Chapter Three- Bet You Did Not See That Coming.
A sigh escaped Harrow's mouth as he left Luna's office. Like he had expected, she had scolded him about leaving his squad behind. He replied with a simple 'Sorry, it won't happen again' but the night princess shouted at the white Unicorn for making such an impossible promise. No matter what he had said, Luna would have something to counter his words and make him feel like a fool. After being dismissed by the Alicorn, he was assigned patrol duty with five other soldiers. Luna had doubled the patrol since she was given the news about Harrow's squad. She didn't want any other soldiers being captured by the Celestial scum.
Without realizing it, Harrow had traveled past the armory. He quickly turned around and headed back up the hall. Once the Armory came into view, he began thinking about the weapon he would choose. Perhaps something heavy and blunt? Something swift and sharp? Harrow was never good at decision making. Every time he was asked to make a quick choice, he would always freeze up and blurt a random command.
The white Unicorn pushed open the wooden door, a light creaking sound escaping the hinges holding it to the frame of the doorway. Without warning, the door fell from the frame, collapsing to the floor. Harrow still had a hold of it while it plummeted. A shout erupted from the white stallion as he rolled into the room. The door knob separated from the door, splinters of wood coming along with it. After a ridiculous amount of tumbling, he finally came to a complete stop in the center of the room. The white stallion huffed in relief as he stood to his hooves. Shaking the dust from his coat, he noticed that there were several soldiers already in the armory. He froze in place, his eyes wide in embarrassment. With a slight chuckle, he threw the door knob behind him. The soldiers returned to the things they were doing before Harrow could state his excuse.
"Quite an entrance, wouldn't you say, Harrow?" A mare joked as she approached. Harrow forcibly smiled at her comment, knowing that this dark coated Pegasus was a higher rank then him.
"Daze. You always know exactly what to say." Harrow replied jokingly. Looking down at his dirty fur, he let out another chuckle. He must look like a homeless pony to Daze right now. First the sprawling with Applejack and now the dust from falling into the armory. It looked like his normal white coat was replaced by a sudden blanket of brown fur. 'I need to go get cleaned up. Maybe it can wait until after the patrol.' Harrow thought, forcing himself to forget the bath for the time being.
"So, Daze? Am I going to be in your patrol?" The white Unicorn asked, getting a hesitant nod from the mare.
"Yes, you will be aiding me along with four others." Daze informed the soldier.
"Are we doing a full border scan?" Harrow asked.
"We are doing the usual patrol, nothing more." Daze responded.
"Shouldn't we be cautious about the borders? What if the Celestial troops begin pushing further into our territory and we don't even realize it?" Harrow continued to bombard Daze with questions. The dark coated mare turned away from Harrow, an irritated sigh barely audible.
"Please stop asking me these questions. I do not have the answers for you." She retorted, glaring over her shoulder. Harrow couldn't hold back a exhale of defeat.
"Sorry, miss. It won't happen again." Harrow bit back a witty response to Daze's reply. He didn't want to end up on another mare's bad side.
"I highly doubt you mean what you say." Daze pointed out, returning to the table she was originally at. A metallic sword rested on the wooden table, practically glowing in the sunlight from the roof. Daze grabbed the handle in her mouth, slowly moving the head of the blade to her holster. Carefully, she began sheathing the sword. As the handle of the blade reached the top of the holster, Daze removed it from her mouth, letting the sword rest inside the leathery holster. A look of accomplishment crossed Daze's face for a slight second before returning to a determined gaze. Harrow noticed the sudden change in her emotion.
"Are you ready?" Daze asked Harrow, noticing how quiet the stallion was. Harrow had drifted into his own world while Daze was preparing her sword.
"Uh? Oh, yeah! I am ready." Harrow replied.
"Everypony else should be waiting by the entrance." Daze spoke quickly, breaking into a trot down the hall. Harrow struggled to keep up with the Pegasus. 'Those light bones must be a gift when it comes to running. I wonder if she could outrun a dog?' Harrow thought as the rest of the patrol came into view. A blue maned stallion waved a greeting to the approaching ponies.
"Daze! Harrow! What took you two so long? Busy spending time with each other?" The stallion joked, causing Daze to turn a light red.
"Shut up, Sparkler!" She blurted suddenly, catching Harrow by surprise. "We weren't alone. We were in the armory preparing for the patrol." Daze began explaining. A nod of acknowledgment came from Sparkler before he smirked. He obviously didn't believe a word she was saying.
