Heat and smoke filled the room as the flames within a forge burned. Next to the forge was a pair of earth ponies, a gray stallion with a brown mane and tail that was manning the bellow while a green mare with a black mane and tail was staring into the fire. She then used her teeth to grab a pair of metal tongs before placing them into the forge, retracting them a second later to show a metal cup that wielded a glowing liquid within it.
Carefully trotting over to a table, she lifted the cup over a metal box, tilting her head to pour the liquid. It was here that the stallion stopped the bellow and moved over to the table, his eyes scanning the box over. But as he did this, the corner of his eye spotted the door to the forge now cracking open, an eye now looking through its frame. The stallion pointed to the door, the mare following his gaze before sighing, "Iron...what did we tell you?"
The door started to move, now showing a gray colt with black hair, "My homework's done."
The ponies giggled at his young innocent voice before nodding, "Alright. If that's the case, come on in." The colt shined a huge grin as he trotted up to his mother, his vision switching between her and his father. His father then lifted the mold off the table and moved it to an anvil.
"Don't get too close son," his father commented as he opened the cast, revealing that the liquid within had been shaped and solidified into the form of a shovel head. He then lifted the metal with his tongs, his eyes scanning it over before turning to his son, seeing his intense stare at the metal. Looking back at his work, the stallion slowly asked, "Iron...what is the most important thing when forging any metal? Is it fire, or ice?"
"Fire," Iron replied without a second thought. But his father turned to give him a questioning look, "Or...maybe ice?"
"You sure?" His mother asked next, the colt soon nodding.
His father smirked as the mare took the tongs with gloved hooves, gripping the metal as the stallion started hitting it with a hammer. "It's both son. Fire is there to help us give it shape," he did the last hit before taking the tongs, soon dipping the metal into some water. "And the ice...the ice is there to freeze it into shape."
"And that's what makes it strong?" Iron asked.
The mare laughed as she leaned down and hugged him, "No dear. A piece of metal is made strong not by how it is made, but by the trials it goes through." She pointed at the shovel head as his father lifted it up. "That shovel was made here, but it won't truly become strong until it is slammed into a rock, showing that is undamaged while doing its duty."
Iron tilted his head at this, his small colt mind trying to think. But before he could ask anything, a knock at the door broke their conversation. Iron's parents then stepped over to the door, opening it, "Can we help you?"
Iron walked between his parents legs and saw who they were talking to. It was here that his small colt eyes stared went wide as he saw the individual's face, for it would be one that would forever be ingrained into his memory. "Yes. My name...is Longhorn."
Iron's eyes shot open, his body gripping the bed covers as he sat up. A series of pants followed as he let out a groan. Soon rubbing his eyes, he hopped out of bed before walking into his bathroom, quickly doing the basic morning routine. And as he finished, he let out another moan, "Ugh...why did I dream that?"
The defender grabbed his trusty Celestic Gear next, a long sigh following as he trotted out of his hut. He then started his usual everyday path, soon seeing a familiar cottage come into view. Outside the building was a particular mare, watering her plants with a certain bunny helping her. She soon looked up, both smiling as she said, "Good morning Iron Core."
"Morning," he stared up at the cottage, smirking at the sight. "Finally got that freeloader out of your house, I see." He was talking about a particular draconequus, who had taken up a temporary residence due to catching a cold. It also didn't help that this happened right after coming back from Canterlot, where he and Flash had been helping Grand track down a crime ring in the city.
"Now Iron, I couldn't just leave Discord sick like that."
"I guess. But you can be way too kind for your own good sometimes."
Fluttershy showed a small blush, causing her to try to hide behind her hair. "As long as my kindness helps those in need, I'll keep using it as much as I feel is necessary."
Iron couldn't help but smile at her reddened face, reaching out to push her hair away. "Just try and think about yourself sometimes. There's nothing wrong with being a little selfish."
The defender then turned around, starting to walk away from the animal caretaker. And as his form began to go away, she spoke up, "Um...Iron?"
"Yeah?" Iron asked as he looked back, only to blink as Fluttershy tried to hide behind her hair again. "What's up? Something wrong?"
"Oh...um..." She twiddled her hooves next, causing her to slightly backpedal. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
Iron raised an eyebrow at this, only to shrug. "Okay. See ya later squirt."
With that, he continued to walk away, ready to begin his patrol. And as he disappeared into the distance, Fluttershy let out a long sigh, looking down in shame. "Coward..."
The day seemed to be like any other, Iron completing his patrol and heading to the canyon where Flash and Springer were busy trying to perfect their combo move while Lightning and Iron trained. After that, the defenders split up to go about their normal day, Flash and Springer now having lunch with Twilight and Scootaloo while Lightning went to find Wild.
It was here that Iron felt his own stomach growl, making him go to the first restaurant he came across. "Sprout and parsnip soup," he told the waiter as he put his menu down, the waiter nodding before heading off and leaving Iron to sit back and relax.
As he did, he couldn't help but overhear a pair of ponies talking about what a stallion was reading in the newspaper. "I can't believe there's been an breakout at Grand Stable." Iron blinked at this, his brain now pulling up information he had been told about over Grand Stable Penitentiary. It was Equestria's biggest prison, and was supposedly impenetrable. It was located on an island off Equestria's coast, and was where the kingdom's worst criminals were located. The only place more secure than that was Tartarus, where ponies who tried to destroy Equestria were kept.
"That ain't good..." Iron whispered to himself as his ear spiked up, now fulling listening to the two ponies.
The mare sitting with the stallion shivered like a leaf as she said, "I hope they don't come here. If they managed to get out of Grand Stable of all places, they must be really dangerous. What do you think the Princesses are doing about it?"
"They're probably already on it. My bet is they'll either send a whole guard division, or like...I don't know, two of the Royal Knights."
"Well, that's good. I hope they recapture them soon. Does it say who the escaped ones are?"
Iron heard the stallion hum. "Doesn't give any names. It does show some pictures though, probably to help ponies spot them. Looks like one of them's...a bull?"
This made Iron hop out of his seat, turning to fully look at the couple. It was here that he walked over and ripped the paper out of the stallion's hooves. "Hey!" the stallion yelped, but his voice didn't reach Iron's ears.
Instead, Iron's eyes saw the picture of a gray colored bull with a load of black hair and a long shaggy beard. The world around Iron faded away as he stared at the image, his breath becoming ragged as he growled, "Longhorn..." He then looked down, "Last spotted at...Dodge Junction."
The paper began to crinkle in his hooves, causing the stallion pulled the sheet from his grasp, "Hey! What the heck's your problem?!"
