Melancholy Days

by Zurock

Chapter 12: Collide

Hamestown felt like a different place when the many glimmering night lamps were replaced by the natural lamp of day. The clouds had passed on and the sun was unobstructed as it beat down its rays. Though the shadowed peculiarity never fully left the village, with little elements here and there still tugging at the strands of subdued uncertainty, the full sight of the running settlement was warm, open, and inviting.

Rising with the sun was the norm here and so the group awoke with the town itself. They were fed a strong breakfast by their hosts; a savory meal of locally grown sweet corn, leafy greens, and (to the true delight of some) slices of succulent apples, served along with hot bread and biscuits of a supposed special recipe. The townsponies swore up and down on the power of their food to hold full a stomach longer than any other meal in Equestria. The guests might have indulged themselves until they were bursting if not spurred on by Twilight, who had become even more determined than the prior night to hunt down answers.

Guided by Mayor Quillby, they headed back towards the sites that they had investigated last night. While they walked the main street of the town, they took in everything darkness had hidden from them previously. Firm buildings, built of the forest wood that had been shaved perfectly into beams and bars and logs, were set on stony foundations. Their wooden faces were stained with many shades of brown, including dust and dirt, but they still looked as fresh as the day they were raised, unwavering and solid, able to withstand far deadlier winds than ever came off the nearby mountains. On the left, peeking over some of the structures, were windmills and water towers, rolling with the morning breeze and funneling away their carefully collected surplus to where it was needed most. Appearing briefly through the passing alleys could be seen the fences of the farms, and the earliest ponies were already in the fields. They were setting to their work, still harvesting the last of the late summer crop while they finished sowing that of the fall's. And many ponies of the village trotted on the street itself, making for where the morning wanted them.

It wasn't uncommon for those who were passing by to wish the outsiders a welcome, or good luck, or a grateful "thank you." Mayor Quillby had been unambiguous when he had related that the decision to send for foreign help, to surrender their own management of their diminishing situation, had only barely cleared a vote of the townsponies. However, in show of their solidarity, integrity, and unified spirit, none of the ponies were disgruntled or cross with their guests. They all gladly saddled their hopes with the Princess's chosen even if they didn't agree with the necessity of calling upon Canterlot, because they truly believed that their settlement stood or fell by all of them together.

The one big surprise to Twilight and her friends was how present the forest was. On the other side of the settlement from the farms, the trees practically engulfed the village. The buildings were backed up upon the very roots of their neighboring woodlands. Nighttime had hidden all but the blaring symphony of the forest, as if lamplight could not touch leaf or trunk or twig. Day had drained away the ominous sounds of the woods but the tradeoff was for its impressive, intimidating sight. Even though it was mainly only one side of Hamestown that was lined by the forest, it felt like the whole of it was surrounded.

The trees were tall and heavily branched, even as far low as a few feet off the ground in some cases. The thinnest trunks shot up like columns, thick as a wagon wheel turn on its side, reaching effortlessly above the highest structures of the settlement. Some of them grew even thicker. Their great crowns, royal with autumn colors, were impenetrably dense with leaves despite the season. None of the goliaths were easily giving up their hard grown bounty. And always the old saplings watched, looking down upon the village with their tremendous height.

James stepped with the rest of the group but wherever his eyes looked, he saw nothing. Too much rushed through his head to allow him focus on anything outside of himself. Last night had not been any more favorable to him than any of the nights prior. Never before in his life had his dreams bore signs of ill portents, or troubled guilt, or uncomfortable restlessness. Never before had they worked against him. Never had they been more than random memories mashed together in a random pile, telling random, senseless stories. He tried to convince himself that his night visions now were still the same but addled by nothing more than arbitrary, unfortunate chance; that the onslaught of sudden newness in his life was dropping more elements into his dreams than his brain knew what to do with and they were winding up in unlucky, bothersome combinations. That was all.

But still he had awoken alert and ready, even if he was coated by fatigue. Everything that had been revealed so far about this murky circumstance jabbed at him like a thorn. He was still unsure about accompanying the rest of them, but less and less his mind automatically generated ready-made excuses to curb his involvement. In the battle of fears between what his interference could bring versus what his absence might mean, changing facts were beginning to turn the tide.

