Lightning struck the earth, the storm crackled with electricity, not ready to let up for a couple more hours. Under the hard rain, two ponies stood, braving the wind.
“Applejack. It is so nice to see you.” Strong Hoof spoke up, his voice loud enough to be heard through the storm, yet keeping a certain level headiness that was not expected from such a behemoth. “I was beginning to worry this search would be difficult.”
Applejack dug her hooves in the ground to hold herself in place, staring daringly in the eyes of the colossal stallion. The wind whisked away the remains of her lantern as if it was weightless. Mighty big, white coat. E-Even a plumber’s cap too, though Ah don’t know how it’s still holdin’ up with all that wind... “Whatcha ‘ere for?” She asked, wincing.
Strong Hoof breathed calmly, not a single ounce of malice present in his body. “Quite a number of things, certainly. I was sent here to run some errands on the boss’s part.”
Applejack’s brows furrowed. “What kinda errands?” she shouted, her voice being nearly drowned by the rain and the wind.
The giant barely heard, turning his head to a nearby tree holding its own against the storm. “Why don’t we speak over there, sheltered from the storm?” Without even waiting for an answer, he trotted to the tree and sat down, keeping his gaze on the orange mare. “Come, it’s warmer here.”
The earth pony didn’t want to entertain him at all, but he was clearly the one responsible for nearly killing Olive. Now here in Ponyville, she had to know what he was up to and especially what Anarchy wanted. Guess there’s not much choice. She followed him, staying a few meters away. The tree and the large stallion thankfully provided some cover for the wind, making their voices more audible.
Strong Hoof smiled, an undecipherable expression in his eyes. “As I was saying, I have some errands to run. One of them is not important to you. The other two involve you in some way. I’ll just start by listing the most notable one. I was sent here as a hitpony, to kill you.”
The chilling ease in the white pony’s voice sent a chill down Applejack’s spine. Clearly, she was no match for him. Any fight would inevitably result in death, and a painful one at that. Her head lowered, her legs bent slightly, ready for an attack.
“However, I have put some thought into Anarchy’s demand, and have come to understand his way of thinking.” Strong Hoof continued, not bothered by this change in posture. “He is worried about the Elements of Harmony. Their unrivaled power could ruin his life’s work. He just needs them out of the way. Are you beginning to understand, Applejack? We have much room for barter.” His smile widened just a bit.
“Well? Spit it out. Ah’m listenin’.” Applejack gazed around. She knew the school wasn’t far off. Just behind her lied Olive and the other foals. Under no circumstances will she let him pass. Fighting is not an option. All she could do was buy some time until somepony hopefully came to lend a hoof.
“A pony who works so hard to tend to her farm doesn’t deserve to die, not at all.” Strong Hoof said, a respectful look in his eyes. “It would be a shame to kill you when you do so much for your town. The same goes for your friends, well... most of them. To avoid unnecessary bloodshed, I simply ask for the Elements. Give them to me, and I will not kill anypony.” Lightning struck the earth, highlighting the disturbingly warm smile on the stallion’s face.
Applejack’s brows furrowed. We don’t have them no more. Ah can’t let ‘im know tha’ for now. Especially not about the Tree. “Seems mighty reasonable but... Ah have some conditions, ya know, before Ah tell ya all that.”
Strong Hoof chuckled. “Conditions?” he cocked his back and smiled confidently. “How delightful. Go ahead, amuse me with your conditions.” This time, she felt malice leak through him. It was small, almost insignificant however, like a parent amused at their child trying to barter with them.
“How ‘bout we go back to Sweet Apple Acre and talk it out over a nice cup of apple cider? It’s mighty better than out in ta rain.”
Strong Hoof laughed. “Oh, what a good sense of humour.” his face darkened soon after. “Pity we don’t have THAT much time. Perhaps some other time, Applejack. So... the location of the Elements, if you so please?”
Applejack gritted her teeth, trying her hardest not to look back. Any sign of worry could be used against her. Just in a few sentences, Strong Hoof proved he was more than a muscle head. “Okay them. H-How ‘bout some questions?”
Just like that, the behemoth’s face relaxed. “Why certainly. I’d like to discuss a bit more; we have a few hours left for a civil discussion. Do not be wary of me; I’m no monster, I assure you.”
“What’re ta two other errands ya spoke of?”
Strong Hoof smirked. “Oh, just collecting a blood sample from a local here. Nothing too bad. The other one is... much less flattering, but it is retribution.”
“Ya’re ‘ere to take revenge on somepony?” Applejack asked, her voice hitching and not because of the cold. Shit, shit, shit, shit! Please don’t say it, please don’t say it!
Strong Hoof’s eyes pierced her very soul. In a matter of mere seconds, he grinned. “What’s gotten into you? You look a little pale. Is there something you’d like to share with me? Maybe... talk about a pink filly?”
Applejack’s eye twitched, betraying her right as lightning struck the earth. Her motherly heart skipped a beat, a powerful sense of dread overtaking her.
“So am I right to assume you’re affiliated with a certain Olive?” Strong Hoof asked, his voice high yet menacing all the same. “Do not worry, this won’t change the deal I presented. It still stands.”
Bested by the giant, Applejack shook her head in defiance. “No, Ah’m not takin’ ta deal. Yer never getting' yer dirty hooves on ta Elements! Especially not Anarchy! That monster’s only gonna destroy everythin’ we ponies built.”
Strong Hoof groaned, leaning further back against the tree. “I see you have not been educated on anarchism. The monarchy has led you to believe there were no other forms of governing? Allow me to teach you a thing or two.”
Applejack stomped a hoof down. “Ah know what anarchism is, and Ah don’t think Anarchy is aimin’ for that! He’s a monster as much as ya!”
Strong Hoof shook his head slowly. “You have not met the real Anarchy. You only know him based on what little you’ve been told. Where you see a monster, I see a noble stallion who’s willing to make a change despite having to make some hard choices. We cannot achieve everything peacefully, a sad truth indeed. We truly want to deliver anarchism, and let the ponies gain their freedom.”
He stood up, towering further over the strong earth pony. “Imagine a world where everypony is free of the chains of the strong that binds them. Free to take back their lives.”
“From what Ah know, anarchism doesn’t last long. It’s simply doomed to fail, replaced by somethin’ much worse.” Applejack countered, her brows furrowing.
“Of course, we expect that as much. Anarchism always creates a power vacuum.” Strong Hoof smiled confidently, taking a step in her direction. “That’s why we are going to create a different political philosophy, courtesy of Anarchy, to put in place before anypony could seize power. Have you ever heard of the great ancient city Ponethenes? Those ponies have instituted a different political movement. One that was never seen before, democracy.”
Applejack took a step back. “What?”
