Part 8: Confrontation in the Woods
‘Why,’ was the question Sunset kept asking herself. Her mind worked overtime to answer the question—or rather ‘questions’ as she noted.
Why were the Elements of Harmony were in the Everfree Forest? Surely her mother wouldn’t be so careless as to just leave the most sacred of holy weapons unguarded in the middle of nowhere. ‘I know she isn’t stupid enough to think nopony would look there. A contingent of soldiers could easily make it to the ruins with no…okay, some problems.’
Okay, she answered her first question. The Everfree Forest one of the top ten deadliest places in the entire world. Pretty much everything that dwelled inside was capable of killing, maiming, or just making your life a living Tartarus. ‘So it’s a good place to keep something secret after all…I just wish she picked a much…nicer location.’
She also asked herself how she wound up in this living death-trap with these losers. None of them were ponies she’d want to hang out with, especially in a trip like this.
Lightning Dust was currently flapping her wings, keeping herself a small ways from the ground. Sunset was always curious as to why pegasi preferred to fly instead of walk to most places. Lightning’s aura was bright and exuded confidence. She was a fast flier and could possibly pack a mean punch, and Sunset knew she was just itching for another chance to face Nightmare Moon. ‘And it’ll go about as well as last time…if she’s lucky.’
Nurse Redheart was fixing the straps for her saddle bags. The nurse had a pleasant, kind aura that brought comfort and warmth. Of all the ponies present, Sunset was kind of glad she came. A medic would come in hoofy in this deadly forest. She wasn’t somepony Sunset would want to hang out with, but at least she was tolerable.
The others were pretty much just lollygagging. Quickfix and Fiddlesticks were both chatting about…something. She didn’t want to listen in on the battle of the accents, nor did she want to focus on their so…upbeat auras.
Pizzelle was sticking close to Coco. The young fashionista was shaking in her hooves so bad that Sunset would swear that she was trying to free herself from her skin. While Pizzelle’s aura was as upbeat as the other two, it was tinged by concern and sadness…She didn’t know where the sadness was coming from, but it was most likely born from her concern for Coco. Whereas Coco’s aura was just so pathetic and scared that Sunset didn’t want to focus on it for too long. ‘Why is she even here?’
Looking around at the horrid forest, Sunset was quickly reminded why she spent her time thinking about the ponies around her. The aura of the Everfree Forest wasn’t something one should focus on, as it was known to drive ponies insane or paralyze them with fear, sometimes both. The forest felt like it was keeping Sunset boxed in and trying to choke the very breath from her lungs. The humid air made her feel uncomfortable as sweat clotted her fur.
Sunset couldn’t help but watch the shadows of the forest. She knew that each and every one of them was hiding some horror waiting to make her its late night snack. Only the light of the moon seemed to keep them at bay. ‘For now.’
Now, Sunset wasn’t an easily scared pony; far from it. She had seen more horror films and read more slasher books than most ponies alive. None of it bothered her…until now.
‘Oh my mother, this was a bad idea. This was a bad idea.’ Sunset’s breathing was hectic as she fervently watched everything around her. Her ears swiveled this way and that, twitching with every sound. Of course, she wasn’t scared. She was just being precautious.
‘An ounce of precaution is better than a pound of cure,’ an old saying preached, one Sunset would follow to the letter. And if things do go south, I have several body shields/distractions with me.’
That thought gave her a confidence boost…which lasted all of five seconds thanks to a blood curdling roar. The very sound pierced their souls, and caused everyone to flinch, including Spike, who took the time to look away from the map.
“What was that?” Sunset lit up her horn on the off chance that the creature was nearby.
“A dingonek,” Nurse Redheart said. “And by the sound of it, he’s laying claim to a kill.”
At the name of the creature, Sunset tensed up. “A dingonek? In these woods?” When Nurse Redheart nodded, Sunset couldn’t help but press herself against Spike. ‘For his protection of course.’
