Apple Bloom felt a surge of instinctual fear wash over her as she fully realized just how frighteningly unnatural this pony was. He was intimidating, and knowing that he had just brutally killed that spider only drove more fear into her heart.
As he got closer, Apple Bloom began to unconsciously back away, whimpering fearfully.
Sure, she was braver and more courageous than most foals, but after what she had just been subjected to, combined with the fact that she was lost and injured; meant that she could not help but be absolutely terrified.
As soon as he saw her back away, he froze. Then, speaking in a deep voice and in an unexpectedly comforting tone, he spoke.
"It's okay, little one. I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe."
Apple Bloom went silent, tears welling up in her eyes as her adrenaline began to fade. The stranger came a few steps closer, and she remained where she was. His words had compelled her to not run.
He walked to within a few feet of her, and she looked up at him, her big orange eyes showing a mixture of fear and awe as she examined the figure towering above her. He looked to be about Big Mac's size, but the armor made him infinitely more imposing.
Upon approaching her, he stopped and kneeled, lowering himself to her eye level, his armor grinding and scraping as he did so.
Apple Bloom gasped slightly in surprise as she finally got the chance to look over her savior in detail. The gruesome gash on his face was not a nasty wound, but a tear in a mask. She could see the eye of a pony glinting in the moonlight underneath the damaged mask.
"I know..." He said quietly, sounding surprisingly calm. "I look scary, but this is just a suit of armor. I can assure you that I am a pony underneath all of this, just like you."
Apple Bloom had to take a moment to process it all. He was a pony! She had been found by a pony!
She was safe!
Apple Bloom didn't say a word, her breaths becoming more sharp as all the stress from her brush with death began to escape. A sob escaped her mouth as she began to shudder.
Without thinking, her instinct took over. She hobbled over to the armored stallion, and embraced his foreleg, finally perceiving him as a source of safety. Then, she began to cry uncontrollably, shaking and holding on as hard as she could.
The stallion gave a quiet utterance of surprise, possibly not expecting this from her. But after a moment, he hesitantly wrapped his other foreleg around her. The cold metal made her shiver and caused her discomfort, but she didn't care, only continuing to cling to him as she cried.
After a few minutes, Apple Bloom's crying slowed as she began to calm down and gather her thoughts. Seeing that she had begun to collect herself, the stranger spoke.
"Are you hurt?"
Apple Bloom nodded.
"Where?"
She released the armored pony, awkwardly realizing that she had just hugged a complete stranger while crying. After taking a moment to process this somewhat embarrassing revelation, she gestured to her injured leg.
"Ah think Ah twisted it." She murmured, sniffing and wiping away her tears.
"Oh…" He said sympathetically, "That can't feel good. Can you walk?"
Apple Bloom shook her head, the pain in her leg having intensified. Now it hurt to even touch it, much less move it.
Just then, a wolf's howl pierced the night sky, and Apple Bloom instantly latched onto the stranger's leg briefly.
After a moment of silence, the stranger spoke.
"We can't stay. I need to get you somewhere safe."
He then lay down on the ground, and motioned for Apple Bloom to get on his back.
"Hop up. I'm going to fix you up and figure out how to get you home, ok?"
Apple Bloom nodded. This went against everything that Applejack and Big Mac had taught her about interacting with strangers, but she clearly had no choice in the matter. It was either go with the one pony that had found her against all odds, or stay lost in the woods. She tenderly got onto his back, and after letting him know that she was ready, he stood up and began trotting away.
Apple Bloom settled in between two folded wings, and noticed that they were made of metal, just like the rest of his armor. She wondered why she hadn't seen him use them while fighting against the spider, but didn't feel like asking.
She struggled to stay awake while she rode along, watching the moon and the stars peeking out from between the pointed treetops as the stranger walked urgently along, following a meandering path through the forest.
Another howl was heard, and Apple Bloom clung onto her rescuer. He seemed to take notice, glanced back at her, and spoke.
"What's your name, little one?"
She hesitated to answer, debating whether or not she should tell this complete stranger her name. While her rational side advised against it, she couldn't help but feel as if this pony could be trusted. After all, he did just save her from certain death and show concern for her injury. In her emotionally charged state, this overrode her sense of caution.
"Mah name's Apple Bloom." She croaked.
"Hm." The armored pony mused. "That's a pretty name. I like it."
"T-thanks…" Apple Bloom murmured, not quite able to figure out what else to say.
Before long, the stranger spoke again.
"What are you doing all the way out here?" He asked. "Are you lost?"