“Nopony was in a seat of power above the others, each had equal power.” Strong Hoof continued, waving a hoof. “The decisions were chosen by unanimity, not who was higher. As such, it was a fair system that allowed everypony to participate equally in the fate of their society.”
“Last Ah heard, stallions weren’t treated so equally back then.” Applejack countered. It was a weak argument, meant only to stall and the giant could clearly tell.
“Irrelevant. Our primary goal is to establish democracy and rule out the monarchy.” Strong Hoof took a step forward, a daring look in his eyes. “In our new society, alicorns would be no greater than a unicorn, an earth pony or a pegasus.We will storm the castle, and tear off their crowns, smash them into bits. The castle would no longer belong to two ponies, it will be an office for all to come and share their thoughts.”
Applejack winced, hiding her face behind her cloak. “Ah still don’t see why ya dislike Princess Celestia and ‘er rule so much. Isn’t she doin’ a good job? Ah mean, she does listen to the needs of ta folks. Ah just don’t think a change is necessary.”
The colossal titan grumbled and took a deep breath. “Celestia is doing the best she can, I don’t doubt it. Unfortunately, we can’t expect her to do all the work. There are too many things for one pony to take care of all at once. Monarchy is simply foolish and holds our country back, no matter how well she listens to her ponies.”
“Ah don’t see any unhappy pony ‘ere. The economy’s doin’ just fine too.”
Strong Hoof frowned. “But the public’s safety... it leaves a lot to be desired, doesn’t it? Tell me, what’s the purpose of the royal guard?”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. She blinked, not really knowing if he was being serious.
“Tell me.” the stallion insisted.
“To protect royalty. Where are ya gettin' at?”
Lightning struck. Strong Hoof stared at Canterlot resting off in the distance. “Protect royalty you say? Why do the strongest beings in Equestria need protection? Can’t they destroy any obstacles thrown their way? If I attacked Celestia head on, I will be reduced to atoms. What’s the point in protecting them?”
Aj blinked, her eyes widening with each passing second.
“Some will say it’s tradition. I say it’s a terrible argument. These ponies' talents are wasted on a useless job. The royal guard should be protecting the city itself from danger, from ponies like the Crimson Mask, even us. Isn’t it bad that we were able to get this far? Under no circumstances would we have succeeded had our society been established.” Strong Hoof stomped the ground, sending rain drops into the air. “The monarchy is actively keeping security at a low. In our democracy, the royal guards will be rebranded and sent to keep the peace around Equestria.”
Applejack shook her head, distraught. “Even so, ponies like y’all are the exception. There ain’t a need for guards in every town an’ city.”
Strong Hoof sighed. “You’re getting desperate, it’s a sad display. The truth is, the world is worse than you can imagine. I’ve seen its horror first hoof, and I will make sure nopony else gets to see its darkness. Moving on, we will reward hard working ponies with subsidies. We know your farm is kept alive with your sweat and blood, by amassing money through your harvests. However, you sometime experience some... difficulties and make less than you were supposed. On seasons like these, your lives are put on the line. Our future will aim to prevent such tragedies. No longer would farm ponies starve, not with our generous subsidies.
Are you beginning to understand, Applejack? We are the future, not the end. It’s only a matter of time until the world changes, and you need to be prepared for that day.”
The orange mare was shocked, puzzled and confused all the same. Her mind could barely process all that information, desperately trying to deny it. It ain’t a good idea to listen to ‘im! He’s a murderer! Nearly killed a filly! “Ah see...” she muttered, composing herself. “Why are ya tellin’ me all this?”
The giant looked up, feeling the cold rain splatter against his face. “I’ve always admired strong ponies like you. It is why I urge you to reconsider the deal. It would be a waste to kill you, I certainly wouldn’t want to do it. But know that if you refuse, I’ll resume my initial orders, and have no qualms about tearing you to pieces.”
Applejack’s heart beated faster, her mind accelerated in tandem with it. She had no other choice now but to start the hostilities. “Olive’s with us now. If ya want to get ‘er; y’all to go through me first. Ah’ll never let ya hurt ‘er.”
Much to her surprise, the giant didn’t attack yet. Strong Hoof kept his head high, gazing blankly at the sky. He then closed his eyes and took a deep, deep breath. After what felt like hours, he opened his eyes, now shadowed by his cap. Under this grim shade, he began to look like a heartless monster again as he pawed at the ground. “We’ll see now, won’t we?”
His legs tensed, his body prepping for battle. And then, he waited. Under the darkness of the storm, neither could see one another nor could they hear the subtle sounds of their steps as they paced around as carefully as a lion on the prowl. Only the lightning could reveal their position and thus, they could only attack under this short time frame.
O-Okay, judgin’ by his size. One hit is all it’ll take ‘im to kill me. Ah’ve gotta find a way to drive ‘im away from ta school.
Lightning struck, and Strong Hoof spun around and bucked the air with one leg, a couple meters shy from hitting Applejack. The orange mare jumped back, puzzled by this odd move. She pondered why he would try to hit her at this distance when she noticed the cracks his hooves left. Cracks in the air, impossible. It looked like he cracked an invisible mirror. Aj squinted, trying to see what he’ll do next. And that was when the air exploded in a powerful gust of wind even stronger than the storm.
It smashed into her, nearly crushing her bones and sent her flying away, thankfully landing in a deep puddle to break the fall. Her cloak shattered and was whisked away by the wind, exposing her body to the cold. Surprised, she jumped out and shook her body to keep herself warm. Now far away from the giant, she had some actual time to think and form a course of action.
Lightning struck once again, quicker than before. Applejack had just enough time however to see the giant carefully trotting towards her, quaking the earth with every step. Next time the sky would light up, he’ll attack. The rumbling stopped when he got dangerously close, forcing the mare to back away silently. Now a couple of steps away from one another, they awaited the next flash of light to make their move. Aj focused on evasive manoeuvres whilst Strong Hoof placed all his bets on offense.
“Pity you chose otherwise. On the next flash of light, you’ll perish.” Strong Hoof warned calmly and bitterly.
The orange mare didn’t dare to utter a single word, lest she’ll give her position away. She kept her body low and ready to jump away. The wind doubled its intensity, taunting both ponies as it threatened to sweep them off their hooves.
Then, lightning struck. The sky lit up, and Strong Hoof lunged. He didn’t reach out with his hooves this time, no, it was his head that pounced on Applejack. The mare wasn’t fast enough, struck by the adamantium skull of the goliath and pinned to the ground. The stallion’s mouth was wide open, saliva dripping down his lower teeth.
