//------------------------------//
// 7 Into the Everfree Forest 
// Story: The Last Cutie Mark Crusader 
// by Jatheus 
//------------------------------//

Scootaloo called everyone to attention in the castle library the following morning. Twilight Sparkle gave the order for everypony to read every book in the library for any reference they could find to the Legend of the Mirror Pond. The squad had sorted the books while they were sifting through titles the previous day, and they had a pile that seemed promising; they started with these. Histories of magic, compilations of myths, and poetry of Equestria were just a few of the genres they began with. Minutes stretched into hours, and hours into the entire morning with nothing to show for it.

Becoming weary from the searching, Twilight ordered everypony to take a break and get some food. Rather than taking the time to go find the mess hall, they simply took rations from their harnesses. There was a small amount of quiet chattering amongst the silence of their break.

Cloud Blazer asked Scootaloo, "So, how did dinner go last night?"

Scootaloo scoffed and said, "I don't even want to think about it. I'll bet you had a better time than I did."

Cloud Blazer smiled, "Yeah, I suspect that's so. Was Diamond Tiara awful?"

Scootaloo thought a moment, "Not to me, she was just Diamond Tiara. I was nearly bored out of my mind."

Cloud Blazer said, "Well, I'm sorry you missed the Sweet Apple Acres dinner; it was a good one. Pinkie Pie told everyone about 'the carrot incident'."

Scootaloo gasped and blushed in embarrassment.

"Yeah, that was my reaction too."

Now that may have been Scootaloo's most embarrassing memory. Apparently there are some things in Ponyville you just never live down. The ponies finished their rations and got back at their work, scanning every line of every book for something helpful. 

The rest of the day passed in this manner with nothing to show for it. The sun went down, and Twilight made them continue on by candlelight. As the nighttime hours ebbed on, Sparklefly got Scootaloo's attention.

Scootaloo asked, "What is it?"

Sparklefly showed Scootaloo a passage in a book titled, Practically Impractical: The Exhaustive Guide to Spells, Hexes, Curses, Magic, and Dispelling. Scootaloo read, 'The most powerful dispel that is known to exist is the Usque Incantatores. This complicated ritual can be used to permanently end any kind of magical enchantment within the casting radius.'

Scootaloo called, "Princess Twilight, we've found something."

Twilight trotted over, "What is it, Scootaloo?"

"Look here," she said as she showed her the book.

The princess's eyes ran quickly over the text, and she seemed very encouraged for the first time all day. "Thank you, Scootaloo. This could be very helpful."

Scootaloo pointed to Sparklefly, "I just report, ma'am. Sparklefly here found it."

"Thank you, Sparklefly," Twilight said, exchanging a nod with her. "Now it's time to sleep. I was hoping we could find something a little more definitive, but this will do for now."

Pibs asked, "What have we found?"

Twilight replied, "It might be a way to dispel the mirror pond, if indeed that is how the timberwolves are replicating themselves."

Everyone perked up at this news. Nitro asked, "Does that mean we're going in? Will we put a stop to it tomorrow?"

Twilight spoke slowly, "We are going in tomorrow, but we won't be able to perform this ritual. It is the most complicated spell I've ever seen. I'll have to coordinate this with Princess Celestia. Scootaloo, I have some things to finish. Please have everypony geared up and ready to enter the Everfree Forest at dawn."

Scootaloo replied, "Yes ma'am. Alright, let's hit the hay. Back to base everypony."

There was a renewed sense of hope to their purpose. A great deal of frustration had been growing in the past two days in the library, and everypony was excited to finally get a move on. Nimba went to bed first. She was out almost instantly. Scootaloo found Nitro nearby.

"She's been really exhausted the last few days," Nitro said.

Scootaloo asked, "Is she going to be okay tomorrow? We can't have her falling out on us."

"She'll be fine after a good night's sleep," he reassured her.

Scootaloo was unconvinced, "Alright, but it's your mane if she's not and you don't tell me."

He saluted instinctively, "Yes ma'am."

She left him there with her. He talked like she was fine, but he seemed genuinely concerned that Nimba wasn't as well as she claimed. Scootaloo was a little nervous at the possibility of being one short before they had even hit the field, but she was also very eager to get out and prove herself. If she had any hopes of one day becoming a Wonderbolt and making Rainbow Dash proud of her, she couldn't mess this up.

...

"This is where things will get rough," Sparklefly said to the group. She, Cloud Blazer, Pibs, Regal Masquerade, and Lightning Dasher were ready for sleep, but they were checking all of their gear so it would be ready for morning. They had re-supplied their rations from stores at the base.

Pibs said, "It's only timberwolves I'm worried about. I'm so excited to get into a forest again!"

Cloud Blazer shook his head, "I don't know, Pibs; the plant life in the Everfree Forest can be pretty lively. It may be more dangerous than the timberwolves."

Lightning Dasher mocked, "Brownie, you told us you've been in there a dozen times. If that plant life was anywhere near as dangerous as a horde of timberwolves, you wouldn't be here telling us about it."

Cloud Blazer insisted, "This isn't a joke."

Regal Masquerade interrupted, "I believe what Brownie is telling you is to be cautious."

Sparklefly added, "No unknown situation should ever be taken lightly."

On that they could all agree. Sparklefly noted that Pibs' excitement for the forest was very deep. It was going to be good to have somepony that knew the plants and dangers they were getting into. All in all, Sparklefly felt that they had a solid group that was well prepared. Three of them had actually spent a considerable amount of time in the Everfree Forest, and a fourth was an expert on the vegetation. Odds are, they'd be safer than the Pegasus strike force that was rumored to be returning to Canterlot. They'd heard rumors that Rainbow Dash had drawn up a plan to recover the food stores from the palace that had been abandoned when the city was evacuated. That would be for tomorrow. Right now, it was time for them all to get some sleep.