"You sure?" He pressed, nudging the Pegasus slightly. Without warning, Daze pushed away the earth pony's hoof, almost knocking the poor fellow on his rump. "Okay, I'll stop! Geez." Sparkler sighed, rubbing his hoof carefully.
"Is everypony else ready?" Daze asked, looking over the other three soldiers in the hall. They quickly bobbed their heads up and down. They definitely didn't want to end up on the ground just like Sparkler.
"Alright, let's get a move on. We have a lot of land to cover." Daze ordered, leading the ponies to the entrance of the ruins. Harrow was right behind Sparkler and Daze, the three remaining soldier filling in after him. The sound of their armor clanging against themselves sounded through the large hallway as they galloped outside. The sun seemed brighter then it did an hour ago, the sky turning a darker tone of blue. The sun was at the highest point in the sky, meaning only half of the day was gone.
"Do ya have to use this entrance?!" A southern accented voice blurted from Harrow's side, shocking him from his examination. Applejack was standing there, her teeth clenched in anger. 'She's still on guard duty?' Harrow asked himself.
"Sorry, Captain. I would have used the back entrance, but we have to start on this side of the forest. My apologies." Daze spoke, dipping her head in farewell before trotting off. Harrow could see that Applejack wanted to protest, but she quickly shut her mouth before saying something she would regret.
"Just don't get'n any trouble. Ah don't wanna end up havin' to save' y'all from danger." Applejack commented. The way she spoke told Harrow that she wasn't joking. Her eyes were filled with care and worry, like that of which a mother would have. Applejack was like a mother to them, leading them through times of need. Not once has that mare given up on her group. Her dedication was what this group strives off of. Without her, they would just be another blunt weapon in the arsenal.
"We will try our best." Sparkler replied, nodding his head quickly. Without waiting for a reply, the rest of the group hurried to catch up with Daze.
The sound of hooves beating on the dusty path seemed to echo across the whole of the forest. Harrow found it strange that that was the only sound he could hear. Not even the distant sound of chirping birds could be heard. This kind of silence could only bring danger.
"Daze, do you hear that?" Harrow spoke up, breaking the silence that had fallen upon the patrol. The dark coated Pegasus shook her head in reply. "Exactly." Harrow added, catching the sudden worry as it drifted onto Daze's glare.
"Keep a close eye on your surroundings. Things are about to get hectic." Daze ordered, abruptly stopping in her tracks. The group began forming a circular line of defense in attempt to lower their chances of a sneak attack. Harrow fell in beside his comrades, Daze on his left and Sparkler on his right. His awareness was sharper than a blade as his white ears flicked from side to side, attempting to pick up the slightest of sound.
Silence. Not even the rustling of wind blowing leaves along the floor was heard. This quietness was accompanied with an uneasy feeling. Harrow knew something was watching them. The burning sensation of eyes peering onto the back of Harrow's neck filled his being. A shiver quickly ran down his back, causing his whole body to shake. This sudden movement caused the soldier to his right to jump back in surprise, breaking their line of defense. Just at that moment, a glass shattering howl erupted through the silence. As if giving a signal, green glowing eyes began filling the shadows around them. Harrow quickly spun around, seeing that the eyes had surrounded them. He counted out the pairs of glowing orbs in his head. Twelve! They were outnumbered by six!
"Hold your ground!" Daze shouted from Harrow's side. The white Unicorn practically dug his hooves into the dirt, watching a single pair of glowing eyes as it approached. It seemed like eternities had passed before the creatures emerged from the shadows. A heavy, wooden paw struck the sunlit ground, dust escaping from every step. Harrow's gaze swept from the large paw to the jagged, sap dripping fangs of the Timberwolf. These beasts were common in the area. The Lunar soldiers had to fight off a pack of these wooden wolves to take claim of the ruined factory.
"Stand your ground and aim for the head!" Daze instructed, unsheathing her sharpened sword. As if synced with each other, the rest of the soldiers unsheathed their weapons and took a defensive stance. The Wooden wolves began circling around the ring of ponies, scouring for a weak point in their defense. Snarls and growls sounded around the ponies, an inevitable attack looming above them.
