Oh, how I loved my toy. It was originally a gun I would hold like a (very large) pistol, but when I got my bracers and learned they had far more power than they were using, I asked if the guns could be made to attach to the bracers and use their power source. Now, I had a beautiful gun that didn't take up my hands.
I glanced back to make sure Cedric was clear as the leader staggered to his feet, clearly injured, if not badly. Still, it didn't do much to cool the burning hatred that was smoldering in his eyes.
"So, you ever goin' to tell me your name, or do I have to keep thinkin' of you as 'that werewolf'," I asked.
"My name is Blue Moon, warchief of the Silver Fangs," he replied.
"Well, Blue Moon, pleasure to finally meet you," I said. "Mah name is-"
"I know who you are, Shirotora," he replied. "We were told all about you. You are this town's only real protector."
I busted out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Blue Moon demanded.
"You… you actually… hahaha, you actually think Ah'm the only defender?" I asked as I laughed. "Oh mah god, this is too funny! Did you only bring forces to deal with a 'defenseless population'? If so, you're screwed. Do you really think these ponies could survive with the Everfree Forest right next door without being tough?"
I could practically see the gears turning as reality set in. He was not prepared, and he knew it.
"Damn it!" he cursed. "No matter, we can still get what we came for."
"And what's that?" I asked, wiping a tear from my eye.
He grinned, baring his teeth as he snarled, "Your son, Midnight Star."
The humor vanished from me in an instant. They were after Midnight? But why? Why him?
Who cared. Why wasn't important, only that they were after him. I slid my sword back into its sheath and pulled my necklace from my neck. It grew and stiffened to become Gaea's Thorn.
Blue Moon gave it a curious glance before rushing me.
He didn't get one step before I used one of my flash step spells to zip behind him and swing the large blade at his back. He turned around and raised his sword to block. My divine element slammed into his weapon, shattering it and sending him flying.
He landed with a thud and struggled to his feet.
"If you have a weapon like that, why didn't you use it before?" He asked, struggling for air.
I snarled at him, "Ah wasn't trying to kill you, before!"
He let out a chuckle. "Well, that makes two of us."
He shot his hand out to the side and in a flash of light, a saber appeared in his paw. It was long, and looked like silver with a small, short chain, about three inches long, coming off the pommel with a little spike charm at the end.
Most importantly, though, was the rainbow sheen that came off it, identifying it as a divine element.
"Let's see how round two turns out, shall we?" Blue Moon said before charging.
Applebloom and Midnight laid in the orchard, panting and sweating.
"That'll never get old," Applebloom said with a smile.
Midnight groaned. "Yeah, yeah. Rub it in. One day, I'll be faster than you, then it'll get old."
Applebloom poked him in the belly. "Not with that book belly you won't. You can't even beat Sweetie Belle in a race. What chance you got against me?"
Midnight rolled over and laid on top of her. "I could always wear you out before we race."
"Oh, and what'll keep you from getting worn out, first?" Applebloom asked.
"I can brew a pretty good stamina potion," Midnight said.
Applebloom rolled her eyes. "A novice one. Ah can brew a journeyman level one."
"Really?" Midnight asked, genuinely surprised. "You actually did it?"
"Eeyup," Applebloom said, proudly. "Rainbow tested it. She flew from here to Canterlot, full speed without slowing."
"Is that why she was asleep all of Saturday?" Midnight asked.
"That's right," Applebloom said. "Now, come on. We gotta get to class."
The young lovers started heading toward the edge of the orchard. As they approached, Midnight paused.
"Is that smoke?" He asked, gazing toward town.
Applebloom looked to see a couple trails of dark smoke rising from town.
"Ah think we should go back," Applebloom said nervously. "Miss Cheerlie will understand, even if it's nothin'."
"Oi, is that him?" came a gruff voice neither of them recognized.
They turned to see a pair of werewolves standing on the nearby road, looking at them.
"That's him, alright," said the second wolf. "Hey, little colt. Come here. We need to talk to you."
They might have gone to see what the stranger wanted, if not for the smoke in town, the weapons in their hands, and their overall sleazy demeanor.
Applebloom kicked the closest tree, knocking a couple apples loose. She twisted around and lashed out with both hooves, kicking the apples at the werewolves, smacking one in the face and forcing the other to dive out of the way.
"Run!" Applebloom shouted.
Midnight didn't hesitate to listen and followed his girlfriend back into the orchard.
Cedric arrived back in town to find it in utter chaos. Not only was there fighting in the streets, with at least a half dozen unmoving forms of werewolves and ponies, there were fires raging, ponies fighting the fires, werewolves trying to start more fires, and ponies fighting the werewolves that were trying to start more fires.
He was having trouble deciding where he was needed most until he saw a streak of pink dashing through town. Cedric knew Pinkie well enough to know she wouldn't be out here fighting if she could help it. She hated hurting others. She would only do so if given no choice, which was why she was always in the shelters. She was the last line of defense.
So, why was she out there? What could have drawn her away from her post?
"Pumpkin?! Pumpkin, where are you?!"
Cedric's heart sank. That was certainly a reason.
He rushed to her as quickly as he could. "Pinkie, what's wrong? What happened to Pumpkin?"
Pinkie looked at him with a desperate look. "Sh-she was crying and calling for her momma, and I was trying to keep her calm, but she was getting louder and louder, and then she phased through my hooves and then she floated through the ceiling, and now I don't know where she is!"
"We'll find her. I'll help," Cedric assured. "Where would she go? Home?"
Pinkie's face didn't get more hopeful like he hoped, but more horrified as she looked past him. "No… no no no no!"