Aj held his cranium back with all four legs and even then, he was gaining some distance. The gap in strength between the two was as big as a crevasse. They were on different levels, and it was only a matter of time until Applejack gets her head crushed like a watermelon. Strong Hoof’s tongue slithered out and began licking the mare’s face, blinding her.
“’ust ‘ive up!” The goliath roared.
Applejack pushed through her disgust, opening her eyes to keep them locked in his. Strong Hoof’s were dark, almost hollow looking under the shade of his cap. With each push, her muscles whined in pain. He was a force of nature, unstoppable, unyielding. He was strength personified.
In a last-ditch effort to free herself, Applejack freed one hoof and struck it into his eye. She was thankfully fast enough to hit it before his jaw could close around her face, sending him reeling back in pain. The white stallion whined, holding his eye as the other one glared at his adversary, cursing her name under his breath whilst the mare crawled away.
“Alright... We’re gonna need an ambulance now. I’ll make sure it hurts!”
Strong Hoof dug his hooves underground and splattered mud all over Applejack. Discombobulated, she barely had time to see the sky light up, and a giant buck coming her way. The hit would have been fatal had she not hopped back, only taking a fraction of its intended power. Nevertheless, once the hit struck her, the ground disappeared.
Applejack blinked, looking around as darkness surrounded her. Her body wasn’t touching anything but the cold rain falling on her coat. In this strange feeling of weightlessness, she began to feel a looming sense of dread as the situation slowly made itself clear to her. Lightning struck, revealing what had happened. She was thirty meters off the ground. From this height, Strong Hoof looked small and so did Ponyville. Even Canterlot was fully visible from her position. It was quite a frightening experience, for the end would not be pretty.
“Shit, that hit was too light.” Strong Hoof grumbled as he looked around, unable to find her. He didn’t think to look up and why would he? The sky was pitch black, it’s not like he would find her there.
Applejack spun around, noticing a nearby tree, her salvation. She waved her hooves around and bucked the air, trying to move towards it with all her might. As the ground rapidly approached, she smashed her stomach on a branch, and fell on another. And then, the ground smashed her face in. The pain was atrocious, concentrated mostly on her stomach and her face, but the damage done to her legs was not to be neglected. Even when the giant missed, it still nearly killed her. She was terribly outclassed, and about to die should this “fight” continue for even a minute or two.
“You’re losing this, get over it. Now that the pain is setting in, know that you brought this upon yourself. I was hoping you’d be more... willing to listen to reason.” Strong Hoof lamented, disappointment dripping from his deep voice. The ground quaked with every step he took. To Applejack, it was like a ticking bomb, urging her to get up. She tried to stand up, but her legs gave under the pain. Surprisingly, the goliath stopped, staring her down with pity.
“Get up. I’ll let you die with dignity.”
The farm pony spat blood, and sluggishly stood before the towering stallion, defiance in her eyes. “Sorry, can’t die yet. Ah’ve still got some things to do.” On the outside, she appeared brave and confident. But on the inside, it was the exact opposite. This battle was a one-sided massacre. Sad for one party and horrifying for the other. It was the first time Applejack had ever found herself stuck against seemingly impossible odds, all alone.
This pony had danced with death so many times before, fighting chimeras, changelings and the avatar of chaos before but somehow, this foe felt different. She had no preparations, no friends to help. It was just her against an unfamiliar opponent, one that outclassed her in nearly every category imaginable. This opponent was death itself, coming to claim her life. There's no stopping death, no cheating it.
Strong Hoof’s scowled, growing impatient. “Then let me cross off one of your chores. I’ll find that school eventually whether you tell me it’s location or not.”
Applejack panted, trying to raise her head to stare the beast in the eye. Even an action that simple was difficult. Her neck hurt with each inch it rose, cracking in reluctance. “Ah’ll never let ya get close. Not as long as Ah stand ‘ere.”
The colossal earth pony winced. “Enough talk. I won’t let you stall for time. Prepare yourself.” He turned around and lifted his giant hind legs, ready to crack the air again. This time, the hit would be fatal, tear the mare to shreds. “If you believe in any deities, start praying now.”
Applejack stood still; her body hurt too much. One leg might have dislocated. In short, she was in no running condition, no condition to stop such a wide and large attack. “C-C’mon... Give yer best shot.” she growled.
Strong Hoof’s legs cracked like a whip, bucking the air at such an impressive speed that it left an afterimage. The cracks in the air were massive, much bigger than the previous one. The stallion truly went for the kill this time. The attack widened, growing as big as the goliath. The air that passed through the crack whistled like a boiling teapot. Then, it turned to fire as it pulled in more air, igniting it.
Another sound added to the cacophony of the storm and the boiling air, a pair of hooves galloping to the scene behind Applejack. The orange mare looked over her shoulder just in time to see a lavender mass jump ahead, casting a barrier around them. “T-Twilight?!”
The crack finally erupted. The earth quaked and the air exploded, pushing and banging against the magical shield, nearly breaking it. Fire engulfed the land, evaporating the falling rain as it charged away, destroying all objects that dared to stand in its way. And just like that, it stopped. The rain resumed its course, the air filled the empty space left by the geyser. The shield finally popped, unable to sustain itself.
Twilight Sparkle panted, catching her breath as her eyes remained sharp on the behemoth. Her wings sprouted, ready for action. “Are you okay, Applejack?”
Applejack kept her eyes on the giant too, only glancing briefly at her friend. “Fraid not. Ah think Ah broke some bones.”
The lavender alicorn’s eyebrows furrowed, fury overtaking her fears. “What were you even doing out here?!”
Strong Hoof remained still, a displeased expression on his face. His eyes moved from the farm pony to the princess, his ears perked and his mind processing every bit of information he received.
“Ah gotta see how Olive’s doin’! She’s surely not doin’ well alone in that storm!”
Twilight took a deep breath. “Okay then... Go. I’ll deal with him myself.”
Applejack opened her mouth to protest, but the sharp pain in her abdomen spoke against that idea. “Be careful, alright?”
“I’ll be.”
The earth pony limped away, carefully observed by the behemoth who smirked. “Ah, so that’s where the school is.” he said calmly before turning his attention back to the alicorn. Lightning struck, revealing to her the face of the reaper that came to Ponyville. “And talk about good luck too. The princess of friendship came to me. It is good to finally come face-to-face with you. You’re my priority.”
Twilight’s face darkened, her heart beating with rage. “You’re the giant Mango warned me about. Why are you here?”
Strong Hoof sighed. “A long answer I’m already bored of repeating. Time for talking was over with Applejack. All you deserve is death, and I will grant it to you and your friends in spades.”
Twilight shot a small orb of light and let it fly to the beastly stallion. It moved towards its chest, highlighting the necklace before poofing out of existence. And just like Mango warned me, he’s wearing a magic-nullifying necklace.
