The Watcher in the Woods Chapter 2 - First Blood

>>++...Anon? Stomach here is getting antsy.++

>>*sigh*Tell it to keep its shirt on, I’m working on it

>>You’ve been trekking through the dark forest for some time now, and although you’ve found some resemblance of a path after crossing the rope bridge you guess that you won’t reach the tree line for some time. After following the path for a good half hour, you were just about to give up hope of finding civilisation when you hear a shrill scream cut through the silence of the forest before you. Buttoning up you coat fully so that your collar covered up all bar your eyes, you set off in the direction of the voices.

>>The sight that awaits before you is jarring to say the least.

>>In a small clearing you see a trio of what look to be very colourful foals being encircled by a group of bipedal canines wielding crude spears and ramshackle armour. Normally you would just wait until it was all over before picking over the scraps, but it was when one of the foals spoke that really caught your attention.

>>...Did that horse just-?

>>++I think it did, Anon. I’m not believing it, but that foal is sapient! Let’s get out of here before you...++

Running White_Knight.exe

>>++Do anything...stu...pid...damn.++

 

>>”Well well well Rusty, wot ‘ave we got ‘ere?”

>>”I dunno Fido, but it looks to me like a couple a’ lost little ponies!”

>>The diamond dogs circle around the Cutie Mark Crusaders like the carnivorous predators they were, enjoying the feeling of power they have over their prey

>>Scootaloo is desperately trying to be brave, whilst Sweetie Belle has already broken down into sobs.

>>”Wha...what are yer gonna do ter us?” Applebloom asked, fearful of what the answer might be.

>>”Now dat’s a good question!” chuckled one of the diamond dogs “Ya see, we was walking around this here forest, looking to get ourselves some dinner, and whadya know, we stumble onter you three! Now I don’t know about you fellas, but I’m so hungry I could eat a pony!”

>>”Better leave some for us, the way you horsed into the last one!” the one called Rusty quipped. This got guffaws from the rest of the group as Applebloom swallowed hard, knowing her time had come to an end all too soon. It was only when the group heard the slow, deliberate sound of metal rasping against itself that the pack silenced and looked towards the source.

>>There, in the tree line of the clearing, was a strange bipedal creature wearing a long coat and a funny-looking hat holding a sword bigger than Big Mac out to the side. The creature gripped the sword in both its paws and started walking towards the diamond dogs.

>>”Oi!” challenged Fido as he stomped towards the stranger “These are our ponies, Back off and find your own grub!”

>>The creature stops and looks toward Fido “They are no-one’s meal. Leave now whilst you still have your lives.”

>>”Oh yeah?” snarls Fido as he brandishes a crude spear menacingly towards this bozo that thinks it can just waltz in and have a go at a diamond dog “Looks like you’ve just been added to the menu!”

>>A swift death was Fido ever got in reply.

 

>>The claymore sent the dog man spinning to the ground as it hacked into the meat of its neck, the blade trailing a stream of algorithms and viscera along its path through the air. The rest of the pack baulked at the sight of one of their own being felled so easily before charging you, animalistic rage making them seek vengeance for their fallen pack mate.

>>You casually swat the first thrust to your body aside, sending the beast tumbling behind you. Using the momentum of the parry, you bring the blade up and around before sending it straight down into the skull of the next dog.

>>With a swift tug you pull the claymore out of the bifurcated head and use the lull in combat to take stock of the situation.

>>The beasts have left the foals to cover their eyes and scream in order to surround you, brandishing their crude spears with murderous intent. Little did they know there was only one way this could end.

>>One in front.

>>Two flanking you.

>>One behind.

>>Let’s do this.

>>You bring your claymore above your head as they charge towards you, sidestepping the first one’s clumsy lunge before bringing the blade across its back. Using the momentum from the previous blow, you spin and swing the sword in an upwards arc to lop the next one’s leg off at the knee, causing him to collapse at your feet yowling in pain. The last two circle around behind you, looking for an opening whilst trying in vain to block out their friends cries as he bleeds out from his new stump.

>>Unable to contain his anger anymore, the beast charges you with primal fury, the last one nervously watching on.

