Maple Bat

Woody, who was still hiding thought to himself So... Is he some sort of hunter? And... he knows Light weakens it? Maybe... I'll keep following. Woody knew that he'd been the one the creature communicated with but he wasn't going to involve himself in hunting... Odd he had no cutie mark if this a hunt

"Regardless... While he has done bad things he knows that without helping us soon there may not be any Equestria. IT's a weird concept and I understand why he was neglecting it at first. He had no idea how bad it was getting. Chrysalis... Her, Treasured... and others. All of them realize the weight of this situation. I recommend you trust them for now, after all, we had eyewitnesses of him saving Princess Luna prior to joining our side despite a certain hatred for alicorns. However, I'll keep an eye on him. You've done so much for us already... Regardless we have somewhere to be... I appreciate you telling me this. It's not something I'd expect on my own." Shining walked now, a bit less confident. He was doing his best in the crisis... and for not being an alicorn leading practically a nation of an army he was doing well... at least that's what he told himself. "This plan of yours... That should be our focus for now."

"As much as I hate Treasured... he doesn't have reason to betray us now. That is... If his intentions of "bettering Equestria" are true." Shining shook his head "Desperate times... you know... call for desperate measures, those dragons used to hate us ponies. Everything about this is wrong... He's even sane compared to the last few waves of those... mad men." His horn lit up as he communicated telepathically... Careson could tell because he made faces.

"Well... We believe it to be somewhere in the snowy mountains nearby the Crystal Empire... we never truly found it with the Empire's military. I bet we'd find it with some of that Tech Twi told me about that you carry around... Anyways. IS that tall you need? I need to get some things done myself. A new batch of trainees to start training you know?" Shining asked in a upbeat manner. "I guarantee Moonshadow will be here quick... I could come too if you need."

Maple was a bit busy with the timber wolf and tossed them as the flash happened "Augh!" As the timber wolf ran off she dropped her spear and rubbed her eyes. "Sorry...that was my bad... thanks for that. Clever plan... I'll need to bring something to flash with... Like a magic stone." She took another moment to recover "There is one thing... I think that could've drawn attention to us... I'll be more careful." She presses forward, Finding the path she and Speechless used before which made it easier. "I hope Luna can arrange that these hunters never arise again...but it's hard to monitor."

"You should. This forest can be pretty dangerous. Regardless I'm going to head home myself. Good luck getting home." *Woody waved to them and hummed something as he walked away he turned invisible hovering above the ground to not make noise as he followed this pony... It was creepy of his... but, he was curious about them.

Cadence tried to calm herself down. "Ok... I'll, I'll go get the other, Griffons, changeling, Some of the other leaders too... Leave it to me!" She started to walk off, Twi hugged her as she did Careson saw it, they exchanged some conversation before Twi went to find one leader and Cadence another of them. Shining had walked near careson as he mentioned the dragon leader. "Oh well... the thing is without Ember and the Stone she carries the dragons have no... real leader. Of course we can still get them on our side easily. Just we'll need to round them up... if you've got an Idea of how we could do that..."

Cadence started to have what was comparable to a breakdown "B-But this is just too much. Why does it all fall on me now... I thought the rebuilding of old towns was going to be the hardest thing... this... This is well beyond it." She started to hyperventilate "I can't do this... I'm not fit to run this much, the Crystal Empire wasn't near as needy as... Well, I guess it's the majority of the planet... How do they manage to deal with so much day by day in and out... I just I don't want to be the one to make these choices. It's just too much... Please, I'm sorry I want help I really really do but this isn't a choice I can make on my own. I need... I need someone else... Help with all these things... everything I need to do..." *She takes a long moment in silence breathing quietly... now waiting on a response from Caerson. Silently apologizing for the outburst .

Cadence and Moonshadow listened. Moon himself seemed pretty excited about having more allies but Cadence... seemed bothered by something. When he was asked, Moon looked up from his notes. "Yes, sir. Just a small detachment. I'll go get a few soldiers of various races..." He trots away from the two... after he did cadence looked at Careson, their eyes meeting for a moment. "I don't know... I thought this would be easier... but Equestria needs Celestia and Luna back. I'm barely keeping myself together with all of this... let alone everyone else. I... I just... I don't know what to do. It's so much... I'm not sure if we could provide rations to these new soldiers... or housing... or... or... The public's reaction. I'm not even the leader here why would those allies trust me?"