“A dingowhat?” Quickfix spoke up.
“A dingonek,” Redheart explained. “It’s one of the many large carnivores that inhabit the Everfree. It spends most of its time around rivers and large bodies of water. As long as we don’t linger about bodies of water, we’ll be fine.”
“Pfft,” Lightning Dust scoffed. “Sounds lame. I mean, dingonek? That’s got to be the stupidest name for a monster. Who’s going to take it seriously when they’re too busy laughing their cutie marks off?”
‘Seriously?’ Sunset thought. ‘She doesn’t know one of the more deadly local animals? Hay, I’m…nervous about the possibility of meeting the creature.’
“Lightning Dust.” Redheart quirked an eyebrow. “Didn’t I go over this during our studies?”
“I thought I made it clear that I wasn’t paying attention,” Lightning said.
Redheart put a hoof to her forehead and sighed. “Okay, let me put it this way:did you know a manticore used to prowl these woods?”
Pizzelle shuddered. “Don’t remind me. That thing would spook the living daylights out of me on my evening jogs years back. That’s why I moved it to the early morning.”
“What’s a manticore got to do with this ding…whatever?” Lightning asked.
“It has everything to do with the dingonek,” Nurse Redheart explained. “It ate the manticore.”
A deathly silence fell upon the group. Sunset herself couldn’t believe it. Manticores were vicious predators that could hold their own against even the strongest of ponies. ‘Well, normal ponies that is.’ Listing all the types of lethal pony organizations would take too long and didn’t matter. If a dingonek could kill and eat a manticore, it would have no difficulty killing a pony.
“Me and my colleague Mane Goodall were gathering data on the Everfree Forest and how the local winter affects the foliage,” Nurse Redheart gazed inquisitively at the local flora as they walked. “When we heard the unmistakable sounds of a predatory clash. We went to investigate.”
“You went to investigate?” Sunset asked in disbelief. “Isn’t that…completely stupid?”
Redheart rolled her eyes. “I assure you that I am a professional. I wouldn’t wander blindly into danger.”
“Whatever floats your boat,” Sunset snorted.
“Up north, we send our youths out to rammy,” Quickfix stopped herself, obviously realizing she was using a foreign term. “er I mean, fight manticores 'n' sic a' th' time. Builds character.” The other characters just stared at her for a moment, as she tapped her hoof in thought.
‘It’s official. Northerners are psychopaths.’
“Ne'er heard o' a dingonek afore,” Quickfix admitted.
“That’s because dingoneks prefer tropical environments,” Nurse Redheart elaborated.
“Whoo-wee,” Fiddlesticks spoke up. “Up north sounds tougher then pickin’ alligator teeth in a storm.”
“Ye dinnae know the half o’ it,” Quickfix chuckled.
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Okay girls, back on track here. We’re dealing with the return of a mad god bent on world destruction. Traveling down memory lane isn’t going to do us any good.”
“Especially not dear Coco.” Pizzelle was at the young mare’s side. One of her wings was draped over Coco’s body, which held her close to Pizzelle. She nuzzled the top of the frightened mare’s head. “Don’t be afraid. It’s not going to hurt you.”
“But it killed a manticore,” Coco Pommel pointed out. “A poor, innocent manticore.”
Sunset couldn’t help but belt out a hearty laugh. “A poor, innocent manticore? Lady, you need to get out more.”
Everyone else in the party sent her seething glares. Spike nudged her shoulder. “Sunset, could you at least attempt to be civil?”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “She called a manticore, one of the fiercest members of the family Felidae, poor and innocent. I’m not going to let that by without mocking it.”
Coco sniffed. “My family owns a pet manticore,” she said wistfully. “He’s called Manny. He’s just the sweetest thing you could meet. Thinking about the dead manticore just makes me think of him and…”
Pizzelle put her head on top of younger mare’s own. “Shhh, it’s okay.”
