Maple Bat

Celestia shook her head "Jack taking out the leader may not be an option right now. I don't think any of us are trained enough to that point." Luna nodded hearing that "I feel as though only one pony has enough reliable training though, She's down for now however. And once Maple gets the new body... She'll need to get used to it as well. Ember possible could but she might die as well... Given how trained the mere soldiers are the leader must be significantly stronger than them and most of us struggle with them... How long do we have before we are forced to put some sort of plan into action do you think? If we don't have to attack the leader now we can destroy the centers until Maple makes her recovery."

"Well do we have to do it soon?" Celestia asked "Because if it is something this big I don't think we should chance it with Moonshadow as his emotional state may cloud his judgement. That only leaves Flurry and Woody as those with experience in commanding but they both are pacifists." Ember rolled her eyes. "True he doesn't know that she's going to be alright Moonshadow probably only wants revenge." Luna responded We best focus on the centers for now, That'll make this Raukan start to make agered choices. When he starts too and He know Jack's alone then he'll gladly rush after him alone and Bam..." Luna punched the table making a loud noise. "We kill him." Ember stood up. "Not exactly we are chancing it off the ideal that he will do that... However, Jack from you description that assumptions seems pretty accurate wouldn't you say?"

The few thought about it for a while. Ember was the first to say something "Sounds like a plan. A chicken can live without it's head but it cant do much without it." She said as she drew her sword to sharpen it. Luna was a bit defeated but she knew the plan was good. "Alright the pony army and Griffin army should do this while the dragons wait. They're rather hard to hide." She said to avoid being rude. Celestia intervened "Though are we sure this'll work with out a experianced commander leading the ponies?" Luna shook her head. "Maple could still go but she'd have to put herself in danger. Moonshadow is a good choice though... What do you think Jack how hard is the battle going to be?"

"Thanks Jack" Woody said putting the artifact necklace back on "Maple... I'm sorry that I didn't go into the center with you I was just scared at the time." "It's ok Bro, Thanks for uhh... Ya know not killing me when I turned..." She said back. ------------------------------------------------------- Luna, Celestia and Ember where going over the basics of how centers where build and how tough it was to break into one along with the horrors that where inside Luna said "It would be dangerous to send ponies in there we can destroy them with magic from the outside." Celestia shook her head. "It's not enough Luna the blast from the core manages to destroy the base and everything in it if we aren't through enough then they'll just put the center back up again.

"He's not a pony actually. He's the same race as you are Jack. We met him before I got taken into the center. He actually was the one who. Kept me from getting infected at first that is... until we got caught inside the center." He voice drifted off. "But it doesn't matter now. I hope he's alright though he didn't get hit during the fight I think since I was the one who started it. And Jack telling everyone how to get something done my not be the most useful but that's what you call 'leading' " Flurry wanted to just take the artifact and protect it with her life but she didn't really understand any of this "Well lets hope he can get you that body soon. I don't know how much I trust this thing," She pointed at the crystal. "To stay in one piece."

Maple had felt like she was uncoincious for a while but the she heard Jack speak "Wait?" She said "What happened?" "Maple!" Flurry said "Oh Celestia you're ok." "Yea I feel ok... What's goin-" She tried to look at her hood and realized "Wait! I... Oh..." She was upset "I guess that means I attacked you guys at that camp huh?" "Yea sis but you proteced us from way worse. We needed to find you to get your soul anyways so it ended up saying time." Woody said "Elorn is supposed to get you a new body soon as well You'll be ok soon Maple." "Still... I guess I should thank you Jack something tells me you made this all happen." She told him.

"I don't care about that. As long as she still behaves as the same Maple I grew up with." Flurry said "Even though she got infected she's still my friend. Can I speak with her now?" Woody walked around the corner "Actually I think so. Sorry for evasdropping but Jack she can right? Since there was that other artifact that could talk with us."

"Wow that's neat!" Flurry said. Luna and ember started talking about strategy for the upcoming battles and they walked off. When they did flurry looked at Jack "Alright so really cut to the chase. What happened to Maple, is she dead? Or... Worse?" Woody had walked by them at that moment he acted like he didn't hear it but he did he walked around the corner and listened

Luna nodded, "Let's go then." Luna carried him back to canterlot. Once they arrived Luna walked over to where Ember and Flurry where. "Did you all find anything else useful back in the temple?" "We took a bunch of stuff some of you more trusted nobles are looking into it all. It could take a long while before we find something though but that's ok!" Flurry said "Where's Maple?" She didn't realize how heavy of a question she'd just dropped. Luna simply answered "Away... For now. She'll be back I promise." Emebr looked at Luna "We heard you took out that center from Moonshadow before he left to find you. Good job kinda wish I would've went but that would have left chrysalis and flurry alone both of them don't see too skilled in combat. Well I mean physical combat." Flurry Looked at Jack "What exactly do you think that the nobles will find in all that stuff we found?"

Woody gripped the artifact. "I... I don't... No. No I trust you here." He handed it to him placing it in his paw gently "I'm trusting you with my sisters life be careful ok?" He said before walking off to go finish getting his camping gear Once he had packed it all up he and celestia left for canterlot. Luna walked over to him "Ready to go?"

Maple looked outside as well "Yea. I would make another suggestion but I can't think of anything fun to do in ponyville..." "Well i can certainly help with boredom." Discord said, He snapped and the gravity in the whole house disappeared causing everything to float into the air "I mean I can basically do anything so we could do something with that." He laughed "Well I've got a few Ideas but I'd like both of your inputs."

Woody looked at Luna and Jack "Me and Celestia are gonna go meet Ember and the others at canterlot you two catch up with us later Luna was confused but she trusted him and fired the spell at the body again...

Luna fired the spell it hit Maple her body fell when a golden colored-soul emerged from it, since Maple put up no resistance against the spell, Luna kept focused as Woody held up his artifact. Luna carefully moved the soul into the artifact once she did the gemstone on it started glowing a yellowish color. Once it was said and done Woody ran over to Luna and Jack hugging them both again "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He said happily, since it worked. Luna smiled "It wasn't a problem Woody. I just had to block out my fear and know I was able to do it. I'm glad I was able to do that." She looked at him "What you'll do now with it confuses me was this just for closure?" Woody nodded "Yea. For now at least."

Maple had grown black claws now her wings had some as well her golden eyes contrasting the dawn sky, Her coat had grown darker rather than the bright yellow it had turned more into a yellowish- brown as a responce to what happened to her, the new appearance had scared the whole camp. Luna was about to use the spell but she hesitated "Uhh... Jack. Is there a way to test this soul transfer spell before using it on her I memorized the spell on the document but I don't know..." Celestia stared Maple down she noticed she wasn't moving or attacking, She was only standing there watching... Perhaps waiting for the right time to attack them. Celestia had lowered her guard for a second in her confusion and then Maple attacked her Celestia barely blocking the hit "Maple... This isn't you... Come back to us please!" She knew it was pointless but she said that anyways. "I can hold her but I don't want to fight her. Just hurry with that plan of yours..."

"Oh my it was nothing really I'm sorry I never asked if you even wanted any. But since you enjoyed it I guess it was ok." Fluttershy said "You two have any plans for the rest of the night? If not I'd recommend a walk by the edge of Everfree. It's wonderful at this time of night." Discord frowned "I'd agree with her but the weather seems to disagree." He said pointing at the rain "Though If you two are rather bored we could do... something in here."