Cedric turned to look where she was looking and saw the big house beside Sugarcube Corner, where the Cakes actually lived, engulfed in flames.
They rushed to the burning home, hoping they wouldn't find anything.
"Pumpkin!" Pinkie called.
Barely, over the roar of the flame, Cedric could have sworn he heard a panicked wail from inside.
"No!" Pinkie tried to rush inside, but Cedric stopped her.
"I'll get her," he said. "You get someone with medical experience in case we need them. Can you do that?"
"B-but, Pumpkin…" Pinkie tried to argue.
He gave her a stern look before finishing for her. "She'll be okay. Go get that help."
"R-right."
Cedric didn't wait to make sure she was going. He trusted her to do what was right. Instead, he rushed into the house.
"Pumpkin!" He called. "Pumpkin, sweety, where are you? Let me know where you are!"
"Cedik!" came a small voice. "Cedik. Where mommy?!"
"I'm coming!" he called. "Stay where you are and I'll come get you."
His heart nearly jumped from his chest when part of the ceiling collapsed, barring the way he'd come. "Shit. Well, that's just some cliche bullshit."
He followed the sounds of her crying, not even feeling the heat of the blaze in his single minded need to get to the toddler.
He navigated to the stairs and climbed as fast as he could.
"Pumpkin, where are you?!" He called.
He heard a weak cough and a small raspy response of "Cedik, m’ scawd!"
"I'm here!" he said as he kicked down Mister and Missus Cake's bedroom door.
His eyes immediately found the filly under a fading bubble. She looked up at him with terror in her eyes. "I wan mommy."
"I'm going to take you to mommy, okay," he said. "Look, Pumpkin, I need you to pop the bubble and go zippy. Can you do that? Go zippy right at that wall."
"No! Scawy!" she said. "Wan mommy."
"Mommy's outside, but we can't go out the front door," he said. "You remember the stories aunty Pinkie told you, about facing a giant hydra, and a scary manticore?"
"Uh-hu," Pumpkin said.
"Well, she did that because she was brave," Cedric explained. "Now it's your turn to be brave, just like auntie Pinkie. Can you do that?"
Pumpkin looked up at his smiling face. "Kay… I bwave."
"Good girl," Cedrik said, struggling to keep his building wooziness from showing. "Ready? Set? Go!"
Pumpkin closed her eyes, dropped her bubble, and ran for the wall.
"And… zippy!" Cedric cheered as the filly's horn lit up and she passed straight through the wall.
He nearly collapsed at the sound of Pinkie cheering. That, or the smoke inhalation. Probably both.
"Now, my turn," he said to himself.
The fire had already spread to the window, though.
"Shit," he cursed.
He headed back into the hallway, hoping to find an exit. He looked in the kids' room, only to be reminded that was what collapsed behind him. He started for the guest room, but tripped and landed prone on the floor.
"D-damn it," he said as he struggled to get to his hooves, to no avail. "Well, shit… I mean, dying to save a filly… I can be proud of that…"
He surrendered to fate, glad it at least meant something. So, he laid his head down, and closed his eyes.
Until he heard a scream, and the flames rushed to him.
Pinkie watched anxiously, waiting for any sign of Cedric or Pumpkin. How long had they been in there? Were they okay? What if they didn't have a way out.
"Pinkie, I'm sorry, but there are ponies that are hurt out here," Redheart said. "If they don't come out soon… I'm sorry, but I have to treat the ponies I can."
"No!" Pinkie pleaded. "Just give them a-"
Before she could finish, a flash of light came from upstairs and a filly was tumbling through the air. Pinkie reacted before she even fully realized what was going on, and caught the frightened filly.
"Cedric, you did it!" Pinkie cheered. "Your turn! Bust out of the window, or something! ...Cedric?"
Pinkie watched, her hope fading with every passing second. Where was he? He was okay, she knew it.
Unless…
She recalled her Pinkie Sense telling her something big was going to happen. No! It couldn't be this. That was about the attack, itself, not losing anyone.
Movement drew her attention. Was it him?
Pinkie turned to see a trio of werewolves come around the corner. Before she could even react, one of them threw a hatchet at them.
Pinkie could only stare as it whipped past her. There was a wet, meaty squelch and a thump behind her. She turned to see Redheart with the hatchet in her shoulder, struggling to get back up.
Pinkie screamed.
This couldn't be happening. This was supposed to be a beautiful day, full of sunshine and ponies sharing picnics in the park, laughing and playing… not this.
Time seemed to crawl as she turned to see a werewolf with a scimitar running straight toward her, sword poised to take her head.
Then, they stopped. Something was happening… something strange.
It took Pinkie a moment to realize that the light of the fire had changed. Where before it was the bright orange one would expect, it suddenly took on a bright red hue. Not only that, but it was starting to spin.
Pinkie watched as the house seemed to burn up in fast forward. It was replaced by a ruby inferno. The fire swirled around, slowly drawing in, as if the fire was condensing into a sphere.
The sphere rose into the air, like a second sun rising above the battle. All the fighting stopped as every eye was drawn to the fiery orb.
Then, the fire stopped spinning, and opened up in a pair of massive wings. Within was a vaguely equine form, if a pony could be fire personified.
It looked down at the werewolves, it's eyes pools of molten rage and roared.
It didn't breathe fire, it exuded it from its very being, as if sending forth part of itself, and consumed the closest werewolf. It couldn't even scream before blowing away in the wind.
Pinkie watched as her friend, risen like some kind of phoenix from the ashes, rained hell on their attackers.
"That's a hell of a big one."