Wisp

by Corsiva

Chapter 1

Ponyville; Twilight's Castle

"There it is." She states with irritation along with her extended cyan foreleg, "Again!"

"We can all see it, deary." Another sounds out with calmer tone, "Along with your tongue, Rainbow Dash."

"Hey at least I'm not acting like it's not a big deal. What is somepony's in trouble?" Rainbow Dash rises in her chair to all four hooves, "You just don't want to go because you might have to get a little dirty!" until finally taking to the air in hover.

"And you just want any reason at all to go dressing up as Daring Do." She quickly lifts her muzzle in contempt.

"But Rarity, what if somebody really is in trouble?" Another voice, soft as silk, immediately softens into nothingness as many pairs of eyes focus in on her abrupt intrusion, "..."

"Fluttershy, my dear, if that were true then the guardponies sent several weeks ago would have reported of such." Rarity, having lowered her muzzle only to butterscotch, "I for one simply see no need to put ourselves in danger over a..." giving a light press of hoof to underside muzzle, "..mistake. There, I said it."

"Rarity broke the table!" Over energetic pink almost screams in surprise.

"Pinkie!" Rarity, startled by the outburst, loses some of her calm demeanor, "I did not break the table!"

"Then how do you know it's a mistake? Hmmm!" Pinkie, having hopped out of her chair and over across the colorful replica of their homeland, "I mean Rainbow was just going on the other daaaaa..!" muffled only by cyan hooves slowly covered in blue hue.

"Hehehe... what she means to say is that maybe not all of us are giving it our all. Right Pinkie?" Rainbow struggles to shake Pinkie's head up and down against the ever tightening blue haze wrapped over her hooves, "Stop it already!"

"Not until you, Rainbow Dash, apologize!" Rarity slowly steps forth from her chair onto table, taking in her wake the pride of the buffalo, "I am certainly, without question, giving it my all!"

"Oh yeah? Then I say we all go ourselves to Hayseed Swamp and give it our all." Rainbow pushes forward against the drag below even as light pink begins to match darker mane, "Obviously something is going on and it's our job and find out what."

Rarity drudges forward until her lifted muzzle presses against cyan, "Exactly." Her agreements causing confused retorts both before and around, "And we can't be doing that for all the ponies that we can help if we're off in some dreary swamp lost and confused." along with muffled screams.

"Ya'll wanna know what ah think?" Stetson orange speaks across the table with a strong tone not used for asking, "Ah think ah'm gonna get my rope if you two don't start acting right," with a resounding hoof stomp, "and let the poor girl breath!"

---

"Are you sure nothing was found out of the ordinary Sergeant..um.."

"Sergeant Clover, your highness." Sergeant Clover gracefully slides down in respect. "Upon the sixth day of patrol we were still unable to locate or observe anything that would grant suspicion." Coming into rigid posture from his slow rise, "Furthermore, we were able to maintain to the nature of Hayseed Swamp as having not pacified in any case."

"Oh." With hesitation in words, clarity in expression, "Sounds rather uneventful, huh." is his warning cast aside.

"We...yes your highness." Clover, almost giving in to mild agitation, recovers not without slight observation. Letting the gaze once only in peripheral come into direct focus, he does his best to bolster to his profession before his compassion.

"Did I say something wrong, Mister Clover?" Her words, meant in genuine concern, riles only that much further. "Listen I'm... It's just that I'm... Gah, That's it Twilight just keep making a fool of yourself." Her ears flattening until the subtle coughing catches her attention once more, to which she nods forward. "Please, go on."

"It is just that we were taught it is unbecoming for the princess to address us outside of our rank." Clover attempts to clarify with a bolstered tone, "It is believed to be spoken of while in uniform, as if out of it, is to of somehow acted unbefitting of it."

"Wait. What? Oh no no no please that wasn't what I meant Mist...Sergeant Clover!" Princess Twilight fumbles along in apologetic tone, "It's just that I'm not used to all," giving her lavender hoof a long stride up and over, "..this. I meant no disrespect. And...and I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

Sergeant Clover, having remained silent both in and out with best of intentions, struggles to find victory through words until the light pressure of touch brings his attention to his left foreleg. Through the slow crane of neck does he take in purple and green, of talons and spikes adorned, and of sympathetic stare.

