//------------------------------// // Chapter 29 The Way Home Is Long // Story: True Black // by Leonofsweden //------------------------------// True Black Chapter 29 The Way Home Is Long 17 of July The first thing Lobo felt was that he was strapped down on something moving. The jolts and bumps of the almost non-existent path down from the mountains made it difficult for whoever it was dragging him along. He tried to rouse himself, but he was simply too tired. It didn't take long for him to fall back into a deep slumber. A few minutes later, or maybe a few hours, there was no way he could tell, Lobo once again stirred on top of the wagon he was strapped down on. He opened his eyes only to realize he was blindfolded. This quite frankly puzzled him since he had no trouble smelling the two ponies pulling the wagon, nor hearing the Gryphons flying above keeping look out. He knew they were Gryphons because they came down to report every now and again. For the next few hours Lobo just lay still, listening to his captors talking and complaining and letting his body slowly burn through the sedative keeping him down. It didn't take long for him to realize that even though they were working together, both the Gryphons and the ponies did not trust each other. “Dammit, why did we have to be the ones pulling this bastard wolf back to Avarice camp. Pegasi are meant to fly, not pull wagons!” One of the ponies in front of Lobo muttered. This made Lobo’s attention jump tenfold, that name seemed very familiar. “Pipe down and pull! If we're lucky this will be enough to repay our debts to him and I'll finally be able to leave his service.” The other reprimanded, but was quickly met with a snort. “Are you stupid?! Avarice will never let anypony go; we're all stuck under him until we die! The only thing we can really hope for is that we don't mess up and make him kill our families as well!” The first one answered harshly. Avarice? Lobo finally realized where he remembered it from... It was on more or less every letter at the camp he'd been captive in! That was the name of the pony that, besides Black Star, was directly responsible for his manifestation in the physical realm! “Look I know you’re new around here, so I'll tell you this once; as long as Avarice has anything on you… you will never leave his service. I don't know how he got his hooves on you, but with me, I happened to stand out, a cut above the rest. As a reward, Avarice promoted me into his little private outfit. I couldn't have been happier, I thought my career was going places and the money I make is good so my family back home is living well as long as I'm in his service. But just as you found out last month, if you ever question him or try to leave his service, he pulls out the list with all your loved ones on it and recites exactly what will happen to each of them if you don't do precisely what he says, or if he should find himself dead for some reason… He's a monster and he has every single one of us under his hooves. So don't go around thinking you will ever get out! He will crush those hopes ruthlessly… like he did with me.” The first voice continued. Once again there was an uneasy silence. “But… but he said he would reward me for this! He said he would give me something special if we pull this off!” The second voice said desperately. “You don't get it do you? The “reward” he's talking about is that he will mark your family down for a quick and painless death if his hold order isn't sent to the assassins he has placed all over the empire! Do you understand me-” the soldier was abruptly cut off as something slammed down just next to the wagon. “What the- AHHHH!!!” One of the ponies in front of Lobo screamed. He then heard frantic scrambling as the other one tried to get out of his harness, but that quickly stopped as Lobo heard a gurgling sound in front of him. “Raven! Get down here! Don't take him on by yourself!” Lobo’s heart leapt into his throat as he heard Zig Zag´s voice call out. That's when he noticed there was a lot of screeching and shouting above him. “I will cut your wings off female! And then I'll nail you to the city gates and leave you to rot!!!” A male Gryphon voice roared. Zig Zag scrambled up on top of the wagon and made his way over to Lobo. The thick ropes that were tying him down were cut away before his blindfold was removed. Lobo winced as light flooded into his eyes. He tried to get up but couldn't manage more than a small stumble to the side. Another shriek sounded as Raven and a Gryphon warrior, who Lobo recognized as Cheetah, crashed down in front of them. After the tumble Raven ended up on her back, trying not to get stabbed in the neck by her own dagger, which Cheetah slowly but surely was pressing down on her. “Raven!” Zig Zag cried out and set off at a blistering pace towards the two combatants. Raven's arms were shaking in the effort of trying not to get stabbed by Cheetah, who mercilessly bore down on her with the knife. In the last instant Zig Zag plunged his own dagger into the exposed neck of Cheetah who was fully concentrated on Raven. Zig Zag´s momentum immediately flung Cheetah off Raven and she quickly scrambled up on all fours, spreading her wings in a defensive posture while Cheetah and Zig Zag rolled off together. Zig Zag ripped his dagger out of Cheetah´s neck and back pedaled until he stood beside Raven who was breathing heavily. Cheetah looked up at the two of them with fury in his eyes which soon turned to disbelief as the blood continued to pour out of his neck. In the end, Cheetah was looking at them from the ground with eyes begging for mercy, begging for help; but there was nothing anybody could do. He took one last ragged breath before finally the light in his eyes faded. Behind them, Lobo was trying to get himself off the wagon and over towards his two wards. With a loud thump he tumbled off the side and hit the ground, making Zig Zag and Raven turn towards him. Zig Zag immediately ran up to Lobo´s side, while Raven set off towards the Pegasi of which one was still alive; the Pegasus who was still tangled in his harness. His back hooves were bleeding intensely from where Zig Zag had cut through his rear ankle tendons. His fellow soldier lay beside him dead with a cut throat. Zig Zag had come at them from behind, sneaking up silent as a shadow and springing his surprise attack by cutting the first ponies back legs out from under him. Then as his fellow soldier looked over in alarm, Zig Zag had shot around him on his now blind side and cut his throat before he even knew what was happening. The still living Pegasus now looked up at Raven, who was slowly prowling towards him, and redoubled his efforts trying to get out of the harness, a task which proved very difficult with only his front hooves now working. Zig Zag did not pay Raven and the Pegasus any attention as he neared Lobo on the ground. “Dad! Are you okay?” Asked a worried Zig Zag when he came to a halt beside Lobo, who slowly managed to stand up. “Yes, I'm fine… whatever they… injected me… with…” Lobo shook his head to clear it further “...makes it hard for me to move, or even keep myself awake. But it's not as bad as it was before... once the moon