"Eeyup." She replied. "Ah… Ah'm lost."
"Hm…" The stallion mumbled. "How did you end up over here?"
"Ah think Ah got teleported…" Apple Bloom answered, still sounding and feeling as if she were in a daze.
"Teleported?" The stallion asked, sounding a bit surprised. "On purpose?"
Apple Bloom immediately shook her head. Sweetie Belle certainly did not intend to teleport her at all.
"No…" She mumbled. "It was… an accident." She replied.
"Oh, wow." The stranger muttered, shaking his head. "You can count your lucky stars, then. You could have gone to the dragonlands or gotten deposited in the ocean."
The filly shuddered. If Sweetie Belle really had sent her to some random location, the night could have gone a lot worse. Considering that she had nearly become a spider's meal, that meant something.
As the stranger continued to press onwards, Apple Bloom drifted in and out of sleep, losing all track of time. After falling asleep a half dozen times or so, she woke up to see that they were approaching a short cliff face, only fifty or so feet tall.
"Okay," The armored pony declared, "We're almost there."
Apple Bloom woke up a bit, examining the wall of stone rising high above her, trying to make out where they were going.
The pony strode up to the wall, and Apple Bloom noticed a small metal box on the cliff face at the stallion's face level. He walked up to it, and spoke to it in a clear voice which commanded attention.
"I'm back, and I have a guest. Open up."
Then, much to Apple Bloom's surprise, the box replied in a pleasant sounding, male voice.
"Very well, sir. Opening side entrance now."
A harsh clack was heard, and a portion of the cliffside, about the shape and size of a doorway, began to recede into the wall. After it slid back a foot or so, it swung inwards, revealing a darkened cavern-like passage hewn into the rock, leading into the cliff face.
Apple Bloom could not believe her eyes. She had never seen anything quite like that before. Whatever drowsiness she had been experiencing faded away in an instant.
The stranger walked into the darkness, his single glowing visor creating a green glow which fought the darkness. As he cleared the doorway, the stone door began to close shut. It closed with a mechanical noise, and as soon as it shut, several lights turned on.
Apple Bloom became wide awake in an instant, greeted with a sight that she had never even imagined.
The lights turned on to reveal a large, cavernous chamber, about twenty or so feet high and at least a hundred or so feet long on each side. All throughout the room, machines and workbenches filled the space, looking like something out of a mad scientist's lab. At the center of the space, a large metal column ran from the floor to the ceiling, dwarving the machinery around it.
"Welcome back sir." Said the pleasant voice, seeming to come from all corners of the space. "Good work on saving the filly."
After having paused for a moment, the stranger began to work his way around several machines and tables, walking towards a fabric bed with strange machines mounted above it.
Apple Bloom continued to marvel at the spectacle, only breaking her daze when the stranger spoke.
"Alright. Roll onto the bed and stay still for a moment." He instructed, kneeling down so that she could do so. She obeyed, and lay on her back on the bed, looking up at the intimidating instruments above her. She squirmed nervously, uncertain of what he was going to do.
"This won't hurt at all." He said reassuringly. "I'm just making a quick scan."
He paused, and spoke in a louder voice. "ARTIS, I need a diagnostic scan on her left hind leg, suspected sprain."
"Very well, sir." The disembodied voice replied. "Please remain still for fifteen seconds, miss."
"Uh, okay…" Apple Bloom responded, still unsure of how to process all of this.
The machinery above her suddenly whirred to life, and a bright light was shot onto her wounded leg. This lasted for precisely fifteen seconds, just as the voice said, and swiftly stopped.
"Give me a minute, and I shall have the results for you sir." The voice declared. "You may move if you wish, miss."
Apple Bloom nodded, and turned her head to the stranger, being able to finally see him clearly. His armor was completely unlike anything she had seen before. From head to hoof, the armor nearly covered his whole body. The only spots that didn't were sites of damage of some kind. One such spot was a gaping hole near the pit of one of his forelegs, where dark blue fur emerged from underneath the layers of metal plates. The worst damage, though, was to the mask. A large tear existed over where one of the mask's eyepieces would have been, exposing an emerald green eye with a concerned expression.
Something didn't sit right with Apple Bloom. This seemed to be eerily familiar, but why? She had never seen him before, but she seemed to remember a description that fit him.
While she struggled to recall why he struck such a vibe, the stranger sighed.
"Stay here. I'm going to get this armor off, okay?"
Apple Bloom nodded, and the stranger turned around, beginning to walk off.