"You'll have to forgive her big guy." The small figure's words, without falter or guise, attempt understanding. His attempts notwithstanding, "She'll eventually pull the stick out of your butt." fails to stop the change of lavender to magenta.

"Spike!!" Through words and pink glow, "I'm so sorry Sergeant Clover. And you, mister, had better apologize right now."

"But you said it yourself last night!" Spike retorts with less than apologetic ruse.

"I did not!" She almost squeaks as magenta brightens ever more, "What I said was that I'm not very good at this yet and I hope I don't hurt somepony by not taking their station as seriously as they take mine."

"Yeah." Spike nods in agreement, "And then you said it wouldn't be so bad if they all didn't have a stick up their butt." With finally placing his closed talons over his hips, "You even went through the charades of pulling them out with your magic."

"Ooooh...it's coming back again." Princess Twilight affords further embarrassment with the resting of hooves over her eyes and muzzle as she sits back on her haunches. "This is even worse than Private Squiggly's introduction."

"Oh the one where you held your giggles too much and...mmmph!"

"Sergeant Clover." Princess Twilight, having mustered enough to regain both her posture and color, "Please accompany me to the chamber of harmony. My friends have been a bit unconvinced on the severity of Hayseed Swamp and I would like for you to help smooth out any questions that they have of the recent expedition." Having forced her eyes closed the entire request.

"Yes, your highness." Sergeant Clover confirms with strong tone, only to nearly bite his tongue as Princess Twilight swiftly turns her head into one of several high standing vanity just behind. "Are you alright, your highness?"

"Mmmmm... y-yep! ow. Perfectly fine!" Her journey given added context through subtle wetness in her one wide eye with each passing bewildered stare. "It's just that ever since we've discovered that we can find ponies in trouble through that table it's been almost non stop coming and going. And then of course this Hayseed Swamp keeps lighting up every now and then before fading again."

"Your subjects are ever grateful, Princess Twilight, let me assure you."

"I know." Of slight downtrodden expression and tone before giving her head another good shake, "It's just that apples still need picking, dresses need hemming, animals given care." Before turning her head to give the Sergeant an more direct stare, "Did you know we had sleet last week? Or that some ponies are celebrating their birthday early or late just so that they can still have the party?"

She turns her head forward once more as they approach two large doors. Having opted to not have guards up and down her hallways, she sets her horn aglow, the magical hue seeping into long center crevice between both doors. Of subtle rise and fall of her chest, she can only hope for little to no further unexpected happenings of what has already been an already hectic day.

"At least the worse is now out of the way..."

"Pinkie? Pinkie you need to breath!" One of many frantic voices ring out just down and behind the hallway double doors.

"Oh what...!" Princess Twilight exclaims in frustration as double doors flare forward. Robbed of words and emotional expression, she can do little more than give a blank stare to the theatrics displayed even as orange foreleg waves her forward.

"Don't worry none sugarcube, ah got these rascals under control." Stetson orange yells out with energized excitement. "Rarity and Rainbow got all up in each others muzzle and ah'm teaching them an good old fashioned lesson, Apple style!"

"Applejack, you release me this instant!" Rarity shrieks with her neck craned back as far as possible.

"No can do sugarcube. Not till you and Rainbow make good and proper." Applejack states with slight parental undertone.

"Oh, I'll make good and proper alright." Rainbow, with neck craned as far forward as possible, bites the air much to the ever louder fuss and shrieks pummeling her already flattened backwards. "Rarity here thinks we shouldn't go to Hayseed Swamp!"

"Aiieeee!!! Will somepony please save me!" Rarity cries out, the corner of her eyes having already caught glimpse. "Oh...if only some gentlecolt would only have the courage to-AH!" Before her attention returns once more before her, "You bite me!"

"Gosh darnit Rarity just follow yer own advice and apologize like a lady!" Applejack once more tries to encourage reason even as cyan and white muzzles begin their epic battle or nipping to and fro. "Or just follow Rainbow's lead and act like feral coons. How's Pinkie?"

Having gone unanswered, Applejack's vision slowly shifts from savagery to therapy. "Ah think she's alright there, Fluttershy."

"B-but she isn't moving!" Fluttershy responds with frantic worry in her voice, "Pinkie never stops moving!" With hooves heaving with as much strength as feathers, she continues to rub the light pink upright underside chest with watery eyes. "Pinkie, stop playing around!"

