Reunion
Reunion
Five years have passed since Equestria's great heroes, the elements of harmony, were layed to rest. Equestria has fallen into ruin and the magic of friendship has evaporated. Remains of Equestrian life lay scattered accross the land, overgrown, and barren. The sun stood still in the sky, the moon creeping in front of it to shield Equestria from it's scalding heat for the night. Ruins of the Hero's home town, Ponyville, stood in a yellow field of sun dried forest and meadow irreversibly changed from it's cheery green by the ever present sun. Clouds moved to join the moon to cover the sun, though unguided by the pegasi which once governed the weather in Equestria.
As night's dim light crept over Equestria, the ruins of Ponyville held life once again. Six ponies, solemn in memory of their former homes. In pairs they walked: Two unicorns with monochromatic coats of grayish white sat conversing outside of a large building that looked to once be a dress store of sorts, it's dull purples and gold trims barely even noticeable to both the stallion and mare beside him in the night's eclipse. Two others walked through the fields of a once thriving farm, now an overgrown and yellow orchard filled what one once a bountiful field of apple trees. One, a pale yellow coated mare with rosy hair falling from her head and neck, the other a brick red with an ashen mane. The mare jolted over to a small dilapidated clubhouse that barely stood on the one green tree in the field of dying apple trees. The final two flew high above, simply admiring a drifting cloud just barely above the ground, once fashioned into a home. Dull rainbows trickled against the dull gray clouds that were barely held together by pillars and the remnants of a sign who's words had long since been faded from sight.
The white coated mare, her cutie mark; a heart behind a treble clef, stepped into the old building, gazing around at what was once her home. The stallion with a cutie mark of a paintbrush with a red gem inside of it; a red spiral of paint behind it which originated from the tip of the brush walked in behind her, his hoof tripping over a large bit of rubble that the mare managed to avoid. His horn shimmered a deep crimson that matched the small droplet of blood that trailed down from his left front foreleg, his glasses floated from his coat and he placed them over his eyes gently. The Mare turned at the sound of his slip and stepped forward toward him.
" Are you alright, Salem? " her face slipped into a frown as the white stallion, Salem stood.
" Do not worry about me, Sweetie Belle... we are here for you right now. Whatever you are here to do, let us be done with it so that I can return to my work. " Salem dusted himself off and peered through his glasses with a face of minor discontent at her.
Sweetie Belle sighed, her chest huffing at the cold disposition of the ashen stallion that now stood barely inside the shop. She turned away and nudged a fallen white pony figure with an unfinished dress over it. " You know, Salem... you don't have act so stoic all the time. "
Salem glared and stuck his head up proudly. " I am not 'acting' in any particular way, this is an accurate depiction of the emotions I am experiencing... " he lifted up a pencil from the ground with his crimson magic " ... minor annoyance, and distaste for this place. Come to think of it you never told me why you wanted to come here. " he lifted a hoof and adjusted his glasses.
The mare sighed with a frown back at Salem, unable to break his cold facade. " I wanted to remember her, Salem... and I wanted you to remember her too. " Sweetie belle turned from him and lowered her head.
Salem looked over at the Sweetie Belle with a look of minor distaste before sighing and stepping forward. His hooves crunched the dirt and glass on the floor. He stopped beside her and lifted his hoof to raise her chin, lifting her head. " Find me a picture of her... " Sweetie Belle turned and looked at Salem, a streak of moisture trailed down from her eyes. " ... she was my cousin, but your sister. The least we can do is try and remember her, so find me a picture and I will restore it as a painting for you. "
Sweetie Belle smiled meekly and nodded at Salem " Thank you... " tears once again began flowing from her eyes and pattered against the dust covered ground.
Salem brought out a cloth from his coat, enveloping it in crimson magic as he dried the tears from her cheeks. " Come now, Sweetie Belle... you'll make mud in the boutique. You know how much she hated when we tracked mud inside. " Salem smiled.
Her cousin's words drew a chuckle from the white mare " It was mostly you an- "
Salem look at her with a pained grimace. She halted her comment and shut her mouth for a few seconds while looking over at the unusual display of emotion from the stallion.
" Still don't want to talk about it? " Sweetie Belle frowned again.
