Edited by:
PieisGood4U
BlazinBlade7
dialgex
Thanks you guys, without your help this story would look like crap.
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My mood as I approached the still form of the minotaur could best be described as apprehensive. The fact that the other prisoners had given him such a wide berth, combined with the fact that this was the same creature that only a few hours previous had been chasing me round a sand ring trying to gore me, I think you could forgive me my hesitance. I only hoped this gamble paid off.
I stopped few metres from Iron Will, just to be on the safe side. Being lucky is all well and good but I like to have a back-up plan, in case I need to cut and run. Coughing politely, I addressed him.
“You can get up. I know your awake”
“…How?” His voice was a bit muffled but I realised he sounded different to how he did in the show, more aged and weary.
“I saw you twitch when Zende was poking your injections. I know that feeling, he doesn’t exactly have the tenderest medical touch. Talk about the Hypocritic Oath"
“I think you mean Hippocratic Oath”
“I know what I mean! My leg still hurts from his damn ministrations. Anyway, how you feeling?”
“Like someone decided to hold a rave inside my skull. With extra wub. What happened? And who did I hurt this time?”
“Ah, me on all counts there” I gestured down at my leg “I sorta performed an impromptu dance routine on your noggin”
“You? You beat me?…seriously, you?”
“Why does everyone find that hard to believe?! It’s almost as if no one here has any faith in my fighting abilities!”
“No offence kid, but I could probably use you as a toothpick”
Kid?! I’m no kid! Unless he means kid as in young goat…but still he can’t be that much older than me.
“Alright, whatever. So you're over the whole ‘Raggggh, rage monster crush!’ thing you had going”
He looked downcast for a moment and I felt a stab of guilt. Clearly his raging was no laughing matter. He must feel terrible about being used to hurt innocents like that, hell I certainly would.
“Sorry, that was insensitive of me. Allow me to offer an apology in the form of an intricate and cunning plan. Listen up and I shall explain…”
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“I'll kill you, you damn goat!”
“Bring it on, old cow! I beat you once and I'll do it again! By the time I’m finished with you you're going to be ground beef!”
“I’ll eat your legs, little lamb!”
We continued to circle each other, each eying the other’s defences. Desperately searching for a weak point, ready to strike like a cobra when the moment the enemy let down their guard. Faintly, I could hear the baying of the guards as they watched our confrontation, eager to finally see some action after their long shift in the Hole. They crowded the edge of the cave, jostling and fighting to get the best view. They weren't the only ones eager to see what was going on. The other prisoners had formed a circle around us, almost as if it was a shoolyard fight...how immature.
“Any time now, Summer” I muttered to myself. If this taunting and circling went on any longer we’d end up looking like a Dragonball Z match. 80% smacktalk and then 20% actual fighting. I already felt ridiculous. Iron Will and I had been arguing for what felt like an age before the guards had finally noticed us.
Just as I was about to open my mouth to deliver yet another witty one-liner I was interrupted by a crackling bolt of blue lightning leaping across the cave, illuminating every shadow and imprinting itself onto the retinas of everyone who saw it. In the split second of illumination granted to that dark pit I noticed details about the other prisoners; a pair of emerald eyes there, a bright blue mane here, a pale yellow coat over there. I barely had time to absorb these details before the electric bolt struck the guard dog at the front of the audience in the chest, making his limbs spasm and his fur stand on edge. It then leapt to the next guard and repeated its work. This process continued for every dog there, as the chain lightning made short work of the tightly packed guards.
The one-liner I had been preparing managed to escape my throat as a surprised “Huh”
Summer walked over from her position in the shadows, a small strut in her gait. I couldn’t really blame her for looking proud of herself, that was some bloody impressive magic. I felt a bit jealous really, all I got was this damn probability defying luck whilst she can shoot lightning bolts at people. So not fair.
“You're not the only one who knows a couple of tricks, goat boy, now use those picks of yours to open this damn cage”
I merely nodded, half impressed and half terrified of her, noting that the stallions in the cage were staring at her in a combination of fear and lust. I suppose that if you live in a matriachal society then strong women are a real turn on. As I withdrew my tools and knelt down to work on the lock one thought kept leaping through my mind.
Don’t piss off Summer Storm. Don’t piss off Summer Storm. Don’t piss off Summer Storm.
I had just inserted the picks into the lock and was about to begin feeling the correct angle out of it when I felt a weight clamp down on my shoulder. It was the giant hand of Iron Will.