Iron didn't hear this either, turning to grab his weapon. And as he walked away, the waiter walked out and saw him leave, "What of your soup, sir?"
But there was no response. The defender was already leaving eyesight of the ponies at the restaurant, and anypony who saw him made them backpedal from the sight. There was anger now showing on his face, a low long growl coming from his mouth as he hissed, "I won't let you get away."
That night...
Fluttershy hummed as she and her animal friends sat on the floor of her bedroom, going through the many pictures that she had taken during her trip to see the Breezies. With everything that had happened when she got back, she didn't have time to properly sort them for scrapbooking. She then held up another picture, allowing her spider friend Fuzzy Legs to fire a shot of webbing onto the back of it. "Thank you," she placed it into the book, gently pressing down to make it stick. "There we go..."
She then flipped the page, now smiling as she saw another picture. It was an image taken at Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding, showing her and Iron slow dancing. She had wanted to dance with everypony else, but didn't have the courage to go out on the dance floor. Despite this, Iron agreed to help her and took her to a secluded part of the garden. It was here that they danced to the music, totally unaware that Pinkie had been hiding in a bush with a camera. As for when Pinkie gave her the photo, Fluttershy's face went pure red.
But now, looking at it only filled her with joy. She had to admit it to herself, ever since the tornado event, Fluttershy had begun to notice how her heart seemed to beat a little faster whenever Iron was around. She had been confused by this at first, but over time, especially after the reforming Discord event, she started to realize what it meant.
She had feelings for Iron Core.
He was everything she wished she could be. He was confident, out-spoken, and not one to let fear stop him from doing what he wanted to do. The stallion may have been angry and un-social when she first met him, but she could tell he had softened a little over the past few months.
There was no denying the fact that she liked him. She knew she did, but was worried it would be a mess thanks to seeing how Flash and Twilight are. But despite this, she soon found her answer. That answer had came after learning that Rainbow was in a relationship with Soarin. If she, the least girly of all her friends, could actually get herself a coltfriend, then she knew she could do it too.
Well, that had been her plan. Unfortunately, she didn't have Iron's confidence or Rainbow's guts. Over the last few weeks, she had been trying to confess to the stallion, only to chicken out at the last minute, the most recent attempt being this morning.
Now, she was staring at the picture with a red tint appearing over her face. Her mind started to show images in her head, all fantasies as she imagined herself dancing in another garden. There, it was only them, the stallion showing the biggest smile she had ever seen, his form easily lifting her up. And as they got closer, she could feel her real self shiver in excitement as she imagined a long, passionate kiss happening between the two. She could feel the butterflies now flying in her stomach, filling her with joy.
"Oh...if only I could tell him."
She turned the page again, now seeing her and Rainbow hugging each other in their filly days. The daredevil in the picture had a huge goofy grin while Fluttershy just showed a small smile. "Rainbow...she could always do what I couldn't. I remember when she helped me with flying after the Sonic Rainboom. She always had the strength I could never obtain."
A long sigh followed this, only to turn another page and see all of her friends. They were all smiling, happy after they had beaten Nightmare Moon. She remembered all the courage they had after going after the crazed alicorn, causing her to blink before lifting herself up. "Yes...all my friends are like that. They all have courage, and I...I need to have some too!"
The animals all went wide-eyed as she headed for the stairs. "I'm gonna tell him right now." She raced down the stairs, a look of confidence trying to show on her face, "I'm sure he'll accept my feelings." But as she touched the last step, she put her hoof over her mouth, biting it. "Or will he? It's already late. Maybe it's better to tell him tomorrow." She spun around, walking to the middle of stairs before turning around again, "No, I'll do it tonight." Once again, the animals saw her trot back down. That is, till she came to a stop and spun to go up the stairs. "Well...tomorrow." She turned around again, the pattern now repeating. "No! Tonight!" The pattern repeated again on the stairs, "Or...tomorrow."
Angel rolled his eyes at his owner's uncertainty. Turning to the other animals, he gave his orders and saw them all nod in agreement. As Fluttershy arrived at the top of the stairs again, she suddenly found herself being lifted off the floor by Harry. "Eep! What the-what are you doing?!" The bear didn't answer as he walked downstairs with the mare, soon reaching the door as the birds opened it up. "Wait! Don't-whoa!"
Before she could do anything, Fluttershy was dropped outside, the door shutting behind her. She picked herself up and tried to open the door, only to see it wouldn't budge. She then tried the windows and saw her animals are giving her expectant looks. A long gulp following as she mumbled out, "Oh...you're not gonna let me back in until I tell him, aren't you?" The animals all nodded.
A long sigh followed as she nodded back. "Okay. I'll...uh, I'll do it." She turned and stared at Iron's hut, a deep breath of preparation now expelling from her mouth. "Well...here goes nothing." She began to walk away from the cottage, only to fly back and try the door one more time. Another sigh happened as the door refused to move, causing her to turn and slump at the wooden frame. "Oh dear. I don't think I'm ready for-"
Before she could say another word, her ears spiked as she heard hoofsteps coming out of the darkness. The sound made her squeak in terror before jumping into a nearby bush. Her eyes soon peeked out of the grass, now seeing that it was Iron making those hoofsteps. She went wide-eyed as she saw the anger pouring out of his face, the sight making her feel uneasy. That and the saddlebag he was now carrying.
"Wait...is Iron leaving?" she whispered to herself as she saw him stare at her house. And as he stared, his anger disappeared for a second, showing an expression of sadness...and regret. A long sigh followed before he turned away, her eyes seeing the anger return to his face.
She blinked at the sight as Iron walked out of sight. The pegasi then climbed out of the bush, both confusion and worry now on her face as she stared at the path he'd gone down. But as she stared, determination filled her eyes as a decision rang out in her mind. Flexing her wings next, she took to the sky, the pegasi now following the earth pony.
The next morning...
Twilight let out a long sigh of comfort as sat back with a large novel in front of her face. She was so happy, glad that she knew nothing should interrupt her reading. After all, she didn't have any big plans today since Applejack was busy bucking apples, Rarity was working on her upcoming Summer Line, Pinkie was working on the final details of Rainbow's birth-a-versary while Rainbow and Fluttershy had plans to go to Cloudsdale and visit their parents. Also, Scootaloo was at school and Flash and Springer were out training, leaving the alicorn princess and her dragon assistant free to do a little reading.
The sound of grunting made her look over to see Spike atop a ladder, pulling a book from the shelf that he tossed onto the top of a stack he was carrying. "Here's...the last book."
"Thanks Spike. Just put them with the rest of the pile, then you can have the rest of the day off."
