Neverfree 5
"W-we made it." Rainbow dropped to the floor. "I can't believe that worked."
"Y-yeah," Applejack said, catching her breath. Panic had sent her into a full-out sprint, sacrificing distance and endurance for reckless speed. "No offense, Ash, but Ah...Ash?"
"Wait, he isn't here?" Rainbow scanned the area. No sign of the grey stallion could be detected. "He isn't here! We've gotta go back for him."
"Hold on!" Applejack grabbed the Pegasus' tail just as she took flight.
"Ow! Let me go!"
"If yah go in there without plannin', neither of yah are comin' back. We've gotta think of a plan first, then we-"
The bushes behind her rustled, causing the farmpony to jump. Zecora stepped out, followed closely by a quivering Pinkie Pie.
"Honest tah Betsy, yah almost gave me ah heart attack."
"I apologize, that was not our intention," Zecora said. "We saw a flash. Do you require our intervention?"
"Ash got left behind with a bunch of timberwolves," Rainbow blurted out. "We need to save him!"
As if on cue, a horrid howl echoed through, sending shivers down their spines. Large timberwolves stepped out from behind the darkness. Each glared hungrily at the ponies. One, the largest, gave out a short bark. Rainbow turned around and gulped as she saw two more wolves from behind. In total, six.
"Anypony's got a plan?" Applejack asked nervously. She inched away until she stood back to back with the rest of her friends, Pinkie Pie vibrating violently against her.
"I have some herbs in my bag," Zecora said. "They will make these wolves gag. But there isn't enough, I afraid, to make all of them go away."
The largest wolf, the alpha, growled. It began to approach the group.
"Alright, here's what we'll do; Zecora, do yah thing when tha big 'un gets close then we make a r-"
"LOOK OUT!" Rainbow push Applejack away just as the leader pounced, its mouth wide open, its teeth exposed. Rainbow now stood in Applejack's place and with no time to dodge, even considering her own speed. Rainbow shut her eyes and braced herself.
The wolf suddenly veered to the right and collided into a tree. Heads turned and eyes followed the timberwolf as it crashed and crumbled onto the ground.
The alpha got to his feet, glaring at the opposite direction. He roared, challenging whatever lurked there. Something came out from the shadows, something that made the wolf's jaw fall to the floor.
The timberwolf yelped in pain. Sap dripped down from where the lower jaw and upper jaw had once been connected. The former piece sat on the dusty forest floor.
The wolf glared at the being that stood at the other side. It stood upright, with to limbs on the ground and two others hanging from the trunk. One of these limbs had been stretched out toward the wolf, with several other appendages sprouting out like branches of a tree. It was white and almost seemed to be radiating light. A mess of white fur sat on top of its naked head, flowing in the wind. Funny, there didn't seem to any breeze.
The timberwolf growled in anger, a scene both horrific and humorous as the roar of defiance came out as more of a whimper. A long wooden tongue hung loosely from the top of the creature's mouth.
The rest of the pack seemed uncertain as to how to act. This indecision angered the alpha who attempted to bark out an order. The command was a laughable try but the icy glare their leader gave the pack reestablished order. The wolves turned their attention to the upstart newcomer that dared to interrupt their hunt. The creature lifted one of its forelimbs. The tips seemed to shine brightly.
Rainbow shivered as a sudden breeze passed through. Applejack held her hat to her head as it threatened to fly off. The grass rustled under the passing wind.
The lead wolf took a step forward and began to shudder violently. The beast took another step. Only half of its body followed. The other half joined the wolf's jaw on the ground.
The rest of the pack yelped in panic at the sight of their bisected leader. The strange creature stepped forward. They stepped back, even more uncertain now that they were without an alpha. Some growled at creature, ready to fight. Others were ready to bolt.
The creature made the first move; it held up what seemed to a small glowing marble.
It opened its mouth and uttered, "Go..."
The ball became a beam and struck the nearest snarling timberwolf. It shook its head and shivered. It closed it luminous eyes for several seconds. It opened its eyes and glanced over to the rest of its pack as if asking if anything noticeable had happened.
The wooden creature suddenly began to crackle and whine. Its hard exterior began to splinter and crack. Glowing-hot sap showered down from its mouth as it vomited violently. The wolf seemed to expand, growing painfully larger and larger until bursting with a loud, echoing boom, showering its nearby companion with flames. The unlucky pack mate howl in agony as the fire ate away at its wooden body. The remaining wolves fled at once.
The strange creature let its limbs fall to its side. He turned to the equines huddled together.
"Is everypony okay?" he asked. His voice sounded distant, like at the end of a hallway.
"Y-yeah," Rainbow answered. "How'd you-"
The glow the creature seemed to radiate faded away. The white was revealed to be a simple light bluish-grey robe. His hair was no longer caught in some undetectable wind, though it remained white.
He feel to his knees, clutching at his arm. It was caked in blood.
"Ash!" Rainbow and Applejack cried out. The two ran to the Human's side.
"Are yah alright?"
"Jus...f..."
He collapsed head first into the dirt.
"Can you see what I see?" he uttered before leaving the realm of consciousness.
*****
Fluttershy jumped as the cup shattered against the floor. Tea leaked into the wood.
Twilight stood up, grabbing the table for support. She held her hand to her forehead. Her breathing was labored. Sweat matted her dark hair; it had lost its natural purple, trading her light pink strand for a white one.
"Twilight, dear, are you alright?" Rarity asked. She approached her shaking friend cautiously and with concern.
"Jus...f..."
Twilight's legs gave up. She collapsed onto the table, knocking over the collection of danishes and Rarity's expensive porcelain tea pot.
"Twilight!" Fluttershy and Rarity screamed. The two ran to Twilight's side.
