Chapter IV: Miracles and only
Part I: Actual gigantism
How nice, that friends figured themselves out and decided on the present! How bad, that they still have to walk far enough to get to the Shrubwood itself. Companions spent all their day in nature, and now have to walk backwards to get to another road? That is a certain death, there must be another way.
And there is! Through woodlands and thickets, through bushes and nature, straight to the unusual forest. It might seem that it costs nothing to step away from the big road, but the trails are trodden for a reason - it is safe on them. Or at least, not as dangerous as anywhere else.
Wild forests disturbed the companions just as much as angered peasants. Fauna of all the wilderness lived quite peculiarly, and native inhabitants probably got also nervous at the presence of foreigners. Elsewise, how can one explain so unnatural for nature sounds?
Someone seemingly screams, but at the same time sings. Or is this the usual order of things? Unending rustling on the sides distracted adventurers no less - what if it is a hungry warg, ready to jump out at travellers? Since they have been seen on the path to Shrubwood. And what if it is something scarier?
Only Ommatidia was not scared. She surely walked towards Mareland, not paying too much attention to the trifling nature. Soon enough, her certainty got through to others - everything is much simpler than it looks. Animals lived their lives through around the opportunists.
The prey still ran away from its predators, birds continued to sing serenades, rare beast constantly hid itself at the sound of a thing around, and the guests of those green parts still remained guests. Friends panicked for nothing all the way to paths and town; the company simply slowed itself down before the fear of the unknown.
However, the anxiety painted itself with completely new colours on approach to tall grass blades. Sunshine and Gambit immediately remembered their adventures in the jungle: nothing is visible, no way to move around, and a constant feeling of being watched. As luck would have it too, the Sun is starting to settle.
The time has played completely unfairly. Seemed like it was only morning, but suddenly it is already getting dark! Friends lost themselves in small bushes for so long, that they have no choice at all but to get into huge ones. Ah, if only the danger was not pondering from every angle..
— ..We have to go further! - insisted the long-antennaed bug - It's safer that way!
— Then what about the bugs you spoke about? - winged pony grew nervous - We'll get eaten and won't even notice it!
— We stay and argue - we get caught faster. - fanged insect nastily grinded with his body - No difference here nor there. But Mareland is closer on that side of the forest.
Brown one even pounded her legs, hinting at another upcoming problem. Nobody wanted to become a bandit victim, what else is here to say about inquisitors? Finally, and swiftly decided - onward, towards giant flowers, mushrooms and insects!
Now, hooved creatures definitely felt themselves as a part of local fauna. Carnivorous giants will not notice any difference between a pony and some bee. And, there is no way to hide from the bugs completely - on top of everything else, friends really needed light to see. What if they walk inside someone's mouth, or run into flower spikes?
— I can tell you where to go. Trust me. - Gambit walked in front of the company - This is not very convenient, but-
— I have a better idea! - Ommatidia morphed in a flash.
What can be better than a lamp? A changeling, of course! Without any fear, the purple advisor transformed into an aught between a big firefly and herself. Plated creatures already saw everything around them perfectly, and now their friends can say the same!
But eyes alone are not enough, to not end up caught. How good that there are two friendly insects, not one! If any beast senses them, it will definitely have a rough time. And even though only one insectoid knew the surrounding nature well enough, second one was not any different in sight and mind.
— Stop! - ordered snowwhite bug - Who are you? You, green.
— What are you on about? - solar pony took a closer look on a possible danger - There's nobody there.
— You don't see? There, wings and-
— ..Skewer? - big-whiskered bug flew over to a big mushroom - What are you doing here? It's getting late!
Suddenly, the mushroom's cap raised itself, and under it, a smiling muzzle of some grass-green pony was seen. She set her wings in such a way, that it was not any different from the grass around! Not only did the mare hide herself - she managed to cover the cart and equipment with her body!
— You know, just taking a walk.. I jest, it's same as usual here. You know that.
— I'm not asking for myself - but for friends!
— You made friends? Wonderful! - pegasus looked over the company and genuinely delighted - You can call me Skewer. We'd better get out of here before it's completely dark, then get acquainted.
— But, but.. What are you doing here? - orange pony shifted her head - Who are you hiding from? A-and why do you have both wings and a horn? Are you an alicorn?
The mare sincerely laughed at Sunshine's words. The horse moved away her green hair, and a dark headband immediately stood out for the red-eyed pony. This artificial horn is a part of the disguise! So that is how the mushroom cap kept holding on her head!
