The opening in the stone was only just big enough to let Apple Bloom squeeze in, and in her haste she managed to cut her side on a jagged edge. But considering that she almost lost one of her hind legs to a Timberwolf’s jaws immediately afterwards, only pulling it out of the way just in time, she didn’t care too much about the warm trickle of blood as it dripped slowly onto the ground beside her. She screamed again as a clawed wooden paw was stuck into the hole after her, just missing her face as it thrashed around wildly in front of her. After a short while it was again retracted, amidst noises which could have indicated some sort of argument amongst the wolves, presumably trying to decide how to extricate their prey.
A smaller Timberwolf had crouched down and was busily licking away at the blood left behind on the rocky entrance with a tongue made of sticky vines. Apple Bloom backed away as far as she could as this smaller wolf then tried sticking its head and shoulders into the hole, snapping at her with its jaws. Screaming and shouting a variety of phrases the young filly would never have dared use in company, Apple Bloom turned around and tried bucking it with her hind legs to keep it back, and even managed to land a few good hits on its snout before it had had enough and withdrew, somewhat disgruntled.
The growling and snarling around the hole gradually quietened as the wolves seemed to withdraw, apparently having given up. Apple Bloom lay still for a short time, before deciding to check if it was safe to leave. Unfortunately Timberwolves are very cunning creatures, and as she neared the hole she started screaming once more as the smaller wolf lunged for her again. She turned to retreat, but the wolf caught her by the tail and began dragging her out, hooves digging into the ground beneath her to no avail. She kicked out at the wolf again and again, but her tail was too long to allow contact with her captor, and the wolf’s nose remained unmolested. She braced herself against the rocky edges of the hole with as much strength as she could muster, straining her legs to their limit as the beast tugged all the more fiercely. In her fear the filly finally lost control of her bladder, which actually surprised the wolf just enough for it to loosen its grip on her tail, and she scurried back inside as far as she could.
The wolf began to howl in frustration, but its howls were soon cut off as a dull thud sounded outside Apple Bloom’s place of refuge. She couldn’t see what was going on, but she could hear the wolves crying out in pain, their wooden bodies cracking and snapping like twigs as whatever wild beast had taken exception to them continued its assault. She trembled to think about what sort of creature could fight off a pack of Timberwolves, and hoped it didn’t know she was there as well. A final pained yelp sounded from one of the stricken canine creatures, and then all was silent save her breathing and her heart, which felt as though it was trying to pound itself into oblivion against her ribcage.
Twigs cracked outside. She hadn’t heard the creature approach, but it was now standing far too close by for comfort, and she could hear its ragged, heavy breathing all too clearly. But wait… it actually sounded familiar, now that she listened. It sounded like…
“App… Apple Bloom?” Big Macintosh managed through gulps of air.
“Big… Daddy? Is… is that you?”
“It’s ok, Apple Bloom, daddy’s here now.” She shot out of the hole faster than she had fled inside and into the waiting embrace of the big Earth pony, who held her tightly as she sobbed into his chest and did her best to apologise for running away and hurting him and Applejack. However, she could manage little more than indiscernible squeaks for a good few minutes, and Big Macintosh was more than prepared to just sit still for the time being, content in the knowledge that Apple Bloom was indeed safe.
Upon finally catching her breath and looking at her father properly, Apple Bloom soon discovered another reason for his wanting to sit still. He was dirty, bloodied, bruised, and, if his still ragged breaths were any proof, nearly exhausted after his fight with the Timberwolves. Big Mac was a mighty pony, but even a pony such as him did not simply do battle with several vicious, latently magical creatures about twice his height without feeling the effects afterwards. It had taken his all, which had fortunately been just enough, but if he had to do it all again then he wasn’t quite sure he could manage.
“Now why in the name o’Celestia did Ah have t’go n’think that?” he quietly reprimanded himself, looking around the clearing wearily as a worrying scene began to play out around them. Twigs and branches were rolling across the ground and forming into piles around the larger pieces of wolf-corpse, and slowly but surely the creatures began to rebuild themselves. Pieces deemed too damaged were discarded as replacements were yanked by unseen forces from nearby trees before taking their place in a wolf’s body.
They had perhaps a minute before the wolves were repaired.
“Hold on!” Big Macintosh quickly lifted Apple Bloom onto his shoulders and bounded out of the clearing, his filly clinging to him as tightly as she could, and he hoped he fled in the direction he had come from before. The wolves growled and began to give chase, Macintosh all too aware of their heavy paws crashing down behind him. Frantic seconds passed without too much incident, Big Macintosh ducking under branches and dodging around nasty-looking plants whilst the Timberwolves simply went straight through, the occasional yelp in pain the only indication of them being at all hindered. Apple Bloom clung on for grim life, too scared to scream, sometimes looking back only to wish she hadn’t, as the wolves seemed closer every time she did. The truth was they were.
