Pink Apple Seeds

by The1Ryu

Chapter Seven: Monsters' Duel

Chapter Seven: Monsters' Duel

The first sight of the battle Big Macintosh saw was the plume of smoke rising up out of the trees and he was thankful for it. Applejack’s directions had been as inaccurate as he had thought they would be. Once he reached the edge of the northern side of the field he had no idea where to go, but the rising smoke pointed him as true as a compass, and as he got closer he heard the battle and the savage neighing of his father.

Big Macintosh rushed towards the sound of the fighting, hoping that he was not too late. He burst onto the scene as the goat’s horns stabbed into his father’s side and Big Macintosh felt his breath being stolen along with his father’s as he watched the monster casually throw his father’s limp body away. As his eyes watched his father’s body fall they found their way to his mother who lay still just a few feet away. Big Macintosh struggled to breathe, pain and loss wrapped around his throat and choked him. He managed a few steps before collapsing to the ground the grief too much to stand.

The chimera and Big Macintosh looked at each other, but it was the chimera who was the first to speak, taking in a deep breath, “Ahh there you are, it’s Big Macintosh right. I would know your scent anywhere.” The snake-tail was still the only one speaking and thought the goat head was basking in its victory the other two were coughing, snarling, and thrashing in pain.

“You... what?” Big Macintosh’s mind was a jumble of emotions and thoughts all struggling to be heard and felt causing a numb shock to paralyze him. The chimera seemed pleased by this and made no move to attack the red colt in his dazed state, such a kill would not bring him justice.

“Who am I, Why have I done this?” The chimera scoffed, “Your parents didn’t know either, typical ignorant ponies.” Big Macintosh’s eyes became hard and narrowed at the chimera’s insult, but the chimera’s snake-tail just smiled back smugly, “This is all your doing.”

Big Macintosh's went wide at that, and the snake-tail nodded, the other head’s beginning to recover. “You destroyed my home in the Everfree forest and nearly killed me,” The memory of Big Macintosh’s mad rage and the destruction he caused in the Everfree forest came back to his mind in a flash. “You shouldn’t have left the job half finished.”

Big Macintosh shut his eyes and clenched his teeth, his body shivering and recoiling like it was trying to deny the terrible truth, and just as he thought the pain could not get any worse the chimera added, “You killed your parents.”

“No!” Big Macintosh shouted back in what sounded like the voice of a scolded foal caught. “Y'all killed them, over what ah did, ya shoulda killed me!”

The snake-tail shook its head, “No you see Big Macintosh when you wrong a chimera you wrong all four head, and each one is entitled to retribution. I took your mother,” the snake-tail said proudly then slithered around the goat head, “And this one took your father. One of these two,” The snake-tail indicated towards the lion and dragon heads, “Will get you and the last will get that little filly messenger I let go and get you.”

Big Macintosh’s mind flashed with horrible images of the chimera finding not only Applejack at the farm house but Granny Smith and Apple Bloom. At that though rage broke through the mess of emotions and took control. Big Macintosh jumped to his hooves and charged at the three-headed monster snorting and neighing wildly, a half-sized copy of his father.

The Chimera snarled almost joyfully charging to meet the wild colt head on, the longer dragon head striking out to snap up the colt in a single bite. Big Macintosh dodged to the right a moment before the jaws would have snapped shut around him.

The lion head roared as it lurched forward blindly trying to snap the colt in half, but with speed, the chimera could not follow Big Macintosh jumped up and slammed a shoulder full force into the lion head’s nose. The chimera was rocked by a force stronger than any it had ever felt before, the loin head snapped back and the chimera was pushed back several feet. It looked like a house cat battling a bear and overpowering it.

The chimera shook its lion head reeling from the awesome blow, and watched as the colt leaped at it again. The chimera quickly swiped at colt with its immense paw, the blow hit the colt like a wall and flung him several feet from the much larger monster. The chimera looked surprised then growled with pleasure. It had always known whoever had destroyed its home was an undersized pony of incredible power, the hoof prints left in the trees made that evident. However, it was still surprised by Big Macintosh’s strength and was worried about what the spry little powerhouse could do, but the chimera realized now that it did not matter how strong the colt was, for the monster’s size and weight meant the chimera could beat him around like a ball of string.

Big Macintosh picked himself up and charged the chimera again with all the wild fury he had, his eyes still steely and filled with rage as if he had never stopped charging. The chimera’s snake-tail smirked as its paw casually batted the colt away like he was nothing, it did not even bother to extend its claws. Big Macintosh hit the ground hard and rolled several feet, but was back on his hooves as soon as he stopped rolling, not even slowed down by the blow.