When his arrival had brought calamity to Fluttershy's much-loved and innocent animals of the Everfree Forest (still only two and a half weeks ago!), his demands to be of assistance had been born from obligation and a sense of dutiful justice more than from any amount of charity, or particularly any amount of usefully applied knowledge. He had been rageous and indignant about having been given a smaller role in setting right what had gone wrong, but time, hindsight, and some reading up on the facts had changed his thinking eventually. Twilight had been wise to limit his involvement then, if only for his own safety. Even if that particular section of forest had a fairly low risk for an endangering encounter with a magical beast, it still would have been a tactical blunder for him to have been there. Unbriefed and unready for the possible dangers and scenarios, he would have been a pointless and unnecessary burden then. True that he generally thought highly of his wits but he didn't undervalue planning and preparation.

So what of this situation? Was he anymore prepared? Princess Celestia had made the decision to send the ponies before any thought of his possible involvement was reality (presumably) so she must have believed that they could handle it on their own. But had the Princess's invitation for him to tag along truly been an open suggestion for him or had it been it a clever request on her part? Had she expected him to help, needed him to help, or just imagined he couldn't possibly harm? And what had she even known of what was going on here? Perhaps she had only thought she knew something and the brewing darkness that they were all trying to grasp was more than she had ever imagined?

It troubled him deeply. Broken 'weapons,' stolen supplies... they were possible signs of military designs or hostilities. His limited experience with ponies, and his reading of Equestrian history, gave him the impression that these were things that he shouldn't really be seeing. And certainly Twilight and the others had loathed to consider the possibility merely for its taste, even if it couldn't be ruled out with the known evidence.

On the one hand he himself was a soldier, but on the other he most emphatically was not a strategist, diplomat, or negotiator. Those are the people they would want here, if such darkness was rising. What exactly did his presence mean? He was afraid to let this situation go but he earnestly doubted if there was anything he could do.

Fluttershy was walking alongside him. She resonated with equal worry. Noticing their similarly pensive moods, she looked up and asked the man, "You don't... really think that... somepony is going to try and..."

"It's just a guess," James said again, trying to play it down. He breathed loud and hard once. "Twilight's right. We know too little. We need to try and uncover more."

"On the train, Twilight said that the ponies here work hard to keep a special balance with the animals of the forest," she mused with an anxious stare. "But they were ready to blame the animals for their troubles even when it really seems like they're not responsible. And now we think there's some other pony out there making trouble." In worried wonder, she asked openly, "Are... are the animals going to be safe from all this?"

Incredible that she was still sincerely worried about the animals. But they were as worthwhile as other ponies to her. And she had a point. If this 'natural balance' was so important that the townsponies had to labor to keep it in place... what trouble can come from an unknown force being exerted upon it? "We're going to try and find out. And do what we can," he assured her.

She nodded. Then she drew in a breath and held it for some moments, letting it leak out slowly through her nose. Her eyes became more fixed, her neck more stiff; she was trying to prepare herself. He wouldn't have known it but she was thinking about what he had told her on the train about strength, courage, and her own store of them.

Before long, Mayor Quillby had lead them back to the burgled barn, still locked tight. He opened it up so that those who had missed the last expedition here might have a look inside. Rainbow Dash took off immediately to inspect the roof in open daylight while Twilight and the rest stayed out and took in the shape of the space around them.

The forest coddled the back of the barn; its extended branches reaching out low, right over the roof and scraping against the back wall. The line of trees curved around the structure, thinning and passing right in front of where the road ended; a crowd of trunks that left a little bit more breathing room than the densely packed wood elsewhere. The barn was backed into a corner of trees; one side was the immense Unicorn Spring Forest and the other was a relatively small outcropping that grew from the main body.

"Mayor Quillby," Twilight asked, "where's the expansion to Hamestown being built?"

The elder stallion pointed off halfway between the direction opposite the barn and the forest protrusion. "Thataway. Though 'built' is a bit of an early bird word. We're still carefully clearing trees to make space and redirecting the stream."

"Do you have a map, or a plan, or anything of what you're doing?" the purple unicorn followed up.

"Certainly. Here, here," he waved her along across the street. A wood shop with glassless windows and a broad porch was located across from the barn, and nailed onto a wide board right in front was a copy of a map made from parchment that was at least a few years old.