One by one, the sound of their breathing indicated that the restful state had indeed taken them. Sparklefly was tired from reading all day, which was somehow more mentally exhausting than all of the strength training they'd been doing to get to this point. She wondered about that spell she had found referenced in the book. Twilight hadn't said as much, but she looked rather doubtful as to whether it would work. If it were a magic pond replicating the timberwolves, it might be difficult to get them to stop. She could only guess at how the creatures had found the pond in the first place. Maybe one had fallen in and began duplicating before it could get out. Sparklefly let out a long yawn, and tried to quiet her mind. Soon she drifted into a very restful slumber.

...

Pibs wasn't the first one awake. Cloud Blazer was gone already. Even in the pre-dawn morning, she couldn't sleep anymore. The thought of the Everfree Forest had become too exciting and terrifying. Since she couldn't rest, it was time to finish her letter to Lighthoof. 

She took it out and read it over, 'Dear Lighthoof, I am glad to hear that your new position is rewarding for you as you help to train new recruits for the war. I'm sure you'll be able to make them all as brave as you are. I'm very excited that we're going to get to be in a forest soon. I'm not allowed to write about it, but I haven't had a chance to be under trees for quite a long time. With a little luck, I'll bring you a rare flower. This squad they've formed is a really great group. You'll be pleased to know that I've made friends with the twins. Nitro and Nimba are ridiculous, but a lot of fun when you get to know them.' That was as far as she had written. She took out her pencil and continued, 'I'm in really good hooves, so you have to promise Pibs you won't worry about me, okay? Even if we weren't trained so hard, I know Scootaloo and Cloud Blazer would never let anything happen to me. We got to go to Ponyville. It's a really nice little town. It might be a good place to settle down after the fighting is done. We had dinner at a farm called Sweet Apple Acres, and I got to meet some of Scootaloo's friends. They were all really nice. I could tell that they didn't have great stores of food, but they shared generously with us. I'll tell you all about the dessert when I see you, but I'll give you a hint:  it was apple fritters! Also, I've discovered that apple cider is the best. On another note, I'm pretty sure that Cloud Blazer has a thing for Apple Bloom. She's one of Scootaloo's friends. I have to go now, but I'll write again soon. Know that my thoughts are with you, and you are always in mine. With love, Pibs.'

That should about do it for the letter. No other ponies were up yet, so Pibs decided to go find Cloud Blazer. She put the letter in her harness pocket for safe keeping. Once outside, Pibs took to the air and surveyed Ponyville. He wasn't that hard to find. She flew to meet him.

Pulling alongside, Pibs asked, "Out for your morning flight?" 

Cloud Blazer said, "Hey, Pibs. I didn't take you for a morning pony."

She shrugged, "I couldn't sleep. I figured you'd be out here. Scootaloo told me that you always take a morning flight."

Cloud Blazer sighed as they began passing over Sweet Apple Acres.

Pibs took this as a sign that he was thinking about Apple Bloom. She tried to be nonchalant, "Somepony special on your mind?"

"What do you mean?"

She looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Oh, come on, Pibs. You know I don't have time for that mushy stuff."

"Brownie, don't play dumb. I saw that way you were looking at her."

Cloud Blazer blushed a little, "What? When? Who are you talking about?"

She shook her head at him, "You can do better than that. I saw you two sneak off alone. Don't tell me you didn't confess your undying love."

Cloud Blazer looked confused, "Sneak off? What are you talking about?"

Frustrated, she replied, "You and Apple Bloom, silly!"

Cloud Blazer laughed, "It's nothing like that, honest. We're just good friends."

Pibs was unconvinced, "Are you sure? Didn't you think it was odd the way she was so attentive to you all night? Tell me you noticed that."

"We're friends! If Scootaloo had been there, I'm sure she'd have sat with her instead."

"Nimba told me that she gave you quite a hug when you first went to the farm," she said with an air of superiority. She knew she had him on this one.

"What?" he replied.

Pibs could tell he was rethinking how he had interpreted this. He apparently was that oblivious.

"Don't worry, Brownie. I can give you plenty of pointers."

He gave her a sideways glance, "That's okay, Pibs. I know that mushy stuff is your thing, but don't get me mixed up in any."

"Brownie, you already are mixed up in it," she replied confidently.

"Let's talk about something else," he said, sounding a little annoyed.

Pibs tried to change the subject, but only a little, "Applejack and her husband seemed nice."

"Her husband?" Cloud Blazer said. "He wasn't there last night."

"He was," Pibs was now confused. "The red one that sat by Regal Masquerade. He hardly talked all night."

Cloud Blazer giggled, "No, Pibs, that was her brother, Big McIntosh."

Now she felt embarrassed.

He continued, "Her husband enlisted and went to Manehattan to join the war effort."

"Oh," was all she could think to respond.

The morning sun was nearly breaking the horizon, so Pibs and Cloud Blazer returned to the base and got geared up. While in the castle, she was able to find the quartermaster, who would get her letter on its way to Lighthoof in Manehattan. Rejoining the group outside in front of the castle, Pibs thought the entire squad looked very menacing in their full armor. The purple filtered dawn light bathed them above the top of the forest to the east.

