Luna sprouted tendrils of night up from the road and batted away a monochrome monstrosity. It pained her to see the town around her burn, but her priority was the ponies scrambling atop the road she currently covered. While her form in the waking world could morph to any size or shape that she wished, paying attention to herself and the world around her was another issue. She could see from the middle of Ponyville until a few yards away from the dam— about three miles away—and at a myriad of angles.
She was relieved there appeared to be only three of the monstrosities left, but, as the citizens fled, they followed, abandoning the Heroes they were fighting to pursue more vulnerable prey. Discord had not acted like this, but then again, everything was vulnerable prey to him.
Luna continued to bat them away with her tendrils, but spread out as she was, her power was lacking as well. She turned her eyes on the biggest of the monstrosities. It was barreling toward a duo of young mares with flower cutie marks. Even with her eyes on it, it continued its charge. Then again, this monstrosity did not appear to have eyes Luna could focus an assault of fear through.
Instead she shrank a little and used the additional mass to summon a starry wall between the monstrosity and the flower ponies. She let out a grunt from the strain the charge put on her. Drat, I didn’t think a pale imitation would have enough strength to resist like this.
Her thoughts were not laced with anxiety but with a growing anger. The first time she had defended from the monstrosities and they had made contact with her, she investigated their bodies as best she could with a quick swipe of her tendrils. Even without a stomach, she still felt queasy upon putting the pieces together and realizing what the monstrosities were made of.
The monstrosity reared back and its legs swelled up, blackened, and cracked. A sickly orange light roiled within its flesh. Luna braced herself when it shot its legs down.
A wave of electricity, incomparable to a mere lightning bolt, washed over the monstrosity before the blow could land. The attack hit with enough force to blow it off its feet and left it sizzling and crippled on the ground. Luna focused a part of her attention on where the lightning had come from.
“Nightmare Knight, eh?” Shadowbolt mused while electricity crackled around him. “Guess I can’t be too hard on Rainbow Dash if she spotted an emergency like this.”
~~~
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called out.
“Hold tight.” Dash flapped her wings and a gale rushed through the alley. It slammed against the Black Griffon but it curled around Twilight, Applejack, and Zecora like a cradle and deposited them behind Dash. Dash kept her eyes on the Griffon, but the others could feel her attention on them as well. “So, this is the Black Griffon, eh?”
“Be careful,” Twilight warned. “I don’t know how, but it has a Talent. If it ingests your blood, it will paralyze you.”
Dash took note of the Cutie Mark on the Griffon’s flank. “Okay that’s new.”
“And it’s being controlled by Equality.”
Dash furrowed her brow. “The crazy unicorn villain from the WTF, right?”
“If only you knew,” Equality snarled. The Griffon readied itself to pounce. “But it’s pointless. The three of you are not leaving this alley.”
Even as Dash felt goosebumps run up her legs from the bloodlust, she took up a stance and breathed in deep. Then, she burst off the ground.
Wings and talons slashed through the air. Dash spun to avoid the Griffon’s attacks and the Griffon weaved and blended in with the night to try and get at Dash. Yet, at the same time, it crept closer to the others. With every advance, Dash fired off a bolt. Many were dodged by fractions of an inch, but some found their mark and made the Griffon’s limbs go numb for a second.
“You’re sloppy.” Dash did an aerial backflip away from a swipe.
Equality growled. The Griffon clawed at its own chest and tore out some feathers. The unorthodox move made Dash pause for the second the Griffon needed to throw them. Dash lunged out the way so they did not hit her square in the barrel but they still streaked across her left foreleg and then embedded into the wall behind her.
The Griffon was upon her in a second with its beak agape and tongue flicking out. It licked up towards Dash’s wounds but electricity exploded off of Dash, forcing the Griffon to retreat. A bit of Dash’s mane and fur smoked but she still stood tall.
“Still think I’m sloppy?” Equality hissed.
“No, you’ve graduated into full-blown nutcase.” Dash charged, leapt, and raced around the Griffon. Blasts of electricity showered down from Dash’s hooves and onto the Griffon. Its knees buckled. It crouched and spun, sending up dirt at Dash, but she blasted it away with a gust of wind. “See that’s what I mean. You may control the Griffon, but you’re not fighting like a griffon.”