Strong Hoof emitted a low growl, prowling around his opponent. “So you’re aware of our necklaces. I place the blame on Looking Glass. He’s always searching in places he shouldn’t be. Once we’re through with you six, he’ll be next.”
Twilight scoffed bitterly. “That kind of speech is to be expected coming from ruthless murderers.”
“Revolutionaries.” he corrected, hissing at the mare.
“Revolutionaries don’t kill innocent foals.” Twilight responded. The behemoth stomped a hoof down.
“And what do you know?!” he shouted before composing himself. “What have you seen of Olive? This little... bruja. You see an innocent filly who does no wrong. I see a monster within, one that butchered twenty of my closest friends. If you truly advocate for justice, you’d do something about it and yet... you have done nothing. Am I to assume the Element of Magic is unable to perform an exorcism?”
“It’s more complicated than you think. A sadistic earth pony who doesn’t know anything about magic shouldn’t act like he has the moral high ground.” Twilight flapped, reaching the height of the goliath’s head but struggled to maintain herself in the air thanks to the combined effort of the rain and the wind. “Nightmare magic is grafted to the soul; it becomes a part of who you are. To remove it would require the Elements of Harmony.”
“If so, why haven’t you done it already? Last I heard, the Elements were in your possession. Hmm... I’m beginning to think you’re all hiding something rather important.” Strong Hoof waved a hoof, his brow’s furrowing. Then, his eyes widened, and he grinned. His eyes turned pitch black under the shade of his cap. “You don’t have them, correct? What do you have to stop him then?”
“Wha-”
Strong Hoof lunged, biting at Twilight who narrowly evaded the blow. “Damn! Too slow!” The alicorn flew out of reach and lifted a large rock, using it as a projectile. The behemoth shielded his face, wincing in pain as the rock smashed into pieces on his hoof. The distraction made him lose sight of her, and in the storm, Twilight was invisible but so was he. Both ponies were gazing around, trying to spot each other.
From her height, Twilight’s heart began to slow as she assessed the situation. The giant couldn’t reach her from here, and Equestria wasn’t in shortage of rocks and other heavy objects to throw. This was a battle of attrition, nothing more. Or so she thought. Her wings began to feel heavy, forcing her body to descend slowly back to the ground. W-What? It became evident that the heavy rain was taking its toll on her wings. Unless they were dry, she won’t be able to fly. Lightning struck, revealing her helpless position to the behemoth.
“Brave jump!” Strong Hoof shouted, pouncing high in the sky right at the descending mare. Mouth outstretched, he fell on her, ready to take a bite. Twilight screamed, teleporting away just in time to avoid being eaten alive.
Back on the ground, she had to rely on what the royal captain taught her to fend off the goliath, lest she becomes his lunch. “Now we’re on equal playing fields!” the giant taunted, shaking the earth with his trot.
Twilight, however, just got an idea. “Don’t be so sure!” she said, smirking. The alicorn casted a light orb and let it levitate around the goliath, thus exposing him.
Strong Hoof swatted away at the orb with a hoof, unable to dispel it. The orb was intangible, earth pony proof. Amidst the darkness, its light blinded the giant, drawing all attention to it. He received another rock to the face and this time, he didn’t block. “Get back here!” He scowled, stomping the ground with all his might, creating an earthquake.
Lightning struck, and he saw Twilight falling to the ground, unbalanced thanks to the quake. His eyes lit up as he pounced and failed to crush her skull yet again. The princess was nimble, more than he expected. She knew how to dance around with her legs. He swung his legs around, just shy away of getting her every time. They were like tree trunks in both size and weight, creating strong gusts of wind with each swing. This goliath was the most literal example of a force of nature. Nature itself bowed to his strength, aiding him in battle.
Twilight did her best, dodging and hitting him with rocks and tree trunks laying around the battle arena but they were not effective enough. As she teleported away, she came to a terrible realisation. She knew many spells, but rarely has she used them in life-threatening situations. Only the spells she used regularly would come to mind, levitation, magic beams and teleportation. Strong Hoof certainly didn’t give her any time to remember other useful spells. In that case, she lacked training. For the fights to come, she’ll make sure to train herself to use more spells under high pressure.
Each strike only made him angrier. Her only bet was to remove the necklace, but that meant getting close to him and that was too dangerous to try on a whim. So, she aimed her boulders at this necklace instead. Problem was the thing was loose, and it dangled around. Her attacks only hit his chest, and that did little to no damage, so Twilight opted to aim for the head.
Despite having the strength of an earth pony, Twilight Sparkle didn’t want to even buck him at all. The sheer disparity in size alone was more than enough to discourage physical combat. Compared to him, she was just a foal. Her bucks would only tickle him realistically. It was just basic physics, no point in trying something futile.
One stomp came dangerously close to crushing her hind quarter and in her panic, Twilight bucked the stallion’s rotula, a weak point. The hit merely made him flinch, and he chuckled. “Are you really one of the strongest ponies in your team? He he he, that tickled.” Strong Hoof confirmed her prior thoughts, grinning.
And so, this grueling fight continued, with Twilight turning small objects like leaves into boulders to chuck at the giant. Any barriers she casted was destroyed instantly, forcing her to rely entirely on Mango’s teachings to keep her alive. Sometimes, she was sneaky enought to cast a portal in Strong Hoof's way. His attack went through the portal and came out of another one, aiming straight at his face. Despite these hits, he wouldn't back down. This bloody dance kept on going and Strong Hoof’s anger only rose with each hit he took. His pupils shrank with every blow. And then, they were gone.
The goliath stopped attacking momentarily, gritting his teeth as he growled. His veins bulging from his forehead, his muscles tensing revealing his burly stature hiding underneath his fat. Strong Hoof raised his head high in the sky and roared as loud as he could. It shattered the air, sending many drops of rain away resulting in an empty dome forming around them where no water fell for a few brief seconds. Even the magical orb was dispelled. There was indeed some magic in the stallion’s indominable strength.
Twilight stared in awe, still surprised by the stallion’s otherworldly power. Too distracted by him, she failed to notice a cloaked figure sprinting behind her, approaching at an alarming rate. She only noticed it once her face was pressed in the mud. The figure pinned her with razor sharp claws. It was then the alicorn noticed it was a griffon that was holding her down. In one claw, he held a syringe that he planted in one of her legs. She watched as it sucked her blood, filling the syringe rapidly.
“I got it!” The griffon announced. Strong Hoof responded by furiously roaring at him, stomping his way to him. “Woah woah woah! We’re on the same team!” Lightning struck, and both could now see the empty white voids that were the earth pony’s eyes. He had lost it.
