>Sundae straightened his cap and approaches the pegasus
>"Good afternoon, Ma'am. My name is Sundae Sentry and this is Anonymous."
>"How's it going?"
>The blonde pegasus' eyes align and grow wide when you return her wave, "Wow! You're really tall. My name's Ditzy Doo but everyp0ny calls me Derpy."
>"Your assistance has been requested by the Mayor's office to aid us in our investigation of recent unexplained activity in the vicinity. We'd like you provide an aerial survey of the area Anon here arrived in the forest."
>"I fell out of the sky!" you offer
>"What were you doing up there?"
>You shrug at the cross-eyed pony who shrugs back as Sundae begins toward the forest, "The conditions surrounding Anon's arrival are just one aspect of the mystery. I'd like you to keep a lookout for any odd cloud cover, particularly storm clouds. It's best if you don't try to clear the clouds yourself. And be warned, there are reports of dragons exhibiting uncharacteristic behavior in the vicinity."
>The pegasus' ears flatten, "Dragons? Gosh. Well, anything I can do to help."
>As you and Derpy follow Sundae to the trail head, he turns to you, "I'm going to branch off and see if I can locate any unusual magical residue further in the forest. Anon, why don't you follow Ms. Doo to the river to retrieve your bug-bag. We don't have much light left so I suggest we meet at the clearing where you found Miss Cheerilee by nightfall. We can make camp there and pick up tomorrow. Will you be able to return in the morning, Mrs. Doo?"
>Derpy nods her head and Sundae starts off the trail when something occurs to you
>"Hey, Sundae. What're you going to do if you come across a dragon?"
>The tan unicorn stops in his tracks and a small tremble shakes his body, "I'm... I'll think of something."
>He disappears into the brush and you're left with the little grey pegasus staring up at you
>Mostly
>"I guess we better get going."
>"Yep! Which way?"
>"I don't actually know. I'm not sure where the river is from here. Think you could, uh," you point to the wings on her back
>"Oh, right!" she flaps her wings and flitters over the canopy, knocking several branches loose which you deftly avoid
>After a moment, she pops her head out from behind a colorful leafy branch behind you, "Found it! It's this way."
>Leading you down the trail she hovers by your side, hooves trotting along in the air
>"So, I keep hearing about a pegasus team getting ready to bring in a snow storm. You can really control the weather?"
>"Uh-huh! The weather team takes care of all the storms that Ponyville needs. I used to be on the team but there were several... incidents. I was discharged," Derpy droops her head a little
>"That sucks. Is that why you work as wings for hire now?"
>"Yeah, I work part time at the post office too so I know my way around Ponyville better than a lot of ponies. I'm really good at being an escort."
>You hide your snickering behind a cough and Derpy leads you off the trail
>The pegasus flies ahead, holding head-high branches out of your way
>"I'm in no position to judge, but what kind of name is Derpy?"
>"I guess I've always been a little bit clumsy," she says as a thick tree limb snaps off in her hooves, "Oops. It's just a nickname other ponies gave me."
>Having spent your middle school years being referred to as Dayquil Enema, you knew the burden of an unwanted nickname
>"How about I call you D.D.?"  
>Derpy hovers before you and her features stretch into a broad grin
>"I like it!" she giggles, "C'mon, the river is through here."
>Following her through a thicket, you step out on the pebbly bank of the river
>"How far ahead are the falls, D.D.?"
>Derpy chortles a bit at the new moniker and flaps higher into the air before returning
>"If you go as fast as you have been, probably twenty minutes."
>"Alright, I'll follow the river upstream. How about you get that aerial survey started then meet me there in twenty."
