//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Fate Of My Destiny // by ElementOfDestiny //------------------------------// Fate Of My Destiny [Prologue]: Ambush                  †                †                †                †                † It was another cool spring night for the land of peace. The moon and stars illuminated in the midst of the sky, its majestic rays poured onto the earthy ground. Light stretched all across the horizons of Equestria, but quickly fell dead when it reached the border. The other side of Equestria was unknown, untamed lands, where only exiles and rebellion lurked. Not to far out, was a local bastion that lay between civilization and wilderness. It was garrisoned by SPEC, also known as, Specialized Patrol for Equestrian Control,  which served under the honor of the Equestrian Armed Forces to patrol the badlands. It was a difficult job, besides being away from normal civilization and welcoming the danger of the unknown.  To serve and protect had its advantages of doing the right thing, but it also meant risking your life and limb as well. *                *                *                *                *   "Foreman!"  The commander’s voice rang out across the courtyard. "Sir!?" "Have the 26th Regulars reported in yet?" The earth pony quickly gazed down at the clipboard in his hoof.  "No, Sir, they have not…" The commander huffed out a heavy sigh.  "They were suppose to report hours ago...Nothing?"  Foreman could only shake his head quietly in silence, until he heard the stallion's rough voice again.  "If they found something, it would have been…"  He turned his head towards the lieutenant "If they haven’t reported by morning...send out the 11th and 15th Lancers!" The young lieutenant quickly wrote down the numbers and saluted in attention. "Yes, Sir" "That is all.  Dismissed"  The commander slowly trotted up into the fort's lookout tower, and gazed out into the dark, horizons of untamed lands. His gut was telling him something was terribly wrong.  His gut was usually right. †                †                †                †                † Far away in a isolated and unknown area, was a certain scout company. The team was assigned on an important patrol mission. However they were in one of the more hostile parts of the badlands.  "Ugh, this place gives me the creeps...why did we have to be assigned here?" Whistle Wind hesitated as his eyes glanced all around the darkness. "I mean come on, out of all the forsaken places...really this place?" "Whistle, be quiet or I’ll transfer you to the Everfree." "Yeah,  I hate the forests in the Badlands.  Place gives me nightmares" agreed another scout named Crabapple. Leading the company, Sgt. Grey Stone came to a complete stop and huffed a sigh. He understood the other scouts were frightened, but complaining about it wasn't going to make the patrol any easier.  "Look, we all don't really want to be here, I get that. But I need you all to stay alert and focused on the mission. Is that clear?"  With that being addressed, the scouts momentarily nodded in silence. "Um, sir, I don't mean to pry...but shouldn't we make a report?  I’ve been putting it off all day on your orders," suggested the only unicorn of the squad. Grey Stone nodded. "Yes, Sweet Thistle, thank you for the reminder. Go ahead and send out a report, let SPEC know we didn't come across anything unusual and...I guess we'll be returning back to our regular route."  The unicorn eagerly spawned a magical scroll above his head and began writing the message. "Woohoo! You hear that Whistle? Were finally getting out of here," Crabapple chirped. Grey Stone simply ignored them, still focused on their surroundings.  He also wanted to leave just as much as the others did, however, being a leader had its priorities.  The main one was investigating gatherings of exiles outside the borders.  Malcontents gathering would lead to raids on the outlying farms and towns and it was their job to report any. This way they can leave the hard part to troops as they move in and ‘nip it in the bud,’ so to speak. Sweet Thistle finished writing the report.  He double checked his analysis, and made sure he didn't leave anything out. After being content with the information, his horn and the scroll glowed a deep yellow and the message disappeared from plain view. "Alright. Whistle, fly up and get bearings on our location.  We need to get back on our patrol. " The scout smiled and nodded, his wings just spreading out when sounds off to the side distracted him.  "Wha-?" "Did you guys hear tha—" Whistle turned his head away as something warm, wet, and sticky sprayed over him.  When he looked back, he couldn’t process what he saw.  Everyone's eyes widened in horror as weeks of training failed to kick in and move them into action as the scene unfolded around them. A red fountain of crimson liquid gurgled through the open neck of their unicorn squadmate.  His head was missing and it still took several seconds before the body responded to this loss of control.  Then, everything was smothered in a haze of screams, barked orders, and sharp whistles. "AMBUSH!" It was too late for the squad, as their chance for a retreat into the unknown due to the thickness of the surrounding brush.  