Then she noticed the cutie mark painted onto his armor's flanks. It looked faded, and the paint was flaking off, but she could make out the shape. It looked like a hollow, pentagonal shape, with odd protrusions jutting out of each outside corner. Her unease grew as this detail stuck out to her.
Then, she remembered, gasping in surprise.
Her gasp compelled him to stop in his tracks and look back at Apple Bloom. He tilted his head, looking confused.
"What's the matter?"
Apple Bloom raised a hoof as an expression of terror overcame her face.
"Y-you're the Warden!"
It all clicked now. It had been a little over two years, but she had finally remembered what had happened. She remembered Applejack telling her, Big Mac, and Granny about the big fight at Canterlot, during which an angry armored stallion called the Warden almost killed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna out of rage. She recalled her sister's vivid description of the Warden's feats during the fight, and what he was capable of doing.
The thing she remembered the most, though, was how shaken Applejack was. Sure, nopony died, but seeing her big sister be genuinely disturbed by what happened had a profound effect on Apple Bloom.
Now, she was staring him in the eye, and was completely at his mercy.
The Warden closed his exposed eye and sighed, shaking his head.
"Of course…" He muttered. "You know who I am?"
Apple Bloom, still wide-eyed, merely nodded in response, unable to summon a verbal answer.
The Warden gave a quiet groan, before speaking in an oddly comforting manner that she never would have thought that the stallion who had almost killed the royal sisters was capable of.
"Okay, just… please hear me out. I am not going to hurt you, I am trying to help you." He explained. "However, in order for me to do so, I need you to trust me."
He then opened his eye, looking at her with an earnest expression.
"So, that being said; you have my word as a Warden and as a sworn protector of Equestria that I will not bring harm upon you. Do you trust me?"
Apple Bloom took a few seconds to process this. He looked honest enough, sure. But he was the Warden! He drove a dart into Princess Celestia's chest and could have killed everypony else if he had so desired! Applejack certainly wouldn't trust him.
But then again, he saved her life. That spider would have certainly drained her insides if he hadn't stepped in. If he wanted her dead for some reason, he would have simply let the spider kill her. Not only that, but the gentle and calming manner with which he spoke was quite compelling.
Against all odds, he seemed to be trustworthy.
This outweighed her nagging doubts, and she took a deep breath, giving her answer.
"Ah… Ah trust ya." She answered, nodding slightly, her eyes wide and shining in awe.
Internally, she couldn't believe she had said that.
The Warden let out a sigh of relief, slowly blinking and relaxing.
"Good. Now stay there, and I'll get out of this armor." He remarked, turning back around and walking away.
As the Warden worked his way towards an elevated platform near one of the corners of the spacious chamber, Apple Bloom watched on. She was in awe that she was in the presence of the Warden himself.
He stepped onto the platform, and mechanical sounds began to echo throughout the chamber. Multiple mechanical arms extended from around the platform, each with some sort of claw or other device mounted on the end. Despite being surrounded by this intimidating machinery, the Warden did not flinch, remaining still. Then, each of the arms went to work, drilling, grabbing, and prodding at him.
After a few seconds, the arms began to remove pieces of the armor, starting with the thick outer plates, and working inwards. Apple Bloom watched in awe as the armor was meticulously disassembled in front of her, piece by piece. Soon, all that remained was the inner layer of segmented armor. With two of the arms holding it, the inner layer then split outwards from the belly, like a metal wetsuit. After a few more seconds, the remaining armor had been peeled away, marking the end of the disassembly process and revealing the pony underneath in his entirety.
He was rugged and well built, roughly Big Mac's size, maybe a little smaller. His fur was navy blue, and his mane and tail were silver grey. His mane was cut very short, only an inch or two in length, and it followed the contour of his head and neck. His tail, not unlike Big Mac's, was cut short, but seemed to be more well kept.
The Warden looked back at a computer screen, and she could hear the disembodied voice talking to him. After what felt like a minute or two, he stepped off of the platform, and worked his way back.
As he approached, Apple Bloom could make out more details of his appearance. Part of one of his ears was missing, looking as if it had been torn off by some violent accident. There was a distinct scar above his right eye, more or less aligned with the nasty gash in his mask. She could also see a bigger scar near where his right foreleg met with his chest. There were other scars and small patches of missing fur on various parts of his body, but the aforementioned injuries stuck out more.
But the thing that drew her attention the most was his face. It looked a bit weathered, and a few lines revealed that he was beyond middle aged, perhaps in his late forties or somewhere in his fifties. A calm, concerned expression was in his eyes, which were emerald green in color, not entirely unlike Applejack's or Big Mac's.