Scootaloo addressed the squad, "Good morning. We've mapped out our path today. We're going to be moving slowly, as we have very little information on the strength and position of the timberwolves inside the Everfree Forest. What scouts have reported is that flying in is too dangerous, so we're going to walk in from Ponyville. We'll stick to the path to Zecora's house first. We're going to check on her and Sweetie Belle. Afterward, we'll head south to the Ghastly Gorge. There is a good ridge there that is clear of the tree line that we can use for easy access tomorrow to scout deeper into the forest. Anyone have anything else?"

Pibs spoke up, "Don't forget, in our situation, poison joke is no laughing matter." She giggled, "Puns aside, the effects are unpredictable, and they can be debilitating."

Lightning Dasher asked, "Do we get another plant lecture? I can't wait!"

Scootaloo shot him a look that elicited complete silence. With attention diverted, Nitro was able to tag Nimba with a spit wad on the back of her helmet. It stuck there.

Twilight concluded the meeting, "Just stay sharp everypony. Remember, we're not going to engage the timberwolves unless we have no other choice. All we have to do is find out how they are multiplying."

Scootaloo gave the command to move out, and they left the safety of Ponyville. Pibs heard the shield go back up behind them. Cloud Blazer took the point position, and they moved forward into the Everfree Forest.

Sadly for Pibs, there wasn't much exciting for quite a long while. There were a few patches of poison joke. It briefly crossed her mind to send some to Lighthoof. Apparently the twins mischievous nature and constant back and forth was getting to her a little bit.

...

Cloud Blazer led them on through the dense trees and foliage toward Zecora's house. He had traveled this path at least a half-dozen times before to visit the zebra, but it had always seemed much safer than it did today. The squad moved at an amble, paying close attention to everything. Everypony seemed optimistic but cautious. The strangest part to Cloud Blazer was the quiet. Usually when going on an adventure like this there would be lots of idle chatter, but the squad was concerned enough with the timberwolves to not say anything at all. Even Pibs seemed much more subdued now than when they had first entered the forest.

The morning was cool but was warming up already. It seemed like it was going to be a little hot for spring. The glimpses of the sky that came through the tree tops revealed almost no clouds as they pressed on deeper into the thickening woods.

It was nearly mid-morning when Cloud Blazer brought them to a halt. Scootaloo quietly ordered them to spread out, and they crept up on Zecora's hut from three sides. As they moved silently in, Cloud Blazer noted a few things that seemed out of place. The path leading in wasn't clear as it had been. It didn't look wild yet, just unkempt. He crept even closer. There it was. Cloud Blazer took in what he was seeing, sitting completely motionless. The door had been smashed in, and one of the windows was broken. The house felt deserted.

Scootaloo quietly came up beside Cloud Blazer. She whispered, "We're going in on my signal; be ready for contact, and watch for friendlies." She then silently padded up the line, letting everyone know they were about to go in ready for battle.

Cloud Blazer could feel that he was sweating a little, but it wasn't from the heat. In some ways, this uncertain waiting was worse than moving headlong into a fight. He continued scanning the area that he could see, but it was completely quiet. If there were anything about, it was being completely motionless.

Scootaloo gave a silent command to move in, "Pssst, pssst," and they all went directly and quickly to the little hut. Cloud Blazer arrived at the door along with Regal Masquerade, Lightning Dasher, and Nitro. Lightning Dasher looked into the broken window, then at Cloud Blazer and shook his head. Cloud Blazer pushed passed the broken door with Nitro right on his tail moving right and Regal Masquerade behind them moving left. It was dark inside, and the place was wrecked. There was nothing inside except smashed masks that had decorated the walls, broken glass from containers, and a few other odds and ends. Regal Masquerade signaled everypony else to come in.

Scootaloo asked, "Anypony see anything helpful?"

They all searched, but there was no evidence of where Zecora and Sweetie Belle might have gone, nor was there any evidence that they had been here when the place was trashed. They simply were not home, and it appeared that they hadn't been here for several weeks at least. Cloud Blazer felt much more at ease now, but a nagging feeling that there were timberwolves nearby watching them was somewhat unnerving. He took a drink of water.

Twilight said, "There's nothing more we can do here. Let's rest a minute and then keep moving."

Scootaloo commanded the brief rest, and sent the twins outside to watch the perimeter. Then she and Cloud Blazer began straightening up the place. He noticed that she was very preoccupied, but he didn't have to ask why. He was also worried about Sweetie Belle.

...

Before long, they were moving again. Scootaloo felt a slow seething anger burning inside at the discovery of Zecora's house in the state it was in. She desperately wanted to find Sweetie Belle, but had to keep reminding herself that they had something much more important to do just now. It didn't help. Their brief stop seemed to have put everypony a bit more on edge than they'd been all morning. They continued pressing south, heading directly for the Ghastly Gorge.

It was a silent group that marched onward. Pibs would occasionally take a close look at some plant or another, but they hadn't come across anything particularly threatening. Morning faded away into afternoon, and afternoon drudged on, but there were still no signs of timberwolves. 

Nitro was on point, and he rather suddenly hissed and dropped down low. The rest of the squad followed his lead, falling to the ground and freezing in place. Scootaloo couldn't see what he had seen, so she crept the short distance to him. The rest remained motionless, watching in all directions.

"What is it?" she asked him in a whisper.

Nitro pointed at the gaping mouth of a cave that was barely fifty yards across a clearing from where they crouched. It was dark inside, and they couldn't see anything. It also gave Scootaloo a bad feeling. She frowned. She motioned at Pibs to come forward. The pink mare crept up to the other two and looked at the cave.

"Look at the trees," Pibs said quietly.

The trunks all around the cave had been clawed and gouged. They were old wounds that hadn't killed the trees, but it was on most of them.