Immediately, the griffon took off his cloak and took off, benefiting from still having dry wings. Strong Hoof ignored Twilight, lunging to bite the griffon in half. He missed, shouting and screaming incoherently at the flying criminal to get back down.
Twilight rose from the mud, keeping her eyes on Strong Hoof, cringing at the pain in her foreleg. The stallion, having lost sight of the griffon, quickly turned back to the initial cause of his rage. His heart was pounding with rage. His veins pulsated; his legs tensed to the point that it hurt him, keeping the giant in a constant state of pure fury. He roared, the sound nearly busting Twilight’s eardrums, and he charged once more, unrelenting as ever.
Was it just her, or was he getting faster and faster?
Dragging herself from the dirt, Applejack finally reached the schoolhouse, glad that the door is still unlocked. The interior was much more charitable than the exterior, providing some warmth to the cold mare. She sniffled, now noticing her nose was runny. Unsurprising considering the temperature was almost in the negative. The only downside was that it was still dark, much like the world outside.
Once more, Applejack had to rely on the lightning and her sense of touch to navigate. She limped down the hall, making sure not to walk on the leg that hurt the most. She reached the classroom and entered, a shaky hoof on the doorhandle. The thunderstorm also did a number on her. Her entire body was deathly cold, making it hard to keep her legs composed. She caught a cold for sure.
Inside was exactly what she had expected. Foals cowering under their desk, each scared of the wrath of the gloomy clouds. Cheerilee popped up like a telescope, surprised. “A-Applejack? What are you doing here?” she quickly noticed the pain on the earth pony’s face, now looking worried. “You went out in the storm, didn’t you?”
“It ain’t ta storm that roughed me up bad.” Applejack grumbled, gritting her teeth as she limped towards her daughter’s desk. “Hey, sugar cube. You doin’ okay?” She asked softly.
The pink unicorn was curled up, cuddled by Sweetie Belle. She mumbled lots of thing under her breath in a frightened voice that was barely comprehensible. Upon seeing her mother, she sprung to life, reaching her hooves out to her. “Mommy!” Olive jumped in her loving embrace, much to Sweetie’s slight disappointment.
“Ah wasn’t gonna leave you there.” Applejack glanced at her little sister. “Same goes for ya. We’re leavin’ now.”
Apple Bloom crawled out, puzzled. “Like right now? Can’t Ah bring my friends along?”
Applejack shook her head. “Ah’m not sure Ah can handle four fillies under ta storm. Just ya two’s gonna be plenty of work.”
The yellow filly got on her kness and brought out her puppy eyes. “But sis!”
“No is no, Apple Bloom. We don’t have much time left.”
Cheerilee left her desk to join them in a hurry. “What’s the hurry? I-I mean you look injured, it’ll be best if I bring you to the infirmary first-” Applejack waved a hoof, silencing the teacher.
“Nah, it’ll take too long. We need to leave now. C’mon, fillies.” She gently tapped the fillies on their flank to usher them out. However, that only caused Olive to freeze in place, breathing heavily as her pupils shrank. “H-Hey now, we can’t stay ‘ere...”
“No fair! I want to leave!” Diamond screamed.
“I want to leave too! Please take us!” Silver Spoon and the other foals joined in her cries of protest. They wanted to be home, not stuck here in the scary lightning show. They wanted it so badly they were willing to leave in the thunderstorm with a pony they barely knew.
“H-Hey, you’re not leaving me alone, Apple Bloom?” a scared Scootaloo asked.
The yellow filly stared at both parties, feeling torn. “Ah’m sorry, Scoot. Ah guess ya can stay with Sweetie Belle. Ah don’t have a choice anyway.” She didn’t know with who to go. On one hoof, she wanted to be the big sister that protected Olive from danger, but on the other, she wanted to stick by her friends in time of need.
Spoiled Rich pouted, staring in disgust at the pink filly being slowly hauled away. “Tss, they can go in the mud all they want...”
Silver Spoon sprinted towards the window, analysing the current state of the storm. “H-Hey, Diamond. Do you think we’re strong enough to leave too?”
The pink earth pony cringed at the mere sound of the heavy wind. “If you have a death wish, you’d go outside. We’re better off sitting this storm out.”
“Aw...” Dinky gloomed, still cowering under the desk. “Can we stay together at least?”
Diamond sighed. “Yeah sure, it’s not like we have anything better to do-”
Then, the windows shattered in millions of pieces. A lavender body was thrown against the wall, breaking through it. It didn’t take long for Applejack to realise it couldn’t have been anypony else than Twilight. Oh, nelly...
The wind poured in, pushing desks and foals alike. Chaos took over the class as ponies scrambled around, crying and shouting for their parents. All the while Cheerilee and Heedful Care tried to defuse the situation. Spoiled Rich simply grunted and waited for all this to blow over.
“C’mon, Olive! We’re gonna leave.” Aj affirmed, pushing the filly with one hoof. She noticed, however, that the unicorn was staring wide eyed at the broken window. A looming sense of dread and horror overtook the mare once she looked outside. It was still dark, still pouring down like Tartarus. But now, the ground was shaking, and it only intensified with each passing second. Oh no, no, no, no... Please Celestia, don’t let ‘im take ‘er.
The quakes strengthened, throwing foals off their balance. Now, everypony had their eyes on the broken window, wondering what kind of monster was coming for them. The behemoth growled on the other side. Then, the sky lit up... and everypony got to see the colossal titan in all its horrendous glory. It breathed heavily; its pupils gone leaving only two white voids for eyes. The veins on its head bulged, saliva and blood dripping down its torn lips. Its face was bloodied, its blood dripped down in accordance with the rain.
And then it roared, releasing all its rage in one guttural sound that shook all those who heard it. Strong enough to knock some foals unconscious, it was directly aimed at the two ponies the beast hated the most right now: Applejack and Olive. Cheerilee and Heedful Care were frozen in place, even the characteristic scowl of Spoiled Rich had vanished, replaced by sheer terror. For the first time in their lives, these ponies saw a monster unlike any other. A monster wearing the skin of a pony.
In that instant, Olive’s mind and soul left her body. She’d rather be anywhere but here, in front of him. There was no other way to deal with the sheer terror of the situation but to dissociate mind and body, leaving behind a hollow shell. She hid in the deepest corners of her psyche, where she’d be safe from the snow-white behemoth about to tear its way inside the schoolhouse.
Her body was frozen in place, every muscle tensing. She was as stiff as a corpse and as unresponsive as one. She couldn’t even feel her mother shaking her, begging for her to run. The world turned to a black void. No sound, nothing to see, nothing to feel.
A low voice echoed. It approached her, slowly becoming more coherent. Olive’s eyes slowly followed the location of the voice, on her right. She recognised it as her own. It was crying.
