It Takes Six

by Goldfur

The First Challenges

Penumbra’s head constantly swiveled as she scanned for danger, her keen night vision making up for the limited illumination from Zecora’s lantern. “This seems to be a remarkably good path into this wild forest,” the thestral commented.

The zebra nodded. “This route that leads past my abode, was once a broad and busy road. The forest has reclaimed its land – what remains is this narrow band.”

Big Mac said, “If the castle was the seat of government, it makes sense that some big roads would have led to it. After a thousand years though, not much is left.”

Zecora said, “My trips to Ponyville keep open the way, but beyond my home, there is not much to say.”

“Then traveling will get a lot harder, I gather?” Penumbra asked.

“That the path will be difficult is completely right,” Zecora replied, “although more immediate dangers lurk in the night.”

A howl was heard from not far away.

“Case in point,” Gilda said. “I think trouble may have found us already.”

“Keep close,” Penumbra said. “I will protect you.”

“Nnnope” Big Mac said, pushing forward. “We Apples find Timberwolves straying onto our land occasionally. I know how to deal with them. Ms. Trixie – have you a fire-starting spell?”

“Trixie does, but also has other recourses,” the unicorn replied.

“Good. Please stay close by and be prepared.”

“What are you up to?” Penumbra asked, wary of the approaching howls.

“Showing why timberwolves learn to leave Sweet Apple Acres alone,” the stallion replied. “Have you ever fought them before?”

“No, I haven’t. The Royal Guard doesn’t go into the Everfree.”

“Timberwolves can’t be easily killed. If damaged or broken, they can quickly put themselves back together as good as new. There’s only one way to deal with them permanently. Please watch our backs while you see how it’s done.”

The thestral might have argued further, but she saw twin points of green light appear in the darkness. Two stepped out in front of the group, growling deep while their eyes glowed malevolently at them. Three others emerged from the sides, penning the travelers together. Gilda and Penumbra spread their wings to take to the air if the creatures attacked. Zecora fished out a couple of vials from her bags while Irwin withdrew a short but heavy club from his backpack. At the surprised looks from some of the others, he shrugged.

“Dad made me take it,” the bull confessed. “He may have had a point.”

The timberwolf at the front growled and leaped at the blue pony with the annoying glowing horn that was its target. It did not expect the pony’s larger companion to whirl around and buck while it was in mid-leap. Hooves that could either delicately harvest a tree or fell a mighty oak made short work of the enchanted wooden creature. It shattered into kindling.

“Now, Ms. Trixie!” Big Mac commanded before turning his attention to the next wolf.

The show pony knew her cue and telekinetically threw fire-starter powder on the remains. Designed to quickly start campfires when only damp wood could be found, the compound immediately ignited the pile of timber. The creature’s attempts to reform were hampered by small pieces falling away into ash. These were followed by larger and larger pieces until the animated pile of sticks collapsed on itself.

Meanwhile, the second timberwolf approached more cautiously, attempting to flank the huge stallion. Big Mac was too fast for it though, and the moment that it was within reach, he whirled and bucked with the same result as the first. There was soon a second bonfire burning.

The remaining Timberwolves leaped into action simultaneously, but Gilda and Penumbra were ready. They climbed into the air above the monsters and dealt them kicks that knocked them off course. Irwin bashed the head off one while Zecora threw a vial onto another which shattered, spraying its contents all over the beast. The sticky substance gummed up its limbs and it struggled to move.

The decapitated timberwolf had almost put itself back together when Big Mac arrived to completely disassemble it. Then Trixie turned it into a bonfire, quickly joined by the gummed-up monster, the glue proving to be very flammable. Nearby, Penumbra and Gilda had teamed up to harass the final timberwolf. While the creature tried to attack one of them, the other would inflict damage on it with hooves, talons, and spear. As soon as it paused to deal with the debilitating injury, the other defendant would inflict more damage.

“Stand clear!” yelled Big Mac as he leaped into the fray. Needless to say, another pile of kindling was the swift result.

Five fires lit up the path while the six adventurers calmed down from the mêlée.

“Remind me not to go behind you in a fight,” Penumbra fervently said to Big Mac.

“Eeyup!” the stallion replied with a smirk.

“Is that all of them?” Trixie asked with a frown.

“They prefer to work in a small pack. That should be the end to this attack,” Zecora replied.

“What’s that whining?” Irwin asked.

“What whining?” Trixie asked.

“I hear it too,” Penumbra said. “It’s coming from over there.” She pointed a hoof at a bush.

Irwin walked over to it. “It seems to be calling for someone.”

“Be careful, you dweeb!” Gilda called out. “It could be a trap!”

“No, you’re wrong.” The bull bent over and plunged his arm into the bush, pulling out something that yelped and struggled. Irwin carefully adjusted his grip so that it was firmly but safely held in his grasp.

“Is that a baby timberwolf?” Trixie asked.

Zecora nodded. “What you all think is true. A cub is before you.”

Gilda said, “Well, kill it and let’s get going.”