"No vegetation near the mouth of the cave," Pibs continued. "An ursa major lives in there."

That would be an unpleasant discovery. Just one of the great celestial bears could easily kill a pony. Even the nine of them would be hard pressed to fight it off if it came to that. However, they did have an alicorn with them whose magic undoubtedly would turn the balance in their favor.

Scootaloo said, "Okay, Nitro, let's go around this thing and keep some distance. Then get us back on course for Ghastly Gorge."

"Copy that, ma'am," he replied, a sheen of sweat could be seen on his brow.

With a name like the Ghastly Gorge had, one would have thought it would be a terrifying place. Upon arrival, Scootaloo was so happy to see once again that it could have been more appropriately named. That last time she had been here was during the now infamous Ponyville legend of the 'carrot incident'. Sheer rock-face walls led to the deep floor of the canyon, but how does that make it ghastly? A stream ran through the bottom that was only a yard or two wide and shallow. To the west, Scootaloo could already see that the sun was below the top of the trees on the horizon. They wouldn't have enough light to continue on safely. Timberwolves can see much better in the dark than ponies are able.

Princess Twilight said, "Good job, everypony. I'm glad that we've all made it safely here together. We'll fly back to Ponyville and continue from here in the morning."

Scootaloo was taking a drink of water when she noticed Pibs back at the tree line.

"Pibs, what are you doing?" Scootaloo asked.

Pibs returned with a small purple flower with bright green speckles.

"What is that?" Cloud Blazer asked.

"Is it for your boyfriend?" Nimba teased.

Pibs was in wonder, "It's a speckled purple cyclamen." She blushed at Nimba's comment.

"Presumably not dangerous?" Regal Masquerade asked.

"Oh no," Pibs dismissed the comment, "but very rare."

Scootaloo said, "Okay, stow it, we need to get airborne."

Pibs flattened the flower in a handkerchief and tucked it into her pocket.

Within moments they were all flying, circling high above the Everfree Forest. Scootaloo continued scanning for any signs that might lead them to Sweetie Belle, but as they climbed higher and higher, there was nothing to find. They headed back to Ponyville for the night.

Scootaloo had trouble sleeping. She had a dream that was pleasant at first, but it turned bad when Sweetie Belle fell into the river and was swept away. She awoke to find that it was morning, so she got everypony together. They had reported everything they found out about the forest, and Zecora's disappearance to Brax, who seemed grateful for the information. They were all confused that this end of the Everfree Forest should be so empty when timberwolves were still streaming out of the southern end by the thousands every day.

Scootaloo arrived outside the castle just as Cloud Blazer was returning from his morning flight around Ponyville.

"It's too early to be doing laps," she teased.

Cloud Blazer stretched out his wings, and then folded them. He said, "Early is the best time to do a lap. You should try it sometime."

Unconvinced, she said, "I prefer to wake up by squeezing every last bit of sleep from my pillow."

"Now that sounds familiar," he replied. "I bet you learned that from a certain rainbow colored pegasus that likes to yell at her cadets."

"Hey now," Scootaloo rebutted his teasing, "I have always liked to sleep that way. Just ask Apple Bloom."

Cloud Blazer didn't reply and seemed to be thinking about something.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. I mean, Pibs tried to get me all confused yesterday."

"Was she telling you all about the plants again?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that. She was going on about mushy stuff."

"Well, you know Pibs," Scootaloo replied dismissively. "Careful you don't think on that stuff too much; you'll get yourself in trouble. You've seen how she is lately."

The two friends had a laugh about it as the rest of their squad began reporting for duty.

...

Sparklefly took point for the flight back to the Ghastly Gorge as the sun rose. The dawn light had painted the forest a golden color from one end to the other. The canyon was still in shadow, and it looked a little ominous in this morning light. They made one circle of their LZ, but there was nothing moving down below. The squad landed without incident.

Regal Masquerade led them into the forest, following the map that Pinkie Pie had made, and they cautiously continued their work of searching the forest. It seemed that it would be even warmer today, as it was still early morning, and already Sparklefly felt a trickle of sweat. Suddenly, Regal Masquerade froze in place. It was very quiet. Sparklefly looked around, but didn't see anything at first. Then she looked up.

In the trees above them, they had come to the edge of what looked like either a net or tangled vines of some kind. They moved slowly forward, watching for any signs of timberwolves, but there was nothing. Sparklefly could feel her heart pounding, she was on high alert now. Just by their expressions, she could tell that the rest of the squad felt the same way.

Surveying the net, Pibs turned and shrugged, "It's not any kind of plant I've ever seen. I don't think it's alive."

Whatever it was, it stretched out in either direction as far as they could see. It was woven tightly enough that they wouldn't be able to get through it. Lightning Dasher flew up and tried to cut it, but his knife wouldn't get through it.

Regal Masquerade said, "I don't like this, not even a little."

Nitro added, "I guess we know why no scouts were able to fly in."

Twilight said, "Stand back."

As they made room, magic charged in her horn, and a bright purple light shone for a moment, and then quickly went out. The princess looked stunned with surprise.

"What is it?" Nimba asked.

"It drains magic. I'm not going to have any magic in there," she replied.

Scootaloo said, "Where did this even come from?"

Sparklefly said, "One thing is certain. Timberwolves didn't do this."

Everypony in the squad looked at her. It didn't take them long to realize that she was quite correct. There was nothing anypony had ever observed in timberwolf behavior to make them think they'd be capable of creating such a thing. Lightning Dasher continued trying to cut through, and he was starting to have some success.

