This is what we do ch 10
By foxgear
It was seven in the morning. Vice Principal Luna sits on the front steps of the Canterlot High School, a cup of coffee in one hand with a breakfast burrito in the other. In her lap lay several papers that need her reviewing. Between her bites and sips, she scrolls through the pages. Normally she would be doing this in her office, but the morning was just so nice it would be a shame to waste it. For today was one of those rare mornings where she woke up before her sister.
On these special days, she was not her usual ‘I need coffee just to move’. Days like this were sort of a lucky day for her, so putting behind the disturbing day that was yesterday. She took a hearty sip of her hazelnut coffee and let out a sigh of content. Today was going to be a good day.
Then her godson stepped out of the mirror in the broken mascot statue, followed by the Equestrian Sixes. The last time he was in this world. Her goddaughter and her friends had been kidnapped and turned evil.
She stared at them, cup in mid sip, and they started back at her. They all stared at each other, waiting for the other to speak first.
“Hi, Luna.”
“Hi Mac,” she replied grouchily. Her good mood blown away with the breeze. “Hi, Sixes.”
“Ma’am,” The rinin saluted.
Luna rolls her eyes, taking another sip of coffee. Was it childish to be jealous of a pony princess version of yourself? Or even sane to think of such a thing? Cause she is feeling jealous. She doubts pony princess her had to deal rowdy teenagers every day and on top of that deal with a possible student assault. Oh, and an ex-lover that was one of the cops investigating you and your students.
“Something wrong Luna?” Mac asks. He and Sixes now standing right in front of her. She must really have been deep in thought.
She sighs, setting her cup down and downing the last of her burrito in three bites. “I don’t know. I just saw you walk out of a mirror with the man that shoots lava from his hands. You tell me. Is something wrong?”
“Nope, just coming home from Equestria. I took Sixes up on an offer for some magic training and I finally just got around to doing it a few days ago. He’s just here to visit Sunset Shimmer. Even got Dad’s old jacket fixed over there too.” Mac explained much to her relief. At least nothing crazy was going on. At least crazy evil. Crazy has all but been normalized after four separate magical incidents. At least her therapist license was being used now. Some kids really needed an adult that understand what was going on. Also, one that wouldn’t assume they were crazy when they started spewing on and on about magic. “That’s nice. I’ll be sure to tell Sunset Shimmer he’s here if I see her today.”
Mac snaps his fingers, “Right, school is about to start. I guess you’ll have to wait to visit Sunny, Sixes. How about you come out to the farm in the meantime with me?”
“That sounds like the most logical course. Have a good day ma’am.” Sixes saluted before walking away with Mac. Leaving Luna to sip the last of her coffee in peace.
About ten minutes later Celestia arrived and sat down beside her with her own coffee and donut in hand. “You didn’t wake me up,” Celestia said neutrally.
“You looked like you needed sleep,” retorts Luna.
“Ah huh, so what’s this rumor I heard about your old boyfriend coming by yesterday?”
“He’s investigating the soccer game attack, while he was here I had him investigate an incident.” Celestia raised a curious brow but did not interrupt. “It turned out to be nothing that needed police intervention.”
“Well, that’s good. Never the less I expect a full report later. I don’t like being left in the dark.” Celestia eyes her sister while sipping her coffee. “Anything else I need to know about?”
There was an uneasiness in Luna’s stomach as the rest of the faculty arrive. Her eyes following Granny Smith as she stepped out of her pick up. Applebloom in tow. The youngest Apple sibling was looking around anxiously, clearly looking for someone. Her face becoming a fit of worry when she didn’t find who she was looking for.
Luna sipped her coffee, “Nothing I know of, but give it time.” Drowning the rest of her coffee she made a beeline for Applebloom. Her gut churning with every step. It didn’t help that Applebloom’s friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were with her and looking equally worried.
“Good morning girls,” Luna greets with a bright smile. The three flinch at her greeting their eyes looking everywhere but at her. She scans the parking lot, easy picking out missing vehicles. “So, where are your sisters this morning? It’s not like them to be late.”
The girls fidget under her stare. After a full minute of silence Applebloom broke down, “We don’t know. Haven’t seen them since last night. They never come home! We thought they were just having a late get together so we fibbed for them thinking they’d be at school. But none of them are here! Not even Fluttershy! She never misses school!”
Just like that the churning in Luna’s gut worsens. She told the three to run off to class while she stood on the sidewalk with her phone out, her thumb hanging over the call button as she stares at Ferocious’s number.
There were rules to reporting missing persons. Unless there was a serious concern of course. The girls could just be playing hooky. Out of character for them, but not impossible. The twisting in her gut worsens even more. With all the crazy stuff that’s been going on it would be stupid to leave anything to chance.
Her finger trembles, uncertain what to do.