" No... I do not. " Salem regained his apathetic composure and proceeded to look through the boutique with his cousin for a picture he could use to paint a portrait of the pony who once embodied Generosity.
Without warning the sound of trumpets and polka music began to play from outside, both Sweetie Belle and Salem turned their heads in confusion. Salem turned his head toward Sweetie Belle and shrugged before continuing his search. Sweetie Belle however stepped toward a window and opened it with a translucent pale green glow from her horn.
" It's coming from the middle of Ponyville! " the mare said back at Salem.
Salem simply turned and gazed with a raised brow. " You stay here and continue the search. I will go and check what it is, besides... it sounds familiar. "
The white stallion walked from out the door and squinted at the dimmed sun as it's remaining rays managed to reflect off of the window on the door and into his eyes. Salem continued his stride, the white mare watching as he turned behind a building and out of sight on his way to the center of town.
- - - - -
A gust of wind filled the air with dust and made the flimsy remnants of the barn creak as a maroon stallion bearing a gray wolf's paw cutie mark and a snow white mane stared, the red paint peeled and flaked off of the rotten wood's surface. Patches of charred evidence of the fire had been put out long ago, ashes layered the ground like snow. The pale yellow mare behind him put her hoof up onto his shoulder, her cutie mark was a bright red apple with a small white flower resting beside it, a rosy ribbon pinned back of her mane. The barn door creaked loudly as a crow took flight at the approach of the two ponies.
“ Snow? “ The mare look at stallion with a furrowed brow.
The stallion stepped toward the barn and put one hoof on the barn door with a deep wooden thud. He closed his eyes and sighed. “ This is where she died Applebloom... “
Applebloom shook her head at the memory playing through her mind like a waking nightmare, the pain clear in her eyes. “ I know, I try not to think about it too much... “ She lowered her head and circled her hoof in the ashes before looking up toward the stallion with a forced smile “ ... at least we still got Big Macintosh! “
The stallion snapped his head toward the mare with a glare “ What’s left of him? “
Applebloom lowered her head again. “ Well FUCK Snow Spike, you don’t gotta go and remind me o’ that! “ Applebloom stomped off into the field toward the old clubhouse again with an angry glare about her face.
Snow Spike rolled his eyes and gently pushed the barn door open. The loud creaking gave way to a crunching sound as some of the beams on the ceiling fell down before Snow Spike with a loud CRASH! Snow Spike walked through the ash covered barn and peered around as each creak of the wood threatened to bring the whole barn down onto him. The stallion’s stepped down onto what appeared to be an ash covered stone that instead it gave way under his hoof. Snow Spike reached down and kicked at the ashes, revealing a leather hat sitting nearly untouched by the once blazing inferno. With a melancholic smile Snow Spike dusted the hat off neatly and kicked it up over his snow white mane.
" Strange thing, I coulda sworn this was burried with her. "
Snow Spike turned and set his hoof down onto a rotten wooden plank which broke and splintered. A wooden column fell into the floor as it's base fell from it, chunks of blackened wooden beams began to crash down to the ground. The stallion turned and evaded a heavy metal pulley wheel that fell from above, like a blur of red the stallion jumped through the falling debris and out of the collapsing barn only a moment before the entire structure became nothing but charred splinters.
Snow spike turned to the collapsed barn " Like a Daring Do book. I guess there was one more thing we were supposed to find... " the stallion tipped the hat toward the barn. " ... rest now, Applejack. "
The maroon stallion began walking before his ears turned back toward Ponyville, there was strange music heavy with trumpets, tuba, and accordion. He slowly turned his head at the happy polka music and looked toward the center of Ponyville. He blinked and turned the rest of his body, setting down the road toward the town to investigate the strange music.
- - - - -
One after another the clouds were smeared from the sky in dashes of gold and purple. Ten seconds flat, and the clouds over Ponyville were gone. With a deep thunderous boom, the stallion; golden fur and purple mane, his cutie mark was a yellow lightning bolt in front of a gray storm cloud, landed on the ground leaving cracks in the cobblestone road he landed on. The stallion reared up and an orange mare with matching mane laughed at his display.
