//------------------------------//
// Part 2 
// Story: The Biggest Grinch 
// by Blobskin 
//------------------------------//

Version: 1

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It was several minutes later, and after crossing into yet another suburban district, that the Titan began to feel like she was wasting her time stomping on these individual homes. Years ago a little one had told her about cluster homes called "apartments" where many more ponies lived. If she was going to be effective at driving the small ones away then finding and destroying these "apartments" would certainly be a better use of her efforts. However, she wasn't sure what they looked like other than being bigger homes. Maybe they were further into the city. The green mare faced the horizon where the endless glow of artificial lights continued to mock her. Looking up, the Titan was disturbed by how few of the stars she could see. Her jaw tensed.

The huge mare began marching towards the city proper while ignoring the field of holes around her that used to be a thriving neighborhood. She also pointedly ignored the ever growing number of pegasi that had come to... do something. The swarm was at least two dozen now. Thankfully, other than that first group, no more had gotten in her face. She knew they were some kind of a response, possibly "police"? But the Titan couldn't be sure. Most of them were buzzing around the path of destruction she had left in her wake, yet the remainder seemed to be watching her. From a safe distance. Not that she cared as long as they stayed out of her way.

What the Titan did take note of as she moved on however, was the gap of empty space between the suburbs and the next zone of civilization. It was just a snow covered stretch that separated two regions of the city and took even her several strides to cross. Well, technically it wasn't entirely barren. Spanning the field were three wide roads which mere moments ago had been packed with refugees fleeing from the first phase of her rampage. By now these highways were deserted though.

The mare wondered as she crossed this region. The tiny ones had a means of cramming a great number of their kind into a single artificial structure, yet they left voids of unused land in-between? She had to give them credit, their size alone was an advantage when it came to living in tight spaces or when creating something with a lot of fine details. So why were they being so wasteful here when they so often bragged of their "inventions" and efficiency? Instead of spreading, like a carpet of fungus engulfing a forest floor, they could have been using this land. Was this bit of territory cursed? It didn't feel different from any ground she had ever walked on. Was it bad in some way she just couldn't sense? If they were so smart why couldn't they fix it?

Maybe she would never truly understand the small ones. They were another species who saw the world from an entirely different perspective. Theirs was an alien mind beyond her comprehension. Her only option was to deal with them.

Clearing the distracting philosophical thoughts from her mind, the Titan refocused on her mission.

The next ring of the city was a collection of buildings that were much broader than the suburban homes, had flat roofs, and featured expansive parking lots of black stone that fused with a complex road network. A few had walls that were entirely glass, but otherwise most seemed to be made of rock or concrete. Were these "office buildings"? Places where ponies spent the entire day working? The huge mare had also heard the term "skyscraper" used to describe that kind of structure, but these weren't much taller than anything she had seen so far. These were not homes, apartments, or offices. So she was left unsure what these buildings were. The roads here were also wider and decorated with colorful lines. There were countless street lights and signs she couldn't read. Lastly, there were a number of vehicles here. Some moving, others parked.

The Titan paused at the edge of this new region like she had when she first encountered the suburbs. Her thoughts swirled. She could see the "inner" city just beyond this section, but in the dim morning light she would have to be closer to discern any meaningful detail other than the simple fact that buildings there were definitely taller. For now she turned her glowing amber eyes down toward the strange boxy things in her path. Once again she faced the familiar question of whether it was worth the time and effort to destroy this zone of development.

This region seemed somehow both spacious and condensed. Possibly because of all the flat rooftops. It was similar to the suburbs, yet completely different. This area made the Titan feel strange. It was nothing like her own lands. The familiar passes and snow covered mountains with their many winding paths. Straight lines were uncommon at best in nature. All of this was weird and wrong. How could the little ones live in a place like this? With so many straight lines and smooth walls? Just the thought of being trapped in this realm made the mare shiver with disgust. The less time she spent here in the world of the tiny ones the better.

