20 Assault on Sweet Apple Acres

Beta woke up a few hours later in his bed on the farm. Again Apple Berry was looking over him. He saw her fuzzy outline as his sight began to come to... "Angel?" he asked, smelling the scent of the vixen in the air. She had helped carry Beta to the cottage, made sure he didn't have any serious wounds, then left, swearing Apple Berry to secrecy.

"Mike can't know I was here, and you can't CALL him Mike" she had said, pointing a finger at Apple Berry.

"Why not?" she asked angrily "Little pet name you two have for each other!" she liked the vixen, but was feeling a little jealous.

"No you silly mare" the vixen replied, then took a deep breath. She liked Apple Berry in all truth, but "I don't have much time. Look, I'm not supposed to be here... I was on my way to do something for the queen and I got side tracked... it's not yet time for Mike... Beta to know I'm around.. ok? please?" she asked in a more conciliatory tone.

"What are you doing for Celestia?" Apple Berry asked.

"I'm scouting this area for her. She has a student that NEEDS to get out of the castle... BADLY, and... 'get a life'. I believe is how Celestia put it." the vixen smiled. Twilight Sparkle was truly a genius on her level, but was too much of a book worm. In fact she reminded her of herself before a young furry, designated Beta test 02, had corrupted her.

"Ok... not a word, I found him and brought him back here on my own..." Apple Berry agreed.

"That's essentially the truth anyway" the vixen said, shrugging "I didn't really do anything. You checked him out pretty thoroughly back there, you carried him and..." she trailed off 'and you love him...'

As she packed up to go, Apple Berry asked finally "What's your name? We kind of got distracted back in the forest."

They both laughed. "Yeah, I suppose we did" the vixen replied. "You're right of course... I'm 'her'... I'm Alpha. Take care of him. He means the world to me" she finished and left.

"He means that to me too" Apple Berry said sadly. 'How many females DO you have pining after you, Beta?' she wondered to herself.

Yawning and stretching, Beta got out of bed, noticing that he had managed to loose his clothes again. Looking around for his spare set, Beta asked "Why is it that I always seem to loose my clothes when I'm unconscious around you?" and winked at Apple Berry, who blushed.

"There wasn't much after your battle, hun... you kind of destroyed them." she retorted, blushing even redder realizing how familiar she had just been with Beta by calling him 'hun'.

Then taking on a serious tone when he found his spare work overalls "So... you saw me.. like... that... then?" he asked, deep self resentment and shame in his voice.

"And Ah didn't run." Apple Berry answered firmly, her soft accent becoming more pronounced. "Ah stood there and watched you. I heard what yah said... and ya... " she faltered. tears wanting to form, but she fought them back for the moment. "Ya had a bahd life before here, didn't ya?"

Beta paused and thought about the question, only his lower legs in his overalls. She looked hungrily at him, unable to stop her eyes.

"No... it wasn't a great life... but it was mine." he said with a heavy sigh of sadness. "At least it was mine until that bastard Dobsin took it away from me." he finished, growling the word.

'dob sin... what is that' Apple Berry wondered.

Shaking his head, then blushing realizing he was quite exposed to Apple Berry, not a condition he really objected to, pulled up his pants ending the show. "I need to talk to Big Mac about what happened in Cloudsdale. The royal guard has to know the Predators are a threat... and that they're 'monsters' now." Beta said in a business-like manner.

"But... But you just woke up!" Apple Berry protested, stomping a hoof on the ground "Dammit Beta, take a bucking break! Do you think you're indestructible?!" she said raising her voice, concern painting her lovely features.

"No Berry... I'm VERY destructible which is WHY I need to tell someone!" Beta replied, trying to keep his voice level and only partially succeeding. "Mac has contacts with the guard. I can tell him and..." but he was interrupted.

"You are so damned thick headed, Mike! TAKE A BUCKING DAY OFF!" Apple Berry screamed, tears starting to form. She was a nurse. She knew how pony bodies worked, and knew that Beta wasn't as durable as a pony. Then she realized her slip, seeing Beta's shocked expression.

"How..." he asked, suddenly becoming very cold and very angry. "Do You know THAT NAME!?" he roared, his fangs and claws bared. Apple Berry had just hit a very, very raw nerve. Beta was content to be called Beta... Mike was a very personal name. He was planing on telling Apple Berry... maybe... but this... "HOW DO YOU KNOW MY SECRET NAME!?!?" he roared.

