The first rays of sunlight peeked over the African Horizon as dawn broke through the night sky, the sun slowly rising over the mountains. It pierced through the trees, casting light on the ground below and casting the shadows away as they retreated back into the darkness and into the trees they forged from. Animals big and small found themselves woken from their slumber, greeting the day as the more nocturnal animals retreated into the shadows.
In a vast field of open plains, a herd of lumbering cape buffalo made their way through the savannas, all looking for a water hole to drink from. They were bunched together, the healthier members of the herd creating an outside barrier for the older and sicker members along with their calves. Cows led the front while the bulls brought up the rear, preventing any nearby carnivores from getting at the members in the center of the herd. Bellows and grunts filled the air , hooves thundering across the earth like drums as dust rose from the ground while they trudged through the open terrain.
At last they came upon a watering hole surrounded by a thick grove of trees and bushes. As they trudged down the slope, the herd fanned out, giving the younger and weaker members room to move around. While the calves frolicked and played and the elder buffalo caught their breaths, the younger ones kept a lookout for danger. They eventually joined the rest of the herd drinking from the pond as well, though they kept their ears pricked for even the slightest thing out of place.
The rustling of bushes caught the attention of a few buffalo nearby, along with the ones that were keeping their guards up. They looked over and saw the leaves and trees being rustled by the wind. This spooked a few of the other members that were closer, and they nearly ran off in a panic until they realized it was just the wind. They looked around the area for a few moments more, as if expecting to hear more movement from the vegetation. Before long, they were all back to filling their stomachs with the water they swam in, unaware of the killer lurking within the foliage.
The buffalo had nearly finished their drinking, when a roar suddenly exploded across the watering hole. It was so loud and deafening that it nearly knocked the buffalo off their feet and nearly lost their footing. They immediately began to panic and bellow, as if they suddenly had the claws of a lion digging into their hides. As they tried to reassemble, a black and orange blur burst out through the trees, making a beeline straight for the water. Despite the speed, the creature moved, the buffalo could still make out that it was a tiger.
A very large, very powerful, and very hungry, male tiger.
And he was out for blood.
Buffalo blood.
The tiger let out another ear-shattering roar, his massive paws kicking up dust as they propelled the cat through the grove. Those paws shot out as he leaped through the air and dove into the water, sending waves sailing through the air like birds scared out of a tree. The buffalo watched as the striped feline tore across the water, his body heaving up and down as if he was running on the water instead of swimming in it. As he closed the distance, they scattered, wanting to get away from the powerful cat. One, however, was not quick enough.
A buffalo calf had just managed to get back up the slope to exit out of the waterhole when she felt eight hundred and eighty pounds of teeth and claws slam into her from behind. She bellowed in pain as the tiger grabbed onto her, his claws sinking into her flesh as he pulled her back down the slope and back where the waterhole was. The cow tumbled across the ground but quickly got to her feet, ignoring the blood flowing down her backside and staining it and her legs a darker black. She pawed at the ground as she glared at the tiger, who glared right back at her with a hungry gleam in his orange eyes as they burned like two twin suns.
Snorting, the buffalo cow charged the tiger, intending on sinking her horns right through his neck. The tiger snarled and dodged the blow and lunged at the cow again, only to dodge a kick to the face. He backed up as the cow turned to face him, and jumped away as she drove her head forward, intending on head-butting him. The base of her horns met the dirt, and the cow took a moment to shake the dust out of her eyes. This left her unaware of the tiger preparing to lunge at her, and by the time she refocused her attention on the fight, it was too late.
The next thing the cow knew, something heavy and powerful landed on her back and sank sharp and deep into her shoulders and her back. She bellowed in agony and anger as she began to ruthlessly buck, kick, and thrash her head, trying to get the tiger off of her before it went for the back of her neck. She eventually managed to succeed but found herself with more wounds coating her ebony fur and skin a deep crimson. As she caught her breath, the cow looked up at the tiger and saw a blur of fur and stripes duck under her.
For a moment, the cow stood shocked, astounded that the tiger had managed to get to her so quickly. Then, she bellowed loudly as the tiger sunk his teeth into her neck. Blood flowed from the punctures, as the tiger’s claws grabbed her. She choked and gagged as the tiger pulled her towards him, bringing her to the ground and onto her back where he held her in place. He lay where he was, keeping himself stiller than a tree as the cow slowly died in his jaws, her blood drenching the ground. Finally, her struggle ceased, the light in her eyes fading into nothing but glossy orbs.
With his prey now dead, the tiger released its grip, blood gushing from the cow’s neck. He rested his head on her stomach, taking deep breaths to recover his hard-spent energy. Once he got himself under control, he looked around the waterhole, searching for any other carnivores. Wasting no time, he grabbed the buffalo by her neck and began dragging her away while leaving a trail of blood, unaware of the two girls currently watching it from inside one of the bushes nearby.
