//------------------------------// // Big Bad, Meet Bigger Bad // Story: Criminally Stupendous // by dudenotactive //------------------------------// In the repurposed warehouse down at the docks of Manehattan, is a very nervous mare. Her name was Trixie Lulamoon, and she was about to return to the place where her honor was tarnished by a certain unicorn. But today, she had worn something more than her cape and hat, a white ruffled blouse was added to the mix. And a belt around her waist with colorful vials the size of a small bullet. She sat silently on top of her brand new wagon, a far better wagon than her previous one. No longer the yellow eye sore that reminded Trixie of her failures to win the hearts of those that ridiculed her. Now it was purple, just like her cape, and it had a chimney with a cute little hat that was the same as Trixie's. It was a decision that Trixie was really proud of, it was somehow poetic for her, like the idea of casting her old self aside and taking a new form and a new life, one that is great and powerful.  One where she finally had a friend.  "Miss Trixie, why do I have to wear this?" Trixie looked over towards a mare in a black suit with a red shirt below the suit jacket, which covered her body, black boots also on her hooves so no one could tell her fur color. Over her head was a balaclava, and on her face was a mask that morbidly resembled Trixie. "Uh, it's me, Fuchsia Blush." "O-of course I know that it's you, Fuchsia!" Trixie looked away, embarrassed that she had made her confusion too obvious. "I should really put name tags on you and Lavender, but that would defeat the purpose." "And that is?" "Unlike you two, Trixie is a wanted mare. And as such, both of you must keep your identities hidden, or else you two would become criminals as well." Fuchsia made an "Oh" sound as she understood her reason. "Now, where's Lavender? We are about to head out." "Sorry I'm late!" Lavender Lace rushed into the warehouse with a large suitcase over her back, she wore the same attire as Fuchsia, pants and all. Even the mask. "Flim and Flam were busy when I came by! And they were a bit unhappy after earlier today..." Trixie immediately took the suitcase off Lavender as soon as she was close, she opened it to check its package, she frowned upon the sight. But this is what she needed. "Good, everything is ready. Let's head out!" Her horn lit up, an energy coursed through her body as she pictured a small little town in her mind. And with a flash of light, the warehouse was gone, and Trixie and her assistants were in a grassy field. Trixie smiled, her attempt on long distance teleporting had been a success, and in the distance was Ponyville itself. Nothing looked different, everything was as Trixie remembered it.  Though that strange looking mushroom shaped cloud in the distance was new.  "What in tarnation is that!?" Applejack said as she took a step closer to Roman.  "Another slobbering mutt!" Roman answered, his cane still trained on the wolf. "I would say that it's an alpha, but this thing is bigger. The biggest beowolf I've ever seen, in fact." "What do we do!?" Dash asked the thief. The Grimm eyed the thief, but it switched its gaze towards the mares. Dash and Applejack shuddered as the Grimm stared at them. It moved slightly and the mares took a step back, the Grimm let out a disturbing chuckle as it found their reaction very amusing. And that's when Roman realized it, he gritted his teeth and lowered his cane. The Grimm gave Roman a confused look, unsure as to why he had his cane pointed somewhere else.  "Run!" Roman ran off, leaving the mares with the wolf.  It took a full minute for Dash and Applejack to understand the situation, then both followed after the thief. The Grimm licked its teeth as it watched the two mares run towards the wall of dusts and dirt. Then the beast pursued.  Roman grimaced, as the three entered the aftermath of Roman's art, they came face to face with a few Grimm who were all looking at the thief hungrily. Of course some had survived, their bone armor had probably protected them, or a Grimm that's bigger than them had absorbed all the energy. The latter was far more possible, especially when the three saw a large deathstalker that was barely even alive. The Grimm are a pest that's really hard to get rid of. If it was easy, then he would not have been so troubled with them back on Remnant.  The Grimm, four beowolves, stood before them. And Roman could tell that more were coming as shadows shifted in the smoke. Red glowing orbs moved erratically, and the stench of gunpowder was strong. And the air was still warm from the heat of the blasts.  The first beowolf pounced at Roman with its jaws opened wide, but the thief simply hooked his cane on its opened maw and pulled the Grimm over Applejack, who spun around to deliver a powerful buck towards the wolf's neck. Roman grinned as he heard the sickening snap and the wolf's body became limp. The thief didn't just stop there, he used his strength and aura to toss the wolf at the rest.  Dash flashed towards the next wolf, her hoof glowed and she threw a mean left hook that tore off the Grimm's jaw with one clean hit. Before the other could even make a move, the first wolf crashed into them and they became pinned beneath the dead wolf. Both Applejack and Roman took the advantage and eliminated the wolves who were easy kills. With the obstacles dead and gone, the three continued forward.  