The dark figures darted out from all sides and locked onto their prey.  Whistle had leapt up immediately after the red shower, but was brought down after blades slashed the sensitive skin underneath his wings.  He was able to turn to the left slightly before plowing headfirst into the trunk of an oak.   As he was trying to get his legs to respond, he looked back on the ponies he had shared bread with for the past year. Grey Stone started to draw out his blade with his teeth.  Unfortunately, the moment's hesitation and lack of becoming mobile cost him.  The sharp whistling started up again and while one was deflected by Grey's blade, the others hit their target.  He was impaled by several blades with a faint shimmering aura.  It was horrendous.  The effect was immediate as the sergeant fell apart in a mess that made the scout vow off of eating anything tomato-based ever again. Crabapple was nowhere to be seen, but he could be heard.  The yelling, pleading, and raging wasn't anything that Whistle could believe his squadmate was capable of making.  Moments later it stopped completely after a few more sickening thuds and whistles. Silence quickly reigned while the pegasus remained alone and terrified in the gathering dark. His pain quickly fading, he was thinking on his next course of action.  He needed to do something.  And so, he voided his bowels.  As the smell hit him, his eyes shifted back and forth to each of his fallen comrades. Saddened, he quickly turned away in shame, and focused on fleeing.  He needed to let others know.  He had to live.  After regaining his composure he noticed it was eerily silent.  His eyes started rolling in his sockets; he bolted. Pure adrenaline and instinct seeped into the scout, as he began to pick up the pace.  Galloping through the darkness, his eyes darted frantically side to side, hoping this wasn't the end.  His ears cringed from the sounds of rustling leaves behind him. His heart pounded vigorously against his chest. Sounds of whistling blades whipped by him and struck the bare trees ahead. The loud vibrantions of buzzing and growls chased him deeper into the forest. A blade was magically thrown, and as it soared through air and homed in on the scout. His ears twitched as he heard the whistling noise behind him.  His eyes winced in excruciating pain as he felt the sharp object impale his hind leg. A deafening yelp filled the night air, as muscle and tissue began to tear open. Blood freely gushed out from the gash and splattered onto the ground.  He wanted to live!  He didn’t slow despite the pain and the headache that was quickly growing in his head.  Beads of sweat mixed with dirt quickly formed and trickled down into his eyes, stinging them with misery. As the chase continued on he noticed something up ahead. It was the clearing out of the forest. His body screamed in agonizing pain as he pushed his limits even further.  He would ask that mare out if he ever got back!  Settle down and be a good father!  Anything!  Just let me live!  He broke through the trees and it registered he was on a cliff that he was rapidly approaching.  Wings flared out to the sides as they were ready to feel the fresh air. Suddenly, moments before reaching the cliff edge, he heard the haunting sound of a whistle. He knew what it was from the previous moments earlier. Quickly, out of instinct, his body dashed to the left and a new wave of excruciating pain hit him as his hind leg finally buckled under the strain and he fell to the ground.  The blade missed its mark as it flew over the cliff. Whistle was panting and trying to flop over the edge when he heard another whistle coming from behind.   Another blade.  Making one last attempt, he pushed himself off the edge of the cliff.  The object missed and spiraled down into the shrubs below. The scout escaped death by cuts as he fell down with the blades.  He opened his wings and angled them to start catching speed to get as far away as possible.  Who knew what the enemy was capable of and he needed to make a tourniquet before he lost too much blood.  With a couple flaps of his ever-tiring wings, he flew into the night sky.                 †                †                †                †                † Foreman trotted into his office when he was intercepted by a new cadet.  "Sir!  You had orders to let us inform you when we recieved any new reports. Sir!"  The lieutenant motioned for the cadet to continue.  "We received word from the 26th.  They are enroute back to their regular route.  They had spotted several campfires and went to investigate.  They found nothing unusual.  Apparently, it was a conjugal visit between exiles. Sir!" "Dismissed."  Foreman watched the young cadet gallop into another building.  The cadet reminded him of when he joined so many years ago.  Thinking of what he was told, he breathed a sigh of relief.  The commander looked like he was having those 'bad feeling' days.  That happened more often since someone had screwed up logistics and ordered a year’s supply of seaweed for the company.  Foreman refused to send it back and now had to be consumed before it went bad. Now, to go and let the commander made aware of the new information.  Nothing ever interesting happened since he was posted here and he preferred it that way.