"Awww! Fluttershy loves me!" Pinkie's sudden yell brings jolts to many as pink forelegs reach up and over butterscotch and pink, pulling down and into mighty bear hug. Her words "Don't worry, Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie loves you too!" muffling bone popping cries for help.

Letting her expression adopt one of sympathetic pain, Applejack finally turns her attention to the open double doors. Taking notice of the utterly embarrassed Princess of Friendship, her finally bring into focus one of many newly stationed guardponies as orange foreleg begins to wave enthusiastically.

"Howdy partner!" Her foreleg still in rigorous motion, "Don't worry none, this here is normal!" letting common apple courtesy fully take over in welcoming smile as the guardpony hesitantly waves back.

"Then the legends are indeed true..." Sergeant Clover vocally notes under his breath, foreleg still in motion.

"I..." Princess Twilight, having been locked in possible shocked denial, begins to literally shake back to life.

"Your highness?"

"I've only been gone...a few minutes..." She continues with an ever so subtle twitch cascading across her left brow and less than subtle retreat of purple and green to behind befuddled Sergeant. "Girls this is not how we are supposed to conduct ourselves!"

"Well pardon the observation sugarcube but we're only in this here situation cause of that darn blinking light over on the Hayseed Swamp." Applejack, having hopped off the table and moved closer with each word, "Kinda hard to stay reasonable without the sound of reason."

"That's exactly what I was doing." Princess Twilight swingers her foreleg out and behind, "This is Sergeant Clover, head of the recent expedition into the Hayseed Swamp." Quick to take note of full attention, "He's here to answer all of our questions, okay?"

"Okay, okay. Rarity I'm sorry blah blah blah...untie me."

"Annnd?" Rarity offers an unladylike expression as she etches her muzzle forward.

"And for biting you?" Rainbow, in turn, merely raises her right brow.

"Then I accept your apology, as half felt as it was, and offer my own." She quickly comes back to her hooves as Applejack releases them from their too close for comfort bounds.

"You know you're supposed to actually say you're sorry." Rainbow is quick to quip even against the light swishing of purple bouncy tail leading away from her. Narrowing her eyes as she hovers backwards to her own chair, she cannot help but give a light snort when her eye catches the clump of fur to her left. "Hey what happened to Fluttershy?"

"Pinkie." Applejack casually replies from across the table while giving a stern eye to Pinkie, who upon release of her butterscotch friend begins to drown in one of many puddles across the table. "Pinkie!"

"Sorry!" Pinkie frantically apologizes as she continues to shift her kindest of friends around and about until finally settling for her clumping into a ball of lightly breathing fur. "Awww, isn't she just the cutest."

"Pinkie, deary, I do not think that our kind and gentle Fluttershy would appreciate you petting her while under the weather." An wide eyed Rarity nervously states over the now deathly quiet table. "Oh dear. I'm afraid we simply cannot proceed with her in such a state. We'll simply just have to wait until she..." with eyes narrowing to cyan hooves fidgeting distractedly. "Rainbow what are you doing now?"

With all eyes upon the now triumphant cyan muzzle, she merely presses her flattened together hooves to her lips and lets forth an ear flattening high pitched squeal.

"Bunny?" Do the words, soft and gentle, flow out of the now upright and rigid Fluttershy, who then begins to rub the top of her brow with the inside of her forelegs, "O-ow... W-what happened?" only to gasp in surprise to the down and out pink beside her chair, "Pinkie? Pinkie!"

"M-maybe it just isn't a good time, your highness?" Sergeant Clover nervously questions to his right. "I can come back..."

"Y'all better hand over that thing you got hiding behind yer back Rainbow."

"This...this isn't how we usually are, Sergeant Clover." Princess Twilight gently replies under face felt foreleg. "Tensions have been running rather high when the very thing you're supposed to do also has to be ignored." Only to let said foreleg drop, "Just.. give me a few minutes."

"No way! You got an whole farm of grass!"

"Then I will entrust my patience to your efforts, your highness." Sergeant Clover slides down in respect before rising back up and disappearing behind slowly closing double doors.

"We all just made complete fools out of ourselves in front of yet another royal guardpony." Princess Twilight declares.