Irwin frowned. “No, I won’t let you kill this helpless creature.”

“Helpless?!” squawked the griffon. “Look at it! It’s trying to take a bite out of you even now!”

“It doesn’t know any better,” the bull replied. “Fluttershy has shown me that frightened dangerous creatures can respond to a little kindness.” Irwin struggled for a moment as the cub snarled and snapped at his hand. He carefully moved it closer to his face and sniffed. “And it looks like this one needs it. I smell rot and its wood is dark and covered with holes.” The tiny creature shifted its attempts to try to bite his nose. “I could use a little help. Zecora – would you happen to have something to calm her down?”

“I have no brew to pacify this beast of wood, but perhaps I have something that’s almost as good.” She pulled out a bottle containing a blue liquid. “Poison joke’s effects are quite strange. I urge you to stay out of range.”

“Poison?!” Irwin blurted out. “I said I don’t want to kill it.”

“Death is not its due. Let’s see what it will do. Hold it still or I might spill.”

Gilda grabbed a nearby fallen branch with a forked end. “Put it on the ground and I’ll hold it in place.”

Irwin did as he was asked and the griffon pinned the struggling and snarling creature. Zecora unstopped the bottle and carefully sprinkled some of the contents over the cub. The concentrated essence of the poison joke flower began its magic immediately. Rotten wood smoothed out and fresh bark appeared. Brown and shriveled leaves turned green and shiny. Then, pink blossoms burst out all over it. The eyes that had been glowing a sickly green turned a warm yellow and looked up at the bull. The cub yipped and lolled out its leafy tongue while its tail wagged.

“Let her go,” Irwin said.

Despite the changes, Gilda was reluctant to comply but did so cautiously. She almost regretted it when the creature leaped up at the bull, but instead of attacking, it started licking and nuzzling him.

“I did not expect that,” Penumbra said.

Zecora said, “The magic of the Everfree it was lacking. Now fully charged and healed, it is not attacking.”

“I’m not getting that poison joke on me, am I?” Irwin asked.

“Trixie believes it has all been absorbed into the creature. It should be harmless now.”

“Good. I would like to pet Blossom without getting changed too.”

Gilda raised her eyebrows. “You’ve named it already?”

“I’ve named her,” Irwin corrected.

“How do you know it’s a girl?” Penumbra asked.

Irwin smiled. “She told me. I’ve always wanted a pet dog.”

“You can’t keep it,” Penumbra said. “It belongs here and we’re on a mission.”

“Look at her!” Irwin protested. “She’s nothing like those wild Timberwolves we fought. She doesn’t belong here anymore.”

“Penny’s right,” Gilda said. “You know no idea how to look after something like that, and she would only get in our way.”

“I bet I could figure out how to care for her, and she won’t hinder us. Look!” He took off his backpack and opened the flap. He then picked up the cub and put her inside before putting the backpack on again. Blossom stuck her head out of the flap and looked around, her tongue lolling. She yipped excitedly. “See? No problem.”

Gilda said, “Oh, come on! This is supposed to be a covert mission. You know that creature is going to make noise at just the wrong moment. Big Mac – tell him he’s nuts.”

The stallion shook his head. “Nope. Learned my lesson when I tried to talk Applebloom out of adoptin’ some whistle ants. Had to wait until she got sick of them on her own. Irwin’s got his heart set on the cub.”

The griffon turned to Trixie. “Never work with animals – isn’t that what performers always say?”

“Trixie would never get between a boy and his pet. And Irwin is one big boy where it counts.”

Gilda threw up her talons. “I give up. Penny – what are we going to do?”

The thestral turned and resumed her journey. “As they teach us in the Royal Guard – if you can’t change it, deal with it.”

Zecora fell in beside Penumbra and the others followed, descending into silence. They all knew that the timberwolves were not the only danger that they would face on this journey, and possibly not even the most serious considering how readily they had dealt with the monsters.

---

Although the group had some minor frights before they reached the turn-off to Zecora’s home, the zebra assured them that the light held those at bay. They had yet to encounter any more truly dangerous creatures, much to their relief. That did not last long because Zecora informed them that the worst was yet to come.

Everyone took advantage of some offered refreshments before continuing their quest. They also drank in the atmosphere of the tree home. The Zebrican decorations combined with the shelves full of potions and ingredients lent an exotic air to the place. Meanwhile, Zecora busied herself packing potions that she felt might come in handy. When she was done, they headed out once more.

As the zebra had warned, the path deteriorated close to impassability. In some places, if not for Zecora’s familiarity with the area, they would have gotten lost. Then they arrived at the banks of a raging torrent, bringing the party to a halt.

Zecora said, “Normally, a ford crosses this river, but to step into that makes me shiver.”

“I could carry you or Trixie over that short distance,” Gilda said, “but I don’t know about Irwin, and Big Mac is right out.”

“I think we can manage it together,” Penumbra suggested.

“Worth a try,” the griffon replied. “Mac first. If we can manage him, we can handle Irwin easily.

