This girl is a gun, before you know it, it's done
And you'll be wishing that you crossed your fingers

s Marceline came to a halt next to Lucifer, the rustling of leaves at her rear caught her attention. Serenity soon manifested from the depths of the forest, sparing no time in trying to charm Garmr and Lucifer into submission. Red lips twitched as the general held back a smirk. Serenity reminded her of herself when she was young: brimming with potential, made brazen by her beauty and her belief that the world was hers to have. She would no doubt make a fine leader one day, one who wielded her femininity like a deadly blade.

But the pair were quickly outnumbered. It came as no surprise that the other Lagoon brothers have begun slinking from the shadows, summoned by the voice of their boss and undoubtedly eager to get in on whatever action was unfolding within their home. A dark amber-eyed stallion comes first, then a greying roan, both with jeering statements poised on their tongues. But she ignores them and looks only to Garmr. He was the only authority she recognized here, as much as it pained her to have to do so, and so it was with him she would speak. The others with their petty taunts were not worth the breath that sat within her lungs.

As she stood before the growing gaggle of stallions, she considered the paths laid out before her. She and her sisters were clearly outnumbered. If none of the others had deigned to follow, the trio didn't stand a single chance of getting Lucifer back to the Peak. Yet Marceline refused to believe all hope was lost, clinging to the notion that she could somehow get something out of this. Luckily, the years past had granted her a gift: no longer did she act as rashly as she once had in her youth, ceding to whatever petty whim or her fickle mind had conceived in any particular moment. No, she had a plan in mind.

Without preamble yet another stallion joined their growing party, this one boldly marked and offering... advice? A strange and surprising change of pace from the jabs she was accustomed to from the residents of the Lagoon. 'I would pay the rest of his debt for the simplicity of preserving the remains of the Lagoons honor in principle,' he said, and Marceline had to stop herself from staring slack-jawed at him in stunned surprise. Did he truly mean to offer himself in Lucifer's place? Who was this rare creature, this Lagoon stallion with a sense of honor?

A she opened her mouth to respond, another made his presence known. It was clear now that her and her two sisters would never make it out of this. With one last trick up her sleeve, Marceline was pinning all her hopes on this last hail mary. Things kept getting stranger and stranger when their latest guest - some flashy painted dun - butted in and agreed with the chestnut paint and went a step further in offering to dole out punishment to Lucifer on their behalf. Had some sort of mass hysteria overtaken the Lagoon? she wondered. One that was making them all suddenly grow a conscience?

Marceline hid her growing surprise with a shake of her head, the curtain of her forelock falling across her face. She angled her face towards the sooty stallion who had offered himself as replacement and addressed him first. "A generous and selfless offer. Unfortunately I am not interested in bringing more men to the Peak. We are meant to be a sanctuary for mares, and if we continue this trend of adding trinkets to our ranks we may soon be outnumbered in our own home." The pale flag of her tail whips harshly against her hocks as she adds, "I'm sure you all would love that, but that's not the path I have in mind for the Peak. So while your offer is appreciated, stranger, I must decline."

Perhaps it would have been wise to bow out here and now, but Marceline had never been one to admit defeat easily, and so she settled the twin gemstones of her eyes upon Garmr and began to speak.

"That is not to say I'm not interested in bartering. So here is my proposal for you. Give me Lavender and Ursa, and I will let Lucifer return without issue." She pauses in her address of the blond stallion, letting her words sink in for a brief moment before continuing: "And because I'm feeling oh so generous, I'll even sweeten the deal for you. I will personally find and bring you a new recruit to do with as you see fit. That way you know it's an even exchange."

There was a part of Marceline that already believed this to be a bad idea before the words had even taken leave of her lips. But she was in no position to second guess herself now. Besides, she has always prided herself on being clever and resourceful - she had no shortage of faith in herself and her ability to find someone. Willing or not.

"The deal is yours to strike. The Peak would owe you a favor and you would get two new underlings. Would you truly pass on such a rare opportunity?" Marceline fell silent then, the pale flag of her tail twitching against her hindquarters as she awaited Garmr's answer and, she was sure, the answers of his brothers, wanted or not.