"Hey it isn't our fault!" Rainbow declares right back, "I'm not gonna change who I am for nopony."

"I never said you needed to." Twilight replies, having lifted her crown and set it aside. "I love each and every one of you for the pony that you are and wouldn't trade any of you for the most rigid guardponies in all of Equestria."

"She's just embarrassed because she almost knocked herself out on the way in here." Spike, under renewed glare and several fold curious stare, continues to tempt fate. "Plus I think he will stay. He didn't even flinch when Twilight told him she'd take the stick out of his butt."

"Way ta go Twi!" Applejack interjects with wholesome cheer, "Show them stick in the mud's right and proper."

"Well that is rather forward for a lady but.." Only to give brief hesitation before lifting her foreleg forward, "Good for you."

"Um, if I may, who?" Fluttershy, having adopted confusion, genuinely inquires.

"Just the stallion that came in when you were unconscious." Rainbow answers with a smirk until her expression turns to guilt as Fluttershy mouths the statement into a question to herself. "Yeah, you know, during which Pinkie hugged you until sure you were okay?"

"O-oh! Okay." Only to let confusion turn into genuine appreciation, "Thank you, Pinkie."

"Apology accepted!" Pinkie gleams across the table, forcing silent confusion to take hold once more.

"Okay girls, so here's the deal, once again. Sergeant Clover personally lead the mission into Hayseed Swamp and has all of the details. He is here to answer any and all questions so that we might finally make a decision as a group on what direction to move forward with. Got it?" Twilight details laid bare, nods in return as doors once more move inwards. "Sergeant Clover. Would you please step forward?"

"Yes, your highness." For which he comes to an halt between Princess Twilight and Rarity.

"Please give your assessment." She asks as her crown is magically set back behind her horn.

"Yes, your highness."

"Ugh..."

"Three weeks ago the Royal Sisters elected to put together a expedition of fourteen guardponies for the sole purpose of investigation of the Hayseed Swamp. One week later, upon arrival to our designated point of interest we set up camp and began routine reconnaissance and established a parameter maintained for nine rotations. We observed nothing beyond already established expectations."

"That's it?" Rainbow, having adorned an expression of utter disinterest, asks with flat tone.

"That is all, Ma'am." Losing more than a few of once interested stares.

"You see?" Rarity chimes in through the awkward silence, "Now did we really need to waste our dear gentlecolt's time with telling once again what we were already informed of?" even upon renewed glare. "I, for one, say we've wasted far too much precious time on this already."

"Yeah, well, maybe they just didn't look hard enough?" Rainbow, earning several wide eyed stares, focuses only once more on the glare. "This is what we do Rarity. Look at all the time we've spent in the Everfree. You know, the most dangerous place in Equestria?"

"U-um..girls. P-lease..s-top.." Comes the soft and stuttering voice of grounded in chair butterflies, whose fret comes not of rainbows and diamonds but from rigid clover, "Y-you really n-need to calm down!"

"Ain't no getting through those two's thick noggins, Fluttershy." Applejack almost grumbles outs, "Not until they get past all the downright hurtful things they said over that darn fight they had the other week."

"Hey I didn't hear about any fight." Spike, having refrained from all the tension, pips up with curious interest. Giving a quick back and fro between cyan and pearl white, he finally turns to lavender, whose rigid glare follows back towards stetson orange. "Huh?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Spike." Princess Twilight's tone, soft and welcoming, is accompanied with smile before shifting once more towards that which still smolders. "Isn't that right, girls." Before letting her chest heave with silent answer. "I'm sorry Sergeant."

However, as if winter swelled up and came through the still ajar double doors, does the Sergeant remain ever silent. His posture, while still rigid, now comes with the ever subtle grit of hooves grinding marble. His eyes, once relaxed to half lidded, narrowed into rage inducing unfocused stare. Even of his muzzle, now just barely tensed to give the hint of pressured white, does such cold bite all near.

"Um, Sergeant Clover?" Princess Twilight once more kindly, if apprehensively, addresses in question. "Are you alright?"

"Permission, your highness." He addresses without turning his head, "To take my leave." Giving just enough grit for butterscotch to jump and hide behind ever straightening pink. "I believe it to be counter productive to continue any further, as hooves stand."