“We’re all going to die here,” Coco said through her shivers and sobs. Tears started to cascade down her face. “I’m never going to see my mom, Rarity, or even Manny again.”
Sunset cringed. ‘Wow. I made her cry…I’m a douchebag.’ Normally Sunset Shimmer wouldn’t call herself something like that. This wasn’t the first time she’d made fun of someone. Yet, she hadn’t reduced someone to tears. Granted, it was inadvertent and due to extraordinary circumstances, but the point still remained.
"Nopony's dying on my watch," Lightning spoke up. "Don't worry, Coco. We'll protect you."
“Ya darn tootin we’ll protect ya.” Fiddlesticks nodded.
“And we’re going to see our families again.” Redheart had backtracked to Coco’s side. “I can assure you of that.”
Coco sniffed once more, rubbing out the tears that had started to fall. “Really?”
Redheart nodded, giving her a heartwarming smile. “Really,” she added with a nuzzle.
“Let us not forget the gallant dragon within our midst.” Spike turned to look at the others. With a simple smile, he sent the mare’s quivering. Well, all except Pizzelle, who was chuckling at the younger mares.
Sunset facehooved. “Spike, down boy.”
Spike chuckled and continued leading the group. “I wasn’t doing anything.”
“Sure you weren’t,” Sunset snorted, humorously.
Another round of silence befell the group…of course, Pizzelle was the first to break it. “Does anypony know how we’re going to activate the Elements?”
“Pfft, easy.” Lightning smirked, flying a little ways off the ground. She put a hoof to her chest and boasted, “The moment the elements get a load of me, they’ll work in no time flat. I mean, how could they not want to work for somepony so awesome?”
“That’s not how magic works,” Sunset couldn’t help but say it mockingly. ‘Idiot.’
“Pfft, says you,” Lightning Dust scoffed.
“Hey,” Sunset rounded on her. “That’s my line.”
“Pfft.” Lightning sent her a challenging gaze. “Says you.”
Sunset growled and lit up her horn. Pawing the ground, she readied herself to charge at the Pegasus. ‘Okay, fundamentally this is stupid, but I’m a unicorn, not an Earth pony. I have magic.’
Before the tension could spill over, Spike stepped in between them. “Quit it. Fighting amongst ourselves over something so trivial isn’t going to help anypony.”
“He’s right.” Redheart nodded in agreement. “Nightmare Moon is our main priority. The more time we squabble, the more time she has to prepare for her war and the more ponies die.”
Both Sunset and Lightning looked away. Sunset really only cared about her own family, but she didn’t want others to die. She wasn’t heartless after all.
“Geez,” both mares said simultaneously. “When you put it like that…”
“Ya’ll sound like a couple of jerks?” Fiddlesticks offered. The two headstrong mares reluctantly agree.
The other ponies broke into chuckle fits, causing Sunset and Lightning to blush in embarrassment.
‘If we weren’t in mortal danger,’ Sunset thought, gritting her teeth. ‘I’d set their manes on fire and throw them against a tree. I’m sure a few broken bones and third degree burns would teach them not to…’
She stopped her ill thoughts when Spike flicked her horn. “OW!” Sunset rubbed her magical appendage. It should be noted that unicorn horns were rather sensitive. It was why it is incredibly rude, except out of intimate lovers, to touch a unicorn’s horn. Spike had no such qualm, much to her annoyance. “What was that for?”
“You were thinking about something violent.” Spike sent her a disapproving gaze. “And/or fire.”
“….Maybe,” Sunset let out an annoyed sigh. Her brother knew her well. ‘Too well.’ “I’m just stressed is all. I mean, we’re going to face Nightmare Moon, lord of darkness and all things evil. That isn’t something you want to come across, let alone fight.”
Spike put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry so much. We’ve faced hardships and pulled through them before. Hay, that’s Equestria for you. The world keeps throwing threat after threat at us, yet we still march on, slicing and lucking our way to a new tomorrow. This little adventure of ours is no different.”