Mac and Sixes’s pull into the farmyard, a cloud of dust following in their wake in as they came to a stop in front of the farmhouse. The moment Mac step down from the pickup he was glomped to the ground by Sonata. On the porch, Adagio sat with the morning newspaper hiding her smirk. Off to the side stood Aria with her arms crossed.
“You can go hug him too, I’ll give you permission if you want,” Adagio teases, loving the blush on the pink siren’s face. Aria huffs and walks away, only to come running back the moment Mac manage to wrangle Sonata off him. Lucky for him Aria settled for a simple hug.
“Come here, baby, mommy missed you,” Adagio cooed beckoning Mac toward her. Only after her good morning kiss did she finally take notice of Sixes standing by the pickup. “Oh… we have a guest… great... Nice to see you Sixes.”
“Same siren.”
“Names Adagio and in case you didn’t know. I’m Mac’s mare’s to be.” Adagio pulls Mac close, proudly showing off her belly to the Night Patrol Commander. Mac looks questioningly between his wife to be and their guest. Wondering if this was an Equestrian thing or a personal thing between the two.
Sixes merely rolls his eyes at her antics. “Yes, quite the fairytale you have going on. Where’s Madhoof’s spawn? Might as well check up on her and make sure she’s behaving. She has been behaving, right?” He held up a red hot hand, the heat spiking dramatically. “I’d hate for her to step out of line.” Everyone took a few careful steps away from the lava user.
“Maddie’s been behaving. She’s even got hurt helping us battle a Gore.” Mac said in Maddie’s defense. The former mad scientist has been trying to reform. Some of her quirkier habits have stuck around, but overall, he wouldn’t consider her an evil person, maybe not a very good one either, but not evil. Mischievous was maybe the right word for her.
“Well, that’s step in the right direction at least. I think I’ll go pay her a visit. Before that could you please show me Sunset’s abode? Celestia has been fretting over her living conditions and wishes a report.”
Mac winced, thinking of the last time he’s seen Sunset’s shack. Messy was not the word to describe it, pig sty was more accurate. How could someone be so clean in public and be so messy at home?
“Maybe you should wait on that. It’s rude for guys to just walk into a girl’s room. Right Adagio?” Mac said looking to her for help. The devious smirk on her lips made him worry whether she was going to help or make things more difficult.
“Mac is right. Men should not so crassly barge into a maiden’s room. There could be all kinds of embarrassing articles of clothing thrown about. Perhaps a dairy carelessly left open? Things of that nature.”
Sixes strokes his chin in thought, “Hmm, I see your point. I will enlist the help of Kira. Her experience of dealing with children of all ages will be most effective. I’ll summon her.” He flips out a small notepad with his mark on the cover and a pen. Knowing what it was Mac silently urged Sonata to do something. He wasn’t sure what he wanted her to do, but anything was better than Sixes getting a whole squad of Equestrians to come and look at Sunset’s room. Maybe it was the older brother in him or the fact he wouldn’t like people nosing through his room either that had him set against Celestia’s and Sixes well intentioned, but misguided actions.
Sonata after a quick shove from Aria skips down the stairs and clasps her hands over Sixes' hands preventing him from writing. He looked at her with a mid-glare of annoyance. “Um… sorry… but I… ah….” She looks to her sisters and Mac for help, the three only urging her to continue. Really helpful they were. “I’ll do it! I’ll go look at Sunny’s room, I mean. Think about it. Who better to do it? I’m a girl, and I’ve been in this world for a thousand years! I know everything and anything there is to know about going through a teenage girl’s room.”
Mac and the other two sirens only slapped their forehead at Sonata’s wording, but it seems to work as Sixes put his notepad away. “Very well, here are the particulars Celestia is keen to know. Please go through the entire list.” He hands Sonata a half an inch-thick book. “Let’s go check on Madhoof’s spawn, Mac.”
“I’ll lead the way,” Mac clasps his hand on Sonata’s shoulder and leans in whispering, “Thanks doing this. I’ll pick up a pal of your favorite ice cream for this.”
“Better make that two,” Sonata sniffles as she flips through the book she had been given. It was a copy of the check list perform by Celestia’s personal maids. She wanted to break down and cry. It was so long! There were fifty pages of things to do! (Sunset Shimmer! You owe me!)
“So, Princess Celestia is worried about Sunset too?” Chuckles Mac as they walked. He couldn’t help it, Sonata’s face was too funny right now. Of course, the mirth filled smile of Adagio was exceptionally charming as she giggles at her sister’s misfortune. (She must be rubbing off on me. I don’t usually take pleasure in others misfortune.)
“If you only knew the half of it.” Sixes chafes. “Ever since we pledged to be better grandparents to Sunset. Princess Celestia has been fretting almost all the time. She constantly throws her staff in a panic as she schedules and then cancels visits to this world. She worries that Sunset might grow to resent her again if she comes on too strong and too quickly so soon.”
Mac nods along, seeing the Princess’s dilemma, “But if she never visits then Sunset might start to grow distant from her again.”