"Sweet!" Spike started climbing down the ladder. "Now I can start working on my new Ogres and Oubliettes character!"
Twilight giggled at her little brother's excitement. "Sure, have fun."
But all was not well. In that moment, the library door was slammed open, surprising Spike into losing his balance and falling off the ladder. "WHOA!" He yelped as he fell with a thud, the books he was carrying now burying him a second later.
Twilight's horn started to glow as she levitated the books off of Spike while turning to see Flash and Springer walk in with obvious worry on their faces. "Flash? What's wrong?"
"We got a problem," Flash placed his Celestic Gear on the table as he sat down. "Iron didn't show up for practice today. We went down his route, but everypony told us he didn't do his patrol today."
Springer nodded at this. "Not only that, I tried scanning for him the entire time, but I couldn't detect his aura!"
"You mean he's not in town? That doesn't sound like Iron. He usually at least tells us if he's going somewhere, like that time he and Skybreaker left for a mission a while back."
"I know." Flash muttered as he crossed his hooves, "I'm worried that something's-"
"TWILIGHT!" yelled a new voice, the door slamming open again. This time, it was Rainbow Dash as she asked, "Have any of you seen Fluttershy?!"
Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, "I thought you two were going to see your parents today."
"We were, but when I got to her house, the place was deserted. I figured that maybe Applejack needed her help at the farm, but when I went over there, AJ said she hadn't seen her all day."
"That is strange. Have you told anypony else?"
"Yeah. I asked the usual to help me and meet back here."
"When did you do that Rainbow?" Twilight asked as she put the last of the books away, her horn now levitating a list and a pen. "And where have you checked? I'll review what you haven't looked at."
Rainbow crossed her hooves at this with a glum frown, "I asked Pinks, Rarity and AJ to help me, but I mainly checked the north part of town. That and I told the girls to come here after they searched a bit."
"Looks like they're coming right now." Springer commented as his aura now saw Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity walking up to the building.
"Ah checked all over town, and she ain't been seen anywhere." Applejack added as she walked in first. "This ain't good."
"I agree. I'm starting to get worried," Rarity said with a large frown. "Its not like Fluttershy to simply wander off without telling anypony."
"Or Iron." Flash continued as he bit his lip. "I don't like this...." He turned to Springer, who was now using his aura to scan the entire town. "Anything?"
Springer sighed and shook his head. "No...I can't find her anywhere. Maybe I can pick up a trail at their houses."
"Then what are we waiting for? Come on, let's get to their houses lickety-split!" Rainbow declared as she gestured to the door. But before she could go to it, a slammed open yet again, revealing a tall pegasus stallion with a metal wing.
"Skybreaker?!" Twilight squeaked out, the others backpedaling at the sight of the knight. "What are you doing here?"
The pegasi was panting heavily, sweat pouring down his face before doing a quick bow, "My apologies your majesty, I...I hope I didn't interrupt anything."
Twilight and Flash shared a glance before she turned back to the knight, shaking her head, "You don't have to bow Skybreaker. Just tell us why you're here."
"I...well..." he put his hoof to his chest, catching his breath for a second. "Huff...huff...I need...to know...where Iron is."
Flash grimaced at this statement, causing him to blurt out, "He's uh...he's missing."
"Oh no." Skybreaker moaned as he rubbed his face, now getting his breathing under control. "I'm too late."
Twilight then moved in front of Flash, "Skybreaker, what's going on?"
"Something bad." Skybreaker then stood up before gesturing them to follow, "Its a long story, and I'll gladly tell it to you. However, we need to go find Iron now. If we don't..." the knight grimaced at his own next words, "I fear he may do something he will forever regret."
Meanwhile...
Iron was now slumping into a train seat, steam blasting out of his nostrils. After packing his things and getting hold of another newspaper, he was now scanning the page over inside in a lone train carriage. He was now looking at the other wanted posters, now seeing that three other familiar criminals had also escaped. "Big Score...Rickashay….Boulder." He muttered to himself as he looked below their pictures, "Last location: unknown. Tch…well, it doesn't matter. All I need to find is Longhorn."
One carriage over, Fluttershy was trying everything she could to not shiver in her seat. She was now hiding behind her own newspaper, her eyes glancing at the defender every few minutes. "Iron..." she whispered as she watched his angry expression. Worry filled her mind as she noticed that since he hadn't gotten on the train, he hadn't smiled once.
She then let out a yawn, quickly patting the sides of her face, "No, no! Stay awake Fluttershy! You need to...to..." she slumped back with a big frown, her eyes slowly closing as the soothing rhythm of the train tried to seduce her to sleep.
Thankfully, the overhead speaker started to speak up. "Next stop, Dodge Junction. Repeat, next stop is Dodge Junction." Fluttershy looked up from her cover and saw Iron put his paper away, grabbing his gear next. Blinking at this, she hopped off her seat, now seeing that Iron was about to leave the train, signalling her own stop as well. With this in mind, she slowly exited the locomotive, staring at the defender as she tried to keep her distance.
But as she did this, she blinked in surprise as Iron grabbed a worker at the train station, "Hey you! Have you seen this guy?!" he pushed a paper into the pony's face, "Well?! Have you?!" The pony did a slight gulp before shaking his head, making Iron growl before showing him several more slips. "What about any of these guys?" The pony whimpered at this, causing Iron to yell, "Come on! Stop wasting my time and tell me! You see'em or not?!"
The pony just shook his head rapidly, causing Iron to let out a long moan, "Useless." Iron then shoved him to the side, causing the pony to hit the ground with a thud.
As she watched him stomp off, Fluttershy hurried over to the pony and helped him up. "I'm so sorry. My friend's...I'm not actually sure what's wrong with him."
"Whatever..." the pony grumbled as he swatted her hoof away, turning around to walk away.
"Wait!" Fluttershy exclaimed as she trotted up to his side, "Can you tell me what he was showing you? Please?"
The pony growled at him, only to roll his eyes as he said, "It was a bunch of pictures, or wanted posters. The first one was a bull, while the others were a bunch of ponies I've never seen before."
"Wanted posters? A bull?" Fluttershy rubbed her chin in thought at the new information, not noticing that the pony had already walked away. "But why would Iron..." a few clicks went off in her head, now remembering when Iron told her the story of his parents, how they had stood up to an outlaw and ended up paying the price. "Don't tell me that the wanted poster was Longhorn?! But if that's the case...he must be a bull. And...oh no." a loud gulp escaped her breath. "He must have escaped prison."
Flaring her wings, the shy pegasi took to the air, now flying over the dusty little town. As she flapped her wings, she stared down at the village, soon spotting Iron, who was now pinning another pony to a wall.