It depicted three images: two larger and a single smaller one which was far off on the side. The large ones were for the expansion. One showed the current layout and progress, nailed over several times with updated drawings; the other showed the hopeful conclusion several years down the line. The tiny image was under-detailed and perhaps not even to scale; it showed the rough line dividing settlement and forest, with particular focus on the many streams that bled out of the wild woodlands. One stream, which bubbled straight through the area of the planned expansion, was highlighted in particular. It was, in fact, the focus of all three illustrations.

Through skillful and directed questioning, Twilight extracted all she could from the mayor. Not that she had any leads or designs but she believed that she couldn't have too much data on the situation. Essentially the stream was the most critical element of the expansion effort. It wasn't a heavy, crashing river (none of the streams which poured out of the forest were) but it still had a strong, consistent, and voluminous flow along with a wide, but far from unbridgeable, breadth. This stream was an important water source for both the magic starved community and the critters of the outer forest so handling it correctly was the most important part of the frontiersponies' plans. Trees had to be felled and land had to be leveled but, most critically of all, the stream had to be realigned so that they could maximize its utility for their many purposes. But it also had to be done in a way which would not damage the water flow and wouldn't deny, or even diminish, access by their woodland counterparts. Their plan and projected layout was very clever however, and it was already at a stage which provided MORE access to the stream for the forest first. A small, temporary dam had created a minor spring which was a boon for the wildlife, and all the while the flowing water was carefully routed through a wider spread of the forest to go around the planned expansion while the ponies themselves finished digging out the stream's final channel.

Overhead, Rainbow Dash passed over the street, the wood shop, and a pavilion stacked with pyramids of logs in order to search above the vandalized tool shed. Some of the others followed, seeking a chance to make their own evaluations on James' guess, and Mayor Quillby went with them to unlock their way. Twilight sat with the maps, inviting those who remained into a discussion, but none of them could draw any conclusions of relevancy. They had no definitive guesses as to if the water had any connection to the thieves' mysterious plans.

When all had returned, Rainbow Dash touched down with a hot determination in her eyes and, surprisingly, a coil of thin vines in her mouth. They were naturally grown vines but they weren't naturally assembled. Aside from the unusual coiling of them, they were twisted together to form a kind of rope. She dropped her find and said, "Our sneaky little thieves left something behind in the branches."

Mayor Quillby lowered his head to scrutinize the discovery closely. "That's not something we made," he warned. "We braid our rope from jute. And vines like this certainly don't grow anywhere near the settlement."

"I bet they thought they were pretty smart, getting in and out from up in the trees to the roofs," Rainbow Dash laughed confidently, "but they stopped covering their tracks so well once they were behind the leaves."

"So no doubt about it then, they are coming from the forest," Spike pointed out. "Or at least through it."

"Oo, sneaky mole-acrobat-ghost ponies," commented Pinkie Pie. She cocked her head. "Uh... why the trees again?"

"With the sheer density of the treetop leaves they would have had an easy time pulling off their heist without being seen, even in broad daylight," elaborated Twilight.

"Can we really be sure it is a 'they?'" Fluttershy asked with a fragile apprehension.

Twilight shook her head and dismissed, "I'm assuming so. It's a little much to believe a single pony could be responsible for stealing and smashing so much on their own, especially if magic assistance is unreliable."

"Well hold on now," Applejack shot out, innocently dubious. She questioned her unicorn friend, "What about you? You don't seem like you've been having no trouble with your magic and whatsit. You were cherry-pickin' treats with it from that spread all through breakfast."

"I know... I seem to be doing better than most," Twilight defended herself. A specific answer escaped her so all she could say was, "I do feel the difference though. It's... harder, and takes more focus. Like... trying to row a boat through too shallow water." In the end she had to concede, "I suppose it's possible that if a sufficiently powerful unicorn were responsible they could have teleported all the supplies out and blasted the tools, but that's just unlikely statistically. I don't think it's a scenario we should bank on."

Pinkie Pie whipped her face towards the forest with wide eyes and a gaping, open smile. "Oo, sneaky mole-acrobat-ghost pony WIZARDS!" But immediately her buzz died and her expression contorted, her curly mane sagging as she shook her head. "No, no, that doesn't make ANY sense," she moaned.

Rarity grew lightly frustrated, partly compounded by all the difficulties she had been having learning to cope with a more physical existence. "Interesting and all, but where do treetops and this crude rope really leave us?"

