Short Side 1 - The Woods Are Lovely...
Applejack had watched until Crusader was out of sight, following her friends back to Twilight’s castle for a while. Rarity had gone to check her shop, coming back with the declaration that Sweetie Belle was not in the boutique, a quick search turned up the other two were not in town either.
Applejack was furious. It had been a few hours since Crusader departed and they had only now realized Apple Bloom and her friends were missing.
“Ah know where she is, oh yeah. Lemme tell ya I’m gonna ground her so hard her grand foals’ll be grounded!”
“I cannot believe Sweetie Belle would go along on such an outrageous adventure!” Rarity was on one of her fainting couches she seemed to pull out of nowhere. Spike was attentively handing her a drink.
The rest of the friends sat quietly, watching Applejack pace along the floor, “Ah know they’re safe with Crusader, but goshdarnit!”
Rainbow Dash landed beside her, giving the orange pony a hug, “Oh you bet they’re safe with him. Did you SEE those things? They were huge! Can you imagine what Tirek woulda done if he had popped up out of the ground?”
Twilight covered a giggle with a hoof, “He probably would have screamed like a foal and given up on the spot!”
Pinkie was actually sitting still for a moment with a big grin on her face, “I’ve never seen anything that big! He coulda fit all the ponies in Ponyville on him for a dance or something!”
Fluttershy laughed softly, “Oh I don’t think he’d appreciate that.”
“But I can ask can’t I? He likes us! I can ask, he won’t say no!”
Fluttershy shook her head at her pink friend, “Oh, he’d never say no. He’s very kind.”
Rainbow turned quickly to look at all of them, “Did you see how huge those four big things were? I bet if he fired them the whole country would be flattened!”
Applejack thought for a moment, “Can’t quite remember what he called em, Tartarus-bores or somethin’ like that.”
Twilight smiled at her cyan friend, “Rainbow you are far too excited about all that.”
“Are you KIDDING ME? That was the most awesome thing I’ve seen yet! He was huge!” She was gesturing into the air now, “He told us he was inside the hill, but he WAS the hill! And a big part of the surrounding acres! I mean there’s a huge pit where he sat! Sweet Celestia Twilight that was something!”
Twilight sighed, “Oh don’t tell me about that, marking it off to keep ponies away was a pain in the..”
“Twilight! Proper mares do not use that word.” Rarity was finally sitting up on her couch.
“Well I do! It was! It’s a huge hole in the ground and some dumb....pony... tries to see what’s in it!”
“We got him out of there darling, he was just curious.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed, “Right, he’ll probably tell his friends to go look now. Rainbow did you finish marking it off?”
“I did! Flew down inside too, it’s deep!”
“Rainbow, don’t fly in the hole.”
“But it was so cool! I mean thinking about how he just sat there!”
“Rainbow!”
“All right, yeesh!” Rainbow Dash got a smirk on her face as she whispered towards Fluttershy, “But he sure was...big...huh?” As she lifted her muzzle towards Applejack, her eyebrows going up and down.
Fluttershy got the joke immediately, covering her muzzle with her hooves as she giggled uncontrollably, her eyes wide. “Rainbow!”
Applejack heard the multi-hued mare snickering and flipped around, pointing a hoof, “I swear Rainbow, by Celestia’s good name I’ll bop ya one!”
Rainbow Dash broke into another round of snickering as she waved a hoof at her friend, “No you won’t, after getting on poor Crusader for doing that, you’d be breaking your own rules!”
Applejack’s eyes narrowed as she realized Rainbow was right, she’d been called on her bluff, “I’ll still get you back ya know that.”
“Oh please! You practically smiled the week away when he was a real pony! It was pretty obvious!”
“Ah did not! We were runnin’ around doing all sorts of stuff to save Equestria, ah didn’t have time to smile that much!”
Pinkie rolled her eyes, sitting on a cushion, “Oh stop, when he said he loved you at the party you were about to bust!”
A blush rose in Applejack’s cheeks, she skid her hoof along the floor for a moment, “Ah know, and yer right, I was so happy I about fell over.”
“See?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “So stop denying it!”
“Fine! Fine I smiled a lot more! Happy now? Can we get back to them Crusaders?”
Rainbow got a sly look on her face, trotting over to whisper in Applejack’s ear.
The orange Earth pony’s ears went straight up as her eyes got wide, pushing her friend away playfully, “That’s none of your business ya snoop!”
The cyan mare snickered again, “Come on! He’s not here, it’s just us! He can’t listen in!”
