It was two o'clock in the afternoon, and Lyra was in her room, Listening. She was sprawled across her bed, eyes closed, just hearing the background noise. The sound of bluebirds flying outside her window; some fillies playing in the street; the wind blowing through the trees; Bonnie humming in the next room, baking. All these sounds and more mixed and frothed in her mind, forming a kind of song. It was a string piece, as was to be expected, and while not necessarily a great song, it did come from her heart. Lyra considered writing it down, but that would require getting up. It was entirely too hot and humid to spend energy on such frivolous things, she thought. Then again, who was she to contemplate frivolities? Lyra was the most frivolous pony Lyra knew. She didn't have a regular job, not really. Most of the money she earned until recently came from playing on the side of the street, hoping a passerby would provide some bits in thanks. Then she became a secret agent thingy. But even then, her role on the team was very vague. Lyra had to ask Princess Luna what exactly "alternative tactics" meant. It took some explaining and advice, but now Lyra felt somewhat confident in her ability to end conflicts without fighting. Plus, now she had that extra stipend from that job, which more than covered her half of the rent each month. So, Lyra supposed, she wasn't that frivolous anymore.
"Lyra, what are you doing?" Bonnie asked concernedly. Lyra drew herself up without using her hooves, sitting as usual in her own peculiar way.
"Listening," she said.
"Oh," Bonnie said, "Okay then. I hope you're okay with ending it there, because we got a letter from the princess. The gang's meeting up at Carrot Top's house, so we should leave as soon as we can."
Lyra smiled at Bonnie, the song she'd been hearing already lost. "Alright, I'm ready."
"As I'm sure you've all guessed, we have a mission," Carrot Top said from the head of the table. Everypony else sat at the sides, with Octavia and Derpy sitting near their leader, while Bon Bon and Lyra sat across from each other at the far end. There was no sign of Vinyl, but they knew that coming in. A few days ago she'd gotten a big gig over in Trottingham, and had left yesterday morning.
Lyra decided to break the silence first. "What kind of mission is it?" she asked.
Carrot reached out and opened the manila folder in front of her, looking at it as she talked. "One month ago an ancient ruin was discovered near the center of Whitetail Woods. As was to be expected with new finds, several teams of archaeologists requested permission to study it. The crown approved a hooffull of their requests, and they left into the forest to do their thing." She took a deep breath, as if to steady herself. Mostly it just added unnecessary tension. "Last night, a member of one of the teams returned. He was heavily injured, raked and cut from nearly every angle, all the wounds tinged with frostbite. Before he died, he regained lucidity for just a moment, and mumbled something about his team being gone. All attempts to regain communication with the excavators have failed, so we've been tasked to go in and find out what's what." It was clear from her tone that this wasn't going to be an easy trip, and from the way some of her friend's faces paled, they agreed. "Any questions about these details?"
"Ahem," Octavia said, clearing her throat. A light blush played on her cheeks. "As you all know, I'm not exactly the most well-traveled pony. What exactly are the 'White Tail Woods'? Why do you all look so afraid at the mention of it?" Lyra was happy that Octavia had voiced the same question that had been running through her mind for most of the meeting.
Their leader looked at Octavia, and displayed a small smile that didn't quiet reach her eyes. "Oh, yeah, I had forgotten. You aren't that familiar with the area." The smile faded, and she pointed to a map on the table. "Do you see that forest just north of Los Pegasus? Those are the Whitetail Woods. The forest is large, dense, and enchanted. Despite being in the south of Equestria, the deeper you go into the woods, the colder it gets. Go in deep enough and it starts snowing. Near the middle of the forest is a raging blizzard that some claim has lasted for millenia. The winds and snow are so dangerous that the poorly prepared rarely live long. It's there that these ruins were discovered." Her face scrunched up, as if in deep thought. "It's entirely possible that the missing archaeologists just died of the cold, but the cuts and gashes suggest foul play."