Sixes snorts, sounding amused as smoke rolls out from his nostrils, “Trust me, if Celestia had her way she’d be here every day and maybe even setting up a place to live. Some distance makes the heart grow fonder as they. Besides Celestia and I visited Sunset sometime last month. Separately of course. I think Sunset took her for a motorcycle ride to the city or something. It was real mare affair with them trying on more clothes than reasonable. Luna and I got a full slide show of the whole thing.”
“When did that happen? Why didn’t you stop and say hi?”
“We’ve intruded on your lives enough, Mac. Besides you’d probably tire of hosting us every time we cross between worlds.” Sixes chuckles.
Mac nodded, seeing the logic of the argument, his eyes widening when he registered what Sixes was saying. “Wait, how often are you guys visiting again?”
Sixes didn’t answer. Instead suddenly running ahead into the brush. Mac stood stunned before quickly following. Through bushes, two fallen logs, and low hanging branches that scraped at his arms and legs Mac following the sound of Sixes’s hurried footsteps. Until finally he caught up.
In the shade of two half rotten apple trees, Sixes knelt beside a fallen figure. Walking closer Mac was surprised to discover it was Maddie laying on the ground. Her arms and legs covered in minor cuts and bruises. Her crutches lay about twenty feet behind her. The aluminum frame dented and twisted, stuck between two above ground roots. On the grass were drag marks where she army crawled along the ground.
Mac knelt beside Sixes, Maddie sniffed behind her long brown hair, stringing a sailor’s worth of curses as she held her sprained ankle.
“Grimy little fuckers, couldn’t get here fucking three hours ago!” She grumbles in Sixes’s arms as he lay her against a nearby tree trunk. “Watch the leg too. Fucker has been hurting like a whore that got slapped by her pimp since I stumbled over that fucking tree root. Why the fuck can’t I have a nice clear path like Sunset Shimmer? Who do I have to sleep with to get that?”
“No one,” Mac answers exhaustedly. Good or evil Maddie was a handful. “Why are you out here? Your leg still needs to heal.”
“Thanks for the memo doc, but I wouldn’t be out here if crawling through the fucking brush if it wasn’t important, now would I? Also email accounts, everyone needs one, because I’m not doing this every fucking time there’s an emergency!” Maddie spat hissing through her teeth. That hitting that root really hurt! Like stuffing a toe on a coffee table, except times fives worse!
“What emergency?” Growls Sixes getting Maddie on track. The burning pain in her shoulder making her snap to a more sensible tone.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch! Stop that! I’ll tell you! Stop trying to light my shirt on fire!” Maddie snaps slapping Sixes’s burning hand away. She had almost forgotten about that stupid seal too. “Last night or rather this morning. My computer picked up a huge spike of magical energy. Two spikes of magic to be accurate. One dark, one light. I don’t know what the darkness was, but I’ve seen the light before, it was Sunset Shimmer and…” Maddie fell silent looking worriedly at Sixes.
“What it is Maddie?” Urged Mac. If Sunset was involved in something, then so was his sister. “What happened.”
“You can’t get mad at me, I’m only the messenger,” Maddie said pointedly to them. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Sunset’s light magic was overwhelmed by the dark magic…” Maddie turned Mac’s wrist to look at his watch. “About um… three… four hours ago? God, it sure takes a long time to get anywhere on crutches. How far are these damn shacks? One, two miles?”
“Maddie!” Yelled Mac, “Sunset Shimmer, where was she when this happened?”
“Holder’s boulder in Hop’s Valley,” She answered quickly, Mac grabbed her threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and sprinted through the trees as fast as he could. Sixes keeping pace right beside him.
They came tearing into the yard. Mac all but throwing Maddie on the porch at Adagio’s feet and continuing towards the truck. “Aria get in the truck!” Mac yells cranking the engine. The pink siren didn’t question why and hopped in the middle as Sixes slams the passenger door closed.
“How far is this Hop’s valley?” Sixes asked, his voice thick with rage and worry for his granddaughter.
“About three hours’ drive going the speed limit,” Mac grimly replied, going anything but. “That’s not including the hike to get to Holder’s boulder.”
“What’s the problem?” Aria asked looking between the two men.
“We’ll tell you on the way, just do that ‘don’t notice me’ spell thing of yours first,” said Mac as the speedometer crept past eighty. The old Chevy roaring as he pushed her hard down the road.
Aria grumbles as she begins to channel magic, “You should have grabbed Sonata, she’s better at it than I am.” She begins to chant ‘don’t see me, don’t hear me, don’t see me, don’t hear me’ creating a haze over the pickup. Other drivers will find it hard to see them, but so will the cops, being pulled over was not an option right now.
Mac grips the wheel tight as he weaved the truck between traffic. Praying Applejack was safe. Even if deep in his gut he knew she probably wasn’t it.
