//------------------------------// // The Demons of Box Back Canyon // Story: A Long Hot Day // by Short Blade - The Oak //------------------------------// The morning sun had risen hours earlier then normal. Most ponies simply believed, which wasn't far from the truth, that it meant a busy day for Princess Celestia. While it mattered little to most. For those who dwelt in the heat of the desert, it meant a long hot day. Such matters did not affect Ruffback the scorpinors. A strange cross between a scorpion and a minotaur. Though such strange sights were common in the world of Equestria, not always were they forces for good. For Ruffback was an outlaw who prayed on the weak. In the recent weeks he had begun terrorizing the good folks of Appleloosa. While most of his crimes had generally been committed at night and involved simple break-ins on unguarded barns and stores. Two day ago he struck the local train carrying a load of money meant to buy timber for the distant desert town. The bulky scorpinor stood twice the size of a normal pony. His head, body and legs resembled a minotaur. From his steel black hooves, brown colored fur and bull like head. The major difference came from his hands. Both becoming elongated claws starting at the wrist. It was his back though that was the most dominating feature of this strange being. Since it was covered by a hard exoskeleton complete with a tail and poison stinger that hung over his head. A deadly stinger he was not afraid to use. While the capable Sheriff Silverstar tried numerous times to capture the bulky bandito. The villains knowledge of the desert always kept him a step ahead of the Sheriff and his posse. It was before noon as Ruffback stomped through the narrow canyon. As he went his way he heard a strange giggling echo around him. He stopped, his bloodshot eyes darting left and right in attempt to pinpoint the source of the sound. The giggling continued for a moment. His focus narrowed as he heard a second sound behind the laughter. A kind of forced guttural sound. Then all of a sudden it stopped, fading into echo. Ruffback took one more look around before continuing on his way. Soon enough he came around the bend he saw a cloaked pony with a silver coat and goggled head close to the ground staring at a lizard. At first Ruffback just stood and stared at the pony. He was use to having others take notice of his might. The pony, a pegasus, just continued to stare at the lizard until it darted for the safety of a rock. In a flash the pony jumped up and stomped on the small creature, killing it. Ruffback stared as the pony begun to laugh at his cruel act. Well, he wasn't exactly laughing. While his body and head were moving as though they were, there was simply no sound. Then all of a sudden he stood firm, his body posture tuning the happy smile into a wolfish grin all directed at the massive scorpinors. Ruffback was taken a little aback at the fearlessness of this... tiny creature. He snorted then moved his large claw to snatch up the helpless pony. Just before his claw found its way around the pony neck, and faster then his eyes could follow, the small pony jumped back, picked up a rock and smashed it on the fleshy part of the Ruffback's wrist. While the blow was not heavy it did cause Ruffback to pull back his claw in pain. Venom dripped from the stinger as it darted for the clocked pony. Still smiling and without hesitation. The pegasus unfurled his wings shot forward, just under the the killing blow. He flew a loop around the tail and came right up to Ruffback. As he flew past the pony smashed his hoof into the brute's face. Ruffback reared up, blood pouring from his nose. Hardly thinking at this point Ruffback grabbed a rock and hurled it at the now hovering pegasus. The pony shifted slightly and the rock flew past, as it did he stuck out his tongue put his hooves to his head and began mocking the large beast, "bleeh, bleeh, mooooooo!". Ruffback roared in defiance. "Tiny one, if you dare to face the great Ruffback. Then face me on the ground!" The pegasus hovered there with all but his wings limp. Ruffback thought he looked like some sort of sickly vulture. A moment later the small pony dropped to the ground, his smile gone. "GUAHAHAHA," The scorpinors roared in delight. "NOW YOU DIE!" Charging, Ruffback lifted his claw ready to cut down the tiny opponent. When at the the last possible moment the pegasus ran forward with all his speed, leaped up from the ground and crashed, hooves first, into the monstrous opponent's chest. Amazingly enough, the speed and momentum of the pony's blow not only stopped Ruffback's charge, but also sent him flying back. A fact that wasn't lost on the massive scorpinors. As the pegasus ricocheted off Ruffback's chest. He darted upward at a much slower speed. Slow enough for Ruffback to strike. Instinctively his tail darted forward even as the rest of his body fell back. Time seemed to slow as the pony looked up at the massive stinger. With it's blue poison sack accompanied by a sickly yellow stinger that darkened to a rusty black tip. A crooked smile cracked the shocked expression of the scorpinors as victory seemed apparent. The sound of metal gliding across metal was heard, followed by a 'thunk'. The scorpinors looked in horror as a blade appeared from out of nowhere on the pony's hoof and sliced upward. The blow cut the poison stinger clean off. Ruffback fell to the ground with a earth shaking thud. Before his senses could orientate him to his new horizontal position he felt a small weight on his chest. It was a second pony wearing a similar cloak and goggles. This one however was dark tan. The mare just looked down smiling at the fallen creature. Ruffback could see his reflection in the pony's goggles as his senses returned. 'Snap', His claws attempted to cut the pegasus were for not for she nimbly leaped into the air to join her companion. Shame, pain, and a great deal of rage washed over Ruffback as he got back to his feet. He realized as he wiped some spittle from his mouth that tan one must have rammed the back of his knees as the silver one struck his chest. "That's why I fell," the thought raced through his mind. Both ponies just hovered there, smiling their sickly bright smiles. Ruffback's eyes looked to the silver pony's right hoof, the one that cut off his stinger. It was some odd contraption that was attached to the front part of his hoof. Hovering in the air however allowed the pony to rotate his shoulders making it look like it was attached to the hoofs side. But Ruffback knew better at a glance. A mixture of poison and Ruffback's own strange blood dripped from the tip of the blade. The pegasus flicked his hoof and the rest of the goo spattered on Ruffback. A sight that seemed to delight the pair. He then flexed his hoof and the short blade retracted back under his cloak. Ruffback may have been bandit, and at times in his life a vicious brute. But he was not a mindless monster. He knew he was in trouble. For even against one he was completely outmatched. They were simply too fast! Ruffback no choice other then run. He raced though the canyon knowing full well that his life depended on getting as far away as he could. But in his rush, Ruffback had not kept track of where he was going and soon found himself lost in the vast canyon network. "If I can just get to a cave I can cut their speed and maybe..." The thought trailed off as he found himself facing a dead end. One he had no hope of climbing. He turned in fear as the sound of wings had closed in. Both pegasi hovered in the air for a moment, then softly landed. They sat there for a moment. Then as though they were moving as mirror images of the other. They each pulled back their hood to reveal their heads. The left one with his right hoof sported a pure white mane with silver coat. The right one pulled back her cloak with her left hoof showed a stark red mane on top of dark tan fur. They both still wore that same sickly sweet grin with dark goggles above. An image that would haunt Ruffback's dreams for the rest of his days. Still in unison, they marched forward on three legs. Ruffback could hear the sound of steel protruding from under their cloaks as the silver one unsheathed the same kind of blade. This time from his left hoof, and the tan one from her right hoof. As they went the mare slowed and they crossed paths. Without warning they darted toward their enemy. Ruffback reared up to defend himself as best he could and screamed. A vulture shot up from it's spot in the shade as a stream of blood splatted high on the rock above. The sounds of heavy thuds, breaking bones, singing steel and splattering blood echoed throughout the canyon. All of this happening under the hot sun of that long day.