The chimera huffed angrily at the colt; there was no fear in him, no insight in the way he fought, and no fun in fighting such an opponent. The chimera loved to take apart brave warriors turn their strategies against them and smell the fear grow in them, there was no joy in battle without these things.

Big Macintosh closed the gap between them in a moment, his anger fueled by the knowledge that his mother’s body lay lifeless choked with poison and images of his father thrown casually aside his life blood pouring from him. For the first time he did not regret his abilities, “Ah’ll make ya pay!” Big Macintosh shouted and jumped at the monster, then suddenly he was falling away from the chimera again, his head ringing and his body ached like he had been hit by a brick wall.

He realized this time he had been hit by the chimera’s massive paw, it easily covered half the colt’s body and hurtling through the air made him an easy target. Big Macintosh hit the ground tumbling like a discarded apple core, but he was back on his hooves as soon as he stopped rolling. He was dizzy from the hard roll across the ground rather than hurt, his thick Titan hide protecting him.

Big Macintosh growled angrily feeling more power build up in him, he cursed its uselessness, for all the power was useless if he could get close to the chimera. Big Macintosh turned back to the monster his head low snorting in rage and pawing at the ground, but the chimera was gone.

The tall red colt looked one way then the other, but it was gone only its shadow was left. Big Macintosh realized that did not make sense, something had to be there to cast a shadow. Then the ringing in his ears finally stopped and he could hear the beating of wings.

Big Macintosh looked up and there it was flying above sneering down at the landlocked pony. Big Macintosh’s teeth clenched angrily as he stared hatefully up at the flying murderer the heat building up in him. Flames danced on the fangs of the dragon head, but all the green eyes of the colt could see was the three faces alight with laughter.

“Come down here and fight!” Big Macintosh shouted with all the anger of a helpless colt and all the pain of an orphaned pony, rearing up and stomping the ground with all his might in a futile rage. Suddenly the power within him rushed out and into the ground which split and cracked with a jagged light that streamed towards the flying monster. When it was under the chimera it surged up out of the ground a massive ball of light still connected to the ground by a ribbon of white hot light.

The chimera had taken to the air not to mock the little pony but to burn him to nothing with its dragon breath, it had grown tired of playing ping-pong with the red colt and decided to end him. Still, the chimera had enjoyed the impudent little pony’s angry shouting but was caught totally off guard by the strange terrain light show and the micro white sun that came from it. Before caution could take hold in the monster’s mind it was overcome by curiosity. It looked into the fantastic glow of the object trying to understand what it was, that was when it exploded. The white hot energy washed over it burning the chimera painfully, but not as painfully as the burning in its blinded eyes. All three heads cried out in pain, the dragon head released its fire breath wildly in every direction as it shook itself frantically in pain. It was like nothing the formidable creature had ever felt before; it coursed through every inch of its body paralyzing it. Its body just could not work in that much pain, its wings seized up and it fell.

Big Macintosh was almost as confused as the chimera; that was the energy that had built up in him, he knew that, but it had never been that big, that powerful. He had never thought of attacking something with it, he had always thought it was just light.

He saw the chimera falling from the sky, now was his chance the monster did not look like it would be able to smack him away this time. Big Macintosh summoned up his considerable strength and leaped full force at the plummeting monster slamming into it. The chimera gasped in shock at the sudden unexpected attack rolling back from the force. Now it was falling upside down and the powerful Titan colt was on its soft belly as it slammed into the ground.

Big Macintosh looked down at the monster stirring weakly trying to get back on its feet. The red colt snorted and clenched his teeth, “Ya killed them!” He shouted rearing up and slamming his hooves down on the chimera’s chest. “It’s all yer fault,” He slammed down again earning a painful cry from the three-headed monster. “It’s all yer fault their dead,” This time there was a distinct crack as several of the creature's ribs broke. If the colt had a moment to think he might have found it odd that the chimera was able to survive so many of his blows, as if he was, through all his rage and pain, holding back against even his parents’ murderer.

“Who are you really saying that to?” Big Macintosh turned to see the unblinded snake-tail lunge at his flank. He tried to jump out of the way, but he could not hope to match the speed of the snake-tail and he felt the fanged mouth close over his flank.

There was no sting, but a sense of dread fell over Big Macintosh, he too had heard the legend of the chimera’s deadly poison bite. He turned to face the snake-tail and for a moment thought it wore a mocking imitation of his own dread expression.