“Is it over?” Rainbow Dash asked warily, crouching on one knee on a massive tree. “Is the tiger finished?”
“Yeah, sugarcube. It’s all over now,” Applejack replied, putting a comforting hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Imust admit that was a pretty brutal display of savagery. I had heard that tigers could be vicious, but… that was something.”
“Applejack, we’re in the wild. Of course we’re gonna see this stuff.” Rainbow Dash murmured, eyeing the scene in front of her intently. “Although, I’m probably gonna hurl. Just look at all that blood.”
“We need to get that carcass asap.” Applejack said firmly, her hand pressed against a tree as she kneeled on the far end of it. “I don’t know how we’re gonna do it, but we need to get it now. If we don’t get somethin’ good in us, we’re gonna starve.”
“You actually wanna try to take that buffalo away from that?!” Rainbow Dash asked, looking at her incredulously. “Applejack, you saw that right? That tiger exploded out of those bushes and ran across that water like it was nothing! It was on that buffalo before it even knew what hit it!!”
“Yes Dash! I know what I saw! I ain’t blind like those Fruit Bats that me an’ mah family have back on our farm!” Applejack snorted, giving a side glare to Rainbow Dash. “That being said, I’m still gonna git that carcass from that tiger if I can help it. It’s been days since we last ate ever thanks to those poachers, and I ain’t gonna go another minute with mah stomach rumblin’ like an angry bull! I’m gettin’ that carcass, an’ if it means I have to’ fight that varmint, then that’s what I’m gonna do!”
Rainbow stared at her with a frown. “Um, doesn’t that seem kind of mean, Applejack? I mean, that tiger was hiding in that grove for a while and it did work pretty hard to get its meal. It wouldn’t be right if we took it from them. Not to mention pretty dangerous.”
“RD, I understand ya not wantin’ t’ let the tiger go hungry, but we can’t afford to think about that right now.” Applejack said with a frown. “We’re in the wild right now! The one place where every day is a possibility that y’all could end up dinner fer some hungry critter lookin’ fer a meal. In here, it’s kill or be killed. The one law all critters here follow, no matter what kind they are. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t’ wanna take that tiger's food away, but we don’t really have a choice at this point. Every day we get weaker and weaker, an’ I am gonna let any of us starve just cause someone else got food before us. Sometimes, ya gotta be mean to get what ya want. And this, is one of those times.”
Rainbow didn’t say anything, averting her eyes from Applejack’s fiery glare. She had to admit, Applejack did make a valid point, even if she didn’t want to admit it out loud. They had been going for quite some time without any proper food since she, Applejack and a few of their other friends were attacked by a group of poachers. That had been five days ago, and it was beginning to take its toll on them in more ways than one. As much as Rainbow didn’t want to rob the tiger of its hard won prize, she knew that starving to death would be just as bad, if not worse.
“Well… alright. I really, really don’t wanna have to have that poor tiger go another day without food, but I guess I’ll have to do it anyway.” Rainbow finally said, her hair curtaining her face as she hung her head. “That doesn’t mean that I’m gonna like it though.”
“None of us like it Rainbow, trust me. But, like I said, sometimes you need to do what it takes to survive in a place like this.” Applejack said, rubbing her back in comfort. “Don’t feel too bad though. That tiger seems like a tough critter, so I’m sure he’ll be okay until his next hunt. Unless there are other people there to ruin it.”
“Yes… you’re right. he’ll have another chance. I just hope that his next one will allow him to eat in peace.” Rainbow Dash nodded, a tiny smile forming on her face. It soon fell away as she looked back at Applejack. “Although, if we’re gonna take the kill, can we at least wait until the tiger is finished eating?”
Applejack raised an eyebrow at her. “Why do ya wanna do that?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Rainbow countered back, gesturing to the tiger. “You saw that look in his eyes, didn’t you? He was desperate for this kill, and he risked nearly getting gored by that buffalo’s horns in the process. It may not look it, but he clearly hadn’t been successful in his last hunts if the way he went after the buffalo was any indication. Don’t you think that it would be a waste of hard work if we didn’t at least let him fill his belly?”
This time, it was Applejack’s turn to be without words. Rainbow Dash was not wrong. She had indeed seen the incredible amount of effort the tiger gave in killing the buffalo. An effort that she had to admit was rather admirable, and something she had never seen before. The more she thought about it, the more she agreed that it would indeed feel wrong to not let the tiger reward itself with its prize. After all, it did risk drowning and getting stampeded by an entire herd of buffalo; let alone being gored by the one it caught. Who wouldn’t reward themselves over something like that? Especially if it was, from what Fluttershy mentioned, the biggest big cat to ever walk the earth.
