//------------------------------// // Ch.16 Mac The Knife // Story: Discord's Reign // by chief maximus //------------------------------// DISCORD'S REIGN Chapter 16-Mac The Knife Big Macintosh closed his eyes, a look of serenity settled across his brow. The attackers in the barn circled around him, making sure he had nowhere to run until he gave up the location of his sister and her friends. "Last chance Mac," Axel warned. 'You'll get your filthy hooves on them over my dead body.' His thoughts fueled his resolve, the very idea of Twilight, his sister, or any of the other mares in their hooves driving him to commit violence if it meant protecting those he cared about. Mac's unwaveringly stoic expression only drove the impatience of the stallion itching for a fight. A set of hoofbeats announced an earth pony had charged forward. The red workhorse gauged the distance between them, readying himself to strike. His green eyes snapped open; the first thing he saw was a stallion reared up on his hind legs, ready to unleash a barrage of kicks. The first hit aimed right for Mac's jaw. A quick tilt of the head, and the limb shot past his right ear. His opponent was stunned at the big stallions agility as he felt Mac's foreleg wrap around his own. The draught horse quickly sat on his flanks and rolled onto his back, taking his attacker with him, positioning his hind hooves against his enemies stomach and using his powerful flanks to propel him out of the open barn door. A quick hop and he was back on all four hooves, ready to send more stallions flying. He released a short, angry exhalation through his nose and drew his foreleg into the dirt, flinging dust behind him momentarily resembling a raging bull. Two more pegasi stallions flew towards him, a foreleg extended ready to deliver a flying punch. Mac jumped high into the air above his attackers, bringing both forelegs down between their wings as the hard wood floor knocked the air from their lungs. He casually regarded his fallen opponents with a sort of vague disinterest, as the remaining seven stallions exchanged worried looks. Against such a dangerous enemy, their numbers didn't seem so reassuring anymore. Axel stepped ahead of the group confidently, "Stand back boys." He charged Mac, just like all the others before him. 'This's been a long time comin' Mac thought to himself, pondering the method he would use to send this scumbag to the dirt. 'How bout a reverse throw through the barn door with a buck to the ribs to keep 'em down. Eeyup.' His opponent was no more than two steps away. Mac readied himself to move, but found his muscles frozen. A light green aura surrounded his entire body. Mac had neglected to notice his current adversary was a unicorn, his horn barely protruding from beneath his shaggy black mane. Axel turned on his forelegs, facing his back legs toward Mac as he braced for a punishing buck. 'I'll feel this'n tomorrow!' Big Macintosh had never been hit; heck he'd barely ever been in a fight! But he supposed his streak had to come to an end sometime. Though wrestling had been his sport before he committed himself to a life of farm work, no bucking was allowed. One could almost say he was a tad excited at the idea of shaking off this kick and continuing the smack down he had been laying on Axel's group. Still, none of that should matter; this guy was nowhere near as big as he was. Lithe by comparison in fact! There's no way he could possibly- Stars. Big Mac would later claim he literally saw stars as the powerful hind legs connected with his jaw, sending him a few feet into the air and onto his back. His ears were ringing and his vision was still doubled as he tried to shake off the massive ache in his mouth. The warm metallic taste of blood overwhelmed his tongue as it began to pool. He spit a mouthful out onto the wooden planks beneath him, momentarily forgetting there were six ponies and a princess potentially hiding directly under his spit. His tongue searched readily for the source of the blood, finding a loosened molar in the back of his jaw. With a wince and a quick flick of the tongue, he dislodged the offending tooth and spit it onto the ground. The tooth rattled across the floor, breaking the otherwise tense silence. Mac smiled, a small stream of blood running from his mouth, "If I wanted a kiss, I would have called your mother." Normally insults were not Big Macintosh's forte, especially against that kindly old cart mechanic's wife, but that kick actually hurt! Axel's expression twisted in anger as he froze Mac in his magic again. The other stallions approached the imprisoned workhorse, emboldened by their leader's tight hold over the him. Twilight and her friends were directly below Big Mac when he got knocked on his flanks. Princess Luna had to hold Applejack in place from bursting through the floorboards themselves to tear those stallions apart herself. Twilight on the other hoof was having a fierce