Princess Twilight Sparkle’s eyes strained to see through the foggy murk as the occasional sensation of water droplets on her legs made her shiver from hooves to horn. The sway and occasional rushing sound of water against the ferry's metal hull did less to throw Twilight off balance than the disorienting, directionless air around her. The stars would have been lovely over the calm sea if their glow were only a little brighter. The full moon’s light was only slightly visible in the low-hanging clouds that formed a thick blanket over the frowning princess’s worry-filled gaze. The letters on slightly moistened pages began to blur in her vision, despite her flashlight’s best illuminative efforts.
“Twilight dear, come inside; you’ll catch a cold!” a familiar voice came from inside the warm and inviting ferry cabin, “What are you doing out here all by yourself? Is everything alright?”
“Hm? Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you, Rarity. It’s just three days, cramped in that little room…I just needed some air, even if it is more cloud than sky out here.”
“I know what you mean. This weather has done nothing for my mane. It’s taking every effort just to keep it from…” Rarity paused with a small gasp as several strands of her mane began to wave and curl in every direction, “…doing THAT.”
Twilight stifled an amused smile as she closed her book with a moist pop. She watched as Rarity used her magic to pull the blue diamond scarf she was wearing from around her neck to gather her mane with a whining sigh.
“I didn’t expect the map to send us somewhere else so soon, especially somewhere with such DREADFUL weather–“
“ – I know right! Why can’t we solve friendship problems somewhere where Pegasus ponies do their job. This is ridiculous,” a scratchy and highly irritated voice interrupted, motioning to the thick soupy clouds around her. Rainbow Dash trotted towards the pair, shaking her wings and fog-moistened mane. “I can’t even FLY in this soup! I better get a horrific monster fight out of it this time! AJ would be so jealous,” Rainbow Dash grumped. Rarity rolled her eyes with a sigh.
“I could really use a good laugh from Pinkie Pie, or a kind word or two from Fluttershy, but unfortunately the map called us specifically…I wonder what they’re up to right now,” Twilight mused aloud with a sad sigh. Rarity shook her head before holding it high.
“That it did – because whatever lies in store for us, the three of us are the most qualified to handle it. Let’s just be thankful the others can stay safe in Ponyville while we’re out on this jaunt. Do we have any idea where it’s sending us this time?” Rarity asked. Twilight gave an enthusiastic nod.
“Yes actually! It’s why I brought this particular book. When our cutiemark symbols hovered over the map, I noticed several small villages I recognized. We’re headed to the southern hamlets just below the city Trottingham. I’m not sure exactly which village, but it doesn’t hurt to know the terrain, lore, mythos, culture, habits, customs –“
“MONSTERS? Are there any monsters?” Rainbow interrupted with a slight squeak in her tone.
“Not that I’ve read…although,” Twilight paused as she reopened the book, turning the pages as if looking for a specific passage.
“Yes?” Rainbow Dash asked with building anticipation in her voice. Twilight stopped flipping pages and lifted her flashlight close. She squinted and scanned the words as best as the foggy air would allow before reading them aloud.
“The Trottingham Hamlets are home to many unusual plants. Many are benign flora such as giant pepper roses which are used to spice certain native dishes, rainbow vines which are said to change color depending on time of day, and the dancing daisies which shake when you water them.
However, there are other strange flowers, found in the Neighmurk Moors just north of the hamlets, which are said to be carnivorous -- feeding on whatever living creature that is unfortunate enough to cross their path. One giant variety, called the “Lovely Princess’s Snare” is the most dangerous of all and should be avoided at all costs. Their vines are said to be inescapable, coiling and strangling whatever poor creature gets too close before dragging them into a maw of petals and teeth. Nopony has ever seen one and returned whole…” Twilight shuttered as she shut her book with a slightly wet sounding pop.
“Death flowers? Laaaaaaame…” Rainbow dash huffed with a roll of her eyes.
“Let’s just hope we don’t have to deal with any of those…I don’t like the sound of “Princess’s Snare” at all,” Twilight winced.
“Agreed!” Rarity chimed in with a yawn. “Anyway, that’s enough banter for one evening. We should get back to the cabin and get some rest. Who knows what will be waiting for us once we find dry land.”
“Might as well, it’s not like there’s anything to do out here,” Dash scowled with a flick of her wings. Twilight nodded a sigh, giving one more wary glance to the open water before following her friends back into the confining cabin.
~*~
Twilight flapped her wings to see if the water-frayed feathers might still let her fly as the sensation of wet, broken boards beneath her hooves sent an uncomfortable shiver through her legs. Annoyed grunts from the seemingly grounded Pegasus beside her served as a small consolation as the three friends traveled towards what looked like a grey-painted fishing village. Rarity adjusted her pale blue diamond scarf, still firmly wrapping her suffering mane, as stray strands of fog-curled hair threatened to poke through.