“Allow me” he gently moved me out of the way
“You know how to pick locks, big guy?” I was feeling a bit snarky from my jealousy at Summer.
“In a way” he responded simply
His hooves slammed into the dirt floor as he widened his stance and lowered his knees. Meaty fingers wrapped around the holes in the metal gate and shoulder muscles bunched in preparation. With a groan he began to strain against the door, pulling it upwards against the hinges. The metal squealed in futile protest at this treatment. A roar escaped from Iron Will and a shriek came from the metal as he ripped the door completely of its hinges. Another thought flashed into my mind, as if by godly intervention.
Or Iron Will. Or Iron Will. Or Iron Will.
Iron Will wasn’t finished yet though. Holding the gate from either end, he bent it round until it was in a cylindrical shape, then crushed the top in one hand to form a makeshift prison which he slammed over the unconscious guard dogs.
“There, that should hold them whilst we make good our escape”
I felt like pointing out that his showing off was probably unnecessary, those dogs were out cold and I had no intention of sticking around long enough for them to wake up. Unfortunately, my snarkiness was pre-emotively interrupted by Zende.
“One small flaw with your plan, mighty leader” was Zende getting sarcastic?…he was! That geezer was getting sarcastic with me! “These stallions won’t leave without their mares, who are trapped working in the mines” This statement was followed by nods of agreement from the released stallions.
“Fine then, we free them, no biggie”
“One additional problem”
“Oh, what is it now!?”
“As an additional insurance against any…revolutionary activity Redtooth separated all the foals from their parents. He keeps them in a cage behind his throne and, should any try to attack him, he would slaughter them”
I was completely silent for a moment as I absorbed this information. When I finally spoke, only one statement escaped me.
“THAT BASTARD!”
“Quiet, you idiot, they’ll hear you!” Summer warned
“THAT UTTER BASTARD! I’ll kill him! I’ll rip him to pieces! How dare he! Foals! Innocent foals! And he…I’ll bloody kill him!”
If I had known that foals had been involved I would have enacted this escape sooner, wouldn’t have wasted time joking about. Children were in danger, and they needed my help. I had to be there for them, someone had to be there for them…because no one was there for me.
Mind working overtime at the thought of foals in danger I began to order around the mob of stallions.
“Zende! How close is the medicine you need to fix my leg?”
“The vault is located on the way to the throne room”
“Excellent! We need to get there, and fast. Iron, I want you to lead the charge, smash down any dogs who get in your way. Hell, smash down dogs that aren’t in your way. Just hit dogs. Earth Ponies, follow Iron Will’s lead, crush any dogs in your path. Summer, get those keys from the guards and unlock the unicorn’s rings. You’ll be leading them, I want magic smashing any dog formations that try and stop the charge, we cannot afford to lose momentum. Pegasi, I want you to swoop overhead and cause as much damage as possible. Throw rocks, smack with your hooves, piss on them for all I care. Just cause as much confusion in the enemy ranks as possible. Your number one objective though is to stop any dogs from escaping. We can’t allow Redtooth to know we’re coming for him. Any dogs try to run away, you better catch the bastards. Alright? Then let’s move out!”
They stared at me in some shock, not used to the rather silly satyr ordering them around like a general order’s his troops.
“What the hell are you all waiting for? Written permission from the princess? Those are your foals in danger. Those are your mares being forced to work to their deaths. Kill whoever is keeping you from them!”
This time a cheer went up as their minds were inflamed by righteous anger. Summer levitated the keys to the locks over and began to free the unicorn’s magic. Pegasi were freed from their wing-binders and began to flap them, working out any kinks and warming up the muscles for the battle ahead. I saw the earth ponies limbering up as well, they had a formed a spearhead formation with Iron Will at their head. The huge minotaur didn’t say anything to his troops, instead leading by example as he began to snort and pawed the floor with his hoof in preparation for the charge. Many ponies copied his stance, lowering their heads and bunching their shoulder muscles together to form a living battering ram.
As I viewed the ponies getting ready for battle, anger in their eyes and thoughts of justice and freedom leading them on I felt proud of them. Maybe I had read too many stories where the human always has to save the ponies, where the ponies appear almost helpless without the intervention of a protagonist, but this felt far more right. This would result in a far more meaningful victory for them. Given them the correct motivation and a pony’s desire to protect the herd could be turned up to overdrive. The Ponies in front of me were ready to defend themselves and those they loved, they were ready to stand for themselves.
Celestia show mercy to their enemies, for they shall not.