As they ran through the field of devastation, more and more Grimm monsters had come out of their shelters. Many had survived, but luckily not all of them, the best part was that the amount of Grimm were much easier to get rid of. If they had help that is.  Roman hopped over a few beasts that tried to grab him, he was glad that the Grimm were far apart. Or else they would have to take them all at the same time.  Applejack looked back to see a giant shadow within the smoke, then she knew that the monster was gaining on them. She could hear the heavy steps it took as they ran. Soon, they burst out of the other end, and Roman couldn't be happier to see the sun. Especially the town ahead.  "Head back to Ponyville!" Dash opened up her wings and prepared herself to fly off.  Applejack frowned as she noticed Roman doing the same thing as Dash. "Hey, what about me!" Roman groaned. "I forgot! Skittles, she's your friend, so carry her!" "What!? You're the stallion here! You carry her!" "We don't have time for this, and I'm the one with the magic cane, I'll be doing the shooting!" Roman wiggled the cane in the air.  "Fine!" Dash scoffed as she wrapped her hooves around Applejack. "Ready?" "As Ah'll ever be!" The farmer answered. The large wolf exited the cloud just in time to see his prey escaping towards town. A few other Grimm had also come out of the cloud, only to freeze under the glare of the large wolf. It growled and they took a step back, away from the larger Grimm. Then the wolf looked back at its prey, it howled before it went after Roman. Leaving the rest of the Grimm on the broken earth that was caused by Roman, then they felt something, it was anger and it came from the other side of the cloud.  Feather Storm furiously kicked the broken chariot, he and the guards were lucky that they only received a few cuts and bruises. As for Twilight, Storm glanced over to the unconscious mare. Unlike the others, she had no helmet when the bits and pieces of Grimm pelted them like bullets, one single skull had struck her right on the temple as they fell.  Storm cursed the thief for the creation of such a destructive bomb, just next to Ponyville of all places. He's just happy that they were far enough not to do damage to the town. But the blastwave had probably destroyed a few glass windows, but that's the least of their problems.  He looked around himself, they were far from the destruction, that's for sure. But that's a problem of its own. They were completely far from help.  A guard sneezed, Storm glared at him and was about to give him an earful. But one of the unicorns had raised attention towards something in the distance. Storm scoffed as a few Grimm beasts were headed for them. Too many for five unarmed guards to handle. Before he could even bark off some orders, a flurry of arrows had rained down upon the Grimm, turning every single one into a pin cushion.  The Iron Legionnaires looked up, his guards cheered upon the sight of a dozen golden chariots in the sky, the Royal Guards had arrived armed with spears, swords, and bows. They had answered their calls, though it was a little late. But they can help clean things up.  Storm sighed, he collapsed onto the ground as the chariots neared them, at least something good happened today.  Roman was having a terrible day. First, a fan from his fan club had ruined his lunch with Applejack and her friends, then he had to deal with a Grimm problem, and now he's being chased by a very large beowolf.  Speaking of which, the wolf was right on their tails, it was unnaturally quick for its size. And the worst part was, it had eyes on Roman. The thief scoffed, he attempted to take a few shots at the wolf, but the beast was quick on its feet. Not a single flare had landed, the Grimm dodged it with ease.  "What's the plan!?" Applejack asked as she tried not to puke out her lunch as Dash kept moving around. "This is far worse than a rodeo... urp!" "I'll distract it, while you two go find some flammable cans of hairspray, or a cleaning product!"  "No more bombs!" Dash glared at him. "As cool as it was, I would rather keep my hooves intact, please!" "Do you have a plan!?" Roman growled as they neared the town.  "May Trixie suggest her great and amazing idea?" Roman nearly tripped on himself as he registered the voice, he snapped his attention to his right and found Trixie on a brand new wagon that was being pulled by two oddly dressed ponies. "Trixie!?" Roman as well as Dash and Applejack exclaimed.  "Yes, it is I! Trixie Lulamoon!" She stood on two hooves, and it was impressive of her to keep her balance with the speed that the pegasi and the wagon is going. "Notice anything different, Roman?" "You're still an idiot." He wasted no time to answer. "That's not what I'm trying to show!" She frowned as she raised her forelegs to the side to give Roman a clear view of her new style.  "You got a shirt, what's different?" Trixie huffed angrily. "I thought you had a sense of fashion!?" Roman scoffed. "Oh honey, do you even see me right now? I'm bucking fabulous! And yes, that ruffled blouse looks good on you, I like it. But we have bigger problems!" He raised a hoof behind them.  Trixie's attention was brought to the giant beowolf that was right on their tails. "What in Celestia's name is that!?" "Miss Trixie, that is a Shadow Beast!" One of the masked ponies informed Trixie.  "Have you not seen one before, miss Trixie?" The other asked.  