//------------------------------//
// Terra Roar 
// Story: Rune Hunters 
// by Cold Bolt 
//------------------------------//

"No."

You sure?

"Yeah."

C'mon, you know you want to.

"Enough!" Apple Bloom nearly yelled. "I ain't using your magic, and that's final!"

What's the matter, kid? Moa Gault's ethereal voice carried a mixture of impatience and taunting. Afraid of a little firepower?

"Maybe I am! What's wrong with that?" Apple Bloom headbutted the ball again, watching as it bounced off the wall of the barn and soared back toward her for another hit. "You burned down Dinky's house and almost killed her and her mom!"

Hey, I gotta protect my magic somehow! Just 'cause the old turtle's willing to trust the first sapient creature to come along doesn't mean I am.

Calm yourself, comrade, said Stoldark. You should be more gracious toward the child who orchestrated our reunion at such risk to her own safety.

The Fire Guardian grumbled. Fine. You're not wrong, I guess. There was a pause. But don't come crying to me when you lose a fight 'cause you were too scared to get serious.

With nothing else to say, Apple Bloom harrumphed. Her next strike carried a bit too much force behind it, causing the reflected ball to sail over her head and land in a bush a ways behind her. After taking a moment to sigh, she trotted over to retrieve it.

Toy in hoof once more, she sighed again. "Hey, Stoldark?"

Yes, Apple Bloom?

"Um..." She fidgeted, not sure how to word the question she wanted to ask. "...What do you think?"

The Water Guardian pondered for a moment. The fire bird's words carry excess venom; if we are to entrust you as our medium, we must believe in your judgment and accept your pace. However, those same words also carry a measure of wisdom - wielding the Fiery Rage may be necessary to complete our mission, and to attempt to do so with no prior experience could spell disaster.

"I figured you'd say that," said Apple Bloom. "I just... Fire's a sight rougher than water, is all. I can't go throwing it around willy-nilly or I'm liable to get in a way bigger heap of trouble than a bit of soggy forest."

Your trepidation is understandable.

"Maybe I'll give it a whirl if I think of something," she decided. "For now, I just wanna make sure Dinky and her mom get better."

Stoldark seemed to have nothing else to say. Sighing, Apple Bloom tucked the ball under her foreleg and headed back to the farmhouse.





Cheerilee smiled at the assembled class. "And who can tell me what year the peace treaty with Griffonstone was signed?"

A pale hoof rose into the air.

"Yes, Twist?"

"Theven ninety-five!" recited Twist.

"Very good," said Cheerilee. "Now, three years later - "

She stopped suddenly. Her front hooves felt carefully along the floor beneath her. Her pupils shrank.

"Everypony under your desks," she ordered. "Now."

The children scrambled to hide as Cheerilee herself took refuge beneath her own desk. Scarce seconds later, the entire building began to shake. Books toppled over on the shelves, and an undefended cup of water overturned and splashed on the floor.

A sigh of relief rang out as the tremor ceased, having dealt no meaningful damage. Cautiously, the students climbed back into their seats.

After a moment of pacing back and forth, Cheerilee turned to look over the class, speaking to herself as much as to them. "This is the third one in four days... Maybe I ought to end class early today and have a word with the Princess."

A room full of beaming foals stared back at her.

Cheerilee rolled her eyes and huffed. "Right, of course you agree," she grumbled, but quickly returned to her normal pleasant tone. "Alright, go ahead then. I'll see you all tomorrow!"

The class charged out the door, cheering.

Apple Bloom whispered as she watched her teacher trot away into town. "Got a bead on it yet?"

My senses continue to point somewhere south of the town. Stoldark emitted a sound that Apple Bloom could only guess was meant to be a sigh. I can pinpoint its origin no more precisely than that.

"Well, seems the town's like to crumble if we wait around much longer. Nothing for it but to go poking around ourselves..."