At some point in the fight, tears had welled up in Applejack’s eyes even as they blazed with fury. “S-stop it. It’s mine. For my brother!”
“Family issues? I can understand that.” Wind and droplets of water whipped around Dash. While she continued to dodge the Griffon’s strikes, now far more furious and erratic, the air grew dense around her until a cloud formed. It was barely the size of a hoof one instant, but then grew at an exponential rate as puddles in the alley vanished and the air grew dry. Those that were paralyzed had the sweat wicked off them and into the cloud. Dash bucked the cloud, turning it from grey to jet black. Lightning exploded off it and pushed the Griffon back.
Dash glanced back at Applejack. The latter’s face was framed by hot tears and bared teeth. “But the Applejack I know would never make a face like that.”
The cloud warped and feathers burst through it. Dash blasted them away with her wings, just as a shadow fell over her. The Griffon, with its wings spread wide, covered all the heroes from above.
“Crap.” Electricity crackled around Dash just as the Griffon divebombed.
Midway through its decent, a purple hoof slammed into its side, knocking it off balance. In that split-second of freefall, Twilight poured magic into her horn and bound the Griffon with a ring of aura around its torso. With all her might, Twilight pressed the Griffon against the wall while she ran against it.
Twilight felt gravity tug at her, but observing Luna enough had taught her how to position herself and half-step, half-jump against a wall to keep running against it while she dragged the Griffon along.
“Damn, damn, damn!” Equality hissed. Twilight held the Griffon at such an angle that its claws could not reach even with Equality literally able to bend it to her will. Unable to draw blood, she moved the Griffon and it struck Twilight with an elbow to the back hard enough to knock her to the ground.
The Griffon rolled through the air and slammed onto the ground with its claws. Feathers fluttered and settled all around it. Twilight and Dash stood opposite of it, ready to attack.
“Any clue why you got free before the others?” Dash asked.
“Just theories but I’m guessing the amount of blood, race, or magic capacity.” Twilight glanced back. “Zebras have low magic and generally rely on potions, Applejack’s exhausted, but I’ve just had time to recover from training.”
She focused on Dash with her eyes centered on the blood seeping down her left foreleg. “You need to be careful. You’ve got too much exposed blood.”
Dash lifted a hoof and summoned lightning around it. “Want me to take rear then?”
“Right.” Streaks of rainbow aura traced over Twilight’s body.
“So annoying,” Equality growled. “But I just need one. Just one and it can end.”
Twilight and the Griffon charged. Lightning blasted past Twilight but the Griffon dodged, only getting skimmed by it. They got within striking range. Hooves missed by centimeters. Claws raked against magical shields that cracked under the force of the blows.
Lighting and gusts of wind struck when Twilight was regaining her footing or recovering from a blow. Yet, a word Twilight had used lingered in Dash’s head: exhausted.
There was no time now to look back at Applejack, but her gritted teeth and bloodshot eyes were vivid in Dash’s head. She had seen that look in the mirror many times. Those times in the mirror seemed so far away, even if they had only truly been banished just a few days back.
~~~
Scootaloo was the first to cry. Before Dash knew it, they were embracing and tears were spilling down her face too. Words of apology and forgiveness had spilled out of their mouths. How long this had lasted neither could say, but when they were ready, they got up and moved inside. Scootaloo made them some lemonade.
“Not Cutie Mark worthy, but I still think it’s pretty good.”
Dash took a sip and her lips puckered tight.
Scootaloo sighed, “Yeah. Guess I just have a higher tolerance than everypony.”
It was quiet for a second before Scootaloo spoke again. “I remember seeing you in the papers after the WTF incident. You looked so strong… but you also looked tired.”
“I’d been fighting for a while.”
“You look so much better now.” Scootaloo smiled and then blushed bringing a hoof to her puffy eyes to wipe off some leftover tears. “I mean we both look tired now, bu—”
“I get it, squirt. I’m glad I finally remembered what got me into this.”
“Being the best flyer in Equestria?”
Dash reached out and ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. “That’s a perk, but more than that it’s being loyal to ponies and protecting them with all my might.”
~~~
You’re the same, aren’t you, Applejack? Dash thought.
The Griffon’s body creaked and fibers in its leg snapped but it managed to slash at such a blinding speed that Twilight could not summon a shield in time. It tore through her shin. Blood spurted up and coated its claws. Twilight’s uninjured foreleg glowed bright even as pain assaulted her mind but the Griffon licked the blood before she could launch and attack.