" Are you having fun Thunder Runner? " The orange mare laughed. Her cutie mark was a tire with wings stretched outward behind it as if it were flying. She hovered only a few feet above him. Her wings kicking up dust at her sides as the sound of ruffling feathers echoed in the empty market.
The stallion jumped up, his wings sending a gust of air downward and lifted him into the air beside the mare. Dust fell outward in a ring while golden flecks of dried grass were kicked up in the wind created by the stallion's powerful purple wings. " Of course not, but R.D. would have hated to see Ponyville covered in clouds like that! "
The orange mare shot higher into the air and nodded sharply at the stallion,Thunder Runner. " Yeah! Probably. " She looked along the horizon as the clouds retreated as if from a great battle. " But you could have let me kick down a few you know. She was my teacher, and my idol. "
Thunder Runner rolled his eyes and smirked. " You're usually not the most sensitive of ponies, Scoot. You're going SOFT on me aren't you? Like the time you went camping! "
" HEY! " the orange mare shouted at him, pointing her hoof into the air as they swayed from side to side in the wind. " I'm not the one who got led north during his last winter wrap up! "
The stallion's face hinted with a shade of red as his wings stopped, he fell onto his flanks onto the ground as the mare laughed. " Well- at least I didn't- umm... " Thunder Runner tapped his hoof onto the ground, squeezing his eyes shut in frustration. Scootaloo fell down onto her back, kicking her hooves into the air as she laughed even harder at his attempt to find any good reason for such an epic failure.
" Don't you think too hard, Thunder! You'll hurt yourself! " Scootaloo continued to roll on the ground as tears forced their way through with continued her heckling of the yellow stallion.
Thunder Runner narrowed his eyes at the mare before walking passed her as she rolled in the dry grass. Purple eyes pierced through the town as he scanned it's buildings from element of loyalty's old home. His ears twitched and his eyes went wide as the faint sound of polka music began to play from the center of town. The mare stopped laughing slowly and pushed herself up and onto her hooves, staring toward Ponyville town hall.
" What do you think that is? " the stallion snickered, with a brow raised at the music.
" I don't know, but I think I've heard that song somewhere before. " Scootaloo's wings fluttered about as she shifted her face from laughter to a confused half smirk. " at least it's a happy song! "
" I'm going to go check it out, might be bandits! " Thunder Runner ran toward the town before kicking his wings down and jumping from the ground. Without a single second to wait for the mare's response he flew at blinding speeds toward the center of town.
- - - - -
Thunder Runner easily reached the center of the little town within seconds, his large wings keeping him suspended in the air as he peered at Ponyville's town hall, rotten and splintered by the years under the ever glaring sun and the wild rains that appeared without reason. The golden coated stallion lowered himself gently to the wooden ground, testing it's stability by gently easing his wings off of their duty. The wooden floor creaked and he winced as he heard a crack only to find that he'd stepped on a small dried leaf that wandered under his hoof. He turned his gaze up and was met by a large sign at the opening of the building. The lettering was faded and it was obviously put there before Ponyville, and all of Equestria, was spun into the state it now found itself in.
' To all Ponyville pegasi, please report immediately to Cloudsdale for an emergency change of command meeting. '
Signed... Cloud Blaze, Commander of the Cloudguard
Thunder Runner turned his head away from the sign with a grunt and a frown. The wood creaked as he walked into the building, searching for the source of the music. His attention was caught my a small wooden box with a black spinning disk on top of it, and a horn like figure on top of that. He raised his brow and tapped the box gently with his hoof, it rocked and the music stopped as the needle was removed from the vinyl disk.
An eerie silence filled the room before the rapid sounds of hooves impacting wood were heard from behind the stallion. He turned only to receive a heavy wooden mallet to the side of his head. Thunder Runner's sight went blank and his ears began ringing, a distant laughter filled the air around him and barely reached him. A second strike from the hammer forced Thunder Runner into a deep dreamless slumber, the laughter faded away with his consciousness... the last thing he felt was the wooden floor sliding beneath side and limp wing.
