//------------------------------// // Hounded // Story: Painted Mirror // by Lord of Turtles //------------------------------// Raj hacked through a bundle of brambles with a pair of quick swings, opening the path forward. He trudged on, closely followed by a stooped orange pony. “All ah'm sayin' is, would it kill the weather ponies to push a cloud over the Everfree every once in a while?” She fanned herself with her hat for a few seconds “Cause it is too dang hot.” “Maybe, I don't know.” Raj shrugged while he scanned the area around for paths. “Not just for us mind, ah'm not that selfish. What ah'm talkin' about is making things a bit cooler 'round these parts 'n maybe it'd calm the things that live out here a bit. The critters out here in these woods always get ornerier in the summer time, coming out and harassing pony folk, like what happened with Berry Punch 'n Cocunut earlier this month. Didja hear about that?” Raj looked back at her “Applejack I live in the woods. By myself. How would I have heard town gossip?” She winced in embarrassment “Right, right sorry. But, uh, a mare from town 'n her cousin were out picking berries when they almost got eaten up by a Chimera of all things. Can you imagine that, a Chimera so close to town!” “You don't say.” said Raj, his face carefully blank. “Ah do say. Them ponies were scared witless after. At first we thought she'd been sampling her own stock again, but her cousin swore up and down she was tellin' the truth. They're lucky they got away with their lives.” “I believe it.” “Course ya do. Now then, uh...” She trailed off, her hoof tapping at the air absently “Uh, what was ah talking about?” Raj answered “Something about the weather...” “Oh yeah, cooling down the Everfree. It couldn't be that hard to muster. Ah mean, them Pegasi get up to nothin' most days. Heck, RD spends a chunk'a her time just nappin'.” complained Applejack as she negotiated a fallen tree-trunk. “Uh-huh.” “What they do is real important, ah know that, but sometimes it feels like them weather ponies don't think about us ground-bound folk as much as they should. Its not like they have to worry 'bout things coming in from the forest and eatin' 'em way up in the clouds.” “Right, clouds.” said Raj absently as he studied a large sycamore tree. “There're dangerous things in these here woods Rajrishi. It should be everypony's job to keep 'em right where they-” Raj held up a hand. “Applejack, not that I don't find this conversation absolutely riveting, but we're here.” “We are?” “Yeah.” Applejack glanced around, seeing the looming foliage of the Everfree overhead and the thick, choking brambles that clutched at her hooves underneath. In other words, exactly the same as everywhere else. “Um, where exactly, is here?” “Where I stopped before. Look.” Raj pointed out a piece of trail sign carved into a sycamore's bark. “This is where I called it quits last time I was in this area. A few days ago I think.” He ran a thumb along the scratches on the bark before slashing a line across it. “What'd ya do that for?” “To negate it. That sign is what I use for my outer boundary line. If I don't make them I could end up stomping through the same patch of woods more than once.” “Oh, ah see. Its like a bear rubbing against a tree, or Winona piddlin' on the fence-posts around the farm. You're markin' yer territory.” “Sure, let's go with that.” He resheathed his knife. Applejack examined the mark on the tree, memorizing the shape. “How many of those things do you got out here?” “Seven, well, six now.” he added after a moment's thought. “C'mon, we have a lot of ground to cover.” “We got more ground to cover? But we been walkin' all mornin'!” “Yeah, I know, I wanted to be here earlier but something was slowing me down.” he glanced at her pointedly. Applejack snapped shut on a retort and swallowed “Ah'm gonna take the high road and figure that ya mean yer back. Now then, if we're only just now getting' started, ya mind telling me what it is we're doing out here anyway?” “Actually yes, I do mind. Thank you for asking.” She looked at him flatly “Rajrishi I will buck you in the stallion-parts, both hooves.” “Fair enough. I'm looking for something. Does that save me from nut-bucking?” Applejack narrowed her eyes and snorted, mulling it over. After a second she drawled “Yeah, ah guess so... for now anyways.” “Good to hear it. Now let's go, and stick close. I don't know what's out here and I'd rather not find out.” * * * Hours and miles later, the pair were fleeing. Applejack galloped through the thick gloom of the forest, huffing and panting. She craned her neck around and shouted “Hurry up Rajrishi, ya gotta go faster!” “I'm trying.” he growled back as he skipped over a dead log and beat feet along the loamy soil. He saw Applejack's orange hooves disappear behind a curtain of vines and cursed. Raj heard a scraping growl come from behind him and spun in time to see a pair of burning green eyes framed by a dark shadow leap off the fallen