is up it will sort itself out.” Lobo said shakily while he leaned on the wagon. “No! No! Please don't!” Lobo and Zig Zag heard the last Pegasus cry while he was held down by Raven who was standing over him menacingly with her dagger at the ready. “Wait!” Lobo called out. Raven halted just as she was about to end the life of the Pegasus. Questioningly, she looked back towards Lobo. “He has information we need…” Lobo said and made his way forward. He sat down shakily besides Raven, looking down at the now terrified Pegasus. In the corner of his eye Lobo saw Zig Zag sit down on the other side of Raven. He leaned in against her and put his head against her side. Raven answered by draping her wing over his back, before they both sighed contently. Lobo turned back towards the now visibly trembling Pegasus. “Let's have a little talk shall we.” Lobo said coldly as his piercing eyes locked with those of the Pegasus. **** 18 of July The quarter moon was shining down between the branches on the resting trio. Lobo was looking up at the small shiver of moonlight that was helping him burn through the last of the sedative in his system. They had travelled as far as they could before Zig Zag and Raven more or less collapsed. They had both been through alot the last day, while he had only slept through the whole ordeal. He cursed himself for it as he looked down at his son, for that was what Zig Zag had become, and Raven, someone Zig Zag had come to love as much as if not more than Lobo, locked in a tight embrace. And he was glad for it, that he was allowed to see the joy the two of them brought each other. He would not fail them again, he would keep them safe for as long as he lived. Lobo, for what felt like the hundredth time that night, glanced down at the two of them. Zig Zag and Raven lay in each other's embrace, sleeping soundly, while he was curled protectively around them, keeping them warm and waiting for the fast approaching dawn. Already he could see it was getting lighter on the horizon. Lobo had heard more than one Gryphon during the night flying past above them. However this did not concern him as they were useless at night. No matter how well they could see during daytime, the night was not their element and all they had accomplished was to tire themselves out in in a fruitless search. Lobo looked at the horizon again; the twilight hours were approaching, time to get moving. “Son… Raven… We have to get going.” Lobo said as he carefully shook the two of them awake. “Just five more minutes mom! And then I'll-” Zig Zag eyes flew open. He shot up on all fours, twirling around frantically. “Mom! Mom! Wait com-” Zig Zag´s cries for his mother were silenced by Raven who clamped down on his muzzle, looking worriedly in all directions. Lobo gave a ragged sigh. “The same nightmare again?” Lobo asked worriedly. Zig Zag had calmed himself down again, in the tender embrace of Raven. Slowly he shook his head. “No… It was different this time.” He said, swallowing while tears ran down his cheeks. “They were both there again… but we didn't end up in the pit this time. Mom… she said… I have to go back, I have to find them. I have to find Iron Rod and Silver Pot.” Zig Zag said and looked up at Lobo with a determination in his eyes Lobo had never seen before. He gave a sigh and shook his head, but before he could say anything Zig Zag pressed on. “You promised dad… You promised you would help me find them. They have to pay! They killed mom, Cherry Blossom and Cherry Tree... They have to pay…” Zig Zag stated, all the while still looking up at Lobo with fire in his eyes. “You're right, I did promise that didn't I…” Lobo said looking away, not at all at ease with where this was heading. He knew the promise he had made to Zig Zag to keep him from doing something even more stupid, than filing his own teeth, when he had been at his most depressed state of mind. And now it had come back to haunt him. “I will keep my word… We’ll go back to North Bay and find the ponies that were responsible for what happened to you and your loved ones.” Lobo said reluctantly. Zig Zag came forward and embraced one of Lobo´s forelegs. “Thank you… You don't know what this means to me.” Zig Zag said. Lobo closed his eyes as he put a comforting paw on Zig Zag, all the while thinking about Black Star. “Unfortunately I think I do… At least a little bit, I may never see my family again… But at least I know they are still alive and safe. So when I try to think about what you went through… I cannot fault your desire in the slightest son.” Lobo said in a low voice. Finally the sun peeked over the horizon, and Lobo felt the blessing of the moon withdraw from him. “Now then… Our knowledge of where the ponies will be waiting for us will make it a whole lot easier to get back to North Bay without being spotted. We'll stick to the forests as much as we can which means we'll have to head-on down towards the coast. Once there we’ll follow it south and make our way back to your home. This unfortunately means you can't fly, Raven. The moment you rise above the tree line, it is more or less a given our Gryphon ‘friends’... will see us.” Lobo said with disdain and hurt in his voice. Zig Zag looked up at his father. “Panther is still your friend dad… He saved me, and protected me until Raven found us. If it wasn't for him I would be a slave in the Gryphon mines right now.” Zig Zag said and looked up at Lobo, who looked back down at him in disbelief. Then a small smile crossed his lips while he gazed up towards the mountains. “Thank you my friend… I will not forget this debt if our paths should ever cross again.” Lobo stated as a true smile spread across his features. Zig Zag in the meanwhile was leaning back against Raven when something Cherry Blossom had said to him in his dream came back to him. He turned around, looking at her intently. At noticing how Zig Zag was looking at her, she actually began to fidget a bit. His eyes were emitting so much trust and affection; she could feel her chest warming up as her heart rate increased. “Ehh… Are… Are you okay ZZ?” She asked, not really knowing how to react. Zig Zag nodded as a smile spread across his features. “Yes… I'm very much okay.” He said and then leaned in to give her a peck on the side of her beak. If her face wasn't covered in feathers, Raven was pretty sure she would have lit up the forest a bright red. Zig Zag leaned back, also fidgeting a bit, before speaking up again. “I would… I would like to give you something.” Zig Zag said and craned his neck to open one of the little hidden pockets in the neck lining of his armor. Slowly he pulled out his silver chain with the cherry blossom pendant hanging from it. He looked back at Raven, who was staring wide-eyed down at him. “I… I would like you to have this.” Zig Zag said, taking Raven's left talon in his hoof. He carefully secured the silver chain, wrapping it several times around her black wrist so that it became a bracelet instead of a necklace. “But… this is really important to you.” Raven objected. Zig Zag nodded. “Yes, it may be important to me, but you're even more so…” Zig Zag said while blushing a bit. He looked up into Raven's eyes; all she could do was look