“That’s not right and it’s still none of your business!” Her face was a bright red now as she avoided looking at the other five mares.
Rarity leaned forward on her couch, “At least darling, tell us if he makes you happy?”
“Oh he does,” Applejack gets a slight faraway look as her green eyes go gentle, “More than anything he does.” She settled down on a cushion, still looking off to the side, “He’s treats me like I’m something special. Ain’t nopony ever done that.” She hesitates for a second, “I’m just a workin’ mare is all, but he always tells me I’m a Princess in his eyes.”
She looks at the ground and thinks for a second, “He’s changed though. He says something’s happening he doesn’t understand, but he’s changing.” She looked around at all her friends, “He made so many mistakes at first, but now, don’t you notice he’s just like a pony? He feels things, he understands things now. It’s almost like he was born here.”
Twilight nodded, rubbing her chin, “He has. Used to be stiff and formal, now it’s just like somepony that’s been around forever. It’s not just us teaching him things, magic permeates the land, maybe it’s working on him somehow? Discord changing him into a real pony probably accelerated the process whatever it is.”
“Well, no matter what, he’s as real as real can be to me.” Applejack smiled to herself, “Never had anypony love me as much as he does.”
Rarity added a brilliant smile to her statement, “Oh he does dear Applejack, we can see it plain as day.” Her smile dimmed just a bit, “Though I do hope he never gets truly angry after seeing him like that.”
Fluttershy spoke up in a soft voice, “I don’t think he will. He was used to doing all those bad things way in the past. But I remember him telling me he’s learned so much, to be something else. He doesn’t have to be angry anymore. He just wants to protect us and be with Applejack. I think it’s nice.”
She looked over to where Applejack sat, lost in her thoughts with a soft smile on her face.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, sotto voce to Fluttershy, “There’s that smile again..”
Twilight giggled a bit and nudged her friend, “Equestria to Applejack? You with us?”
The Earth pony started, then looked around, her eyes soft as she nodded, “Oh..oh yeah, sorry ‘bout that.”
Twilight hugged Applejack tight, “You really are gone aren’t you? I mean we’ve never seen you like this. Usually you’re the one telling us we’re getting out of hoof.”
“Ah know,” Her accent becoming noticeable as her speech got lower, “Ah jes’ can’t help it some times. Even Big Mac’s given up on tryin’ to convince me it may not be a good thing. He’s seen me moonin’ around the farm waitin’ for a visit or after I get a call from him and we jes’ talk.” Applejack laughed quietly, “He’s takin’ to shooin’ me off the farm to go see him when I forget to do things.”
Twilight kicked some cushions near their friend as they gathered close, settling down near her, “Just tell us one thing, what’s it like?”
Applejack eyed the Alicorn, “What’s what like?”
Twilight smiled, “What’s it like being in love?”
Applejack took her hat off, laying it aside as she pushed her blond shock of mane out of her eyes, “Y’all remember your first kiss right? How it was special?”
The other five nodded, leaning in to listen.
“It’s like that every moment I’m with him.”
Spike could hear the sigh resound through the castle as he lay in his bed reading comics, making him look around and shrug, “Mare stuff, yeesh.” He rolled his eyes and covered his ears with a pillow as he heard more of them through the evening.
-------------
The tanks stood silent sentinel in the darkened night, their barrels pointed towards the forest, their sensors tightly wound. Though of limited intelligence, they knew their duty, protect and shield. The co-axial weapons twitched when something ran through the field, tripping the sensor net or their own fields of pulsing coverage.
Their armor shone a burnished gleam as the moon rose high, basking in the silvery light as they kept their watch.
A figure stood at the forest line, small and lithe, giggling to itself as it waited for the witching hour. It was joined by more little outlines, dancing along the trees as they impatiently waited to go. The moon was high when they stepped out from the crushed greenery, making their way towards the durasteel sentries in front of them.
The tanks hummed, guns swiveling to lock on to targets, before the computer cores caught up and put them back into ready position. The sensor nets went back to ready status, continuing their watch on the forest line as a few shadowy forms danced between the huge metal sides. Filtering their way into the town, the figures split up, giggling softly to themselves as they approached windows in nearby quiet houses.
-------------
Spring Flower was trying to fall asleep, but she didn’t like the dark, so lit a candle to help her rest. She was only six and mommy told her there was nothing to be afraid of. But she had left the candle just in case, so the little unicorn had its warm glow to fall asleep with now.
As she snuggled under the covers, she heard a soft voice.
*Won’t you come and play with me?*
She lifted her head, looking around the room before spotting a figure at the window.