James immediately noted, "If they were careless enough to stop covering their tracks once they were back in the trees, there may be further clues left behind in the forest."

"That's precisely what I was thinking," Twilight pointed at him.

The others caught on and there was a mix of reactions amongst them. Fluttershy struggled to puff herself up again but her knees knocked and her tail shivered. Spike didn't appear overly fond of the suggestion either, nervously twiddling his claws and kicking dust. Applejack gave the forest a scrupulous glance while she pressed her hat down tighter onto her head. Pinkie Pie giggled. Rainbow Dash looked prepared but she never really stopped glancing between Twilight and James, trying to decipher something about them.

The first vocal objection naturally came from Rarity. She was already having extra trouble caring for her appearance without her magic and adventures into the unknown could only add to her crisis. "If it could at all be avoided, I'd... rather we not take a stroll right through the bug-infested woods down the same filthy path used by bandits and thugs. Um... please?"

"It's a little risky, yes," Twilight admitted, "but there's really nowhere else to look if we're interested in searching for more answers. However... there is another option available now that we know how our thieves are going about their thieving."

Cautiously she stated, "We could set a trap here in Hamestown. However, I think that's also risky in its own way."

Ever since Twilight had started to have doubts about the truth of this mission on the train, it was as if hers and James' thoughts drifted closer and closer to being in sync. Just by looking at her and hearing her hesitancy with regards to a trap, he was instantly able to vocalize her thoughts, "We still don't know anything about who, or what, our thieves are, which gives us precious little information to prepare a trap with."

"Exactly," the unicorn acknowledged.

"You'd rather go hunting in the woods for them than setting a trap here?" Rainbow Dash pressed upon the two planners, but somehow most of her suspicious doubt seemed directed at the man.

He could feel the heat of her question but was too wrapped up in the circumstance to give it much bother. Again he had hints of a mirrored attitude when he responded, "You've got the ideas backwards; setting a trap would be hunting. Going into the forest is a search for more information." He broke his gaze away from the objecting pegasus and rolled an open palm about the crowd while he said, "Anyway, the point is that both options carry risks. Don't know which is the wiser one."

To expound upon that thought, and maybe help clear the air, Twilight explained, "The thieves must've been able to keep a hidden watch from inside the trees for their crimes to have been so successful. They could even be watching us now! We can't set any kind of trap while being certain that they wouldn't catch wind of it. Not to mention that no matter what kind of trap we create, we can't know if it's enough of a trap to catch what we're after."

Spike injected a distantly hopeful, "Well, it'd still be worth a shot though, right? Even if it didn't work out?"

"I don't know, Spike," she answered. The unicorn gave a glance to Mayor Quillby, who was following their debate with an active concern. All the worries he had related last night echoed. "With the way things have been going, I don't know if we have time to spend waiting on a trap that may or may not work. Our thieves may be able to afford more patience than us."

With a frozen stare, she turned it all over in her head. It felt more like a formal exercise though, as she could have easily predicted the ultimate conclusion she silently struck upon. The others felt it too as she looked back at them. "I think we should go into the forest to search."

Mumbling and talking broke out all at once but was cut swiftly short by Mayor Quillby loudly clearing his throat to call attention to himself. Stepping forward, he said to Twilight, "If I may stick my beak in for just a moment? Now, as I told you Miss Twilight, I consider this investigation yours so I'll let you do as you think is necessary to bring these matters to a happy conclusion. However, I'd... prefer... if at all possible, if you could avoid disturbing the forest in any way. We take our 'neighbor' very seriously here and, understand, I'm concerned that some unnecessary prodding could cause some unnecessary trouble."

James immediately recalled the fears Fluttershy had shared with him on their way over; how distressed she was over the risk of the animals getting caught between the townsponies and the bandits in their struggle. He voiced to the mayor, "How do we know our troublemakers aren't already disturbing the forest?"

Fluttershy's eyes stretched open wide and she wheezed a quiet gasp. "I s-support g-going into the f-forest," she rushed out, at odds with herself.

The mayor's shoulders drooped, his face fell with consideration, his bushy, feather-like tail curled down, and he sighed. "Right, well... do as you must," he relented ruefully. "We'll offer whatever help we can. Just... try not to knock any eggs out of the nest."