The Apple’s old blue pickup pulled into the parking lot of Hop’s Valley state park. Ironically it was the same parking lot Mac and Adagio fought the shadow ponies only a few months ago. Pulling into a lot. Mac got out and walked over to the two familiar vehicles. One was Applejack’s pickup and the other was Rarity’s compact SUV. The park rangers spotted the vehicles while out on a morning walk. Mac had to come up with a story so the girl’s cars didn’t get towed. Hopefully, they would all be leaving this place before dark.
Checking the Rarity’s compact, Mac found it filled with empty candy wrappers and taco bell to go bags. Nothing unusual there. Not that Rarity kept her car this messy, it just meant all of Applejack’s friends were along for this ride.
Next, he checked Applejack’s truck. Same thing as far as the cab was concerned, empty bags and wrappers. However, the invoice on the seat caught his attention. It was an invoice for certain storage unit under their great grandfather’s name. Underneath the invoice was the key.
“Fuck, she didn’t,” Mac grumbles, walking around to the tailgate. Flipping the gate down and looking beneath the tarp, he was greeted by the sight of a big wooden crate with US Army stamped on the side, the crate empty. With the impressions of what had once been there imprinted on the straw inside. “Shit, she did.”
“What’s the matter?” Sixes asked walking up behind him.
Mac let out a long haggard sigh, “Applejack took some things she shouldn’t have, is all. I’ll deal with it as soon as we make sure she and everyone else is safe. Holder’s boulder is that way. We better get moving if we’re going to make it there before dark.”
“Are you seriously thinking of walking?” Aria questions walking up beside the two.
“No other way to do it. There are no roads for the pickups and we don’t have ATV’s.” Replies Mac looking confused as Aria glances around the area. Spotting nobody, the pink Siren suddenly jumps Mac with a full lip to lip contact kiss sucking a good amount of magic from him. Stepping away Aria stood fully transformed with transparent fin like wings protruding from her back. She gives Mac a little wink and twirl as she hovers above the ground.
“Flying would be much faster,” She says looking towards Sixes. Who merely rolls his eyes and transforms. The dragon pony’s transformation wasn’t much different than last time, pony ears, dragon claws, and scales, but this time he had wings. “Looks like you’ve been practicing. How often do you come here again?” Sixes grunts, not interested in answering the question. It was his personal business after all.
“So, I guess you two will be carrying me?” Mac said disappointedly. He really wished he had wings of his own. Too bad he didn’t inherit his dad’s wings.
“Try sending magic into your coat,” Sixes told him. Mac did as Sixes ordered and sent a bit of magic into his coat. For a moment nothing seems to happen, but then suddenly his coat tightens, hugging his torso as the chain mail flew out from the slits in the shoulders. The tiny rings of metal twisting and melted together creating two metal wings on his back.
“Wow, that’s cool,” Aria said staring at him.
Mac gave the wings a little test, moving them up and down and slowly flapping them. They looked too small to make him fly, but then so did the wings on Rainbow and Fluttershy. Magic, giving the middle finger to math and science.
“They should work like any prosthetic wing in Equestria. Just fuel them with magic and they should do the rest. Adding magic will allow you to fly faster, but keep in mind they will drain you dry if you get too reckless with them, also you’ll have less protection since they’re made from the chain mail in your coat.”
Mac nods, and turns towards the direction of Holder’s boulder, “Got it. Now let’s go find my sister.”
The three take flight. Flying low and fast above the tree tops. To any bird watching hikers that might happen upon them, they would only see a blur and a passing shadow.
Despite the situation, Mac was enjoying himself. He was flying! Really flying! It was like a dream come true and it was everything he expected and more! The wind in his face, the ground rushing past, the pure feeling of freedom it brought him. It was like his troubles were being blown away.
Unfortunately, the feeling was merely a passing one. Up ahead stood a giant black dome, covering the entire crater where Holder’s boulder would be located. His feelings of happiness faded away, the familiar worry back in its rightful place.
“Can either of you tell me what this is,” Mac asked Aria and Sixes as they come to a stop before the black dome. Something like this should be causing a panic from the campers and hikers. Hell, he was expecting the national guard to be showing up at any second. Yet everything was quiet.
Below a pair of hikers pass beneath them. Completely unaware of their presence. The hikers entered the dome, disappearing, only to reappear in a different place. The two looked confused, pulling out a map and walking back into the dome. Only to reappear beneath the Mac and company again. The hikers shrugged and began walking towards the campgrounds.
Aria whistles, “Now that is one hell of a barrier. Conceals, displaces, and disorients any unwitting intruder and sends them on their way. That’s alicorn level shit.”
“More like two Alicorns,” added Sixes looking intrigued by the barrier. It was defiantly a piece of work. Mac wasn’t as impressed though.
“So how do we get in?” He demanded impatiently. The churning in his gut was telling him Applejack was in there. Where else would his sister be when crazy magical shit was involved?
“Just leave it to the anti-mage over here,” Aria snorts pointing to Sixes. “You broke the barrier surrounding Maredor’s capital, this shouldn’t be too much trouble for you.”