- - - - -
Salem's ear quickly caught the sudden stop of the music, he glared around to see the center of Ponyville. The white stallion's horn glowed crimson and he lifted up a the small pencil from the boutique that he'd tucked into his vest, along with it arose a small notebook from the opposite pocket the pencil had been put. He began to write something down before his eyes caught a brightly colored blur bolt from the building, it seemed to be a rainbow of colors ranging from deep violet, to a deep rosy pink, and to a dirty gold color. Salem tried his best to get a good look at the object, but his peering over the top of his glasses had impaired his vision long enough for the blur to turn around a building and disappear from sight.
" What could that have been?... " the unicorn raised his brow in wonder.
The white unicorn stallion put both the pencil and the notebook back into the pocket of his vest and took and turned into an alley where his head collided with another pony's head. Salem shouted out and stumbled back as his horn caught a cowboy hat and covered his face. Another set of hooves stumbled into a nearby trashcan deeper into the alley.
" What the buck?! " The maroon colored stallion stumbled back, placing a hoof over his head where there was a small cut. His blood made little impact in the color of his already red mane, instead only making it seem as if it were damp. " Watch where you're goin' you snobby little- " the earth pony turned to see the unicorn blast the hat off of his face with an intense bolt of red lightning. The the maroon pony ducked under the blast and the trash can behind him was vaporized and turn into a pile of molten metal behind him. His gaze turned up to meet the wide eyed gaze of surprise from the white unicorn. " ... Salem?! "
" Snow Spike! What are you doing playing loud and unruly music in the middle of Ponyville?! That sort of thing is borderline desecration! " Salem glared at the Maroon stallion, the red glow of his horn dying down.
The hat floated down and in front of Snow Spike, his bit down on it's brim and tossed it up onto his head. " What in tarnation do you mean ME playing that music?! I think it was YOU playin' the music, and seein' as YOU shot at me. I reckin you must've gone rogue and started killin' ponies! " Snow Spike stuck an accusing hoof into Salem's chest.
" The very thought of such an unwarranted accusation is insulting! You cannot believe that I, SALEM would ever willingly listen to such abrasive sound! " Salem struck Snow Spikes hoof from his chest and slammed his own into the cobblestone street. " YOU however, with your rough and tumble attitude and you reckless behavior WOULD do something like that! "
" That's it, I won' stand here and take your shit! " Snow Spike slammed his head heaving into Salem's chest, sending the unicorn up and on his side. " ... where's your fancy magic when we're up close, huh?! "
" SNOW SPIKE!!! " the voice of a mare came from behind the maroon stallion. Applebloom glared and walked passed him, kicking at his heel as she walked to help Salem up from his side. The white unicorn shook his head, trying to breath easier as the strong earth pony knocked the wind from his chest. Applebloom stood with her hoof pressed lightly against Salem's shoulder. " How many times am I gonna have to tell you to stop bein' so buckin' mean to Salem?! "
Salem glared and decided against striking back, he turned to face Applebloom. " Do not worry about me, I was... caught by surprise, that is all. "
Salem squinted at the ground as his horn glowed crimson, a dirty and ruffled yellow feather was pulled up from the ground, he glared at it as the other two ponies continued to argue in the background noise of the unicorn's thoughts. As he came to his conclusion, Salem looked toward the town center and snapped back into reality to find Applebloom nudging him with her shoulder and walking toward the town center herself.
" - FINE than, me an' Salem will just go and find out what i' was by ourselves! " Applebloom yelled back at Snow Spike who simply rolled his eyes and sighed.
" Hmm? I am sorry, what was happening? " Salem blinked back toward Snow Spike, who returned his gaze with a glare that could melt steel. " ... no, I mean I was thinking. Even if we've had our fights you know how I get when I'm thinking! "
Snow Spike smirked lightly " Yeah... you fade out of reality... ain't nopony better at daydreamin' than Salem! "
Applebloom turned back and nudged Salem's shoulder with her flank. " Hey... we were supposed to both storm off an' leave Snow Spike on his own, wha' happened to that?! " She glared and stomped her back hoof down onto Salem's front hoof.