trunk. He barely managed to raise his hands before the wooden monster bore him to the ground. He rode the momentum of it, landed flat on his back, and swung up his legs. The Timberwolf went tumbling end over end and broke into a thousand pieces on the side of a tree with a pained yelp. Raj was back on his feet in an instant with his Ironoak staff held ready. A second after that a pair broke from cover at a hard sprint, drooling foamy sap and emerald eyes burning. The first one made a lunge at his legs while the other went high. He vaulted over the first and stabbed down at its exposed back before landing in a crouch and going under the second. He stood into a wide circle-swing that broke apart the creature's hindleg as it soared past him. The first wolf staggered from the hit to its back and skidded to a halt. The airborne one hit the dirt and tried to balance on a leg that wasn't there, going into an ungainly roll right into its companion and scattered them both into branches and twigs. He watched the wood settle for a second and took a breath, trying to steady himself. Sure enough, another couple broke from the underbrush and made a beeline for him. Muttering obscenely, he set himself to deal with the threat, end of staff held low. The Timberwolves circled wide however, skirting his range but staying out of it. They sped past him, charging through a tangle of vines. Confusion painted his features for a second before he shouted “Applejack! Applejack!” He started into an unwise sprint, trying to catch up. The Timberwolves leafy tails waved at him and swiftly grew smaller until he lost them behind dense foliage. After a few seconds of running he could hear snarling barks from off the trail. Pushing through the hanging branches, he came upon a small, mossy clearing. Applejack was in the crotch of a drooping willow, swatting and kicking at a pair of Timberwolves that repeatedly leaped up to snap at her hooves. As Raj came in, one of the beasts made it high enough to scrabble at the Y of the trunk before she slapped him down. She looked down at Rajrishi and shouted “Ah'm fine, keep going!” Rajrishi heartily ignored her words and charged the harassing creatures. They turned to regard him, snarling and growling at his approach. Not willing to be intimidated, Raj slowed not at all and kicked at the first one, striking it despite it hopping back to dodge. His toe hit it right in the nape of the neck and the thing's whole head exploded into branches and leaves. The other one crouched low, moving like it was going to dart in at him. It never got the chance. Applejack chose that moment to leap from her perch and crunch the thing into the dirt, shattering its amalgam of a body. Raj nodded at the display and asked “You okay?” Applejack kicked a log away, sneering at it. “Yeah, ah'm good. You?” “Fine.” “Good, let's git gone before they're back up.” The pair set into a run, Applejack checking her speed to avoid leaving Rajrishi behind. It was close to an hour later when the pair finally stopped, the sun well intent on setting and the entire Everfree stretching into stark shadows. The ground gave way to a dry riverbed, the bottom of it a quagmire of stinking mud, but the edges were shaded and cool. By wordless agreement they settled themselves on the shore underneath an earthen overhang. “You feelin' alright Rajrishi?” asked Applejack as she started to fuss with the ties on her mane. Raj didn't answer, just wheezed and grimaced in his seat. “Rajrishi?” repeated Applejack. She took a few steps closer and put a hoof on his shoulder, shaking him lightly. Raj slapped the limb away and muttered “I'm fine.” “Well... good. That's good.” said Applejack, her voice carefully neutral. “Ah lost sight of ya for a bit there while we were runnin'. Didn't know what happened to you.” “Right.” Raj rubbed a thumb at his temple, trying to ease away the beginnings of a headache. “Told ya it was dangerous out here.” She shook her mane to test the ties holding it back. “Ah reckon we got a bit over an hour o' daylight left, should probably get going back less'n we wanna be out here after dark.” “Right.” said Raj as he picked bits of sap and twigs off his person. “Hold on for a second.” he pulled his knife and moved to a tree further up the bank. “What're ya doing?” “Marking.” he replied as he scored a line across the bark. “What for?” “Well, this is where I'm going to have to start again tomorrow, so I might as well do it right.” Applejack went wide eyed “Yer comin' back out here?” He looked back at her, frowning “Yes Applejack, I am. I didn't get nearly enough ground covered today so I'm going to need to hit this one up again.” Applejack lowered her head in thought “Okay, well, ah guess ah could move some stuff around. I'm s'posed to mind the stand tomorrow, but ah bet Caramel would be willin' to do it for me. He owes me a couple favors.” “What, oh no no no.” Raj let out a small chuckle as he walked past the orange mare. “You are not coming out with me. Not