“I’m surprised you know about me,” Sixes comments as he ignites his hands with golden fire. Creating a blob of molten gold, Sixes twists and bends the hot metal into the shape of a small key.
The key looked unassuming to the naked eye, but inscribed on the side were numerous tiny runes. Inserting the key into the black dome. The key melts away into the darkness, becoming a small golden dot on the black surface. The dot began to move creating a door shape in the dome. The darkness in the frame vanished leaving an opening for them to enter through.
“The Key of Babylon, nice. No wonder you got through our barrier,” Praised Aria, though Sixes could tell she was faking. Destroying someone’s home tended to leave some scars.
Mac could only blink, “Ok, what was that?”
Sixes shrugs at the question, “Just some forge magic. Gold is a natural magic conductor, give it the proper shape and inscribe the proper runes and you recreate almost any magical item. Unfortunately, they’re a one-time use only and can get pretty time consuming for more powerful stuff. But that’s advanced rune mechanics. If you’d stayed longer I could have taught you some. Runes are very useful.”
“Maybe next time,” said Mac as they entered the dome. The scene before them was haunting. The trees that surrounded the crater that house Holder’s boulder was barren, nothing but burnt husks of wood. The grass turned to ash, the slightest breeze blowing huge dust clouds across the barren plain.
The three flew in silence taking to the ground as they approached the ledge. Down below rest Holder’s Boulder, or what was left of it. The massive boulder was half its usual size. The broken remains carved into a temple like structure that resembled a flight of stairs. Almost like an Aztec temple. At the top rested a massive throne composed of bones and skulls of some creatures none of them could identify. A shadowy horned figure sat on the throne, a skull cup in his hand.
What really interested the three was what or rather who was bound below the shadowy antlered king. Applejack and her friends were all bound with their hands above their heads to the trunks of broken trees. None of the girls were looking in the best of shape. Their clothes were torn and their bodies bruised. The worse of which was Sunset Shimmer. Still donned in her pink celestial dress, her fiery hair falling flat against her face with a blood trail that traveled from her forehead down to her chin and dripped onto her breast.
Sixes and Mac were not happy. Both were showing their draconian side as smoke began to below from their mouths. Their eyes fire pits of rage.
“Aria go get the girls, we’ll take that bastard on the throne.” Mac snarls out, he and Sixes jetting off. Leaving her to rage by herself at their foolhardiness.
“This is not a plan! This is not how planning works!” She screams. Nether the less she ducks into the shadows to save her sister in law and former enemies. “Damn Rainbooms are always a pain in the ass!”
Grau sat upon his throne overlooking the spoils of his victory. The question now? What to do with them? In a world with little magic, it would be beneficial to have the most magical beings under his thumb. That and just appreciating having thumbs. Thumbs were awesome. What was better than thumbs? Having the Scion of Celestia under his thumb, that’s what. She would be a useful tool against the Princess of the Sun.
Before all that. He needed to understand this new world. Using the power of Telepathic Perception, he probed each of the girls’ minds for information. A good chunk of it was useless. Scratch that, it was almost all useless. Not only did they not know how magic worked in this world, they barely understood how to use it themselves. Most of their thoughts consisted of average teenage girl things and worries. That and fear of what he was going to do to them.
However, there was a silver lining. Three of the girls. Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and Sunset Shimmer did provide a plethora of interesting information. Form Applejack he learned it was possible for magic to be inherited from an Equestrian parent that mates with a native in this world. Very useful in the long term in case he decides to hold of his revenge against Celestia and Luna. A few even average magic level spawns from himself would be more than enough to overwhelm Celestia and the other Princesses. Really what was twenty years to a being like him?
Next the mind of Twilight Sparkle. What a curious girl she was. Her knowledge of this world’s math and science defiantly held potential. What this world lacked in magic, it made up for in devastating weapons. Weapons he could use.
Finally, Sunset Shimmer. Her knowledge of modern Equestria was useful. Not only that she could be the perfect spy with her little notebook. The possibilities were nearly endless with what he could use her for. Spy, apprentice, breed stock? What could be better than killing Celestia with her own blood descendant?
Twirling his skull mug Grau chuckled, relishing all the different ways he could have his revenge. The Alicorn Wars may be over for Celestia and Luna, but not for him. He remained strong, while they grew soft. They would not know victory this time. Not without their mother Solaris to save them.
Solaris, even after all this time he cannot help but think fondly of her. Had things been different. Celestia and Luna would have been his foals! Grau crushed his mug, spilling the contents. He sighs as he reforms the mug and refills it with more wine. He needed to think about something else.
Looking out the corner of his eye he glances at the pink girl, Pinkie Pie, she had held the element of combustion. He liked her. She had a natural dark side to her that she kept hidden and her mind, while chaotic, was a treasure trove of creative ideas. He rather liked the sword and cannon for hands idea. They were from a show she had watched as a child.