back at him in wonderment. “Sometime in the future, you can give me a bracelet as well… and then… we could maybe belong to each other for life.” Zig Zag said, looking at her nervously. This was when Raven understood what Zig Zag was offering her here. He had told her that he, a male, now willingly belonged to her by giving her this token as proof of his affections. It also meant that she, a female, still had a choice; if she wanted to say no, she could. But if she instead wanted to be with him, all Raven had to do was to find a bracelet worthy of Zig Zag and present it to him in return. Raven swept Zig Zag up in a fierce hug, wrapping both her forelimbs and wings around him. “I will! I will find a bracelet for you too! I promise!” Raven shouted happily, before she remembered they had to be quiet, and leaned down, pressing her forehead against his. “I will find you the best bracelet in the world… Then we'll be together forever.” Raven whispered to Zig Zag who was now fiercely pressing himself in against her. “I know you will…” Zig Zag whispered back happily. Lobo was sitting beside them grinning from ear to ear. He knew they had to start moving soon, but giving Raven and Zig Zag a few more minutes couldn't hurt their chances too badly… could it? **** 21 of July Avarice was heading towards the established meeting point earlier than expected. He had been roused from his bed by the news that a Gryphon messenger had arrived at the camp. Avarice, Black Star and ten more soldiers were now closing in on the agreed-upon location. When they came down to Ice Flow River, Avarice and Black Star could see six Gryphons and one of the scout Pegasi he had sent to retrieve Lobo, who he immediately noticed, to his great infuriation, wasn't there. He narrowed his eyes, wondering what tricks the Gryphons were up to now. It wouldn't surprise him in the slightest if they tried to weasel out more money. “What is the meaning of this!? Where is the Wolf!?” Avarice asked with venom in his voice, not even trying to hide his growing irritation. One elderly Gryphon, clearly not part of the wing of warriors stepped up to Avarice glaring down at him. “He escaped because you did not give us enough information to work with! Several of our warriors are dead because we did not know the Wolf could use magic! He must have somehow enhanced the little pony child with him, giving it speed and agility beyond anything reasonable. And the Wolf must also have performed some sort of mind control on the Gryphon girl as well. When I sent two youngsters to inform her she was now part of my household until the council had a chance to decide what to do with her, she answered by killing one of them and then chased after our new pony slave. No sane Gryphon girl would turn down the chance to serve in the highest household of a village, only to chase after a mere slave! She has obviously been bewitched somehow, and is now under the complete control of those two savages! And had we known this, we would have been able to act accordingly! This whole fiasco is because you ponies didn't warn us properly! We demand compensation for the losses we have suffered because of your incompetence!” Elder Leonard roared down at Avarice whose mind at the last utterance almost went blank with rage. Avarice looked up at the elder Gryphon with barely controlled hatred displayed on his features. If there was one thing that really ticked Avarice off, it was being called stupid by what he saw as a lesser being, and essentially that was everything not itself able to use magic. His horn lit up and he telekinetically slammed Leonard mercilessly into the ground, pinning him there. The elder gave a shriek of dismay and fear as he looked up at the enraged unicorn. A metallic ringing sound rang out through the air as the entire wing of Gryphon warriors simultaneously drew their swords and charged down towards Avarice. He glanced up at them in annoyance. “Filthy Gryphons…” Avarice murmured in disdain, slamming them all down on the ground as well with his immensely powerful telekinesis. He grinned as he looked at the shocked expression on Black Star´s face as he alone pinned an entire Gryphon wing to the ground with ease. Telekinesis was after all a pitiful and week magic all unicorns mastered as a birthright. Very few could lift more than a teacup or a sword, but he had been blessed with far more power than that. Most civilian unicorns could only lift a bag of flour or two at tops with their telekinesis, and if they were a bit gifted they could lift something equivalent to their own weight. But Avarice was for some reason different, when it came to telekinesis, he was a prodigy. He had also been smart enough not to showcase his abilities too often if he didn't need to. After all, he loved the look of shock and horror when he tore another adversary apart who thought he would be easy pickings. This was especially when it was a unicorn as they often believed themselves superior to him because of his lack of spell knowledge, which most highborn were gifted with through study, and Avarice had thoroughly enjoyed killing each and every one of them who did not bow down to his will. He was the king of the hill, and no one would be left alive who challenged that. He could lift far heavier things than any unicorn he had ever encountered, and also far more objects at the same time. Black Star just continued gawking at the display of power before her. She had thought that Avarice had lost control when he strangled her in the research tent given the strength he had used on her. She now realized he had been in full control the entire time otherwise her head would quite literally have popped off her shoulders. The thought made her pristine white coat turn a shade lighter. Avarice’s own soldiers finally moved in to secure the temporarily restricted warriors. When he saw that all the Gryphon's had a sword or a spear pointed at their necks, Avarice let go of his grip on them, satisfied with the fact that none of them post a threat any more. Slowly he turned his attention back to elder Leonard who now looked up at the unicorn in pure terror. “You should know your place Gryphon. I can kill you whenever I want, remember that. Now let's continue this discussion is the civilized beings we are.” Avarice said with a truly malevolent smile across his face. Elder Leonard only response was to nod vigorously. “Good, now let's start with the important things. Do you know where the Wolf is right now?” Avarice asked. “No… We only found the bodies of the guards we sent to secure his transport here. We've only been able to find a few tracks indicating his heading back towards the border. The only witness to the escape itself is your Pegasus soldier. It was through him we learned what the Wolf truly was, and how valuable he is to you.” Leonard quickly answered. Avarice narrowed his eyes and looked over at the clearly wounded Pegasus lying on the ground. He walked up to him with a frown. “On your hooves soldier! You're in the presence of your superior!” Avarice ordered. “I'm… I'm very sorry sir! I can't! My rear tendons are cut…” The pony Scout whimpers from where he lay. Avarice just snorted. “Very well… What happened?” Avarice