They all sat as calmly as they could, listening to her explanation. It was clear that even those that had heard of the woods didn't realize how bad the weather there was. Derpy in particular didn't look too enthused; her face was pale and there was a sadness lingering in her gaze. After Carrot Top had finished, Octavia replied with, "Well then, is there anything else we should know about the woods before we prepare to disembark?"
"Yes, actually. It's mostly just superstition, but some say the woods are a place of the Deer, and that they can be seen there on occasion. I'm not saying I believe in that, but considering the situation we need to be ready for any kind of mischief," Carrot explained.
Derpy cleared her throat. "Uh, Carrot, I'm not sure I can go on this mission." Carrot looked at her friend, and motioned for her to continue. "Well, Amethyst is going to be coming over for the weekend, and I haven't seen her in a while. And. ..and..." Derpy took a deep breath before continuing, "...and you remember the toll it took on them when I left the first time. I was only gone two weeks, but when I came back...they knew something had changed. I never told them what happened then, and they don't know what we're doing now. But if I leave, now, they're going to worry, and not just that I might not come back. They'll worry about who I'll be when I return. I need to sit this mission out. I'm not quitting the team or anything, but I need this weekend off, if that's okay."
A silence followed that didn't seem altogether comfortable. Carrot Top smiled sadly, this time touching her eyes with the gesture, and responded, "Of course. You don't have to come on this mission if you don't want to. On a similar note, I talked with Nurse Redheart, and we agreed a camping trip to the woods would be too dangerous, so Bon Bon will also stay behind." Her tone brooked no argument, but Bonnie didn't seem to want to. Lyra knew her, and they both understood the limits that her condition placed on her. She needed more time for rest, and that was that. Carrot looked around the table, and saw that nopony else had anything to say. "Alright then, ponies. I want Lyra and Octavia to grab anything of yours you think you'll need on this trip, then meet back up here as soon as you can. Luna paid for some gear for all of us which should be enough. We leave on a train for Los Pegasus in two hours. You're all dismissed."
It was an hour and forty-five minutes later when Lyra and Bon Bon arrived at the train station. Lyra knew before they had reached the building that Carrot would be waiting there for them, and she wouldn't be very happy. Their fearless leader liked them to show up early. The longer the wait until something, the earlier she wanted them there. Lyra's prediction wasn't wrong. As she and her friend ran towards the station, Lyra levitating her travel bag over her head as they ran, they soon caught sight of their friend waiting for them outside the building.
"You should have been here at least fifteen minutes ago," Carrot said, a frown on her face. Lyra rolled her eyes., and her leader took the hint. "Well, Octavia is already inside, so I'll join her. After you've said your goodbyes, get to our car ASAP. We're in the passenger car that's furthest back, last compartment on your left."
Lyra turned at looked at Bonnie. She was never good with goodbyes, even if they were only temporary ones. She saw the start of tears in Bonnie's eyes, and hurriedly pulled a small bag out from her side-satchel. "Bonnie, before we go, I have something for you." Bon Bon gave Lyra a quick look at the use of her nickname out loud, she'd never really liked it, but accepted the package regardless. She pulled the plain drawstring, and out of the cloth bag came several packets of dark blue crystals. She started to say something, but Lyra preemptively interrupted. "Yeah, I know you already have some night sugar, but you're running low. And it's your favorite. Tonight, I thought you could have some tea with it, to calm your heart a little."
Bon Bon looked up at Lyra, small tears in her eyes. "Food? You're going away on a dangerous mission, and your romantic gift is food?" She shook her head slowly, gave Lyra a long hug, and a short kiss. "I love you." Bon Bon said the words simply, as a statement of fact, in the same tone most people used when calling a loved one silly. "You better go before I start bawling. I look absolutely terrible when I do that." They embraced each other one last time, then Lyra got on the train, leaving her Bonnie behind.
Their compartment in the train was a little cramped, despite there only being three ponies inside. This was likely due to the enormous amount of luggage that Carrot brought with her. Octavia, always one for getting to the heart of the matter, asked, "Carrot Top, may I ask what all of these packs are for?"