“Dreadful…” she sighed, discerning eyes catching the somber pallet of the fishing village like a wave of murky froth. “Maybe the map sent us here to freshen up the atmosphere around here, ugh!” Rarity choked as a sudden stench of sea brine and old fish caught in her throat.
“I doubt that, unless the fish merchants lost all their friends because of the stench, blegh!” Rainbow Dash grunted as she flicked some fresh droplets off her wings. The three continued along the pier, looking to the gruff, smile-less dock workers before stern looks cause their eyes to wander back to the ground or other non-sentient objects. The three mares continued down the pier until three figures, coming from the opposite directions came to block their path.
“Princess Twilight Sparkle and two of the elements of harmony, I presume?” one of them, a cream-colored earth pony mare with a band aide under one eye and a blackened paint smear under the other, asked with a smirk. Her emerald eyes seemed to glow with obscured knowledge as she moved a gloved hoof to adjust the collar of her weather-worn work shirt.
The two stallions in her company, grim-faced Pegasus ponies with weathered coats and cropped manes, seemed to be dressed in casual combat gear, saddle bags only barely concealing their weapons and ammunition. The sight of them caused Twilight to take a step back.
“Do, do we know you?” Rainbow Dash asked, leaning forward a little into the question.
“No, but we make it a point to know fellow defenders of Equestria and their movements. Name’s Pepperjack. I’m the leader of the Militia of Combat Keepers and these are my officers, Hollowpoint and Thrill Blitz,” Pepperjack motioned with her hoof before giving a slight head-bow to Twilight, making her chocolate brown, pony-tailed mane fall slightly over her shoulder.
“N-Nice to meet you, Pepperjack – Hollowpoint, Thrill Blitz. These are the elements of Loyalty and Generosity; Rainbow Dash and Rarity,” Twilight spoke with a nervous smile.
“We’re glad you’re here. There’s a situation in Wensleydale we can’t handle with our current numbers and it’s getting worse. We’ve petitioned to Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia, may she forever reign, for help in this matter. I’m glad she’s finally answered our call,” Pepperjack said with closed eyes and a hoof over her heart. The others in her company did the same.
“Um, Celestia didn’t send us – our map did,” Rainbow Dash shrugged. Rarity gave her a scolding look before Twilight filled the silence.
“What Rainbow means to say is, what’s the situation and how can we help?”
Pepperjack gave a suspicious look to nearby merchants, who ears seemed to be wandering despite their hooves' concentration on work. She silently motioned for the three mares to follow her towards the inner harbor. Twilight nodded as the three mares followed the rough looking trio away from the docks and into unknown territory.
The group of six ponies walked through the stone and wood streets, which seamed to become less populated the further they traveled, before coming to what looked like a run-down, matchbox of a pub in a dark corner of the inner harbor. Twilight felt her heart pounding in her chest as she crossed the threshold into the darkened building.
The inside of the pub smelled like dust and wet wood, and the lighting left everypony grasping for details in the small space. From what Twilight could tell they were the only ponies in the pub aside from the bar keep who idly wiped a glass with a well-weathered rag. The earth pony looked up from his rhythmic cleaning to give a mildly welcoming nod to the group.
“Hollowpoint,” he curtly spoke beneath a bushy mustache. Hollowpoint nodded back.
“Jenkins. We’ll take the usual. Water for the ladies,” he said as the group moved to the back corner of the room. The table wobbled slightly as the group sat around it, an uneasy flutter flowing to Twilight’s wings as her eyes moved to rest on an old flickering candle. Her momentary fixation was interrupted by three giant steins of hard cider being placed on the table with haphazard hooves. The three glasses of water that followed seemed to be placed with relative care as a gentle flutter of fake lashes caused the bar keep’s cheeks to flush.
“Hey – I want cider!!” Rainbow Dash shouted with a creaky-voiced pout. Thrill Blitz smirked with a small chuckle.
“Not this cider, miss. It’ll melt your pretty little wings off,” he asserted with a nod.
Pepperjack lifted her stein, looking to her officers to follow suit. Twilight hesitated for a moment, looking to Rarity and Rainbow Dash, before she raised her water glasses.
“To reinforcements,” Pepperjack spoke with restrained enthusiasm.
“To reinforcements,” Hollowpoint and Thrill Blitz repeated before taking a great swig of cider.
Twilight wordlessly took a sip of her water, smacked her lips together at the stagnant taste, before placing the glass down again.
