//------------------------------// // Continuation // Story: Counselor In The Forest // by RedBlack //------------------------------// "Hello Center." I greet with a small smile. Seeing the wolves go back to their usual activities, Center seemed shocked to say the least. "Well, this is a surprise welcome if I've ever seen one." She quickly came back to her senses. "Yeah, some stuff happened." "I can see that." She replied as she stared at bits of burnt dirt and wood at random places. "Well," she chirped up. "Firstly, I'm sorry I couldn't visit the last two days. There were a few, complications to say the least." "Is fine, the axe survived, somewhat. So I wasn't in much trouble." I reply as I hold the axe. The metal head tied to a branch. She had a thoughtful expression as she looked at the surroundings. "I will get you more supplies soon then, though I believe I myself won't be delivering it this time." She said with a slightly somber face. "I see. Are you able to stay for some tea then?" I ask. She gets an amused smile as she moves to sit down. "I don't see why not." She replied with enthusiasm as I move to start up a fire. "-And that's why I haven't trusted her with the cake batter ever since." She finished a story with a smile as I laugh in response. We had stayed at the campfire the whole day, exchanging stories with each other. She turned out to be quite the storyteller. Wiping a tear away, I sigh in content. "You two are quite the characters huh?" I ask. She chuckles in response. "We won't be ponies, or any creature for that matter, if we didn't have our little perks" "I guess so" Silence falls over us, the first time for the whole day. The wolves have mostly gone to sleep, several other carcasses filled the area, teeth already dug into. The sun was reaching the horizon, slowly falling to make way for the moon. "Well, it seems my time is up." Center said as she slowly rose. "I will see you later" I give a small nod in response. "Good luck, I hope you succeed" "Thank you." She said with a somber smile before leaving. May the heart of Amore bless your quest, and may the light of Celestia guide your path. With that silent prayer, I stretch a bit as I get up. Although I didn't have much faith in Amore, she was still the ruler back then. "Ugh, I'm getting too old." I talk to myself as I notice some pain in my back. With Center's visit over, I decide to take a bath. Performing physical acts during almost any and all free time I get, I stank pretty badly. Honestly more surprised I haven't fallen due to overexerting myself yet. "Damn it, maybe I should've done this in the morning." I mutter, shivering a bit from the cold water in the river. *Awooooooo* Huh? "Oh yeah, I guess tonight is a full moon." With that comment, I decide to check it out. Shaking my body like any four legged creature without a towel, I shiver a bit from the cold as I move to make a fire. "I should really ask for a towel." I silently talk to myself. "But haven't I already asked too much? Or would my little rambles be enough payment?" I chuckle slightly at my words. Taking out another bag, one Zecora kindly left along with some of her useful items, I bring out a small satchel filled with the helpful powder. It's practically a lifeline at this point. With a light slam, the fire lights up above the buried gem, giving my body some well needed warmth. Hearing the wolves starting their series of howls again, I wonder how long they would want to continue this. "Heh" I laugh to myself a little as I ponder if I should join in too, boredom is such an interesting enemy. With that small joy, I lay on the soft grass and slowly let my body go. Slowly drifting through my mind, I fall asleep completely. The wolves will make some sort of sound if something happens. Then, the smallest of noises I heard. One of the last things I expected to hear. *Ngh* A whimper, one of pain and fear. Shooting my eyes open, I get up as fast as I can. "What the fuck?" I mutter as I run towards the source of the sound, makeshift axe in my mouth. I kept running, the others of the pack followed behind me. With a quick glance backwards, I notice something peculiar. "Was that seven?" I ask myself. Arriving shortly after, I slide on the ground as I come to a full stop, slamming my body lightly into the barrier. I look back and sure enough, there were less wolves than before. "What in Equestria happened to you?" I ask the wolf lying on the ground, halfway through the barrier as the others come close. They whimpered as some growled in anger. "You definitely left with a squad, where's the rest of you?" I asked him as I pulled him in to check his injuries. I lightly grimace as I stare at his back half. Both limbs missing with plenty more broken off, burn wounds at the edges. He tried to get up. I moved to hold him as the others came even closer, licking the wounds and nuzzling him. I hold him with a hug as I saw the green glow in his eyes slowly fade away. As his body slowly goes limp, I softly caress his wooden skin. Howls rang through the area, crying out to the sky. "Quite interesting." A malevolent, all too familiar voice said. What? *Nightmare Moon POV* Groaning from a dull pain coming from our whole body, spite filled us as we thought of Celestia. She just had to be there to ruin our freedom. As we silently walked in growing anger, we met an unusual sight. A barrier that which served no purpose. We had followed the injured wolf, intending to use its carcass as a puppet, but we've found something that triggered our interest. A few prods here and there, yet it yielded no results. It doesn't stop anypony. It doesn't trigger any alarms. It's not even camouflage, with they way it somehow stood out more than anything in this forest. "Quite interesting." I mutter as I walk inside, silently noting the strange feeling I got inside our head. There was, however, a group of beings we hadn't noticed. How could this be? We didn't see them? But that's impossible, they're right in front of us. Six