Carrot nodded, and point towards the nearest bag. "This pack is our change of clothes, which we will have to wear during the trip. It goes along with our aliases." That raised a few eyebrows. "It's not like a fake identity. Lyra will be posing as an archaeologist going to visit the site, and we are her assistants." She reached into one of the backpacks on the floor and pulled out several pieces of paper. "This here is our royal missive to visit the ruins, legally. This is a Doctorate in Archaeology in Lyra's name."
That last piece of paper was promptly snatched out of Carrot Top's hooves by Lyra's magic, and floated over to her face so she could read it. "Ooh, yay!" she squeed as she read it, "They printed out a copy! This is amazing!"
"A...copy?" Octavia asked. The doctorate was passed over to Octavia, who gasped. "This looks like a real degree."
That made Lyra giggle. "That's because it is a real degree! I got my PhD in Archaeology from Canterlot University for Gifted Unicorns." She sighed, thinking back on all the years she'd spent there. "That was a good time. I should go back and visit again, it's been a few years." It looked as if either Octavia or Carrot was going to cut in, to ask exactly how their somewhat ditzy friend was technically a doctor, but they were cut off as a loud knocking filled the room. "I'll get it!" Lyra said cheerily, and she walked over to the door. Her lime-colored aura opened the wooden door, and on the other side a note was taped to the knob. "Ahem, 'Meet me in the cargo room as soon as you can, if you'd like some more information. -C' C, huh? I wonder who that is?"
Their leader's face was scrunched up in deep thought. "We can't leave our things unguarded, for all we know the note is just a ruse to steal out belongings. On the other hoof, we can't miss this chance if their really is intel to be gained. We should only send one pony, so our possessions can be better guarded. I'll-"
"I'll go!" Lyra said. That earned her a reproachful look from Carrot Top, but Lyra just huffed. "Carrot, you put me down as 'Alternative Tactics'. When I asked you guys what that meant, you said it was my job to try and help us win without fighting! Your example was, and I quote, that I could be our diplomat. Well, I see a chance for some diplomancy, don't you!"
"Wrong word aside, she has a point," Octavia added. "You gave us our roles, the least we can do is try and fulfill those duties."
It was clear that Carrot wasn't happy about it, but she finally replied, "Fine. You can go. But if you aren't back in a half hour, I'm going to come looking for you."
Even Lyra's underdeveloped sense of subtext could catch the hidden addition of, "And if you're hurt there will be a dead body to get rid of." And with that, Lyra left their cozy little train car to go have a meeting with a mysterious stalker pony. Lyra practically skipped down the hallway towards the cargo room. Things were getting so...dramatic!
Author's Note
Oh my garsh! It's finally done!
Chapter Two-Acknowledgement
This was it. Lyra had always felt a little out of place with the rest of her group; even Derpy was more serious when danger reared it's ugly head than she was. Now Lyra could really show them what was what! She hopped a little from one hoof to another as she walked up to the door leading from their car to the next. She tested the knob with her magic, but it turned easily. Weird. It probably should have been locked, it being the cargo and all. Lyra shrugged at that, opened the door, and walked out of the train car.
For a few seconds, Lyra just basked in the feeling, her eyes closed. She could hear the wind rushing by her, as the locomotive split through the air in it's speed. Where she stood, between the cars, it was calm. That dissonance, of feeling the still air but hearing the rushing wind, made her feel like she was in the eye of some vast hurricane. The experience was something Lyra had never felt nor thought of before, and she made a mental note to try and write a song that emulated it.
With that done, she entered the cargo room. The first thing that struck Lyra about it was how dark it was. Apparently nopony had thought that it was really necessary to leave a lantern in the room while the train was running. "Hello?" she called into the darkness. "Mr. C, where are you?"
A pair of bright blue eyes blinked open in the dark, multifaceted and insect-like. "You're Lyra Heartstrings, correct?" buzzed a basso voice from the same direction as the eyes.