That, of course, meant finding a way to sneak off inconspicuously. South of town was the territory of the diamond dogs, and they weren't known for being terribly cordial toward ponies. She wasn't strictly allowed to wander off that way.

"Man, if it gets us out of school early, I say we should have earthquakes more often," said Scootaloo, interrupting Apple Bloom's thoughts.

Sweetie Belle frowned. "But if it keeps up, somepony could get hurt."

"...Yeah, you're right. I guess that wasn't a great thing to say." Scootaloo hopped into the air, her miniature wings buzzing hard enough to give her a second of hang time before she landed and continued walking. "We can enjoy this at least, right? We haven't had more than one in a day so far, so it should be fine."

"Don't jinx it, Scootaloo," warned Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo blew a raspberry. "C'mon, it's not like the earth itself can hear me or any - "

As if on cue, the ground all around them began to shake, rattling the leaves of nearby trees and throwing all three girls off balance to a chorus of startled yelps.

"Scooooootaaaaalooooo...!" Sweetie Belle's voice was distorted by the vibration.

"I'm sooooorryyyyy!" Scootaloo wailed.

The tremor seemed to go on forever... until it didn't, finally petering out after about a minute.

Sweetie Belle peered out from beneath her own forelegs. "...Is it over...?"

"I think so?" Scootaloo stood up and dusted herself off. "Wow, that one was a doozy. You girls okay?"

"I'm fine," said Sweetie Belle. "Apple Bloom?"

Then Apple Bloom got an idea.

She got a wonderful, perfect idea.

"I'm okay too, I - ow!" Apple Bloom stumbled as soon as she tried to put weight on her left front leg. "Ow, ow..."

"Oh no!" Sweetie rushed to her side. "Where does it hurt?"

"My - my hoof," said Apple Bloom, holding up the offending limb. "I think... I think I sprained it."

"Here, let me." Scootaloo nudged her nose under Apple Bloom's leg and lifted it onto her shoulders. "The hospital's not too far away. Think you can make it?"

"Oh, I... I dunno," Apple Bloom stammered. The plan was working perfectly - except that the hospital staff would see through her deception immediately, so she had to avoid it at any cost. "The farm's closer. I, I just need to lie down and put some ice on it, I... think?"

Apple Bloom held her breath as Scootaloo hesitated for a moment... but quickly smiled. "Okay, sounds good."

With a sigh of relief, Apple Bloom let Scootaloo lead her off in the direction of the farm.





"You sure you're gonna be alright?"

Sweetie Belle pouted as she watched Apple Bloom settle into bed. Big Mac carried an ice pack over, placing it on the filly's 'injured' hoof.

"I'll be fine!" Apple Bloom waved her other hoof dismissively. "I just gotta stay off it for a bit is all. Why, I reckon I'll be right as rain come the morning. Right, big brother?"

"Eeyup," said Big Mac.

"You girls are the best friends I could ever ask for," she added. "I know we haven't gotten to hang out much lately, but I promise I'll get better soon. I just gotta... yaaaaawn... get some rest for now."

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo exchanged glances before looking back at Apple Bloom. 

"Well... okay then," said Sweetie. "Sleep well, Apple Bloom."

Apple Bloom gave them another wave as her friends and her brother left the room and closed the door. Seconds later, three sets of hoofsteps creaked their way down the stairs. Taking her cue, she nudged the ice pack aside and darted to the window to peek out carefully. Big Mac stepped into the orchard and quickly disappeared, while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo slowly marched out of sight down the road.

Turning around, she stared at the clock and watched a couple of minutes tick by. She needed to be sure the girls were out of sight to maintain her cover, but the waiting wasn't doing her nerves any favors. She exhaled and quietly shoved the window open.

"Well, now or never."

A stack of hay bales sat beneath the window, which felt a lot higher than she knew it was. A tingle ran through her hooves at the sight.

"Okay... a one, and a two, and... hup!"