"Hey, if you got a problem buddy then feel free to speak up." Rainbow, still carrying edge from her previous adversary reinforces it against the considerable cold push coming her way, "Don't take it out on us just because it's so obvious that you don't want to be here."

"Of what you say is true." For which he, for the first time, refrains from respectful dialect. "This entire endeavor has indeed been both wasteful of precious time and effort better served elsewhere. Now, if so inclined, I once more request relief of duty so that I may plan."

Princess Twilight edges forth in earnest approach, hopeful of her intent. "I do apologize for high tensions and can rest assure that this is definitively not how we normally conduct ourselves. However if I am to be correct in understanding, of the small regiment returning from the Hayseed Swamps you plan to remained in Ponyville for several more days?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Then, if I may, shall I inquire on what you need to plan for, Sergeant? If only so that I may know where to reach you."

"Funerals."

Amidst gasps and singular affirmations does his stare borrow only into that of purple gaze, leaving little room for anything but hesitant confirmation of long delayed request. Yet through the giving of his own does he spare nary a passing glimpse to shocked expressions against his slow but steadily fading presence past closing double doors, leaving only the chill of honor tarnished in passing wake.

"Waste of time, they say." Sergeant Clover mumbles under his breath through the long hallway as slow trot skits along emotions hard felt, "Just didn't give it our all?" slowing only once barred in exit by yet another set of large double doors.

"Sergeant Clover, requesting exit." to which further silence of voice and hinge compels once more, "Requesting Exit."

"S-sorry sir!" Comes the faint yell across thick metal, "The last unicorn guardpony seems to have forgotten to undo their locking spell!"

"Then simply have the changeover unicorn break it for you." Sergeant Clover grumbles out with shrinking reserves.

"Y-yes sir! O-or we would if there wasn't a mix up and...wait, what did you say? I couldn't quite hear you!"

"Move." Of only several seconds before the winged Sergeant dashes backwards with just enough room to launch forward at full speed and tilt, all four hooves slamming into the right door with riveting effect both forward and of echoes far behind.

Saying but not a word, the Sergeant trots with hard clops out the still vibrating door without even a passing side glance, his vision held elsewhere as several armored ponies give onto him their own. Divided between, the other armored ponies proceed in the Sergeant's wake as they leave both jolted guards and oncoming troubles behind.

"You know you're going to be in deep water for this." Says the pegasus mare to his left.

"It's just a door." Sergeant Clover simply states through moderate trot. "And shouldn't you all be at the train station?"

"We were." Says the baritone worthy stallion unicorn to his right, "But we seemed to have lost our Sergeant somewhere along the way."

"The others left this morning." Of an earth pony mare leading up the rear, "We waited for you to show but..."

"I know what I heard." Sergeant Clover only seems to quicken in pace, "And had that pompous coward not pulled rank I'd of not been wasting my time here entertaining rather than looking to bring those lost back home." letting low grumble give harsh words further weight.

"And what would you have us do? Go running back to the swamp with not even a third of our original numbers?" As rear becomes movement barring front, "It's been three whole days since they disappeared through that mist. Even you have to accept what that means."

"Of which that stands before me, couldn't be made any more clear." His words, not meant of such hurt, reflect all that much more with the shifting to downcast stare. Reaching his foreleg forward, he does a light tab of hoof against the mare's metal clad chest.

"It was an honor to of had each of you in service under my wing, no matter how short lived. To have come forward for such an mission is nothing short of admirable, and for that, we were all promised leave on return to be with our families. I ask only to be afforded the same."

With silent understanding, the Sergeant moves forward and away, given of no notice to that of large shadow moving the other way.

---

Southeastern Hayseed Swamp

"I say we kill this one and be done with it." One bipedal figure growls out as it yanks hard of chain in hand, causing something to splash down into the muck riddling trek, "Worthless thing can't even walk straight without both wings." His leg pushing down against mild struggle.

"End it's life in forfeit of your own, dog!" Comes the growl riddled yell of an even larger bipedal, it's scales glistening to the ever constant downpour of overly saturating rain. "Hegon is the one who will cut it's thread if he so wills. Not you!"

With war of words comes drawn blades and the farther yank of air deny chain as one quadrupedal lunges with all her might towards that which slowly sinks into blackened mud. Denied rescue of comrade in arms, she nearly hisses with struggle before yet another of many rounded blows to the head. Falling as well, muzzle deep, into the muck does is she allowed a moment of weakness for their plight.