And the cart is also easily understandable - many saws and cut off plants; Mareland needs to live on something, after all. And if mushrooms are obvious, then flowers are not really. Why do ponies need so many plants? Are they making soup of all the flora at the same time? How big is this town, if there is totally more than one pony that collects just as much?
— Look, we have to go. Bugs ate too much this week, they're getting brazen as we speak.
— What are you talking about?! - orange one could not calm herself - Please, tell us more!
— We have a job - we are gatherers. Questions later, we need to move!
True, forest beasts and insects bellowed not as hard as here: a lone firefly was caught by a ladybug, she was being eaten by a giant mantis, and in a second more they all were caught by the legendary boa. Ponies could be eaten just like that, immediately, as they are sized as local beetles.
Hooved beings' superiority over nature disappeared in comparison to these monsters. What can a clever mind perform, when you can be easily caught and eaten? Except, probably think of how to hide better and swifter. However, the nature will remind of itself even here.
Friends remained unseen long enough, evading many insects on their way, but they could not hide from bees. Despite everything, fluffy nectar seekers were attracted to Sunshine's unusual flower. In the end, it is real, albeit it bloomed on someone's head in an ambiguous way.
The local bees also were ambiguous: heads like that of ponies, instead of six legs - six hooves.. Discord has a strange sense of humour. Even nectar they treated differently - not only smeared it all over their hairs, but also licked it off. Like how they tried with solar pony's flower.
However, should the tongue touch it, when the bee was immediately pushed away. Local fauna's representative have not appreciated such a way of treating others and muttered something in its bug language, which attracted its brethren from surrounding plants. Someone was going to get stung!
But buzzing creatures suddenly stopped before the orange pony. They were distracted at Ommatidia - she stood behind the winged one and danced in a weird way. Bee ponies followed the firefly's gestures, also swaying from side to side. Seems like the insects have found a common ground!
A sign of friendship or a threat - not exactly understandable. All of them had tranquillity in their eyes, but at the same time, other insects tried to seem bigger - and more intimidating. So then, the purple bug was joined by snowwhite, green and orange friends. And by something else, frightening the striped insectoids.
Along with the hooved creatures, moved a giant stick! Stick the size of that same snake, with real eyes and a mouth. It slowly got closer to the grassy pegasus, keeping its gaze on a more or less fresh fungus. A little more, and the horse will be caught!
But the sun mare was not going to let the big beast have this mushroom! Since all this mess started from her, she should end it! The horse took her sabre and tried to hurt this giant insect. And even though the stick bug could not at all be hurt by the sword, the steel scared the giant off!
Still, that did not save the little pony from resentment of her friends. They reacted quite negatively towards the sunny mare's fiery behaviour. Only the white shapeshifter knew the truth, and understood why all this happened - the flower is the cause of all the troubles. And how did it even attract the bees..?
— Sunshine, what is with you? - long-antennaed bug almost got upset - Don't anger them!
— But I.. I..!
— She did not do that on purpose. - plated insect covered the guilty horse with himself - You said that yourself, we will deal with it la-
Companions were not going to be left alone at all. Giant cicada sang its song in the most inconvenient moment, and not only did it interrupt the whiskered insect's thought, but almost damaged friends' ears. Luckily for them, the loud ringing thing was caught by a falling spider, immediately wrapping it in web.
And the night still pressed and approached. The Sun did not take pity on the adventurers, despicably giving the night beasts the initiative. However, someone continued to buzz as loudly, some shined with all their might.. And some used this chaos for their advantage and picked tastier prey.
— That is why we have to behave quietly! - Skewer raged in an undertone.
— And unseeibly. - added Gambit - We are being watched. Do not turn around.
— By who? - Sunshine barely contained her curiosity.
— Ponies. Act naturally.
Ponies, in such a place and such a time? Also late gatherers of various plants, or are those culprit catchers? Friend or foe - in any case, one must not spend time here at all. In such madness, one can survive only by thoroughly preparing. Or by some miracle.
How did all those insects manage to survive? Are predators simply being fed too much, not able to consume the rest? But what about the words about overfeeding the fauna? This small nature corner would already perish, if something went out of its natural norm.