Maple got on the starting line. "Well If you think it helps I'm not going to question. Hope you're ready to lose!" Maple taunted chuckling. Kicking the dirt under her hoof "Really though, good luck. May the better of us win." "Aww... Well ok, I'll wait until after the race." Woody had a pretty good idea... but he didn't want to act on it... or he might make things very awkward. "C'mon! They're waiting for us!" He waved a paw, motioning for Will and Swirling to follow him. When he got outside Woody hummed a light, warm melody spawning a small bucket of popcorn, he started to float on his back and set the small bucket on his stomach "Make this good you two!"

"The problem becomes... We ponies aren't adapted to this sort of environment... I've been around here more than I'd like to admit. But still, I'm at a disadvantage. There are creatures that probably smell us already. That's why I'm so adamant about us getting out of here as quickly as we ca-." Maple was interrupted as there was a deafening sound of claws against her armor, not surprisingly a hungry timberwolf... the things populated the forest like a pony to towns. She turned to stop it biting her neck by lodging her spear's pole into its mouth it was made of wood with parts of metal so it couldn't bite through there.

"Right... Ok. Well regardless. Did you need a guide back to ponyville, it's just over that way. Where exactly did you come from." His tone implied that he was pressing the matter "Just for, reference of course. Just need to get you home... as you're probably pretty far from it... wherever it is now." He tapped a paw waiting for an answer. He swore that he would've seen that monster... yet he wasn't making a comment... The thing that disappeared Woody didn't know. But Dragonequus were... less rare than they used to be and better known too.

It took about 20 minutes... Cadence approached, tired. "Sorry about the wait... I know you said it's important, but everypony does. Regardless I'm clear for a while... About 2 hours before I need to do something." She was able to hold herself but would lose focus now and again... She'd been losing a lot of sleep keeping up with everything herself, Shining kept the military part under his hoof but there were significantly more non-military problems in Equestria, and she tended to take those problems with her, worrying about them even after she made a choice. "Did you need something Shining happened to head up too, with Moonshadow too. Shining commented quickly seeing Cadence in her state "Things are getting worse for you... I wish I could help but we've done what we can to get The other princesses... I should get Twi to help you... I'll, do that now. Moonshadow can tell me everything later..." His ears dropped, as he started to head off, he wanted to do so much more, but he had no idea what would help. Moonshadow took out a few papers and a pen to take down everything, staying quiet... Despite the lack of strength among equestrians they managed to get word around quickly and react to it.

"Oh, It's so on!" Maple runs outside walking up and putting a line in the dirt with a hoof "Starting and finish line... To the library and back! Wait on Will, however... So he can watch to see who wins." Maple's wings opened up Meanwhile back inside, Woody looked at will up and down "Well I think me and Will here will team up, I can do the singing for his shows with my lovely voice. And he'll do what he normally does... But one second" Woody smiled slyly, leaning down to just above Will's eye level "I swear I saw a look in your eyes earlier... is there something you're not telling me? Hmm?" He asked in a hushed tone not saying it fully out-loud.

Twilight listened in on the whole conversation... She took mental notes on things she saw as important. Allies, Boarding attack but... Who was Mick? She didn't know... and couldn't really ask him either. It wasn't him... He said "Mandrake Caerson" Regardless... There were ponies DNA in a system... and now she wanted to purge that... As she knew it was regarding those monsters... She was going to find somepony else to talk with about this... Cadence was in the throne room a guard pony had tapped on Caerson's back to get his attention. "Throne room sir. She's busy but If it is important Princess Cadence will get to you quickly."

"Right... Sorry. Just hard to see him as innocent when he's partially involved in killing your entire race" Twi apologized about halfway into Caerson's near speech. After she, however, became suspicious and started to follow him, attempting to do so quietly to not upset him. She knew there was something else. Something possibly important that he wasn't telling her. She needed to know what it was, knowing well if she was caught then it could mean the end of their partnership and worse, their friendship. --------------------------------------------------------------- "Ugh... My head... Don't do stuff like that..." Treasured narrowly dodges a tower as he passes "Whoa! And that's why! Who's with her is none of my business, I'll take down the mare and when I do I'll take who's with her too if I need to. Don't try to get in my way either or I'll shatter you." He said as he turned himself to face everfree before continuing his rapid flight.