"Cross our hearts and hope to fly, stick some cupcakes in our eyes!" sang Pinkie Pie, waving her forehooves about before cramming them into her eyeballs. While the others all gave more formal acknowledgments to the mayor, with at least the same spirit as Pinkie's, the pink pony turned her still blinded face towards the forest. She uncontrollably wrinkled her nose for just an instant.

---

It didn't take long for the logistics to be settled. The townsponies made offers of accompaniment by their more experienced woodsponies, which at first seemed like an obvious choice. However, in discussion the idea broke down. All of the settlement's setbacks were starting to stretch them pretty thin and, while the loss of one or two ponies for a single day was survivable, in Twilight's mind it was unnecessary if the plan was solely about reconnaissance. At least no townsponies would be in danger if things took a turn for the worse. And so the ponies of the settlement made due with only supplying what they could. Bags of dry foods were given, canteens of water were filled, a few survival supplies like ropes and a compass were packed, and plenty of sage advice was passed on: these are signs of the common predators, avoid these plants, if you get lost then find and follow a stream since they all lead out of the forest, and so on.

Laden for a day in the forest, the group of eight set out to search. They started behind the robbed supply barn, hunting for clues in a wide area at first, and then narrowed some as they moved on. They were always mindful to keep the humming trickle of the nearby stream within earshot, both as a safety for themselves and reasoning that it would be a likely route of their bandits. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy kept high in the trees, weaving and rummaging through the branches, while the rest slowly stalked below with peeled eyes. Progress was slow, if steady, hindered by the scrambling of branches above and the monotonous terrain below.

Though the crowd of trees were encompassing and endless, they did barely have enough space between trunks for the group to move together. The ground was often slightly uneven, warped by the powerful roots of the trees, like frozen masses of writhing worms under the earth. The forest floor was made of layers of wet autumn built over an untraceable amount of years, still fresh and colorful on top, with the newest arrivals frequently fluttering down through the air. The drizzle of leaves didn't seem to stop the branches from being full and obscuring, but there was enough breakage in the cover to allow sunlight to rain in like dewdrops.

As they pushed a little deeper, the wildness of the forest began to assert itself. Moss and lichen made ever more present homes on trunks and stones, rocky hills rose up bearing roots dangling off the edges, and some of the trees swelled so thick that a grown dragon's wings couldn't wrap around them. Other giants had their mighty roots, like gnarled tree trunks themselves, bursting up so high out of the ground it was possible to stand between them fully hidden. And not far off, the sound of the stream grew more carnivorous.

Besides the running of water there was always a presence of life in their ears. And it was always close. But whenever they looked they found nothing but an absence; jostled limbs didn't carry running rodents, singing hollows had no feathered friends, and the drip and slither of the wet and slimy never had a sign of lizard, toad, or frog. It was like they were the only breathing creatures in the sea of plants. Fluttershy grew more worried and pressed her friends to keep a greater watch for wildlife, hoping to find one she could beseech for answers. Twilight quickly began to reinforce her requests, seeing it as their best chance for information as the hope of more physical evidence evaporated.

They at last had a first visual encounter when Applejack's hawkish eyes picked out a squirrel that was clinging tightly to a tree trunk, gripping an acorn in his teeth, and holding deathly still with the prayer that his gray fur would hide him on the gray bark. It was such an exciting find after so long a dearth that the farm pony hollered a bit too loudly and Fluttershy moved in a bit too eagerly. They frightened the small critter immediately and he bounced off his perch onto a nearby branch before fleeing recklessly away, nearly missing several more leaps from tree limb to tree limb. The pegasus raced after him, shouting apologetically and begging for the chance to talk, but it was no use. The squirrel vanished into the leafy mist.

Some time later, they chanced upon a woodpecker who was pecking away so softly and delicately that they doubted they would have heard him even if he had been trying to bore into Pinkie Pie's skull. Taking lessons from their last bungled encounter, Fluttershy's attention was quietly called for and she floated in as noiselessly as possible. With words so hushed they wouldn't have rustled a hanging thread, she asked for the opportunity to maybe question the bird about a few little things please, if it wasn't too much. Though the woodpecker stopped his excavation, he didn't respond to her and only watched. Louder she grew, decibel by decibel, and closer she moved, inch by inch, and sweeter her words, praising and pleading, as she tried to find the right combination to unlock conversation. But in a sudden swoop, the woodpecker dropped off the tree, spread its wings, and glided nimbly away, out of sight.