“Alright, so what’s this situation?” she asked. Pepperjack took another swig of cider before closing her eyes, taking a deep breath and fixing her intense emerald gaze squarely on the princess sitting across from her.
“Changelings. A massive, systemic, infestation in the hamlets,” she informed with no hint of whimsy or jest in her tone. The three mares exchanged worried looks before questioning eyes looked to the officers for a different answer.
“Are you sure – how can you be so certain?” Rarity asked placing a hoof over her chest.
“Because they USED to walk around without taking disguises – brazen buggers -- that was before we formed the militia, stepped up and tried to protect the ponies they had in their thrall. Unfortunately, we were too few to stop them and now they’ve brainwashed the mayor of Wensleydale into thinking we’re the enemy. Though we still have some members stationed in town, the three of us can’t set hoof within 10 miles of the hamlets without the threat of capture. It’s why kept sending letters to Her Royal Radiance to send help – and whether directly or through some map, she answered our call by sending you here. We all know what you did to protect Canterlot and expel Queen Chrysalis and her drones. Now that you’re a princess, you and your friends should have no problem doing it again,” Pepperjack explained with a nod.
“Yes we helped but…there’s just one problem –“ Twilight started as a squeaky voice spoke over her.
“We weren’t the ones to actually get rid of the changelings in Canterlot -- Princess Cadence and Shining armor did, with shining pink love explosions!” Rainbow Dash interrupted with an exaggerated wave of her arms. Pepperjack shook her head with a determined smile.
“That may be the case, but that was BEFORE lady Twilight here became a princess. That and you have the advantage of prior dealings with these beasts and knowing their habits…” Pepperjack paused with a sad sigh. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but please – these ponies need help. If someone doesn’t do something, all the ponies, including my baby sister will…I don’t want to think about what will happen.” Pepperjack's determined look quickly changed to one of despair as small tears began forming in her emerald vision. She took a large swig of cider and managed to contain them. The three mares exchanged sad looks before their faces turned to ones of decision and resolve.
“We’ll do what we can to save your sister, to save everypony in the hamlets from the swarm,” Twilight quietly declared.
“Thank you, this means so much to us all – especially since we can’t help our operatives in town, they'll need guidance --"
"How will we know who they are when we get there?" Rainbow Dash asked. Pepperjack's face grew dark for a moment before responding.
"The militia was forced into hiding when we failed to release the changelings' hold over Wensleydale. They sent word to the rest of the swarm in the lower hamlets, too. I'm afraid the only way my troops will reveal themselves is if you're able to expose their leader. They'll be more than happy to help you kick the snot out of him -- but they wont risk exposing themselves before that happens I'm afraid," Pepperjack said, hoof finding her cider stein was growing lighter with each passing moment.
"While we can’t help you directly – we can back you up. Do you know about the moors?” Pepperjack asked, motioning for Jenkins to bring her a fresh stien.
“We know enough to stay away from them,” Rarity spoke, images recalled from Twilight’s description caused her to shudder.
“Good call. We know our way well enough in them, and can set up camp nearby in case things go south,” Pepperjack motioned to Thrill Blitz who moved to dig around in his over-burdened saddle bag to pull out three flare guns. He moved them across the table to the three mares before them. “If you get into trouble, shoot off one of these and we’ll come in and get you out.”
Twilight took the flare gun with an unsure hoof. The cutie map got the three of them into something big, bigger than the usual friendship problems they were used to working through, and the sinking feeling caused the princess among them to wish the three of them heading into Wensleydale were the full six.
~*~
The sky seemed to mirror the three mares’ mood as grey clouds swirled above them with the occasional rumble. The only relief seemed to come from the cool, dry earth beneath them as they traveled the long pike that threaded through the inner hamlets. Along with the flare guns, Pepperjack and her companions provided maps as well as extra food rations in case the confusing paths and weathered map lead them astray. Rainbow Dash flew in tight loops above the pair of horned mares letting out occasional hoots of joy and relief at the feeling of air beneath her once more.
“Rainbow Dash, could you please stop – try and be more inconspicuous!” Rarity scolded. Her words were seemingly lost on the wind as trails of rainbow’s tail began to show through the gloom. Rarity rolled her eyes. “Honestly…”
“Ah, let her go. We’ll have to be very careful once we get to Wensleydale. I doubt she’ll get another chance to let loose,” Twilight looked to the looping Pegasus with a slight glint of jealousy in her amethyst eyes as her wings gave a nervous twitch.
“Pepperjack had a point though. We do know what to expect with changelings. But if they’re all disguised, and the mayor is under their control, how can we possibly stop them?” Rarity mused aloud with a slight whine.