Lyra nodded. "Yes, that's me. What did you want to tell us?"
There was a small pause before the voice responded. "I was expecting to be talking to your leader. Why did she send you here?"
"I'm the Alternative Tactics Officer in our group, so it's my job to handle diplomacy," Lyra said with a wide smile. This was going awesome!
The eyes blinked, and the voice responded. "I suppose that is satisfactory." There was a click-clank sound of carapace striking wood, and she saw the changeling step out from the darkness. It was wearing a dark blue set of armor, and it's face failed to betray any sense of emotion. "I'm here to warn you about what you're getting into."
Something seemed to click for Lyra, and she gasped. "Wait a second! You're that changeling commander that kidnapped me! Carry or something!"
"Coxa," it responded immediately. "Lieutenant Coxa of the Fourth Swarm. Enough pleasantries. Your team is heading into a dangerous situation. If you aren't cautious, you'll all die. Or worse."
Lyra tilted her head at that. "Worse?"
It nodded. "The myths aren't just myths. You're entering Deer territory, and none of you have dealt with Deer before now. They're dangerous, probably more than any other threat you have faced. They don't kill, they twist and ensnare. If you fall into their traps, you'll wish you were dead. So my advice is this: don't accept any deals. Don't even entertain the notion. Fulfill your mission goals and leave."
That sounded pretty reasonable. Lyra had taken several classes in Mythology while in Uni, and the Deer were mentioned often. Nopony actually really doubts their existence, but they show themselves so rarely that concrete information on them is pretty scarce. One of the few facts that appeared in nearly every appearance was their trickery. Bargaining with a Deer was nearly as crazy as striking a deal with Discord himself. "How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Lyra asked. She thought it was a smart question. The last time they'd met, it had kidnapped her.
"You don't. But you've heard what I have to say, and you'll likely take extra precautions now. That's all I need," it responded.
Lyra's face scrunched up in thought. "Why are you helping us? Aren't you a terrorist or something?"
It laughed, a hollow sound. "I find you interesting. Especially your captain. Having you die now wouldn't be of any benefit to me or my Queen." It tilted it's head, as if listening to a voice. "Hmm, I hadn't realized we'd been talking that long. Goodbye." And with that Coxa disappeared, with the same green flame that heralded a transformation. So it could turn invisible? That's a pretty cool power.
Lyra turned and headed out the door, relishing in that atmosphere once again. Sometimes taking a break for a couple seconds like this was what Lyra needed, a moment to think. Then she remembered the time limit Carrot had placed on her excursion, and the moment was over. She returned to their personal compartment and smiled at her friends. "Mission accomplished!" It was clear in the silence that followed that Carrot Top and Octavia were waiting for a little more information than that. Lyra continued, "Okay, so, the pony who wanted to talk wasn't a pony, it was a changeling. And-"
Before Lyra could continue, Carrot Top interrupted, "Are you hurt? Did it try anything? What information were you able to gather?"
"Um..." Lyra thought about those questions, and answered them in order. "No, I'm absolutely dandy. No, it didn't attempt to hurt me at all. I actually got a lot of info from Coxa."
Octavia started coughing, apparently having gasped while taking a sip from her coffee. "Coxa?! As in the same changeling that kidnapped you not too long ago? Why exactly is it still skulking around?"
That was something Lyra realized she hadn't considered asking it. Why was it here? "I don't know. It mentioned something about being interested in Carrot Top, but besides that it never brought it up." Their silent stares practically radiated their question of why exactly she hadn't asked. Lyra blushed. "Sorry, I forgot to ask. Anyway, it wanted to warn us that the myths about the woods aren't just myths. The Deer are in the woods, and they might try something, something it said was worse than death. It might be connected the missing archaeologists."