Lastly, Spike managed to find a porcupine balled up and nestled in some low shrubs. He mimed his discovery to the others and this time the entire troupe backed away, creating distance, except for Fluttershy. She landed and humbled herself close to the ground, repeating her cautious approach. Whether it was because he happened to be a more bold example of his kind or because he felt more secure with his natural, spiny defense, this animal did not retreat. For several minutes the others stood far to the side, hardly able to hear Fluttershy's encouraging whispers, until at last they saw the porcupine's head peek out of his spiked ball. There were squeaks and murmurs back and forth for some brief period before the critter unfurled fully and waddled away.

When Fluttershy turned back they all stormed in on her, desperate to find out what she had gleamed from her short conversation. But the pegasus was grim and unsettled. Her nose was pointed down and she wouldn't look any of them in eye.

"Were you able to learn anything?" Twilight asked with sincere concern.

"Oh, well, he was a little hard to understand. The dialect out here is... different... and... I couldn't make out everything he was saying." Her voice trickled out, sad and weary. "I don't think he really wanted to talk either..."

Rarity excused, "I understand we're making an intrusion and all but my goodness were you polite about it. There was really no need for him to be rude."

"Oh, no, no," Fluttershy raised her head just to shake it. She turned downwards again. "I think he was just afraid is all."

"Of you?" Rarity asked as she gave the pegasus a funny look.

"Fluttershy...," Twilight encouraged.

"Oh, uh..." She had to collect herself briefly before she relayed, "I asked him if he had seen anything strange but I couldn't understand what he said. So I asked him about ponies instead and I think he said that some of them are okay but he doesn't like the others anymore."

"Others?" repeated Rainbow Dash.

"The bandits?" guessed Applejack.

"Or maybe still some of the townsponies," Spike conjectured.

Fluttershy rubbed one of her legs, agitated. "Mmm... I don't think he distinguishes between ponies much at all... I tried to tell him we were here to help but he doubted we would. And, he said... to be careful." She moaned deeply.

They debated for a short while about the meaning of the porcupine's harshly translated words, without result. Eventually Twilight pressed them all on, seeking another animal to question or clue to find.

About six hours in to their venture, they had little to show for it: one interrogated animal (to small effect,) several that had escaped from them, not one shred of thiefly evidence, and less weighty bags of food. Moods grew sour with their lack of success and suggestions of grabbing onto the stream and following it back were floated. None of them were surrendering to complete futility but the alternative trap idea had grown greatly in appeal. Twilight, seeing that the group had at least not run into any danger so far, compromised with them for an hour more of searching.

But not long after, Pinkie Pie's nose began to wrinkle and flinch like it was trying to escape her face. Her legs wobbled sharply as she walked, kicking up soiled leaves into the air.

Several of the leaves brushed across Rarity's face and mane, as she was walking alongside her jittering friend. "Ugh! Pinkie, stop that, please!" she complained, wiping herself.

"It's not me!" the spasming pony protested gaily.

"Wh-! Of course it's you! Stop it!"

"Nuh-uh! It's my Pinkie Sense!" she insisted with a laugh.

The whole group ceased their marching except for James, who plodded along a few extra steps before he realized they were actually taking her seriously.

"What's it saying, Pinkie?" Twilight asked direly.

"Oh, it's just warning us about that guy." She pointed her still shaking hoof off into the trees.

They gasped when they noticed a mountainous stallion had appeared between two trees. Every part of his olive body was huge and thick; neck, to legs, to chest, to tail. He easily stood above any of the ponies and matched James for height. Only imagination was needed to understand that his trot was thunder and his gallop was an earthquake. His broad flank reinforced his aura of power, displaying a heavy trunk cracking in half. Earthy blond, his short mane was pulled back into three loops that looked like growing buds, lined along the back of his neck. He had a strange peculiarity about his rusted red eyes, though. The right eye had an unusual marking: some kind of black pigment completely encircled it. It smeared on the inside corner, dragging up and coming to a dull point at the center of his forehead.

"Well hustle my hogs," Applejack whispered in awe. "He'd even give Big Mac a run for his money in the sizing department."

"Maybe he's friendly...?" Rarity vainly hoped.

