"Calm down, Villhiem." I placed my paws on his shoulders. "It's just a theory."
"Yeah," Yomega interjected, "we could be in Hoenn for all we know."
Villhiem pulled back. "Then why even bring up the timberwolves?" He looked between us.
"'Cuz their name is a pun?" Yomega answered.
I turned back to our little opening. I pushed the roots to the side enough to get as clear a view of the forest as I could. I could hear faint rustling, but I could not tell how far or where it was coming from. "Guys, shut up a sec. I think I hear something."
The others pushed their way up beside me, shoving me to one side. We all perked up our ears to try and catch more sound. We heard some more rustling, all off to the right. It almost seemed as if they were all converging on one spot. "Oh shit! HELP!" The bushes seemed to explode as a frenzy of noise reached us.
I tilted my head while Yomega and Villhiem shared a glance. "That sounded like..." Villhiem began
"Conner!" We shouted together.
"Over here, Conner, hurry!" I yelled.
An Eevee with longer fur on its chin burst from the bushes, a timberwolf hot on its heels. Conner quickly spotted us, and tried to make his way over to us, but the timberwolf leaped ahead and cut him off. He started to back up, glancing side to side for an opening. One the rest of us tried to give, yelling and hollering in the hopes to get the wooden mutt's attention. Conner feinted, then broke right to try and get around the timberwolf.
He wasn't fast enough.
The 'wolf lunged, pinning Conner beneath its paws. The rest of us could only watch as it savored its next kill, slowly bringing its maw closer to Conner's neck. Is this what we can expect in this world? I was barely aware of myself growling, ears laid flat. Must we stand by when our friends are in danger?
The world blurred. When my vision cleared, I was standing over Conner. The 'wolf had been knocked back. I refuse to stand by!
I heard Yomega and Villhiem rush out of the hollow. A grayish blur rushed past me, and slammed into the side of the timberwolf.
"Go 'elp Y'mega!" I looked to see Villhiem behind me dragging Conner towards the hollow by his ruffle. "I go' 'onner!"
I nodded, and blurred towards the 'wolf again. The timberwolf, unused to its own tactics being used against it, couldn't handle our two pronged assault. It quickly fell back into the bushes. Yomega and I ran back to help Villhiem push Conner the rest of the way into the hollow. And none too soon either, as the timberwolf had found its courage with the return of its pack-mates.
Villhiem let Yomega and I pass him by. I turned around in time to see him kick up a large cloud of dirt and sand. He slid into the hollow just as I heard three impacts with the tree above us.
"How's Conner?" he asked.
Yomega sat down, looking over the Eevee in question. "It looks like he's got bruising on his back, and some cuts on his neck. A few are deep." He shot a glare at me. "Next time you're gonna do something that hair-brained, do it before ya risk hurting one of us, okay?"
"Wait, what even happened?" I looked back to the hollows entrance. It was far too small for the 'wolves to get through. So long as we stayed away from it, we shouldn't have to worry. "One moment, I was with you guys, the next, I was over Conner."
Villhiem lay down beside our battered friend. "I think you used Quick Attack. And I think the boost in speed it gave ya was the only reason you two didn't come out even worse for wear. How are you two holding up, anyways?"
I looked myself over. There was a large cut on my leg, and I could feel a headache coming on. I glanced at Yomega. "Other then the cut and a headache, I'm good."
"No cuts, but my head is starting to pound..." Yomega gingerly put a paw to his head, before pulling it away with a hiss. "... Ow"
"Okay, don't do that." Villhiem ordered. "Honestly, what else did ya think would happen if ya headbutted a tree? Repeatedly?"
"Sunshine and flowers?" I snarked, lying down myself to lick at my cut. "Seriously, though. Now what're we going to do?" I pointed my tail at the opening, where the timberwolves were still trying to force their way past the tree roots. I was met with shrugs and indifferent looks.
"I think-" Yomega was cut off by the sound of breaking glass. We all snapped around to look at the entrance and saw wisps of greenish powder swirling where the timberwolves were.
"Away with you!" A woman yelled out. "Go on, shoo!"
We could hear the 'wolves run off into the bushes, then heard what sounded like heavy footfalls approach the tree.
"It is safe to come out. I have sent the timberwolves away. But you must come quickly, that hollow is no place to stay."
Yomega gave Villhiem a push. "Go take a look."
"Why me?"
"You're in the best shape."
With a final glare, Villhiem cautiously poked his head out of the hole. "... Uh, guys? There is a giant zebra wearing gold rings. Should I be scared?"
I immediately started pulling Conner towards Villhiem. Yomega, realizing the same thing I did, started pushing to make things easier. We were so busy, we kinda forgot to answer Villhiem.
"Guys? It's staring at me." I glanced over my shoulder to see his ears were plastered against his skull. "It's starting to freak me out!"
"Freak out later, when it's safe." Yomega pushed past me. "She can help us with Conner!"
"Yeah," I said around a mouthful of Conner's fur, "She'sh friendry!"
Zecora had had a productive day gathering herbs and was on her way home when she heard an odd cry. She couldn't quite make it out, but it had sounded near. Letting her curiosity, and the noises in the bushes, guide her, she soon came across a clearing.
She could see three timberwolves trying to dig their way under a tree, where she could hear faint noises coming from. Thinking that the Crusaders had gotten themselves into another mess, she pulled a vial of Wolf's Bane extract from her saddle bags and threw it into the midst of the 'wolves.
"Away with you! Go on, shoo!" She yelled. The Wolf's Bane did its job and drove off the timberwolves. She quickly made her way towards the tree where the ground was scuffed and marred. "It is safe to come out. I have sent the timberwolves away. But you must come quickly, that hollow is no place to stay." She spoke softly, hoping to calm down the Crusaders and get them to her home quickly.
What she didn't expect, was a strange brown furred canine to pop up.
Its ears folded back upon the sight of her as it froze in place. "... Vee?" It squeaked out. "Ee~vee vee."
Tilting her head to the side, Zecora watched as two more of the canines came out, pulling a fourth along with them. All of them seemed to have injuries of some sort. Without saying anything, she quickly shifted herbs around before taking the unconscious canine and putting it in her saddle bag. After picking up the one with a cut on its leg, she made her way to her home, the final two following close behind.