Salem's eyes shot open and he lifted his hoof up. " Ow! What in Luna's name was that for?! "
Snow Spike laughed " Applebloom... he wasn't listenin' to any o' that stuff you were shoutin' a' me. Ain't no reason to be so MEAN to Salem! "
Salem lifted a brow at the two an their interaction. Applebloom let out a groan of frustration and stomped off to the town center. Salem turned and lifted the feather to Snow Spike, keeping it suspended in his crimson magic. Snow Spike glared at the feather and shrugged. Salem sighed and spoke.
" Thunder Runner was a yellow color... and this is a yellow feather, Snow Spike. It was left here recently, and if you hadn't noticed the sky has been cleared. After considering the evidence I have come to the conclusion that either Thunder Runner was recently here, or there is ANOTHER incredibly loyal yellow pegasus flying around and clearing weather. " Salem nodded at Snow Spike her just stared him with his mouth hanging open slightly.
" Have you been talkin' to Memoria? " Snow Spike asked and shook his head to try and get all the bigger words straight in his mind.
" We write every so often... or WROTE I should say. Since there is only one mail mare that still does her job, I didn't think we should write as often as we did. " Salem finally dusted himself off, after the bulk of the dust had been puffed off of his vest and coat Salem put the small feather into a separate pocket. " ... instead we have been speaking telepathically whenever I get the time. "
The Maroon stallion smirked and stomped his hoof with a sly smirk creeping over his face. " You be careful with tha' mare, Salem... she reads too far into every single word you speak. She's been like that since we were all just little foals in Cherilee's class. "
" That is a name I have not heard for a very long time... do you know if she got out of Ponyville before. Everything happened? " Salem asked the maroon stallion.
" Actually, I talk to her a lot now... her an' Big Macintosh go' together after Desert Blitz fixed up his leg. Last I heard she might be carryin' a young filly 'round in 'er. Courtesy o' my cousin. " Snow Spike shrugged. " ... as if this world weren' bad enough, them two's gotta bring in foals into this bucked up world of ours. "
Salem sighed and began to walk toward the town center, peering over to the yellow mare that sat on the steps of the old wooden building. Snow Spike followed him, and Salem spoke without breaking stride. " We must all seek happiness, personally I think it is a wonderful idea to bring innocence back into Equestria... who knows, perhaps the Elements of Harmony are not gone. Perhaps they are simply waiting to be reborn! "
Snow Spike rolled his eyes and snorted, stepping ahead of Salem. " ... had to go an' ruin my thoughts on i'. Now I'm second guessin' myself. "
As Snow Spike passed him, Salem looked up and found his gaze fixed on the mare that sat silently on the wooden steps ahead. He raised his eyebrow as his eyes traced around her form, he cringed as he found himself staring at her cutie mark, and shook his head as his eyes stopped and admired her eyes. Which at that very moment turned toward him. Salem coughed and looked away quickly and stepped passed her, into the building where he than saw the phonograph. Vinyl still turning on top of it's surface.
Salem peered around at the random scratches and markings around the town center, all sounds drowned out as the unicorns mind began to unwind the entire scene. Each hoof print in the dust, each small streak in the dust, every misplaced splinter, and every bit of fur all became subject to Salem's inspections. The voices of the other ponies behind him seemed directed at him, but they were drowned out by his thoughts.
< Phonograph explains the music... but it's been bumped. There are two separate sets of hoof prints here coming in, but only one coming out. The steps coming in are streaked and splintered, those steps were fast and heavy... but the long streak out of here is continuous, and the smaller hoof prints are not nearly as smeared across the floor as before. A feather... between the floor where the continuous smear appears, and a tuft of pink fur on the phonograph. Where have I seen that color of coat before? >
" HELLOOO?! Earth to Salem, are you there?! " Applebloom pulled her swinging hoof back from his face and stomped on his hoof again, snapping him from his thoughts.
" Wh- wha? OW!! " Salem lifted his hoof away from her as Snow Spike gave a chuckle. " ... you should really find a better way to show your discontent with me, Applebloom! "
The yellow mare stuck her nose into the air and walked from the building, out a wide whole in the side of it. " Fine... don't answer my question. Perv! "
Salem blinked at the word and Snow Spike began to roll on the floor with how hard he had started to laugh at his cousin's distress. The maroon stallion swung his hooves through the air frantically catching his breath between bouts of continuous laughter.