“Crying again I see?” And that voice was her father’s. He trotted towards the crying filly, his face contorting in an ugly scowl. “For Pete’s sake, can’t you be good at something?!” Anarchy bucked her daughter right in the flank, sending her face first into a nearby wall. The sound echoed across the dark void. The poor filly hitched, sneezing out blood from her nose. He often bucked her in the flank when she displeased him. Sometimes, he was nice enough to leave just a bruise. When he was less than happy, he kicked with enough strength to tear the flesh off and left her crying for hours.
Anarchy picked Olive from the mane and lifted her head, staring dead in the eyes. “Aren’t you a stupid filly? I thought you would have learned by now that crying is for the weak. You swallow the pain, okay? You don’t cry, that just makes you weak, and the weak are crushed, trampled by the strong. Do you want to die out there?” Olive didn’t respond, trying to swallow her tears. “Do you?!”
“N-N-No...”
“Then stop being stupid. Stop crying, it’s stupid. Crying is stupid, and stupid is weak. Am I finally getting through?”
Olive nodded, wiping her tears and blood away. “Y-Yes, daddy.”
The two ponies disappeared in the darkness, and two voices on the left made their presence known to the filly. Olive’s eyes followed the sound, and she saw herself and Aurora, together.
The golden pegasus looked at the pink unicorn, anxious and sad. “We can’t stay here, not anymore. Olive, we have to leave tomorrow, when we’ll pass through the Everfree forest.”
The younger Olive’s eyes widened. “L-Leave? But we can’t! Daddy said we won’t survive without him.”
“Oh, Olive.” Aurora’s voice hitched. “You can’t stay with him forever. He’s just... not the kind of pony you should aspire to be. I know there’s a town near the Everfree forest. If we can just run there and hide, we’ll be free. We’ll be able to do everything we want. We don't need him, okay?”
That night... The pink unicorn remembered it like it yesterday. It was the night Aurora made the decision for them to flee from the group even if it meant death. Olive would have never left her father’s side if it wasn’t for her dear friend. If it wasn’t for her, she’d have never met Applejack, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Princess Luna. Everything she has now, she owed to Aurora. One day, she’ll come back for her. That’s what Olive believed.
Running through the Everfree forest, the two fillies never dared to look back. The others were distracted by a sudden manticore attack, giving them their window of opportunity. As they fled, Anarchy quickly took notice. Rather than chasing them himself, he stood still, a mixture of confusing expressions on his face before he shook his head and ordered Strong Hoof and a few others to kill them. The white stallion tore the head off the manticore in just one bite, putting a rapid end to the distraction.
And so here they were, running through the dark woods, pursued by a behemoth and a pack of hungry ponies. Olive was unfortunately slower than Aurora, forcing the pegasus to keep the smaller filly’s pace which wasn’t fast enough to outrun their pursuers. At this rate, the golden pony knew they’ll never make it to Ponyville in time, not against Strong Hoof. Nopony is faster than him on hooves.
The pink unicorn tripped on a tree root and was quickly caught up by the giant stallion. In that moment, Aurora jumped in front of her, drawing all attention to her.
“Au-Aurora!” Olive stammered.
“How bold... Your bravery won’t save you because I smell fear.” Strong Hoof remarked calmly, bearing his pearly white teeth.
Aurora cocked her head back to look at Olive. “Run! You know there’s a town nearby, right? You’ll be safe there!” she screamed, making the filly panic inside, scrambling to get back on all four.
“B-But what about you?” Olive croaked.
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.” Aurora responded, her quivering voice betraying the calm tone she was going for. Her legs were trembling, and she cursed herself for not being able to hide it. Even her smile was weak, terrified before the towering colossus.
Strong Hoof chuckled. “This forest will be your tomb. Nopony gets away with betrayal, traidor. You should have stayed put.”
“Go!” Aurora motioned at the young filly to run away and thus, she did.
Olive ran as fast as she could towards Ponyville, her eyes watering. It hurt so much to run away and leave her behind, but she didn’t want to disappoint her either. Aurora will make it, she had to.
The ground quaked as Strong Hoof chased the pegasus down, leaving Olive with the much slower Dreamcatcher after her. She ran for a couple more seconds before a terrifying sound shattered her resolve. A soul piercing scream froze her blood. And then, silence... Her pursuers stopped too, looking behind. The forest was deathly quiet. No birds chipping, no crickets singing, nothing. And it was broken by a small earthquake rapidly approaching, accompanied by a malicious voice. “Run, oh run! Here I come!”
Strong Hoof’s voice sent a dose of adrenaline coursing through Olive’s body. She ran as fast as she possibly could, feeling the ground trembling more and more as the giant cackled in glee. Her legs hurt like Tartarus, her lungs nearly fainting under the pressure. She was gasping for air as she ran through the dark woods. Finally, the pink filly reached the end of the forest, just barely able to see Ponyville close by. She smiled brightly, relieved that her worries are soon about to end. And then she tripped. In her moment of triumph, she forgot to look where she was going, and banged her forelegs on a rock sticking out of the ground. A stupid, stupid rock that had no business being there.
She fell on her back, just in time to see Strong Hoof, Dreamcatcher and the rest lunged out of the forest, each with a sinister look of pure malice on their faces.
“We finally got her! Let me have her leg, I’m longing for a bite!” Dreamcatcher exclaimed.
Powerless before the inevitable, Olive’s teary eyes wondered to the worst of the bunch, the one she was most scared of. Strong Hoof had his mouth wide open. It was dripping with blood, fresh blood.
There was no denying it anymore, no reasons to fool herself. Olive knew it all along but refused to believe it. Her mind shut down, unable to process the sad truth.
The dark void returned, engulfing the Everfree. Aurora trotted past her, smiling gently. “I always knew you’d make it.” Her graceful smile was short lived, slowly lowering until there wasn’t a hint of joy on her face. “I’m sorry I’m not there to help you. But... I don’t think it matters, not anymore. You have other ponies for you now, you should stop holding on to me.”
Aurora trotted away, behind her was Anarchy who moved with his head kept high, not paying the filly any attention. “Looks like we’re having a nice little parade for my little darling! Let’s remind her everypony!”
Strong Hoof followed him, and Dreamcatcher appeared from the shade. Twenty other ponies came from this sea of darkness, each with a haunting expression.
“You’ll pay for this.” Strong Hoof remarked, glaring at the mindless unicorn.
“Gee, you really are a freak.” Dreamcatcher cringed, pulling her muzzle back as she flew away from Olive.
The other ponies all stared her down with fear in their eyes. “Monster!” they repeated, their hooves trembling as they trotted past her. Olive didn’t notice her pink shadow was much longer than her petite frame. Long and lanky. “Why? Why did you kill us?” a stallion asked, tears streaming down his severed face that he held with his forelegs.