>Her mane flopped about as Derpy bobbed her head and took to the skies
>You begin making your way up the riverside, eager to be reunited with your pack
 
 
>Sundae followed the glow of his horn in the dark undergrowth of the forest
>There was definitely a lingering presence of energy in the area
>He had never come across a magic signature that displayed these sort of characteristics
>Or rather the lack of them
>It was as though something had sent invisible tendrils through the forest and they pushed any natural ambient magic out of the way
>The whole magical profile of the area Sundae had searched felt like a termite nest of tunnels where these strange signatures had wormed through, leaving a magical void around them
>Following the jagged network of empty lines, the unicorn crept upon a misty hollow in the trees
>The sounds of the forest died out as he pulled himself through the thick tangles of vines
>Light from the low hanging sun was blocked by the leaves overhead, their colors darker and much less vivid than the foliage Sundae had seen earlier
>The atmosphere seemed like something from the Everfree Forest
>As Sundae cleared his way out of the brush, he noticed the soil of the hollow had been upturned
>Short mounds of dirt sat near each other in the middle of the pit
>A glint reflecting the blue glow of his horn caught Sundae's attention and he cautiously stepped forward to investigate
>From underneath a scrap of burlap, a jagged rock with shiny flecks sat at the foot of a mound
>Lifting the torn burlap in his magic, Sundae saw several other rocks sitting on the ground
>Some were sharp and rough with only a few glittering spots to differentiate them from any other rock one might find laying on the ground
>There were a few geodes and hunks of dark rock sprouting short crystals, although they weren't very lustrous
>In fact, they looked rather plain compared to the crystals and gems Sundae had seen in the windows of shops in town
>Scanning them with his magic, Sundae felt nothing out of the ordinary other than their presence being a bit under-pronounced
>"Then why do those odd signals lead here?" Sundae pondered
>Lifting one of the geodes in his magic, he tucked it in his bag when a noise came from one of the dirt mounds
>Flicking his ears around, he hears the sound of guttural snuffling and the faint scratching of claws
>As the loose soil atop the mound began to tremor and fall loose, Sundae galloped off through the bushes behind him
>"I'm not retreating. I'm regrouping," he panted to himself, reflecting on how procedure dictated to avoid possibly hostile situations without backup
>Feeling his integrity as a constable was intact, he tore through the forest towards the trail
>Back at the hollow, the mound shook as the soil at it's peak collapsed and jet black claws twitched free of the dirt
 
 
>Following the roar of the falls, you soon come to the spot where you'd narrowly escaped death several days before
>Sitting against a tree trunk, you unlace your boots and rub your feet as you wait for Derpy to finish her initial sweep
>All the walking you've been doing is catching up with you as you can feel blisters trying to form
>The rustling of leaves draws your attention to the boughs above and you find Derpy perched on her belly, legs dangling over the sides of the branch
>"Your paws look weird."
>"Said the pony with wings. Did you see anything up there?"
>"Nope," she flutters down and lands lightly in front of you as you rise to your feet, "Not in the sky. But I did see two big patches of dirt that I don't remember seeing before."
>"Does that mean anything?"
>"Just that they weren't there the last time I flew over the forest. It's getting too dark to really see anything else from up there."
>"If that's all the aerial reconnaissance you'll be doing today, think you can help me get my backpack? It's up on the waterfall."
>"Sure! Where'd you leave it?"
>You describe the tiny islet and tell her to look on the bank near the stump of the dead tree you chopped down
>"I'm really after my shelter bag on the bottom, so if you can't lift the whole thing don't worry about it. I'll get the rest tomorrow."
>"Oh, don't worry," she responds as her wings lift her off the ground, "I'm a lot stronger than I look. I used to work part time with a moving company before I got this job. I couldn't stand the politics, though."
>With that, she zips up over the falls
>After a few minutes she reappears, her flight seemingly unencumbered by your massive pack
>"D.D.! That's incredible!" you call as she gets within earshot, "I'd never believe that you'd be able to lift my bug out bag all by your self."
>"There are bugs in it!?"
>"Well, I used to pack an ant farm of velvet wasps for crowd control but-"
>You're cut off as your pack comes whistling to the ground
>Diving to the side to avoid the impact, you glare up at the pegasus as she slaps at her body
>"I hate bugs! Ptooey! Get them off!"