"Are you alright?" asked Fluttershy, wiping away the sweat on her friend's forehead.
Twilight stared at the yellow Pegasus, her eyes almost as dark as the night.
"Can you hear...what I hear?" she uttered. Her voice seemed to echo, as if she was at the bottom of a well.
Twilight shut her eyes and lost conscious.
*****
Celestia lifted her head from her pillow. Something was amiss.
She torn the covers off and leaped out of bed. The princess flung the doors of her private camber open, startling her guards.
"Your Highness," one of the gold-plated Pegasi said, leaping to attention. "Is something the matter? Do you require a glass of milk or a snack?"
"I require my sister at once," Princess Celestia told her loyal retainers. "Get her, now."
The guards gulped and gave each other searching looks. It was very uncommon for the princess to be giving such short orders.
"No need," a voice said. From the shadows stood Luna, Princess of the Night. "You felt it as well, my sister?"
Celestia nodded. "Go awaken the rest of your garrison," she ordered. "And set an extra patrol around the Elements."
"At once Your Highness," the guards said before saluting and taking off.
"Will that be enough to stop him?" Luna asked as the two hurried down the tower.
"I do not know," Celestia said. Worry was eating away, though the Alicorn tried to hid it. She never thought she'd see him again, not after they had just vanquished him.
"Sister..."
"I'm fine, Luna." She tried giving her a reassuring smile but even to herself, it felt hollow. Luna was not fooled.
"I do not understand," Luna said. "I would have thought the Elements would have sealed Discord away for good this time, or at least for another few centuries."
"We're about to find out," said Celestia as the Canterlot garden came in view.
Statues of all sorts inhabited this part of the garden. Some depicted scenes of bravery, others celebrating the achievements of Equestria's many ponies.
One stood apart from the rest. Pushed into a corner, it was of a strange creature; at first glance it appeared to have a head of a pony but with a chaotic collage of pieces of other creatures sewed on. The creature seemed to be writhing, as if in great pain or torment.
It was the first time either had seen the Draconequus expressing genuine fear but neither took any comfort in the irony that this was now his permanent appearance, partially since "permanent" was now questionable.
Celestia took a step forward, half expecting the sculpture to burst into confetti or simply fall over as a piece of cardboard. Nothing happened.
Luna ventured closer. "There are no crackings, no damages, no signs of weakening, sister. We were mistaken, it appears."
The princess let out a breath of relief. Never before had she ever been so happy to be wrong. Still, something bothered her.
"What was that we felt then?" she wondered aloud.
As if in reply, a faint glow shined at the where the Draconequus' heart would have been. It was not light, but a rather, some blackish beam. Celestia's ears flattened as it vibrated. Screams of agony wailed through the garden, like screeching metal on a chalk board. Luna leaned against her older sister, both offering and seeking support.
As suddenly as it begun, it ended. The dark beam had vanished, leaving no trace besides two God-awful headaches.
"Sister," Luna said unsteadily, "w-what was that?"
Celestia shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "But I don't think that was Discord. There was too much malice for him."
"Sombra then? I came to believe he was banished for good this time."
"It's too early to make any conclusions. We'll set up some extra guard around here just to be sure and I'll organize a research committee in the morning."
"Should we inform Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the Bearers?" Luna asked.
Celestia thought for a moment before shaking her head. "As much faith as I have in my little pony, I fear she is in no condition right now. We'll deal with it this time."
"Of course, my sister."
*****
Zecora recovered from her shock first. "Ash, you called this creature, with all its strange features. How can this be? The Ash I meet was a pony. Are they the same and one? Tell me, what must be done?"
"It's a long story," said Rainbow. "We'll tell you after we get to your place. He needs help and fast."
"Very well then and make haste. I would very much like to leave this place."
"Right." Rainbow shifted one of Ash's massive shoulders over both her own. "Oof. This guy weighs a ton. How'd we get him out of the Everfree in the first place?"
"Okay, Ah'll grab his feet an' yah grab his head an' stuff," Applejack suggested. She grunted under the weight as she draped the Human's legs over her back. "Ready?"
"Hold on...got it...no, wait!"
Rainbow lost her grip, sending Ash's head crashing into the floor.
"Rainbow!"
"Hey, his head's like a freaking bowling ball. Argh, why'd he have to turn back into a Human now?"
As if in response, Ash's body sudden began to shrink. His fingers and toes grew inwardly and formed hooves. His face elongated into the shape of a snout. Grey fur grew rapidly over pink skin. The sound of snaps and crackles could have either been the breaking and reorganizing of a skeleton or the burning of the timberwolf's remains.
There had been no sudden flash.
Rainbow Dash blinked. She stared at the grey stallion laying in front of her. "...What just happened?"
"Ah dunno but Ah ain't complaining." Applejack swung Ash's now manageable shoulder over her own. Rainbow did the same. "Gotta say, Pinkie, this was one heck of a doozy."
"T-t-that w-w-asn't the d-o-oz-y," Pinkie Pie managed to say as she continued to quake.
"Are you kidding me?" Rainbow groaned. "If being attacked by a group of giant timberwolves in the middle of the Everfree and being saved by a humanized Ash isn't a doozy, what is?"
"I would not know," Zecora said, "but unless we want to find out we should go."
"Ah'm not arguin'. Let's split," Applejack said. "Hey, Rainbow, he's unbalanced on yer side."
With an unconscious Unicorn hung over their shoulders, Rainbow and Applejack followed Pinkie Pie and Zecora. Neither noticed the mark that adorned his previously blank flank, nor they see it fade away, like a shadow dispelled by the morning sun. Pinkie did however cease her uncontrollable shaking.