“Well, when ya put it like that, it would be awfully unfair of that critter didn’t satisfy its hunger… especially after seein’ what we just saw.” Applejack said, rubbing the back of her head. “Alright, we’ll wait for him to fill his belly. But, as soon as he’s done, we’re getting that carcass and gettin’ out of there lickety split, got it? And I don’t wanna hear any ifs, ands, or buts.”
“I gotcha Applejack, don’t worry.” Rainbow nodded, sighing as she leaned back against the tree trunk. “Let’s just hope that nothing goes wrong.”
“Dash, we’re two girls with Equestrian magic, facing off against one tiger.” Applejack pointed out, smiling assuredly at the other girl. “We have the advantage in every way when it comes to goin’ against that thing. I mean come on, what’s the worst that could happen?”
The tearing of meat filled the silent bushes as the tiger ripped into the barrel of the dead cape buffalo. He grunted softly as he sunk his canines into the thick flesh. With each breath the cat took, the scent of blood filled his nose, enticing him to consume more of the meal that he nearly got killed for. The more mouthfuls he took in, the stronger he felt himself become as he continued to devour the dead bovine. It brought him relief like he never felt before. Several days of never-ending hunger, finally at an end.
As much as the tiger wanted to eat the entire beast whole, he knew that was practically impossible. Even a big cat like him had his limits, and the last thing he wanted was to feel like he was going to explode from all the meat. No matter how delicious it was.
With one more gulp, the tiger ceased his feeding, letting his head rest on the dry dirt as he breathed in a deep sigh. He quietly rolled over, letting his full stomach bloat out as he let the buzz of the eaten meal wash within his head. The sound of birds tweeting, and the rushing of wind filled his sensitive ears like the thumping of elephant hooves as he relaxed in the bushes. It was paid no mind by the tiger, and he simply let the sounds resonate with him as he let his body be reenergized.
Eventually, the tiger felt that he was done relaxing, and decided that now would be a good time to get a drink of water. Rolling onto his paws, he made his way out of the bushes and towards the water hole he ran through. He then dipped his head down and let his tongue scoop up the liquid, ignoring the blood that rippled along the water as it was washed from his muzzle. While he looked relaxed, he was on guard for anything that happened to be in the area; ready to jump at anything that tried to get at him. Or worse, his kill.
Halfway through the tiger’s drinking, the rustling of the bushes behind him made him stop mid lap up. The tiger's ears perked as his head whirled around. He paused when he saw some leaves scattered about in the air. It was as if a cheetah had darted past him and vanished before he even saw it coming. Before he could contemplate it more, he heard voices come from within the grove.
“Hurry up Applejack! That tiger is gonna be back here any minute!” A raspy voice cut through the clearing, urgency clear in its feminine tone. “I don’t wanna get mauled and be made lunch for the vultures!”
“I know that Dash! I’m goin’ as fast as I can!” Another voice drawled out with the faintest hint of irritation. “This carcass is as heavier than a pot-bellied pig layin’ in the snow! How was that cat able to drag it so effortlessly!”
“I have no idea, but I don’t think I wanna find out.” The first voice replied. “Let’s just get out of here with this carcass before it’s too late!”
The tiger’s eyes widened at what the voices were saying; mainly the first one. It took a moment for him to process it before it clicked in his mind. Someone had discovered his kill and was trying to take it away from under his nose. He didn’t know who or what it was trying to get a seemingly free meal, but he knew there was no way he would let them get away with it. The tiger had won that meal fair and square, he was not going to let someone take it. No way in Nature’s name.
Snarling, he turned from the waterhole and ran back into the bushes, ignoring the sharp scratches and stabs as he made his way back to his kill. He leaped over a massive tree root and landed right in front of Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the latter of which was dragging the buffalo carcass behind her. The tiger stood in shock for a moment, before snarling at the girls, who froze upon seeing the striped assassin in front of them.
“Oh, consarn it! We’re in trouble now!” Applejack shouted, pupils contracting in fear. “ can’t believe he found us that quickly!”
“Dammit! I thought we’d have more time than that, but I guess not!” Rainbow Dash cursed; her fists clenched. “Go on Applejack! Get away from here! I’ll handle this guy on my own!”
“Are ya sure about that RD?” Applejack asked skeptically. “That critter there is mighty strong and he may tear ya a new one if yer not careful.”
“It’s okay AJ, I’ll be fine. I have my magic to help me out if he tries to get me,” Rainbow Dash insisted, ushering Applejack away from them. “Now go! Quickly! Or else you’re gonna end up on this cat’s list of meals!”
Although she didn’t want to leave her friend behind to face the tiger alone, Applejack knew that each second she stayed meant she was putting herself in just as much danger. With great reluctance, she bounded off into the trees, using her super strength to carry the buffalo carcass with her. In a burst of speed that took Dash by surprise, the tiger went after her, roaring and growling as he did so.