Twilight said, "That can only mean that the timberwolves have help. There is some force or intelligence that is making them do what they're doing."

It was an unnerving thought to be sure; Sparklefly's mouth felt dry.

Scootaloo asked, "Do we press on?"

The princess nodded, "We still need more information. Send one back to report what we've found, and then we'll continue."

Scootaloo turned to Lightning Dasher, "I want you to go directly to Ponyville, report about this net to Lieutenant Brax or one of his officers. Return here directly. We're heading southeast."

Lightning Dasher nodded, "Affirmative, ma'am." He turned and galloped back out of the Everfree Forest the way they had come in.

Twilight said, "Let's continue with extreme caution."

Scootaloo added, "Stay sharp; Nitro, take point. Move out."

They continued silently forward. The net above them continued from tree to tree, covering the entire forest like a blanket. They continued on for an hour, and as they walked, the air started feeling heavy. Brambles and thorns also made their progress much slower. They were growing so thick that they were forced into single-file.

Sparklefly had a very uneasy feeling about this situation. They were incredibly vulnerable spread out like this. The only advantage was that the brambles were rather impassable, but that wouldn't keep them from getting trapped. They came out into a small clearing, and they got back into formation. 

A snapping noise somewhere ahead sent the the entire squad dropping to the ground. It was dead silent now. Sparklefly noticed that there weren't even any birds. All she could hear was everypony else breathing. They sat there, frozen in silence, and a rather pungent odor was in the air. They all knew the scent of timberwolves. Scootaloo motioned for Sparklefly to take a look. Her heart was pounding as she crept forward.

...

Pibs was surprised at how calm everypony else seemed to be. She couldn't hear anything over the sound of her own blood pumping, rushing through her veins. Sparklefly was moving forward noiselessly to see what had made the sound. Glancing to her left, Pibs thought she saw movement in the brambles. She blinked and looked again, but everything was perfectly still. She pulled an arrow out and loaded it into her crossbow. The others had already done this.

Pibs turned back to see that Sparklefly had frozen again. A timberwolf ambled through the brush on their left at the far end of the clearing; very casually, it walked across the space toward their right as though it hadn't seen the squad. They all sat there, unable to move; Pibs felt like a steel trap that was waiting to spring. The foul smelling creature was almost away, and then it turned, finally noticing Sparklefly. It sat there, looking puzzled for a moment, and then it twitched, tensing up to pounce, Regal Masquerade let an arrow fly from his crossbow like a thunderclap piercing the timberwolf through the head. The body fell clumsily to the forest floor. The noise from the hit echoed, fading off quickly.

In an instant, everypony got to their hooves and multiple timberwolves crashed through the clearing ahead.

Scootaloo began shouting, "Contact front! Contact front!"

The timberwolves charged across open ground directly at them.

"Open fire!" Scootaloo ordered.

Six more shots were loosed and Pibs raised her own crossbow. She was shaking as she let the arrow fly. It sped high and was lost to the forest.

"Form up the line!" Scootaloo shouted.

The squad made a line with Regal Masquerade charging up beside Sparklefly, who was the farthest forward. The others soon came into place as the timberwolves reached them, and a melee began. Cloud Blazer and Pibs were on the left, and Scootaloo joined Sparklefly on the right with Princess Twilight. Claws raked against armor, which deflected the blows rather effectively. Pibs happened to glance back and notice that Nimba was just standing there with a totally blank expression on her face, frozen like statue. Nitro was saying something to her.

Scootaloo ordered, "Advance!"

Everypony but the twins launched themselves directly into the incoming timberwolves. It was a furious pounding and slashing of hooves and claws. Regal Masquerade smashed one, Scootaloo and Cloud Blazer tripped some up, Pibs bucked them off of her. Glancing back again, Pibs saw that Nimba was still just standing there motionless. Nitro was glowing. The princess saw it too.

Twilight yelled, "Scootaloo, stop Nitro! I've seen that magic before. He's a changeling!"

Time seemed to freeze. Pibs had heard about the changelings. Everypony knew the story of how they had invaded Canterlot about ten years before. They managed to overpower Princess Celestia and nearly captured the city. It was Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence that had stopped them that time. The ramifications of this revelation were astonishing to say the least. The timberwolves were being controlled by changelings. Something had to be done, and quickly in order to save Nimba. Scootaloo was occupied with a timberwolf, and nopony was close enough to stop Nitro from sending a magical blast directly into Twilight. She was enveloped in green fire and fell to the ground with a shriek, completely surrounded.

Pibs wasn't sure what happened, but the next thing she knew, she was charging directly at Nitro with a scream that startled him. She hit him directly in the face with her fore-hoof initially, then spun around and caught him in the jaw with both hind legs in one powerful buck that sent him sprawling on the ground toward the right side of the clearing. It didn't look like Nitro anymore. It had changed to look like a twisted form of a unicorn, black as onyx with harsh features, a blue mane, and vibrant green eyes. Out of nowhere, Regal Masquerade was on him, pounding the changeling's face mercilessly as he lay on the ground, shattering his horn with a noise that sounded like the cracking of thunder.

The changeling cried out something that was impossible to understand, and a volley of lethal bolts of magic came out of the foliage on the left side with no warning. Pibs felt one of them burn into her shoulder just beneath the harness.

She shouted, "Contact left, incoming fire!"