The clearing grew silent once again, the same uneasy feeling following it. The Timberwolves stopped walking circles around the ponies, most likely analyzing their stances. Harrow's hooves itched for a fight; his urge to make the first attack was too strong. Just as Harrow opened his mouth to give the attack order, the nearest Bark covered dog jumped forward, knocking the white coated stallion into the center of the group. In the corner of his eyes, the Timberwolves began charging, using their force in numbers to overwhelm the soldiers. Shouts of battle pierced the air as swords clashed against the hard barked skin of the wolves.
Without hesitation, Harrow focused on the Timberwolf on top of him. This wolf seemed smaller than the rest, most likely younger as well. It's fangs dripped with honey and sap, droplets falling onto Harrow's coat. Harrow held the bark-covered wolf back with his sword placed on it's chest. The wolf continuously snapped at the stallion, forcing itself on the sword. Soon, the sword was lodged into it's chest, wedging the blade between it's darkened wood. Harrow attempted to free himself from underneath the wolf's massive paws, but his struggle was in vein. The weight of the wolf was too much for the stallion to push off by himself. It felt like a tree had fallen on top of him, branches poking at his sides. The heat from the monster's breath beat down on Harrow as it growled and barked, it's muzzle getting closer to Harrow's face. The white coated soldier instinctively closed his eyes as the sap dripped from the sharpened fangs lingering above him. With one last struggle, Harrow pushed with all his might in attempt to free himself. As he began pushing, he felt the weight of the Timberwolf leave his lower body. Quickly opening his eyes, he saw that a light blue coated Pegasus was fighting the wolf a few feet from where it was moments ago. As he glanced around the clearing, he realized the ponies were the ones outnumbering the wolves now. Luna most have sent reinforcements! But he had never seen these ponies before.
"Are ya gonna lay there and gawk or are ya gonna help us?!" A country sounding stallion shouted at Harrow, snapping him from his thoughts. With a quick nod, he sped to his hooves and charged forward at the wolf that previously had him pinned. The wolf did not see Harrow coming as he rammed into it's side. The cyan mare jumped off just as the sap dripping beast barreled to the ground. Harrow was ready to charge the Timberwolf, but slid to a halt when something caught his eyes. The chest plate the mare wore bared the shimmering sun of the Celestial Republic. His eyes widened in surprise and shock. She is a Celestial trooper! Harrow's jaw dropped just as quickly as he could think. What in Equestria was a Celestial soldier doing fighting a Lunar battle?
Quickly shifting his stance, he aimed a swift tackle at the trooper's side, catching her off guard. the rainbow maned mare let out a distressed yell as she was pinned to the ground. "Get off me! I am here to help!" The mare's voice was rough and weak. Her shouts seemed like whimpers as she yelled at the stallion, attempting to free herself.
"Why should I trust a sun-worshiper like you?" Harrow snapped back before placing more force on her shoulders. A shrill scream of pain escaped the mare as Harrow placed his hoof on her shoulder. He quickly tore away the shoulder plate that protected the mare. A dark bruise was directly where his hoof had previously been. Harrow's eyes widened at the size of the wound. What could have caused that size of a bruise?
"These ponies were captured by Celestial Troops and I saved them! They were being held in Canterlot and tortured for information!" The cyan mare spat back through gritted teeth. Just before Harrow could remark, a sudden pain struck his hind leg, causing him to scream out in pain. A Timberwolf was latched to his hoof, biting deep into his flesh. Like a feather in the breeze, the wolf lifted the stallion off the ground, ripping further into his skin. Harrow screamed out in pain as he felt the fangs ripping deeper and deeper into his leg. With a flick of it's head, the sharp fanged beast sent Harrow tumbling through the grass. Another sharp pain struck the stallion as his back rammed the trunk of a tree.
The sound of battle soon faded to a low hum as his vision blurred. Blood spattered from his mouth as he attempted to call for help. Numbness filled his body as the soldier lay there, his gaze shifting to his leg. The white coat was replaced with a light crimson as the fang gashes bled. His head rested on the grassy field as he watched an approaching pony. It was the same mare that he had pinned. Without looking weak, he hauled himself up, trying not to put too much weight on the wound. The mare began speaking, but Harrow could only hear ringing. Shaking his head reluctantly, he limped passed the Celestial soldier.
"Did you hear me?" She barked, grabbing the stallion's shoulder to stop him.
"Anything a Celestial scum says is not worth hearing!" Harrow remarked, pushing away the mare's hoof. Harrow's eyes filled with rage and anger as he glared at the mare. Something about the way she looked back made Harrow regret what he had just said. Determination and courage was the only thing in the mare's gaze.