>A large thicket down the bank of the river shakes rapidly and you dive behind your bag
>"D.D.! Get down here!" you whisper loudly to the pegasus overhead, "We're not alone."
>"Nyaahh! I can feel them in my mane!"
>"There are no bugs," you inform her as you reach up and grab the tip of her tail, "Get down here and hide. Quick!"
>Pulling her down besides you and shushing her protest, you retrieve a telescopic dental mirror from your bag
>Poking the mirror around the bottom of the bag, you squint at the reflection of the bushes as the rattling stop and a figure emerges
>"Sundae?"
>You stand up from your hiding spot and jog down to him
>The unicorn looks visibly relieved to see you, "Anon, Ms. Doo! I was hoping that I'd find you here. Did you find anything out of the ordinary while you were flying over?"
>Derpy shook her head and explained about the patches of dirt she had seen
>"I thought we were meeting at the clearing."
>"I too found one of these patches of recently disturbed soil. I think whatever made them was still in the area so I ran to find you two. T-to make sure you were safe, of course."
>"Of course. Do you think these mounds have something to do with the dragons?"
>Sundae shook his head, "No. I'm fairly sure they were made by Diamond Dogs."
>"Yeah, that was going to be my next guess."
>The unicorn explains to you that Diamond Dogs are a fairly brutish species with a lust for gems and an uneasy but non-violent relationship with ponies
>Derpy scrunches her muzzle in confusion, "I thought Diamond Dogs weren't supposed to dig near Ponyville."
>"They aren't," Sundae replied, "After several confrontations including the incident with Ms. Rarity, they were issued a warning to keep their excavations at least twenty-five miles from all pony settlements. And there's no reason for them to be digging in Whitetail Woods. There aren't any gems out here. At least, there weren't."
>He digs into his bag and retrieves the geode, "I found this along with several others at the mounds. I've never actually met a Diamond Dog but I think they would be after more valuable rocks than this."
>Tucking the rock back in his pack, he turns to Derpy, "Thank you for your assistance, Ms. Doo. When will you be able to meet us in the morning?"
>"I usually finish on my route pretty early so I can be here at nine," she replies as she takes to the air, "I saw the clearing when I was flying around earlier so I'll meet you there. Bye Anon! Bye Mr. Sundae!"
>You pull your bug out bag from it's crater and wave to Derpy
>"See you tomorrow D.D."
>Strapping on your bag, you lead Sundae down the game trail to where you'll set up camp as the sun fades for the day
 
 
>You reach the clearing after nightfall
>Laying the thick pieces of wood you had gathered as you followed the grassy trail next to the ashes of Cheerilee's fire pit, you go to gather kindling with the aid of a flashlight
>Sundae Sentry had put up his ridge tent by the time you return
>You quickly set up a tarp shelter and throw your bedroll inside it and begin stacking the wood for a fire
>With a spark from your ferro rod, you set the tinder bundle under the kindling and soon have a warm fire to ward of the night's chill
>Sundae sits next to you on the log you're using as a seat and begins to rummage through his haversack
>"Oh, uh," he turns to look at you guiltily, "I'm afraid I didn't ask what you like to eat before I packed. I only brought celery and shredded hay biscuits."
>You pull your B.O.B. between your knees and give it a pat
>"Not a problem. I've got plenty of chow in here."
>Pulling out your mess kit, you start fixing one of your prepackaged MREs loaded with much needed calories
>Not bothering with the chemical heating packet, you begin squeezing the beef stew into your billy can
>It wasn't made with the highest quality of cuts, but it'll do
>Sprinkling a few extra spices into the can, you can feel Sundae's gaze on you as you set your meal to heat by the fire
>"I-is that... is that-"
>"Ah, shit. Yeah, it's meat. Look, I need more protein so if me eating meat bothers you then I can do it outside of camp, I guess."
>"N-no, it's not that, my roomie at the academy was a griffon. It's just *urk* ever since I was a foal, my parents would have me feed their dogs and the smell of the meat in *urp* th-their food has always *gag*, a-always-"
>Quickly moving to the log downwind of the fire, you slap a lid on your billy can
>"Say no more."