Despite the cold of the forest and the still-driving rain, Macintosh was sweating harder than after a whole day spent uprooting dead apple trees. He honestly didn’t know how much further he would be able to run before he collapsed from exhaustion, but it would be soon, and when that happened…
“Apple Bloom!” he called over his shoulder. “Ah can’t go much further! Ah’m completely plum-tuckered, an’ Ah can’t run no more! So when Ah tell you to, Ah want you to jump down n’run! Don’t look back, don’t stop, just go! Ah’ll hold ‘em off fer as long as Ah can!”
“What?! No! Daddy, Ah… Ah just got you! Ah can’t just−”
“You can n’you have to! Ah promised mahself Ah’d save you, Apple Bloom, an’ Ah’m gonna keep that promise even if it kills me!” With that he tapped into what little energy he had left and pulled ahead just enough to give Apple Bloom time to climb down.
“Now go! Tell yer mother Ah’m sorry, n’that Ah love her. An’ Ah love you too, Apple Bloom.”
“Daddy…” She looked up at him with tearful eyes, and he risked sweeping her into another hug, kissing the top of her head and letting his tears flow freely for a few seconds, before placing her back down and pushing her gently towards the faintly seen lights of Ponyville. Apple Bloom ran then, and she didn’t look back, she didn’t stop, she just kept running as fresh tears gushed from her eyes. For all of five minutes she had finally had a father, and now he was probably already wolf fodder because he had saved her for the second time that night.
“Ah wouldn’t have needed savin’ if Ah hadn’t ran off in the first place! It’s mah fault! It’s all mah fault!” she wailed to no-one in particular. Her wailing was suddenly cut off as she ran face-first into the base of a large tree and was knocked backwards onto her seat. Recognition suddenly sprouted in her mind as she recognised the gnarled old tree as the house she had sought earlier. Daring to hope, she ignored the pain in her nose and quickly rapped on the door, praying that Zecora had not left to gather ingredients during the night.
Meanwhile, Big Mac had finally been surrounded by the Timberwolves in another nearby clearing. The wolves had learned to be cautious around the big pony and were slowly circling around him; fortunately they didn’t seem to care about the loss of Apple Bloom, their attention solely on him as they licked their wooden lips and salivated. Tired though he was, now that he knew Apple Bloom had got away Macintosh felt strangely calm. New energy pulsed through his body. His breathing calmed and slowed. The world around him faded, until he was alone in the clearing with the wolves, circling closer and closer with each passing second. His clarity and strength were probably just a passing illusion, but for the moment he didn’t care.
“What’s wrong? ‘Fraid Ah’ll smash y’all up again?” As one they snarled, and the adrenaline flared once more within him. He was staring certain death straight in all seven of its faces, but he had never felt more alive in all his life. He couldn’t kill these beasts, not on his own, but he would hurt them again.
His nostrils flared, he scraped the ground in front of him as if to charge. The largest of the wolves answered his challenge, stopping short and baring its teeth as it raised its hackles. The two charged at each other, but before they got close the unfortunate wolf was blasted back by a beam of purple energy.
“Big Macintosh! Are you alright?” Twilight Sparkle had arrived, and the librarian quickly placed herself between Mac and the other wolves, doing a very good job of being surprisingly intimidating. Before he could answer he was jumped upon by Applejack, who wrapped her hooves around him whilst their other friends showed up, and joined Twilight in squaring up against the Timberwolves. Fluttershy looked particularly terrifying.
“Oh Mac, thank goodness yer safe! Are ya hurt? Where’s Apple Bloom?” Macintosh hugged Applejack back weakly, his fire finally burning out.
“Ah’ll be fine. But Ah told AB to run when Ah thought them wolves were gonna catch us. Ah don’t know where she is.” Applejack’s fear multiplied exponentially at the news, but she didn’t have time to worry.
“Um, Twilight, I don’t think The Stare is working on them.” Fluttershy’s analysis seemed accurate, which was both strange and very worrying. Dragons, cockatrices and others had all cowered before The Stare, why didn’t it affect the Timberwolves? Indeed, instead of being afraid they only seemed to be getting angrier at the small ponies gathered in front of them.
“Everypony get ready! Big Mac’s too tired to run, we have to hold them off until we can figure out a way to stop them!” Twilight’s words bolstered her friends’ resolves, but they all quailed as the wolves howled again.
The ground shook as the beasts charged once more. This was going to end here and now, and both wolves and ponies unknowingly agreed on the likely outcome. It wasn’t favourable for the ponies.