So that means, all these sounds and huge lights around all the Shrubwood - is the norm, invented by nature. Even with interventions from outside, the balance somehow found a new middle. But what if this intervention will be too much? Maybe, it is the hooved ones getting too brazen, not the bugs?
— Gamby? - sun pony whispered in his ear - How did you learn that we're being followed?
— Eyes. They are lit. Like from potions.
Winged mare could not resist. She glanced back and saw everything with her own eyes. Yellow lights did stand out from those emitted by the beatles! Two yellow-eyed beings immediately realised that they were made, and instantly hid themselves in the night. Those are definitely assassins!
Inquisitors were not going to give the fugitives even a smallest chance. Nobody could compare to lightning speed reaction of canterlotians. Even Gambit barely managed to push his friend aside, personally paying for her mistake. Powerful arbalest bolt pierced the snowwhite insect's body, almost knocking him to the ground.
Companions hid themselves behind plants and cart right away, miraculously evading the arrow shower. But how did those two manage to shoot so quickly? They were not standing still! More unicorns, or exceedingly trained thugs? Nobody wanted to come out and check - what if all of the above?
— Who are they? - Ommatidia changed her appearance back - I'm scared!
— I am, too. - Sunshine equipped her sabre - But we have to give them a fight!
— Are you mad? - Skewer covered her mouth with her hoof - Stay quiet!
— Can't. - Gambit gritted in a completely new way - They will kill us.
— That way we'll be eaten!
— No! - purple insect repeated after white one - That's not right!
Dalliant covered her ears due to such obnoxious screeching. What have the changelings tried to do? Why do those sounds appear in several places at once? ..Or so it simply seems? This is certainly not an insect mating call - nobody did anything even close to this!
Disgusting chirping only tormented everyone around! "They are attracting attention to us! Why?" - winged mare tried to solve the mystery of this detestable murmuring - "Or they are distracting? Calling insects? But nobody answered them!". The sounds still came off of only whiskered bugs.
..Until a certain moment. All of a sudden, a similar screeching was heard from a distance, with a completely new strength. It rapidly approached the adventurers, but the shapeshifters did not react to it at all! They only continued to rustle and cry, without any body movements. Except, only the referent's antennas.
Soon, the noise pierced the whole region. Even the inquisitors stopped in place, not able to endure this highly pitched rattling. Ears of winged and wooled creatures even poured blood, and the early surrounding insects have gone away from the inconceivable song.
Yet, a boa came to this noise instead. It thoroughly looked over in search of food, and the serpent simply could not miss such a numbering feast - especially when all other Shrubwood inhabitants had silenced. However, these bugs also fell silent at the sight of the giant. As by an order.
— ..You brought a sn-
— Ts-s-s. - Gambit closed his friends' mouths - Quiet.
Companions' ears were so unlucky.. Their heads ringed so hard, they could not hear their own thoughts. And if the travellers were helped by their chitin companions, then canterlotians had even sicker fate. All the forest has subsided and listened only to their moans. Though, also not for long.
Because the stallions were immediately swallowed by the serpent. Nobody heard their screams, nobody wanted to look at the feeding - unnecessary moves could attract attention. But even at the sight of other insects, the scaly beast simply slithered away. Seems like it feasted enough for today.
Finally, nothing else is threatening! Ear whistling will remain for a long time, but that is a small price for survival. Even cicadas and grasshoppers stopped shaking and singing, like usual. As if all the forest opened for only the adventurers. Or, rather, hinting at a swift departure.
— You.. You-you, how..? - orange mare forgot how to speak - ..What? Buzzed? ..Then crawled?
— I think, she.. broke. - the long-antennaed insect shook the shocked horse - ..But we are alive! Everyone's alive, right?
— Yes. - white insectoid attentively inspected his surroundings - Everyone is alright. Almost.
— ..Maybe, I shouldn't have called the whole hive?
— W-w.. what? - even the lilac bug turned catatonic - That was not just you? You called all your hive?! And everyone listened to you?
— Well.. Definitely not all! Only those not busy - and only the workers! They won't be mad! But others..
Others are a problem for another time. Troublemakers probably did not even feel their legs and ground, not to mention taking bearings and distinguishing flowers from enemies. But it should not be that much of a stretch until the edge - the bugs got here very quickly!
Just a little more! And since the insects were nearby, they can help opportunists get to Mareland with comfort. Not that anyone could or would object, but in a state like this, even saying "yes" is quite a task. Interesting, what the rest of the forest felt at this moment..