Big Mac eyed the river warily. “I don’t know about this. Are you sure you can do it?”

“Trust me,” Penumbra said. “If I’m not certain that we can make it safely, we won’t continue.”

The stallion nodded reluctantly and held up his forelegs. The thestral and the griffon each grabbed one leg and hauled him into the air.

Gilda grunted with the effort but the load seemed manageable. She looked over to Penumbra who nodded. As one, they angled their wings and the pair headed over the river. As soon as they made it to the other bank, they let the stallion go and he dropped to his hooves.

Big Mac sighed with relief. “In the air ain’t no place for an earth pony.”

“Not gonna lie, handsome,” Gilda said, “I found myself wishing you weren’t the strapping stallion that you are. That wasn’t easy and you had me worried for a moment.”

“Next time, ask Trixie for help,” said the blue unicorn from next to them.

Gilda jumped with a screech of surprise. “What the—? How did you get here?”

“The Amazing Trixie teleported over. Sadly, she cannot take passengers. However, she can give some telekinetic assistance to your lift.”

“You could have told us that before we took Big Mac over.”

“Trixie thought you had matters well in hoof. However, she will speak up next time.”

Gilda rolled her eyes. “Right. Let’s get Irwin.”

The minotaur was not quite so eager. “I can’t swim – are you sure about this?”

Gilda laid her right talons on Irwin’s arm. “Believe me – we managed Big Mac and we can do the same with you. We even have Trixie on standby to help.”

Irwin swallowed and nodded. “Okay – let’s do this.”

In the end, it was anticlimactic when the transfer was safely completed. Zecora was brought over and the group continued on its way.

About a quarter hour later, a clucking noise from the bushes had Zecora warn everyone to turn their gaze in the other direction if they did not wish to be turned to stone. Irwin did not know if the cockatrice could affect his timberwolf pup, but he made sure she was not looking in that direction.

Not long afterward, they were all cowering behind a boulder, sheltering from the flying spines of a small band of pukwudgies. The aggressive beasts were driven off by what Zecora described as a pukwudgie stink bomb. That it smelled like strawberries to everyone else mattered not at all. They were just grateful not to get skewered.

The group had been trudging through dense scrub, accumulating many annoying scratches, when the forest opened up. For the first time since entering the woods, they could see the night sky with the full moon illuminating the clearing. There was much relief until Penumbra shouted a warning.

“Stop! Defensive positions! We’ve got company.”

Three leather-winged beings descended from the sky, landing in front of the group. The largest, a male thestral dressed in heavy armor reminiscent of Nightmare Moon’s, was flanked by two not much smaller females similarly outfitted. He scowled at Penumbra. “And where do you think you are going, traitor?”

# # # # # # # # #

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Is this part of a shared universe?

[Goldfur]

11572026
This is a standalone story.

[dannny43]

I'm liking where this is going, but having to wait a week for a 2k word chapter is disappointing to say the least.

[tsaukpaetra]

D'awww! Let's hope the PJ magic won't accidentally be reversed. Wonder if there's a limitation to the transformation magic about that?
Trixie is helpful as always. 😏

[tsaukpaetra]

11572156
Ah you must be new here. The average word count per week for any fic that wasn't already finished before publishing is about 5k words per month. No need to disparage the author for their free gift.

[Black--Soul]

Timber puppy

If Gilda get a pet, I bet it be a Hawk or a wood pecker. 👍

Great chapter, but I feel sorry for Penumbra. Both side call her traitor

Spike should be assigned to the new Mane6. Spike has a direct line to the Princess after all.

[Booster Spice]

From, I gotta little puppy, to Wheres Stephen, theyre working the way through this forest. Different encounters for different squads but teh dice roll as they are, and the GM smiles.

[Totally Not A Pony]

11572380

Great chapter, but I feel sorry for Penumbra. Both side call her traitor

Be interesting to see next chapter whether these are real thestrals or just Nightmare Moon trying to pull a “Shadowbolts” gambit. Of course, either way this encounter is likely to end up being more serious than Nighty’s comparatively weaksauce attempt to seduce Rainbow Dash to the dark side in the show...

[Eroraf86]

Aww, Irwin's got a cherry puppy!

[Black--Soul]

11572763
Dark side cookies are very tempting...

[Timuri]

I'm sure Irwin prefers a less lethal weapon, but even in that a club is still a pretty poor choice. A spear would be a better choice, as it can be swung like a quarterstaff...and could be quite potent if crafted from, perhaps, enchanted living cherry wood when Blossom is older and such wouldn't hurt her.

Trixie's apparently magically more mature as well as emotionally compared to this point in the show. I don't think primary Mark's Trixie could manage a teleport until late in their story.

I genuinely hope that these are conjured thestrals confronting the group at the end, as it will very effectively torpedo chances of ameliorating the persecution that Penny deals with in the Guard if they're real thestrals.

[Max Stroberger]

Are they going to lose to the Nightmare in this universe because I like stories where that happens.