//------------------------------//
// Ambush 
// Story: Forgotten Soldier; Wrong War  
// by rocketlvr 
//------------------------------//

With the derringer securely hidden in his pocket, victor made his way outside to see his six friends doing what he expected. Rainbow Dash was flying, Pinkie was missing, Twilight was discussing books with Fluttershy and Apple Jack and Rarity were discussing painting the barn a more aesthetically pleasing color.
Pinkie was the first to notice him. Tackling him from behind, he was thrown to the dirt as the pink mare hugged him. "VICTOR!!! YOU"RE UP!! THIS IS SO GREAT!! NOW YOU GOTTA MEET ALL THE PONIES IN PONYVILLE" She started to drag him across the dirt path by his arm as he sputtered and and gagged on the copious amount of dirt flying into his mouth. "PINKIE!!!! *hack* STOP!! *gag*" she stopped for a moment and looked at him "yeah?"

"can you let me walk?"

"Okie dokie loki"

She let go of his arm and trotted off. Getting up slowly he dusted himself off as the rest of his friends had noticed and approached him. "Oh I dare say Pinkie, you really must take other factors into consideration. You easily could've wrecked his clothing." Rarity retrieved a towlette with her magic, using it much like a mother would swiping and rubbing away the dirt on his face. "uh, thanks Rarity"

Twilight chimed in "Is everypony ready to go?" a chorus of yes, yeps, and uh-huhs resounded. 
"Great, let's go!" 

The tour of Ponyville was surprising serene. Most of he other ponies had already met Victor and the majority of their remaining suspicious subsided as he talked with them. However, there were a few cases of ponies who weren't to keen with him. For one instance, the Cakes who were far too busy with their orders and taking care of their two children hadn't seen or even heard of the marine before hand were quite frightened when monster that was a good two feet taller then them started to play "I got your nose" with the two babies and nearly gotten his head smashed in by a frantically thrown rolling pin. Which was quite understandable really when you consider that the fingerless ponies have no real way to "get some ponies nose" so what seems like an innocent game in our world is more like organ harvesting in another.
Other than a few ponies running away screaming, nearly getting his head caved in, and being almost set on fire when Lyra tried shake hands with her home made "robotic hands" the day was fairly relaxed. None of them noticed the shadowy figure watching them from afar.

"... and this is Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Jacks farm and home." Twilight pointed at the large sprawling orchards and red farm houses.

"Hey Victor, ya wanna try one of these here apples? Best darn apples found anywhere in Equestria!"

"sure why not, thanks AJ"

Victor walked over to one of the trees that were lining the road. Reaching for one of the apples he felt something graze past him and land in the tree with a soft "wunk". Gazing down he found a large hatchet sticking out of the tree bark. He looked over his shoulder to see a large blue bull thing standing in the center of the road with an assortment of swords, daggers, and axes in sheaths all over his person.

"Destroy elements, no witnesses. Destroy elements, no witnesses." he was groaning softly as he drew two swords from their sheaths and raised them above his head.

"Welp, at least we know what he's here for" Victor said to himself, as the bull charged into the midst of the ponies who all scattered at his approach.

"What's a minotaur doing out here!?" Twilight shouted to her friends.

"What ever it is, it sure doesn't seem friendly" Rainbow Dash said as she flew upwards and then dove to dive bomb the beast. As she was directly over his head he swung his swords at her narrowly missing as she barrel rolled out of  way at the last second. As she flew off, the minotaur took off after the closest pony he could find, Fluttershy. 

"oh no you don't!!" Victor shouted as he took off after him wrenching the hatchet from the tree and hurling it at him. Unfortunately, the hatchet harmlessly flew over his head and landed softly in the bushes. "shit..." Victor muttered as he drew out his derringer from his pocket  and leveling it on the monsters center of mass. The creature was only 15 feet from Fluttershy at this point as Victor squeezed the trigger. Blasting from the barrel, the 45 ACP round punched through the monsters back like a hot knife through butter. A splash of blood and gore came out of the beasts front as he stumbled and fell to the floor. 

"WHOOHOO!! Got Him!" Victor punched a fist in the air as he jogged forward to check on his kill and the small yellow pegasus hiding ineffectively in the center of the road covering her head with her hooves. She was shivering as she spoke. 
"I-Is he..... dead?"
Victor checked over his shoulder to see the minotaur breathing raspily with a small ooze of blood coming from the exit wound.
"uh..... not yet...... if you think we should try to save him we need to act quickly" Fluttershy started sobbing. Victor didn't know how to comfort her so he just sat there stroking her mane. Poor little thing he thought to himself. He noticed that no one else arrived; he presumed the other ponies had fled to get help.

What he didn't notice was the minotaur slowly rolling over and heaving himself up despite the gaping hole in his back. the rattle of his breath was drowned out by the sobs of the small pegasus as his single directive passed through his head. Drawing a massive axe from the sheath on his back, he dragged himself the last fifteen feet till he was virtually on top of them. Only then did Victor notice the shadow falling over him and the mare. He turned around to see a massive beast, a good eight feet tall, towering over him blood oozing from his wound and small flecks of flesh and blood coming out of his mouth as he breathed. The creature took a moment and gathered his breath as he uttered the four words the marine didn't want to here. "Destroy elements, no witnesses". As he saw the beast starting to heave up his axe. Time slowed down as he  jumped forward to tackle the monster. In the middle of his jump he heard the minotaur bellow and watched in slow motion as the large blue furry arm swung towards him. He tried to react but his body seemed to be moving a mile a minute and all he could do was brace himself as the arm crashed into him with the force of a freight train, he heard an audible snap as his weight was shifted and sent in the complete opposite direction of the minotaur. Time sped back to normal as he went smashing through the air into the trunk of an apple tree. 

Drooping down onto the ground he felt every broken bone as his vision began to fade.

Bringing his head up slowly he saw the minotaur, who was ignoring him and looking down directly at Fluttershy as he started to bring his axe up again. Fluttershy now fully aware of the situation began backing away terrified. 

With his vision darkening he fumbled groggily in his pocket for his last chance. 

The creature was stepping towards her now even in his weakened state he still kept pace with her. 

The Derringer felt like a thousand pound weight in his hand as he willed himself to bring it up. 

Fluttershy frantically backing up bumped into a tree behind her as the minotaur closed the few yards still between them.

With the last strength and his vision almost completely gone he leveled the sights on the creatures head as the beast began his swing. The last thing he saw was the axe come down as he pressed the trigger before it all went black.