“Your skin... it’s like leather armor, what are you?” Big Macintosh looked at it with confusion then glanced down at his flank. There were no fang marks, in fact, his flank was totally unmarred by the battle.

“Let us see if your face is as tough,” the snake-tail snarled and lunged again at the red colt. This time Big Macintosh was ready easily sidestepping the snake-tail’s strike, however, rather than flee beyond the snake-tail reach he lunged forward and grabbed it by its neck just under the head. The snake-tail head thrashed back and forth trying to bite at the colt, but could only manage to move a few centimeters.

“Damn it,” the snake-tail cursed realizing it could get free or bite the colt. “Well, my damned little pony I wonder if your insides are as tough as your hide.” The snake-tail hissed angrily thrashing itself around trying to wrap around the red colt.

Big Macintosh caught sight of his mother again, his teeth clenched angrily and the snake-tail cried out in pain its body flailing until a stomp from the colt stilled it again. Crushing the snake-tail’s head would be too quick for what it had done, so he jumped off the monster stomach pulling the snake-tail with him. He pulled the snake-tail straight and low to the ground then quickly reversed his position and stomped down on it and pulled up with all his strength.

“No! You can’t do this,” the snake-tail cried out and the main body started to struggle again realizing just what the colt was doing, but it was too late. There was a pop followed by a splat and Big Macintosh tossed the last half-foot of the snake-tail on to the ground where it writhed wildly. “There now ya can die slowly like m’ mah did.”

The chimera staggered back to its feet swaying in confusion and dizzy at the loss of its snake-tail, but sight had returned to the three heads. Though the snake-tail was the one that spoke and seemed to reason it was not the solely intelligent head, however, the loss of any head, and therefore a quarter of its sense, was a serious blow to the creature. The eyes of the three remaining heads fell on the red colt whose green eyes glared steely back. Whatever the colt was the chimera did not want to fight it anymore. The monster turned and fled taking to the air, previously unfelt fear pushing it to fly faster than it ever had before.

Big Macintosh snorted angrily allowing only a moment of indecision to pass before galloping after the fleeing monster. The red colt dodged through the trees his eyes never leaving the monster, his kinetisis powers pushing him to go even faster than he normally could. His glare intensified and his anger grew deeper, why had he not thought of this sooner? He summoned up the energy that was growing within him and using it to strengthen his he gave a might push, never taking his eyes off the chimera, and leaped high into the air shouting, “Ah can fly to.”

The chimera looked back and jolted with fear, the red colt-thing was still coming for it and now it was flying.

Big Macintosh landed on the moving creature quite well for a non-flying pony, meaning of course that he crashed into it falling across its back and nearly tumbling off. He grabbed a tuft of fur in his mouth and clung on for dear life.

The chimera quickly realized it had the advantage in the air and began to bank left and right, up and down sharply trying to shake off the colt-thing. Unfortunately for the chimera, the red colt-thing was not nearly weak enough to let go and far too light to break the strong fibers of its fur.

Big Macintosh smacked up and down on the chimera’s back his strength growing with each slam. He struggled and finally managed to get his leg under him long enough to shoot forward like a bullet slamming his head into the back of the loin head’s skull and grabbed a mouthful of its mane to hang onto.

The chimera’s wild banking became a weak wobble as a wave of nausea passed through the monster. The dragon head concentrated on flying, but the goat head reared itself back stabbing at the colt-thing with its sharp horns.

Big Macintosh opened his eyes in time to see the horns coming at him, and quickly let go of the mane. He was swept back safely out of danger tumbling across the chimera`s back and grabbed into its thick fur again. Green eyes glared up at the horns that had killed his father, with an angry snort Big Macintosh got his feet under him again and launched himself at the goat head. Reaching it he wrapped a foreleg around each horn and held on as the goat head thrashed back and forth trying to run him through from impossible angles.

Big Macintosh began to strain as he pulled the horns together with all his might. The goat head bayed painfully shaking itself wildly trying to stop the insanely strong colt, but Big Macintosh held fast. Soon there was an audible crack followed by a loud snap as the two horns broke free from the goat head, which shook and threw itself back in denial.

Without the horns to anchor him Big Macintosh was flung back by the thrashing head and high cold winds. He clutched the broken horns in his forelegs instinctively clinging to something solid, but this time there was no fur to grab onto, just open air to fall through. The red colt flipped through the air, ground, sky and monster fusing into a jumbled mess until suddenly he slammed into something solid. It was like a leather mattress and his collision with it caused a sudden cry of pain from the dragon head. Big Macintosh opened his eyes and realized that the horns had become deeply embedded into whatever he had slammed into and even in his dazed state he still managed to cling to the horns and save himself from falling.