"I'm telling you," she heard the pony say. "I've never seen that pony before."
"Well look harder!" Iron almost yelled, causing the pony to try to shake through the building. "Now, have you seen him?! HUH?!"
"I...I...I might have, I don't know." she whimpered, tears almost about to appear in her eyes.
"Well THINK!" Iron huffed, pushing the paper into her face, "Tell me now!"
"Iron! Stop that right now!"
Iron blinked at the voice, his ears twitching as he slowly turned his head. His eyes went wide, now seeing Fluttershy land beside him with crossed hooves. The defender then rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't hallucinating. And as he did this, the other pony squeezed herself under Iron's gaze, quickly running off as Iron let out a long moan at Fluttershy, "What are you doing here?!"
"What am I doing here?! What are you doing here?!" Fluttershy asked sternly, walking up and tapping his chest with her hoof. "You just left Ponyville without telling anypony, and now you're scaring these ponies!"
"I don't care. I'm-"
"Looking for Longhorn, aren't you?!" she interrupted, allowing her to see Iron's eyes go wide before returning to a glare.
"That's none of your business."
Fluttershy gave him her own glare. "You're my friend, so that makes it my business." Iron just rolled his eyes at this, soon walking past her, which made Fluttershy start to follow him, "Where are you going?!"
"We're going to the train station, where I'm gonna put you on the next train to anywhere but here."
Fluttershy came to a stop, crossing her hooves again. "What?! No!"
Iron spun around with an anger-filled glare, trying to be as intimidating as possible. "This isn't up for debate squirt. You shouldn't be here."
Fluttershy quivered at the glare, but as she stared at him, a long deep breath followed as she felt a deep down courage appear within her, "I said...no, Iron. I'm not leaving you so you go on some revenge mission. You need me-"
"To be somewhere safe. You're getting on that train."
"No! I'm staying here, and-"
"Fluttershy, I'm not gonna argue with you! You are-"
"NO! I'm staying here Iron!"
It was here that Iron and Fluttershy just stared at each other, neither side giving an inch. They probably would have done this all day, if not for a voice calling out to them. "Well I'll be a beaver in a berry bush, is that you Fluttershy?" They both turned to see an earth pony mare walking up to them. "How yah been?"
"Oh my," Fluttershy gasped as she put a hoof over her mouth, "Hello Miss Jubilee."
"Howdy," she then glanced at Iron, "and who's your strong looking friend?"
"Oh, this is Iron Core. He's an apprentice knight."
"Apprentice knight?" She gave the stallion a look over before showing her hoof, "Glad to meet yah. I could actually use a knight like you right now."
Iron grunted as he spun around, "No thanks. Got more important things to do."
"Iron!" Fluttershy scolded, only to turn to Jubilee with a glum frown, "I'm sorry about him. He's...not having a good day. Anyways, what's wrong Miss Jubilee?"
"I've been suffering a few break-ins up at the ranch. Every day and night, different parts of the place are being broken into and messed up. I'd walk into a place and find everything on the floor. That or things broken. Don't know why, since nothing seems to be taken."
Iron blinked at this, spinning around again, "Find anything else unusual?"
Jubilee rubbed her chin in thought, "Hmmm...I'm not sure. There was just a bunch of hoofprints in the barn, though one looked like it didn't come from a pony."
That really got Iron's attention, making him trot up and get a little too close for comfort. "Would you say it looked more like a minotaur's hoof? Or...a bull?" He watched as Jubilee thought about the question, the seconds ticking by while his patience grew thin. "Well?!"
"Iron! That's enough!" Fluttershy scolded as she pushed him away, giving Jubilee another frown, "Sorry about him."
"Oh, screw it!" He pushed her away and started trotting off, "I'll check it out myself!"
Fluttershy and Jubilee shared a glance, Jubilee commenting, "Your friend seems a little...tense."
"He's under a lot of stress."
"You think he knows he's going the wrong way?"
"No...I don't think he does." Fluttershy said with a sigh, soon flying up to him before the three made their way to Jubilee's cherry farm.
Back in Ponyville, Skybreaker had finished telling Iron's story while they followed Springer. They had gone to Fluttershy's house, the jakhowl managing to pick up a faint aura signature that they were currently following as Skybreaker said, "When I learned about Longhorn's escape, I came here as quickly as I could. But...it seems I was too late to stop Iron."
"I can't believe Iron went through that," Twilight commented while rubbing her chin in thought. "I knew something must have happened since he never talked about his parents, but...to think it was something like that."
"Now we know why he wasn't so social when we first met him," Rarity added as she shook her head. "The poor dear."
"Ah know how he feels," Applejack said next. "Ah remember the day ah lost mah parents, but their death was an accident. Ah'd hate to think about how much worse it would feel if something like that happened."
Skybreaker nodded with a frown. "In some ways, all Royal Knights have a dark past they have to overcome. Iron has never truly managed to get over what happened to his parents, which has made him unable to reach his full strength."
"What are you talking about?" Rainbow asked as she floated over the knight, "Iron's one of the strongest ponies I've ever met."
"Yeah!" Pinkie added as she hopped to Skybreaker's side, "You ever try to pick up his Celestic Gear? That thing ways a ton!"
Twilight rolled her eyes at this. "I don't think he means physical strength."
Skybreaker nodded as they came to stop, now seeing Springer staring at the train station. Flash let out a long sigh, "Let me guess, the trail ends here?"
Springer gave him a frown and a nod, "Yeah, sorry. It goes down the tracks and fades away."
"That's not good. What do we do now?"
Skybreaker shook his head, "Longhorn was last seen near Dodge Junction. Iron's probably headed there to try and pick up his trail."
"And Fluttershy's probably following him," Flash finished. "If they run into this monster, they'll be in serious trouble."
"So what do we do?" Spike asked next.
Applejack tipped her hat with a smirk, "Ah'll tell yah what we do. We're gonna head to Dodge Junction and back 'em up. This Longhorn fella ain't gonna hurt our friends. Ya'll with me?"
"YEAH!"
It was in that moment that the sound of an approaching train caught their attention, making them smile at the perfect timing. That is, till Skybreaker walked in front of them. "My apologies, but its probably better if only Flash, Springer and I go. Iron is my apprentice, so he's my responsibility. Besides, catching this criminal is a matter for the Royal Knights."
The others all frowned while Twilight gestured to the knight, "Hold on there. Iron might be your apprentice Skybreaker, but he's also our friend. Even if it puts us in danger, we can't just sit back and wait to hear if he's alright." The others all nodded at this. "Besides, as a Princess of Equestria, I too have a responsibility to make sure this criminal is brought to justice, and there's no ponies I'd rather have be by my side than these ones." The group all struck a ready for battle pose, though Pinkie's looked more like she was taking a selfie, showing Skybreaker just how serious they were about this situation.