"So," He began, "you've managed to sprain your knee. Not bad, considering how much worse things could have gone."
Apple Bloom sighed and nodded, the blunt truthfulness of this statement having struck her. Just then, her stomach growled. A pitiful expression overcame her face as she placed a hoof over her belly. She had completely forgotten that she had missed her dinnertime by a substantial margin.
Concern flashed in the Warden's eyes as he took notice.
"Are you hungry?" He asked. "I can make something for you if you want."
Apple Bloom nodded, noting that she was now requesting food from a complete stranger. Applejack would've been mortified.
"Well," The Warden continued, "it is going to take a little while. In the meantime, let's get you cleaned up. You're a mess."
Up until now, Apple Bloom had failed to notice just how dirty she really was. Dirt and mud had gotten into her fur, and her hooves were still a bit sticky from the spider's web.
"Your bow could use some cleaning too." The Warden mused, carefully removing it from her mane and holding it for her to see. Indeed, it was stained and dirty from her misadventure in the forest.
Apple Bloom felt worried, looking at her beloved bow.
"Are- Are ya goin' to clean it?"
The Warden nodded. "If you are fine with that. I'm not taking it away, if that's what you are worried about."
"No, it ain't that." She said, "But please be careful."
The Warden nodded understandingly, and carefully placed the bow on a table to the side. Then, turning back to Apple Bloom, he kneeled down.
"Hop on. Let's get you clean and some food."
Apple Bloom slowly slid herself off the table, onto the stallion's back. Once she did so, he gently stood up, and began walking towards a stairwell that led upwards.
She was immediately reminded of riding on Big Mac's back, the Warden's steady pace and strong build resembling her brother's.
As she rode along, a table with several strange objects on it caught her eye. The first object was a small suit of armor that looked very similar to what the Warden wore, but for a filly or colt. Not unlike the Warden's armor, a cutie mark was painted onto the flanks; a strange looking arrow-like shape.
Next to the small armor suit was a terrarium with several small, white flowers in bloom inside. Her knowledge of flora allowed her to immediately identify them as edelweiss flowers. She had never seen them being grown before, but she knew that they were an extraordinarily resilient flower, growing on mountain slopes above the treeline.
They soon reached the stairs, and began to walk up. There were several flights, and upon reaching the top, they came to a trap door on the ceiling. The Warden lifted a hoof, and pushed the door upwards.
As he walked through, Apple Bloom saw that they had just walked into what appeared to be a rather rustic looking living room. Moonlight poured into the darkened room through several windows, revealing that they were no longer underground.
Once he had cleared the trap door, the Warden shut it with a subdued thud. Then, he pressed a button on the wall, and the whole room was bathed in dim electric light, which steadily grew brighter.
Assisted by the dynamic lights, Apple Bloom's eyes had little discomfort while adjusting. Now able to see clearly, she looked all around the room. It was a medium sized room, and was furnished like a living room. The furniture looked very rustic, appearing as if it had been fabricated by an amateur carpenter. Several doors led into other rooms, and a larger door seemed to mark the entrance into the dwelling.
The Warden then carried her to one of the interior doors, and opened it to reveal a restroom. It looked quite clean, and it featured a toilet, a sink, and a wooden bathtub, which the Warden walked up to.
He kneeled yet again, signaling for Apple Bloom to get off, which she did. She looked on as the Warden turned a handle, and water started pouring into the tub from a faucet.
Once the flow had started, he turned around to face Apple Bloom.
"Alright," he began, motioning to a bar of soap and a towel, "go ahead and get cleaned up. I'm going to cook up something to eat in the meantime. Let me know when you are done, alright?"
She nodded, a feeling of gratitude beginning to grow within her.
"Ah will. Thank you."
He remained silent, responding with a nod as he walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Apple Bloom gingerly got into the tub, careful to keep pressure off of her hurting leg. The water was pleasantly warm, catching her off guard. Despite the rustic appearance of the cottage, it certainly had a lot of commodities.
As she began the process of getting clean, her thoughts dwelled upon the Warden. This whole scenario was oddly similar to the one which had occurred between the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Trouble Shoes only a few weeks prior. Not unlike that bumbling mountain of a pony, the Warden was not at all who she first thought he was.
Was he really the same pony who had nearly killed both of the princesses?
She sighed as she continued to bathe, her thoughts revolving around the series of unexpected events that she had just been subjected to.