"Do not trifle with me much longer, overgrown lizard." The other bipedal shakes with threat and muscle, much to the raise in dark fur that covers it's top heavy body. "Xyran, not Hegan, will not only have their heads, but yours too for your treachery!"

As scales and fur begin to encircle each other, both blade and dragging chain in hand, they give no cause for concern to the air struggling pain and cries of those dragged along through the mud. Giving wide birth, do many of similar nature create an ever louder enclosure of yells and weapons raised in air.

With lunges and swings more wild and vicious than skillful, they are brought only to an halt by the entanglement of mud clad prisoners. Giving pain inducing pulls, the one on top gives no quarter as her grip only seems to tighten.

"Release." The scales clad figure commands with no remorse as the flat of it's blade comes down across it's tense back. "I said release!" For which, with each harder downward crash, does the even the groan begin to fade. "You worthless filthy...!" With anger masking the turning of it's wrist with high rise to the sky, the creature catches sight of movement atop an outcrop barely visible beyond the mist.

"Movement." His voice and blade forced to give relief to that which still cradles below. Giving sway of hand as to spread that which blocks his level view, he narrows his eyes in annoyance to the constant sniffing beside him. Yet through light rattle of chain and defensive arch of blade, does the bipedal canine speak clearer than words. "Is it him?"

"No mistake." The bipedal canine speaks through continued light shake, "But we avoided it's territory!" Only for his vision to slowly follow that which has caught the scales attention before him, or rather below. "The ponies! They must of trespassed!"

"No." Scales states in contemplative drag of tone, "It would of already killed us along with them if that was all." Forgoing link of chain for grip of collar, he gives enough jolting pressure to pull apart. "It wants them alive. Best hope yours can still deliver, dog."

Reaching down to grab hold much like his scaled partner, he adopts grim expression to the lifeless movement even after sharp lift. Letting the pony drop before his twisting grip of wet stump seemingly pulls the pony screaming back to life. "Worthless thing."

"Be ready. Remember it wants them alive. Go no further than need be to get our position across." Only for Scales to lower his voice into side whisper, "Just throw yours first after approach since it won't last much longer. Got it?" for which subtle nod returns. "Good. Here it comes."

With scales and canine giving no sway to approach, does yet another bipedal slowly emerge from behind the veil. Of taller and leaner build, does the creature fail to appear of natural cover save for atop of it's head. It's hairless skin, matched in face and upper limb, is highlighted only through the tattered mismatched clothing long since given in to swampy grime.

Be it of no visible weapons to speak of, it shows no hesitation in stride to just before that which also keeps it at bay. With long arm open in hand, left in casual display, does the creature stand in dead stare even as one of the ponies splatters onto the muck before it's bare feet.

"Take it and go!" Scales commands the creature, his blade tensioned against the grit of cold iron collar, to which grinds even tighter to the slow but steady outcropping of open palm up. "I said take it and go less you wish for me to...!" silenced instead to the closing of it.

The pony, having just a moment of confusion to the sudden impact behind and own falling, manages to land on hind legs before resting onto all fours. Giving nary a hesitation, the pony lunges forward just as tall and slender does the same, passing each other without incident.

"Please be alive, please be alive." The pony rapidly repeats under her breath as she places one ear up alongside the other one's side. "Ah!" to which smile erupts across her muzzle along with the messy slide of her head underneath his mid-section, "C'mon we gotta get out of here!"

Given gentle rise, the pony ridden begins it's haphazard trek across hoof sucking muck as it wiggles, jumps, and slides back and forth. Efforts notwithstanding, the pony can do little to prevent the eventual departure of grime encased fur against it's own, much to it's vain struggle. With but a moment to shake off it's most recent muzzle plunge into smelly gunk, the pony can only freeze under foreign gaze.

With large eyes directly aligned to that of small and narrow, the pony remains stilled as coherent thought is pushed aside for instinctual. Having bore witness to the lethality of it's actions on once brutal captors, the pony still cannot find leisure or comfort upon the stare that seems to be giving weight to it's very worth of life. Of giving in to it's nature, the pony slowly etches closer and over that which lays of shallow breath and muck, as if to give protective cover from judgement still considered.