The chase continued until they both reached the waterhole, where Applejack stopped to look behind her. She immediately regretted it when she saw the tiger right behind her, and she went to move off again. Just as he was about to lunge at her, a multi-colored blur ran right in his field of vision, stopping him mid-stride.
“Oh no you don’t. You’re not going anywhere.” Rainbow said, glaring down at the feline as her gem glowed. “If you want to get to her, you’ll have to go through me!”
Faster than the tiger could blink Rainbow proceeded to run circles around him, making her look like a massive rainbow ring. Dust roared and swirled along with her, making it impossible for the tiger to track her as he tried to figure out where she was going to come at. He didn’t have to wait long before he felt something slam into him, forcing him to the ground.
Just as the tiger was shaking the dust from his eyes, he felt something land on his back, and arms wrap around his neck. Thinking quickly, the tiger twisted and swerved his body around, trying to keep the rainbow-haired girl from trying whatever she was attempting to pull off. This did not deter Dash however, and she kept her grip on the tiger, even as he thrashed around to pull her off. Not too far away, Applejack was watching, silently praying that Dash didn’t get herself killed.
All of a sudden, the tiger stopped his struggling, standing on shaky legs as he panted heavily from the endless bull-like bucking. Rainbow, sensing the feline cease its struggles, released her grip slightly, surprised that the cat stopped fighting. Then, without any warning whatsoever, he suddenly took off through the clearing, straight towards a massive tree. Before Dash could do anything, she rammed into the tree, the tiger turning his body to let her take the full force of the impact. This was more than enough to get the girl to release her grip, and she fell to the ground with a thud, groaning with pain.
“Dash!” Applejack shouted, shooting to her feet as she dropped the carcass next to her. “Hold on sugarcube! I’m comin’!”
A loud roar from the tiger made her freeze and she watched in horror as the cat lunged for Rainbow, pinning her to the ground. Rainbow tried with all her might to get out of the tiger’s grasp, but his massive weight and bulging muscles kept her from doing so. All movement from the girl ceased when she felt the tiger's claws unsheathe and press against her neck. Time froze and all movement stopped as both teens and beast stood still, looks of terror and anger on their faces. That is, until something happened that made Rainbow and Applejack nearly faint from shock.
“So… you little brats think that you can just waltz in and steal my kill huh?” the tiger asked, his voice a deep and guttural growl. It was like hearing the low rumbling of an elephant when it was just moments from snapping. “Well sorry to say kiddies, but you picked the wrong cat to get a meal from!”
“What the-?! You can talk?!” Rainbow exclaimed; her eyes wider than those of dinner plates.
“Yes, I can talk.” the tiger replied, his tone not changing in the slightest. "Why? Never seen a wild cat that was able to talk before? Just like you stupid humans?”
Applejack shook her head. “Y-yes...it is.”
“Of course you are. You are just humans after all.” The tiger snorted, pressing his claws even harder against Rainbow’s neck. “You made a big mistake in thinking you could just take my kill and expect me not to do anything. I’m not just some little helpless cub that you can steal from and have to get my mommy to deal with you. Don’t try that stunt with me again. Or else that buffalo isn’t gonna be the only one with a torn throat. Understand?”
“O-okay, hold a second big guy. Let’s just-”
“Understand?!” the tiger all but roared, his claws curling just the tiniest bit into her neck.
“Y-yes, sir!” Rainbow squeaked; her mouth snapping shut like a flip phone getting closed. “I understand! Please don’t kill me!”
“Good.” he snorted, finally satisfied with her answer. With a stomp to her chest, he got off of her, his tail thrashing as he went over to his kill. Applejack’s body hunched as he walked towards her, but he didn’t even spare her a glance as he went over to the carcass. Applejack, thinking she was safe for the time being, decided trying to talk to the feline.
“Hey, um… partner?” Applejack said tentatively, flinching when the tiger shot a glare at her.
“What is it?” came his brisk and terse reply.
“Is… is it alright if I ask ya ‘bout this?” the farm girl went on, trying not to sound too fearful. “Seein’ as you could talk an’ all, maybe y’all can help us out?”
“After what you did just now? No way,” he said, taking the carcass in his jaws and dragging it away from where Applejack had put it. “I don’t talk to anyone who takes my kills when they haven’t earned it themselves, let alone help them. Especially lowly humans such as you!”
“We’re sorry! We didn’t mean to take your food!” Rainbow Dash protested, getting to her feet as she rubbed at her neck. “We were just so hungry that we didn’t see any other option to keep ourselves from starving!”
“Yeah! That’s right!” Applejack nodded. “We were only doin’ what we needed to do to survive!”