Everypony was too busy to duck, but the changeling took advantage of the cover and scurried into the forest as Regal Masquerade dropped to the ground. Nimba still didn't move, and she was directly in the line of the magical attack. Pibs saw the energy pour through Nimba's body, her armor completely ineffective. Nimba blankly staggered backwards, and when the timberwolves came through the brush; she was surrounded. Cloud Blazer was suddenly there. He and Pibs fought alongside Regal Masquerade in an attempt to reach Nimba, but she didn't stand a chance. Even as she came out of the changeling inflicted daze, she was down within seconds; there wasn't even time to scream.

Cloud Blazer was already bleeding from a wound to his flank, and Scootaloo and Sparklefly weren't doing much better on the other side. They were now arranged in an L shape with timberwolves in front and left. More of the wooden enemies crashed through from the right, and they were now surrounded on three sides.

"Contact right! Advance!" Scootaloo yelled.

The squad pushed forward with Regal Masquerade holding the rear almost by himself. It was a thing of beauty to see his raw power shatter anything that got close. Still, the continually increasing numbers of timberwolves put them at a real risk of becoming totally surrounded as the furious onslaught continued.

Cloud Blazer howled in pain as a timberwolf claw raked his leg. Pibs bucked the timberwolf off of him. The five of them fought side by side, working their way into a smaller grouping. Twilight was gone; all that remained was a smoldering patch of leaves where she had been.

"We can't hold this!" Sparklefly cried out.

"Twilight's still alive!" Scootaloo shouted over the noise of battle. "That changeling magic teleported her to somewhere nearby! If we can get to her-"

Another volley of magical fire blasted through the left side of the clearing. It cut down several timberwolves, and then Regal Masquerade was hit. He dropped on his face with a grunt. Pibs' heart nearly stopped. A moment later, as if powered by some unseen force, he stood again and clobbered the next timberwolf that charged the rear. He wasn't done fighting yet.

Pibs heard Sparklefly yelling, "We're at half strength! We have to fall back now or we all die!"

Scootaloo must have already reached the same conclusion as even more timberwolves began pouring from all three sides.

She gave the order, "Fall back to the LZ! Ponies, we are leaving!"

Regal Masquerade pushed forward, now at the front of their movement as they attempted to withdraw. Pibs was on his right, and Scootaloo on his left as they fought their way though the flurry of snapping jaws to the relative safety of the brambles. A timberwolf got under Pibs' guard and his teeth sank into her harness. It ripped into her chest enough to make her cry out before Cloud Blazer knocked it off of her. Pibs stomped on it and then darted to the brambles right behind Regal Masquerade. She cast a fleeting final glance at Nimba's body, surrounded by timberwolves in the middle of the clearing, then she vaulted headlong into the narrow path with thorns scratching at her face and scraping armor. They were abandoning Princess Twilight.

...

Cloud Blazer had made up his mind that he would bring up the rear; he had to keep Scootaloo and the others safe. The timberwolves were getting too thick to effectively hold them off any longer, and Sparklefly had just made the exit following Regal Masquerade and Pibs. He and Scootaloo were side by side, holding the timberwolves with enraged fighting.

Cloud Blazer yelled at her, "Go, I'm right behind you!"

She didn't wait to argue. A well placed spinning kick got her oriented and she leapt into the path. Cloud Blazer backed in to keep his eyes on the timberwolves. He tried to fight while retreating into the brambles but quickly lodged his rear in a tangle of long spines that managed to find the unprotected places in his flank. Standing up on his hind legs and smacking the closest timberwolf in the face for good measure, he pivoted on his hind legs and went forward up the narrow path.

He galloped quickly, ignoring the thorns and brambles that were clawing and biting at his face and anywhere else his armor didn't cover. He could see the other end; the remaining four had made it out of the worst of the brambles when the thorns caught Cloud Blazer's armor sending him straight to the ground. The taste of earth and dead vegetation filled his mouth, and he struggled to move but didn't even have time to get up before the timberwolves were on his back, biting at his neck. 

Cloud Blazer desperately threw his head back and forth, striking the timberwolf with his helmet. With a warrior's cry, Pibs threw herself over him. She spun in that small space, straddling Cloud Blazer, and then kicking with her hind legs to knock the beasts back. At the same time, Sparklefly and Scootaloo had grabbed him by the front horseshoes and pulled him clear. Pibs joined them as Cloud Blazer got to his hooves, and the five of them took off at a full gallop back toward the LZ at the edge of Ghastly Gorge.

They crashed through the brush, forced to abandon all caution in a desperate effort to escape. There was howling in the woods all around them now. Pushing even faster, Sparklefly took the lead. Cloud Blazer saw them before she did.

He cried out, "Contact front!" but it was too late.

Timberwolves sprang up from the foliage ahead, and a powerful swipe caught Sparklefly in the head as she tried to duck under it. Cloud Blazer thought her helmet had deflected the blow until the blood began pouring from her face as she fell to the ground. Regal Masquerade unleashed a savage flurry of kicks into the timberwolf until its head was flattened. The squad soon had the others under control and found a brief respite.

Cloud Blazer shouted, "Right flank?"

"Incoming left!" Regal Masquerade shouted.

Pibs had helped Sparklefly up. She already had her medical kit out and was trying to put pressure on the wound.

Scootaloo quickly glanced left, "Copy that, left no good, move right! Go, go!"

Cloud Blazer knew that this was problematic, as the LZ was somewhere to their left. They pushed in the opposite direction, fighting deeper into the forest which they were trying to escape. As they moved fast, a single changeling ran out ahead of them. He seemed completely surprised. Regal Masquerade shot an arrow but missed the stopping target. The changeling returned a blast of magic that hit the powerful pegasus in his hindquarters, causing him to spin completely around like a rag doll as he fell to the earth, dust and leaves scattering as he dropped. Scootaloo fired her own crossbow and the bolt lodged in the changeling's chest. A somewhat pitiful cry escaped as Sparklefly charged up onto it and finished him with her knife. Somehow, Regal Masquerade got up again.