Maple's ear twitched as she heard something move closer she turned in an instant... but the sound was merely a small rabbit. She sighed and carried on still leading the way, now hacking at some of the more dense plant life. "I've always liked this part of the forest... dark, mysterious. Yet the dangers that lie in wait take away from those feelings, you never know when you might run into a monster..." She forced her way past the recently cut vegetation still trailblazing for the others

"So... The answer to our problem... is seen as the answer to yours... So we can't kill him and solve the problems. This... I don't know what to do. I mean, it seems the only option we have is to take him down. Otherwise, It seems that we'll be endlessly and hopelessly outnumbered by these nightmares. You... agree right?" Twilight met his eyes, refusing to back down here "That's what our plan is then... Or will we have to argue if we should take him down or not... But I want to keep my people safe so you know what I want to do" She did seem to regret the idea even with the mention of getting rid of the infected... ------------------------------------------ "Don't worry, She won't get far... I'll make sure I get her this time..." Treasured took off like a jet, only just remembering to take the stone with him with his telekinetic magic. "I swear on it... once I do find her I'll take her powers away from her making sure that they'll never return this time!"

" Err... Sure a walk, Why did your walk take you to... nevermind not my place to ask." Woody hummed a small something, snapped and a small clock appeared. "It's 5 or 6 give or take a few minutes that is... Since this isn't exactly perfect here in Everfree... Regardless it's morning." Woody took note of this pony... seeing the lack of cutie mark "Hey, did you lose something in the forest back there? You're flank is... Lacking." He tried to put it to him gently, he'd probably heard it 100 times over and more.

"Well... Why aren't we trying to find something to kill it completely. It seems we're missing out on a huge opportunity." Twilight gasps "I mean... Then we can finally get rid of them all. And YOU made it so you know how we can beat it right? I mean... Together we surely can do this... Right? I mean... It's not like it's unbeatable right?" She said hope in her eyes as she started to feel there's a good chance now. ------------------------------------------ "Wow! Ok, that's... I'm glad you're going with her 'Hunter' now... Maybe you can help him in ways I, Or anyone else could not. I have faith in him." Treasured runs into actually "Are you talking to a rock Graystone? Oh, wait you're the spirit." He says after "Why did you need me, Gray?" "Oh right... Well you and her will be heading to find the girl who escaped. She'll be a backup for you and give advice but she won't get in the way." Graystone handed him the stone that contained Meriel. "I know I can't order you... but I can tell you want revenge against that pony." "Yea... you're right. Well, I'll get looking for her... you will keep me updated on back here right?" "Of course and you will keep me up to date

"Well... I'm too familiar... I didn't do much at the start personally. Only when it was really brought to my attention." Twilight watched him as he paced around the room "I think I remember a few things about her... Why in particular do you bring this up?" ---------------------------------------------------------------- Graystone looked at the crystal "Ok... So. Real talk with me for a moment... What are you?" He asked as he continued to wander around looking for Treasured and Zecora "No offense or anything but you kinda scare me... You seem very powerful... from what I can read off your magic."

After all this new information... Twilight took with... a hint of a smile "Right... I understand what you did... Maybe your intentions weren't... Too pure however you're owning up to it... If it helps any, WE did manage to get rid of the one in Jack. Completely destroying it." Her smile faded, into a distraught look. "I know that doesn't stop the others and without Fluttershy... We can't use the elements again." She sighed "Let's get to work alright? I know its hard to bear, But let's just make the last while we have memorable alright?"

Graystone went over to the Crystal. "Well... Alright, you can go with him... He does like Crystals. So a talking one would be a great ally for him... I'll take you to him." After he mentioned he looked a Cearson. "Don't worry... I'll help you with that... Sounds like a challenge." Graystone touched something on his chest and it started to glow. "Treasured, Sir... Meet me again please." He pressed it again and it went off. "I'm with you on that. Plus any help we can get... I'm sure it will be helpful. As long as you promise that... they won't have a problem with... well our kinds distrust for anything... Beyond Equestria to put it to a broad term." Twilight had a point... After the Infestation, they had every reason to be scared of things they didn't know. "We can build it though... If you have plans for a "Dropship"... I'll get the Spaceship plans!"

"Right we shouldn't be too far now..." She motioned for them to keep following her... It was getting dark in the part of Everfree... And they weren't moving as fast as the first time. "Stay sharp. This is where everything can get worse. You know...The most dangerous creatures..." Her fur on her coat stood on end as she felt the eerieness of the forest... As it had before.

"Library and back Alright that's a reasonable distance... Let's do it! Will can you be out Finish line moderator? So we know who came in f-" Maple was interrupted as Woody appeared in the center of the room again. "Will ...I'm not sure what this Rice Krispie thingy... is but Pinkie let me try a bit and It was pretty good" Woody hands him a small bowl of it. "It wasn't expensive. So it's on me!" "Woody you don't have a-" Maple was again interrupted "Don't worry I helped make it so It actually didn't cost anything" He chuckled giving Maple a thumbs up.