said without even a hint of compassion towards the wounded scout in front of him. The pony immediately launched into an explanation about how the little colt and Gryphon girl, who had both been reported as being the Wolf's friends, had killed the others transporting Lobo back towards the camp. At the end of the Scouts explanation, Avarice was looking down at him with a quite visible twitch in his right eye. “You're telling me that two children caught four fully grown and seasoned soldiers completely off-guard and made away with a more or less fully sedated Wolf?!” Avarice said in disbelief. “When you say it like that, it sounds a bit incredible… but yes.” The scout said now visibly trembling under the gaze of Avarice. To the Scouts surprise Avarice actually burst out laughing. But it was not a pleasant laugh; it was dark and foreboding. “So… Why did they leave you alive?” Avarice wondered. The scout swallowed nervously. “T… th… they… t… th… they w… wa… wanted i… in… information… s… si… sir.” The scout stammered out. “And what did you tell them?” Avarice wondered as he bent down to look straight into the eyes of the terrified pony. “E… ev… everything they wanted to know.” The scout said hoarsely. Avarice face contorted into a truly horrific grimes. “Know that your family will die screaming.” Avarice stated calmly. “No! Plea-” The scout was abruptly cut off when Avarice snapped the pony’s neck in his telekinetic grip. “Pathetic…” Avarice stated derisively as he turned his attention back to elder Leonard, who was staring at the unicorn in open shock. “Now then Gryphon, we were talking about compensation for you… How about I let you leave these premises alive?… Would that be adequate compensation for you?” He wondered as he made his way back towards the now visibly shaking elder Leonard. “I'm… I'm an elder of Crown Peak.” Leonard finally said, and steeled himself for what was to come. “And threats… will not be taken kindly to. You can kill me here unicorn, but when we don't return there will be an outcry throughout Feliniss before too long. You would start a war over this little… misunderstanding?” Leonard said with a surprisingly steady voice, given the predicament he found himself in at the moment. Avarice gave a little crooked smile, his eyes flashing with mirth. “Well when you put it that way, it would be quite bothersome if this little misunderstanding escalated further… Since we are all showing such a cooperative spirit, I will give you fifty daeums to show your village you manage to get a good deal out of this. What do you say?” Avarice wondered. “Fifty daeums? That's outrageous! I will never accept such a sum as compensation for our dead warriors! It's an insult!” Elder Leonard shot back defiantly. “Oh you will accept it quite happily, don't you worry. Black Star up front now!” Avarice yelled. A still shocked looking Black Star snapped to attention. Her gaze had been fixed on the scout Avarice had killed just minutes before. Black Star had slowly been growing more and more afraid of Avarice lately, but this brutality he had started to display more and more openly truly made her terrified now. Swallowing nervously, Black Star quickly made her way over to stand in front of Avarice. “Yes chief Decurion.” Black Star said carefully. “Make sure these Gryphons leave our presence thoroughly convinced they have made a good deal, and also make sure they have a compulsive need to suppress all knowledge of Lobo and ourselves in the future. I'll go back to camp in the meantime and start reorganizing our lookout positions since the Wolf now knows where they are thanks to blunder Pegasus over there.” Avarice ordered and walks away without as much as a glance back. “Yes sir…” Black Star responded while her horn was surrounded by the black aura of her magic as she concentrated on the spell to rewrite the memories of the Gryphons into something more favorable. **** 27 of July Lobo, Zig Zag and Raven were finally at Ice Flow River. In the space of little more than a week, the trio had made their way back towards the border. First heading straight out towards the coast, they had seen a few Gryphon scouts but these encounters had been few and far between. This was most likely because the Gryphons assumed they were heading straight for the border back into the Celestial Empire instead of taking the long way around. Finally, Lobo was once again looking down at the flowing water that almost took his life the last time he encountered it. As he gazed down at the water, he felt something he was not used to; uncertainty and maybe even a bit of fear. Lobo suppressed the lurking feeling as the three of them continued on to the edge of the woods, where they finally stopped and looked over the vast expanse of water in front of them. This far down towards the coast, the water flow was much calmer; however it was also much, much wider. Lobo felt his whole body go rigid as he saw the expanse of water he would have to cross in order to get to the other side. Raven and Zig Zag didn't seem to notice Lobo’s apprehension. Zig Zag even gave a laugh as he jumped into the shallow water to test the temperature, something he immediately regretted as he gave a shrill, girlish shriek and swished past Raven and Lobo so fast all they saw was a little blue blur. “Bugger that’s cold!” Zig Zag proclaimed loudly as he rubbed his hooves together. All four of which were now wet up to the knees. Raven gave him a scoff. “Well Dhuuuu… It's not called Ice Flow River from nothing. Even during high summer the water here is still freezing cold. Don't you remember how it was last time?” Raven asked Zig Zag. “Well… Actually no, I don't remember too much before waking up in the cave with you.” Zig Zag said while a blush started to spread on his cheeks. “Oh… Well okay. Glad you remember that at least. Now hop on ZZ, so we can get across within the next thousand years.” Raven replied with a grin, as she lowered herself so that Zig Zag could easily get up on her back. If Zig Zag was blushing before, he now lit up the forest while he carefully made his way up on her back and settle down, wrapping his front hooves around her neck and making sure his rear hooves weren't in the way of her wings. Lobo was still standing stock still, staring out over the surface of the water. Before he knew what was happening, Raven and Zig Zag took off into the air, heading for the other shore. “Wait!” Lobo called after them, but it was too late. None of the two youths heard him as they sped through the air. It didn't take long for them to touchdown on the other side. They settle down beneath a couple of trees along the shore, waiting for Lobo. But as the time went on without a sign that Lobo was making his way over, they were both starting to get impatient. “Where is he?” Zig Zag wondered. “I'll take a look.” Raven said and took off into the air. As she climbed she could see the other shore line more clearly, and it didn't take long for her to see Lobo pacing along the shore, back and forth. Raven frowned and went back down to Zig Zag, who was watching questioningly up towards her. As she settled down he came up beside Raven. “So?” He wondered. “He’s still on the side, just walking