Apple Bloom vaulted over the windowsill, the tingling sensation intensifying as she dangled from so high up. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her forelegs from the sill and plummeted... landing with a soft 'umph' on the hay.

"Yes!" Her cheer was quiet but jubilant.

We must make haste, warned Stoldark. We know not the size of the window we have to work with.

"Right," whispered Apple Bloom. "Let's rock!"





Staying on the outskirts of town had kept her well enough out of sight; she was pretty sure only a couple of ponies had spotted her, and only gotten a glimpse even then. With a grin fueled by adrenaline, she marched across the rocky plain south of town.

As I suspected, we are indeed getting closer, said Stoldark.

"This one can't be as bad as the last, right?" Apple Bloom scanned the area for anything suspicious. "I mean, fire's real dangerous and all, but we walk on the earth every day! Well, us earth ponies do, at least. I bet this'll be easy as making apple cobbler!"

Be confident, but be vigilant. We know not what form this challenge may take.

A rumbling sound crossed Apple Bloom's ears. 

"Oh no, is it another quake?" She braced herself, only to relax a moment later. "Wait... I hear something else. Is that...?"

With a gasp, she dashed forward past a large boulder... and barely dodged out of the way of a stampede of diamond dogs.

"Pony!"

One of the dogs skidded to a stop in front of her, even as his comrades charged by in complete panic.

"What's wrong? Why's everypony running?"

The dog threw a stone tablet to the dirt in front of her.

"The pony can have it!" he barked. "We thought it would help us dig for gems! But then we found... IT!"

"It?" Apple Bloom's eyes darted up and down between the dog and the slab. "What's... it?"

"The pony can find out for herself! WAIT FOR MEEE!"

With that, the dog rejoined the retreating crowd as they charged down the path behind her and vanished amid the rocks.

She looked down at the tablet, which featured a large mark that looked vaguely like a footprint. With a shrug, she put a hoof on it, and the mark lit up.

I am Grudiev, the Earth Guardian, declared a new voice in her head. Within my Terra Roar lies the power to bend the very land itself to your will.  Use it wisely.

The tablet vanished.

"Huh. That was easy," said Apple Bloom. "Dunno what all that fuss was - "

Her heart skipped a beat as the ground shook once more, albeit briefly.

"What the hay?!" She dashed in the direction of the dogs' cavern, skidding to a stop seconds later at the entrance to a wide ravine... and gasped.

A tall something stood at the mouth of the cave. No less than twice the height of the tallest diamond dog, it stood on two legs, covered head to toe in a hide that looked - and smelled, even at this distance - like something terribly diseased. Its eyes glowed yellow even in the sunlight, its teeth were jagged and coarse, and its large clawed hand was propped against the wall beside it, as though it had difficulty staying upright.

Apple Bloom's blood went cold.

She'd never even heard of a monster like this before, let alone seen one herself. Her instinct to flee immediately went to war with the fact that her legs suddenly felt like they were made of applesauce.

The majority of valor is discretion, warned Stoldark. It would be wise to retreat - we have what we came for, and this foe is clearly beyond you.

"But - " Apple Bloom swallowed a lump in her throat and shook her head. "But if I do, it might - might get into Ponyville! And if, if I try to go warn everypony, I'm... I'm liable to get grounded!"

The monster marched forward, its eyes locked onto the filly just yards away.

"B-Besides..." She shook her head again and took a deep breath. "Do I, or do I not, have three Guardians to back me up?"

There was a pause. Fight defensively, Apple Bloom. Protect yourself above all else.

Apple Bloom waited until the creature was at arm's length, its foul smell strong enough to make her dizzy as it raised a hand into the air. Dust scattered as the monster struck the ground, its target bolting past it and whirling around. Before it could reorient itself, Apple Bloom shot a bolt of water from her hoof, striking it in the small of its back.

The monster flinched slightly, but showed no sign of injury. It simply turned around with heavy footsteps and continued its march toward her.

Stoldark spoke quickly. This will take a different approach. Tread lightly and keep your distance. Do not let it corner you.