Apple Berry was scared, more than in the forest and took a step back. This wasn't blind rage. This was worse. This was like she had broken into his mind, invaded his privacy... violated his trust... Alpha's trust... She knew she had to think fast... something believable. 'Celestia damn me if I break TWO ponies' trust today!' she thought brutally to herself.

"YOU SAID IT IN YOUR SLEEP" she screamed, tears rolling down her cheek. "You...you said in your sleep... "My name is Mike"" she was crying now, her words almost unintelligible. She loved him so much. She never meant to go to a dark place like where that name must be... that must be why Alpha had said not to use it... Apple Berry fell to all 4 knees, before laying on the ground weeping openly. "Why Beta, why is that such a bad thing to call you!?"

Turning to leave Beta said coldly over his shoulder, far more than he meant "Because only my teammates can call me that..." he managed to stop. He almost added  '... and you're just some pony bitch I met last month' which would have crushed her heart completely. He didn't want that. Managing to cool down a little "I'm leaving to talk to Mac. I don't know when I'll be back... don't wait up" he said with such a cold finality, that Apple Berry feared she'd just lost him forever.

Stomping out of his home and towards the sparring circle, Beta fumed. He needed to blow off some steam. He knew in his heart and mind that what he did was wrong. But... 'That scent... Alpha must have told Berry.' he concluded. 'Alpha was here.. HERE... and she left without talking to ME!' He thought, extra hurt. He realized he was angry with Alpha, not Apple Berry. 'And now I've hurt Berry... could this day GET any worse?' he immediately regretted wondering that, as a moment later a hoof came out of nowhere to send him flying.

"Ow..." Beta said, too distracted to really register the pain. Looking up, he saw a rather upset looking Big Mac.

"Ah could hear Apple Berry all tha way in tha farm boy!" Mac boomed at him. "What tha HELL did yah just say to her?!"

Growling, not ready to concede openly his error in judgement, Beta leaped at Big Mac, spinning and swinging his right leg out for a powerful kick... that missed completely.

Landing, skidding on the ground to a halt, Beta ran back at Mac and began striking at him with blunt fists and kicks. He might have been pissed, and this might have been exactly what he needed... but he wasn't trying to KILL Mac. His claws were reinforced with biomesh, making them super sharp. He had to concentrate to have what few nannites he had to make his claws dull by pulling away the mesh. Beta was always conscious of how dangerous he was. But right now all he wanted to do was to hit this fucking red Clydesdale! "WHY CAN'T I HIT YOU!?" Beta roared in impotent rage.

"Oh yah wahnt ta hit me now, do yah?" Mac taunted and stopped dodging. Beta's first fist hit Mac's very solid stomach, as he was standing on his hind legs... and it bounced off, hurting it considerably. "OW!". Beta's next fist hit... the same. Beta began to hit Mac with a flurry of kicks and punches to his midsection, as Mac just yawned. He then swung a back hoof that connected with Beta's head and send him flying, crashing into one of the posts marking the sparring area.

Moaning from the pain seeping into his consciousness from the sucker hoof, the just administered back hoof, as well as realizing his own situation, Beta's ears fell flat against his head. "I... I'm a thoughtless asshole who has trouble letting people into his heart" he said honestly and in a flat tone.

"Yeah.. yah are." Mac said "So what happened dat yah got so mad over boy? Why did yah make MAH COUSIN CRY!?" Big Mac emphasized cousin. Beta had nearly forgotten they were kin. Her accent should have been enough 'But it's so soft and only comes out when she's emotional' Beta thought.

Looking up, and defeated, Beta explained "I think Alpha was here recently."

"And?" Mac asked, looking like he was ready to go a few more rounds with Beta, but not hold back.

Sighing and letting his shoulders slump along with his ears and whiskers, Beta explained "My NAME isn't Beta. That's my designation, given to me by the humans that created me. My full designation is Test subject 02: Beta Test."

Mac nodded. He didn't understand everything Beta had just said, 'what's a hoo mahn?' but he got the general idea.