back and forth…” Raven said perplexed. “Really? Well go see what´s keeping him.” Zig Zag said. “Okay, be back in a minute.” Raven answered and started to make her way back across the river. Zig Zag watched her fly off. Immediately after, the two hilts on his daggers started to glow with a soft yellow light. With a swoosh, both his daggers were suddenly pressed against his neck. “What!” Zig Zag burst out, and immediately heard a chuckle from behind him. “Wow, I really have to thank you guys for making this so easy for us.” A female voice said from behind. “Now you just stay nice and quiet and this will all turn out just fine.” The voice said mockingly from a lot closer this time. In the corner of his eyes Zig Zag could now see a canary yellow unicorn with a red mane and tail step into view. She was wearing black ringmail armor. Zig Zag then heard something on the other side of him, and carefully glanced in that direction as well. A green Pegasus with a black mane and tail was merrily trotting up towards him, wearing a similarly black leather armor. “This couldn't have turned out better if we planted it ourselves.” The Pegasus mare said with a laugh, stepping up to Zig Zag who was now glaring back at them. “Oh look at him; he's a cute little one!” The Pegasus burst out as she looked more closely at the little colt in front of her. Zig Zag answered by snarling up at her, savagely enough to make her take a step back in surprise. “What the frick?!” The Pegasus mare snapped indignantly while the yellow unicorn laughed at her reaction. “Oh by Celestia! Don't tell me that little runt actually scared you!” The yellow unicorn said to the now fuming Pegasus. “What! No! I mean didn't you see his teeth? He's got like freaking fangs or something!” The Pegasus said defiantly, then walked up to Zig Zag and unceremoniously pried his mouth open for a closer look. “Settle down colt! You don't want Fire Starter to accidentally cut your throat do you?” The green Pegasus mare said angrily, which made Zig Zag remember that he actually had his own two daggers pressed against his throat at the moment. He froze but continued to growl, while the Pegasus curled up his lips to show his fangs more clearly to her unicorn friend. “See? He’s got freaking fangs!” She said, looking back at the yellow unicorn. “Yeah, yeah, Whoopi do, he's got freaky teeth. Now get your flank in gear and get some reinforcements down here. That Gryphon and the wolf will most likely be here any minute now and we don't know for sure that keeping the runt prisoner will guarantee the spirit’s cooperation. And even if I don't foresee any problems keeping them at bay with my fire magic, I really don't want to be left alone here for too long.” The unicorn snapped at the green Pegasus. “Yeah, yeah, I hear you. I'll be back in-” the Pegasus was cut off by the unicorn. “Don't say when you will get back you idiot!” The unicorn shouted angrily at the Pegasus, who looked back at the unicorn, gave a snort through her nose and took off into the sky. “Pegasi… Always got their heads in the clouds don't they? Just makes it so darned annoying to deal with those freaking air heads, don't you think?” The mare said testily while she walked up to Zig Zag who was still standing with the daggers pressed against his throat. He glared over at the unicorn. “My mom was a Pegasus actually…” Zig Zag muttered in a hiss. “Oh don't be like that!” The female unicorn said while she closely looked over Zig Zag for the first time. And her gaze actually softened a bit as she did so. “Wow… you are actually quite cute in that little armor of yours.” The mare gave a crooked little smile. “I bet all the mares back at camp will be fighting to use you as their personal hot water bottle each night.” The yellow unicorn said and chuckled. Zig Zag’s jaw dropped open at that statement, causing the unicorn to actually burst out laughing before she eventually took a deep breath and once again looked down at Zig Zag. “Now why don't you just rest for a little while? And when you wake up I'll make sure you’re nice and comfy until the rest of the unit gets hear.” The unicorn mare said putting her horn against the side of Zig Zag´s head while she cast a sleeping spell on Zig Zag who immediately fell unconscious to the ground. **** Raven landed next to Lobo with a questioning look. “What's keeping you?” She wondered, Lobo only looked off into the distance, not meeting her eyes. “I… I can't swim…” Lobo said hesitantly. “What! But! How! You got across the last time didn't you?” Raven said incredulously, not believing a word of what she just heard. Lobo finally turned towards Raven, glaring at her. “I didn't actually make it last time! I had to drag myself along the bottom of the river in the end and I almost didn't make it. I almost drowned!” Lobo barked out. Raven took a frightened step backward, at seeing this Lobo’s ears flattened against his skull. Lobo quickly pulled back, angry with himself for having lashed out like that. “I'm sorry Raven, this situation, it's… frustrating.” Lobo said with a deep sigh while he looked out over the water again, shuddering a little at the sight. “It’s okay, don't you worry… So how are we going to do this then?” Raven wondered. “I don't know. Everytime I try to go into the water I just freeze at the edge.” Lobo said annoyed. Raven couldn’t suppress a little chuckle, and was immediately met by two burning yellow eyes glaring at her. “Well I'm glad this is so amusing.” Lobo grumbled. “I'm sorry it's just, the big bad Wolf is afraid of a little water!” Raven said and laughed a little more, earning a growl in warning from Lobo. “Okay, okay, I'm done!” Raven said and punched Lobo playfully in the side. Lobo gave an indignant humph before returning his attention to Raven. “So what should we do? Any ideas?” Lobo asked. “A few actually, just follow me and I will have you across in ten seconds flat.” Raven said with a big smile. Encouraged by this Lobo followed her up into the woods again. Twenty minutes later they were both back, Lobo dragging a huge log behind him while Raven was in the last stages of producing a very makeshift rope made up of different plant fibers. With a last heave, Lobo rolled the log down into the water, making a big splash. “There we go! Now just climb on top of the log, grab onto this rope, and I will pull you across in no time.” Raven said happily while Lobo hesitantly complied with Raven's idea. The log sank down quite a bit with him on top of it, but it was able to barely accommodate the weight of his mythril collar and the steel plate guards he now had strapped to his forelegs. Lobo was now clinging onto the log rather desperately since he realized he would not be able to reach the bottom if he rolled off. Raven came to a hover above him and tossed down one end of the makeshift rope, which Lobo immediately clamped his teeth around. “Hey… Not too hard there, you don't want to bite through the rope.” Raven called down. Hearing this Lobo relaxed his grip a little bit, but still kept the rope firmly gripped between his jaws. Seeing that all was well, Raven proceeded to flap her wings more intently, and slowly but surely she was tugging Lobo across. It took a