Trixie shook her head. "No, Trixie has not seen such a beast." "Huh, makes sense." Roman commented. "But since we're all here now, got any ideas Trixie?" Trixie smirked and brought up the suitcase. "We fight! Trixie is strong enough to defeat this vile monster!" "Is that..." "Yes indeed!" Trixie opened the suitcase and presented it to Roman, the thief couldn't hide his enthusiasm. Inside the suitcase was extra Dust bullets for Roman, not only that, there were extra Dust crystals for an explosive attack. And right in the middle was a small silver orb. The Orb was far more interesting to Roman, because it was something he had been keeping a secret from Trixie, yet she had brought it here. "Alright, did those two idiots tell you?" "No, Trixie had persuaded them to tell me all of your plans!" She grinned as she took the small orb into her hooves.  "Excuse me, but why is a metal ball so important?" Dash questioned.  "Ah'm also expressing mah concern for the plan!" Said Applejack. "Fools!" Trixie scolded Dash for questioning her. She raised the orb in the air and traced it with the tip of her right hoof. No matter how much she moved, the ball stayed where it was. "This is one of Roman's designs! A weapon that grants Trixie an upper hoof in battle!" "Heh, so much for unicorn pride." Roman commented, but Trixie simply ignored it.  Her hoof tapped the top, and a long rod extended from the ball, transforming it into a magicians cane. At the area where the orb and the cane connects, six slots had extended out of the steel orb. Trixie quickly placed the Dust vials from her belt into the slots. And it retracted back into the orb, it glowed brightly red for a second.  "Woah!" Dash couldn't hold back as she was truly impressed by such a simple trick.  Trixie held her head high as she presented her weapon, she gave it a twirl and showed off her skills with her hooves. "I present to you all, the debut of Trixie's finest weapon, Smoke And Mirrors!" "Hey, I wanted Houdini's Whisper." Roman smiled, he honestly liked the one Trixie had come up with.  "Why do ya need a name for it?" Applejack asked as they all had completely forgotten of the wolf behind them.  Roman's expression hardened. "Weapons are an extension to your body, a tool you must trust as you jump into battle. A companion that you must never leave behind." Roman raised his cane higher. "By naming it, then you and the tool are one, a reminder that the sword in your hands is what separates you from those who've fallen. It is one of the things that keeps you away from death's embrace, and I would put my trust into my weapon, Melodic Cudgel." The group were silent, none had ever expected Roman to give his opinion about weapons. He seemed very passionate about the subject, even the wolf at the back was intrigued from his words. Trixie had never seen Roman so serious, it was slightly disturbing.  "Alright! Back at the matter at hand!" Roman swiped the suitcase from Trixie to collect the ammunition he needed and threw the suitcase into Applejack's hooves. "Skittles, put Blondie on the wagon and take Trixie off of it!" "What!?" The two blue mares exclaimed.  "Just do it!" Dash quickly did as she was told, Applejack was out of her hooves and was replaced by Trixie instead. Much to Trixie's embarrassment and Dash's irritation. "Now what!?" Dash waited for what's next as they entered the town. Roman went over to the masked mares and hovered beside them. "Bring Applejack to the town hall, we'll deal with the beowolf!" The mares only nodded, they did not question his plan. As for Applejack herself... "But Ah can help!" "You don't have aura, and it's what keeps me, Trixie, and Skittles alive! No buts!" Roman argued back, he didn't wait for any response as he raised his free hoof in the air and struck one of the mares on the rear, causing her to run much faster. He didn't even apologize for hitting the mare, instead, he flew back to Dash's side. The wagon was already gone, far from Roman and the Grimm.  "Hey, AJ could've helped!" Dash frowned at how he just cast aside her friend.  Trixie frowned. "No she can't, she doesn't have an aura like us, Roman had already pointed this out." "Then why don't you give her one!?" "No can do Skittles, I already unlocked yours, and that took a big chunk from my aura!" Roman said as he motioned for Dash to follow. He glided down onto the ground and landed facing towards the Grimm. "And I need my aura more than ever." Actually, that's a lie, unlocking Skittles' aura was no problem. I would rather only have you with aura, but maybe... The wolf stopped as well, it stood just a few feet away from Roman, its eyes stared deeply into Roman's. It grinned viciously and licked its claws excitedly.  Dash released Trixie and dropped her next to Roman, the unicorn landed gracefully and struck a pose with her own cane floating by her side. Dash stood next to Roman and readied her knife. Trixie snickered as she saw her weapon.  "Really Rainbow Dash, a puny kitchen knife?" Dash growled towards her. "At least mine can cut through things!" "Oh, Trixie's weapon could do much more than your tiny knife." She grinned as the cane made an audible click. Trixie charged forward, the Grimm tilted their head to the side as it watched her run on four hooves.  The orb flickered red, then blue. Just as she was close enough, Trixie slammed the cane onto the ground and the area was filled with smoke. The wolf stared at the cloud, its attention now fully on Trixie, wherever she was. Out of the smoke came the unicorn, a prideful smile on her face as she blindly charged forward.  "What is she doing!?" Dash questioned Trixie's plan and was about to intervene, but Roman held her back with his cane around her neck.  "Hold on Skittles, let's see where this is going." Just as Trixie was close enough, the wolf lunged with its claws raised, but when it was about to land a hit, a steel ball had intervened and struck the wolf right on its face. Dash gasped, the cane had extended into some kind of whip, or a flail. Roman watched the ball retract back into place, a peaceful smile on his face. Trixie took advantage of the wolf's confusion and slammed her cane between its feet, it flickered blue, and the ground froze.  Before the wolf could even react, its legs were enveloped by ice as it grew from the ground. And just as it started, the ice had completely hindered any movement, making the wolf into a big target. Just in time for the smoke to clear out, Dash's eyes widened, in the middle of the dissipating smoke was Trixie herself.  "Two Trixies!?" Dash was confused at first, but she then understood. Wait no, this is probably her semblance, or some unicorn magic... Nah, she's not that good! "Hmm, makes sense that her semblance is creating a clone." Roman commented. "She was always so full of herself that she placed her pride above all. Even after she and I had become friends, she was still so self-centered. I was lucky that I even got through with her." "So wait, are semblance supposed to be based on your personality?" "Yes and no, it is a manifestation of your innate and personal power, which is almost unique to most people." "So... I have lightning because?" Roman smirked. "You're stubborn, always pushing forward without thinking. Just like a storm, you would never know where a lightning would strike, or if it would strike the same thing a second time. Yet, when times are right, one could harness the power of nature and use it to help the people, or destroy everything. Plus, you got a rainbow lightning on your butt." Dash huffed. "Hey, AJ is far more stubborn than me! What about you, huh? Why's it a door?" "That's easy, Skittles." Roman grinned. "I'm a coward." The Trixie from the smoke raised her cane, a series of colors flashed for a second, and the ball ejected out the empty Dust vials. "For Trixie's next trick, watch as she obliterates this feeble mutt!" The cane clicked a few times, and then it collapsed into a limp, as if the weapon had melted. But in truth, this was the second form of Smoke And Mirrors, the flail.  Trixie pulled back the flail and swung it like a whip, Smoke And Mirrors extended forward towards the frozen wolf. The Grimm grinned as it watched the steel ball approach them. Just as the very tip had made contact with the frozen surface, an explosion occurred. It covered the giant beowolf completely and it roared as the fire consumed it. Just like that, the beast was no more. Both Trixies quickly reunited with Roman and Dash, their heads held high as they awaited the praises from the thief.  Only to be bonked on both heads, they recoiled away with their hooves on their own heads. "Trix' and... Trixie? Whatever! That was a total waste of Dust! Using it all for one big explosion is creative, yes, but it's not a good idea to throw away useful things. And worst, the beowolf is still alive!" Just as Roman had said, the wolf was indeed alive, once the smoke had cleared out, it stood angrily and glared at the two unicorns.  "Ha! Looks like dumb and dumber ain't all that!" Dash mocked them. Lightning had begun to arch her around her hooves and the knife. "How about we show her how it's done, Roman?" Roman smirked. "Sure thing Skittles," He twirled his cane as he walked towards the wolf. "Stormy Night!" Roman rushed forward as Dash powered up her semblance, the wolf pulled back its arm and swung forward for the thief. But he simply slid under the gigantic claws and right between his legs, but not before leaving him a present. As the wolf had been leaning forward, a door appeared below him after a puff of smoke, once it opened, he was greeted by an electric tackle to the gut. Dash grinned as she launched the wolf into the air with the power behind the tackle.  But the wolf was unfazed, it grabbed Dash by the tail as they both descended back to the ground and pulled her away. Just as the wolf landed, a door had popped out of nowhere and out of it came Roman with a red Dust crystal in his hoof.  "Eat it." He tossed the crystal towards the wolf, the Grimm recoiled and released the pegasus in its claws. The Grimm brought up its arms protectively as Roman raised his cane behind him, still keeping his eyes on the wolf through the door as he shot the Dust crystal.  But Roman was too caught up with himself, that the wolf had jumped out of the smoke to wrap its dirty paws on him. Trixie quickly made a move to help her partner, she nodded towards her clone and hopped on top of the copy who had charged up her own cane. Both the orb and the clone flickered red, and Trixie felt a large explosion beneath her and the blast sent her towards the beast. Her weapon flickered yellow right before it was used against the wolf. The Grimm grunted as electricity coursed through them. It tossed Roman aside and tried to get the unicorn instead, but just as it was about to grab her, Trixie had literally split in two.  