“What did we ever do to you?” A mare cried, missing her lower jaw.
Olive’s breaths were sporadic, heavy. She started panting, her eyes wide open with terror as the last of the ponies passed her. Faced by the endless void, she lowered her head and gazed at her pink shadow. Silence filled the empty space, broken only by the sound of her quivering voice.
Then, a flash of red popped up from the shade. Another flash happened shortly after, this time a little closer to her. The flash was moving towards her, slowly taking on the outline of a stallion with a plumber’s cap. Hooves clopped, going from behind the filly to the front only for them to stop once a large gust of wind struck, cracking like a whip. A loud explosion rang behind Olive, but she paid no mind. Her mortified eyes were locked on the growing scarlet menace towering over her.
It raised a hoof high in the air, growling. Her heart beated faster, almost jumped out of her heart as it pounded against her rib cage. Her eyes watered before the looming danger of death.
The scarlet guillotine swung down with brutal speed and right as it was about to strike her down, the filly was pushed away, flying off the ground. A loud thump followed by a crack echoed through the fading void, soon replaced by the cacophony of the rain and the screaming foals. Olive’s mind returned to her body just in time to hear the saddened cries of her classmates.
The pink unicorn stood up, every inch of her body trembled as she did and saw Cheerilee caught under the giant anvil that was the goliath’s hoof, crushing her spine. Strong Hoof looked just as surprised as the foals, his fury fading away.
Apple Bloom was in the corner, crying next to Applejack’s unconscious body.
As for Heedful Care and Spoiled Rich, they were on the opposite side of the room, horrified by this turn of event. The pegasus wanted to help the teacher out, but there wasn’t anything she could do other than to protect the foals from the beast. Spoiled Rich followed too, but not out of kindness, she just wanted to snatch Diamond and leave.
The counselor picked Olive with her mouth and dragged her back to the other foals, far away from the behemoth.
“What were you thinking?” he scowled. “That hoof wasn’t meant for you! Are you really throwing your life away for this worthless filly? You’re lucky I held back at the last moment though I’m afraid you can kiss your spine goodbye.” He finally took off his hoof and constated the damage done.
Cheerilee lied on the floor, groaning in pain. Her lower legs couldn’t move anymore and any attempt to move only resulted in agonising pain. Desperate, she looked to Care with a pleading look in her tired eyes.
The pegasus shook her head and took the filly, ready to fly away.
“Not so fast, pegasus. I’m afraid you’re in no position to run.” The chilly serenity in the stallion’s voice made her reconsider. She heard the pained groans of Cheerilee followed by the creaking of the floorboards, whining as they almost shattered.
Strong Hoof sat down, in his forelegs was the teacher trying to push him away to no avail. “I’m not one to result to such petty tactics, but I can’t allow you to leave with her. If you do, know that I will eat her, in front of everypony. Then, I’ll crush them one by one until there’s nopony left. Am I clear?”
Heedful Care’s eyes widened. She gazed around the school, praying for Applejack or Twilight to get up and fight but sadly, it didn’t look like either one of them was ready to fight again. She desperately wanted to save this innocent filly, but her heart wouldn’t condemn an entire class and their teacher. It just wouldn’t feel right.
Strong Hoof was getting impatient. He turned back to the pathetic attempt Cheerilee made to free herself and opened his mouth wide, approaching her as saliva dripped from his lower jaw.
“Stop! Please!” Strong Hoof pulled his head back, surprised to hear such a young voice call out.
Sweetie Belle stood before him, trembling and crying but nonetheless, she stood before a giant. Such bravery, he admired her courage enough to hear her out.
“P-Please, Cheerilee only wanted to help Olive. Leave her alone! She did nothing wrong!” It pained the goliath to hear the devastated cries of this kind filly. None of them did anything wrong, they are just standing in his way. To achieve the dream he always wanted, he had to make a beast out of himself, and carry out even the worst of orders. He can’t back down even if he wanted to.
“I know.” He said somberly, hiding his eyes under the shade of his cap. “I’ll stop only if you bring me Olive.”
Care instinctively pulled the pink unicorn closer, unwilling to give in his demands, but somepony else had other plans. She was struck in the back and as she fell, she saw Spoiled Rich pick the frozen filly, dragging her to the monstrous goliath.
“M-Mom! What are you doing?!” Diamond cried out, horrified by her actions. Olive cried out for help, not strong enough to free herself from the iron grip of the spoiled earth pony. She was dragged closer and closer to her boogeypony, the one responsible for getting her in this mess. The stallion that ate Aurora alive.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rushed to the mare and bucked her as strong as they could. No matter how hard they hit, she wouldn’t back down. All the while, Strong Hoof gazed somberly, not moving an inch as he dropped Cheerilee, listening to another bone crunching in agony. After a few seconds of this messed up display, he’s had enough and stood up, ready to get on with it, and finish the rest of the job.
Olive stopped fighting back once the earth quaked, her eyes dead set on Strong Hoof. He was barely in range to swallow her whole, his mouth wide open like a voracious timberwolf. Time slowed down, and she finally took notice of her mother’s bad state. Twilight too, laying amidst the rubble. Even Cheerilee who didn’t know her as much. All three must have fought him, just for her. Out of love.
And now they’ve suffered the consequences, the same one Aurora did when she tried to protect her. Everypony who cares about her ends up this way, crushed by the white reaper. What’s to say he wasn’t going to destroy everything she ever cared for after she’s gone? There was nothing but destruction in him, that’s what he knew best.
Everything was her fault; all her fault and she couldn’t do anything to help. Olive began to wonder if she was really worth all this hassle. If it was worth it to die if it meant she could live another day. Most ponies she knew would leave her to die in a ditch if given the chance, but not them. Not these three, not her friends. Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Dinky Hooves, Cheerilee and Heedful Care. All of them cared, they loved her. And he was going to take her away from them, he was going to hurt them all.
Something else rose in Olive, something that nearly resurfaced when she confronted Spoiled Rich; anger. But this anger was much stronger than the one directed at the nasty mare. This anger was always there, present from the very start of her life. Always trying to push its way out, to let itself known, to show the world she had fangs. She hated Strong Hoof, hated him with every fiber of her being, but she was too scared to say anything, too scared to give him a piece of her mind.
Now, it didn’t matter anymore. She was about to die anyway so, better let him know. Her breaths accelerated; her teeth clenched as hard as they could to the point that they bled. Her brows furrowed and she screamed as loud as she could. It was so loud it even startled the goliath, making him pull back in shock. The only thing Olive didn’t notice was her glowing horn, beaming with fury.