>After Sundae had won the fight to keep his gorge down, the two of you sit quietly eating your meals
>"I gotta say, Sundae, you really seem to be in your element out here. No offense, but you seemed kind of jumpy back in town. High strung."
>"None taken," Sundae said as he nibbled on celery, "The guys at the station are kind of bull-headed when it comes to doing things by the book. D-don't tell them I said that, though! Doing fieldwork on my own, I get to follow proper procedure and make sure nothing is overlooked. It's the best way to cover your flank if something goes screwy. I'm hoping to make investigator one day."
>"I'd say your thorough detective work with these weird mounds and rocks deserves a celebratory drink."
>You pull one of your bottles of home-brew from your bag and take a long pull, grimacing as you hand it to Sundae
>"Well, I'm still on duty. But, then again, I've never had the opportunity to sample alien spirits."
>Taking the bottle in his hooves, he takes a swig before pulling all manner of strange and interesting faces before passing it back to you
>"S-smooth," he croaks
>You take another drink and offer it to the unicorn but he quickly declines
>After several more shots, you feel nature's call
>Not wanting to rummage back through your bag for a flashlight, you grab a flaming log from the fire
>You tell Sundae where you're going and head off into the bushes with bottle in hand as he beds down for the night
 
 
>Finding a tree a suitable distance from camp, you take another swig from your bottle and tuck it under your arm
>You're just about to unzip your fly when the torch is snatched out of your hand
>"SASQUATCH!"
>Whirling around you see the outline of a short cloaked figure covered in dust but the light of the torch blinds you, making any details difficult to see
>"Who the hell are you?"
>A scratching inhuman voice answers you, "His Greatness will be pleased! Much stronger than rocks. I smell it on you. You walk on both worlds! You come with us! His Greatness will be pleased!"
>"Nope. I've learned about too many weird things living in this world to just go wandering off with one I met in the forest at night."
>"You come with us now! Aid His Greatness in the rise to power! Get many jewels! Rewarded gems!"
>"I don't think you get it. I just got my stuff back and I'm not going anywhere."
>You raise the bottle to your lips and begin to drink, hoping this thing will understand how many fucks you do not give
>A clawed hand pulls the hood away and you freeze at the ghoulish face revealed in the torchlight, alcohol running down your chin
>Slanted eyes of opaque white with vertical pupils sit in ghastly grey flesh, rivulets of moisture trickle from a black nose covered in scars above viscous jaws, the teeth seeming to jut up from the bone and gnashing together like a bear trap
>"Then we take you with us."
>It's sharp claws dart out and snatch at your shirt
>More out of fear than any preplanned tactic, you spit out the booze in a fine mist
>The liquid catches the flames of the torch and a massive fireball engulfs the creature
>Dropping to all fours, it runs wailing into the forest
>Grabbing the torch off the ground, you run back to camp
>As you burst through the bushes, you see Sundae fire a bolt of blue light from his horn towards another cloaked figure
>The magical beam splashes over it's target and the creature goes flying back into the trees before skittering away
>A third intruder is tossing through Sundae's tent and emerges holding the geode
>With a running tackle, you barrel over the hooded form
>It quickly regains it's footing and you grab onto the cape of it's cloak
>There is a ripping sound as the fabric tears away in your hands and the creature dashes toward the treeline, dodging Sundae's bolts as it vanishes into the dark
>Sundae trots up to you, his eyes still searching the edges of the clearing, "Are you alright?"
>"Yeah. You?"
>He nods and turns his attention to the swath of fabric in your hands
>Seeing it in the light of the fire, you notice that there is part of a symbol painted onto the material
>"This look familiar to you?"
>"No. When we finish our search of your landing site tomorrow, I'll have to alert the Royal Guard that we where attacked by unknown entities."
>"I got a good look at one of them. Almost gave me a heart attack."
