Old Amethyst

Icarus shook his head clear of the goop as well as he could, and, Pick in mouth, Started running as carefully as he could toward the bear Traps. Perhaps it was the Adrenaline of doing something Probably Absolutely foolish like Grabbing his pick, but It probably was worth it.

The spider charged after Iccy. It wasn't long before Icarus heard the loud snap of a trap and the crunch of a leg being broken off. Luckily for him it wasn't his own leg, but the leg of the pursuing spider. For now it retreated back into the trees.

Icarus slowed to a stop, turning around to view the Spider's leg. After making sure that, indeed, it wasn't going to come alive, He continued on, Thankful the lantern hadn't gone out yet. he gently took the pick out of his mouth with magic, and placed the handle in his pouch, the pick part poking out.

Having finally learned its lesson, the spider did not return and left the shy explorer alone. as he ventured deeper the darkness of the forest seem&d to whip around him like silent buzzing mosquitoes on a light. Of course it very well could be indigenous insects. Besides the usual vines, dangerous looking plants and the odd generic bone, there was a pile of easily visible pony skulls.

Icarus blanched.

Skulls.

PONY Skulls.

As in, Skulls that were once a part of a living breathing Ponies.

Oh Dear.

Icarus decided to go as close as he could to the lake, since, as he started, it was on his right, To his right he would go. Might make life easier on the shore.

An axe flew from nowhere and buried itself into a tree just in front of his head.

Oh.

That was close.

Icarus Brought out his pick, looking around. "Who's there?"

An earth pony dressed in lumberjack clothing emerged from behind the trees standing upright on its back legs an holding an axe wrapped in its forelegs. Well it looked like a pony, but at the same time it wasn't. It was dark and darkness emanated from it, twisting it, perverding it. It at first spoke normally but got deeper and growl filled with each word.

"Logging... is a hazard....ous occupation!"

Icarus tensed a little, Stepping back. "So is Railroading. Don't see me go all Dark and Growly." He replied, putting on a brave face.

The lumberjack lunged toward Icarus , swinging the axe wildly. However the went off course midswing. It yelled loudly when its forelegs passed through the bright light of the lamp and staggered back.

Icarus took note of that, and stepped toward the lumberjack,

Light. Light hurt it.

The shadowy figure lifted its axe and threw it at the lamp, instantly shattering it and sending glass raining down on Icarus. "Phys...i..cal lab....or....."

Icarus' Heart Sank as the Lamp Shattered.

Well. There went his one advantage, short of lighting this place on fire.

"S-Stand back!" He said, Raising his Pick.

Another shadowy figure appeared behind Icarus, taking the form of a unicorn police pony with a billy club levitating in a dark aura. "You'll be dead.... just.... like us!" It swung the club and hit squarely on Icarus's temple. He fell instantly and was slain by the shadowy figures who descended on him like piranha. Icarus's shell joined the ranks of shadow ponies and haunted the dark forests at day, and the town proper at night, attacking wayward ponies with his pickaxe.

Renaultar let out a sigh. He had heard reports of ponies dissapearing in this area with no trace. No one in his line of work seemed to care, but he did. Being a guardpony, he had to complain to is superiors. As luck would have it, they grew tired of it and sent him on the job.

Wearing his armor and having a light pack with him of some paper work, cuffs, and a few other things for travel, he made his way into town. Once things started to get dark and gloomy, he picked up the pace to get to town sooner. He was used to the dark alleys of Manehattan, but he did not expect to find it here in this rather deserted looking town.

Nervously, he looked about, searching for the City Hall or a guard station he could meet up with and get started.

The town looked like it had been abandoned for decades. There were no signs of anypony living in the town anymore. Nature had begun to start reclaiming the town for itself. A vine or two climbing up a house, the occasional cobblestone was pushed up by a hardy scrub that had managed to take up root in the cracks.

Despite the obvious abandonment, a feminine voice called out from down the street. "Somepony! Anypony! Help me!"

The emptyness of the town really set off a few alarms in Renny's head, but the sound of a mare in distress set off the loudest one. He quickly bolted in the direction of the voice, fully intending to do his duty and save the one in need.

"I'm comming! Guardpony on the way!"

The voice belonged to a peach colored mare with her head stuck in a crawlspace at the base of a house. She frantically tried to tug her head out, her orange and green streaked tail jerked about as she strained to pull herself out. Her rear was forced upwards due to her head being caught in the low opening, leaving her very very vulnerable.

Renaultar just about stopped in his tracks as he saw the sight. Several moments of blinking and staring at rude places occured before he snapped back into it. Shaking his head he quickly came to the mares side.

"Are you alright? Uh...." He had a feeling he knew this pony but withheld revealing it for the moment. It might be best to get to the point now.

"Yes.. Yes I'm alright. It's just that my head is stuck in here. Could you.. um.. help me out?"

Renaultar blushed as he looked over her again and sighed. He made a mental image in his head of this before he moved up behind her and took her tail in his teeth and began pulling carefully.

"Tell me if i need to stop."

The mare moaned softly. "Pull harder..."

Renaultar blinked and looked around for anyone watching before pulling again, this time with more force.

She moaned louder until suddenly Renny was sitting on his flank with half of her torn tail stuck in his mouth. After a few moments she practically melted onto the ground with a red blush covering her body. Her release didn't last long however, as her voice became filled with horror. "No! Wait! Please! NO! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" And in that instant the rest of her body was pulled through the hole and into the darkness beneath the house. She screamed and wailed as sounds that could only be described as flesh being torn and bones breaking echoed up onto the street level.