"I said my name is Dash. I was the second-in-command of the Canterlot brigade; troop five. I gave up that title when I freed these ponies! I am not loyal to Celestia anymore. How many times do I have to tell you before you believe me?" Rainbowdash asked. Harrow's gaze shifted away as he thought. Was this mare really telling the truth? Did she actually free all these ponies from Canterlot without the other guards realizing they were gone? Eventually they would have to figure out that Rainbow had taken them.
Before Harrow could answer Dash's question, the cyan Pegasus sped off to aid the rest of the soldiers. Harrow bit his lip as he held his tongue, racing after the Celestial soldier. He tried his best not to wince in pain as he trotted. Glancing back at his leg, he noticed that dirt and grass had clotted the blood flow. It will be fine for now as long as he doesn't put too much weight on it.
-
With the gain of numbers, the ponies managed to push back the Timberwolves while only receiving a few major injuries. Those that were not destroyed during battle escaped into the forest with their twig tails between their legs.
"And never come back you Termite infested trees!" Sparkler shouted in victory, waving his sword triumphantly. Harrow could not help but chuckle at his allies behavior. It was as if he had one the whole war and was celebrating over the fallen enemies. This was one of the things that made Sparkler different. No matter how hard the battle, he would always find a way to celebrate. If his squad survived an ambush, he would celebrate. If he had unsuccessfully attempted to free some captives, he would celebrate his survival.
"Let me see that leg." A sudden voice spoke form beside the white stallion, causing him to slightly jump. Rainbowdash raised Harrow's hoof to examine it. The stallion tensed as she dusted away the dirt. A searing pain struck Harrow like a brick as Rainbow bent his hoof.
"Ow!" A shout sounded around the clearing. "Did you have to turn it so much?" Harrow remarked, quickly removing his hoof from Rainbow's grip.
"What are ya, some kind of foal?" Dash retorted, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"A foal that is about to kick your-"
"Enough from you two!" Daze was the one to intersect the fight. "I want some answers right now as to why you are wearing that crest." She quickly trotted up to the Sun-Crest baring mare, her dark purple eyes narrowed. Dash began explaining what she had told Harrow during the sprawl. Daze's stare had not faltered throughout the whole story. Something was telling Harrow she wasn't taking any of it. This isn't going to end well...
"So, you abandoned Celestia to free a few ponies from being interrogated?" Daze restated, getting a nod from Dash as a reply. "And you are sure they will come looking for you?" She asked, another nod following the question.
"I am leaving them in your hooves. I have to get out of Equestria while I am still a free mare." Rainbow explained, her eyes suddenly filling with worry. As the rainbow maned pony glanced behind her, Harrow followed her gaze. A single orange filly was sitting not too far from a Timberwolf's body, examining it curiously. The white stallion looked back to Dash just in time to see a tear run down her cheek. Her emotion surprised Harrow. This pony used to be an elite soldier, but her feelings are that of a mother. That gleam in her eye reminded Harrow of Applejack. Something about the two seemed... matched, as if they had known each other or were related. They both had that look that told so many stories but were still soft and gentle.
"You can count on me to take care of these ponies. You have my word." Daze's words broke Harrow from his unbraking gaze.
"Thank you. They will be glad to be free from the Celestial Republic. No pony should live through those treatments, not even the ones that deserve it." Dash spoke, her sight still looking toward the filly. Harrow could tell that she wanted to run to the young pony, but something was holding her back. Was it feelings, or something deeper then that?
"Goodbye, Scoots." Harrow could barely hear Dash's whisper before she saluted. Daze returned the gesture before nodding to her squad.
"Lead these ponies to the base. We need to patch them all up!" Sparkler shouted as he lead the way to the path. Harrow turned back to where Dash had been standing, but she was long gone. Quickly looking toward Scootaloo, she looked just as lost as Harrow was. The white Unicorn could tell she was looking for Dash by the worry in her eyes.
"Dash? Rainbowdash!" She shouted. Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she looked around, lost and confused.
"She's gone. She said she had to get out of Equestria while she was still a free mare." Harrow told the filly as he limped forward. The filly looked up at Harrow, her mouth now agape. Harrow could tell she was fighting for words, but could not find the right ones. Instead, she buried her muzzle in Harrow's chest. The white stallion let out a surprised breath as she began wrapping herself around him. Resting his muzzle on Scootaloo's head, The Unicorn began whispering comforting words to the young pony.
"It will be alright. Everything will be fine."