The chimera`s wing recoiled automatically at the pain of the red colt-thing stabbing its own horns into its wing. The sudden loss caused the chimera`s already shaky flight to completely destabilize and the huge monster began to spiral towards the ground. The dragon head glared back at the red colt-thing who opened his eyes and looked around in confusion, and a new hate was born in the chimera for the red colt-thing. The chimera flapped its remaining wing turning its body so its bad wing was under it, steadying its fall to maintain its position. These actions did nothing to ease its own fall, it did not care about the injuries it would suffer anymore, now its every thought was to kill the hated colt-thing whatever the cost.

By the time Big Macintosh regained his senses he realized that where there should be sky, there was instead ground that was rapidly coming closer. There was no time to think or act, all Big Macintosh could do was brace himself for the impact. He thought he heard the sound of snapping branches then there was a loud bang as his head hit the ground and a wave of dizziness that comes with hitting one’s head. He felt the immense mass of the chimera press down on top of him forcing the air from his lungs, and the rough grit of the ground as they slid along it. Despite all this Big Macintosh`s first coherent thought was that it should have hurt more.

Then the pain washed over him, pulsing and burning like a ball of fire in his chest. It was the pain of the kinetic energy building up in his chest, but he had never built up so much before and it felt as if it would burst forth from his chest and consume him; he had to get it out.

Big Macintosh used all his will to push the energy out, letting go of all the careful control he had developed and released the energy not caring what form it took just so long as he got it out. The energy left him in its purest form a wave of kinetic energy that would slam into anything that got in its way with all the force that Big Macintosh had absorbed when he was driven into the ground by the chimera. There was only one place for it to go.

When the wave hit the chimera, it was like hitting the ground a second time. Its pain became white hot and darkness danced on the edge of its vision. It could not believe that after all it had survived, after all the enemies that had fallen before its collective might that it could have been defeated by such a puny creature as this colt-thing. At least the pony-thing would die with it that was better than being defeated outright. That thought was truly a comfort to the monster allowing it to close its eyes and let itself succumb to the darkness of unconsciousness. Then the chimera felt movement beneath it and the darkness was thrown back and its eyes shot open, the colt-thing was still alive.

Big Macintosh finally managed to pull himself out from beneath the chimera`s body and slowly managed to push himself onto his hooves, only to almost crash to the ground again when a sharp pain tore through his hind right leg. The titan earth pony looked back curiously at the leg which he now held up protectively. He had never been hurt before, not physically anyway, and might have been scared of the alien sensation if he had any fear left in him. At the moment he did not feel anything, not anger or sorrow not even relief that the battle seemed to be over. So when the chimera turned itself over and slowly began to crawl towards him using its clawed lion paws to pull itself forward, eyes full of hate and rage and foam dripping from its snarling, mouths Big Macintosh was not afraid.

“Yer... your... I’ll... it’s...” The creature wheezed desperately trying to use its loin head to threaten the red colt-thing, even if it took its last breath to do so.

Big Macintosh watched the broken monster crawl towards him trying to feel something for the creature that had killed his parents, but he did not. He even remembered the feeling of anger that had driven him to fight so hard, but he could not feel it anymore. So rather than finishing off the monster or offering to help it he merely turned his flank to the creature and began to hobble away.

“Don’t you...” The chimera began but whatever its threat or demand was it was cut off by a fit of violent coughing that started with the loin head and spread to the other two. Slowly the red colt-thing retreated from the chimera’s burring vision until he was gone, and finally the Chimera’s strength gave out and it slumped to the ground. As it lay there the darkness once again creeping over its vision the monster realized that it didn’t have the strength to kill the colt-thing... maybe it never did.

---

Big Macintosh eventually made it out of the forest and back into the orchard where he could get his bearings again. Above him a thin plume of smoke still rose up from the orchard, the chimera’s fire still marked the location where his parents now lay dead. Thankfully the fire had not seemed to have spread; Big Macintosh did not know that a chimera’s fire naturally contained itself resisting spreading and burning down their forest homes.

As Big Macintosh began to climb the last small hill between him and the site of the chimera’s attack he started to prepare himself for the sight. It was not hard, the images of his parents’ bodies, their wounds and where they had fallen had been burned into his mind when he first arrived on the scene. His mother’s body would be seen first, lying still, calm and so unmarred that he could almost convince himself she was merely sleeping. His father’s body held no such illusions lying crumpled with the fatal wounds staring up at him like hallow red eyes. Big Macintosh remembered these images hoping it would not hurt as much to see them this time, then remembered it a second and third time unable to shake the feeling it should have hurt more.