lot longer crossing this time, and soon Raven's wings started burning quite badly. The instanct Lobo could see it was shallow enough for him to stand; Lobo was bounding through the water and up on the opposite shore. He gave himself a firm shake to clear his coat of water, and then happily look over at a heavily painting Raven who had landed beside him now on shaky legs. “Thank you! Thank you so much Raven!” Lobo said and in his exuberance gave her a long slobbering lick up the side of her face. “Gaaaah! Ah geez… Wolf slobber! Thanks a lot…” Raven stated, giving Lobo and annoyed look while she used her arm to wipe off some of the slobber. Lobo grinned sheepishly down at her. “Sorry… It's just, thanks; you have no idea how relieved I am right now.” Lobo said, looking a bit bashful because of what he just did. “No, I think I have a good idea about that. But that was a lot harder than I thought it would be… I didn't think about the fact I had to pull you against the current the whole time.” Raven said while she started to look around. “Well yeah… Sorry about that. And I really do appreciate this, thank you very much again Raven.” Lobo said as he too started to take in his surroundings. “Zig Zag! Where are you!... That's funny, I left him right here.” Raven mused out loud while she continued searching for her coltfriend. Lobo’s nose was now twitching as he picked up a scent he did not like it all. He immediately took on an aggressive stand, and a menacing growl emitted from his throat. Raven tensed up as she noticed Lobo´s change, yanking out a knife which she held at the ready in front of her. “What is it?” Raven wondered worriedly. Lobo took a couple more whiffs in the air before carefully moving forward. “There have been ponies here, and I'm pretty sure they have taken Zig Zag.” Lobo stated angrily before he ran in amongst the trees. Raven immediately took to her wings following him as best she could. She didn't have to follow him far though, just a hundred meters in there was a small clearing where a fire was now burning in the middle. And at the fire two figures could be seen; one was a canary yellow unicorn with a red mane, the other was Zig Zag. He had a thick leather strap wrapped around his neck which was securing him to a pole that was hammered into the ground. Zig Zag was lying on his side apparently sleeping soundly, with his head against her side, while the mare playfully stroked her hooves through his dark two tone blue mane. The yellow unicorn mare finally noticed Lobo who had frozen at the site of his foster son in such a predicament. Raven had instead shot past Lobo, complete rage blinding her to any consequences that her actions might cause. “Let him go you bitch!” Raven screeched as she barreled down towards the mare. The unicorn’s horn started to glow and immediately the campfire in front of her rose up into a wall of flame. Raven desperately flapped her wings to gain altitude and avoid the fire. As she rose up, the yellow unicorn once again came into view on the other side of the wall of flames. With a screech of anger, Raven let one of her daggers fly. Just before it sank into the mare's neck, a yellow shimmer surrounded it, making it hover in the air. The unicorn smirked up at Raven, but then gave a shrill scream that was more or less immediately cut off. Lobo had burst straight through the wall of fire and closed his massive jaws around the unicorn's throat. The two of them tumbled off together along the ground. When they finally came to a halt, Lobo had managed to put out the fires that had shortly been burning in his fur. Raven noticed the yellow mare was still alive, feebly hammering away at Lobo´s jaws while he growled angrily. “Quit fighting or I will snap your neck right now!” Lobo spat down at the struggling mare who answered by clinging onto Lobo, trying to ease the strain on her neck. Lobo rose up fully, the unicorn dangling helplessly from his jaws, giving off agonized wheezing sounds while she fought for breath. “He won't wake up!” Lobo heard Raven panically shout from the campfire, where she was now standing holding onto Zig Zag´s sleeping form and tugging angrily at the leash he had been outfitted with. Lobo then heard a small chuckle from the unicorn mare dangling from his jaws. Lobo growled viciously and let her fall to the ground, where she lay sputtering and coughing. “Wake him up now!” He roared at the mare. “No…” The unicorn managed to wheeze out between coughs. Lobo unceremoniously rolled her onto her back and put a massive paw on her chest. He leaned in closely locking gaze with the yellow unicorn as he bared his teeth at her. “Who are you kidding Wolf? If anything happens to me the kid will remain in a coma forever.” The unicorn said looking at Lobo with a grin. The gears in Lobo’s head started turning and it didn't take long before an even more vicious grin spread across his own features. “Hardly… Even if your spell could somehow be permanent, which I highly doubt, I can just kill you hear and then find another unicorn to counter the spell you cast on him. So right now this is just a question of how slowly and painfully you want to die.” Lobo stated coldly as his yellow eyes burned with the inner fury emanating from him. The yellow mare beneath him bleached visibly. “You… You wouldn't dare!” The unicorn screamed as her horn started to glow. The campfire once again rose up as if a living thing, and started to stretch over threateningly towards where she had left Zig Zag tied up. “I will burn him alive if you even try!” She threatened Lobo while she tried to get out from under his paw. “That would be difficult considering he's over here with me!” Raven stated smugly from where she sat at the tree line with an unconscious Zig Zag still in her grasp. “What? But that collar was secured with magic! How in Celestia did you get it off him?!” The mare sputtered in disbelief, only to realize that Zig Zag was still safely secured to the poll as intended. The thing was Raven had simply dug up the entire poll, which was now lying next to them on the ground. The yellow unicorn slowly looked back up at a fuming Lobo, an uneasy smile spreading across her face. “That still doesn't change the fact that I will not wake him up…” She said, resigning herself to what was to come. Lobo growled down at her, then lifted her up and slammed the mare viciously into the ground, then did so again and again and again and again. When Lobo finally stopped, the yellow unicorn was coughing and breathing weekly, a thin line of blood escaping from the corner of her mouth. “You will, or I'll start eating you alive! And I will even carry you with me so that I can make it last for days.” Lobo said with cold intent in his voice. If the mare had been frightened before, she now bore a look of pure terror. She tried to use her magic, but the pain and fear worked in tandem to shatter what little concentration she managed to put into her spells. All she managed was some pathetic fire sparks that barely cinched Lobo´s fur. “You… You wouldn't dar-” Lobo´s teeth snapped close around her left ear before he viciously yanked it off, and gulped it down in front of a now frantically shouting and cursing unicorn. After