"We... Alpha and I, were the first ones 'woken up' from the um... places we were born, as it were. Anyway... I wanted a name like father had. I choose Mike. Later, I started calling Alpha my 'angel of mercy'. So she became Angel. Delta was Dan, Omega was little John, Gamma was Bullseye... he was a strange one" Beta finished, smiling, thinking of his comrades. "We never told anyone else our names. We were still killing machines. We had missions, no one cared about our souls... " Beta paused, melancholy threatening to overtake him again. He was getting so tired of crying so easily. He was a man after all...

"There's no shame in cryin', boy." Big Mac said compassionately. He'd been in Beta's place more than once, dealing with loss and grief. It was not a place he wished on anyone. "Not after the life yah've had. SO.. yer mad at Alpha fer not stayin? Ah can understand that. She's a cold bitch at times." Mac said nodding, offering a hoof. "And as long as yer this honest about it, ah can't hate yah.. but yer hurting Apple Berry with it. Do yah know how worried she was when ya fell from Cloudsdale?" Big Mac asked, snapping Beta into the present and reminding him why he was here.

"Oh yeah... how much of that have you heard?" he asked, dodging the subject of Apple Berry for the time being.

"Not much. Just that there was this big fight, a thunder bolt 15 hooves across, and yah nearly gettin killed." Mac said, recalling the stories around town.

"Mac... what can you tell me about Predators..." Beta started, unsure how to explain further. Thankfully he didn't have to. It would seem that the ponies here used the same term.

"Preds? What about 'em?" Big Mac asked, a sharp look entering his eyes.

"They were there... a lot of them... a lot, a lot!" Beta said weakly. 'a lot, a lot? Really Beta?' he chided himself quietly.

"How many is a lot a lot?" Mac asked skeptically, figuring it was a great number if BETA was worried.

"I'm not sure... 25?" Beta said, realizing that maybe he sounded like a wimp, unable to take on a mere 25 opponents... even if those opponents were deranged, sexually hungry ponies. He needn't worry about being thought ill of. Big Mac's eyes were wide with shock and horror.

"S.. so many?" Mac asked. "Ah've never heard of so many in one place before" this shocked Beta. "How did yah defeat them?"

"Luna... I called to Luna for help and she did..." Beta said quietly. His body seemed to have such an unpleasant reaction to channeling large amounts of magic. It always ended up with him unconscious for hours or days on end. "That's what I have to tell the guard... Luna made a Royal Decree... 'All predators are monsters'. What does that mean Mac?" He asked as he saw a triumphant grin on Mac's face.

"It means we have a better chance of taking the bastards out in larger numbers!" Mac said, smiling "A monster goes POOF when ya hit it hard enough. A pony, gets back up."  Big Mac said, sounding like the Royal Guard Elite commander that he was.

Beta nodded. "That explains why Rainbow Dash knocked the same 3 guys down about a dozen times." he said, then remembered when Fluttershy and he...

"I... I had to trick Fluttershy... I .... " Beta couldn't continue and not break down in tears so he stopped.

"And that's why yah went into the hornet's next, wavin' honey around. Ah understand Beta... Apple Berry told me that much." Big Mac said with more compassion than Beta felt he deserved right now. "Ah've ah... gone into the Everfree um..." Mac was blushing at this point, knowing he should have know better. "Lookin' fer ah fight or two. Nearly died ah couple times too. But mah sister come help her 'dumb older brother'..." he said with a mix of love for Apple Jack and scorn that he was, and would always be, seen as some dumb hayseed. "I'm just glad she didn't see all the bodies on the way in" he finished darkly, dropping his accent for a moment. Beta knew that "ah yup" as more of a cover since his days in the guard.

"Um... What now" Beta asked, painfully aware of the situation.

"Now... now you learn how to fight a Pony Royal guardsman. If you can't land a hoof, let alone HURT me, then you're no good against the predators... or anything else of real danger in Equestria... assumin yer not lookin ta KILL that is." Big Mac said, pointing his nose at Beta's claws. He was very aware that if Beta choose to he could slice him into bits of Big Mac burger.

