Family

by FleetlordAvatar


Anachy and an Apple

Bedlam slumped back into a crumpled heap, his body disintegrating into dust before a vacuum nozzle sucked it through a portal to Discords realm.

Reiver was silent. Bedlam was a creature born from his own soul, who he initially thought to be a hallucination. He felt a connection to the strange creature, and his father had really hurt him, maybe even worse. The fillies were at his side a moment later, Apple Bloom laying a hoof on his shoulder as he felt his eyes well up.

Reiverrrrrrr!

The feral roar from across the orchard snapped them back to the present.

"We have to get out of here," said Apple Bloom.

"Yeah," supported Scootaloo, but Big Mac stepped in front of them.

"Can one of you tell me what the heck is going on and how it's related to the thing destroying our orchards?! Why is it calling for Revier?"

"Because it's my dad!" snapped the foal, tearfully stepping up to the draft horse. "He had a draconequis like me, but it’s not like Bedlam! He appeared by the clubhouse to take me away-"

"But we wouldn't let them!" declared Scootaloo.

"Yeah!" supported Sweetie Belle.

"But then he got mad and they changed into a monster!" Finished Apple Bloom.

“And Belam sent us away so he could fight him, now he’s gone and my dad is still after me!” finished Reiver.

Big Mac turned to stare out towards the burning trees, expression settling into a grim, narrow eyed stare as he quickly digested the information he was just given.

"So, your daddy is burning down our orchards."

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"Don’t apologise, he's the one doing it."

"But if he hadn't found me-"

"I’ll stop right there,” said the stallion, firmly. “He could have been reasonable and talked to us, but we still wouldn’t have let him take you.”

He looked back up at the burning orchard.

“Instead, he got mad and set fire to our trees, and if he had a lick of sense, he’d know not to harm an Apples orchard. Now, I want all of you to head to the farmhouse, Applejack and her friends will be back soon. Y'all will be safe there until then."

"Y-you're not coming with us?" stammered Apple Bloom.

"Nnnope.”

“But, he’s a monster! You can’t fight him!”

In response, Big Mac shrugged off the yoke he always wore around his neck, the Crusaders jumping as it crashed to the ground, crushing the path stones to powder. The crimson draft horse then flexed his neck and body in a series of bone cracking stretches, before spitting out the stalk of wheat that was typically between his teeth.

"Big Mac, please don't do this!" begged Reiver, desperately grabbing the stallion's forelegs. "He's a monster, he killed Bedlam! Please...I don't want to lose you."

The muscular stallion wrapped a hoof around Reiver, smiling softly as he dipped his neck.

"I'll be fine."

"But why are you doing this?"

"Because you're family, and Apples look after their family. Y'all get going now, get! I'll stall him as best I can."

With that, he pushed Reiver to one side, watching the colt and CMC reluctantly gallop off, before setting his sights on the burning orchards, and planting his hooves firmly on the road.

He didn't have to wait long, as a strange stallion casually trotted into view. Scott had resumed his pony shape, but it was clear that Anarchy still held sway. His hooves left smouldering burns in the ground and his eyes were now yellow with red pupils that zeroed in on Big Mac as he stopped in front of the draft horse, whose own eyes narrowed at the possessed stallion.

"Excuse me, have you seen a group of foals come this way?" he asked, cordially. Although it sounded to Mac like he was sizing him up.

"Nnnope."

HE LIES!

Scotts shadow rose up beside him, its own mismatched eyes opening to glare at the stallion.

"I'm here for my son," explained Scott. "I'm his father. Just hand him over, you really don't want to be in my way."

"Nnnope," replied Big Mac, flexing his shoulders. "You're after one of my family, that would be enough to warrant the flank kicking I'm about to give you, but then y'all had to go and burn our orchard."

"Oh please," scoffed Scott. "Like that load of trees is even worth anything, you're just some...cartoon that distracted him from real pursuits. Now, where. IS. HE?!"

He snorted thick smoke from his nostrils that curled around him like a chain, while Anarchy morphed into thick sludge that oozed over Scott until he was covered in jet black goo.. Mismatched eyes snapped open, smoke continuing to smoulder from his nostrils as a wicked looking horn spiralled out from his forehead and leathery, bat-like wings sprouted from his sides.