“But the deadliest thing we’ve ever faced was that pompous cat a few years back.”
Spike shivered. “I still have nightmares….But that’s not important. What’s important is that we’re going to make it of this alive and well.”
“But..”
Spike silenced her by putting a finger to her lips. “Sunset, whatever happens, I’ll protect you.”
Sunset could see the sincerity and determination in his eyes and couldn’t help but smile. ‘You’re awesome, little bro.’
“But can you protect yourself?” A sinister male voice interrupted them.
Spike and Sunset barely had enough time to turn their heads, before dark beam of magic smacked into Spike’s side. The dragon was sent flying into a nearby tree, a few yards away from the group.
The sinister voice chuckled and stepped into the light. Sunset glared at the stallion, who was none other than Apostle. “The answer is no.”
“You’ll pay for that!” Sunset lit up her horn, reading a spell.
“I don’t think I will.” Apostle smirked.
Sunset tilted her horn to point directly at him. “You asked for it.” She Released a blast that should have sent him spiraling through the air, and was horrifyingly surprised to see him use his own magic to deflect it. “Wha…what?” ‘But he shouldn’t have been able to do that.’
“You have great power, Princess,” Apostle said shaking his head. “But you lack finesse and the will to kill. If you had really wanted to, you could have shattered me into a million pieces.”
“I’m considering it,” Sunset said through her clenched jaw.
Apostle laughed. “I’m sure of it.” His mirth ended the moment he blocked another spell. Sunset and he looked over at Quickfix who had a look that could kill. Apostle scowled. “Stay out of this northerner, if you know what’s good for you.”
“Ah know whit's good fur me,” Quickfix answered, pawing the ground in anger. “Kicking yer tail a' the way back ta Tartarus.”
Apostle rolled his eyes. “Sadly you won’t have that chance. ACOLYTES!”
Out from the shadows emerged several cloaked ponies. The newcomers converged on Spike, who was still composing himself from the previous attack.
“Spike!” Sunset called out to him.
“Ah got ‘em.” Fiddlesticks was the first to run to his aide, but was stopped dead in her tracks when a translucent purple wall appeared to corral the group and separate them from Spike. The country mare ran right into the wall with a comical ‘smack’. Dizzily, she stumbled back to the group. “Did somepony git the number on the wall that hit me?”
Nurse Redheart quickly rushed over and steadied the country mare before she fell over. “Easy there.”
Before anything else could be done, the acolytes shot black smoky tendrils of magic around Spike, pinning him to the ground. The warlocks in training laughed in victory as they lorded over the scaly beast. One of them got too close however, and since they forgot to tie his mouth shot, Spike spewed forth a stream of fire.
The acolyte screamed in pain and flailed around, trying to put out the fire that tormented him. None of the other acolytes so much as moved a muscle to help their distressed compatriot.
Apostle sighed from outside the magic wall. “You can’t find good acolytes these days.” He quickly fired a spell that pierced the chest of the wailing cultist. Falling to the ground, the sound and smells of cooking flesh still permeated the air. Using another spell to tie Spike’s mouth shut, he turned his attentions back to the group. “Now you may take your leave.”
“Take our leave?” Sunset shouted. “Take our leave?! I will do no such thing!”
Apostle sighed once more. “Please, don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Leave if you value your lives.”
“You’re insane if you think we’d just abandon Equestria to its fate,” Redheart spoke up. “And let Spike fall into your horrid hooves.”
“Insane?” Apostle was obviously bristled by the comment. “Am I insane for embracing the true ruler of this pathetic world? Am I insane for following her to a better tomorrow, where ponies are the rightful rulers of this world? No, I am not. I want to live in a world where we no longer fear the dark. Where ponies can frolic in the moonlight and not worry about griffons, humans,” he spared a hateful glance over at Spike. “dragons and whatever beast that comes our way. I want an age of prosperity that will last forever. I will fight for this future and I shall do everything I must to ensure peace and prosperity is secured.”