"Hold on Mac...I need to declaw myself or I really WILL hurt you" Beta said before holding his paws in front of himself, fingers splayed claws glinting in the light. Beta closed his eyes and concentrated hard. He had to move the biomesh that was hardening his claws somewhere else, his knuckles, he decided. That would give him a kind of sub-dermal glove. It took almost 2 minutes. He missed his nannite farm, this would have been done in a second or less, but he had so few nannites now, that he was lucky to even be able to perform this parlor trick.

Flexing his fingers after it was completed, Beta nodded. "All safe. Now I don't run the chance of hurting you, hun." He said, smiling at Big Mac who returned the affectionate smile. Beta was relieved that Big Mac wasn't still mad at him. Mac was the last person in Equestria, above even Luna, who he wanted mad at him.

"You never had that chance boy. You may be some hot assassin back in your world, but here, no one's a better fighter than Ah am. Prepare to have yer fluffy tail kicked!" Big Mac said as he stood upright, his full height on his hind legs had him towering over Beta, who was more than a little intimidated by this.

Beta started by leaping towards Big Mac's head, executing a perfect roundhouse kick, which did nothing. Beta fell to the ground in shock, looking up at the towering red Clydesdale, who smiled down at him. "Yer fast boy, Ah didn't even see you move until just now... but your attack doesn't have any power. Yer just fluff and bones."

Beta swore silently. He knew Big Mac was right. With so few nannites he could no longer move his biomesh around like he used to. It was currently in its default setting, protecting his chest and back with some reinforcement on his shins, thighs... as Beta began to consider where he DID have his armor he began to formulate attacks that would allow him to use that to, perhaps, add more weight to his attacks. In the mean time...

'RABBIT PUNCH' Beta leaped up and forward, clasping his paws together and swinging them up together as one large furry fist. It struck just under Big Mac's chin and snapped his head back. Keeping with the momentum, Beta reached forward, grabbing Big Mac's large jawbones on either side of his face, and pulled himself close, executing a double kick to Mac's lower mid section, just missing his tender... there were places Beta would never attack on Big Mac, and that was one of them!

Big Mac bent over so much, he fell back onto his fore hooves, gasping for air, a moment later, kneeling on his hind legs, his fore legs clutching his mid section. Beta was also breathing hard as soon as he landed. It took a lot of work to do that, and he wasn't sure how he would manage against a small group.

"Not... bad..." Mac gasped, inhaling deep, chiding himself for taking his soft, fluffy lover so lightly. He'd earned this and he knew that Beta had purposely avoided his groin... he would have to find a creative way of thanking him for that later. But now he had to put this little rabbit back in his place

Shaking his head, Big Mac decided to stop playing around and take a more traditional pony combat stance; all four hooves on the ground in different angles to one another, so that if one or two legs were knocked out, the fighter could still stand or attack. Lifting one left before him, Big Mac made a 'come hither' motion. Beta attacked, fast as lightning, but this time Big Mac was ready. The advantage of this style of fighting for him was his hooves could feel the ground. He could not see Beta, but he could 'feel him'. Closing his eyes, Mac relied completely on his other senses, and dodged the first attack with easily.

Trying again, Beta performed a complex backflip, landing his right foot-paw where his left hand-paw was on the ground a moment before. He only felt ground... then he felt a hoof in his chest. Mac knew where it was ok to hit Beta without actually hurting him. But even with his armor, the impact stung.

For half an hour it went. Beta occasionally getting some good solid hits in on Big Mac, but more often Big Mac either absorbing or dodging, then counter striking Beta.

Unfortunately, today the Royal Guard forward-looking scouts were flying overhead. If Twilight Sparkle was to come to live in this backwater, they wanted to make sure it was COMPLETELY clear of any kind of nefarious going-ons. That's when the Sergeant saw his commanding officer in what looked like a life and death struggle with a...

"SQUAD! ON ME! DOWN!!!" the Sergeant barked. He was a earth pony with 'fairy wings' He hated this damned spell... something about it took away from his stallioness, somehow. Then pointing at the Blue two-legs he ordered "Sigma put down that mongrel, think you can handle that?"

"Y-yes S-sir" the unicorn replied meekly. His coat looked almost white, except that it was very, very pale pink. He was a fully trained guardsman, but his magic was considered weak... very weak. They almost never taught him spells. He didn't even cast these wings. 'It's too complicated for you, Sigma' he recalled bitterly. 'I'm certainly smart enough to cast more spells...I'm... just..'  he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge it.