Big Mac regarded his transformed opponent with calm detachment, face stony and impassive. The stallion had dealt with bullies before, when he was young and small they liked to pick on him, so he developed a thick skin. After he bulked up, those same tormentors targeted his sister, and he made sure they learnt a lesson they would never forget.

This stallion in front of him, he was just another bully, and he deserved what was about to happen.

Squaring his shoulders, Big Mac braced himself.

"Reiver told us all about you, how you neglected him and his ma’, how you drove her to do what she did."

She made him weak.

"She made sure he was loved, which is more than I can say for you. You're a disgrace to your family."

You know nothing about my family, you nag!

"I know you didn't deserve yours."

With a roar, Anarchy took the bait and charged. Big Mac held his ground right up until the stallion impacted his shoulder, then, the draft horse spun. Using his opponent's momentum, he shifted and twisted his body, wrapping his forehooves around his opponent, biting the scruff of Scotts neck before whipping his own head forwards, hurling the creature off the path, through the fence and into the field beyond. The corrupted stallion screamed as he hit the ground hard, leaving a trench as his momentum drove him right into a large rock, which cracked right down the middle on contact with his skull.

He slid, slowly to the ground, wide eyed in shock as he spit out a clod of earth, along with a few teeth. Bedlam hadn’t been able to overcome his newfound strength, he might have been a newborn, but he’d had the power of chaos to call on. This…pony, this, no power, cartoon character, had thrown him like a rag doll. He snarled and pulled himself up, shaking his head to clear the ringing from his ears. 

Scott turned to see Big Mac slowly approaching.

How...how did you do that? No pony is that strong!

"No pony, ‘cept me." snorted the stallion, spitting out a glob of Anarchys slimy coat. Scraping a hoof through the earth Big Mac tensed his rear legs like a pair of coiled springs, and launched himself right at Scott.

The corrupted stallion barely had time to brace himself before he was hit with the force of a freight train, the impact pushing him backwards, leaving smouldering furrows in the ground as he grappled with Big Mac. He snorted a choking cloud of smoke right into the farm pony's eyes, but that just made the red stallion snort back angrily as he reared up with a loud whinny, hooves flailing out to smack Anarchy right in the jaw, the possessed pony losing his footing as a consequence.

Anarchy's face oozed sludge and bile as he fell sideways, he threw a wild punch that clipped Big Mac and disorientated him long enough for the creature to stagger and regain its footing before going on the offensive, sprouting a set of fangs and biting the farmer in his muscular foreleg, before being dislodged by a heavy hoof crushing him into the dirt.

Big Mac reared back, looking down at the smouldering wound, he could already feel his head start to spin. But even with Anarchy's corruption burning through his veins, the stallion stood his ground as the mauled creature recovered, standing back up in a cacophony of cracking bones and the squelching of mutilated flesh.

You really think you can keep doing this?

"I can do this all day," snorted the stallion.

I think not

Anachy's horn ignited in fiery green tar that erupted in a great fountain towards Big Mac, the stallion ducking into a roll to dodge the attack, as it melted the ground where he had been standing.

Scraping up a hoof full of dirt, he threw it at Anarchy's face, the creature crying out in surprise as it was blinded, giving him the opportunity to slam into it head on with a low charge, driving the corrupted stallion into the split boulder with a rib crunching crack.

To anypony else he was always a pony of few words, calm and cheerful to those around him, but Big Macintosh had a strong protective instinct, if you threatened anything he cared about, especially his family, then you would regret it.

Anarchy was learning this first hoof as his body went slack, sliding to the ground as Big Mac slowly stepped back from the twitching spirit of chaos. The stallion took a moment to observe its broken body, before turning to limp his way to the farmhouse.

So that's where he’s hiding.

Big Mac stopped, then turned to watch in horror as Anarchy pulled himself up yet again, his body rebuilding itself as his goo-like skin shimmered and hardened into crystal. The smell of ozone filled the air as sparks of sickly purple and pink spluttered from his horn while the sludge on his wings sloughed off to reveal a new set of graceful, insectoid replacements.