timberwolves, a green pony, and an already dead timberwolf. "THOU WILL LOWER THINE GAZE, PEASANT! LEST WE SPLIT THEE IN TWAIN!" We yell in the Royal voice as the impertinent subject glares with a murderous look. He, however, just continues to glare. As we were about to bury insolent pony, he made a single action. "Go." He darkly muttered as he let go of the corpse. The timberwolves around him all lashed out towards me. I growl in anger as I prepare several spells. Timberwolves. They're normally opponents that we would have no trouble with, but our current state, especially after fighting Celestia, was incredibly bad. Bad enough to require actual effort in taking care of mere wolves. Still, we have no need for movement to beat them. After several flashes and blasts of magic, I finally blast the last one away as it pounces towards us. Right then and there, we realize our mistake as the green pony emerges from right behind the scattered remains still in the air, wielding an axe. Unluckily for him, his speed that would have been impossible for normal ponies to avoid, felt like the speed of a turtle. With a simple flick of magic, his axe was reflected, as well as his entire body. Tch, it seems our battle with Celestia has worsened our condition much more than previously thought. To allow a common-born to initiate an attack, and have it almost connect is a shame. Slamming the pony into the ground, we approach as we initiate a spell. He squirmed after the attack, a small trail of blood from the corner of his mouth. "THOU HAST CONFUSED THINE IDIOCY FOR COURAGE. TO THINK THEE HADTH THOUGHT THAT, WE WOULD FALL SO EASILY." We told him as we approached him. For and old stallion, his body seems to be quite strong. He will make a fine addition to our army. Flipping him over with magic, we stare at his face as we charge up the mind break spell. "Grah. What the?" We muttered in confusion after feeling a bout of pain and getting knocked back. Giving a slight growl in frustration, we get our horn closer as we feel more and more resistance. Just what is wrong with this one? With a heavy frown, we focused all our attention on the spell, trying to break in. Now our objective was to study him, see what makes him have such protection. Then, we felt a small pain. Slowly opening our eyes, our vision was tilted. There was a very weak, almost unnoticeable pain in our jaw. And an incoming axe edge. We slowly turned to him, barely holding in the rage from such rebellious behavior. He stared back, eyes full with wrath. Full of deep hatred, and the intent to kill. The axe was suspended in the air as our magic held it firmly in place, right under our neck. This one is different. But a simple interest will not be enough reason for mercy. "If thee does not want our mercy, then proper punishments, we shall give." We gave a silent declaration. Launching him with a blast of magic, he was sent flying through the woods. Crashing through multiples of trees, he finally stopped as he was slammed into a rather large tree. Noting the location of this place down for future research, we made our way towards the still breathing stallion. "Thy struggle for thine life is commendable, but it will only bring more pain." We say as we once again, face that stare with indestructible will to both live, and kill us. "This shall work." We declare as his axe was held in the air. We looked the stallion in the eyes, trying to see even the tiniest fraction of fear, but only anger and contempt looked back. Any threats and promises that we could try would not affect him. "FIRST, THE HOOF THAT STRUCK US." His right hoof was forcefully lifted off the ground and was held against the tree. With a simple motion of our horn, the axe separated his entire limb from his body. We stared at him once more. Barely a change, only the tiniest bit of, amusement? "DOES THINE EXECUTION AMUSE THEE?" We asked as anger resurfaced. He only chuckled in response. "What a monster you are, barely half a day since you're back, and you're already giving out executions." He said with a full sneer and mocking eyes. "THINE EYES FOR YOUR IMPUDENT STARES!" We yelled in full rage as his eyes were plucked out with magic, before being quickly crushed under our magic. We stared, just waiting for him to start screaming in pain. BEGGING FOR MERCY. Instead, all we got was his laughter. Full on mocking laughter, as if he's won. "A single sentence, was all I needed to rile you up. You don't qualify as a ruler at all." He said with that taunting smile as blood rushed down from his eyes. Our jaw clenched hard as we tried to hold our anger back. "THEN WE WILL TAKE THINE TONGUE FOR YOUR INSOLENT REMARKS!" We yelled in anger as his mouth was forcefully opened with magic, only to close shortly after with his tongue fully stretched out. Blood spilled on the ground as the piece of flesh splattered on the ground. We looked at him, only to regret it. His eyelids were open, staring straight at me with hollow darkness. Blood constantly flowed down from his eye sockets, reaching his sickening grin that never seemed to leave his face. More and more blood fell from his mouth and through his smiling teeth. In the end, he only laughed at me. "...got, you." He said without his tongue while chuckling. "YOU!" We yelled, much louder than we had intended as his body was slammed into the tree once more before being split in half by the axe. We breathed hard as we tried to suppress our anger. We took a look. The sight froze us. Even without eyes, his gaze, his smile, and even the way he had his head tilted. It all told us one thing. He's the one dead, but we lost that conversation. How dare he? How dare you die! "GET BACK UP SO WE CAN WIN THIS ARGUMENT! HOW DARE THEE FALL BEFORE WE HATH WON!" We let out a sharp breath through gritted teeth as we slowly lost control of our anger. Then we let out a shrill scream. We were about to send him, along with the tree to the sky with a mighty punch. "Tch" In the end, we stomped the ground and left.