The Knight of the Wind stared at them as the train pulled up, a grin eventually appearing on his face. "Iron's made himself some pretty good friends. Alright...since I can't say no to a princess, you can all come. But remember, these are dangerous criminals we're facing. They won't hesitate to do whatever it takes, as long as they think it'll help them escape."
"It won't be the first time we've faced stuff like that," Flash assured him.
The others nodded as Pinkie spoke up. "After a super powered alicorn, psychopathic chaos lord, shapeshifting insects, mad shadow ponies and out of control weeds, this Longhorn guy's gonna be a cake walk."
Skkybreaker laughed at her statement, the group soon boarding the locomotive. As they did this, Flash assured Skybreaker that Lightning would be able to take care of the town in their absence. And as they took their seats, Springer turned to Skybreaker. "You said Iron wasn't able to reach his full strength. What did you mean by that?"
Skybreaker sighed as he looked out the window, memories of when Iron first became his apprentice flooding through his brain. "I think Iron partially blames himself for what happened to his parents. He thinks they died because he wasn't strong enough to save them, even though he was only a colt. That's why he works so hard to become strong, not realizing his obsession was holding him back."
The Past...
Skybreaker and Iron were in a desert, both wielding wooden spears with foam heads. It had been a year since Skybreaker had taken the young colt under his metal wing, training him in the ways of the Royal Knight. But as this happened, Skybreaker gestured to the colt, "Now remember, don't just swing your attacks wildly. Focus on what you want each of your attacks to accomplish. Only then will you be able to hold your own in a proper fight."
"Whatever," Iron mumbled as he charged ahead, "Raaaaahhhhh!" Skybreaker sighed at the sight, easily blocking Iron as he swung his spear down. The foam bounced off the wood with ease, making Iron stagger back. "Ah!" The colt yelped as he tried to hit his teacher again, only for another block to happen. This happened over and over, Skybreaker not even moving as he easily deflected every move. And with each attack, Iron showed more frustration on his face, eventually causing him to blindly charge the knight. "Raaahhh!"
The pegasus just sighed again, instantly sidestepping while pointing the head of his weapon at the ground. Iron, missing his swing, got his leg stuck on the spear, making him trip. He fell with a thud, his face eating dirt before skidding to a stop.
Skybreaker turned to his apprentice as the colt picked himself up, spitting out the sand that had gotten into his mouth. "You lost focus again, which made you lose this fight as well. Strength alone is useless without control, and control requires focus Iron." He started to trot away, "We're done for today. Look over this lesson and think about what you could have done better."
As the pegasus turned his back on the colt, Iron picked up the spear with a huff. He wiped his face of the sand as he growled, "We're not done yet." He galloped with a mighty battle cry, closing the gap between them within seconds. But when he was only a few inches away, Skybreaker spun like a top, easily knocking the colt's weapon from his grasp. Skybreaker then thrust the spear upwards, uppercutting the colt's chin. The blow knocked the colt back, only to spin around and smash the spearhead into the pony's chest. "AAAHHH!" He cried as he flew back, soon landing with a mighty thud.
"I SAID, THAT'S ENOUGH!" He yelled as the colt let out a moan, causing the knight to shake his head. "Iron...you need to understand control. If you're constantly angry, you can't focus. Letting your anger control you, guide you...it will only lead to your defeat."
"So what?!" Iron picked himself back up. "What, I'm supposed to just not be angry?!"
Skybreaker sighed, shaking his head again, "No. Anger can be a powerful tool, but only when you learn to control it. Right now, its controlling you." He then placed a hoof on the colt's shoulder. "Iron...I know you have greatness inside of you. Heck, there's enough in there to probably make you one of the best knights there ever was. But you'll never unlock that greatness until you learn to let go of the hatred that fuels you."
"Hatred...that fuels me?"
"The reason you joined me in the first place. Your hatred for Longhorn."
Skybreaker watched as Iron's face filled itself with fury, fire burning in his eyes as he yelled, "I'll never forgive that monster!"
"I'm not asking you to. But you have to let go of your hatred."
"Never..." Iron swatted Skybreaker's hoof away and began to walk off, "I'll hate him until the day I die. I'll grow stronger with that hatred, and use it to make those who use their strength for evil pay."
The Present...
"Over the years, Iron got a lot stronger physically. Unfortunately, that meant nothing in terms of his mental strength." A long sigh followed this, "Iron...he's still just like a colt. I could never stop him from solely focusing on building his physical strength, believing that was the only way to be strong. Because of that, he's never been able to achieve his true potential. That potential...it would allow him to become one of the strongest Royal Knights that there's ever been."
Nopony spoke as they listened to Skybreaker's story. As they continued to listen, they all remembered how Iron was when they first met him at the Grand Galloping Gala. He had cared for nothing but brute force, even if it was clear that wasn't the way to win.
It was here that Skybreaker showed a small smile, "But then...things began to change. During our mission against Doom, I noticed a change in Iron. He still acted gruff, but his barriers had come down a little. It seemed like he was finally letting go of his hatred." Skybreaker turned to them with an increasing grin, "And I think that's because I had him live in Ponyville, with all of you. I could tell there was a change in him after that, especially with this Fluttershy mare. He's talked about her a lot in his letters." The group all gave each other knowing glances at this, only to frown at Skybreaker's next words, "Despite this, my only hope is that Longhorn's escape won't make him forget the pony he is now."
"We should all hope that's not the case Skybreaker," Twilight added. "And even if he does, we'll help you get him back."
Back in Dodge Junction, Iron and the mares were up on Jubilee's barn roof. The defender was currently looking through a pair of binoculars, a snarl escaping his breath. "Where are you?!"
A few feet away, Fluttershy and Jubilee were watching Iron, both with glum frowns on their faces. The earth pony then turned to the pegasi, "I gotta say, your friend sure is...driven. I'm guessing whoever he thinks is breaking in did something to him."
Fluttershy did a slow nod, "Yes. That's why I'm afraid...and why I'm staying by his side."
"I see. You care for him, don't yah?"
A red tint flushed itself on Fluttershy's face, "Yes, I do."
Jubilee giggled at this before asking, "I see...if you don't me asking though, what did this...burglar, do to him?"
"Um..." Fluttershy muttered as she twiddled her hooves, "I'll uh...give you the short version."
She then whispered into the cherry farmer's ear, Jubilee's eyes soon going wide. "Oh my...how awful."