Figured you would go to him once you ‘defeated’ me, mocked the creature, as it took a deep, cleansing breath.

You have so much raw anger. A white hot fury shared only by the one that gave me life!

He smiled widely, as a new, permanent set of glittery fangs filled his maw.

Of course, I put it to much better use.

Anarchy launched himself with a chittering roar, Big Mac ducked sideways, just avoiding the charge, but then a serpentine tongue whipped out with a loud crack, nicking his ear and forcing him behind  part of the fence to avoid the razor sharp appendage. He was getting slow, the poison burning in his veins made his limbs feel heavier with each passing moment, while his head felt like it was submerged in syrup.

A mass of shattering splinters cut his cheek as the razor tongue shattered the wood and he leapt from cover to go on the offensive tackling the spirit of chaos to the ground, flesh and bone meeting hardened crystal with a loud smack!. The creature's wings buzzed angrily as he tried to pin him, but it quickly threw him off with a kick to the ribs.

Grunting in pain, the draft horse managed to stagger back up and buck out his rear legs, both making contact with the force of a cannon blast, crystalline skin shattering beneath his hooves, Anarchy faltering, but not falling.

Impressive.

Anarchy whipped out his tongue again, wrapping it around the stallion's neck and squeezing tight. Big Mac's hooves flailed as his airflow was cut off and he was dragged to the ground, a heavy hoof pressing on the back of his head.

Why are you still defending that little fool?

Anarchy snarled and leant down to look him in the eye, while Big Mac struggled to free himself, but he could feel himself slipping. So he mustered up what energy he had left for what could be his last act.

With the creature's head in so close, it was impossible to miss as Mac cracked Anarchy's jaw with a hard right hoof, the entity staggering back with a pained roar, tongue going slack and giving the stallion a moment to recover.

"Like I said, he's family," coughed Big Mac. "Don't care where he's from, or what he is. And this family looks out for each other."

Using his powerful back legs, he launched himself into Anarchy once again, the pair rolling in the dirt as they fought, kicked, and bit one another relentlessly, Then there was a flash of purple from the creature's horn, blinding Big Mac long enough for Anarchy to heave him to one side and land a hard crack across his muzzle.

Big Mac crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Worthless pierce of childish trash, he scoffed. Now, to find my son.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The farmhouse door slammed shut behind the fillies and colt as they raced inside, Apple Bloom immediately securing the locks.

"Think that'll hold him?" asked Scootaloo.

"I dunno, but I'm not taking any chances," replied the farm filly.

Reiver meanwhile, flopped to the floor.

"Why did Big Mac have to do that? We saw what my dad did to Bedlam!"

"I know," replied Apple Bloom, in a worried tone. "But my brother can be as stubborn as Applejack, especially with family involved."

"But...I'm not family," replied Reiver. "I'm just some alien that spilled porridge on your head."

The farm filly frowned and pulled Reiver up by his scruff.

"Now you listen here, and get this through your thick head! Y'all might not think so, but y'all have been part of this family for a while now."

She looked him dead in the eye.

"You've eaten with us at our table, helped Big Mac with his projects, been on Cutie Mark Crusaders, heck, y'all have been living with us for so long it's like you were always there. Applejack. Granny Smith, Big Mac and me, we've all got to like you."

She pulled him into a hug.

"Doesn't matter where you came from. You're part of the Apple Family."

Reiver sniffled, then returned the hug, even as the other fillies joined in.

"Don't forget us," reminded Scootaloo.

"Yeah," supported Sweetie Belle. "You're a Cutie Mark Crusader, you know."

"...girls…I...don't know what to say."

"Y'all can start by explaining about the ruckus I'm hearing out in the fields!"

They all jumped at Granny Smith's sharp tone as she descended the stairs, then they all launched into a rapid retelling that ended just as abruptly when the door was shattered..

Reiver's blood ran cold, as Anarchy stepped through the cloud of splinters, his fanged maw curling into a smile as they set eyes on each other.

Ah, there you are.