The rain poured down heavily outside the ‘command’ tent. It didn’t have walls, just the roofing set up and the rain was almost like a solid curtain of water as it flowed down from it.
Captain Jetstream slowly scraped his hood on the ground across the box that had been set up a table for us before he sighed, “As much as I dislike leaving the ship behind, I think Lord Page may have a point, Princess Midnight. This is not a defensible position.”
“I have some ideas if that thing comes back,” Tempest said, “But I think so too. We should find a better position… but can everypony really fit in the temple?”
I shifted my wings, “I don’t think that’s much of a problem,” I said and then smiled, “I brought an expert!” and motioned towards Dee with my wing.
She flicked her ears and took half a step back before she stepped forward, “I managed to investigate parts of the interior of the main structure without entering too deeply and it seems intact, so assuming we can clear it of any possible traps, it should have room for everypony, especially at the lowest level, if in rather cramped quarters.”
“And nothing says we need to be inside it normally. We can set up the tents on the plateaus of the temple,” I said, “only to retreat inside in case of an attack. We can also set up the same defenses as we have here around the base of the temple.”
Midnight looked uncertain, her wings shifting as she looked around the table, “...What do you think, Moon Dancer?”
Moon Dancer looked hesitant, “I… I think it’s dangerous to stay here.”
Midnight sighed and then looked to me, “What of the missing ponies?”
I felt my ears droop before I sighed, “Nine ponies are still unaccounted for,” I said, “I have been dipping into the dream realm every hour since we got back to camp with Moon Dancers help for a sleep spell. No sign of any of them, but that doesn't mean much. If they sleep in naps or slept during the part of tonight where I was awake I might have missed them.”
I really hoped so.
Swift was among the missing ponies.
“We could send out some scouting parties,” Moon Dancer suggested, “The odds to find somepony isn’t great in this kind of vegetation, but there is still a chance.”
Midnight nodded, “...And we could leave a couple of pegasi here if they get back here.”
Moon Dancer raised her hoof, “How would we get there? It’s fifteen kilometers of jungle between here and there.”
That was a good point.
I looked at Midnight, “Could you teleport us?”
She quickly shook her head, “No. Not with other ponies and with that kind of precision. I may have managed everypony before, but… there was no precision in it. I just scattered everypony and...” she said and drew a deep breath, “...hoped that nopony ended up inside something else.”
Oh.
Oh Celestia. That’s what she thought might have happened to the nine. She thinks she killed nine ponies.
Tempest moved up and put her hood on Midnight's shoulder.
Midnight glanced back at her and then shook her head, suddenly looking just incredibly tired, “It… wouldn’t be a good idea,” she finally finished.
Swift.
He might really be…
Oh Celestia, what will I tell Minuette?
I closed my eyes for a second. Later. I had to… later. But right now we needed to get over a hundred ponies to something approaching safety.
I opened my eyes again and scraped my hoof against the ground before I looked over at Dee. She shifted back slightly, “Yes?”
“How long would it take to get everypony out there through the jungle?”
Dee frowned slightly and looked down at her hooves before she looked to me again, “...Two days if we’re lucky.”
“Fifteen kilometers in two days? We made better time than that when we looked for water,” I argued.
“We both have wings,” Dee said and shook her head, “We could fly over the worst patches. We wouldn’t be able to do that.”
“We’ll have Earth Ponies to move the heaviest equipment and unicorns to clear the way through the thickest underbrush,” I said and shook my head.
“Which is the only reason it will go as quickly as two days,” Dee said and spread her wings, “You wanted me here for my expertise. If you’re not going to listen to it, why am I here?”
I flicked my ears back and glared at her for a split second before I sighed and shook my head, “...Sorry. You’re right,” I said and then turned to the rest, “It might be the best chance we have to keep everypony safe.”
Captain Jetstream nodded, “We should move as quickly as we can.”
“Yeah,” I said and then looked to Midnight, “Midnight, how quickly can w…” I started before I trailed off when I found her just looking down at her hooves.
“Midnight?” I asked again.
No reaction.
Tempest touched her side again, causing Midnight to look to her and then to me,
“..Sorry, you said something, Page?”
I nodded, “Midnight, I need you to organize everypony to get ready to move at first light. Lists and inventory of all essential equipment. Nothing we don’t need, but we don’t want to leave anything we need behind either,” I said, “You’re the only one that could do something like that at such short notice.”
Midnight looked at me for a long moment before she nodded, “We’ll get it done,” she said.
She didn’t sound very enthusiastic.
I turned to the second pegasus in the room, “Moonglow?”
Moonglow nodded, “I’ll organize the Legion for convoy escort and inventory the weapons,” she said quickly and saluted, “We’ll be ready, sir.”
A plan is formed!
I am hoping that the missing nine are simply being treated with hospitality by the local bat ponies and are being seen as honored guests/curiosities *Sips Tea* but I have little expectation that is the case....
Another idea that I hope is true is they found and ate this worlds equivalent to the coca plant (the source of cocain irl and used as an ancient war drug to great effect due to how well it acted as a stimulant making nearly tireless warriors)
I m reading once again New Beginnings and i just realised than in chapter 5 this sentence "She is not going to hit you with a sun." Was foreshadowing.
Took me a sec to parse that as "hoof". Had an image of the Captain wearing a rain jacket and dragging his head on the ground
O come on... A 'Off screen death'? Side characters deserv better We can tell Minuette that her Stud died off screen! That would be cruel... At least dedicate a chapter to him... Or will he return in a GLORIOUS moment when the Expedition is attacked?
O well... No cocoined sexy posing Blank Page... The Mares moral will not be increased this day
Overall sotuation would make realistingly say only 9 missing ponys is a lucky low number... Sucks to be them Hope 8 of them are not vital to the mission success when they retry the mission.
Also here is a fun edit for everyones entertainment until next update. Funny what you find on random on youtube
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Actually there is still a chance that Swift and the others are alive...if the Jungle Changeling Hive has them! In the Season Six finale, it was revealed that the reason no one could find Changeling Hive HQ before was because of Chrysalis's anti-magic stone throne.
That stone was powerful enough to stop DISCORD'S powers...if the Jungle Hive has a similar stone, Swift's and the other's magical "signal" would be jammed from any magic detecting abilities AND from Page's dream walking.
Sure it'll mean Swift and company are being cocooned and used as a food source but they won't be DEAD yet...I am personally banking EVERYTHING on this hope!
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Damn! Never crossed my mind! That pretty good. I wonder if they have a co-operation with the local ponys for food or simply keep em as as livestock. There are storys were Chrysalis plan was revealed that after Equestria was hers she would rule over them and use em like cows. Happy and save cows produce fine milk. Same for ponys and emotions. https://www.deviantart.com/vavacung/art/When-Villain-Win-Part-1-423942681
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Damn fine videoclip. Hits the situation perfectly.
I still think taking all on a 2 day trip on a predator filled jungle is a bad idea... I would agree that T-Rex is a huge problem ( pun intended) but against others it was fine.
Perhaps fly em via Pegasus to the location?! Clouds + cloudwalking spell = save travel !
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Oh she is not doing good right now
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There are no humans Exception Blank Page...
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I got the sickening feeling that at lost someone will die here…
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It's a untamed jungle with flesh eating predators, losing only 9 would be a good number...
2 days to transverse 15 km after hours to fly 15 km... is Moses the one in charge of this expedition?
If Twi pulled off a blind teleport, and only hoped that nopony materialized inside of a tree, then she's damn lucky that only 9 are missing.