Fluttershy nodded again. "His hatred of Longhorn is making him care about nothing else. I'm worried he might push himself too far and hurt himself."
Jubilee let out a low hum. "Hatred has a way of blinding us, but very few have it within them to let the hatred go."
Iron, whose highly tuned ears allowed him to hear their whispers, frowned. He grumbled at their statements, whispering to himself, "They'll never understand. They'll never get it....that monster. I should've finished him years ago."
The Past...
A young Iron panted as he stood atop a tied up Longhorn's chest, Skybreaker's Cloudhacker in hoof as it was pointed at the bull's neck.
Longhorn just chuckled at the colt. "Go on, do it. You hate me, right? I told you kid, it was just business. Your folks refused, so they paid the price." Iron shook like a leaf as he struggled to lift the axe above his head. "What's the matter, weapon a little too heavy? You can lift it weakling, you just have to put a little hatred in ya. That's how I became as strong kid, I hate everything and everypony around me. Well, just the ones that won't cooperate with me, like these stupid knights or your parents."
"You...you..." Iron quivered out as tears poured down his face, his hooves now gripping the axe as it started to leave the floor, "I...I hate you! I hate you so much! I'll make you feel the pain you did to me!"
"Then do it," Longhorn whispered with a low hiss, only to gesture his head with a smirk. "I'll even make it easier on you. Oh Royal Knight?" Skybreaker, who had been watching with the rest of Longhorn's gang with baited breath, frowned at being called out. "Whatever happens, don't let this little guy get in trouble." Longhorn turned back to Iron. "There, no consequences now. Do it kid. Perform true business, just like I did." Iron lifted the axe higher, "Do it...DO IT!"
"AAAHHHH!" Iron swung the axe downwards, Longhorn not even flinching as it came closer. But instead of splitting his head opened like a grapefruit, the blade smashed into the floor beside him. A series of pants followed as Iron slumped over, tears still flowing down his face, "I...I can't."
Longhorn guffawed as he sat himself up, "AHAHAHAHA!!! I knew you couldn't do it, you stupid kid! You're weak, just like your parents!" It was here that Skybreaker walked over and began to drag the bull away, Longhorn still laughing, "Do yourself a favor and get stronger kid, or else you'll never be able to stop me for good when I get out. And I promise you, I will get out. After all, your parents and these blasted knights did this to me!" One final laugh echoed the room as Longhorn stared daggers at the young colt, "And I will finish the job. Count on it!"
The Present...
"I won't fail." Iron whispered to himself as the binoculars in his hooves shook, "This time...this time I'll do what must be done."
It was here that his ears spiked up again, causing him to turn and something by Jubilee's house. The farmer then stepped up to him, "If they're breaking into my house, you should be stopping them."
"If it's more than just this one guy, then stopping him here won't solve the problem. But letting him go back to his friends, that'll let me solve the problem." Iron replied as he followed the movement outside of the house, his eyes now seeing a pegasus he recognized come into view. "Rickashay."
The silver pegasus with a yellow mane and tail that worked for Big Score was about to take flight, the pony now carrying something. "Looks like he found what he was looking for," Iron commented as he grabbed Piecemaker and leapt off the roof. Performing a landing roll, he went into a sprint as soon as he hit the dirt.
"Iron?!" Fluttershy gasped, also now walking to the edge of the barn's roof.
"Stay where you are!" Iron yelled as he began his pursuit into the Jubliee's cherry trees as Rickashay started flying through them. As he ran through the wood, he was barely able to keep the pony in his line of sight. But as they reached the edge of the orchid, Iron slowed down as he started hiding behind rocks, making sure not to be seen by the thief. And as he continued to tip-hoof through the desert, he watched Rickashay slow down as he flew behind several boulders.
Following close behind, Iron soon spotted a small gap that would allow him to see into a circle of rocks. There, his vision landed on the forms of Big Score and Boulder. He watched as Rickashay held out whatever it was he just stole from Jubilee, which turned out to be a rolled up piece of paper. "I got it boss."
Score smiled as he took the paper in his magic, unfurling it with a smirk, "Finally! I was beginning to worry that the tip he got was wrong. But here it is, just like they said."
"Sorry it took so long, the blasted thing took forever to find. The broad had it locked in a safe, but there was nothing else in there."
Score nodded as he rolled the scroll back up. "That figures. Welp, we have what we came for, so let's meet up with Longhorn and get our prize."
That was all Iron needed to hear. He leapt out from behind the rocks, pointing his Celestic Gear at the three. "Alright, you three are coming with me!"
The outlaws turned to him in surprise, instantly recognizing him as they got into a battle position. "Well well well, if it isn't Flash Sentry's underling."
Iron let out a low hiss. "I'm nopony's underling. I'm giving you three one chance. Surrender peacefully and tell me where Longhorn is, or try to fight and end up with a lot of broken bones."
Score just laughed at this. "So, you're after Longhorn, huh? Shooting a little above your pay grade, aren't you? Either way, I won't be telling you squat. He and I have a good business deal, and giving him up would be very bad for business."
"Its always business." Iron grumbled as he spun the weapon in his hoof, "Fine! But don't say I didn't warn you! RRRAAAAAHHHH!" He roared as he charged, his weapon at full swing. But as he did this, Rickashay lifted Score into the air while Boulder leapt back, barely missing the blade as he hopped over to the circle's entrance.
"Well, its been fun," Score's horn glowed as he watched Boulder jump out of the formation. "But we're busy ponies, so I'm afraid we have to cut this reunion short." A magical blast then hit the ledge where the higher rocks were, knocking it loose with ease. Seeing this, Iron turned to find that the whole formation was about to collapse in on itself. And as he tried to escape the sudden avalanche, the criminals all laughed as a pile of boulders fell on top of the defender.
Meanwhile...
Back in the town, the train from Ponyville pulled into the station. As soon as the doors opened, two blurs that were blue and orange flew out of the carriage. They came to a stop to reveal themselves to be Rainbow and Flash, Springer on Flash's back as he was already in aura scan mode.
"I hope Iron and Fluttershy didn't leave town already," Rainbow said with a slight gulp.
"I'm sure we'll find them," Flash turned back to his partner. "Got anything?"
Springer continued to pulse his aura, only to shake his head. "Not sure. If they were here, they didn't stay long enough to leave a...wait!" the jakhowl then pointed to one of the buildings. "Over there! Take me there!"
"You got it." Flash fluttered over, landing as the group followed him. And as Springer touched the dirt, he placed his paw on the ground. Seeing this, Flash asked, "Got something?"
"I think so..." the jakhowl let out a long, deep breath. "Hmm...they were here...and they weren't happy about something."