Rolling his eyes the sergeant added "FAILING that, Get Big Mac! He's one of US, certainly you can handle a pony?" the Sergeant added. He graded Sigma because he wanted to see the kid assert himself. He was kind, smart, and soft... too soft. If he expected to survive at this level, he'd have to up his game 3 fold. 'Honestly' he thought 'That kid has more potential than I've seen in a dozen guards men. He needs confidence!' he thought bitterly. He'd tried a dozen times since Sigma was under his command to get his spells increased, and he constantly got the same reply. 'Not powerful enough.'

Beta and Big Mac had just stopped and were on sitting on the ground resting, joking back and forth about the very long sparring match. They both had needed the release of the fight. Big Mac had been having issues on the farm of one sort or another and Beta... he just needed this time with Big Mac. They both needed this match. It had drained them both to near exhaustion however, Beta was especially spent. He was ready to sleep for a day.

Out of nowhere, a pegasus came racing out of the skies and slammed into Beta, winding him of what little air he had, knocking him senseless. The pegasus then kneeled over him, effectively, completely immobilizing Beta, not that he had the strength to fight.

'No way I'm letting that pink stallion sucking poofter have this one. Let's see if he's any good against a REAL pony. He'll probably fail... again.' Buzzer thought viciously. He hated 'pink' male ponies.

'Dammit Buzzer!' the Sergeant didn't say, 'That was supposed to be Sigma's kill. Easier target and the kid NEEDS a few of those.' he swore mentally. "Good kill, Buzzer!" he said instead. He had to encourage his troops also when they took the ... correct, initiative. "Nice and quick!".... 'and way below your skill level you glory sucking asshole.' He didn't care for Buzzer. Sure, he was a talented and skilled pegasus, but that was part of his problem. BECAUSE of that, he was also an arrogant prick.

Before Mac could get a firm grasp on what had happened to Beta, He found himself pushed against the ground and enclosed in a magical net. 'What the hell?' Big Mac thought. 'This is a basic level spell they teach recruits. Why is it being used on me... and why is it actually working?' he wondered sluggishly, the fight having taking his speed of thought.

"Good one, Sigma" Sarg said. He was going to have to make a special note. This spell was basic, it should NOT work against someone of Commander Macintosh's ability. But the mesh had Mac pinned against the ground pretty good. Why did that bother him?

One at a time, all 4 Royal Guard landed. Sigma who was holding the net spell on Big Mac, Buzzer who was holding a now starting to come-to mongrel two legs, Sergeant Nutstomper (he grew up on a walnut farm) and his lieutenant Quicktrip. All 3 were the typical of the royal guard, pure white coats with navy blue manes. Only Sigma differed. Something the others loved to remind him behind Sarg's back... often.

"WHAT IN TARNATION IS GOING ON HERE!?" Big Mac boomed, trying to stand up. 'Why is this working?' he wondered before he saw the light pink pony struggling to hold the spell on him. 'SIGMA!?' Then Big Mac knew he really only had One Option. No one understood Sigma's potential. How deeply he felt about his abilities and how hurt he was. But Big Mac knew. He was in charge of Sigma once.

"You, commander have been found in the company of a two-legged mongrel!" the sergeant began. Mac would have tried to rip his head off, except he knew this pony. This was a required speech and he knew what happened next... "You can denounce him and spare yourself..."

"SPARE Me Berrytapper!" Big Mac threw back. He knew Nutstomper hated that nickname, "but you don't know what you're talking about!" when Nutstomper was younger one of his hooves went tender, so he only had 3 hooves that could crack nuts. So a young recruit Macintosh would tease him that he could only tap berries. He did a LOT of KP but he didn't care, it was worth it. When Mac raised in the ranks, the old Sergeant accepted it good naturedly, but Mac had long since stopped, learning to respect the greying pony.

"What is your REAL reason for assaulting me and my friend?!" Big Mac roared. "It was clear we were having a friendly sparring match, AND that we were just finishing up!"

"You know the rules on ... mongrels Mac... You helped WRITE THEM!" Sarg accused. "You know we have to take him in..."

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!" Big Mac roared, cutting Sarg off. Then he started to stand, pushing up against the very effective net. 'I'm sorry Sigma' he apologized quietly.