" Perv? " Salem blinked. " ... what was she saying before that all? "
A sudden scream from outside snapped both stallions from their preoccupying states, Applebloom's voice! Quickly, both stallions bolted from the building to see Applebloom pushed against the side of a building with ten pink painted ponies with masks covering their faces appearing to be in a permanent laugh. All of their cutie marks sliced off and painted back onto their flanks as three balloons. Salem glared as many more of the same looking ponies, snickering under their masks, came from the buildings and glared at himself, and the Maroon stallion beside him.
Snow Spike looked over to Salem, and Salem returned the glance... both smirked and Salem's horn began to spark violently with crimson magic, his eyes doing the same as he lowered his head and bent his knees. Snow Spike hoofed at the ground and lowered his head toward the large group of crazy ponies before him.
" Ready Salem?! " Snow Spike shouted.
" Did you even need to inquire?! " Salem returned the shout with a sly glance before his horn began to shine brighter, an overglow wrapped around his body and a flash of light exploded from his body. Snow Spike covered his eyes, however the other ponies whinnied and shouted as they were blinded by the unicorn's magical brilliance. Before the light died, three ponies had already found themselves with large maroon hooves in their faces.
" Good work, Salem... now show 'em wha' you did to tha' trashcan! " Snow Spike laughed and bucked on of the ponies that tried to rush him from behind, hearing a crack and a thud on the ground.
" This is going to get messy! " Salem turned his horn as a crazed pony with horn strutting from the mask hovered a knife beside him, charged toward him. A beam of lighting and magic sparked from Salem's horn and struck the knife, causing the molten metal to fall backward onto the mask and fuse the Pony's skull to it with molten steel. Salem turned his head and fired off lesser bolts of magic at three other ponies that tried to get to him, each thrown back violently against nearby buildings and impacting many of their own on the way there.
The yellow mare turned and bucked at one of the ponies that approached her in the face, causing it to stumble back. As the rest of the crazed ponies jumped at the mare, a Pink force field appeared around her... a hymn emanated gently from the shield and caused the ponies that struck it to peer at it on confusion. Before they could realize what happened an orange streak through the sky flew passed them, a flash of silver at the tips of the orange pegasus mare's wings caught their attention as they found vicious slashes in their masks.
" Scootaloo?... Sweetie Belle?! " Applebloom blinked as the White mare appeared inside the force field beside her in a flash of pink and white magic, her horn still glowing brightly to keep the field up. The orange pegasus whipped her violet mane in the air above the field and gave Applebloom a sly wink.
" What, Applebloom... you suddenly need to be saved by the boys? " Scootaloo said with a smirk, the small blades flashing at the ends of her wings as they flapped beside her and kept her off the ground.
" Buck no! Let this force field down, Sweetie Belle! " Applebloom now lowered her head and bucked at the building behind her with immense strength, causing it's wall to crumble and debris to fall behind her.
As Sweetie Belle lowered the field the ponies jumped at her, only to be blocked by a small shield that she brought around herself. Two went after Applebloom, and two others took flight after Scootaloo.
As the two crazed ponies charged at Applebloom she jumped into the rubble and began to buck at the debris, sending large heavy objects at them. After three misses, the first pony was hit in the head with a small brick and stumbled to his side. The second stopped and looked back, when her turned to look back at Applebloom he recieved a large wooden beam to his head, which (as he stopped in his tracks) landed on his head. The first pony looked down at his allu and another brick hit his head, knocking him clean out.
Sweetie Belle's magic field lowered, and before the six ponies around her could attack she opened her lips and began to sing a sweet echoing song... her horn shined brightly as her voice entered their minds and caused them to become passive. The white mare began to sing words of a monster and the ponies turned, running away and screaming through their masks as if they'd seen the terrible monster. As they ran their bodies began to freeze up, one my one as they seemed to see whatever monster they were imagining. Sweetie Belle ended her song, and frowned at her victims.