"Both of them?" Twilight asked, Springer nodding in response.
Rarity bit her hoof at this, "Iron I can understand, he's not the happiest pony. But Fluttershy?"
"You think Fluttershy was trying to stop Iron, but he wasn't listening?" Pinkie added.
"That sounds about right Pinkie." Applejack finished with a glum frown, "And she's the only mare we know that can usually stop him."
Skybreaker looked down at Springer. "Can you find out where they were heading?"
"Gimme a sec." Springer did another deep breath, his senses now picking up every aura possible. And as he mixed through the crowd of life force, he glimpsed the trail he was looking for. "Got it. Follow me."
"You got it buddy." Flash added as they followed the jakhowl, soon running down a series of streets.
And as they made their way, all but Skybreaker started to notice something as Applejack commented, "This path leads ta Miss Jubilee's Ranch."
"Oh no!" Pinkie moaned, "I hope the cherries are alright. If Longhorn's there and squishing them all, where am I gonna get my supply to make Cherrychangas?!"
"I'm a little more concerned for our friends Pinkie," Flash told her with a small tail smack, the other rolling their eyes as Flash looked back at the road ahead, "Iron, you better not have gotten in over your head."
"You shouldn't have gotten in over your head," Score guffawed as the three laughed at the sight of the rock pile they'd buried Iron under. "Alright boys, time to-"
SMASH!
"What the heck?!"
"RRRAAUUUGGHHHHH!" Iron roared as he leapt out of the pile, landing with a series of pants as he held the hammer-headed Piecemaker between his teeth. "I'm done playing with you idiots."
"Uh-oh." Boulder gulped as he saw a drip of blood go down Iron's face. "Uh, boss?"
"Get him you morons!" Score yelled as he fired a magic beam, only for Iron to swipe his weapon, deflecting it right back into Score's horn. "Augh!"
As Score fell back from the sudden blow, Boulder charged at the defender. But as the earth pony tried to slam him like a rhino, Iron spun his weapon as it turned into a complete hammer.
BONG!
"Blaugh!" Boulder yelped as the hammer smacked his face, knocking him back with ease. Seeing this, Rickashay shot up into the air, spinning like a top as he charged at Iron like a rocket.
"IRON LANCE FURY!" The hammer morphed into a javelin head, which fired a flurry of metallic projectiles at the pegasus.
"Whoa!" Rickashay stopped his rush at the sudden bullets, causing him to try to fly back from the barrage. But as he did this, one hit his wing, causing him to cry out as he fell to the ground with a thud.
Iron then turned to his last opponent, Score almost gulping at how easily his lackeys had been taken down. That is, till he remembered the last time he had fought Iron. As the earth pony charged, Score's horn shined as it summoned a long magical chain which wrapped around Piecemaker. With this, he easily pulled the weapon from Iron's grasp, causing Score to laugh.
"HA! Not so tough without your-AUGH!" He wheezed, Iron now thrusting his hoof into his chest, only to spin around and wrap his tail around Score's neck. Before the unicorn could react, the tail flung his face into the dirt. The criminal let out a cry, moaning in pain as he tried to turn over and get up, only to open his eyes to find a sword inches away from his face. "Err...."
Iron let out a long deep breath, his eyes bloodshot with anger. "One last chance. Where...is...Longhorn?!"
Score just shook his head despite the blade now dangerously close to his neck. "Sorry, not talking."
"Then you're done." Iron growled as he pulled the blade back, only to thrust it towards Score's heart. But as the blade was about to cut flesh-
"IRON!" screamed a voice, causing the sword to stop inches away from the unicorn. Iron then turned to the source, now seeing Fluttershy standing beside a large rock.
Iron shook his head at this, a powerful snort escaping his nostrils. "I told you to stay back at the ranch."
Fluttershy glared at the earth pony, no fear in her eyes, "And if I had, you would have gone too far. What would Skybreaker, Celestia, our friends, or...your parents think if they saw you right now?! Do you not see what you were about to do?!"
Iron didn't reply, just looking away as he glared at the criminals. "It doesn't matter. As long as I can stop Longhorn, I have to-"
But before he could say another word, he felt something grab him around his sides. He wanted to resist, but his reflexes wouldn't allow it. Turning, he saw Fluttershy hugging him, tears leaving her eyes as she let out several weak sobs. "Please, stop this. Don't do it Iron. Go back to how you were before, the caring pony who helped ponies. The pony I...I-" her voice began to stutter, now becoming lost in her sobs.
Iron felt his heart crack at the sound of her crying, the sight making him shiver. He looked back at the dazed trio, he knew he could easily just put them into custody and go back to Ponyville. But as he glanced at Fluttershy again, he could feel his breathing going more off balance. "Fluttershy, I-"
Thump!
A sound vibrated the ground, instantly getting the defender's attention. He turned to see a cloud of dust walking up to them. And as the fog started to get closer, Iron glared at Fluttershy and pointed at a rock, "Go hide."
"But Iron-"
"NOW!" Fluttershy flinched before doing as she was told, Iron now reading his weapon as he stared at the dust cloud.
And as it got closer, it slowed down before coming to a complete stop between Iron and the crime trio. The fog began to fade, revealing a bulky figure standing at around seven feet in height. It was the same bull that Iron saw in the paper, though it's beard had been trimmed down to a more manageable level, along with a black hat now adorning the bull's head. Iron growled at the sight, his weapon now shaking as he gripped it with all his might. "Longhorn..."
Longhorn's head tilted at the sight of the defender, humming before glancing at Score, "Having a little trouble, I see."
Score chuckled as he picked himself up. "No trouble now that you're here. It seems an old friend of yours was looking for you."
"Really? Do we know each other?" Longhorn asked as he turned back to Iron, rubbing his chin before his eyes went wide. "Ah! I see...it is you. You've certainly grown."
If looks could kill, Longhorn would be a pile of ash. "So, you remember me?"
"How could I forget? You're the colt of those two idiots that got me caught." Longhorn replied before a huge malicious grin shined on his face. "Tell me, have you gotten stronger?"
Iron hissed while changing Piecemaker into a sword. "You're about to find out!" He charged with the blade, the bull dodging the first two swings before throwing a punch at Iron. The apprentice knight then held up his staff to defend, the fist bouncing off of it as he slid back several inches.
"Iron Spike Assault!" He thrusted Piecemaker into the ground and unleashed a wave of metal spikes, all of them blasting out of the ground around Longhorn, forming into a cage.
"Pathetic!" The bull grabbed one of the metal shards and bent it with ease. With this, he made an opening and hopped out of the cage. "That all you got?"