“But how will we survive in the dark?” Redheart countered. “Everything will eventually die and freeze over. You’re dooming us to a slow death.”
Apostle sent her a deathly grin. “That is where you’re wrong. Our goddess shall keep us alive and well when this world is cleansed of those…lesser races.”
“That’s genocide!” Redheart said with indignation.
“That’s justice!” Apostle roared back. “I’m tired of watching our kind die left and right. Even if I have to kill and soil my soul with the blood of the innocent, I will do everything to save us. You may think me a monster, but future generations will vindicate me.”
“I think you may need to see a shrink,” Sunset joked. “Cause you’re obviously messed up in the head.”
Apostle snarled. “This is your last warning. If you value your souls, leave now.”
“Not before we get what we came for.” Sunset glanced over at her little brother. “And Spike too.”
Spike rolled his eyes and huffed in agitation, continuing to struggle in his magical bonds. The acolytes were straining themselves to keep him secured, sweating profusely and shaking. Dragons were naturally resistant to magic so it was taking a lot of effort to keep him bound with it.
“Then you leave me with no choice,” Apostle’s horn lit up and the walls instantly grew as black as night.
Sunset tried casting a spell to break them apart, but it did absolutely nothing. ‘Horseapples, I don’t know how to deal with black magic.’ She mentally berated herself for skipping over such books.
Before she could think of something to get them out, black fire raced from the wall and cut the group up. The ponies skittered away from the flames. The magical fire held no heat, but they knew it would sear them on contact. The flames then shot high up into the air, surpassing the very trees themselves.
The world became dark as the light of the stars and moon were blotted out. Sunset could feel something happening, but she couldn’t say or do anything to stop it. She was paralyzed by fear. Her mind grew fuzzy and everything became blank.
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Wait, are humans in Equestria too, or is Apostle talking about... the Imperium?
4268164 Given how I'm taking some elements from g1, there are humans in the world. {I plan on elaborating on that in a future story, but that's not the focus here.}
4203690
I don´t mind Dr Who as long as Loyal2Luna is the author.
Shouldn't that say Lightning since that's who she's talking to?
4268169 It is a good story.
4268169
Are they futuristic?
This made me giggle.
I like Sunsets internal thinking and the fact that she draws closer to Spike if she’s a little scared.
I think you mean “Lightening” here.
Missed a line break.
This also made me giggle
Also! Pose as a team, ‘cause shit just got real!
4268284
I can't believe I missed that.
4269525
Fixed.
This made my inner evil Smile today.
4270717
It's all good. I've done that many times across many stories.
I don't get it... why doesn't this have MOAR likes and favorites?
4289253 I have no idea. My stories usually get overlooked and unappreciated. Heck, the only reason I have this many as is, is because I had to go around asking people to look at it...
Still, it's kind of you to think it deserves more.
Thank you.
[youtube=0-74XWPZWTk]
OMG!!!
I'm not the only who has used the word 'Hoofy'!
Hmmm maybe...Or... Maybe these 'Northerners' (whom I'm guessing are mostly Scottish ponies?) have very strong Kelpie ancestry in their blood. But of course, that's just my head-cannon.
Lol.
Damn right straight up your sunburned flank you are!
Shouldn't that be 'Lady of darkness'?
...Or are you saying that Nightmare Moon is a-.....
"She's just a Hot, Sweet, Transvestite from- *Auh*- South Transsexual - *Mmmph*- Transylvania!!!!"
I know I´m rooting for the Villians by saying this but ABOUT DAMN TIME SUNSET GOT IT!
Don´t get me wrong, I really am looking foreward how our Heros will spoil Nighmare Moons plan but Sunset Shimmer makes me want to strangle her more and more with every new paragraph.
?
Since when does this universe deal with humans!?
5158598
Thinks of an illusion? Or in game terms. You make a game, make fire damage, but instead of having property "fire" it has property "air", or something. It has only knockback, no damage, or something like that.