“Maybe I should partake in the culture too before taking over. This world’s entertainment is vastly superior to Equestria’s. Really this TV sounds interesting. What do you girls think?” Silence and groans of pain replied. “Hmm… I think I need to meet new people. I’m starting to talk like you. Speaking of new people.”
Raising his left hand Grau summoned his skull sword. Blocking the incoming attack. He looked interestingly at the pool of lava that dripped down the side of the skull and pooled on the ground.
“If my acquired memory serves me right, your Sixes. Sunset Shimmer’s Biological Grandfather. Have you told her about Crusader yet? And how you abandon him and Celestia? Not really father of the year are you Night Commander Sixes?”
Sixes barred down at him with glowing red eyes, “Get out of my head!”
“Don’t like the past being drugged up? Too bad. I like to know my opponent’s personally. I especially like knowing their plans.” Grau raised his right arm, summoning his skull cannon. Blocking Mac’s armor enhanced claws. “Hello, Big Macintosh, Applejack’s worrying older brother, and very talented monster hunter. I must say I’m interested in what kind of child you and your mate will produce. I could find it and her very useful. Your sister too by the way.”
The two men growl at him. Their magic flaring as they press their attacks harder. Really, they should know who their fighting. Grau forces them away with a mighty swing of his arms! Sending the hurling into the ground!
“I am Grau, The Lesser King of Bones! I will not even entertain the notion that a mere farmer and mad scientist’s experiment can defeat me! Know thy place mortals! As your betters, soon will!” Grabbing a chunk of stone with his skull cannon, he charged the stones with combustion and fired! The chunks bombarding Mac’s position, while creating a shield to block Sixes’s lava throw.
“Begone peons!” Grau swings his sword, the swirling wind kicking up the ash covered ground. A pleased grin spread across his lips as he uses combustion on the ash. His two unworthy opponents realize his plan but are too slow to react. They can barely get off the ground before the explosion consumes them. “As it should be. A king, even a lesser, should not have to engage in such dribble. Now… what to do with you, siren?”
Grau turns around grinning wickedly at the trembling pink siren as she struggles to free Applejack. Aria takes up a battle pose, but there is no water for her to use. Her fists tighten as he floats down towards her.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t sense you? Or see a hint while I probed the minds of your friends?” Mocks Grau as he lands on Holder’s Boulder, reloading his skull cannon and pointing it at Aria. “I shall gift you a once in life time chance. As a sentiment to your kin. Be my concubine or die.”
“Well, when you put it like that… I’d say no,” Aria stabs her finger tipped claws into Grau’s chest, sporting a wicked grin of her own. “Poseidon’s blessing!” Lightning flew from her finger tips, shocking Grau and throw him off balance has his nerves were fried. “Kiss my ass! You royal prick!” Aria shouts as she flies away. “Also, you should know, people like us don’t die easy!”
Grau didn’t have the time to process what she was saying when Mac come barreling in, fist ablaze with orange magic and covered in dragon scales. His punch made the King of Bones' jaw crack as Grau’s head twisted in an angle that would have killed a normal human.
“Clever little foals, I actually didn’t see that coming. This is what they call talking without communicating. Fascinating.” Grau twists his head back on straight. The bones making a sickening crunching sound as he did. Dispelling his sword and cannon Grau clenched his fist tight, calling on his aura of strength. “But you forgot the old rule, if you hit the king, be prepared to be killed by the king!”
Mixing the aura of speed and power Grau hammered on Mac. The Farmer crossing his arms and coating them in scales to shield himself from the mighty blows. Each hit had him screaming in pain as Mac’s guard was broken almost instantly.
“Mac!” Aria comes rushing in, her fingers arcing with lightning. Grau turned, summoning his skull cannon and firing a blast of combustion at her. The siren took the hit straight on and fell to the ground in a heap with smoke rolling off her body. Hot shards of rock embedded in her flesh made her wither in pain as she dug into the wounds to fish them out.
The distraction gone Grau returns his attention to Mac, grabbing the farm boy by the throat. “Pathetic insects! Celestia’s scion at least had the status to challenge me! You are merely common dogs for the slaughter you…” Grau paused, catching a faint glimpse in Mac’s mind. Something the farm boy was trying to keep hidden. He pressed harder. Forcing Mac’s mind open. “Sixes… gold aura… forgery magic…”
A bright light shines from across the crater. Sixes stood hands and hair a light with gold magic, putting the finishing touches on his creation. A large golden spear. Taller than Sixes and adorned with an elaborate spear head. Sixes took up the spear, pulling his arm back as the spear ignited in golden flames.
Grau looks upon the rinin with disbelief, quickly turning to anger. “You dare to use the power of my Kin! Worse you make a mockery of my beloved by making that sham of a weapon!”
Sixes snarls letting the spear loose, “Spear of Solaris!” The spear flies from his hand! Fast. Faster than the eye could follow. Faster than light. The spear flies through Grau, incinerating a hole straight through his body, straight through Holder’s boulder and even further into the ground. Grau’s arm holding Mac falls to the ground, as does Mac.