>You describe the creature that you flame broiled to Sundae
>"That sounds like a Diamond Dog. Which would confirm my theory on the dirt mounds. But Diamond Dogs aren't supposed to be this aggressive. Especially not over some worthless rocks."
>He takes the ripped cloth and places it in his bag, "I'll pass this along to magical forensics. Wish we still had that geode. I think we'd better keep watch for the night in case they decide to return."
>Sundae sits on the log by the fire as you unzip the false bottom on your bag
>From behind the velcro flap, you pull your last-ditch box of 22s and a bag of loose 410s
>You attach your axe and knife to your belt and load your rifle
>As the unicorn watches one edge of the clearing, you sit on the log beside him and face the opposite direction
>"Hey Sundae?"
>"Yes?"
>"Thanks for not blasting me with that blue stuff when you arrested me."
>"It would've been against protocol."
 
 
>The night passed without further incident and you and Sundae caught a few hours of wary sleep shortly before sunrise
>Waking and putting away your gear, you dig through your bag for your hygiene kit and spend ten solid minutes brushing your teeth
>Feeling fresh for the first time in days, you and Sundae perform a brief sweep through the forest around the clearing
>Derpy would be arriving soon and you both wanted to be sure there were no Diamond Dogs lying in wait
>As you chatted during your walk back to camp, you were delighted to hear Sundae inform you that ponies did indeed have coffee
>Knowing that the bag you had in your kit wasn't the last in existence, you brew up a pot jut as Derpy lands near the fire holding a basket in her mouth
>"Morning! I brought muffins."
>"Hi, D.D.! Muffins would go great with this coffee I made."
>Derpy claps her hooves together and you hand her a mug
>"Thank you, Ms. Doo. They smell wonderful. I have some developments I need to discuss with you."
>You and the ponies eat the light breakfast as Sundae explains the attack last night to an increasingly concerned Derpy
>"I think you'll be perfectly fine as long as you keep to the skies, Mrs. Doo. If you feel comfortable continuing, I suggest we get started towards where Anon landed."
>After Derpy agreed to carry on the investigation, the three of you start towards the waterfall
>Derpy lifted Sundae to the top on her back, the unicorn's face growing redder the higher they went, before returning to bring your bag to the top
>Per your instructions, Sundae fastened a length of rope around a thick tree and tossed loose end over the falls
>With Derpy flying behind you as safety should one of your carabiners fail, you slowly make your way up the cliff
>Stopping to catch your breath at the top, you filter some water into your canteen before setting back off
>You soon find the area you had spent your first night in Equestria huddled in your sleeping bag
>By the afternnon you come to the large tree you had landed in, easily recognized by the man-sized hole punched in the canopy
>Derpy took off to scan the skies and Sundae's horn lit up as he searched for any magical residue
>With no supernatural skills to employ, you settle for following Sundae and covering him with your rifle in case of anymore ambushes from Diamond Dogs
>Or dragons
>"Find anything weird?"
>"Not yet. The same strange absence is detectable but only just. It's much less intense than the one that lead to those rocks."
>Sundae hadn't found anything of note and Derpy had completed her patrol with nothing to report
>The three of you return to the waterfall and you lower your bag with the rope
>After you climb down, Sundae unties the line and Derpy carries him down and your trio returns to the clearing
>"Thank you for your assitance, Ms. Doo. I'll have the payment wired to you as soon as I return to the Mayor's office. Could you do us one more favor? I'd like you to fly ahead to town and have a carriage sent out to pick us up."
>"No problem. Bye, Mr. Sundae. Nice to meet you, Anon!"
>You wave to the pegasus as she loops away into the sky
>Following Sundae down the trail towards the road, you pull out a cigar
>The sun was setting by the time you reach the fence marker
>Sundae scribbles down his report on a roll of paper from his bag
>"The Royal Guard may want to interview you for their own investigation. It may be a couple of days since they've been busy up north but expect a summons. I wonder is these odd occurrences are related to whatever it is that they've been looking into."
>You pull out your lighter and fire up the cigar
>"If the rumors about what she's been doing are true, you may be called before the princess herself."