Everything was burning.
Breaking from the camp, a young mare escaped the debris and bolted towards the camp's opening.
Screams from her comrades filled her ears, but there was nothing she could do.
That thing was hunting them, it knew where they would be, and when they heard it, it was too late!
When the sun started to set, they realised something was wrong, two patrols had failed to return. Then the party sent to locate them disappeared, so the remainder of the battalion went into the woods, to search for our missing troops. Then we discovered that thing.
First, it was just something moving in the trees, always just outside someone's vision. If some creature checked behind a tree they knew if went behind, they would find nothing, just more shadows. Then a torch went dark, and the troops near it could hear shouting, they were demanding the lights be re-lit, and then the screams started.
We charged to the location as fast as we could, but out of the 5 soldiers who should have been there, only 1 remained, stuck to a tree, and covered in a hard substance, a sergeant tried to free him, but that was when we heard it.
It started with a laugh, it came from everywhere, above, behind, but always out of sight.
Orders were called, squads packed in tight for protection, if we were together, we’d surely be safe … We were wrong.
We heard a strange call, carried to us upon the wind. As silence fell upon us once more, a blast shook the area, and soldiers screamed as they were sent flying, only to land in motionless heaps.
Our formations made us easier targets for the monster … it was still laughing.
Another sergeant, younger than the last called for retreat, to fall back to camp, no one argued.
We ran, forgetting our allies, as explosions ripped through the night, I saw soldiers disappear suddenly from my sight, as if falling, only never to get back up. Horror rained down from the sky, large sticky masses, that truck my comrades, trapping them.
They could only cry for help.
We could only keep running.
When we finally made it back to camp, we believed, we hoped that we had finally found safety. But it knew we’d return here, it was already here. It had been waiting.
And so we ran, fleeing for our lives. I never even looked back.
For the first time, I had found a place where I wasn’t treated as 'something' lesser, but as my rank and station demanded. My superiors accepted me, and my subordinates respected me, but it was all over now. He even promised to fix me.
I could only flee.
And then I heard it.
“Shoo Be Doo!”
It was right behind me!
I turned my head as I galloped at full speed, and then I heard something else.
Something was hissing,
Step,
It was right in front of me.
Step,
It was below me,
Step,
My hoof landed on something hard.
My world slowed to a halt, I could see a light, entering the object below me.
Light began to emerge from it, and cracks appeared on what was a shell-like object.
It's going to explode and I’m going to die …
Another explosion rippled through the trees, as four Hippogryphs ooh’d, and aah’d.
Truly this was a magnificent night, it was a shame the Sea Ponies would miss it.
The four Gryphs then raised their scorecards as the explosion they were asked to rate detonated before their hidden viewing hut.
7, 6, 10, 10
Skystar admired the scores, she’d been confused when she’d been asked to go into the forest, but going with the flow was always the best option, especially when she was involved, said Gryph pronked into the hut, she decided now was as good a time as any to ask for an explanation.
“Hey Pinkie, I have a question?”
“Sure, shoot.” Replied the one known as Pinkie Pie, as the scaled hippogryph/ sea pony hybrid nudged some cushions with a talon into a new spot.
“I get that you wanted to break up the Storm King's forces, and I enjoy screams and explosions as much as the next Sea Pony.”
Pinkie nodded.
“But, why did you have us rate that explosion for how well it Fizzled, popped, berried, and Twisted? It doesn’t even …”
Skystar was cut off as a unicorn with a broken horn crashed down into their viewing hut, fortunately, the pony landed on the pile cushion Pinkie had just made.
“Oh, you know. Reasons.” Pinkie smiled and winked at no creature in particular, “But don’t worry, no creatures were excessively harmed in the making of this spectacle, they’ll just have very big bruises."