She decided to skip through this bit and head straight for the "skyscrapers" beyond.

The Titan gently placed a hoof on top of the first structure in front of her. The bottom of her foot was just wider than the square building, casting narrow crescent shadows around its edges. She did not stay in that pose for long however and she quickly put her weight down. There was a brief crashing sound followed by loud cracking as the stone foundations themselves gave way to her mass. The parking lot shattered and the many pieces shifted. Some slabs of rock rose while others sank. Yet it was over in an instant and the mare was ready to move on to the next building. The little ones and the vehicles she could see fled.

The following structure was a bit far away however, so the huge mare couldn't drop her leg on top of it entirely. Even stretching she could only manage to crush half of the boxy thing. Not that it mattered. A ruin was as good as a crater. So the colossal female continued forward unconcerned. Though she had decided not to smash everything around her, that did not mean she wouldn't purposefully destroy whatever was conveniently between her and her destination. So a few lucky buildings were spared simply because they were too far apart or because they were a little to the side of the course the Titan had chosen for herself. Most were only partly annihilated or saw their parking lot replaced with a gaping hole.

Tiny screams filled the night as the towering mare stomped through the city. While countless bodies scurried about below she hardly spared any of them more than a momentary glance. Every step came with the sound of rushing wind followed by a boom or a crash. Her furry legs and underbelly were barely illuminated by the numerous lights of the urban sprawl. In those early morning hours before the sun so much as peeked over the horizon, she was like a silhouette marching across the landscape. And as she continued her mission the pegasi swarm grew and chased after her. Everypony else was just trying to get out of her way.

Then some foolish ponies tried to make a stand.

It came at her like a minuscule shooting star. A fizzling light that streaked up at her barrel and popped against her fur. For just a moment the Titan paused with confusion and curiosity. Then a second and third bolt came at her. One struck the upper portion of her right foreleg while the other managed to miss her neck and fly off into the distance. The strikes were barely felt and could hardly be described as painful. At worst they were annoying pokes, but where had they come from? The huge mare blinked as she scanned the strange terrain in front of her for the origin. But she hadn't caught the moment they had initially appeared and there were a lot of befuddling roads, blinking lights, distracting ads, and obscuring buildings scattered around. Really, the attack could have come from anywhere. For a second the Titan wasn't sure she could find the source.

Then, from roughly the same location, a barrage of glimmering projectiles came at her all at once.

The huge mare's ears perked and her head recoiled in surprise. Yet she stood her ground and allowed what must have been dozens of magical blasts to land harmlessly across her forelegs and chest while two or three went for her neck. Though she could feel each and every hit, none caused her any more pain than a common rash. More importantly, the event allowed her to find her would-be attackers.

The Titan turned a bit to the right towards a large intersection where a crowd of ponies had gathered in the open space. Now that she focused on them the mare could clearly see how they stood in orderly lines and seemed to be dressed in matching colors. She cocked a curious brow at that before taking a step towards them and lowering her head so she could get a closer look at them. As she turned her muzzle to the side so she could study all of them with her right eye, there came a cry and another rain of magical fire. The Titan closed her eye and endured the storm of insignificant blows for a moment before resuming her analysis.

They were indeed all wearing the same uniform and almost all of them appeared to be unicorns. Obviously, how else could they unleash magical attacks? Though her approach had caused their formation to dissolve a bit as many of them tried to back away from her, one pony remained at the front of the group. The leader actually stepped forward and began barking some nonsense at her.

"Return to the North or we will--" That was about as much of the little one's ramblings the Titan registered before she stopped paying attention.

These were certainly the "police" ponies she had heard about. A force to be feared if you were breaking the law. The thought that these tiny creatures could ever be a threat made the huge mare snort with amusement. Which made the group jump back and begin shooting at her. It was only the Titan's quick reaction time that saved her from getting hit in the eye and suffering real damage. She raised her head back into the air high above the squad of officers and blinked experimentally a few times to make sure. Meanwhile, her legs and chest were peppered with shimmering bolts.

