Echo's Adventure - Chapter 8

>The smells of autumn rested on the p0nies noses as they walked through the forest.
>Echo had been walking for hours alongside Spark, hardly speaking to her, only focused on her own thoughts.
>The forest truly was beautiful at night and Echo was comforted by the dim glow of the luminescent flowers and the dew ridden grass beneath her hooves.
>It relaxed Echo and reminded her of her home, long before she had joined the Order.
>That past seemed extremely distant, almost like it didn’t even belong to her.
>But right now everything felt so peaceful.
>So peaceful that she could hardly bring herself to think of what mysteries lay ahead of her.
>However, Echo was soon hit by a pang of worry when she remembered that she had been banished from the town that this very forest held.
>Maybe when this was all over, she would be allowed to return to her home.
>Echo’s thoughts were suddenly brought to a halt as Spark stopped in her tracks.
>“Hey, we should probably check the map. You know, to make sure we’re actually going in the right direction.”
>Echo laughed and handed the map over to Spark.
“We’re still going in the direction that Mouse pointed us in. At least I think we are.”
>Spark opened the map and poured over it.
>Suddenly, her eyes grew wide.
>“Oh no...” She said in a whisper before turning to Echo. “Echo, this isn’t good, this isn’t good at all.”
>Echo blinked.
>“Mouse gave us the wrong map! Look, she gave us the wrong one!” Spark frantically showed the piece of paper to Echo.
>“We’re going to have to go all the way back! What if we can’t find Mouse? What if – “
“Spark.”
>“You’re right, I need to calm down. Let’s just think this through and – “
“Spark!”
>Spark stopped talking.
“The map is upside down.” Echo said, holding back a giggle.
>“Oh…”
>Spark blushed as she slowly turned the map around.
>“Sorry, Echo. I’m just nervous, that’s all.”
“Sure you are.” Echo said with a smile on her face. “So, are we going in the right direction?”
>“I think we are… Yep, we’re good.”
>Spark handed the map back to Echo.
>“We should be leaving the forest soon, and then after that we should – “
>Spark cut herself off.
>“What was that?” She said, looking around.
“Come on Spark, stay focused.”
>“No I’m serious this time.”
>Echo saw her moving eyes suddenly focus on something.
>“Look…”
>Echo turned to look in the direction that Spark had set her eyes.
>Running towards them were two bat p0nies; ones that Echo immediately recognized as belonging to the Order.
“Spark, get ready to use your dagger.” Echo said in a whisper.
>In a matter of seconds, the two members of the Order were circling the two friends.
>Echo slowly pulled her satchel in front of her, allowing herself quick access to her dagger.
>“What do we have here?” One of them sneered.
>“It’s Echo and Spark!” The other responded, “I’m pretty sure that you were told to stay out of Hollow Shades, am I right?”
>Echo scanned the two purple-headed mares.
>They were adorned with all sorts of ragged cloths and scattered pieces of armor.
>Echo recognized the p0nies as some of the few that are very close to Stone.
>Had Stone sent them? Did she somehow hear word of their plan?
“How did you find us here?” Echo piped up.
>“That’s not important. What IS important is the reason why you are still in Hollow Shades when you received very clear orders to not show your face around here again.”
“We aren’t in Hollow Shades. Stone said nothing about us not being able to stay in the forest.”
>The other p0ny began to speak.
>“Hollow Shades, the forest surrounding Hollow Shades, I can’t see much of a difference. How about you?”
>The p0ny’s companion shrugged her shoulders in agreement.
>“Hey, what are those satchels for anyway? Going on some sort of mission?”
>One of the purple-maned p0nies began to approach Echo.
“Just let us go. We’re not on any kind of – “
>“YAAAAHHHHHH”
>Echo was cut off by the sound of Spark’s scream as she leapt towards the attacker, slicing a deep gash into the outstretched hoof of the p0ny.
>All was still as the bat p0ny, grabbing her hoof, exchanged surprised glances from Spark, to her wound, and back again.
>No p0ny said a word for what felt to Echo like minutes.
>The silence was broken by the sound of a sword being drawn and Echo being tackled into a nearby tree.
>The battle began.

>Spark immediately knocked the attacker off of Echo, giving her enough time to equip her dagger.
>Before she had time to get up, however, the p0ny was back on top of Echo, lunging with her sword and narrowly missing Echo’s throat.
>Echo immediately returned the blow, her dagger nicking the ear of the p0ny as she flapped her wings and rocketed off of Echo.
>Echo knew what was coming and backed into the tree, readying her weapon.
>Her breathing slowed and the world seemed to slow down as the opposing bat p0ny plunged from the air, her sword aimed directly at Echo.
>With lightning fast speed Echo ducked away from the sword, leaving it and its wielder crashing into the tree.
>Echo took this moment to find Spark across the small clearing, battling with the wounded p0ny.
>Echo saw that Spark was OK for the time being and returned her attention to her own target.
>She quickly pinned the p0ny to the ground and began swiping her dagger, cutting small gashes into her opponent’s stomach.
>Echo’s goal was not to kill the p0ny.
>On the fourth time Echo sent her dagger scraping across the enemy’s stomach she was met by a heavy pain as her opponent kicked her in the stomach, knocking her to the ground.
>Echo laid writhing in the grass, her panicked gulps of air seemingly doing nothing for her.
>She turned her head and tried to call out to Spark, who was still busy fighting off the other p0ny.
>However, all that came from Echo’s mouth were quiet, incoherent sounds.
>Her vision began to fade as she turned her head once more to meet the assailant.
>Echo put up a hoof in a pathetic, last ditch effort to stop her foe.
>A devilish smirk appeared on the p0ny’s face as she easily slapped Echo’s hoof away.
>Echo once again opened her mouth to say something, but nothing but a low moan escaped her lips.
>Her eyes closed and darkness was upon her.