All is quiet.
Grau stares blankly at Mac disbelieving of what just happened. Mac stares back boggled as to how Grau was still alive. Half of his torso was gone!
Across the crater Sixes falls to his knees, the gold gone from his body, disappearing in golden hot mist. His entire body burning, as if fire was flowing through his veins. Hacking up blood he curses at his poor aim.
“Shit, I didn’t hit the amulet.” Grau looks at him and in a blink of an eye appears before him. The King of bones already half healed. With his remaining hand, Grau grabs Sixes by the throat and holds him up to eye level. Sixes too weak to even struggle.
“You are unworthy of the power of the Alicorn of Gold, I will be taking back his soul.”
Sixes laughs, “If you’re talking about the gold Alicorn Amulet, I ate that over a thousand years ago and I still haven’t crapped it out. Good luck digging through my bowels for it!”
Grau summons his sword and points it at Sixes' stomach, “I intend to do just that.”
Mac coughs harshly as he rubs his throat, trying to soothe it after almost having it crushed. He raises to his feet, stumbling as he walks up the broken stairs of the makeshift temple. Aria flies down, ducking under his arm and propping him up.
“Aren’t we going to help Sixes? Things aren't looking good for him.” Aria grimly observed, cringing at Sixes's agonizing screams echoed through the crater. Just hearing it made her own stomach queasy.
“We will. Right after we free the girls. We’re going to need their help.”
Aria looked impressed, “Oh so you finally come up with a plan now? Is Sixes getting skewered apart of it?”
“Not exactly,” Mac answered with a grimace. Sixes was really taking one for the team. So much for plan B. Time for C. “I actually just read a book about this guy when I was over in Equestria.”
“So, you know his weakness?” Aria’s hope raising. Things were looking bleak and it hasn’t even been five minutes!
“The book didn’t say, but I figure if we get Applejack and the others up and going things will work themselves out.”
“Leaving it all up to the whims of fate, why not? Seems to be working alright up till now.” Aria sarcastically retorted as they reached the girls.
Mac took his arm off Aria’s shoulder, walking under his own weight he hobbles to the side where Applejack, Twilight, and Sunset were tied up. Pulling out his pocket knife he quickly cut the ropes around Applejack’s wrists. She falls, her limbs limp, Mac catches her and eases her to the ground.
“Mac?” She mumbles weakly.
“It’s me, everything going to be alright,” He lies as he cuts Twilight loose. “Just hold on a little longer. I’ll get us home.” Placing Twilight next to Applejack he quickly moves to Sunset. “I’m not even going to ask, you’re not ok.”
Sunset smiles as she falls against him, laying her head on Mac’s shoulder, “What gave it away? The bad hair day?”
“I’m guessing the gash on your head and blood loss,” Mac leaned Sunset against the wooden post. Brushing her hair out of the way he got a good look at the wound. Grimacing at the nasty wound. “Sorry about this.” Ripping the helm of her dress Mac tied the makeshift bandage around the wound. The pink fabric turning completely red in a matter of seconds.
“We’re in a bad spot Sunny. I need you to give the others their magic back. Can you do that?” Sunset nods, her eyes wide and her pupils dilated. She had a concussion, great. “Can you still fight?”
Again, she nods.
“Good, because we’re going to need everyone.”
Grau’s hand was wrist deep in Sixes’s guts. The dragon pony’s stomach acid doing a number on his hands. Grau pulling his stub free of Sixes’s stomach. Promptly growing a new hand Grau takes another stab at the Night Commander’s stomach. Biting back grunts of discomfort as the draconic stomach acid assaulted his flesh.
Sixes laughed historically as if finding it funny that his guts were on display. “Having fun bone head? I eat solid rocks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, your brittle old bones barely last a minute! How do you like that? Getting one up by my stomach?” Grau’s tail promptly whips Sixes in the face. Leaving a parallel lash above the last two.
“Any more of your nonsense and I will cleave you in half. How amused will you be then?”
“Why don’t you just get it over with and do it?” Sixes taunts. Behind his back, he began to flex his fingers. He could move again. That was a good sign.
“Your connections to both Princesses is too valuable from me to carelessly waste,” Grau explained. “I am confident I can manipulate Celestia into lowering her guard with Sunset, but to get past Luna’s defenses I find that you will be most effective. I hope you realize I’ve been probing you this entire time. Your knowledge is most valuable and amusing.”
“Oh, why’s that?” Sixes demanded.
“No particular reason. I just find it fascinating that a mix breed has eyes for Princess Luna. Understandable, from your own mind I can see she’s grown into an even finer mare since the last time I saw her. Really though, you might as well be an ogre when compared to her. The whole ordeal is laughable.”
Sixes closed his eyes, “Maybe it is, but that’s not for a dead pony to decide.”