internal debate as to whether to help her coltfriend and give away their hiding place, or stay quiet and watch as Mac had his face pounded in trying to protect them. They had him surrounded, frozen in place as they began to take shots at him one by one. With every hit, Twilight found her resolve to keep their hiding place a secret dwindling away, wanting nothing more than to show this 'Axel' what real magic looked like. Macintosh's grunts of pain echoed through the barn, each one making Twilight feel as if she was the one taking the beating. Every strike tore at the unicorns heart, as the noble stallion took blow after blow in the name of protecting them. Each time one of the stallions would get tired, a new one would take his place to continue the beating, all while Big Mac kept his bleeding lips sealed. After a few minutes, Axel grew impatient of Big Macintosh's iron will. He looked around the barn, his eyes settling on a sickle hanging on the wall. An evil grin crept across his face as the razor sharp farm implement gleamed in the torchlight, hovering in front of him, basked in a green glow. "Alright Mac," He said turning to face him, the sickle still in front of him menacingly. "How about this. How about you tell me where your sister and her friends are, and I won't cut off your leg!" He demanded, emphasizing his point by lightly dragging the tip of the blade over Mac's foreleg. Twilight couldn't wait any longer, she had to act now or Mac would be disfigured forever. To her right, Applejack appeared to be on the verge of a stroke, fighting as hard as she could against Luna's holding spell. Twilight's horn glowed a soft purple as she readied the nastiest spell she could think of off the top of her head. The spell was fueled by a burning in her heart, an all consuming fire that only rises when a loved one is in peril. To Twilight's grim satisfaction, it couldn't have come at a better time. Axel had just taken another step forward, when a flicker of purple light from between the floorboards caught Big Mac's attention. He could make out a set of eyes below the planks beginning to glow. The stallion directed a single, sharp glare at the floor, meeting Twilight's eyes. She released her magic and bit her lip until she was sure it would bleed. She was starting to get really sick of feeling helpless. In fact she found herself beginning to loathe the feeling. Her mind raced, desperately trying to find a way to save the stallion she cared about. Macintosh turned his attention back to the sickle-weilding unicorn in front of him, relieved that he hadn't noticed the magical glow from underneath the floor. He noticed the maniacal gleam of somepony mad with power in the unicorn's eye. Up until now, he was sure Axel had been bluffing, but the cold, calculating gaze he held assured him that the unicorn would have no qualms about cutting his leg off of he didn't cooperate. "Well?" Axel asked shortly, "You gonna talk?" Mac was scared, more than he had ever been in his entire life. Oddly enough, he wasn't concerned for his safety, or even how much having a sickle hack away at your leg was going to hurt. His biggest concern was how he was going to help his sister with the farm work if he only had three legs? Who would pull the plow? Who would yank down the dead apple trees? Not him without all four hooves. His fear replaced by anger, the stallion spat a stream of blood into Axel's face. He would get through this...somehow. Axel wiped his face, snarling in rage. He smashed a hoof into the red stallions face one last time before forcing him to raise his right foreleg. The muscular appendage struggled with all his might against the green aura commanding it, but to no avail. Big Mac could no longer hide the terror in his eyes as they traced the blade he was sure would soon be stained red. "Leave my big brother alone!" A high-pitched voice shouted from behind Axel. Every eye inside (and below) the barn shifted to three fillies with red capes, swinging in on one rope from the hay loft at a rather impressive speed. Applebloom let go of the rope exactly at the right time to deliver a kick with both hind legs to Axel's temple. His concentration broken, Mac found himself free once more. In the blink of an eye, Mac had bucked the two attackers behind him through the back wall of the barn. He was eternally grateful that Applebloom had shown up, but now felt the fearful grip of uncertainty wrap around his mind. If he couldn't take on all these ponies, he didn't want to think about what would happen to the fillies at the hooves of these lunatics. He knew the cavalry waited just beneath his hooves, ready to even the odds at his call. He couldn't let them risk the only hiding place not under Discord's direct control, even if it meant... He shook those thoughts from his head, and a few quick steps and he was defensively in front of his littlest sister and her friends. "What are y'all doin' here?" Mac demanded keeping an eye on the still groggy Axel as he stirred on the floor. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS BULLY BUSTERS!" they shouted gleefully in unison, completely oblivious to the grave danger of their situation. "Applebloom you were so awesome! You were all 'Leave my brother alone!' then he was all 'Blahhh' then you kicked him right in his stupid face!" Scootaloo added excitedly, Sweetie Belle echoing her congratulations. "Girls!" Mac hissed, grabbing their attention, "You have to run away from here! These stallions will hurt you!" "You got that right." Axel stood, a streak of blood trailing from his mane to his chin, the familiar paralysis of his magic not only embracing Mac, but the three fillies as well. "This doesn't involve them!" Mac pled, trying to spare the little ones from whatever twisted plans the clearly aggravated Axel and his goons had conceived. "Let 'em go!" "Oh no. They just involved themselves." He said, the sickle that had stuck in the floor now dislodged from the boards and floating in front of Mac once again. There was murder in his eyes now, the enraged unicorn settling the cold blade of the sickle against Big Mac's throat. Axel savored his position of power just for a moment. Luna whispered to Twilight, "Hold Applejack." Her voice snapped the lavender unicorn out of her indecisive trance, following her orders almost by reflex. "I'm putting an end to this." "How?" Rarity whispered. Luna closed her eyes, her horn glowing lightly as the armor that made her the feared Nightmare Moon affixed itself to her out of thin air, her mane glowing dark like the night sky, peppered with stars. "I'll find a way." In a flash, she disappeared from beneath the barn, leaving a struggling Twilight to hold back the unbelievably strong Applejack. Axel's eyes narrowed. "Say hello to your parents for me." Thunder erupted from inside the barn as a bolt of lightning struck just behind Axel, startling him out of his skin. Arcs of electricity struck randomly from around Nightmare Moon's form, making for a stunning visual effect. She smiled. She hadn't gotten to really intimidate anypony since freeing herself from the moon. "So, you would betray the elements of harmony to Discord?" Mac had never been more relieved to see an evil deity. The look on Axel's face was almost worth the beating he had taken to see it. The rest of the mob trembled in absolute terror. "That, my DISloyal subjects, is treason," She growled in her most frightening voice, "And do you know where I send traitors?" Luna was maybe six inches away from Axels petrified face, getting a weak shake of the head form the scared bit-less unicorn. "Take a wild guess!" Luna roared, unleashing the royal Canterlot voice. With that, Axel bolted toward the door, followed by the rest of those he had gathered. "I needed that." Luna sighed contently as the rest of the ponies burst from beneath the barn. A muted orange blur shot past everypony and collided with Big Mac, checking over his wounds obsessively. "Don't you ever. EVER. Scare me like that again MacIntosh!" Applejack yelled at him. The volume only worsened the headache that had been building, now that the adrenaline had worn off. He noticed his sister's use of his full first name. 'She must be pretty upset.' He thought raising himself up onto his elbows. Applejack had knocked him onto his back into the bale of hay Luna claimed. He could have returned her shout, reminding her that he was only getting his flank kicked so he could keep her and her friends safe. But he wasn't the type for arguing if he could help it. "Sorry Applejack." His apologetic whisper was met with a hug, feeling a few drops of moisture fall onto his shoulder as a bloody, broken smile lit his slightly swollen face. Applebloom quickly joined the hug. Her bravado instantly evaporating when she got a good look at the damage those mean stallions had done to her big brother. Her lip began to quiver as Mac smiled at her, releasing Applejack and sitting up on his flanks, taking her into a hug with both forelegs. Moist sobs began emanating from the filly burying her nose in his chest, feeling his little sister give him a tight hug as if it were the last they'd ever share. He pulled her back to leg length, looking into the scared, wet eyes of a filly that couldn't stand to lose another family member. "Hey now." Mac began, lifting the hoof she had saved and wiping away her tears. "Why are you cryin'?" Every laceration, bruise and streak of blood on the earth stallions face cut deeply into the little filly's heart as she gave an honest answer. "T-those stallions...w-were hurtin' you." The thought of anypony hurting her family fostered an anger the likes of which Applebloom had never felt before, but even it was finding itself overwhelmed by fear for her brothers safety. "Oh no darlin'," Mac assured her, even though he had never hurt so badly in his life. "They couldn't hurt me. You want