The mares distanced themselves away from the wolf. Both had charged up another Dust vial, the orbs lit up with a dark orange color. With a single motion from both Trixies, a gigantic pillar of stone had risen out of the ground and went straight towards the beast. But the wolf was quick, and strong. With one swing of an arm, the pillar was destroyed. It was a mistake, as Roman had aimed at its eyes. He stood just next to him, there was no way for the thief to miss from this distance. A flare screeched through air and landed on the wolf's face, another explosion.  Roman grinned, but then his expression fell as the wolf had revealed that it had protected itself with its massive claws. Though it suffered so much damage, the wolf did not stutter. Before Roman even knew, the wolf's intact fist had finally made contact to Roman's side. The thief had the wind punched out of him and was launched off his hooves.  "Roman!" Both Trixies exclaimed.  Once the thief had a very rough landing, his body flickered with a strange light for a second. His eyes widened. "Oh, crap." He muttered as he attempted to pick himself up, only to fall back onto the ground. Damn, that Grimm hits like a train! Took a really big chunk out of my aura! The pain was still present, but Roman had managed to stand up, his footing slightly off. Dash prepped her knife, she zoomed in on the wolf with her weapon raised. In a blink of an eye, she dug deep into the wolf's chest. The Grimm stumbled back as it took the full force of the pegasus. The wolf grinned and swatted Dash away, leaving the knife deep in its chest. It gave the happiest chuckle a Grimm could make, the wolf found it amusing that Dash tried to kill them with a tiny knife.  The Grimm would've been insulted, the weapons on its back were trophies of its previous battles. But even Grimm monsters know how to have fun, just like now.  Dash flew across the street. "Lightning Thief!" She heard Roman as she flew over him.  The handle of Melodic Cudgel shot out of the cane and launched itself towards Dash. Once her hooves had held the handle, Roman pulled her towards him, she sailed over the thief as her wings fluttered, Roman had begun to swing her around him. The speed increased thanks to Dash's wings and semblance, her body had begun shifting into light. Dash had made a few laps around Roman, her speed steadily increasing. The wolf knew what Roman was planning, so it took a step to put a stop to it.  Only for its foot to be entrapped in ice, it looked back at the unicorn, the Grimm had forgotten that she was there.  "That's right you dolt! Trixie and her number 2 is- wait, where did she go!?" Trixie had finally noticed that she was alone. "Not again!" The wolf howled, it broke free of the frozen trap and continued towards Roman. The thief grinned as Dash made another lap, nearly hitting the wolf. But the Grimm had other ideas. The wolf reached over its back and plucked one of the swords with its gigantic paw. Roman's eyes couldn't believe it, the Grimm had just tossed an old rusty sword at him. Roman knew that the older the Grimm, the smarter they are. But this was ridiculous!  Our hero had to dodge it, but his decision had shifted Dash's pattern, this in turn would cause the pegasus to fly off course. The handle slipped out of her hooves and she went flying straight into the nearby house, the amount of power she was using had even caused her to go through a few more buildings. Toppling them in within a single minute.  Roman stumbled forward as he felt the pull from Dash's launch and came face to face with a very hungry looking monster. Roman grinned sheepishly as the wolf towered over him. But before the wolf could even sink its teeth on the thief, a door below him had popped out of reality and it opened to a different place. And just like that, the wolf's prey had escaped. The door was shut closed in a very rude manner.   The wolf straightened itself, it glanced over to Trixie who froze like a statue under its gaze. Luckily for her, the Grimm had no interest. It sniffed the air for the familiar scent. Gunpowder and tobacco. If it had lips, the wolf would be smiling as it caught Roman's scent. The wolf quickly followed the scent to wherever the thief was hiding. The wolf ran faster than ever, its hunger motivated them. The wolf could tell that the unicorn was just behind it, the wolf would've taken a bite out of her, but he was saving its hunger for the orange headed pegasus.  A minute later, the wolf rounded a corner, and there it found its prey. The beast howled, catching Roman's attention.  Roman frowned as soon as the monster had made itself known, he was so caught up with a very disoriented Rainbow Dash, that he didn't hear the monster coming. "Trixie!" The mare behind the Grimm stood attentively. "Shooting Star!" Trixie smiled, her horn lit up as she waited for Roman. The thief took aim and fired a shot. But just as the flare left the base of his cane, Roman had flipped his weapon and hooked the flare itself and shifted the cane down. Changing the ordinary flare into a wave of Dust energy. Roman repeated it two more times, sending three waves of Dust.  The wolf had stepped to the side as it all passed, but it didn't take account of Trixie. The unicorn grabbed the crescent energies with her magic and whipped it back towards the wolf. It tried to dodge in the last second, but the Dust waves had already landed on its damaged fist. It yelped as the explosion had finally consumed the hand, leaving the wolf with only one. It growled viciously and charged towards Trixie, it raised its claws in the air, but found that they couldn't move it.  