And then, the cage was open. The beast was out. A long hoof sprouted out and smashed into the beast’s face, sending him into the wall. The guttural scream of the filly distorted, now deeper and accompanied by a maniacal cackle and an otherworldly roar.
All stared in shock and horror before the lanky creature that stood where Olive once was. Long legs, caved in skin, red glowing teeth, the monster was back, but it was still shorter than the white earth pony by a longshot.
“W-What the hay is this thing?” Spoiled Rich blanched and screamed, scrambling to crawl away from it. She couldn't believe her eyes. The wretched filly she openly insulted all this time... was a monster? She gulped, hoping it won't turn its attention to her next.
Heedful Care stared; mouth agape as she realised what truly happened at Ponyville General two weeks ago. Th-That's no magical surge... Her eyes then snapped back to the injured Cheerilee, so she rushed to her aid.
Scootaloo shrieked. “That’s the thing that blew up a bathroom?! That all make so much sense now!”
Strong Hoof scowled, stomping his hooves down in anger. “The name’s Strong Hoof! Earth pony, right hoof of Anarchy, and the stallion who’s going to burn this place to the ground!”
The beast’s single eye stared at the necklace and growled, lowering its head as it pawed at the ground.
The two giants charged at each other. Strong Hoof swiped but missed the monster that then attacked by stabbing at his torso with its long, sharp horn. The stab wound was hollow, however, blocked by his muscle mass. In response, the stallion bucked the lanky creature into the teacher’s desk.
“You’ll never be half the pony I am, no matter if you’re a monster or not, bruja.”
The monstrous filly had one more trick up its sleeve, a fast horn that cracked like a whip as it smacked the stallion in the face, breaking his nose. Unlike Applejack and Twilight, it was strong enough to put a dent in the earth pony. It swiped at him with another hoof that came from its wide mouth. The third one he saw coming and bit. Strong Hoof pulled on the bit hoof, curious to see how the beast would react.
Surprisingly, it closed its mouth and bit it off, freeing itself from his grasp. “Damn monsters.” he grumbled, spitting off the severed limb.
Beneath them, the foals scurried away from the fighting giants, witnessing their battle in awe. The Cutie Mark Crusaders all cheered for the abominable filly, no matter how dreadful she looked. Chairs, desks and pencils flew everywhere. The monstrous Olive was tussled around like a ragdoll by the bigger stallion whose entire face was covered in his blood. He reverted to the angry roars of a wild animal, his pupils disappearing yet again.
The fight was already decided as the lanky creature struggled to stay on all four whilst the giant kept on attacking, getting faster and faster. Eventually, Strong Hoof landed a powerful swipe to the beast’s head, discombobulating it.
“Look out!” Sweetie Belle screamed.
No amount of stab wounds and blunt force trauma could stop him and eventually, that persistence paid off once he bit into the filly’s neck and shook her around violently. He shook her until he’s had enough and smashed her down on the few remaining desks. Placing a heavy hoof on her stomach, he roared triumphantly before the downed monster, showing to the whole class who was the bigger beast.
From her point of view, Cheerilee’s eyes widened. She reached a hoof out, ignoring the atrocious pain in her back. “N...No...”
The white reaper growled in satisfaction as he opened his mouth, ready to take the finishing bite when suddenly, two hooves flew in front of his face.
“Hyah!” These hooves bucked his necklace, snapping the chains that bind it to his neck. In his blind rage, he neglected the two ponies that could and would dare to oppose him, Applejack and Princess Twilight. His tunnel vision had jeoparded everything. “C’mon, girl! Get up!” the orange mare shouted.
To his horror, the filly’s horn crackled with emerald sparks of electricity, pure hatred emanating from her singular eye. She roared and unleashed all her hatred onto his face in a blast of concentrated magic, breaking free of his grasp.
“Twilight... now!” Applejack then shouted to her alicorn friend.
The pissed off princess didn’t shy away from giving Strong Hoof a piece of her mind, but unlike the filly, her wrath was in flames. His vision blinded by fire; he screamed in agony. His hooves swung around in fear and confusion, trying to fend them off to no avail. A pink hoof smashed into his lower jaw and this hit made a distinct crack.
His mouth opened wide and refused to close. Confused, scared and desperate, he looked to the only thing that inspired comfort, the rain. Limping to salvation, he did his best to ignore the immense pain the monster was inflicting on his rear, biting and blasting away at it.
From the lanky filly, he heard his master’s voice.
Tunnel vision, a blind frenzy, too slow to go for the kill. You were never the perfect soldier you thought... you were.
Lightning struck, flashing its beautiful white light on Equestria. Under the rain, the flames died out. Bruised, battered, bleeding, Strong Hoof turned around to face his adversaries, refusing to let them scar his back. Until the bitter end, he’ll fight.
The stallion roared one final time. It sounded strong, but quickly weakened, turning into a pathetic whimper as his legs trembled. Twilight lit her horn to deal the finishing blow, but ultimately chose to let the honor to Olive. After all these years, she deserved to close this chapter.
And so, with one final strike, the hoof that came from her mouth struck Strong Hoof in the skull hard enough to crack its tough shell. Lightning struck as the injured behemoth groaned in pain. Losing his balance, he spun around, raising on his hind legs before being down for the count. His body struck the earth with enough force to send all the rain on the floor in the air in an angelic display under the wrathful thunder.
Panting, the three ponies finally felt the true extent of their injuries now that the adrenaline subsided. Olive reverted to her true self and lost consciousness, bleeding all over the wet floor of the broken schoolhouse much to Aj’s horror.
The mare held her daughter tightly, fear consuming her thoughts. Apple Bloom rushed to her side, sharing her anxiety. Applejack mumbled incoherently, looking to Twilight for help.
“I-I’ll go to Ponyville Gen-”
“No! Ya gotta stay!” Applejack protested. “Ya can use some sorta spell to fix ‘er, right?”
Twilight lowered her bleeding head. “W-Well I have some healing spells, but they can’t fix grievous injuries.”
"Please!" Apple Bloom croaked. "Ya gotta do somethin'!"
Heedful Care trotted to them, a determined glint in her eyes. “I’ll go to Ponyville General myself. You should treat the wounded as best as you can, Cheerilee’s also in bad shape.” the pegasus pointed to the cerise mare, struggling to stay conscious. The foals all surrounded her, crying over the sorry state of their favorite teacher. Spoiled Rich stared at everypony in shock, unable to snap out of her horrified trance.
Saddened by this sight, Twilight nodded. “Okay but please be quick.”
Care managed a weak smile. “I’m way faster than you think.”
And so, the counselor flew into the dark storm, braving its wrath for the injured. For the rest, all they could really do was wait. Wait... and hope rescue will come in time.