"Let's move," he said very gruffly; one wouldn't have to be an expert on his mannerisms to know that he was very angry now.

He was limping badly on his left rear leg where he'd been hit, but Regal Masquerade was able to keep up as they charged further into the woods, trying to make their way left again. They happened upon a small defilade comprised of thick bushes and all five of them ducked inside. A pack of timberwolves ran past but didn't notice them. Pibs tried to stanch the wounds that Regal Masquerade had received, but they had already used up two of their medical kits. All of them were breathing heavily and practically covered in sweat, blood, and earth.

"The princess?" Regal Masquerade asked.

"She's alive," Scootaloo said with a tone of certainty.

"How can you be sure?" Pibs asked as she checked Sparklefly's wound.

"Twilight has fought them before," Scootaloo answered. "She told me that she'd been transported that way from Canterlot into the caves below the city. They don't kill you; they replace you. Where is Lightning Dasher?"

"Hopefully he wasn't in the forest when this started. They are trying to kill us," Sparklefly said looking up. Her left eye was ruined from the nasty gash left by the timberwolf's claw. "That netting is covering a much larger area now. We're trapped."

Cloud Blazer looked up. The netting had been spread out even further since they had entered this place only a few hours before.

"I know," Scootaloo replied. "I'll take point. Whatever happens, we have to get to that LZ and out of here."

"Changelings," Pibs said with a shudder.

"We're the only ones that know," Regal Masquerade added. "We have to warn the others."

Cloud Blazer didn't say anything; he couldn't find words. He took a sip of water to quench his dry throat. The only thing he knew right now was that he had to keep any more of his squad from dying. Whatever happened, he had to get Scootaloo out of here.

"Sparklefly, Regal, are you good to move?" Scootaloo asked.

They nodded. Scootaloo jumped up with a nod and charged out of their little hiding place. The rest followed, and once again, Cloud Blazer took up the rear. They moved quickly following after her, but already their pace was much slower than it had been before; Regal Masquerade was unable to put weight on his back left leg. The squad encountered another pack of timberwolves and had to fight their way through. There were only ten of them, and the ponies put them down without any trouble. They finally turned south again toward the clearing and safety.

They walked into a trap. A barrage of magical energy burst through the trees on their left. Pibs was hit and screamed as she fell. Sparklefly would have been injured if Regal Masquerade hadn't leapt in front of her. He took at least two hits as the others aimed and returned fire with their crossbows. The noise of magic burning and the cry of metal being torn asunder filled the air. A shriek of pain from beyond the trees signaled that some of the ponies had hit their marks. There was not a moment to lose. Cloud Blazer galloped hard, hooking left and bursting through upon the unsuspecting changelings. There were only three of them, one of which was already dead. The other two looked afraid as the pegasus charged down upon them. He knocked one down but then slipped rather clumsily to the ground himself on a mossy patch of rocks. The green magic of the third changeling glowed brightly, and Cloud Blazer knew he was looking up at his own death. Scootaloo flew through the air, tackling the changeling; the blast of magic impacted into the ground nearby and sent rock fragments into the air and raining down on them. Shards of stone pelted Cloud Blazer's helmet, making his head ring for a moment. Sparklefly crashed through the bushes and dispatched the other enemy.

"You okay?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yeah!" Cloud Blazer replied.

Pibs had already applied a crude bandage to her own wound, which had been superficial, and now she was trying to save Regal Masquerade. He was lying down, his many wounds clearly visible. His armor was burned and cracked where the magic had ripped through it. She was using the last of the medical supplies.

"We have to move," Sparklefly said.

"Help me up," Regal Masquerade insisted.

"Are you sure?" Scootaloo asked.

"I've got him," Cloud Blazer volunteered. "She's right, we have to go."

He lifted the wounded pegasus and drug him as they continued toward the LZ. This was bad, and there was nothing Cloud Blazer could do about it. As they continued, a changeling burst through the foliage behind them. Cloud Blazer was in no position to fire his weapon, and the changeling was ready to use his deadly magic. Regal Masquerade managed to land a shot right between their would-be attacker's eyes, killing him instantly. The others paused for a moment, and then they all continued inching their way to Ghastly Gorge.

A noise to the left had become an all too familiar one. Cloud Blazer dropped Regal Masquerade just in time to get his crossbow up as a pack of timberwolves came through the brush at high speed. Scootaloo was shouting orders and the other two joined the battle. The wounded pegasus fired his crossbow at least twice more that Cloud Blazer saw in the middle of this fray. Claws raked against armor, teeth tore savagely at the squad. They had become surrounded for the moment, but several blasts of magic helped clear the way. Two more changelings were hitting everything in their path, which happened to mostly be timberwolves. It gave just enough respite for Scootaloo to get off a shot, killing one of them. The other turned and ran away. At best, his retreat might buy them a little time.

When the exhausted squad finished the timberwolves, Cloud Blazer returned the short distance to Regal Masquerade. His mind didn't know how to process what he was seeing. The pegasus pony lay completely motionless, flat on his back with his head turned up as if he were looking at something. His helmet had split and was burned from a blast of magic that had pierced it in the fighting. He understood, but didn't want to believe it. Regal Masquerade was dead.

Scootaloo sighed. Cloud Blazer knew that tone; it was filled with the same kind of sorrow that he felt right now.