“It’s late, mommy said I can’t play outside after dark.”
*Don’t worry, she won’t mind!*
Spring looked at the figure, it was smiling at her. A soft giggle came from it’s mouth as it opened it’s eyes. They shone silver in the moonlight and she gasped, it was so pretty just looking into those glowing orbs. It looked as if they had a light behind them as they stared at her. She felt warm inside and wanted to go play.
“Are..are you sure?” Spring loved to be outside, and she wanted to make new friends.
*Of course! Come and play!*
Giving a look at the closed door she uncovered herself, lifting the window and climbing out quietly to join the dark figure. She realized it was a filly just like her! But she was a dark color all over. It was a bit strange, but then ponies came in all sorts her mommy said.
The silvery eyes grabbed her attention, riveting Spring Flower in place as the little dark foal stared at her intently, driving deep into the Unicorn’s mind. In a few seconds the shadowy figure had gained control of the little Unicorn, turning her around and leading her away. Spring Flowers’ head nodded as she followed the black foal, itself heading for the edge of town.
Other dark figures joined this one, bringing along five more young ponies who nodded sleepily as they trotted behind the giggling forms. The shadowy outlines kept up a quick pace as they trotted out of the town, slipping gently between the silent tanks as they headed for the forest’s edge.
As they crossed in front of the quiet metal sentinels once again, the sensors registered twelve ponies, juvenile, heading for the forest.
If they had zeroed in with optics, they’d have seen the one dark shadow turn around to look back at the gun bores, it’s reflective eyes taking in the hushed town, the impotent machines.
The giggling increased as it smiled back at the dark maws of the weapons, needle teeth gleaming in the moonlight before it flickered off into the woods.
Stats
Page generated in 0.026 seconds
Total duration
1,067 users online
294,735 hits today, 2,814,898 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
A collaboration with Arxsys, he came up with the idea, the eldritch abomination that he is. I ran with it. Thanks!
Keep up the great work.
Oh dear....it looks like Ponyville is going to be tested in Crusader's absence by the now much more active Everfree...
This bodes ill. This bodes very ill. The forest knows that the sentries will not attack pony-shaped targets, and it is abusing that necessary loophole.
Also, fantastic seeing multiple (short) chapters go up in one day!
The forest has been going after the foals first since the beginning, hasn't it? This bodes ill…
ITS! ITS TOO AWESOME!
I would have paid to see that happen, followed by Crusader blasting Tirek.
Well, that settles it. *Starts filling gas tanks* the forest is going to BURN!
Checklist:
Fire Rod
Fire Flower
Fireseal
Shishkebab
Devil's Kiss
Incinierate
Flame Shield
Blast Arrows and bow
Inferno & Fireburst
Firstly, SIDESTORY HELLS YEAH! I just happened to decide to check and I find multiple updates!
Secondly, OH SHIT THE FOREST IS POSSESSING PONIES AND THE TANKS CAN'T DO SHIT ABOUT IT!
This brings to mind an interesting tidbit of knowledge
"It is only when mosquito land on testicles, that you realize violence is not always the answer."
Though it is twisted a bit, it still applies here.
Congratulations Everfree. You've won.
Won the right to blasted off the face of Equestria, that is.
No one? Really?
There, rectified.
5660804 That is so true, and splendid.
Also, manned tanks are the only logical answer to this problem, assuming anyone figures out what happened.
Well there goes the ever free.
It's gonna be a parking lot
5668853
Yep, its like the everfree won a free car.
Except when I say car I mean an Imperium of Man style exterminatus.
Or udder obliteration via sustained hellbore barrage.
Maybe even a classic relocation with nuclear weapons into the stratosphere.
... Damn it Everfree.
You done fucked up.
I don't care if this thing is a historic landmark or whatever... you do not let a sentient malevolent forest like this live; you KILL IT WITH FIRE, then use MOAR FIRE, then bomb the fuck out of what's left with the most lethal defoliation agent you have--and if the Princesses with their all life is sacred crap disagree then they can stew on it!
8666557
Don’t forget the FUCKING NUKES
8666557
Yeet.
6766626
OK THEN THERE'S MY NIGHTMARE FUEL FOR THE MONTH!! AND NOW I CAN NEVER LISTEN TO THAT SONG RIGHT AGAIN!!!!
8666557
Or we could unleash the swarms.
Jealous, Dashie?
Ok, I think it's time to whip up some Agent Orange.
9564333
TOS-1A battery would work.
9521132
My man did you just post Bionicles in here? I commend you sir.
10634592
Your a Bionicle fan too?