The Final Report of Thunder Crescent

It was a somewhat cloudy day, the group had been travelling for sometime the trees looked dead and withered with leaves piled at their bases. A strong wind bellowed through the area, the cold striking at their very bones. A bat pony clad in a worn black cloak stood on a large rock blocking their way, the trees intertwined like a fabric of nature around the stone preventing those without wings or magic from going around it.

He looked down from the rock at the group. Clearly they were all exhausted. A young couple of earth ponies collapsed at the rock resting their backs against it, a few carts carrying supplies were but right next to the rock out of the strong winds way. soon everyone else followed suit and before long the whole group lay collapsed at the base of the rock. He made a tally of the remaining people: three earth ponies, two unicorns, four pegasi and two bat-ponies. He looked at them with a smile his beloved wife and son waved to him from below, he waved back naturally then turned to see beyond the rock.

There was forest, dense forest... which wasn't good, the groups supplies made them a target not only from bandits but also monsters and other creatures of ill intent.

"this isn't good," he said, his gruff voice showing the strain it's been under from barking orders at the others. "more forest means more potential threats, however it does mean there could be a river somewhere inside and it would get us out of this wind" he said contemplating the risks.

A pegasus wrapped in a brown cloak flew up next to him, seemingly struggling to fly straight. "Thunder, the winds are getting stronger," he shouted, the winds whistling intensified making shouting the only volume which can be heard, "we don't have enough supplies to last a week, we can't afford to waste time" he enforced, trying to hammer home his point.

Thunder turned to the pegasus "They are exhausted, if we do not give them time to recharge then we'll only be progressing at the speed of a crawl," he shook his head "we're running on empty, the unicorns can not focus due to the weather so magically breaking this rock is out of the question" he said looking back down at the group. namely the unicorn couple a colt of blue skin and purple mane and a mare of scarlet mane and beige skin. They held each other close, for warmth he presumed but was not ignorant to the fact they loved each other. he looked back to his wife, worried for her wellbeing the looked back to the pegasus "Leaving only one option, we have to carry them over,".

"The boys and I are just as exhausted," the pegasus objected "we can't lift one each,"

"I'm not asking you to," he said, "I'll carry one at a time while you have two pegasi carry one person, reducing the chance of crashing," he said the words harsh but not without some warmth to them.

"I don't have time to argue with you, I don't want to waste any more time," the pegasus said before taking off as he and the other three began lifting ponies, who were too exhausted to voice their discontent.

Thunder bolted to his family bringing them over the rock first, he acted as though the exhaustion didn't faze him, but the truth was he couldn't afford to be exhausted, between the dangers and the constant fear of changelings coming out of nowhere there was no time to even consider resting.

As the final members were put on the ground all the pegasi began lifting one of the two carts over the rock, Thunder stood guard at the top of the rock, as the first cart floated over his head, he began to feel anxious. it took too long to move the carts in the air and because of how much energy the pegasi have used they'll most likely be useless until they get their strength back. They had set out from the village to search for Canterlot. Apparently there is a city that was recently built being guarded by two powerful sisters, a place untouchable by changelings and a true shot at peace and safety. He believed in the idea, he wanted to raise his son and hopefully whatever new family member came out of his wife next.

He looked back at her slim figure, her flowing black mane against her skin,

"Seralia," he thought, thinking fondly of his wife.

She lay next to his son who was sleeping blissfully, she stroked her stomach with a smile on her face. He smiled hoping to raise that child safely, away from dangers of the world. His son idolized him and he hoped his other child would too or at least live long enough to get the chance too. As he reflected on distant memories he turned and saw the pegasi just about to begin lifting, he looked off into the distance to where they had come from and his smile, dropped.

"CHANGELINGS!!," he roared "MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!" he barked as the pegasi dropped the cart and grabbed what they could before bolting over the rock and dumping it onto the other cart. Everyone was alert now, panicked. And began fleeing into the forest Seralia shouting his name as she and his son disappeared into the forest.

Thunder dove down to the abandoned cart and grabbed a spear, feeling the shaft of the spear his days as guard captain came back to him. He bolted to the top of the rock. The changelings had seen them, hissing in their hordes, he turned to where the group had been, but they were nowhere to be found, he didn't even hear them sprinting away. His options were now limited, but if he fled and tried to catch up to the group he would lead the changelings straight to them. A thought he was determined not to see become real.

He steeled his will and took a stance on top of the rock, "Come on you ugly beasts, show me what you're made of!" he roared as changelings flew at him. he dodged a good few and began striking them down. one changeling bolted from behind him. He twirled slamming the shaft of the spear into the changeling. It dropped like a rock below him, and soon another came, and another, and another, and another until his fatigue began to catch up with him. Now he was getting slower and the changelings knew this and pressed for a quicker end. soon the changelings swarmed him. he flew high into the air. the changelings followed. he darted through the trees. The changelings followed. He collapsed at a wall of a mountain, but the changelings followed. He flew in the opposite direction to where the group had gone but stopped seeing nothing but a sphere of changelings envelop him... he sighed.

"Seralia..." he said with a smile creeping onto his face and his lip quivering "Raise them well, cause I won't be there," he said choking on the words as the mass of blue eyes and fangs enveloped him, he swung his spear one final time and roared one final cry before it ended.

And then... Nothing.