The Titan then spent the next minute or so humoring their attempts to harm her. Honestly, she was waiting for them to become exhausted and run away. Weren't unicorns supposed to get tired quickly using magic? Yet the deluge of attacks seemed endless. Maybe she had been lied to. Wherever they struck her, mostly her legs and chest, was becoming unbearably itchy. The Titan was trying to be merciful and, while her assailants were slowly spreading out and away from her, they certainly weren't retreating. Why didn't they run out of magic and flee already? Eventually she glared down at them and growled. Then she stomped one of her hooves as a final warning. Most of the police ponies stumbled for a moment, but resumed the assault soon after.

The towering mare promptly ran out of patients.

One of her gigantic green hooves floated into the sky like a UFO. The circular foot then drifted forward and overhead ominously. Slowly inching into position. The now more distributed bunch of unicorns, already sweating from casting so many spells in quick succession, began screaming. There was a mad rush to get out from under the shadow of looming death. Spells were now fired at the bottom of the Titan's hoof only to fizzle and do nothing like before. Then it dropped.

There was a gush of wind and a blast not unlike that of a bomb detonating. The ground itself buckled and rolled like a wave on the ocean. Though maybe half the squad had disappeared, all resistance had been crushed. The survivors needed no further encouragement to run away. Some of the pegasi swarm rushed after them, for what purpose the large mare couldn't even guess. So the Titan grunted dismissively. Then she resumed her march, planting her hooves on-top of buildings whenever it was easy to do so.

It was only a few terrible minutes later that the massive mare arrived in the inner city.

Here the Titan was faced with yet another type of building distinct from those she had encountered previously. While these new structures were boxy like all the rest, they were also slimmer and much taller. Until now the tallest buildings she had encountered might have just reached her fetlocks, these new towers were several times higher. There was some variation, but one or two even measured half-way to her knees. Which genuinely impressed the mare. Only the oldest trees could compare to that.

However, the question remained: what were these buildings? Were these offices or the apartments she was searching for?

The Titan lowered her head until her wild mane was scraping along the roadway below. Ponies on the sidewalk stumbled into each other as they ran. Others were just emerging from these mysterious structures in groups, often dragging with them bags that were difficult for them to lift. Ignoring the little ones for now, her glowing eyes diligently inspected the buildings. Her conclusion was not perfect. While these structures certainly had a lot of windows, to the mare they didn't quite have enough to match the descriptions she'd heard of offices. But she wasn't sure.

A growl of frustration rose up in her throat before her attention was drawn to the latest collection of tiny ponies trying to escape. The Titan narrowed her eyes. There was another way to get information.

"You," the enormous mare spoke, her voice vibrating the air like a great horn.

Everypony nearby froze in place. A silent stillness engulfed the area. No pony answered the Titan.

"What kind of buildings are these?" she asked, not particularly caring which member of her audience decided to speak up. No pony replied for several very tense seconds.

"T-these are the North Paleroad Apartments. W-why are you here? What do you--"

"Thank you," the Titan said dismissively and stood up.

So this is what apartments looked like. That was good to know.

The huge mare lifted a forehoof and drew it back. The many muscles beneath her thick fur and hide tensed with power. She scowled and clenched her jaw.

Then she kicked.

A wall of keratin as wide as a city block crashed into the ground sending up a wave of earth and pulverized tarmac. Nothing could stop its rapid and relentless advance. A roar like the angriest avalanche filled the night until the Titan's hoof reached the first apartment a moment later. The shattering of glass joined the orchestra of tearing rock and the screams of helpless ponies. The building almost completely disintegrated. Yet the kick continued.

There was a narrow alley that separated the first apartment from its neighbor that vanished in a mere instant. It wasn't so much the great mare's hoof that destroyed the second building as much as it was the flood of debris that was now quickly growing in-front of it. Like the storm surge ahead of a hurricane. A mass of broken rock and mulch that used to be countless home furnishings crashed into the second tower and soon it too was churned into unrecognizable rubble.

