gravity of her situation was a clear testament to an indefatigable will. Maud gripped her weapon somehow tighter than before as she took a step forward.
“You are not nature herself” the knight coldly growled while trying to shake off the growing rage. “Take this seriously and come with me.”
“Sweet of you to offer, but my answer remains the same: you’ll have to earn me like every other child of the world has to earn a mate.”
A barbaric shout announced to the forest that Maud’s stoic demeaner had its limit pushed too far. The metal orb on her weapon gleamed in the light of the mushrooms radiance as it was raised menacingly. She moved as if unhindered by the weight of her armor, proving that the trees had failed to rob her of the ability to fight. Striding with a pace somewhere between a lunge and a disciplined march, she closed the gap between the two and made the first strike. The distinct crack of tempered metal striking old wood replaced the dimming echoes of her wordless declaration that her patience was expended. Her eyes narrowed and her blood boiled when she caught Tree Hugger’s smirk. The carefree pose was gone, replaced by a wide stance and a successful parry of the blow.
“I’m not above beating sense into you or taking you by force” the Dusk Knight barked while making a swift jab with her weapon.
“Likewise” Tree Hugger mused as a swaying motion moved her body clear of the attack and into Maud’s personal space.
More audible proof of contact between equipment forged by manual labor and decades of growth rang out as the end of the Bo Staff found Maud’s chest plate, forcing the titan several paces backwards lest she lose balance. The ferocity of the warden was not unexpected, but the sheer force behind the retaliation was not something Maud was prepared for. Trees uprooted and backed away, expanding the clearing. The strange mushrooms sprouted tiny legs and darted back after the giant sentinels. Maud barely spotted the departure of previously hidden Timberwolves quickly depart to avoid being caught in the middle of the now unavoidable clash. Tree Hugger’s whimsical expression remained while her body now assumed a more structured position. Stance wide, knees bent, weapon in both hands and wielded like a spear; the image of a playful hippie replaced by that of a beast who had been angered.
“I only need the laws set by nature” the Druid hissed as a faint turquoise glow shined in her eyes. “I don’t care if you’re here on behalf of Sombra, Celestia, Chrysalis, or Faust herself: I will not yield to the artificial web of any city. If the only way I can get that through that thick skull of yours is to force you to experience the pain of having your domestication broken: then so be it.”
Maud briefly lamented her lack of a shield once more as her opponent began her advance. The staff swung in broad arcs, each motion for the sole purpose of building momentum for a decisive blow. Her own weapon discipline was ill suited for a foe who seemed to be executing a complex, interpretive dance to an unheard beat. Boulder offered words that were more hindsight than observation. Maud could only nod in agreement as the distance between the two receded.
Maud threw her weapon with minimal effort, just enough to pose an obstacle for the force of nature. A swift thrust of the staff parried the improvised missile. The solid crack seemed to echo through the trees and for a moment, Maud had granted herself a final breath of respite before committing to what she presumed to be the fight of her life. The Dusk Knight lunged with clenched fists wrapped in metal, tanking a downward swing from the staff with her left forearm. With dexterity normally seen only in those unencumbered by layers of tempered steel, she took a step into Tree Hugger’s space and landed a quick jab to her chest. The sharp exhale was the desired result; and Maud followed with a heavier punch from her right fist. Tree Hugger stumbled back and quickly regained her balance but not quick enough to anticipate or defend against the last step in Maud’s counter attack. One hand grabbed the Druid’s shoulder and the other found her dreadlocks. With a show of the natural strength of the Earthborn tribe, she hurled the Warden at least a few yards away, her back finding one of the trees that expressed desire to stay out of the melee.
Tree Hugger crumbled from the force and seemed to be down and out. The ominously glowing eyes found Maud’s and the Knight quickly realized that all she did was consent to an escalation.
“Harder, mommy” the Druid half cackled as she rose to her feet while discarding her own weapon.
Maud watched in silence as the Druid stood back up. Either the worst had come to pass and her mind was no longer her own; or the blood of the Earthborn tribe was a lot thicker than Maud had thought. Considering the possibility that Tree Hugger might be stronger than herself was an uncomfortable thought, but not one she could afford to ignore. They both stood weaponless, silently sizing each other up with new clarity. The extent of the Warden’s power and strength were not any clearer but her intentions were now as vivid as the silence of the forest. Either Maud would be escorting Tree Hugger back to civilization or Tree Hugger would make Maud part of the consuming Chaos. Maud regained her stoic posture as she droned without emotion.
“You can’t win.”
“Neither can you” Tree Hugger replied as she began to advance. “And that’s the point. There is no winning or losing. You either survive or don’t. Everything else is an illusionary sidestep: a distraction from how we were meant to exist.”
Tree Hugger’s eyes widened as the air was abruptly forced from her lungs. The Dusk Knight had without any warning lunged and delivered a solid punch just under her sternum. The impact of the metal clad fist somehow felt a lot heavier than the previous attacks. A second strike came with equal force, this time caught with both the Druid’s hands. She threw all of her weight backwards while holding the captured fist, both of her feet squarely connecting with the helmet of the intruder. Upon impact the released Maud to claim balance before landing. The maneuver was foiled by the sudden seizure of her ankles. Maud anchored her own heels while slamming her foe into the tree for a second time.
“Good call, Boulder”
Tree Hugger’s attempt to get back up was foiled by a combined force of meat and muscle falling deadweight onto her. Rolling onto her back was not an option, and trying to crawl out from under the steel titan as equally impossible. She had no way of building momentum to counter Maud’s force. Even more concerning was the noticeable difficulty she had with breathing. Tree Hugger’s resistance became frantic and uncoordinated as getting oxygen had become a struggle. She took a moment to admire Maud’s sudden change in tactic: borrowing from the hunting instinct of the noble constrictor variety of snakes. Basking in the revelation that the knight could indeed be reborn into the world as a free creature became overshadowed by blurred vision. Consciousness was fading.
Maud cautiously dismounted the Druid when the flailing had become feeble motions. She took off her gauntlets and put them on the hands of her captive. Bringing Tree Hugger’s wrists behind her back was a simple task. Vigor began to visibly return to her opponent, adding teeth to the urgency of her motions. With a fair amount of strength, Maud squeezed the trapped wrists together, bending the metal, crudely fusing the pieces together into make shift restraints. Tree Hugger sprung to her feet and faced the Dusk Knight with a mix of frustration and indignation.
“You will take these things off” Tree Hugger growled as her eyes narrowed with bestial rage.
“When I get you safely to where I’m taking you: yes”
“Now, before I start taking things personally”
Tree Hugger was cut off by an abrupt blow to the head. Her body his the forest floor with force equal to what was exerted to stand. Maud sighed and hefted the unconscious woman over her shoulder as well as the polished pebble that lay next to where she fell.
"I had it handled, Boulder."
The Dusk Knight retrieved her weapon and began the long march. Reaching the Druid and capturing her was the easy part. Carrying her home would be a much more complicated and dangerous task. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the root of a tree slowly coil like a snake preparing to strike. She wondered how long she had before the giants would try to recover their champion.
She worried about that.