"I am earth... All energies return to ground. From far in the heavens were our gods come from, to the skies and the humble cloud. All energy returns to Earth!" he chanted. As he did his eyes began to glow a light green earth tone. The magical net gone, its energies having been absorbed by Big Mac. Rearing up on his hind legs Big Mac roared "I AM YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER! and you will OBEY MY COMMANDS!" with the last word Big Mac slammed his fore hooves down on the ground, sending out giant ripples of earth, like waves on a pond, not disturbing the ground, only those on top of it. The wave extended out dozens of feet, knocking apples off trees into the buckets that are usually sitting empty under them, waiting for an apple to fall.

All the royal guard were knocked down. Buzzer and Beta were thrown in different directions, knocking both silly for a few moments. Sigma was blasted back with the rebuke from his own magic and landed on his back, flopping to his side, stunned. The grizzled old Sergeant just rode the wave out, expecting this but unable to warn anypony by the time he realized it.

"Big Mac is from a long line of earth ponies who can 'borrow' magic and redirect it." the Sergeant began as if there had been only a stiff breeze "Sorry... I forgot that. I haven't worked with Mac in ages. Regardless.."

"SHUT UP!" Big Macintosh roared, and another wave radiated from him, this time knocking Sarg on his ass. "YOU have no RIGHT to try and assault me! You know my position! You know WHY I'm here in Equestria, Sarg! MORE important... You know that Ponyville is under MY protection! IF I say a mongrel, sorry Beta, is safe... THEN HE IS SAFE!" he finished, another hoof in rage that his command structure seems to have ignored him.

Beta finally managed to find, and keep his breath. "Guys!" he said, causing both Mac and Sarg to look at him. "Look, we have bigger problems! The pred population is... growing or getting more ornery or something!" Beta pleaded. "Please you can take me in..."

"BETA NO!" Big Mac objected, afraid of what would happen to him.

"No Mac... I ... I can't keep hiding. This is too important." Beta said, his ears and shoulders slumping. "I ..."

Waving a hoof Sarg sighs. "Mac hay have a point kid. "I can already see that if you WERE a threat, A... Mac would have killed you and B... The amount of carnage you could manage would be considerable. But you..." He said then, looking at Big Mac as well. "BOTH of you will need to come back to the palace with us." he said, then waved his hoof again "Please Mac don't argue. You're overdue with your reports anyway. That... and I need you to explain to Shining Armor why this mongrel..."

"HEY!" both Beta and Big Mac yelled in indignation.

"I / He Has a name... it's Beta!" Beta and Mac protested at the same time.

"FINE..." Sarg snapped. "BETA... your new minder is ..." then looking at his squad, he smiled wickedly. "SIGMA!"

"WHa? huh, ME?" Sigma asked, pointing to himself with his hoof in shock.

"Yes YOU! Your net spell is pretty effective. Besides, I need someone who can protect the mong... BETA if needed." Sarg said. "He might also teach you a thing or two." 'He has that look of someone who hates hording his knowledge and skills.' Sarg also thought, appraising Beta. He didn't like mongrels, and he was just as ready to kill this one, but he would give him a chance... a SINGLE chance to prove himself.

"What can HE teach me?" Sigma protested indignantly.

"Perhaps when to SHUT UP!" Sarg growled. 'He must really be bothered to have actually spoken up... good.'

"When do we leave?" Big Mac asked,, interrupting the fight.

"Well since your little stomp knocked out our wings, we have to go on hoof, about 2 days ride from here. Buzz!" Sarg ordered, "Go to the castle and ONLY tell them we have information about the Preds... they're on the move..."

"OH... " Beta interrupted "Um... sorry... it's just that.. Luna declared them... monsters... does that mean anything useful?" Beta asked, looking sheepish as he finished his statement.

"Luna... you mean Nightmare Moon? She's back?!" Sarg asked, looking a little worried.

"Luna..." Beta said wondering why people kept confusing their lunar goddess with this "Nightmare Moon"... "You know, your Lunar goddess? She who sees over your dreams?" Beta asked deciding[ that] maybe he shouldn't add 'the one who saved my life, brought me over and has been guiding me this entire time?' feeling that it might not go well in front of guards of the sun!