to know a secret?" "W-what?" She stammered through her tears. "You hit harder than they do," He whispered, smiling in an attempt to comfort her. "I think that's enough crusadin' for one night." Applejack insisted, controlling her emotions enough to regain her maternal tone. "How'd y'all know I was in the barn? And what are the three of ya doin' here anyway?" Mac asked at the rest of the crusaders gathered around Applebloom. "Granny fell asleep, so I snuck out ta the clubhouse and found Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle havin' a sleepover!" Applebloom explained after her tears began to dry. "Sweetie Belle!" Rarity interjected, "You never told me you planned a sleepover tonight!" "We didn't plan it. After I got back from school, the house was locked, and you were gone!" Sweetie Belle added indignantly, much to Rarity's embarrassment, "Then stuff started to get all weird in town, so I went to the clubhouse and found Scootaloo! You sure do hang out there a lot!" She added glancing at the orange pegasus who returned an sheepish grin before continuing the story. "Yeah...anyway, after Applebloom showed up, we decided to play Cutie Mark Crusaders super spies!" "We watched those other ponies go into the barn with Big Mac, so we climbed up the super secret ladder to the hay loft and saw those other jerks were hurting him! So we sprung into action as the bully busters!" The orange filly said proudly, checking her flank for a skull smashing cutie mark, her expression falling when she realized her flanks were still blank. On a dime, Scootaloo's expression shifted from disappointment to joy, bounding over to her idol. The young pegasus gestured wildly while she engaged Dash's feigned interest, "Didja see me Rainbow? I was all, swoosh! on the rope and Applebloom was all like, Kick! and that one guy hit the ground!" A brief pause allowed Rainbow to look into the similarly colored eyes of the filly in total adoration before her, even though it was she that had done something heroic. Dash had been depressed for a while now, in fact she'd wager it was the only thing she felt since last night, and being a jerk to the one pony who would still love her no matter what wasn't going to change anything. "Yeah I did kid. You were awesome." The words she chose were correct, but her tone managed to shoot down the unbridled enthusiasm Scootaloo seemed to be bursting with at all times. Rainbow immediately regretted her apathetic sounding response; the drop in the orange filly's eyes hit her like so many bucks to the face. "Squirt, wait!" She called, "You weren't awesome. You were amazing!" She injected as much enthusiasm into her tone as she could, though every fiber of her being was still wracked with guilt and sadness. It was enough to convince Scootaloo however, and she quickly gave Rainbow a hug, one that was willingly returned (for once). The rainbow maned pegasus found her mind drifting to a comment Sweetie Belle had made earlier, about Scootaloo always seeming to be around the treehouse the three fillies used as their crusading headquarters. "What were you doin' out in the clubhouse by yourself kiddo?" Another sharp drop struck the happiness from the orange filly's eyes. "Nothing...I just like to hang out there." She lied, not daring to admit the truth she had kept for four long years. Rainbow couldn't believe she had been so blind. All the years Scootaloo had watched her practice until dusk, and she had never once asked where it was the little filly laid her head at night. Couple that with the fact that nopony had ever seen her parents, or even knew where she lived. The next question was rather obvious. "You've...been sleeping in the clubhouse?" Rainbow asked in a hushed tone, noting the shame creeping across the young pegasus' face. "Haven't you?" Scootaloo's lip began to tremble, her eyes welling up as her greatest secret was discovered by her idol. "Please don't tell anypony Rainbow! I swear I'll find a new place to-" the cyan mare silenced her with a hoof over the mouth, stunned that she would be apologetic at all. This filly had been living on her own for at least four years? In that old wooden clubhouse? Even during the dead of winter? Where had she been getting food? Or blankets? Or anything? Questions like these raced through Rainbow's mind as she realized a still nervous filly awaited her response. "You don't have to apologize..." she whispered, "I should be the one apologizing." Scootaloo was taken aback. "You apologize? For what?" "Because, I never once thought to ask where you go after you watch me practice, or why I've never seen your parents even though you spend most of your free time following me around. I was blind to anypony else's problems, especially yours, and I'm...I'm..." Never before had Rainbow had to say she was sorry, now she was looking at saying it three times in one week. That had to have been some sort of record. "Sorry." Scootaloo witnessed