again.” She turned after him “What, and why not?” “Really, you're going to ask me that after what just happened? Are you for real?” “Ah certainly am for real. What, am ah not good enough to wander 'round the woods with yer sorry behind? “You almost got me killed Applejack, that's why.” She scoffed “Almost got you- why ah never, in all my days. Ah saved you, ya empty-headed moron!” “Really, you saved me. You little-” he bit back harsh words and crossed his arms. “Explain.” “Ah was trying to lead them things away from you, give ya time to get away. Ya shoulda ran off, found somewhere to hide, but instead you started fighting 'em. Why in tarnation did you have to go and do that?” “They attacked me Applejack, some of them broke off after you and some of them came at me, so I fought them.” He pointed at her accusingly “Which I wouldn't have needed to do if you had just stayed put!” “Stay surrounded by a mess 'o Timberwolves? You must be outta yer dang mind.” “They wouldn't have done anything if we had stayed solid. We separated, so they came at us. If you run from something like that, they have to chase you. They're wired for it. But if you make yourself appear strong and capable, there's a chance that they'll leave you alone.” Applejack sneered “You don't know what yer talking about. All you can do to Timberwolves is run away, maybe trick or lead 'em somewhere dangerous. You can't go head on 'gainst something like that.” Raj shot her an incredulous glare “I just did that, multiple times. In a row.” “Yeah, you got lucky. And now yer talking about coming back tomorrow and trying it again on yer own. No way, no how.” “I have to Applejack.” “Why, cause yer looking for something?” She reared up and gestured around wildly “There ain't nothing out here Rajrishi! Just trees, bushes, 'n monsters.” She dropped to her hooves “And yer gonna get killed if ya keep on trudging through 'em. What the hell could be so dang important yer willing to risk yer life for it.” He bit his lip, debating a few things in his head before replying “You don't need to worry about that, okay. It's something that I can find on my own, something I should find on my own.” He replied, his face set. “With a busted limb, with a shredded back? Can you honestly tell me yer in any condition to be running around someplace as dangerous as this?” Raj glowered at her “Applejack, I'm fine.” “That ain't what the Doc said. Ya should be takin' it easy Rajrishi, ah'm pretty sure ya popped a stitch, probably a few of 'em judging by the smell.” she pointed a hoof at a damp spot on his shoulder. Rajrishi reached a hand onto his back and pulled it away wet and streaked with blood. He rubbed the substance between his fingers with a sullen look. “Yeah, that's no good.” “Granny should be able to get ya sorted, she's always been pretty good at mendin' me n' Mac when we get knocked around.” “Maybe.” He replied, his tone a bit leery. “Well, lemme see how bad it is at least.” she tugged at the hem of his shirt. “I'm fine.” he jerked her away tersely. “Ya probably are but ah just wanna take a look.” she hopped up against his back. “I said I'm fine!” He hissed, stepping away from the orange pony. Applejack looked after him with a helpless look on her face. “Ah'm just trying to help Rajrishi.” “I shouldn't have even needed help, alright? If you-” He cut himself off, biting back a retort. “Just, nevermind.” Applejack's eyes narrowed and she set her hooves. “No, go on. Say what ya were gonna say Rajrishi. Let's suss this out right now.” She grit her teeth, getting ready for a fight. He hissed back “Fine, you want to do this right here, let's. All of this, everything, all happened because you can't keep your miserable snout of other people's business. I would have been fine on my own, better in fact. At least alone I wouldn't have to deal with your ridiculous weedling!” “Ah was trying to be friendly, all of us were, but you probably wouldn't know that if it came up and bit ya on the behind! We invited ya into our home, fed ya, took care of ya, 'n all ya do is disappear on us without a single dang word. Ah've met beavers that got better manners than you!” “Friendly, you're going to talk to me about being friendly?” Rajrishi's lip twitched, almost sneering. He looked her in the eye and outright glared at her for a few seconds before he clenched his hand, sending a shooting pain through his broken arm. He clutched at it, wincing. Applejack's expression softened, but only just. She grumbled “Ya okay?” “Yeah, it's nothing. Just aggravated it.” he flexed his hand, testing the damage to his arm. “You're right by the way, it is getting late. We should get going.” Applejack frowned, clearly seeing through the excuse, but he did have a point. “Fine, but this ain't over, not by a long shot, y'hear?” “I hear, I hear.” She trotted past him. “Good, now c'mon, Granny's got some iodine that'll clean them cuts out real quick.” “Oh, iodine, great. Looking forward to it.” he droned, stomping after her.