“So was I.” The tiger said, dropping his kill to address the girls. “Not that what you did gives me any reason to help you. Then again, what animal would help a pathetic human?” He sighed as he turned away from them. “Now both of you scram. And don’t you ever try to steal from me ever again. If you do, your bellies will be gutted before you can even breathe.”
“But we-” Rainbow started but was silenced when the tiger bared its bloodied teeth at her.
“I said I don't care! Whatever excuse you have from stealing from a tiger.” he snapped, his tail thrashing like a beast tamer’s whip. “Now beat it. Before I change my mind about letting you live!”
Both girls flinched from the tiger’s threat, feeling their skin crawl from hearing such a cold, yet bloodthirsty tone come from his lips. Before they could speak, or try to fruitlessly beg again, they heard a chorus of growls come from the bushes around them. The tiger instantly went on guard, drawing his attention away from the petrified girls and onto the slowly approaching threat. He didn’t have to wait very long as they made themselves known, and a curse nearly left the feline when he saw just who his competitors were.
Standing at the other side of the water hole, neck fur standing on end, were five of the most odd-looking of cats ever seen. Their coats were covered with spots, as if they had the coats of a leopard, while their bodies were slouched down the back, their front legs longer than their hind ones. Each sported a set of gleaming slitted eyes, which seemed to pierce into the eyes of the girls and the tiger like the bottom of a gleaming diamond. What stood out the most, however, was their teeth. Three four-inch-long upper canines, all of them looking like miniature daggers in the cats’ closed mouths.
“Oh no…” Applejack muttered, nearly turning white. “Are those what I think they are?”
“Yeah, AJ…. they are!” Rainbow replied, looking just as scared.
“Great, first I have two human girls coming to steal my kill, and now I have to deal these pains in the necks?” he grunted, fighting the urge to swipe at the ground like a cub throwing a tantrum. “This day just keeps getting worse and worse!”
“Wait, you know what these things are?!” Applejack asked, turning her gaze to the tiger.
“Yeah, I do.” the tiger replied, not bothering to look at her. “Those guys are none other than Scimitar Cats. The infamous Saber-Tooths of the African Savanna and possibly the most dangerous, if not annoying, cats you can ever come across in this place. They’ve been a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember, and as it looks like they’ve come to take my prize.” He looked over at the girls, and for the first time since meeting them, looked at them with genuine curiosity. “Why do you ask? Have you run into them before?”
Rainbow rubbed the back of her head, her expression discomforted. “Uh, yeah, you can say that… let’s just say that those guys gave us quite the welcome party.”
This comment piqued the tiger's interest. “What do you mean by that?”
An ear-piercing leopard-like scream from one of the scimitars brought the trio’s attention back to the cats. They were just in time to see the felines scatter and run in opposite directions of the watering hole. It didn’t take a genius to know that they were about to be attacked, and the tiger wasn’t the only one on the pack’s list. Thankfully for him, he didn’t need to worry about becoming a meal for the teens with him had a plan.
“We can tell you about it later! Right now, we have some critters that we need to blow away!” Applejack replied, clenching her hand as her gem began to glow. “Dash! You take the ones on the right! I’ll take the ones on the left!”
“Got it!” Rainbow Dash nodded as they both split up to confront their opponents. As they did so, Rainbow turned to the tiger and shouted. “Hey, you! keep that last one occupied for us will ya?!”
“What’re you-?” The tiger’s question was cut off when he felt five hundred pounds of saber teeth and claws slam into him from behind. He felt the wind get knocked out of him as he rolled across the ground, a dust cloud rising from his tumbling. Coughing, he looked up to see a male scimitar looming over him, eyes gleaming like cold ice with a pelt of purple, black and white.
Filled with the realization of impending danger, he roared up at the Homotherium; the sound so loud it caused the other feline to flatten its ears. This allowed the tiger to summon all his strength to throw the feline off, sending it crashing to the ground. Quickly getting to his feet, he lowered his head and stretched out his paws, the claws jutting out like pocket knives.
“Don’t you know it's cowardly to try to attack your enemy from behind?” he asked in a mockingly scolding tone, ears pinned back as the other cat picked itself up. “Of course you wouldn’t… cat’s like you wouldn’t know what it means to fight honorably. It looks like I need to teach you what it means to fight fairly!”
With a roar, he charged at the scimitar, who screamed back at him and went at him at an even faster speed. Despite the collision, the tiger was able to keep himself on his hind paws and push the other feline back. He then proceeded to deliver a few swift swipes countered with quick strikes by the other cat. They leaped up and began slashing at each other, claws, digging into one another’s flesh as they stood on their hind legs.