The third and final apartment joined its brothers in ruin with a slight twist however. Instead of waiting for the tsunami of trash to blast it to pieces, the up-welling of its foundations caused the entire structure to begin tilting a split second before it was hit. Its walls began to crack and fail but a blink early as the earth tore before the Titan's hoof arrived. Not that anyone who witnessed it could properly appreciate the difference in the three seconds that the event lasted.

The Titan's hoof soon arced upward up from the ground and carried with it a significant amount of the remains of the apartment complex. Though those fragments did not stay with her foot for long. As her leg came to a stop the many pieces riding on her fur came loose and began sailing through the air by themselves. Only to come crashing down several moments later. A shower of meteors that spread touches of destruction across the cityscape.

A brown scar marked where three tall buildings had once stood. Homes for many dozens. Gone.

With a grunt the Titan then dropped her raised hoof on the next apartment over. However, unlike previous structures which had obediently sunk into the ground, this time debris spilled out the sides like pancake batter under a spatula. And rather than a boom the sound was more similar to a swift crackling. Yet this development meant nothing to the mare.

Thus the third phase of the rampage began as the Titan then lifted her other foreleg and stomped on the next apartment. Then she made a swipe with the first, brushing a number of boxy little buildings away like sandcastles. The landscape buckled with her every step. Neighborhoods and businesses were replaced with gaping craters, vast trenches, and daunting piles of rubble. A patch of utter devastation that spread and spread.

Meanwhile, hundreds of pegasi took to the air. Some lingered nearby to watch, others rushed away to parts unknown. The bodies of land bound ponies, unicorns and earth ponies, packed the streets. Now and then a unicorn fired a spell at the living disaster, only to be stomped or stirred into the rubble. There were also those who tried to talk to her, who begged her to stop, but with so much screaming and the constant racket of destruction at work the Titan could not hear any specific words. Not that she cared. The enormous mare paid no attention to the terrified masses beneath her and simply continued with her grim task.

Soon there were no more obvious apartments left within reach to obliterate and the Titan found herself pausing to consider her surroundings. It was like being stranded in a sea of buildings of every type and description. There were short home-like structures. There were flat wide buildings with colorful signs. There were parking lots and there were open grass areas. There was even a group of entirely glass-walled towers a few steps away.

However, what actually succeeded in catching the Titan's attention were the two other collections of apartments. Like islands on the horizon. For a short time the mare found herself glancing back and forth between the two separate complexes, debating with herself if it was necessary. She considered what she had already accomplished. The suburbs she had leveled, the apartments she had just destroyed, and the countless other structures that had been demolished along the way. Was it enough?

The Titan sighed in resignation.

It was a slow and heavy sound even amongst the endless screams of the tiny ones below.

No, she decided. The mare was not done. She was already here. Coming back later would be annoying in itself. It was better to do too much than to do too little. She hoped she would never have to return to this disturbing place again. So she picked one of the apartment complexes and began marching.

At once her massive legs went crashing through a neighborhood of office buildings. Their glass facades exploded at her mere touch and their concrete skeletons crumbled into fragments and dust. Debris rained down on the narrow roads between the towers. Pony crowds frantically rushed for cover while holding whatever they could over their heads. It was actually a bit difficult for the Titan to force her way through. Though the buildings were delicate, they were taller than anything she had encountered before and they were tightly packed together. It was like walking through water.

Then she came face-to-face with the tallest building in the city.

It sported a pointy top, walls made of mirrors, and a cylindrical shape with many mini-roof surfaces that made the structure wider towards the bottom. There were landing pads for pegasi. There was a multi-level parking lot beside it. There was a neon sign proudly declaring something on the front of it. It stood as a symbol of the tiny one's accomplishments. This was the pinnacle of pony construction. Their greatest achievement.

It only came up to her barrel.