Everyone let that sink in for a moment. Octavia spoke up first. "This doesn't really change anything. We knew this was dangerous already. The only insight he gave was that Deer are involved, but we don't really know how. Are they the cause of the problem? Or are they as confused about the situation as we are? And that's not even taking into account that the changeling who told you this tried to kill us. This isn't enough to change our plans."
As much as Lyra didn't think Coxa was lying, she had to agree that it didn't really sound like a lot of new information. "I disagree," Carrot Top said. She was looking out the window, her eyes on the landscape passing by. "First, the fact that Coxa thinks the Deer are involved may not prove it, but it does allow us to be more wary." Carrot looked to Lyra. "What do you know about the Deer that could help us?"
That made Lyra stumble a little, mentally. It wasn't often her years of mythological research was actually called upon for practical use. "Well, they're supposed to be very truthful, but also have been said to trick unsuspecting targets. So I think we should take Coxa's advice on that point. They also have a lot of weird magic, stuff that doesn't resemble anything we unicorns can do." Lyra racked her brain for something else, before remembering one last rumor. "I read in a few books that they can be harmed by 'cold iron', but those books weren't the most reliable. Even if it was true, I don't know what that would really mean. 'Cold iron' isn't a term I've really heard a lot."
Carrot nodded. "Let's just use iron then. Several of the tools we brought along are made of it, so they can function as weapons in a fight against them, if it comes to that." Lyra could almost hear the gears turning in her friend's head as she started planning out more ideas. "Second, we know Coxa is here. We know what he's done before, so we have a general estimation of his skills. The idea that he's here because of me is a little unsettling, but now we can keep our eyes peeled for any sign of him."
There was a cough, and Carrot Top looked inquisitively at Lyra. "Well, uh, that's the thing. Coxa ended our talk by using magic to turn invisible. I don't know how he did it, but I think we shouldn't expect to see him walking around in the open."
"Stars and stones..." Carrot muttered. "Well, that means one of two things, considering he openly revealed his presence to us. Either he's confident that the advantage his reveal gave us won't affect him in a confrontation, or he's not expecting a confrontation." She sat in thought for a while before talking again. "It's the latter. Coxa isn't stupid, he'd want every advantage against us if he wanted to strike. I don't think he's going against us this time."
That seemed pretty sensible to Lyra, after all why would it warn them about stuff if it was going to try and kill them again? Octavia shook her head. "We can't bet the farm, so to speak, on that logic. It's an enemy, and if we see it again we should try and subdue it before it does us any harm. Its reveal could be a way to better gain our trust, so it could betray us later."
Their leader seemed to consider that, then replied with, "The logic doesn't track. He knows we'd be suspicious of him regardless of what information he passes us. The chances we'd actually let our guard down due to it isn't worth the loss of the element of surprise. It doesn't seem like something Coxa would do."
"I'm not saying we should trust Coxa unconditionally or anything..." Lyra added, "...but it extended the olive branch first. It would be rude to ignore it, regardless of how true its intentions are."
Octavia shrugged, nodding. "I concede you both have a point. But there's something else we need to consider: Why would this Coxa tell us this? From everything you both have described of it, Coxa doesn't seem the type to give pertinent and helpful information to its foes for no reason." They sat there, looking at eachother, and it was clear none of them really had an answer to that. But before the conversation could continue, they felt an abrupt jolt as the train stopped. Lyra looked out their window, seeing the White Tail Woods for the first time. It struck her immediately that the term 'heavily wooded' didn't give the sight justice: the thick forest of tall, imposing pines had such little space between the trees that she doubted travel through it was really possible, except on a cleared path. The trees stood like the wall of an enemy fortress, and the melody of a foe's war song played through her head, the sensation eerie. The forest gave the distinct, impossible to ignore impression that despite being within the borders of Equestria, this was not their land. Where Everfree was chaos and nature run rampant, this was a citadel that refused to bend to the climate and nature around it, the dark clouds in the distance a sign to all ponies that they were not welcome here.
This was the place they were entering, and Lyra was beginning to fear that this mission wasn't a great idea after all.