As they plunged back down on all fours, the Scimitar cat swung at the tiger’s face, leaving a deep set of claw marks on his face. He roared out in pain and anger as blood dripped from his already scarred face, which now had a few more thanks to the cat in front of him. Growling loudly, the tiger glared at the Homotherium before lunging forward and smashing his extended claws right into the sabered cat’s head. It hissed as its head burned with pain but shook it off as it went on the attack again.
This time, he managed to get the tiger on his back and tried to go at its neck with its sabers, but the tiger was able to flip it over. As he went to slash the Scimitar’s throat, he found his face getting repeatedly bashed in by the claws of the other cat. This gave the Scimitar enough time to get out from under him, and it lunged forward to get at him again. Unfortunately, the tiger was one step ahead of him, and sent him to the ground with a powerful slash.
Wasting no time, he lunged at the smaller cat before biting the back of its neck and sinking his teeth in. In a show of incredible strength, the tiger lifted the cat up and threw him into the air, watching as he fell into the water below. This only lasted for a few seconds before the Scimitar rose from the water, shaking its damp fur before looking back at a glaring tiger. With a tremble in its legs and tail tucked between them, the Scimitar ran off, vanishing into the plains in which it came from.
“That’s right, you’d better run!” the tiger shouted to the cat, long after he ran. “That should teach you not to mess with others who can kick your furry serval-tailed butt! Don’t come back here again! Or else next time you’ll end up just like my buffalo!”
With a humph, the tiger turned away, lashing his tail out as he went back to his kill. He barely even made it two steps before his jaw dropped at seeing what Rainbow Dash and Applejack were doing. The former was running circles around the first two homotheriums while Applejack swung a tree at the other two like a baseball bat. The tiger did not know how in the stars above she managed to pull that off, but it was becoming clear to him that these were not ordinary humans.
Before the tiger knew it, the remaining four Homotheriums were groveling at the feet of the two girls, having been thoroughly beaten fair and square. Realizing they were out of their league, the cats wasted no time in getting out of the watering hole and grove. The tiger watched as they left, leaping back into the plains where their leader had gone, yowling and hissing along the way. Once he got over his shock, he turned back to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who were busy recovering from the short, but brutal fight.
“Whoa! For a second there I thought that we were done for!” Rainbow Dash said, hands on her knees as she fought to catch her breath. Once she was sure she was back under control, she turned to Applejack and asked, “You okay there AJ?”
Applejack nodded. “Eeyup, I’m alright. Just a bit worse for wear, but I’m alright.” She suddenly winced as she looked at the blooded claw marks on her legs, sides, and arms. “I did get a little bit messed up though. It’s nothin’ I haven’t felt before, but still… I’m gonna feel it fer quite a while.”
“I can’t believe this…” the tiger muttered, walking over to the two girls. “What did I just see?! First, you're able to move at speed that can make a cheetah seem as slow as a snail, and then you carry a tree with the strength of several elephants?! Just who are you humans?!”
“Who are we, you ask?” Applejack asked, the faintest hint of amusement in her voice as she adjusted her hat. “We’re Applejack Sweet Apple and Rainbow Dash. Equestrian Magic Wielders, and one of the six Elements of Harmony. And followers of the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle.”
The tiger stared at her for a long moment. Then he blinked. Hard. “…I’m sorry, you completely lost me after you said your names. You said that you guys are what now?”
“Oh right, we forgot. You’re a tiger. You don’t really understand how humans operate; including us.” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Never mind. We’ll explain it later. We have some questions of our own that we want to ask right now.”
“…Let me guess. You want to know exactly where you guys are?” the tiger asked, raising an eyebrow at the teen duo. “Well, to answer your question, you’re in the most sacredly hidden parts in all of Africa.”
“Sacredly hidden areas?” Rainbow Dash asked, her interest piqued.
“Yes.” he nodded. “I’m not exactly sure what names it goes by, but I can tell you that this place is protected by those who hold them near and dear. One of the reasons is that it contains dangerous things. Ones that are told by many natives and villagers that contain an unlimited number of beasts that are eerily similar to the scimitars, but worse. It stretches along a portion above the Congo, trust me I’ve been there and contains many habitats, such as grasslands, forests, jungles, deserts.”
“Wow… those sound like some pretty valuable places if they have things like that.” Applejack murmured. “That would explain all those terrifyin’ critters that we ran into before we came here. We must’ve stumbled into them by mistake…”
“Wait, you ran into some of those beasts?” the tiger asked, a surprised look in his eyes.
“Yeah we did… let’s just say we barely made it out of there with our lives. Even with the magic that we had.” Rainbow replied, shivering as if she was suddenly dipped in icy cold water. “But I really don’t wanna talk about that right now. I’m guessing that you want to know why we’re even here in the first place? Other than to try and take your, um… food?”