"Leave him," she said, her voice sounded like one accepting total defeat as she took one of his dog tags. "We're almost there. We've got to keep moving."

Abandoning Regal Masquerade was the hardest thing Cloud Blazer had ever done. After taking the remaining arrows from their fallen comrade, the four pressed on much faster now until they reached the edge of the tree line by the LZ. They arrived to find that the netting which covered the trees now blanketed the entire area all the way to where they now stood. They would have to get out into the open if they hoped to escape. The plant life was too dense to even attempt to fly through. It was at that moment the Cloud Blazer's heart dropped. The LZ was already covered with timberwolves.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered under his breath.

Scootaloo spoke quickly and quietly, "Listen up. We don't have any other way out but this. They've worked hard to cut us off, but I think they don't expect us to try this way."

Sparklefly said, "That's because it is covered with timberwolves." 

"No sweat, we can take them!" Pibs said; her eyes betrayed a sadness not present in her voice.

Cloud Blazer didn't share her apparent optimism. There had to be fifty or more of them against four ponies. He said nothing. Everypony else looked like they were in terrible shape. Sparklefly's eye was mangled and she had several other small wounds, Pibs was bleeding from her shoulder and side, and he was pretty sure she was missing a tooth. Scootaloo had at least as many cuts and bruises as the rest of them. They were all cut up from the brambles, not to mention exhausted from the effort of fighting their way through to this point. Cloud Blazer felt horrible for leaving the princess behind, but if they survived there might be a chance to rescue her. If they didn't make it out of here, she would be replaced by changelings, and no help would be coming for her. That meant that whatever the way, they had to try. The entire population of Equestria might well depend on it.

Scootaloo said, "We drive right into them, make for the cliff face, and jump. Once we're clear, we fly back to Ponyville for reinforcements."

They all nodded in agreement. After a three-count, Cloud Blazer and the rest of the squad, Pibs, Sparklefly, and Scootaloo, charged headlong into what had to be several dozen timberwolves. They were kicking and trying to push their way to the edge. Their momentum was halted half-way there, and ranks of timberwolves closed around them. The ponies stood back to back, a flurry of kicking hooves holding their attackers at bay. Then the timberwolves began howling, calling for reinforcements. Kicking, biting, smashing, thrashing, the noise was a constant cacophony in their ears. If they could just cut down their numbers a little, they could make a break for the edge. More of the savage beasts clawed their way out of the forest and joined the attack. Cloud Blazer missed a strike and saw the timberwolf coming down, jaws wide open to bite his head. An arrow zipped through the air and struck the timberwolf at the base of its skull, and it fell in the midst of the fray.

From somewhere above, Cloud Blazer heard the sweetest sound in his life:  the beating of Pegasus wings followed by a battle cry. Lightning Dasher had returned. He dove directly into the timberwolves between the squad and the edge of the cliff with his hooves down. He probably smashed twenty of them as he flew in, skidding to a stop. This cleared enough of a path for the others to all make a run for it. Lightning Dasher rolled off the side of the cliff on his hooves. He galloped awkwardly down the canyon wall until the wind lifted him by his wings. He was bleeding from injuries sustained in that maneuver; it was hard to see how badly he was hurt.

As they made for the edge, Cloud Blazer threw out a few extra kicks to make sure the others could make the jump. He was right behind them, holding the rear. Pibs went first, and then Sparklefly. Scootaloo made the jump; it was his turn. After one final spinning kick, Cloud Blazer's tired legs launched him over the edge of the cliff into thin air. He spread his wings to freedom, and then he was hit from above.

A timberwolf had leapt out after Cloud Blazer and landed on his back. It had a hold of his right wing it its powerful jaws, and then the world was spinning out of control. The timberwolf was clawing at him and biting as they tumbled. He tried twisting to get an angle to push the creature off as they hurtled farther and farther down. The timberwolf bit into the back of Cloud Blazer's neck, and then the wind was knocked out of him. They had struck something, it was impossible to tell what. The pair, locked in combat, tumbled off of it in a fast spin, still falling until Cloud Blazer felt the timberwolf shatter beneath him and a loud crunch, then his own right rear leg bent in a way that it was not designed to as they rolled off of solid rock. He was still falling.

Cloud Blazer did a half twist to orient himself properly and stop tumbling, but as he tried to open his wings, a bolt of pain shot from his wingtips down through his hooves and into his heart. He couldn't stretch them out. There wasn't time to even consider the ramifications of this before he struck something else hard, began rolling again and continued falling, and then he slammed something else. Pain shot through him each time, and continuity of thought was difficult to maintain. He thought he heard something snap, but his ears were ringing, rendering him unable to be certain. The pain was intense, but a moment later he was floating, so he knew it would be okay. He wasn't floating.

The final impact into the canyon floor felt crunchy, then cold, and it made everything go totally black and silent. Aside from a vague throbbing, all of Cloud Blazer's senses were completely numb. Moments or minutes later, it was impossible to tell which, his hearing began to return, followed by stars in his vision. There was the sound of running water, and then he could vaguely see smooth rocks all around and a river cutting through the floor of Ghastly Gorge. He was at the bottom. The chalky taste of rocks mixed with blood was in his mouth. His sight seemed to be growing brighter and darker in rhythm with his heartbeat. One futile attempt to stand up sent so much pain pulsing throughout his body that it came out as a cry. To his own ears, it sounded more like a whimper than a yell as he crumpled back to the ground, a tangled mess of mangled armor and a heap of flesh. He realized he was about to pass out. His vision blurred and was beginning to go dark again as the rest of his senses also faded away. Cloud Blazer was alive, but his body was broken.