“We find their leader, rough ‘em up and send them packing with their tails between their legs,” Rainbow Dash asserted as she came to land beside Rarity who shook her head.
“We can’t go in with brute force – that didn’t work the first time!” she scolded.
“Something tells me we’ll have to observe and try to trick them into revealing themselves somehow. I know I can erase their disguises with my magic, but if I hit the wrong pony with the spell, I could do even more damage to already weakened ponies,” Twilight mused with uncertainty in her sad eyes.
“And when we reveal them, what then? Will the members of the militia really risk being captured by them, and maybe worse to help us like Pepperjack said?” Rarity asked with a raised brow. Twilight looked to the ground before her in thought as the only thing that stuck out in her mind made its way to her mouth.
“Once we have proof of changeling presence – we’ll fall back and send a letter to Princess Celestia asking for reinforcements.”
“I thought we WERE the reinforcements,” Rainbow Dash remarked earning her a disapproving look from Rarity.
“You’re not helping –" Rarity started as a sudden cry from further up the path quieted the doubts and gave the three mares pause.
“Did you hear that?” Twilight asked, as a weaker cry that sounded like “help!” called out once again. The three looked to one another for a brief moment before thundering up the path towards the sound of the weak call. Rainbow Dash took to the air, scanning the ground for any signs of a creature in distress as her eyes took in large pepper-rose bushes just ahead of them.
Her keen eyes picked up something tangled in a large bramble, twisting weakly and trembling as large thorns dug deep into its form. Rainbow dived to hover just over the struggling creature, a young unicorn stallion in her vision.
“Don’t worry, help is here,” Rainbow leaned down and spoke in the most soothing tone she could muster before calling out to the others, “OVER HERE!”
Rarity and Twilight made their way through the treacherous rose bushes, using their unicorn magic to move the brambles and clear their path. When they reached the trapped stallion, the magic-users effortlessly moved the tangled flowers and thorns, freeing the trapped stallion. Though he would have fallen only a few inches, Twilight used her magic to gently place him on the ground.
Three pairs of concerned eyes came to rest on the stallion, who seemed to suffer far more injuries than what a pepper-rose bush could muster. He was sickly thin beneath his tattered brown cloak with deep, dark bags beneath his dull amber eyes. His yellow coat looked faded and dull, and his black mane hung lank over his face and down his neck.
“T-thank you for saving me. I took a tumble down the path and I thought I’d be in there forever,” he spoke with a slow, raspy drawl as he used sputtering magic to pull what looked like a very robust first aid kit from his pack. Rarity's blue glow opened the pack and began applying the bandages and salves over his wounds, earning her a sad, pitiful "thank you".
“Are you alright? You look pretty, uh…well…” Rainbow started as the looks on Twilight and Rarity’s faces caused her to re-think her words. The weak looking stallion gave a soft smile and shook his head.
“Terrible? It's okay; you can say it, I know,” he stifled a yawn. “I haven’t gotten much sleep lately, what with what’s been happening…” the stallion looked panicked for a moment, as if saying something he shouldn’t before coughing for a moment and giving a nervous smile. “My name is H-Hoodwink. May I please ask the names of my rescuers?”
The three mares introduced themselves, earning them a grateful bow from Hoodwink.
“Wonderful to meet you all. It’s not everyday one meets such heroes as a princess and elements of harmony. Although I have no right to ask, may I ask—no, beg a favor from you?”
“Sure, how can we help?” Twilight asked with a concerned smile.
“I may need some help getting to my destination. My master sent me with a message to a friend in Wensleydale. I may need an escort, less I have another tussle with any more plants…”
“Your master?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, I am the personal valet of Count Torcas; he lives just beyond the Neighmurk Moors and I often run errands for him in the lower hamlets.”
“You traveled through the moors, in your condition?” Rainbow blurted. Her words caused a small chuckle to come from Hoodwink.
“They’re not as bad as you may have heard, if you know the way,” Hoodwink informed with a confident smile. “Though, the trip has taken a bit of a toll on me this time around,” Hoodwink admitted as he looked to his tattered hood with a sigh. The three exchanged a quick glance as Twilight gave a firm nod.
“We’d be happy to escort you. As it happens, we’re on our way to Wensleydale, anyway,” Twilight spoke, choosing her words very carefully. A hopeful shine came to Hoodwink's eyes as he gave an excited gasp.
“Oh, how wonderful! A visit from a princess will really go a long way to cheer everyone up!” Hoodwink’s eyes went wide again as a small drop of sweat formed on the side of his brow. He cleared his throat and gave a stuttering comment regarding the weather being the cause of a great amount of gloom. None of the mares made motion to dispute that statement as the four ponies continued on to their uncertain and worrisome destination.