the drop in Dash's eyes, those only a truthful soul could hold. The filly comforted her the only way she knew how; a hug. Rainbow would never admit it, but she needed that hug, that token of affection more than anything in the world. It spoke to her heart, reminding the cyan mare that maybe all was not lost just yet, and maybe there was still some way to restore the lives they had before all this began. The question she found herself pondering was; how hard was she willing to fight, and how much would she be willing to sacrifice to revive the life they had? After a warm hug, Scootaloo snuggled herself against Dash's side, below her wing. She instinctively sheltered the filly beneath the soft down, warming her better than any tiny crusader cape could have hoped for. The orange pegasus was asleep almost instantly beside the warmth of her idol. Rainbow couldn't help but smile down at the little one, whose annoying and constant need for her attention all made sense now. In fact, the times she didn't have the patience for Scootaloo began to flood her mind, reminding her of all the unknowingly hurtful things she had said to the young pegasus who only wanted to know somepony in this cold world cared about her. It was at that moment, that the fastest flier in all of Equestria had an epiphany. She had finally found her reason to fight, her reason to charge headlong into the face of madness, only if it meant securing a future for the little one tucked beneath her wing. Accompanying her brave thoughts, was the odd feeling somepony was watching her. A glance over her shoulder exposed the culprit. Applejack quickly turned her eyes elsewhere, trying to play off her stare. Dash smiled slightly. Maybe all wasn't as lost as she'd figured. Rainbow laid her head on her crossed forelegs, settling in for what she hoped would be a restful nights sleep. Twilight had let Mac have his family moment before walking over, though her tears were stifled by the sense of relief she felt after having Luna terrify the mob back to Ponyville. "How are you feeling?" she asked, immediately scolding herself for asking such a dumb question. "Ah've been better." He answered, still on his back in the hay, under order from his sister to rest, or face the consequences. Twilight let out a nervous giggle, "I bet. That was pretty brave of you Mac." she admitted, making the red stallion's bruised cheeks light up in a way only she could. "Ah couldn't very well let 'em take y'all to Discord could I?" "And you couldn't very well work on a farm without a leg!" Twilight shot back, trying to make light of the rather dark situation that had almost transpired. "Ah'm just glad you're safe." Mac said softly, getting to his hooves only to be immediately chastised back to his flanks by Applejack. "I guess I'm sleepin' here tonight." he added as princess Luna gracefully strode over to the injured stallion. "My word noble MacIntosh! Those ruffians gave you quite the kicking." she stated, her horn glowing softly as her armor removed itself and she returned to her normal form. "I s'pose you could say that." he answered modestly. "Fear not Macintosh Apple," Luna said confidently, "Those who would betray the crown will be hunted to the last pony, once we retake Canterlot. To besmirch such a handsome visage is a transgression that will not go unpunished, I assure you." Mac blushed even more than Twilight thought possible at Luna's compliment, though it was buried between words she wasn't sure Mac even understood. Another emotion sparked in the very deepest recesses of her mind, one she didn't have much experience with. Jealousy. Luna took her leave to an adjacent pile of hay while the red stallion continued to lie on his back, still reveling in the complement given to him by the second in command of the entire kingdom. He quickly shut down his grin, seeing Twilight's somewhat annoyed expression. "Let's get some ice on those bruises." the lavender unicorn said, casting an ice spell and pressing the block of frozen water against Mac's cuts. The workhorse recoiled at the drastic temperature change. Twilight held the ice closer, partially out of caring for her coltfriend, but also to see if he could blush for Luna with a block of ice on his face. Eventually, the malice lost the battle, and Twilight eased up on the ice and lay down beside him. She scooted close; almost uncomfortably close to make sure a certain princess knew which workhorse was already spoken for, and by whom. They all claimed their respective bedding and settled in for the remainder of the night. Rainbow decided they should have someone keep watch in case those goons decided to show up again. Since it was her idea, she was volunteered for first watch. Rainbow perched herself on the roof, still grumpy that they had interrupted her precious few minutes of sleep to sit on the roof all night. She was promised she'd be able to sleep all day tomorrow if she wanted. But that was then, and right now she found herself struggling to keep her eyes open. 