several desperate gulps of air the yellow unicorn looked up at Lobo with eyes as big as saucer plates. Blood pouring out from the wound on top of her head where her left ear used to be, she held her left hoof pressed against the wound trying to stem the blood flow a bit. “You are threatening the well-being of my pack pony… There is not much I would not dare right now.” Lobo said coldly as he snapped his teeth around the hoof she was holding pressed against her skull. The mare’s eyes widened in panic when she realized what was about to happen. "No! Please understand I can't let you get away, I've got orders! It's nothing perso-” there was a sickening crunch as Lobo´s teeth close completely around the appendix, before ripping the now mangled flesh off without a second's hesitation. The mare stared at the stump that was left where her hoof use to be in disbelief, then her body caught on to what had just happened, resulting in a blood curdling scream that could be heard for miles around the clearing. Funny how it's never something personal, at least not until you yourself start losing something in the process… Raven thought while the unicorn started to beg for mercy, thrashing back and forth in a desperate attempt to escape from Lobos harsh grip on her. **** Later that evening some miles away. Zig Zag’s eyes opened slowly as the spell keeping him unconscious was removed. The first thing he noticed was the two bloodshot pink eyes that belonged to the yellow-coated unicorn. He jerked his head back as he looked at her. Perspiration was pouring down across her face and she was breathing heavily. Zig Zag sprang to his hooves and backpedalled away from her until he hit something big and soft behind him. Two forearms encircled him, making Zig Zag shout out in surprise. But he quickly relaxed when Zig Zag saw he was in the comfortable embrace of Raven. Zig Zag looked back at Raven, meeting her worried gaze. He finally let out a sigh of relief when he noticed Lobo standing on the other side of the disheveled unicorn. The yellow mare slowly rolled onto her back again, still panting heavily, while cradling the stump that was left of her missing hoof. Once she finally became coherent again after the shock of losing her hoof, she had given into all their demands. Unfortunately she had not been able to perform the magic needed to cancel the spell she had cast on the little colt. Luckily for her Lobo realized it was not just a trick from her to buy more time, but that the fear and pain running through her veins was thoroughly incapacitating any attempt at using magic. He had unceremoniously tossed her across his back, told her that if she made a noise, she was dead, and started to make his way through the forest, followed by the Gryphon girl who was carrying the unconscious colt across her own back. Albeit the Gryphon girl was a lot tenderer with the transportation of the colt than the Wolf was with her. Finally composed again she looked up at Lobo with an empty expression. “There… The brats awake. Now kill me and be done with it…” Fire Starter said, trying to sound like she wasn't scared. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her cringe at what she knows was coming. “Is that really what you want, you want me to end your pain?” Lobo asked while looking at the mare in front of him. She looked up at him with a sneer. “Of course that's not what I want! I want to live you stupid mongrel! But don't play with me wolf… We both know what's going to happen, I no longer serve any purpose for you, of course you will kill me, so just do it already!” Fire Starter yelled angrily before she exposed her throat to Lobo while clenching her eyes shut, at least hoping for a fast and clean death. When nothing happened for almost a full minute, she gave out a pained shriek before staring up at Lobo, tears starting to flow from her eyes. “Fuck you wolf! You won't even let me die with what little dignity I have left? You damned monster!” Fire Starter spat out before she turned her head away from Lobo, trying to quell the sobs that were now starting to emanate from her. “I will let you live, because I want you to take a message for me to Black Star and Avarice.” Lobo stated. At the mention of Avarice name Fire Starter tensed up visibly. She turned back towards Lobo. “Tell them they don’t need to hunt me, I will come for both of them soon enough. Now rest until the morning. Once we have left, you can crawl out and make a fire or something. That will make it much easier for them to find you.” Lobo said before he left Fire Starter in her own little corner of the cave they were in, moving over to Raven and Zig Zag. “Are you really going to let her live?” Raven asked as she hugged Zig Zag a little tighter to her, eyeing the yellow unicorn menacingly. “Yes, she is no longer a threat to us and she will also deliver a message from me which will hopefully make sure Black Star and Avarice follow us more carefully and thus more slowly in the future.” Lobo answered while he settled down, putting himself between Fire Starter and his small pack. Raven did not seem satisfied at all by this, eyeing the unicorn with a skeptical look before pushing the dark thoughts out of her mind. Looking down at his foster pup, he could see that familiar expression on his face, the one he got when he was lost in deep thoughts. Lobo leaned in and nuzzled the side of Zig Zag´s cheek. “What is it little one?” Lobo wondered. Zig Zag looks up at his father worriedly. “I didn't stand a chance dad… She just used magic on my daggers and that was that, they had me… How can I possibly compete with something like that?” Zig Zag stated dejectedly. Lobo side, and put his paw under Zig Zag´s chin, lifting it up again. “Stay out of their reach, until you have a clean shot at them. One thing I've noticed about fighting the horned ones is that they often and foolhardily depend completely on their magic. They have to concentrate and focus for a spell to work. Give them a little pain or surprise them, and their horn will just sputter uselessly. And that's when you go in for the takedown.” Lobo said and playfully tapped Zig Zag on the jaw. Zig Zag´s whole face scrunched up while he thought. “But I never saw them coming, how can I dodge what I cannot see?” Zig Zag wondered. “Use your ears pup! That's what they’re there for! Well mostly…” Lobo said and rubbed Zig Zag´s right ear, which was only half there thanks to the city guard who had cut half of it off. As he rubbed it tenderly, Zig Zag leaned heavily into it, giving a content little sigh. “Just because you live in a city for a couple of months doesn't mean you can forget what I taught you in the forests. If you use only one of your senses you will most definitely be taken by surprise. I use my nose mostly, that doesn't mean I don't look or hear. For you it's your eyes that are your primary sense, learn to always use your ears and nose as well. And you will not be taken by surprise again my son, remember that.” Lobo said soothingly to the still somewhat brooding Zig Zag. “Yes dad…” He finally answered after thinking for a long while. “Good, now since you have clearly shown you're not on your hooves right now, I will take you down