Apple Bloom glanced around. There were only two exits to the ravine: the cave entrance, and the path she took to get there. A few boulders littered the outside edge, but taking cover might get her trapped.

The monster reared its head back and roared, causing her to flinch. As it did, a cloud of green vapor emerged from its snout and washed over her. She coughed and staggered, suddenly overcome with nausea.

"Blech?! What - ugh...!" Opening her mouth to speak only made it worse as the monster bore down on her, reaching simply to pluck her off the ground.

Holding her breath, she slammed her front hooves into the dirt. A chunk of stone rose from it, a sharp spike that struck the monster's wrist, halting its advance.

Before it could recover, Apple Bloom galloped out of reach. An unpleasant wet noise sounded from behind her as it rescued its arm from the obstacle.

"Okay..." she muttered. "You... You want serious? Let's do serious."

As the monster resumed its march toward her once more, Apple Bloom took a deep breath and held it. She watched as dark ichor dribbled from the wound in its arm, once more raised to grab her.

Her lips parted, and she exhaled. Like a living flamethrower, a stream of blazing heat blew from her mouth and engulfed the outstretched arm. With a roar of pain, the monster recoiled.

Hey, you're a natural! said the jovial voice of Moa Gault. Guess I shouldn't have doubted you, kid.

"You like that? Well there's - " She sniffed. "Oh ponyfeathers."

The roar had brought with it more of the monster's rotten breath. Eyes tearing, Apple Bloom scrambled to escape while it was occupied with its injury, though the stench was starting to make her dizzy... and the longer the battle went on, the worse it would get.

"Gotta - " She coughed, her insides churning. "Gotta finish this quick...!" The haze covering their battlefield continued to thicken, reminding her all too vividly of the smoke from Dinky's house. At this rate, she wouldn't -

Apple Bloom stopped in her tracks.

With a wave of her hoof, a familiar bubble enveloped her. At once, she began panting greedily, relief washing over her as her stomach began to settle from the clean air filling her lungs.

Excellent work.

"I got this," she told herself. "Ha! I got this! Time to HRK"

Her renewed confidence wasn't to last.

With one final startled gasp of her fresh air, Apple Bloom struggled against the grip of the monster's uninjured arm, her bubble having burst thanks to its sharp claws. She kicked and squirmed fruitlessly, panic rising as it raised her to eye level and stared at her.

The air began to burn in her lungs.

The monster opened wide, its jaw stretching disturbingly far, and brought the filly ever closer.

Eyes clenched tight, Apple Bloom released the burning air, a tongue of flame erupting from her mouth and pouring straight down the monster's throat. It trembled from the scorching pain, its grip gradually loosening until its prey slipped from its grasp and fell to the ground.

"Oof!"

She staggered away as the monster roared again, the sound now raspy and weak. It no longer made a move to pursue her, instead falling to its knees and clutching its throat.

"It's coming from over here!"

Apple Bloom's ears perked up as she recognized Rainbow Dash's voice. Reinforcements! She spun to face the ravine entrance, but stopped cold. If Dash was here, the others almost certainly were too, which included - !

She bolted for the nearest rock, diving behind it for cover just as six equine figures burst onto the scene.

"What is that?" demanded Rarity, making a retching noise as the haze met her nose.

"I'm on it!" Rainbow flew in tight circles, a cyclone quickly drawing the haze out of the ravine and dispelling it into the air high above. Apple Bloom struggled not to noisily gasp for air again.

"What the heck is THAT?" screeched the startled voice of Pinkie Pie, pointing an accusatory hoof at the monster now staggering back to its feet.

"I - I don't know..." Twilight shook her head. "I've never seen or heard of anything like it...!"

"It's injured," said Fluttershy, only barely loud enough for Apple Bloom to hear. "Somepony got here before we did, and it looks like they hurt it badly."

"Whatever it is, it ain't friendly," said Applejack. "Looks like it's fixing to fight some more!"