Roman smiled as he watched the Grimm struggle, his cane had launched the handle and it wrapped around the wolf's arm, which prevented it from harming Trixie. But then the colors on Roman's face faded when the wolf snorted a laugh, it used Roman's tiny little strength to propel itself towards the thief. Roman tried to move away from the giant black shadow that approached him faster than a car. But the Grimm used his current state to pull him towards it, the Grimm grabbed him with its good hand once he was close enough. And Roman felt light for a second, before being smashed into a nearby building.  Trixie gasped and made an attempt to save Roman, but the wolf used the thief himself to bat away the showmare. It gave another chuckle before it smashed Roman once more into a different building. And just as it was about to do it again, a sharp pain in its back had caused it to throw the thief away. The Grimm looked behind itself to see Dash clinging on its back, a rusty spear in her hoof as she attempted to pull it out with whatever strength she still had.  Applejack tried to reason with the two masked ponies, but they held her back with the help of Applejack's friends, Pinkie and Rarity. "Let me go! Ah can help!" "Really darling, Roman could handle things from here, you do not need to do anything!" Rarity tried to get through AJ, but the farmer was too stubborn. "Miss Trixie's partner had told us not to interfere!" One of the masked mares spoke.  "But that's the thing! That varmint is as big as this here building!" She motioned a hoof towards the town hall. "Three ponies with magic and explodey rocks! Ah've seen that thing comin' out of Roman's big magic trick! And trust me, that thing is dangerous!" "But Applejack, what if you get hurt?" Fluttershy spoke as she hovered nearby.  "What about RD? She's out there fightin', and Ah'm here busy talking when Ah could help!" "Unlike you Applejack, they got aura! Whatever that is..." Pinkie reminded Applejack about Roman's magic.  But from what Twilight had told her during the ride with the Iron Legion earlier, Roman was able to give his power to anyone as long as they have a soul. All this information was thanks to Dash for giving Twilight the notepad that Roman owned.  "Then Ah'll get Roman to give me one!" "That would be a problem." Pinkie pointed out.  "Why's that?" Pinkie raised a hoof towards a small indescribable shape coming towards them, soon enough, it crash landed right at their hooves and the unknown shape was Roman Torchwick. He groaned painfully as his aura flickered, a sign that it was about to break. "Hey... Blondie..." He greeted her weakly.  "Roman, what happened!?" She quickly came to his aid, she removed his hat and propped his head over her hoof.  "That mutt was smarter than the average Grimm..." He muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.  "Roman!" They heard Trixie call out as she ran through the open gates, she rushed to his side quicker than everyone thought. "Roman, are you okay!?" The thief chuckled. "Better than my parents, heh- ow!" Roman cringed as he felt a sharp pain in his chest, something must've been broken after his experience as a makeshift sledgehammer. His aura was weak, there was definitely a short moment where it didn't protect him as he kissed a brick wall.  "Ah knew y'all couldn't handle it! Ah should've just stayed!" AJ frowned. "Maybe... but you don't have aura..." Roman pointed it out, like Pinkie had done recently.  "Yeah, what would you even do?" Trixie scoffed. "You're as useful as a sheep acting as bait! Maybe we should've kept you around for the wolf!" Applejack glared at her, then she faced Roman with determination. "Give me aura, Ah can help!" "No." He denied her the opportunity to prove herself.  "But Roman!" "Can't you take a hint!?" Trixie took a step forward. "We have a giant wolf thing chasing after Roman!" "Then let me help! Ah can fight!" Roman smiled. "Nah... I got a plan, I thought it up while I was having some good air, right before I crashed here." "Then what if it doesn't work!?" Applejack pressed further.  "Applejack, dear, you should really listen!" Rarity tried to pull her friend back, but Applejack shrugged her off.  "Just give me a chance!" "Is this how a hero like you should act, Applejack?" Trixie grinned. "How pitiful." "Hey!" Pinkie frowned, she and Rarity shared the same emotion after Trixie had practically insulted their friend. As for Applejack, she simply ignored the prideful unicorn, she placed her hooves on Roman's shoulders and pressed him down. "Ah want to help! Why can't you just let me!" Roman pushed her off, his face was passive. "You want to help? Then go bake a pie or something. I'll be hungry as soon as I deal with the Grimm." "Look out!" The guards by the walls warned everyone as the beowolf Roman was fighting had returned. It barreled through the barrier like it was nothing, destroying it as if it was made of waffles.  I just can't get a break. Roman pulled himself up. He had struggled for a second, but he managed to get himself up. His cane supported his weight as he limped towards the beast.  "Roman, you shouldn't go!" Trixie stood in his path, but the thief only pushed her aside and continued.  Many Legionnaires had gathered around the monster, weapons raised. But the wolf raised its hand towards them and revealed to all the battered pegasus.  "Rainbow Dash!" Applejack gasped along with her friends. Rarity nearly fainted.  "I-it has a hostage!?" A guard exclaimed, many of them were unsure if they could believe their eyes.  "Trixie, you have to do something!" Rarity pleaded to her fellow unicorn.  Trixie clenched and bared her teeth. "Trixie can't fight without help, this beast is too strong for Trixie!" The guards shifted a little, the Grimm stretched out its index finger before it positioned it to Dash's neck, a single claw threatened to take her life. "Damn it, no one moves an inch!" "Let me handle this." Roman pushed his way through the guards.  "What do you think-" A simple glare from Roman had silenced the guard, they quickly shut their mouth and stayed back in line.  Roman limped his way towards the beast, the Grimm tilted its head down a little to simulate a smile. Everyone could only stand and watch as Roman took one last step closer to the beast. "I'm here, I'm the one you want." Roman tossed the cane aside, his hooves fished out a last cigar and a lighter out of his jacket. He kept his eyes at the beast as he flicked his lighter open, his cigar glowed brightly as he inhaled.  "Roman... run!" Dash struggled in the wolf's fist.  "No can do Dash, I can't just let you die here." Roman smirked. "I owe Twilight big time for what she had done." "But..." Dash tried to speak, but the wolf tightened its grip to silence her.  It took a step towards Roman, an evil glint in its eye. "Shame," The wolf paused its advance. "I had a lot of fun back there, it reminds me of the old times..." The wolf eyed him quizzically. Everyone watching was fearful and confused, especially the Iron Legion, they had expected the beast to chomp down on the thief. But instead, it was listening to Roman, as if it could understand what he was saying.  "Darn, I sound old..." Roman chuckled. "So grandma, how old are you anyways? Those weapons on your back are practically dust, so you must be at least... a thousand." "Roman, what are you- gah!" Dash was once again silenced by the wolf.  "Now that I think of it, metal doesn't really last that long. So you must have been fighting everyday just to flaunt your collection." Roman complimented the beast, and it earned him a very disturbing chuckle.  "What's he doing!?" A guard questioned Roman's method.  "Wait... he's stalling!" Another whispered.  "The Royal Guards would be here soon..." "That stallion is a genius!" "Welp, now I'm just stalling! Go on, just finish this." Everyone was thrown off by Roman's decision, it was not what they had expected at all.  The wolf shrugged its shoulders and opened their maw, they inched forward towards Roman. The thief gagged as the smell of death had assaulted his senses.  "Shame, that we can't do it again, the chase was fun while it lasted." The wolf froze, then it pulled itself away to stare at its prey. "Aren't you gonna eat me?" "W-why did it stop?" Fluttershy asked as she hid behind her friends.  "I don't know dearie, Roman had probably said something to make it reconsider..." Rarity said as she tried not to faint, this kind isn't really new but monsters are still terrifying.  "Roman..." Applejack muttered, she tried her best to understand the thief, but she couldn't really. He was unreadable, one moment he was calm and annoying, then he became furious and deadly. Try as he might, the thief was obviously quick to anger.  "Hey, you seem to be busy." Roman stared back at the wolf. In truth, the Grimm was thinking, and Roman knew it was. The beast was still for a second, then it raised its fist towards Roman. The unthinkable happened after, the Grimm had released Rainbow Dash from its claws. "What?" Roman cocked a brow.  Roman's spectators were caught off-guard by the wolf's action, none had attempted to aid him as they were too confused by this phenomenon. The Grimm raised a finger to give Roman a gentle tap on his chest, it chuckled once more. Every pony who was outside the town hall was mentally panicking, not once had any of them witness an intelligent beowolf. It was simply unheard of.  He chuckled loudly. "Heh, guess you had fun also, huh? The name is Roman Torchwick, you better remember that!" The wolf gave a guttural laugh that broke the silence. It was loud enough to shake the building near them, the windows shuddered as the wolf laughed. Then it stopped, the Grimm stared at its prey once more. "R-Ro-ah..." It was Roman's turn to be caught by surprise, his smile turned into a nervous one. His mind raced to understand what had just occurred. Holy brothers above... it spoke! Not completely, but still! "Yes," Roman was still smiling nervously. "that's my name, and I sure hope that we will... meet again..." The wolf laughed once more, then it ran. Leaving the thief and the ponies with questions. The guards near the gate allowed the Grimm to pass with no complaints, closing the gates after it had left. "W-what was that!?" Dash questioned as her friends and a few guards rushed to Roman's and Dash's side.  "That was amazing!" A guard said as he attended to Dash's bruises and injuries. "I have never thought a Grimm could speak!" "Same..." Roman said before crumbling down to the ground. "I thought it was all a rumor, but apparently it's all true!" "Roman, are you alright!?" Applejack tried to help the thief, only to be shoved aside by Trixie.  "Roman, you idiot!" Trixie slapped him right on the face. "You could've died!" Before she could even do anything, Roman had struck her with his hoof in return. She stumbled back as she felt the pain in her gut. Trixie was caught off guard, her aura was not ready for Roman's surprise attack.  "Shut up! I'm not into those sappy moments!" Roman pushed himself up, his body feeling a little heavy. "First you slap me then you hug me like those crappy movies..." Roman scoffed.  "Sir, you shouldn't move!" A guard attempted to keep him still, but failed to do so as Roman bonked him on the head.  "Trixie, grab my cane, we're leaving!" "R-right away Roman! You heard him, we're leaving!" Trixie told her assistants before she shuffled off to pick up his weapon.  The rest of the Elements of Harmony quickly blocked Roman's path. "But Roman, you need to rest!"  Fluttershy tried to stop him, but a slight movement of Roman's hoof silenced her, forcing the pegasus to hide behind her friends. "I-if that's alright with you..." Applejack huffed as she glared at Roman. "Fluttershy is right Roman, ya need rest just like Dash!" "I'm fine." He shifted a little, his ears moved under his hat and he stared off towards the closed gates.  "Really darling, you need to lie down and get some help, you look like such a mess!" Rarity wanted to use her magic, but that would be rude to Roman after he had saved Dash's life.  Once Dash was mentioned, the thief immediately rushed over to her side, and Applejack quickly followed. "Dash!" "Roman..." She greeted him weakly. "I feel terrible!" "Your aura is broken, too much strain on the soul as a result." Roman leaned closer to her. "Listen carefully, your semblance is like a muscle. The more you practice with it, the stronger it will become. But if you only focus on one aspect of it, if you fail to test the limits of what you think is possible, then you'll never truly grow." "Why are you telling me this?" She asked him.  "Because, I've decided!" He smiled. "This isn't really my thing, but... Rainbow Dash, give me a challenge, show me how strong you are!" "What...?" Even Applejack was confused as well as the rest. Before anyone could even speak, Roman pulled her over his shoulder. Her eyes widened as Roman whispered into her ears. By the time he was done, Trixie's assistants had returned with Trixie's wagon. "See ya next time Skittles!" Roman dropped Dash roughly on the ground and made a run for the wagon while everyone was distracted. "Let's go! Run through the gate with all you've got!" He ordered the two mares as he climbed up on top of the wagon, Trixie blindly followed.  "W-why?" Both mares asked, unsure if they should follow his orders.  "Just get to the exit!" "Roman!" Dash tried to get up, but she did not have the strength. "G-get back here!" "Roman, you shouldn't move!" Applejack warned him. "Don't let him get away!" Confusion returned, none could understand Dash with what she was meaning. Before any questions could be asked, the gates opened to reveal a few golden chariots escorted by Feather Storm and his troops. Their eyes widened as Trixie's wagon rushed through them, nearly destroying a few chariots. "That's Roman Torchwick!" One of the Royal Guards had recognized him faster than anyone in town.  "What!?" A stallion in white uniform exclaimed, he stood out among the guards. "Go after him!" A few chariots broke off from the formation to give chase. "Why didn't you tell me a criminal is in this town!?" "We have not known, sir!" Storm answered. "He suddenly popped into town just a few days ago, none of us are informed about him!" "Hold a darn second! What do y'all mean he's a 'criminal'!?" Applejack rushed over to their side. "And who are you, anyways?" The stallion straightened himself. "That pegasus was Roman Torchwick, a stallion who had robbed a bank at Manehattan with his partner Trixie Lulamoon! Who had also done a few robberies without Roman! He is a wanted pony, guilty of his crimes to the peaceful city. As for who I am, that doesn't matter!" The guard pushed her away and continued towards the town hall. "I'm gonna need a full report of his influence on this town and everything he has done! Where he slept, what he had for breakfast, give me everything!" Storm growled. "I knew that guy was trouble!" He muttered as he passed Applejack.  She looked towards the distance where Roman had gone followed by a few chariots. She couldn't really see the chase, but she could hear the explosions. Applejack had a strange feeling in her chest as she registered the information about Roman. She could only wonder what he had said to Dash to make her hostile towards him.  Maybe he had told her the truth? If so, then why? To taunt the pegasus?  All Applejack could think now was how the thief had deceived her. How he had used her kindness to his advantage. Then she felt strangely cold, her hooves quivered as she bared her teeth.  "Roman... you dirty stinkin' crook!" And thus, an enemy was made. Roman's lies had been uncovered and the truth had been revealed to Applejack's eyes. As much as she wanted to believe otherwise, the guard's words were honest. Her opinion of the thief had changed so quickly, this was the result of Roman's deceptive nature. What Roman had whispered to Dash is still unknown, he had told her more than they all would expect. More than the truths of his crimes in Manehattan. Soon, Dash and Roman shall face each other again, but not as allies, but two warriors with conflicting ideals. One was the hero of her country, while the other is a threat to the livelihood of many.  The future is a mystery, and Roman is still on the loose.