As paralysis took hold of Twilight, the Griffin spun to bring its claws down on Twilight with even more force. A blast of lightning followed by a gust of air kept the Griffon at bay and lifted Twilight close to Dash. Sweat streaked down Dash’s face.
“You’re not killing anyone today!” Dash roared and charged.
Fresh tears spilled down Applejack’s face. “I… I can’t take this… stop please…”
Dash dodged a strike and slammed a crackling hoof into the Griffon’s chest. She punched with enough force to knock it back as electricity coursed through its body. “Then screw this blood Talent and stand up!”
“I should have said something,” said Twilight, lying next to Applejack. “I could see it in your eyes. How hollow your words were. We’re your friends, Applejack, and we know you wouldn’t have gotten here if your head was clear. So be honest and fight for what really matters!”
~~~
Applejack had run. It was as if distance had meant nothing. She had run soon as she had gotten the letter in Manehattan all the way back to the farm. Her tears were blasted away by her speed. But, hearing the news in person from Granny even as Granny was sure she was dreaming, fresh tears had welled up. She had cried until she fell asleep.
The rooster’s crow and the sound of hoofbeats downstairs awoke her. Somepony had put her in her bed. It was still a little dusty from the months of nonuse but she did not care as she threw off the blanket. She tried to rush down stairs but her muscles were so worn out that she fell to the floor when she first put her hooves on the ground. Still, she struggled to her hooves and ambled downstairs.
In the first rays of dawn, Big Macintosh stood and gazed out at the orchards. It was only spring, so the harvest was still far off, but there was always work to be done on the farm. Big Macintosh had donned the yoke—Pa’s yoke—and was getting tools and water ready for the day. The yoke was still too big on him, but he used his Talent to fortify his legs and stay upright even under the yoke’s weight.
With his Talent, Big Macintosh already had the strength of a full-grown earth pony, and a big one at that. He had been an indispensable part of working the farm for the past two years, even as he studied to become a Hero. Now, he stood in Pa’s place.
He turned from his inspection to Applejack who stood by the door with fresh tears dotting her face.
“It’s okay, Applejack, I can handle the chores today, you just get some rest.” Despite the news that had shattered Applejack’s and his world, he smiled. “Granny says she’ll make your favorite pancakes to celebrate getting your Mark.”
“My what?” Applejack blinked, one half of her mind still asleep and the other half focused on not falling over. Yet, she managed to turn and spotted the trio of apples on her flank. “Oh…”
The momentary lapse in concentration was all Applejack needed to wobble. Big Macintosh drove his hooves into the ground and was at Applejack’s side in an instant with massive holes in the ground where he had stood. “I got you, sis.”
“I…I thought it was all a nightmare,” Applejack cried. “When I saw you, I… I…”
Her words devolved into sobs. Big Macintosh held her tight. “I’m still here, Applejack. And so is Granny. And so is Apple Bloom. We’re family, Applejack, and we’ll always be there for each other.”
Applejack pressed herself closer to Big Macintosh.
“To be honest, aside from supporting the farm, that’s the main reason I want to be a Hero.”
“Huh?” Applejack sniffled.
“Some ponies aren’t lucky to have a family like ours. A family that will protect them no matter what. I want to be a Hero that makes everypony feel like they’re a part of my family.”
Applejack clutched Big Macintosh and cried, “Me too! I… I’ll be a Hero that treats everyone like family!”
~~~
And that’s what I’ve got to do now! Applejack’s Mark glowed bright.
Ahead of her, Dash weaved around the Griffon’s strikes, but her breath was labored. The Griffon seized upon her wounds, making every move an effort to lap up Dash’s blood. Dash was forced to evade according to the Griffon’s whims. It was inevitable that it would have her up against a wall. Even if she had time to get airborne, the risk of her blood dripping right onto the Griffon was too high to take off. The Griffon’s claws gleamed in the moonlight as it struck.
“Barnstorm Burst!” Applejack shouted at the top of her lungs. She had exploded off the ground and was upon the Griffon in the split second before its claws could rend Dash. With a buck that cracked the air, she drove her hooves into the Griffon’s leg.
Bone crunched, joints inverted and popped. The Griffon went flying.