every time I manage to sneak up on you undetected. And that will go for you too Raven.” Lobo stated and looked up at a surprised Gryphon. “What!” She exclaimed, while Zig Zag grumbled a bit, knowing there was a couple of tough days of training ahead of them. “You need this training as well Raven. How many times have I sat down next to you, only for you to flinch when you finally noticed me?” Lobo asked with a raised eyebrow. “Well… yeah… It may have happened once or twice.” Raven reluctantly admitted. “Very good, then it is settled. If I manage to sneak up on any of you from now on, you ‘will’ regret it.” Lobo said with an evil grin. Both Zig Zag and Raven clung a bit tighter to each other at the sight of the big wolf glaring at them while chuckling menacingly. Off in the corner, Fire Starter had been listening intently; hardly able to believe what she was hearing. She might be able to get out of this whole mess without Avarice killing her after all. **** 27 of July Lightning Strike and Black Star had been able to spend the whole night together and alone in the research tent. Avarice had become much more lenient towards them once Black Star started to make progress in the studies she was conducting for their superior. They lay entwined in each other's hooves on the narrow bed they now shared. Black Star was still sleeping soundly, while Lightning Strike’s thoughts were being turned towards the problem that was Avarice. She had been trying to gain support amongst the soldiers to have Avarice removed from command. But she had been met largely with stonewall resistance and more than a few whispered advices that she should drop this issue if she knew what was good for her and her family. When she had made clear that she didn't have any family, many had looked upon her with something akin to jealousy, which she had found hard to believe. But as she worked her way through camp, it slowly dawned on her that Avarice had an iron hoof grip on the entire company mostly through fear. However, she had also discovered some of them were here because they liked making others suffer, and in this company they were free to do so from time to time. As these thoughts went through Lightning Strike’s head, she finally understood in what kind of predicament she and Black Star were in; and it was bad, very, very bad. Carefully she leaned in and kissed Black Star, holding the kiss tenderly until she felt Black Star´s lips responding to it. After holding the kiss a while longer she finally pulled back, looking down at the mare she loved. Her pristine white coat, her long black mane with red streaks running through it, and those milky white eyes that many found disturbing, but she only found endearing. They both gave a deep sigh as they looked at each other. “Morning my love.” Lightning said and gave Black Star a quick peck on the nose for good measure. “Good morning honey.” Black Star answered and encircled Lightning with her hooves so she could snuggle up against her body. Black Star then started kissing Lightning along her neck, making Lightning giggle at her antics. Reluctantly Lightning Strike makes Black Star stop and sits up on the edge of the bed. “Is… Is something wrong my beloved?” Black Star asked worriedly while she sat up behind Lightning Strike. “You even have to ask?” Lightning answered with a heavy sigh. Black Star encircled Lightning Strike with her hooves from behind, and rested her head on Lightning’s shoulder. “No…” Black Star finally said. “We are in trouble here honey. Avarice has this camp completely locked down. More or less every pony I've talked to seems to want nothing more than to leave Avarice services, but the mere mention of doing so makes them pale visibly. Then they start avoiding me like the plague, not wanting anything to do with me unless duty makes it unavoidable. Taking the command from Avarice before we are back in North Bay will be tricky… if not impossible. I think we should consider fleeing if things get worse. Just what you told me he did to the Scout who failed to bring Lobo back shows that he is completely nuts. Imagine what he will do when he realizes you have been feeding him false information about your research… I'm… I'm afraid Avarice will actually kill you.” Lightning Strike said while she leaned back into Black Star´s embrace. “Shhhh… I'm a big filly Lightning, if push comes to shove I’m more powerful than Avarice and I know how he will attack me as well. Even though he has his telekinesis, I still have a lot more raw magic than him, especially now that I'm no longer working myself ragged with the research.” Black Star said soothingly. Lightning Strike looked back at Black Star with a frown. “You are powerful and book-smart, I'll give you that. But you don't become Chief Decurion without knowing how to handle yourself. Avarice definitely knows how to kill ponies. And he has something you're sorely lacking, experience in the field and ruthlessness against his fellow ponies. Don't think your power alone will give you an easy victory.” Lightning Strike said, scolding Black Star’s constant knack for underestimating others. “Alright, alright… I will study up on more offensive spells. If the need ever arises to remove Avarice from command, I will be ready.” Black Star said testily. “Good… Now we nee-” suddenly the tent flap was flung open, cutting Lightning off in whatever she was about to say. In the brightly lit opening one of Avarice’s personal guards was now standing, staring over at the two mares on the bed with poorly hidden desire in his eyes at the site of them in bed together. “Report!” Lightning Strike ordered quite venomously, promptly snapping the unicorn stallion out of his daydream. “Yes Decurion! Sorry Decurion! Chief Decurion Avarice wants your presence in the command tent at once. We have just received confirmation that the spirit Wolf is heading down into the Empire again. And with additional information from Fire Starter, which the messenger arrived with, we now have a plan of action for obtaining the spirit once again. We are leaving immediately in the pursuit of said quarry.” The stallion informed Lightning Strike. “Tell Chief Decurion Avarice I'll be there momentarily. Dismissed!” Lightning Strike barked, making sure the stallion knew he's no longer wanted in their presence. “Yes Decurion!” The stallion answered before making a snappy salute and hastily leaving the tent. “Damn mongrel… Although, this will be very good for us. Avarice will not be able to keep an eye on us twenty-four seven when we are on the march. If we are presented with a chance, I say we make a run for it.” Lightning Strike said, looking Black Star deep in her eyes, silently begging her special some-pony to quite frankly abandon her life's work. Black Star knows what is on the line, but still she finds it difficult just thinking about leaving her research. After an oppressive silence, Black Star finally nods. “Yes… for you… I will run with you and-” Black Star tries to reply, but is silenced by a deep, long and passionate kiss from Lightning Strike, and all of a sudden the thought of leaving her research behind doesn't seem so terrible any more. **** Thanks to Pen Perfect for the Pre-read/Edit