Unsure, but hoping to avoid any confusion or confrontation, Twilight put on her friendliest face and biggest smile. "Uh... hello!" she greeted with a wave.

The hulking pony snorted, narrowed his eyes, and gave a dark frown.

Pinkie Pie's nose set off again, this time with the rest of her body as well, and far more violent than before. Any pony who didn't know her so well would have surely mistaken her exploding movements for a seizure. "O-o-ooo h-h-hey! Ev-ev-even m-m-more m-m-mayb-b-be fr-fr-friend-d-dlies-ies-ies!" she spat through her chattering teeth.

The massive stallion whistled and stamped, the crash of his hoof echoing loudly through the forest. In an instant, a small crowd of earthy colored ponies rushed out from behind trees and sprung down from many branches. They yelled loudly as they came, charging into Twilight and her friends. Some of the ambushers threw themselves onto their targets, others cast nets made of vines and weighted with stones.

Chaos erupted.

Several of the attackers latched onto Applejack, though to their misfortune they found that she was quite disagreeable to their plan. Ponies were flung here and there as she bucked and thrashed about, howling nasty farm names at them. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike were immediately entwined and screamed or shouted for help. Twilight would have been caught as well but escaped ensnarement with a flash of her horn and a puff of smoke. Rainbow Dash was too agile to be caught, darting between her pursuers and rising up into the branches. She was thoroughly startled when she saw several of them make incredible leaps up into the trees after her. Pinkie Pie was seemingly protected by no more than the capricious hoof of fate as both net and pony missed her again and again while she pranced about carefree.

James' extra steps had fortunately put him outside of harm's immediate way. He recognized an ambush when he saw it and the sudden threat was enough for training and instinct to ignite. He seized an old, fallen limb from the ground and rushed the large stallion. With a snap of a swing, he brought it up across the underside of his target's chin. The rotted wood of his club shattered to splinters against the stone body of his opponent.

There was barely a flinch from the brute as he absorbed the blow. He turned towards James with an pleased, almost sadistic smile and suddenly rushed the man, ramming his head into James' chest.

James groaned but held his ground and pushed the pony's head under his arm, trying to get some kind of leverage over his attacker. But the weights and counterweights were all off. Give him a man and James could throw him a dozen different ways. But something of this size, and weight, and shape? It wouldn't have been so different to wrestle an elephant.

His assailant took advantage of the momentary confusion and lifted him off the ground by doing no more than craning his thick, pony neck up. The stallion then shot forwards and smashed the man hard against the nearest tree trunk before casting him to the ground.

Wheezing, with the pain now flowing from both his chest and back, James tried to get up but was swiftly pinned by a mammoth hoof. His captor gave a deep, victorious, but also almost disappointed, single laugh.

The situation deteriorated quickly. No matter how many times Applejack could eject the ponies seizing her, they always came back for more, tiring her down. Rainbow Dash could scarcely believe how accurately they could launch themselves through the branches at her and was feeling desperately squeezed for room to maneuver. Pinkie Pie... well... luck isn't eternal.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!"

With strained and sweating effort, a dazzling light shot out of Twilight's horn. The glow wrapped itself around their attackers, freezing them all in place.

"Now, please stop!" she pleaded urgently. "Just what is going- OOF!"

From out of the trees, a small filly fell and crashed onto the unicorn's back. Deep, muddy brown fur, a pale purple tail, a mane done up in two bundles on the top of her head like floppy rabbit ears, and young, amber eyes, she carried something odd in her mouth. Stamping her forehooves on the top of Twilight's head, she threw over the unicorn's horn a spiraling metal cone with a green gemstone affixed to the tip. With but a twist, a mechanism on the base of the device snapped and tightened, locking it into place and pinching Twilight, who yelped. At the same time, the green gem lit up, glittering with an emerald light, and the unicorn's spell was canceled.

"Gotcha, witch!" the filly shouted as she hopped off Twilight's back.

The sudden pause in the action, and its unexpected restarting, was enough to throw the rest of the defenders off. Several ponies seized Twilight, the confused Rainbow Dash was suddenly tackled out of the air, and a pony pile formed on top of Applejack.

A delighted Pinkie Pie, at last brought down by one lucky son of a dam, laughed and begged for everypony to do it again.

Comments

[JBL]

Goddammit Pinkie

[Shadowblade019]

Of course, this always happens in a HiE story.