The Titan growled down at it, angered by its simple existence. It dared to block her path. It tried to manipulate her. It defied her will and challenged her to go around.

She would not be diverted from her course by this artificial obstacle.

The mare raised a hoof and struck the tower with a grunt of effort. At once the air was filled with the crackling of hundreds of broken windows. The tower bent in the middle and began to rock. There was a sound of snapping steel. Yet, shockingly, it stayed upright. The Titan raised a brow and pulled back her hoof for a second strike. Again her foot failed to go all the way through, but the skyscraper was further deformed, contorting from the stress of her mighty blow. From its foundations came an ominous noise like popping corn and from the rest of the structure came a continuous note like a low moan. Objects and bodies flowed out of the many holes in the building as though it were a bleeding animal.

Then the base of the tower failed. Crumpling in on itself like an empty can. And the rest of the structure came down after, breaking apart as it fell to the ground like a rock slide. And a few seconds later it was over.

The Titan stared at the pile of rubble. Then she snorted. Then she resumed her march towards the second group of apartments, bulldozing her way through the rest of the office buildings that desperately struggled just to slow her down. Yet she reached her destination all the same and was poised to begin. Nothing could stop her.

A pink bubble appeared over the huge mare's next target.

The Titan blinked in confusion. What was this? The closest thing she could compare it to was the flowing lights that decorated her sky now and then. The phenomenon the tiny ones called the "Aurora Borealis". Yet this thing, while also partially transparent, was only one color and shown with magical power.

The huge mare raised a hoof and gently tapped the surface of the dome. It made a sound like a gong underwater. The surface rippled and flexed. Tiny lights sparkled within it as it re-solidified and appeared to thicken, becoming less transparent. Then it quieted and stilled once more.

The Titan narrowed her eyes. She had been unaffected by the phenomenon so she felt it was safe to test it again. This time when she lowered her hoof she did not retreat. She pressed down and put some of her weight on the dome.

The pink barrier gave slightly, compressing like stiff rubber. A whine like a massive creaky door protested the mare's action. Sparkles appeared wherever wrinkles marked the bubble's surface. Yet it held.

The Titan grumbled with realization. Another response. A shield. The little ones were doing something else to try and stop her. If she didn't break through then they would continue to invade her lands. They would see her as weak. They would conquer her. She was right to keep fighting.

The Titan of the North raised her leg and brought it down with all of her strength, determined to shatter this final defense. The collision rang like the crack of an enormous whip. A wave rushed out across the pink surface and her foot dug a quarter of the way through. Unexpectedly, the mare's leg hurt. The dome was strong. Nearly as strong as her. However, while the wall was stationary, she was not.

The Titan ignored the pain and raised her leg to strike again. And again. And again. Each time denting the half-sphere deeper and deeper. However, what should have been a quick and easy victory, instead became a frustrating grind of attrition. Between each of the tooth-rattling hammer-like blows, a surge of energy would rush through the dome and partially undo some of the damage. The Titan's hoof would hit and, while she was raising her limb for the next strike, the very wound she had just inflicted would begin to fill itself in. Though the Titan was clearly winning overall, the struggle immediately frustrated her.

The battle lasted an entire minute before the Titan paused to take a breath and growl like a disturbed dragon. In a violent fit of anger, the mare reared up on her hind legs and thrashed her immense front legs in the open air. From across the cityscape, everypony could see the Titan rage. It was their only warning. Because she came down immediately after with a double-hoofed stomp that rocked the entire metropolis with a brief but felt earthquake.

The pink shield withstood the impact for only a moment before failing and allowing the huge mare to come crashing the rest of the way down to the ground.

The Titan smirked, pleased by her victory. She had defeated the little ones completely. Surely there would be no further response. All that was left was to finish off this group of apartments, which had already suffered heavy damage from her landing, and possibly the other complex too. Then she could go home.

Yet, as she raised her hoof to crush the nearest building, a glimmering bolt of baby blue light came racing for her head.