“Well, I didn’t really have any interest after you guys pulled that stunt.” the tiger admitted, glancing over to where his kill lay. “But… since you did kind of help me from getting my throat sliced… I suppose I could hear you out.” He then shot them a warning glare. “Just try not to use that as an excuse to get my kill. Or else I won’t hesitate to make a meal out of you too, am I clear?”
“Clear as crystal hon’.” Applejack said, giving a firm salute. “To make a long story short, me Rainbow Dash and a few of our friends had decided to go on a safari with one of our friends’ parents. Ya know, to see all of the wildlife and nature she likes to see. Things were goin’ pretty well until we ran into a group of poachers while we were campin’ under the stars.”
The tiger felt his spine tingle. “You… you were attacked by poachers?”
“Uh-huh, you got that right,” Rainbow replied, looking just as disturbed. “They ended up taking us completely by surprise and took us across this place to some hidden organization they had. Then they went on about how they needed our blood to activate some sort of magical stone that they had. I really don’t know what they meant, but they were pretty adamant on getting it no matter the cost.”
“A magical stone? They wanted to try to use some stone filled with magic?” the tiger asked, taken aback. “What kind was it?”
“We don’t really know, but whatever it was, they wanted it bad.” Applejack replied. “Why do ya ask, partner? Do you know somethin’ about it?”
“Judging from the stone’s description and who it is that wants it, I just might.” the tiger replied, his brows furrowed in thought. “Do you know what it was called?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Not really. We tried asking them, but they wouldn’t really give us any information. I guess they must’ve thought that if they did then we’d blab to someone else about it, which would really throw their plans into disarray.”
‘Dang, so they weren’t told. It looks like I’ll have to see for myself if it’s really the stone that’s being sought after.’ the tiger thought, his ears flattening in disappointment. “I see… well that’s unfortunate. So, what else happened after all that?”
“Well, in the midst of them tryin’ to take our blood, I was able to activate my Equestrian Magic and get me and RD here out of the cages they had us in.” Applejack replied, pointing a thumb to the other girl. “We tried to go after the others, but we quickly found ourselves overwhelmed by those darn poachers. I didn’t wanna leave any more o’ mah friends behind, but RD told me if we didn’t escape now, we’d probably end up dead and there’d be no chance in savin’ the rest of our friends. So we ended up fleein’ into the savanna, went into hidin’ fer a few days and…well, you know the rest.”
Throughout the rest of the explanation, the tiger sat silently, taking in the information like a herd of wildebeest drank water. He had to admit; the story of how the two girls and their friends had been separated was a pretty bad one. Not in details and explanation, but because a group of seemingly close friends had been separated and forced into something that they had no choice in. While he may not have liked humans, he understood the pain and heartache of losing a loved one and not being able to help them. Not to mention the guilt and regret they’d feel forever if they did fail. That was not something he would wish on anyone. Not even his worst enemies, human or animal.
There was also the mention of the stone. The one that Applejack had mentioned in her telling of how she and her friend were kidnapped by poachers. From her story and the fact that the stone was magical, he had a pretty good idea as to what kind of stone the poachers were trying to activate. Of course, there was no way that he knew for sure, which meant that he’d have to go and see it himself. If the stone being awoken really was the one he was thinking of, then that meant he and all the other animals were in big trouble. And if really was poachers that had it, then did that also mean he would see him again once more?
Only one way to find out.
“….that is quite the story.” The tiger said after some time had passed. “Granted, it was much longer than I expected it to be, but still pretty big.” He dipped his head as if he was preparing to drink from the watering hold again but kept his eyes on the girls. “I’m sorry that happened to you two. That must have been pretty hard on you two.”
“You don’t know the half of it sugarcube.” Applejack sighed, her eyes turning downcast. “We’ve been out here for five whole days ever since we escaped, searchin’ for help in any place we could think of. The only thing we kept finding were grasslands, rocks, forests, shrubs, and just a whole bunch of animals all over the place. Includin’ the varmints that always tried to kill us.” She blinked before giving the tiger a sheepish smile. “No offense.”
“None taken.” The tiger murmured, snorting dryly.
“Every day we keep getting more and more desperate to see if anyone will help us.” Rainbow Dash said, picking up where Applejack had left off. “We heard that there were villages nearby, but they're either too far away or not the most hospitable. So we decided to see if there were any park rangers or something that will help us, but we didn’t have any luck on that either.” She clenched her fists as she shut her eyes, as if she was suddenly in an immense amount of physical pain. “We… we don’t know what to do. We’re lost, we’re hungry, cold and dirty, and those damn poachers are doing who knows what to our friends back at that lair of theirs. We want to get them out but… we don’t know how!”
The athlete went silent after her brief, yet emotional filled rant. Applejack frowned sympathetically at her friend, wrapping a comforting arm around her as she attempted to soothe her aching guilt. Throughout it all, the tiger stayed silent, letting Rainbow and Applejack pour their hearts out as he took in their whole story. They stayed like that for some time, Rainbow’s sniffling and the tweeting of birds being the only thing to break the silence. That was until the tiger broke it with four words.