>>You turn to face him and patiently wait until the last moment before stepping to the side and bringing the flat of the blade down on the shaft of the spear, sending the rusted point straight into the lung of his fallen pack mate and silencing his cries forever. You let the dog have only a moment to comprehend what he had done before you raise your claymore and cleave his head from his shoulders.

>>The last one stands paralysed with fear at the creature that slew five diamond dogs single handed when he feels a gloved hand clamp around his neck and lift him up into the air before slamming him into the unyielding forest floor. You casually return the claymore to its harness before crouching over the dog, grabbing its scruffy vest before saying

“ Tell your pack what you saw today. Tell them that all ponies are off limits, and that I’ll be watching. Do you understand?”

>>When he frantically nods you haul him to his feet before sending him on his way with a kick in his grubby trousers, watching him run off into the forest and out of sight.

 

Applebloom

 

>>The terrible noises have stopped.

>>You hear footsteps comin’ terwards ya, and yer silently beggin that it’s not the diamond dogs

It’s all over now, the beasts will not harm you anymore”

>>Looking up ya see the same weird creature crouched in front of you, the tall collar of it’s coat covering all but it’s eyes.

>>”What happened to the diamond dogs?” you hear Scootaloo ask with a shaky voice.

“They have been...dealt with.” It says, keeping itself between your fellow Crusaders and whatever was behind it. “But that is not important. It is not safe here for young ones such as yourselves. Do you know the way home?”

>>You nod in reply.

“Good. Then I shall walk with you until you’re out of the forest. Shall we?”

 

Anonymous

 

>>”What’s that?”

>>”What’s your name?”

>>”You’re big! Are you a minotaur?”

>>”I’m hungry!”

“It’s called a claymore, my name is Anonymous, I am not a minotaur, and you can eat when you get home. Now hurry along, we’re nearing the tree line.”

>>This however started a whole new barrage of questions, and after an hour of this already you decide to head them off with some questions of your own.

“What exactly were you doing here in this forest?”

>>The yellow one with the bow speaks up “We were trying to get our explorers’ Cutie Marks!”

>>A whosie whata?

>>++Just play along Anon++

“Really now?”

>>”Yeah!” the orange Pegasus chimes in. “We heard there was this reeeealy old castle in the Everfree Forest, so we thought we’d get our Cutie Marks if we went and checked it out!”

>>”Maybe even find buried treasure!”

>>”Or ain, ant, err...really old towns!”

>>”Yeah! We’d be Treasure hunting ponies!”

>>”CUTIE MARK CRUSADER TREASURE HUNTERS, YAY!”

>>++Anon, the ears cant withstand another attack like that!++

>>Tell them to calm down, I’m on it

“That’s great young ones, just make sure not to do any crusading in the forest, ok? Oh look, we’ve arrived.”

>>As you look out from the tree line, you and the foals can see a small cottage framed by rolling sugar green hills. Cotton wool clouds floated lazily through a cheery blue sky, declaring openly to all the peacefulness of this place. Muffled adult voices can be heard in the distance shouting out what you assume to be the foals’ names.

>>”Awww, they’re gonna be mad at us again...” The white unicorn predicted solemnly.

“Well, you best run along then before they get too worried.”

>>”Bu...But what if we don’t see you again?” the trio said before unleashing their ultimate weapon: three big pairs of doe eyes and a row of quivering lips.

>>hnnnnnggg.jpg

>>You kneel down before them with a sigh and reach into your coat pocket, fishing out a small emerald green pouch.

“Take this powder. Whenever you are in trouble, just throw a pinch up into the air and I will come find you.”

>>You offer it to the orange one, who promptly takes it in her mouth to hold.

>>After exchanging your goodbyes, you watch them head of in the direction of the voices before turning  around and heading towards the ruins.

>>++Anon?++

>>Yeah?

>>++Where did you get that powder? More importantly, how did you even know how to use it?++

>>I...don’t rightly know...

>>++We’ll think about this later. Come on, let’s head back to the ruins, maybe we can find some berry bushes on our way back.++

>>After a few minutes of walking through what you now know as the Everfree Forest, something suddenly clicks in your brain.

>>The bright colours

>>The strange ruins

>>The technicoloured horses, no...ponies

>>As you realise where you are, the following profanity causes birds and small critters to take flight for miles around.