“Resigned to your fate already?” Grau chuckled, only to frown when he saw Sixes’s smile. He was looking somewhere. Somewhere behind him… Grau quickly turned around and was greeted by Mac’s and Applejack’s fists! The power of the magically infused blows had him reeling as his entire body spun! His grip on Sixes loosening.
The rinin lands on his feet revealing a lava filled hand as he charges ahead with an ear-piercing battle cry! “Take him down!”
Grau regains his footing and summons his skull sword blocking the lava attack, while at the same time grabbing Mac by the wrist and tossing him away. With his tail, he grabs a charging Applejack and throws her next to Mac.
A cry of, “Up here asshole!” Called his attention upwards where Rainbow Dash and Aria floated above with bows of Lightning poised to the strike. Sixes backed off as the lightning arrows rained down. Grau crosses his arms to cover his amulet and the geodes.
“Behind you!” Came the cry of Pinkie Pie. He swings with his tail, missing as she bounces out of the way, blasts of purple and red magic hitting him in the back. He snarls, whirling towards Twilight and Sunset as they stood with smoking hands atop his throne. Drawing his skull cannon he takes aim, focusing combustion, only for it to fail!
“What?” He growls. Looking down he sees Fluttershy and Rarity picking at his geodes! The two girls look nervously at him as they held combustion and speed in their hands. He swings his skull sword in, intending to crush the two behind it and his torso, but they disappeared in a flash with the speed geode. Making him fume! “Deliver those back or your loved ones will suffer beyond measure!”
“Don’t threaten my friends!” Pinkie shouts appearing from nowhere, dropping a handful of glowing rocks in his face! The rocks exploded! Blinding him. Grau thrashes wildly about trying to keep them all at bay, but he feels another Geode be plucked away. This one strength.
The smoke clears and Rarity stood before him tossing the gem in her hand. She takes a stance, clutching the geode in her fist.
“Do you mind if I borrow this Applejack?” Rarity asks politely.
“Go ahead sugar cube! Give him hell!”
Rarity smirks, “With pleasure! No one threatens my baby sister!” The fashionista flew at him and jabbed him right in the stomach! The blow cracked his ribs and brought him to his knees. Before he could recover he lost the nature geode.
“Fluttershy this one is yours!” Rarity yelled tossing the geode to the shy girl.
Fluttershy catches it, “Um… are there any animals here that could help please?” The ground behind her explodes as the skeletal remains of a T-Rex form behind her. “Oh… well ok. Can you beat him up?” The T-Rex nods and charges Grau.
Very angry Grau grabs the T-Rex with telekinesis and brings the bone creature to heel. “I’m the King of Bones! You obey me!” Ribbing the T-Rex to pieces he gathers the bones around himself, absorbing them into his body and transforming to his equine body.
“Come two leggers! Come and meet your doom!” He snarls charging at Fluttershy, horn and antlers lowered to skewer the shy girl. She tried to run, but he held her down with Telekinesis. He would kill her. He would pick her apart and make her friends watch!
Her friends scream. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Aria, and Rarity sending down a rain of magic and lightning to try and stop him. He threw up a shield and laughed as all the attacks bounced harmlessly off as he continued his charge. Mac and Applejack jumped in front of him, using their combined strength they tried to slow him down. They were mildly successful, reducing his speed slightly, but even with their combined strength, they could not stop him completely as he slowly pushed the two along for the ride.
“Watch as your efforts fail! Watch as I skewer your friend on my horn!” Grau madly declared holding Fluttershy in place. He was almost there. Only a few more feet and he would be enjoying their cries of misery. How he could picture it now!
“Stay away from her!” Pinkie cried throwing handfuls of combustion dirt at his shield. He laughed as tears stained her cheeks. He laughed at them all!
Mac and Applejack pushed as hard as they could against the blue shield. Their muscles strained to the limit as they were only two feet away from Fluttershy. The tip of Grau’s horn merely three inches from piercing her breast. Through gritted teeth, Mac yelled, “Sixes, Sunset! Hurry the fuck up!”
It was then Grau finally noticed the pair's absence. His mind cleared and he frantically searched for the two. He spotted them, standing side by side with two spears of golden fire in their hands. Grandfather and granddaughter drew their arms back as one and took aim.
“Spears of Solaris!”
The spears of golden flame flew, twisting into one giant gold blast that shattered his shield and burrowed right into the amulet that made his heart. His equine form fell away and he fell on his human knees clutching his chest.
He looked at them with shock and fear as his entire existence began to crumble. “What have you done?” The alicorn amulet exploded!
“Look out!” Rainbow came swooping down grabbing Fluttershy, Mac, and Applejack in one fell swoop and tossed them out of the blast zone while facing it head on to shield them. They were all thrown against the trees.
“Rainbow!” Fluttershy cried out once her world stopped spinning. The rainbow speedster shook her off saying she was fine as they all gathered around. They looked at the crater where Grau had once been and the remaining geodes the lay on the ground.
The king of bones was dead.