“I can help you.”
Rainbow Dash and Applejack stopped what they were doing and looked up at him. They had heard him speak but didn’t quite catch up on what he had said.
“What?” Applejack asked, thinking she had heard him wrong. “What did you just say?”
“Your friends.” The tiger said, getting up to his paws. “I can help you get them out if it’s not too much trouble for you.”
“You…you’d help us?” Rainbow asked, her guilt giving way to shock. “You would really do that for us?”
“Well, yeah. I mean you did run into some poachers and were pretty much forced into something that you didn’t want anything to do with.” The tiger shrugged. “Plus, your other friends are being used as tools to revive a magical stone that was thought to have been lost to humans. If that happens, you all would be in even bigger trouble. So the only plausible thing to do is to try to stop it.”
“But… why would you do that? Why would you want to help us?” Applejack asked, her face contorted into perplexation. “I mean, it’s clear that ya really don’t like humans, not that we can really blame you. And we did try to steal your kill after you worked so darn hard to get it. Hay, you were minutes away from killin’ Rainbow just now… why would you suddenly wanna help us?”
“…Because I know what you’re going through,” he replied. “I know what it’s like to not be able to help those that you care about. When you were telling your story to me, it reminded me of my past. Of how I lost so much back then. You guys may be humans, even if you’re not normal humans, but still… To have to go through something like that and live with that regret for the rest of your life… that’s not something I’d want anyone to go through. No one.”
Applejack stared at him for a moment. “You’ve… had that experience before?”
The tiger nodded, running a paw down his scarred face. “I did… in more ways than you could possibly imagine.” He sighed as he set his paw down, shaking his head as if he was clearing it of any dirt or grime. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not all that important right now. There are other things that we can focus on. Like saving your friends and preventing that stone those poachers have from getting activated. So what do you say? Want to team up?”
Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked at each other, contemplating if they should accept his help or not. To them, It was a pretty big shock for him to offer to help creatures he rightfully despised. Especially given what they had tried to do mere moments before they were attacked by the scimitar pack. Still, they were desperate for some kind of help, and were having terrible luck in finding it until now. At this point, they were willing to do anything to save their friends from the poachers. And if it meant accepting help from a lumbering big cat, then…
“Well, I’ve never teamed up with a wild animal before. It’s kind a surreal to me… especially since we’re so used to teamin’ up with our friends.” Applejack finally said once she made up her mind. “Still, we don’t really have other options at this point. I wanna git my friends back, and if I have to team up with a tiger t’ do it, then so be it.”
“Yeah, same here.” Rainbow Dash said, holding out a hand to the tiger. “Alright then big guy, we accept your help.”
He nodded, smiling the closest way that a tiger could smile as he held out his own paw. “Good to hear. I normally don’t team up with humans, given how they are around these parts, but I got a good feeling about you two.” He suddenly gripped Rainbow’s hand harder and pulled her closer. “Just don’t try to screw me over, alright? Aside from losing comrades, I also had plenty betray me. In a way that has scarred me and left me feeling quite weary of others. The only reason I’m doing this is because I don’t want the former to happen. So you’d better not do anything to make me regret this decision. Or it’ll be on both of your asses, got it?”
Rainbow nodded quickly. “G-got it!”
“Understood, sugarcube.” Applejack nodded, smiling gratefully. “Thanks fer doin’ this fer us. It really means a lot to both of us, really. We promise we’ll pay you back in any way we can.”
“Get me a good batch of water buffalo after this, and we’ll consider ourselves even.” The tiger said half-jokingly as he released Rainbow Dash’s arm. “Assuming you can even do that much.”
“We’ll cross that road when we get there.” Rainbow said, tentatively rubbing her arm. “One more thing we should probably mention. The poachers that caught our friends… they have the power to transform into large cat-like beasts. Not quite like the ones here, but pretty damn close… they’re called Danger Beasts to be precise.”
“Danger Beasts huh? Now there’s a nickname that I’m familiar with.” The tiger muttered, chuckling dryly as his tail swayed. “Thanks for the info. I’ll be sure to remember that when we find these guys… assuming that they haven’t moved to another location by the time we do find their hideout.”
“Took the words right outta my mouth sugarcube.” Applejack said, tossing her hair in a way that perfectly matched how a certain fashionista would. “By the way, we didn’t catch your name. What is it, if ya don’t mind me asking?”
The tiger stopped on his way back to his kill and looked back at them. He stayed like that for a second, as if he was debating on whether or not he should reveal his name to the teens. He then turned back, holding his head up high as his claws slinked their way from their sheaths.
“Raaja. Baagh Raaja.”