"Then let's put a stop to it before it can deal any more damage," said Twilight. "Ready, girls?"

Five voices called out in unison. "Ready!"

As a bold light began to envelop them, Apple Bloom blinked - and finally noticed the sparkling gemstones each one wore. The Elements of Harmony shone as a brilliant rainbow shot forth from Twilight's tiara, striking the monster dead-on. 

Apple Bloom shielded her eyes with a hoof as the light of Harmony reduced the monster to sludge.

Well done, Apple Bloom. There was a different quality to Stoldark's ethereal voice this time - was it pride? You bought enough time for reinforcements to arrive and end the fight long before it had a chance to threaten the town. You may well have saved lives today.

Apple Bloom shuddered as she let out a long sigh of relief.

From her hiding place, she watched as Twilight approached the monster's remains at a cautious hover, prodding here and there with her magic. Satisfied it wasn't going to spring back to life on her, she produced a small test tube and used it to scoop up a little dribble of the sludge, sealing it tightly with a cork. Sample obtained, she peered at it carefully. "Look around carefully, girls. See if you can find any other clues."

"I found one, I found one!" Pinkie hopped up and down excitedly.

"Well, don't just stand there," said Rainbow to the bouncing pony, "show us!"

Pinkie plucked something off the ground with her mouth and turned toward the others, revealing the object to be... a scrap of pink fabric.

Apple Bloom's pupils shrank. Her hoof went immediately to the ribbon on her head, only to find a portion of it missing; it had been torn off during the fight.

Applejack gasped and began shivering. "That - that looks like Apple Bloom's! What in tarnation is it doing out here...?"

"Oh posh, Applejack!" Rarity waved a forehoof. "Apple Bloom is back at the farm! Sweetie Belle told me all about how the poor dear hurt her hoof in the last quake, and they had to help her into bed. Why, if you went back there now, I bet you'd find her safe and sound right where they left her!"

"Yeah... yeah, you're - you're right. Maybe I'll just - " The sound of galloping hooves caused Applejack to spin around. "Apple Bloom?!"

But all she saw was dust.





Apple Bloom barreled down the path.

She was exhausted from fighting. Her head, her hooves, her everything ached, and yet she kept running. If Applejack caught her out of bed, it was all over.

After an agonizingly long run back, the farmhouse finally came into view. A quick glance around showed that Big Mac was still off doing chores, giving her a clear shot at it - but she couldn't just waltz in if Granny Smith was around. She would have to get back in the way she got out.

Running around to the side with her bedroom window, she skidded to a stop. There would be no stacking the hay bales high enough to reach it, but luckily, she had an alternative. Backing up several paces, Apple Bloom took off running, aimed at the window high above. This would take some timing, and if she messed up...

With a mighty lunge, Apple Bloom leaped into the air, throwing her foreleg ahead of her. A burst of water rose from the ground just beneath her, sending her flailing several extra yards into the air.

"Waaaaaaugh!"

She sailed through the open window and tumbled to a halt against the leg of her bed.

"Oof!"

Wasting no time, she yanked the remains of her ribbon out of her mane, shoving them under her pillow to hide the evidence. A quick dash to the closet, and a fresh ribbon was perched in its place. With a grunt, she climbed up onto the bed and carefully tucked herself in, making sure to place the ice pack - now half-melted - over the hoof she had pretended to sprain.

"Definitely... harder... than apple cobbler..."

A few minutes passed.

"Apple Bloom?" Applejack shoved the door open a bit harder than she needed to, wincing as it slammed against the wall. "You in here, Apple Bloom?"

There was no response, as the filly in question was out like a light.

Sighing in relief, Applejack closed the distance and gave her slumbering sister a gentle pat on the head. "Sorry I doubted you, sis. You made a promise, and I oughtta have more faith in it. Sleep tight, sugarcube."

Her smile returned, Applejack backed out of the bedroom and quietly closed the door.