"Monsters, huh?" Sarg said thoughtfully. "That really changes everything! You only have to kill or poke a monster really hard for him to cycle... and the best part? No body! They vaporize into smoke and dust." he said almost with a giddiness.

"Buzzer! Add that. But ONLY that. No information on the mongrel.. AT ALL! If word leaks out we have a mongrel with us, alive, and I'll have your wings on my plate, battered and deep fried... UNDERSTOOD!?" Sarg growled. It was rumored he had done this once. 'tastes like chicken' is also what he was rumored to have said.

Buzzer just nodded in fear and took off. He wasn't a great fan of Sarg, but he knew better than to go against orders. If Celestia herself asked, there was no mongrel traveling with the group. Only that the Preds were on the move and they were now monsters. and not a work more. Buzzer loved his wings. No one knew that he was called buzzer because his wings were very small for a long time, and they made a 'buzzing' sound when he flapped them.

"Oh, and Mac... We leave in 30 minutes. Pack your crap and be back here in... oh heck take an hour. Sigma, follow Beta, make sure he doesn't run... not that I think you would" the old pony noted, smiling at Beta. The disdain on his muzzle almost made Beta want to hit him.

Looking at his minder Beta waved. He had a kind face, much more so than the rest of his squad. That Buzzer really ... 'Maybe it's just because he got the best of me, but I don't like him' Beta pondered.

"So... your name is Sigma?" Beta asked in a friendly tone. If this was going to be his watch pony, he might as well get to know him... besides he was cute.

"Yes. Mo...pr... ... What the hell should I call you?" Sigma asked in frustration. He didn't think Beta was a mongrel... well not a bad, ugly, mean one anyway. He seemed very genuine when he offered to surrender earlier. He knew his squad mates would tease him... but he liked how Beta's fluffy tail moved... which caused him to blush. "Um... so... where are you going?"

"To my cabin, so I can assault you!" Beta said in a scary, somber voice, then burst out laughing at Sigma's look of... Beta wasn't sure. "Nah, just my shed to get some supplied. I have some magic books I've been meaning to read, a supply vest, etc." ... 'Apple Berry, I hope. I really need to apologize to her. I ... I was not in my right mind this morning. I was a right ass.' Beta thought, berating himself. Seeing the consternation on his face, Sigma asked

"What's wrong? You look... troubled" Sigma always gave ponies the benefit of the doubt. It had admittedly come back to bite him in the behind a few times... especially with the colts. 'Always the colts...' he thought broodingly at his disastrously failed attempts at relationships.

"A... my.... Hell, I don't know what we are, to be honest" Beta said ruffling his hair as they approached his shack. "There was a terrible misunderstanding this morning and I kind of yelled at her... and..." He pushed open his door... it was empty. Apple Berry and her things were gone. "Damn"

Beta went to collect his survival vest. As he touched it, he shivered; all the events of that night came flooding back. His father drugging him, he waking up on the evisceration table. His father setting a plan for him to escape. the hunter slicing into his gut. The redneck he got this vest from. His wish to Luna... "The words spoken... the toll paid" he said very softly. He had heard those words in his mind when he passed out.

Shaking his head, he checked the pouches. Still pretty much as they had been a month ago. 'Wow... has it really been a full cycle?' he mused. Such a busy month. The new moon was sure to start soon. And he would have to try to be back here to do what he was supposed to do... assuming these books held that information.

Mostly the books he had borrowed from the Library were old magic, using salt, circles, runes and incantations to affect magic. Beta hoped that if he used this kind of magic it wouldn't drain him as much as his 'blood magic' seemed to. Sighing heavily, Beta packed the books, put them in the backpack on the vest, and affixed a large bag of salt to his belt.

Sigma felt strange coming into a 'home' that had so recently been full and was now going to be quite empty for who knows how long. Seeing a note on a chair, he calls Beta "Hey Beta um... is this important?" he asked as he levitated the paper.

Beta picked the paper from mid air and thanked Sigma. There was only one word. Five letters, and it felt as thought he'd just been double hoof-kicked in the gut while his armor was down... closing his eyes, crushing the paper in his paw, he growled in pain. Trying not to cry, he threw it across the room and turned to leave.

"No Sigma, I don't have anything here. Let's go."