//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Paradiso // by Wheller //------------------------------// Chapter 4 That night, the two Cutie Mark Crusaders were thrown awake by the sound of a loud crash, considering how loud it was, it had come from nearby. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked out the window of their clubhouse to discover that a large wooden bird like object was lying in the middle of the trees; both of its wings had been sheared off and were lying several dozen metres behind it. “Do you think that you could have possibly made any more noise? Dillingham?” they heard a voice say. “Not like I had a choice sir. It was this or the middle of town,” another called back. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo couldn’t help but notice that the voices sounded funny, like whomever they belonged to weren’t from around here, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders found it too dark to see them. “Captain? Look! Tree house!” another voice said. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom’s hearts skipped a beat. “Right, Lef-tenant Cutting? Take Dillingham and Evans and take a look. Be careful not to break the ramp under your own weight, Dillingham.” The voice belonging to the “Captain” said. “That was one time, sir, and the wood was rotted on that bridge,” said the “Dillingham” voice. “Hide!” Apple Bloom whispered hoarsely, the two of them dashed into a closet and threw a blanket over themselves. The door to the clubhouse opened, and they heard light footsteps, stepping around the main room. “Three bedrolls... two of them look like they’ve been used recently,” the “Dillingham” voice said. “How recent is recent?” said another voice they had not heard before. “They’re warm. Two minutes at most. Their owners haven’t gone far.” “Right then, Dillingham? Check the closet.” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo froze in fear. The closet door opened, and the blanket covering the two was ripped off them. “Got two,” Dillingham said. Dillingham was a kangaroo wearing a funny looking black hat, pointing a gun identical to the one they had found in Whitetail Wood earlier that day. “Ease off the Austin, Dillingham!” said another kangaroo, which Apple Bloom guessed to be Cutting. “First off, those are ponies, not gryphons, second off, they’re kids!” “Yes sir Lef-tennant,” Dillingham said, lowering his submachine gun. Lieutenant Cutting walked over to where the two fillies were laying, cowering in fear. He smiled at them, a genuine smile that began to put the Crusaders at ease. “Hello, come on out! No need to be afraid, that’s just Dillingham, he’s an idiot.” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo smiled back at the Kangaroo’s humour. Apple Bloom’s smile quickly faded. “Mah big sister said Ah wasn’t allowed to talk ta the kangaroos in town!” “There are kangaroos in town?” Cutting asked, cocking his head to the side. “Duh! You’re them aren’t ya?” Apple Bloom asked. “No... We’re not, tell you what though, if you talk to us, we promise not to tell your big sister that you did if you don’t, how’s that sound?” Cutting asked. “Okay then,” Apple Bloom said. She and Scootaloo got up and walked out of the closet. “Ah take it yer Cutting?” “Yes, yes I am, First Lef-tenant William Cutting, No.42 Commando, you are?” “Ah’m Apple Bloom! This is Scootaloo; we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Apple Bloom said enthusiastically. Cutting cocked his head in surprise at the introduction. “Cutie Mark Crusaders... possible paramilitary? Awful young though,” he said quietly to himself. The kangaroos, crusaders in tow walked down the ramp from the clubhouse towards the wooden bird, there were a total of 10 kangaroos standing around it. “No burning the glider! Remember No.38! They set the whole god-damned forest on fire!” This voice was the first one they had heard, belonging to the “Captain.” “Captain Blackthorn?” Cutting asked of him. “We found two kids... and you’re not going to believe what they told me.” Captain Blackthorn looked at the two Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Oh? What did they tell you Lef-tenat?” “There are kangaroos in town!” Cutting said. “Are there now?” Blackthorn asked, he stepped down to the Crusader’s levels. “I’m Reginald Blackthorn. What can you tell me about the kangaroos in town?” “Ah’m Apple Bloom, this is Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said. “We were told not to talk to them, there are four of them, and they drove into town in their tank couple months ago!” Scootaloo said. “A couple months ago? And only four?” Blackthorn mused to himself. “Well they’re certainly not No.38... four would make them a light tank crew... meaning that they’re armoured cavalry.” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked at the kangaroo with confusion, being children; the older girls had neglected to tell them anything about the kangaroos that rolled into town. “Captain, the trees are too spread out for this to be a forest... this is a farm, we’ll get no cover or concealment here,” Dillingham reported. “If ya’ll are lookin’ for a forest, there’s one right over there a ways,” Apple Bloom said, pointing west. “Ah wouldn’t recommend it though. The Everfree forest ain’t right. Never has been! It’s got all sorts of monsters in it!” “And weather happens on its own! Nasty stuff like hail!” Scootaloo added. Blackthorn looked at them, dismissing their warnings about the Everfree, they could handle it. “We’ll take our chances,” he said finally. “Listen here, this is very important, you can’t tell anyone we were here... If your sister forbids you to talk to kangaroos, well we certainly don’t want to get you in trouble.” Blackthorn smiled at the fillies, who smiled back at him. “We promise!” they said cheerfully. Blackthorn was certainly happy with that answer, he then turned to the glider. “Now what are we going to do with this? Can’t burn it...” “We could get rid of it for you!” Scootaloo said. “We’re real deep on the farm! Nopony comes here except us; we can chop it up and use it in our clubhouse!” “Well, that sounds like a good idea to me,” Blackthorn said with a smile, “It’s yours!” “Yay!” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo cheered. “42nd Commando! Grab your gear! We need to make it to that forest!” Blackthorn said, the kangaroos promptly picked up their gear and hopped off at high speed, within a few minutes, they were gone from sight. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo wasted no time in breaking up the glider, breaking it down into individual planks of wood that they could use to spruce up their clubhouse. The sun rose, and by that time, there was no evidence that the kangaroo commandos had been here at all. ... At nine in the morning, Sweetie Bell wandered into view of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, who were still sorting out materials. “Apple Bloom! Scootaloo!” She called out cheerfully. The other two Cutie Mark Crusaders looked up and smiled intensely, running towards their friend and giving her the biggest hug ever. “Easy! Easy! Still... sore!” Sweetie Bell gasped. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo backed off slightly, releasing the unicorn filly from their grasp. “How do you feel Sweetie?” Scootaloo asked. “”Great! I’m on Narcotics!” Sweetie Bell proclaimed. “Wha’ are those?” Apple Bloom asked. “I have no idea!” Sweetie Bell exclaimed enthusiastically. “But I feel so good right now! I could probably get shot five times and be fine!” “Let’s not test that,” Scootaloo said. “I don’t want to get my Cutie Mark from shooting anypony.” “So what are we going to do today!?” Sweetie Bell asked. “Well, we’re almost done breaking up all this wood, then... I dunno!” Apple Bloom said. “Don’ matter none, all tha’ does is tha’ the Cutie Mark Crusaders are tagether again!”