The Titan was confused by its trajectory and suddenness. It was as though the attack had been fired by a unicorn that could fly. But that couldn't be right. Even more surprising was her quick discovery that the power behind this spell was much greater than from the previous attacks she had endured. The huge mare actually felt like she had been stung in the left cheek. It hurt.

The huge mare shook her head and stumbled back, predictably causing a bit more damage to the buildings behind her. She snorted and scowled in the direction she had been assaulted. There was, of course, the ever present pegasi swarm keeping a safe distance. However, there was also one distinct individual who was subtly glowing and who was much nearer. The Titan immediately focused on this bold little one who was still coming closer and quickly at that.

The Titan could feel a powerful animosity coming from this pony. Someone who might just be capable of posing a threat. Had this flying unicorn been responsible for the barrier a moment ago? Her muscles tightened as she readied herself to feel more stinging bolts. The seconds ticked by agonizingly slow as she awaited this one's arrival. The huge mare was used to the sluggish passage of great periods of time, so the reverse was extra uncomfortable. Compared to her normal day-to-day, so much had happened. Everything was going so fast. Except this waiting.

The blue comet stopped one hoof length away. The unicorn was pink and also had a pair of wings she spread as she hovered before the huge mare's muzzle. Power radiated off of her like a warm candle. The Titan could feel the hatred.

"What have you done?!" the little pony demanded. "Why are you here?!"

The Titan found rage boiling in her own veins. Not only was this certainly their "Princess", but she too chose to lie and insult the huge mare. There was simply no way the tiny ones did not realize they were invading. How could you attack someone and not realize it? The Titan could stand the nonsense of the small ones no longer.

"You invade my lands and threaten my peace, then you have the nerve to question my actions?" the Titan rumbled. "I am not some part of the landscape you can simply clear and build over!" she roared and raised a hoof.

The Princess seemed to be stunned by the Titan's words. Whether due to the content or because of the sheer volume of the huge mare's voice she would never know. All that mattered was the flying unicorn failed to dodge as the Titan swiped the little glowing dot out of the air.

The Princess flew through the sky like a meteor, crashing to the road some blocks away with a sickening crunch. The Titan, however, was not done with her. She marched after her downed enemy, not even noticing the additional buildings that disappeared beneath her uncaring hooves. Upon arriving at the landing site the huge mare found the Princess laying motionless at the end of a trench she had carved into the ground when she fell. And for a moment the Titan simply loomed over her. Watching her. Thinking, yet not caring enough to stoop down to check if she was alive or dead.

But the Titan did care enough to stomp on her once.

The sun only now crossed the horizon and the first true rays of sunlight began to blanket what remained of the city as the day began in earnest. And a sense of finality settled over the Titan in that moment. With a tired look, she took in her surroundings again and sighed.

Her legs were itchy and her face stung. Her fur and hooves were dirty. Around her were ruins and a path of destruction that led all the way back to the far North. Beneath one of her hooves was the ruler of this city who had looked her in the eye and dismissed all the wrongs the little ones had committed. There were at least two more apartment complexes left and who knew how many more homes here in the inner city and back out in the suburbs. Was it worth it to stay here any longer?

All at once the Titan simply felt exhausted. She eyed the buildings she had not smashed and weighed the importance of continuing her mission. The huge mare glanced down at her hoof, still planted atop the sovereign of this land, and scowled. Surely this would be enough. The tiny ones couldn't possibly believe she was weak after this. Now they would understand that they could not simply take from her without facing her wrath.

So the Titan went home satisfied with her work. Though a small part of her did worry that the small ones would be back. That they would rebuild and continue their advance against her. However, the huge mare also felt a tremendous bloom of confidence rising in her chest as she marched over yet more homes and businesses on her way back to her lands. She had learned a great deal during her quest and now she knew how to stick up for herself.

After all, if the little ones really hadn't learned their lesson...

...she could always repeat it for them.




The End