He crested the hill and looked to where his mother body lay, but she was gone and his eyes grew wide; could she still be alive? “Mah... Mah!” Big Macintosh shouted stumbling forward his eyes scanning the area for her.

“Mackie?” Her voice called out weakly and Big Macintosh followed the weak sound of her voice to where she lay, next to his father.

“Mah,” He shouted over and over as he ran to her side stumbling several times as his injured leg slowed him down. Finally reaching her he nuzzled his snout against hers frantically yet with enough control so that he would not hurt her.

“Oh Mackie,” she answered him tears streaming down her face and onto him as she nuzzled him back. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

Big Macintosh stepped back in surprise, “Yer hurt? Ah gotta get ya to a doctor!” He wiped away the tears that stained his face and moved to help her up.

Valencia slowly shook her head, “No Mackie, I’m sorry it’s too late.”

Big Macintosh did not understand, he shook his head about to protest when his clear sad eyes met her faded blood shot ones and he realized she was looking towards him but not at him. She was blind.

“The poison’s slower than I thought, but I can feel it coursing through me, I wouldn’t make it to town. I’m so sorry Mackie.” She leaned forward reaching out for him but he stood just beyond her reach.

Big Macintosh shook his head slowly, “No.” His breathing was labored and he started to shake, “No, no, no, no, NO!” He moved up to her trying to put his head under her neck and pull her up, “Ya have t’ go t’ the doctor.”

“Mackie,” She lowered her head to the ground to stop him, her eyes welling up with fresh tears.

“Ya have t’ be al’ right!” He struggled, rubbing his snout against the underside of her neck trying desperately to help her up without hurting her. He did not know how, she was so weak and delicate, everypony was so weak and delicate it made everything so hard for him.

“Mackie,” Valencia leaned over and nuzzled his side gently. Her touch was like a shock causing him to jump and weakened his efforts to pull her up until he was just weakly rolling his face back and forth against her.

“What about Applejack an’ Apple Bloom an’ Granny Smith. Ya have ta... take care of ‘em.”

Streams poured from the yellow mare’s eyes, she had to force back her sobs and steady her voice. “I’m sorry to put such a burden on you, Mackie. I know it’s been hard for you and now I have to ask more of you.” Valencia moved to rest her head on her son’s, “You’re going to have to take care of your sisters and Granny from now on Mackie.”

“Ah can’t, ah can’t,” Big Macintosh repeated as if his denial would stop her from dying.

“Yes you can Mackie, you are so much stronger than you think you are,” Her tears poured across his face. She hugged him tighter, “And no matter what your father and I will always be with you, no matter what.”

Big Macintosh wiped the tears from his face on the crook of his mother’s neck. He wanted to keep on shouting his refusal and blame her for what happened, for giving up, for dying, but he knew that she was right. It was not her fault and there nothing she could have done, “Ah’ll take care of them Mah, Ah promise.”

“Thank you, Mackie, thank you,” She wanted to tell him again how sorry she was, but it did not feel right to. Big Macintosh knew how sorry she was and she wanted his last memories of her to be a strong pony he could remember and draw strength from rather than a weak pony begging his forgiveness.

Valencia turned back to Great Graven and nuzzled against him. He was gone and his body was still and rapidly cooling, just as she was rapidly weakening. She wished she could see him, it did not feel like he was there anymore, and she wanted to be near her beloved at the end. Valencia could not ever remember feeling so disconnected from Great Graven, any distance they had been separated by was nothing compared to this.

“Mah?” Big Macintosh touched the side of her neck in concern.

Valencia came out of her thoughts and turned back to her son closing her eyes and nuzzling against him again. “I’m here Mackie,” Those were the same words she would whisper to him when he woke from a nightmare and called to her.

The moments crawled by as mother and son lay silently hugging each other trying to deny the inevitable. Soon, however, Valencia was too weak to hold herself up and had to lay her head on the ground. Big Macintosh never once let go of her, “Mackie please promise me something.”

“Anything Mah,” He answered immediately, his eyes were closed as he hugged her to him trying to keep her with him.

“Promise me you’ll go back to school Mackie, I know it’s hard but... do it for me ok.” She said releasing a last exhausted breath.

Big Macintosh nodded without a second thought as if he might bring her back with enough promises. “Ah will Mah ah promise ah will. Ah promise, ah promise...”