//------------------------------//
// King of the Forest part 2 edited 
// Story: Nature Of The Everfree 
// by Lord Despair 
//------------------------------//

Meanwhile back at camp

Captain Shining Armor was a fair stallion and perhaps the most easy going and leveled headed captain Canterlot had seen in the last six hundred years. 

He gave his ponies longer leaves in order to spend time with family something, something he wished he had back when he was a recruit; he opened the door for fillyfoolers and coltcuddlers to join the guard corps as long they kept that kind of business to when they were off duty. He even gave Princess Celestia a boon in the number cakes she could have at each and every meal. But for such a kind captain as himself, there was a limit.

There was only one thing you should never, and that’s go around his back after he tells you no. It was something the nobles had very harshly learned not to do.

''TWILIGHT!!!!!''

At hearing that one single shout, the camp’s inhabitants made themselves scarce and pray to Celestia and Luna that the fates were merciful to them on this day.

''SOMEPONY GET ME CONNECTED TO THE CAPITAL!!!!...... NOW MAGGOTS!!'' 





“I... wouldn’t be so sure about that... little girlie....”  growled Cratus, standing defiantly with not a single hair on his hide out of place. The only visible change on the bear was his raised eyebrow. ''Was that suppose to do something?'' he asked mockingly. 

The gathered ponies could only stare at the great bear with their mouths agape. They all turned to Twilight who herself was rubbing her eyes, not trusting what she was seeing while her friends looked at each other in shock.

''Twi? What the hay just happen?'' asked Applejack. 

''I don't understand it the Elements... they hit him... we seen them hit him!'' said Rainbow Dash.

''How is that possible?'' shirked Rarity. ''The elements hit that brute! Why were they ineffective!''

''Girls, we have other things to worry about!'' said Pinkie fearfully.   

''No?'' the great bear spat out his branch then took a charging proposition. ''My turn,'' he snarled. 

Twilight's mind raced with itself trying to accept and explain why Equestria's greatest defense failed to even affect the guardian. Ignoring both her friends and guards, she ran simulation after simulation on the Elements failure until she snapped out of her thoughts when she heard one of the guards shout, ''Shield Wall! Protect the Elements!''

True to their word the guards circled the Elements in a protected wall of golden solar armor and spear determined to keep them safe. At seeing this, Cratus laughed like a mad pony while charging. ''What, you think a miserable wall can keep me out? Bwahaha! Oh, this is going to be fun!"

And true to his word Cratus busted through the shield wall like it was nothing but paper, sending dozens of armored ponies flying through the trees. Some of the ponies that suddenly became pegasi found themselves impaled by sharpen tree branches far from the ground while other were trapped in the mud, their hooves sinking in it's greedy grasp. 

The remaining guards in the now pointless shield wall speared the great bear, only to find that their spears had shattered and splintered on the bear's thick hide, serving to annoy the beast even further. With a great swing of his clawed paw he sent an another newly christen flock flying, but this time it was filled with deep terrible cuts, many more fatal in nature.

''There are gods inside my fists today little ponies!!! You should've left MY forest when you had the chance!!!'' guffawed Cratus crushing the remnants of grounded guards beneath his feet. 

Twilight and company could only watch in pure unadulterated horror of the massacre that was taking place before them. In the back of their minds, they remember all the foes that they defeated over years. There was a nagging sensation told them that the only reason why they defeated the likes of Nightmare moon, Discord, Chrysalis, Sombra, and Tirek was that while they were all evil, they didn't really hurt anypony.  

Nightmare moon had many chances to kill them, but didn't. Discord as well since he's was nothing but a prankster. Chrysalis was just trying to feed her people. Sombra had wanted to enslave ponies and Tirek only stole magic instead of lives. Just maybe the reason why they won was not because of the elements of Harmony or that they were underestimated, but perhaps that the villains were too afraid to harm them. 

Celestia and Luna were very close to the group of friends, way too close for rulers. Twilight was understandable since she was Celestia student, but why the others? 

The group of mares weren't given the time to ponder on the matter as Cratus's roar shook them out of the spell, revealing that nearly every royal guard laid slain leaving only three between them and the Great Bear. 

One of the guards, an older one if his graying mane was any indication, looked back at the mares. ''Princess Twilight, get out of here.''

''What?'' said Twilight, blinking owlishly. 

''Run my Princess, take your friends and GO!! Don't worry about us, we'll hold him off,'' said the elderly guard, striping off his armor reveal his equally gray form.

''What? NO!! I am not leave you here not any of you!'' said Twilight, stomping her hoof down into the mud. 

''Princess with all due respect, get the buck out of here!'' said another guard, causing Rarity to gasp at his crude language which in turn caused Applejack and Rainbow Dash to roll their eyes at the prissy unicorn.  

''Oh, what this? If yer think I'm going to let ya get away then yer got a another thing coming,'' Said the great bear, preparing another charge.

''No time to argue Elements,'' yelled a rather small guard, holding a broken spear as a staff. ''GO!!! call for reinforcements!''

Twilight looked at each of the last remaining guards she led to this part of the forest. She knew the faces they wore, faces of ponies who knew that they were going to die. She closed her eyes, submitting them to her memory. They knew the risk when she started this project. It would be disrespectful to deny them this chance of keeping the dream of Scientia alive. ''Girls, grab on to me. I'll teleport us back to camp.''

ROOAR went the great bear, the ground trembling as he charged the last royal guards whinnied one of own as the mares teleported away to safety with a loud pop.

When Twilight open her eyes, she found the site of glaring fury that was her brother and the disappointed look on her fellow princesses. Unable to bare the looks, she cast her gaze to that of her friends, flinching at what she saw. Her precious friends whom she would sacrifice her very life for... Pinkie's mane was flat and dead. Both Applejack and Rainbow kept on looking back at the forest with uncharacteristic tears and a clear want to go back and fight Cratus. Fluttershy, she didn't looked even alive. She stood there in silent horror while Rarity look ready to drown the whole camp with tears and runny makeup.

''Twilight where are my ponies,'' demanded Shining. The rage and fury in his voice made Twilight recoil as if slapped.  

Then right there in the gloom of the camp, Twilight, the princess of friendship, wept. She wept for the dead, she cried who all the guards she had lead to their deaths.