The orange zips in the air were followed quickly by two pink ones in close pursuit. Scootaloo's violet mane flew straight back, and her attackers only seemed a few feet behind her. With a mighty flap of her wing, she made a 90 degree turn to avoid a building. The first pony behind her hit the building while the second barely clipped it with her wing before regaining her pursuit of the orange mare. Scootaloo looked back to see this and turned up into the sky, flying higher and higher in the air... the pink blur behind her following her up tiredly. Scootaloo all but doubled the distance between them before pulling a 180 and darting back down straight for the mare in pursuit. Holding her wings to her side, scootaloo began to drop faster and faster... from the ground the orange streak in the air passed straight through the pink colored pegasus with twin flashes of silver. The crazed pegasus' wings fell from her body, and she fell to the ground. The orange mare landed between her friends and struck a proud pose as he wings lashed out, cleaning the blood from the blades affixed to them.
Snow Spike and Salem stood, back to back... " Snow Spike... I would like to try something out, but I need your assistance. "
Snow Spike glared outward at the mass of ponies surrounding them. " Well, I'm willin' to give anythin' a try at this point. " He struck a bold pony in the face with his front hoof and stomped on it on the ground.
" Lay on the ground, Snow! " Salem's horn began to shine brightly, sparking red magic shot to the surrounding earth.
" What? You gotta be kiddin' me! "
" Trust me this time! " Salem's eyes surged with magic as his face showed visible strain.
The maroon stallion hit the deck, and soon as he did the mass of crazed ponies charged at them. Salem's horn grew out with three separate layers of glowing magic and a wide circle appeared around them. Salem's magic flowed deep into the earth and the earth around the charging mob cracked and heaved. Causing them to fall onto their flanks and sides. Multiple purple, red, and blue gems shot from the earth and impaled a large number of them on themselves before sparking with intense red magic. The ponies panicked as prismatic beams shot between the gems and instantly turned most of them to fragile crystals. However five ponies managed to escape and jump toward Salem, only to be met by a maroon stallion between them.
Salem's legs gave out beneath him with his overexertion, but now the southern stallion stood between his friend, and the crazy little ponies that intended harm on him. A gust of wind blew and Snow Spike pulled his hat off with a flick of his hoof, the hat flying onto salem's horn again. The first pony rushed in haphazardly, Snow Spike turned around and showed him what apple bucking could do to a live pony's head. Swiftly, Snow Spike stood on his hind legs and spun around as the next two ran at him, both found his hoof in the sides of their heads. As the final pony stood there a bright glow came from under his mask and shot a magical chain around Snow Spike.
The pony cackled wickedly in his victory, but rapid hoof steps from behind caught his attention. Her turned and saw a walking white unicorn, her stride of a high born mare. She parted her lips and an echoing song captivated his mind, from behind her the yellow mare jump over and landed in front of the crazed unicorn. Rearing up, Applebloom tossed him to the ground in front of Snow Spike... who now looked down at him, free of the chains. Snow Spike reared and slammed his hooves down onto the unicorn's head with a mighty CRACK.
Salem stood now, behind Snow Spike... Sweetie Belle behind Applebloom, and Scootaloo landing beside Sweetie Belle. As they peered around the battlefield at the defeated ponies the wind blew at their manes, ashes flying up, and crystal forms leaning over to break against the floor.
" HA, Take that you bunch of crazy pink painted freaks! " Scootaloo shouted and flashed her wings out with a dramatic victory pose.
" We sure showed 'em... didn' we Snow? " Applebloom stomped her hoof on the ground, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath after the battle.
Salem limped forward, his horn still sparked passively with magic. He stood straight up beside Snow Spike and spoke. " Perhaps... but look at them, does that Cutie Mark painted on their flanks look familiar to anypony else? "
With raised brows they all looked at the marks that remained intact, many had been smeared off, burnt, or simply vanished when their forms turned to crystal. However the paralyzed ponies from Sweetie Belles spell still remained whole and were quiet clearly... three balloons.
- - - - - - - - - - -
NOTES: This the first fully public chapter I have ever written, at least as far as MLP fanfics go. Please leave comments with constructive criticism... I would like nothing better than to take your thoughts, tips, and knowledge to meld into my own writing. I figured it was time I gave back to the Brony community, so myself of Thunder Runner ( the person, not the pony ) came up with this concept and I began writing.
Thank you for reading, and remember to return for more chapters later. This story WILL continue.