"Fat chance, you monster! Iron Hammer!" Iron yelled as he swung the weapon, only for Longhorn to hold up the shard in defense. The hammer hit the shard, shattering it as Longhorn spun around, kicking Iron in the chest. "Bluagh!" Iron yelped as he skid over the dirt.
"Iron!" Fluttershy screamed as she saw him fly back, only to see the defender hop back onto his hooves. "Be careful!"
"Don't bother telling him that." Longhorn barked as he lifted his hooves up, "Let me show you what true power is!" He slammed his hooves into the ground, a mini-earthquake happening from the blow. And as it did this, Iron's hooves lost their balance, causing the bull to turn and grab a nearby boulder. He then hoisted it above his head before tossing it, the defender holding up his Celestic Gear in response.
"Iron Guard Shield!" A defensive shield appeared between Iron and the rock, the rubble shattering a second later. Barely a second after that, Iron retracted his shield and glared at Longhorn. "I'm not done yet."
"Oh please. And here I'd hoped you'd gotten at least a little strong in all these years. I told you how to get strong, but you obviously weren't listening." He then cricked his hooves as a huge grin shined on his face, "You just need a little bit of hatred, let that anger in ya. Only then will your true strength appear."
Fluttershy looked out from the rock and saw Iron's breathing become ragged. "Don't listen to him," she barely whispered.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're so weak. After all, look at the weaklings you had for parents." Longhorn scoffed, Iron's breath now becoming even more frantic as the bull continued, "I mean, they barely put up a fight. When I threw your father into that wall and punched his face in, or kicked your mother through that table...tch, those two were so weak. They were just...pathetic!"
"SHUT UP!" Iron screamed as he charged with his hammer, slamming it into the bull, making him stagger back. But as he did this, Iron continued to scream bloody murder as he kept swinging at Longhorn again and again. "RRRAAAHHH!" With one final hit to the stomach, Longhorn was thrown into the rock Fluttershy was hiding behind.
"Augh!" The bull clutched his chest in pain as looked up at Iron, whose hammer was now a sword. "Not bad kid....not bad at all." He then put his hoof in his beard, chuckling as he pulled something out.
"This...ends...NOW!" Iron yelled as he ran at full fury, ready to impale Longhorn. But as he did this, Longhorn held up something above his mouth before crushing it, causing some kind of liquid to fall out of his hoof into his mouth. And as soon as he swallowed, his eyes shot open while his pupils went small. As this happened, time seemed to slow down, Iron about to stab him, only for the bull to suddenly disappear. "What the heck?!" Iron yelped as time returned to normal, his blade cutting into the rock as he came to a stop. "What just-"
"Surprise!" Iron spun around to see Longhorn's hoof smash into his face, sending him flying as Piecemaker fell off the rock. He then skidded, rolling down on the ground before getting back onto his hooves. But as he recovered, he looked up to see Longhorn stampeding on all fours.
"How did he-" Iron tried to say as he braced himself for the attack. And as Longhorn rammed into him, Iron thrusted his front hooves onto Longhorn's horns, gripping them as he was pushed back. Longhorn snorted as he swung his head upward, instantly flinging Iron into the air. "Ahhhh!!!" he yelled before hitting the ground with a thud. "Urgh...that's not good." He then looked back up, now seeing Longhorn charging again.
"Iron!" Fluttershy screamed as she tried to pick up Piecemaker. "Over here!" she cried as she pulled with all her might, her hooves suddenly flinging the weapon off the ground. The earth pony quickly reacted, snagging it with ease before turning it into a spear.
"Take this!" He thrusted it at the bull, hoping Longhorn would charge right in. But to his horror, Longhorn suddenly slowed himself, sidestepping before grabbing the end of the spear. Iron gasped at the sight, only to go wide-eyed at the sound of metal compressing, distracting him enough to allow Longhorn to pull it from his grasp.
"Goodbye," Longhorn backhoofed the earth pony in the face, a cry of pain following as Iron was sent careening along the ground. He bounced off it several times until finally crashing into a rock, actually causing it to crack as he slumped down.
"IRON!" Fluttershy screamed as she flew over to him, gasping as she saw blood flow down his face. "Iron, are you okay?! Iron!"
At the same time, Longhorn let out a long series of pants, falling to all fours as he moaned, "Damn, out of time already. That was barely over a minute...eh, it doesn't matter. I'll soon have a much more powerful source." He turned to Score and his flunkies, who had recovered enough to pick themselves up. "Do you have it?"
"Yes. I got it right here." Score showed the scroll, causing Longhorn to shine a huge grin.
"Nice. Then we're done here," Longhorn then turned back to the two ponies before smirking. "Actually...on second thought, maybe we should have a plan B just in case."
"Don't worry Iron," Fluttershy told Iron as she tried to wipe away the blood. "I'll...I'll get you somewhere safe." But as she tried to do this, her heart suddenly stopped when she found herself in a shadow. A long gulp followed as she slowly turned around, now seeing Longhorn staring down at her.
"Hello there. You seem to care about him a lot," he reached down and gripped the mare by her mane.
"Aaahhh!" Fluttershy screamed as he lifted her off the ground.
Iron heard her outcry and opened his eyes, a wheeze coming out of his mouth, "No....stop!"
Longhorn laughed before kicking Iron in the stomach, making him yelp as he collapsed again. "I told you before kid, you can't beat me until you give into the hatred. That's the main part of the business!" Fluttershy screamed again as he forcefully yanked her hair. "Then again, maybe you just need another reason to hate me."
"No! Don't do it Iron!" Fluttershy yelled as she grabbed the bull's hoof, "Don't listen to-mmph!" A hoof now covered her mouth, lifting her with just that before another hoof hit her stomach. "Aaah!"
"Be quiet. He lost, so you need to shut up."
With that, he dragged Fluttershy away, her screams no longer coming out of her. Iron saw the fear in her eyes, a few cries and whimpers entering his ears as he watched the soon blurring image of them getting further away. And as he watched this, he tried everything he could to pick himself up, but his body refused to move.
"No...no..." he whispered as time faded in his mind. He couldn't tell how long he laid there, pain now consuming him as he felt the memories of the flash in his mind. "I can't...I can't..."
But as he sat there, a new voice suddenly caught his attention. "He's over there!"
Seconds later, several figures appeared around him along with new voices he recognized.
"Oh Celestia, look at him."
"He needs help!"
"Lets get him back ta da ranch."
"Flash and I will carry him." As the earth pony felt himself be picked up, he finally let himself succumb to the darkness. And as he blacked out, he let out a single whisper.
"Fluttershy."