'They won't come back tonight...not with Nightmare Moon here...' She thought hazily, her eyelids falling closed more often than she would admit. A soft whisper caused her ears to perk up, "Raiiiiiiiiinbow." She leaned over the edge of the roof to see Scootaloo on the ground below. "What is it squirt?" she yawned, fluttering down off the rooftop next to the orange filly with seemingly boundless amounts of energy. "What are you doin' on the roof?" "Keepin' watch in case those jerks come back." the cyan pegasus answered matter-of-factly. "What are you still doing up?" "I couldn't sleep..." the filly admitted, though truthfully she didn't want to sleep without her multi-colored heat source. "Right. You want to help me keep an eye out?" Rainbow asked, knowing full well the answer. "Yeah!" The rainbow maned pony couldn't help but smile as she lowered herself in front of Scootaloo. "Hop on kid." The little orange filly gladly hopped onto her idol's back, ecstatic to finally spend some quality time with the mare she wanted nothing more than to emulate. A quick beat of the wings and they were perched back on the rooftop, Rainbow settling in as Scootaloo resumed her position beneath her wing. She embraced the silence, thinking the orange filly had drifted off before her words shattered that illusion. "What happened to Canterlot?" Rainbow looked down to her right, the purple eyes of her number one fan gleaming back at her. She figured everypony had to have seen the castle floating why would Scoot be any different? "Discord happened." she answered bluntly. "We didn't free him this time! I swear!" Scootaloo pled in a worried tone. "I know you didn't." Rainbow softly reassured her, "We don't even know what did." After a brief moment of silence, another question floated up towards Dash's ear from underneath her wing. "How are you gonna beat him?" 'Good question' She thought. No use frightening the little one. It was better in her mind to have them live as if everything was fine, down to the last minute if they couldn't best Discord. Why put the creeping thought of ones own mortality into somepony so young? "We'll figure something out." Dash answered, considering the filly asking the flurry of questions housing situation. "Listen Scoot, I've been thinkin' about what you told me." Rainbow looked down to see nervousness in the purple eyes reflecting her image. "You mean...about the clubhouse?" the orange filly clarified, her voice cracking as she did. "Yeah. After all this is over...if you want to, I mean...you can live with me." Scootaloo nearly exploded. The look on her face suggested Rainbow had just single hoofedly defeated Discord, healed the sick, fed the hungry and walked on water all at once. "YOU MEAN IT?!" Rainbow quickly clapped her hoof over the overjoyed filly's mouth. "Shh! Not so loud!" A smile defied her insistent hushes beneath her hoof. Rainbow had never seen eyes light up like that...well, that wasn't entirely true. But seeing a certain set of emerald eyes sparkle again was quite out of the question for the time being. "Yes, I mean it. You won't have to sleep in that old clubhouse anymore unless you want to." Scootaloo tried as hard as she could to blink away the tears welling in her eyes, but they persisted, flowing from the violet orbs as she tried her best to hide under Dash's wing. The orange filly was sure she was dreaming, there was just no way her secret fantasy was coming true right in front of her! After four long years of letting her shame keep her from telling anypony her little secret, Dash had finally figured it out. The rainbow maned pegasus couldn't help but pull the filly close to her, the warm feeling rushing through her reminded her of the feeling she got taking Applejack to Cloudsdale. Rainbow felt Scootaloo snuggle as close to her as possible, finally falling into an easy sleep. She turned her gaze back to the road towards Ponyville, a new energy ran through her veins as she found a renewed resolve to maintain a vigilant watch. Twilight lay quietly beside Mac, the draught stallion taking on a bit of a wheeze from the punishing blows he had taken at the hooves of the mob he had fought off. His foreleg was over her shoulder as she snuggled closer against him, trying her best to recapture the sleep she had forced herself from in Mac's bed. Hay was certainly no substitute for a mattress. Twilight would have gladly taken all the momentary discomfort in the world if it meant besting Discord and restoring Celestia to the throne. Try as she might, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, as if something had been missing this entire time they'd been hiding out in the barn. She couldn't put a hoof on it, but she felt certain she had forgotten something. Twilight shot upright from the modest bed, startling Big Mac from a dead sleep. "Celestia's mane! I forgot Spike at the library!"