As movement of lower limbs etching forward so does four become two, as if in mimic, to the rise of the pony upon it's hind legs. Although of slight stagger and sway, does the pony attempt to appear bigger even as tall and slender comes to just an foreleg lengths away. Now of such closeness, does the subtle refraction of green iris shine of greater clarity. Of chance given, does the pony give hard swallow.

"C-can you understand me, um..." The she struggles to find knowledgeable denomination of reference, "P-pointy ears?" Only for her eyes to quickly widen in reaction of the very same, "Sorry! I just don't know what to call you!"

The pony, having begun to wain under the constant struggle of gravity, hobbles backwards in wayward flip as it finds it's muzzle once more caked in the smelly blackness of swamp bile. Careful to roll off that which needs no more injury, the pony instinctively nips as alien hand gives hold and pull on shackled iron collar.

"Hey just what do you think you're...!" Given pause with the sudden relief of pressure, "..doing?" with wide eyes following that which moves to do the same of it's fellow kind. It steps forward to watch as nimble appendage slips in and pushes out that which no hoof could grasp.

Letting ears pivot and tilt forward, the pony seems to give onto nothing until the dawn of realization. "So you do understand me! I know because you got mad when I accidentally insulted your ears. W-well I didn't mean to insult them, they're actually very nice! H-hey wait!"

As if determined to ignore, tall and slender continues his rigid stride away from the once dim of frantic call. Getting of little means away from that which serves to ask yet for more, it focuses it's stare with the light lift of right limb to that which now pulls on already tattered clothing. With it's attention obtained, the pony looks up with humbled expression.

"M-my comrade is hurt, real bad. They took one of his wings so he couldn't escape and it's infected." The pony speaks with slight rattle in voice, "I fear he won't... make it through nightfall and I don't know where to go from here. I...need help."

With subtle shake, the creature's nostrils flare for several seconds before turning away yet again. It's attention, if forward, staggers along even against the noise that refuses to be turned away by deaf ear, or feigned ignorance.

"As members of the Royal Guard I can assure you that the Kingdom of Equestria would give proper gratitude for your help!" The pony begins to falter in it's pace already leading too far away, "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have made personal promise to it!" until the words spoken give rise to fear once more as grace turns to mud splattering stomp. "Oh crap."

Taking but a stilled moment, tall and lean gives only one deep shuttering breath before swift turnabout alerts it to misunderstood display. Through mutter under breath too low to understand, it passes that of frozen worry until buckling down to that of heavy injury. With long reach does the tiny appendages grab and roll for better view, low moans and groans given in return through the light grip of broken bone.

"H-hey, be careful, okay?" The other pony states with hushed urgency, forced instead to take a few trots back against the surprising lift of under wrapped limb to injured companion. Taking observations to the slight strain upon it's brow, the pony moves about until course of direction is shown through it's faster than expected lead.

"Hey wait up, will ya? I can't move that fast in the deep mud..." She mutters with each hoof sucking move forward, "Bunch of stupid smelly gunk I swear if I never step hoof in another swamp.." until much to her surprise comes the distinct clop of hard rock. "Huh?"

With her attention pulled forward to down, she begins to tap her front left hoof several times even as each clop serves to further only her bewilderment. Forced into confronting reality, her brow becomes rigid as she begins to hop in place before giving several full turns.

"Well if that don't beat all. Could have sworn..." with dawning surprise upon her rising eyes, "..that you couldn't get any weirder."

She can only tilt her head once more to the visual of black muck crackling into solid sediment in the wake of each step taken. Swearing under breath, she begins to move not of her own violation but to the seeming liquidation once more to a path needing less dawdled. Dragging herself back to hoof, she struggles until once more her hooves find solid ground with quickening pace less left to fall behind.

Comments

[High_Wind]

quickmeme.com/img/b8/b8e44188ca632c697bc840fc4188584164ac5bcdfee2044c87cb7275af5c3789.jpg

[Corsiva]

5489546

I'm very happy to see that kind of reaction, even if I am unsure how I would react to that specific expression. It did make me chuckle and I appreciate the show of interest.

[BronyGamer]

At first I thought it was a Pumpkin Scissors crossover and I was all "Yes!" but then I saw the tags and then I was all "Aw...but still seems interesting.." Not even on regret.