//------------------------------// // 4 Trouble in Ponyville. // Story: The War in Equestria. // by BluesyTreble //------------------------------// The pegasus mare jumped at the sight of two unfamiliar screaming creatures, one of them having a sword in its sheathe. "Ahh!" squeaked Fluttershy, jumping back into her cottage and yanking the door shut. The two men heard the door's bolts being set. "What was that? A mare living in a cottage?" "I don't know, but it sure scared the shit out of us." Ralf replied, still shaking. Shrugging their shoulders, the men left the small cottage, following the dirt road into a small colourful town. The town was far different from the villages and manors they were used to, its inhabitants even more unusual. Horses, smaller than the ones back in England, came in all sorts of colors, most of which had a tattoo on each flank. What further bewildered them was that these brightly-coloured horses conversed in English, their faces forming smiles and frowns, their eyes bright and alert. A mare skipped along a path with a basket around her neck, singing. The two humans stared at the sight before them, but not for very long. " WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS?!" Screamed a cream-colored mare, pointing a hoof at them. "That one's got a sword!" "GUARDS!" A regular horse and a unicorn, which Ralf thought only to appear in fairytales, charged at them, both clad in golden-yellow armor that shone in the half-risen sun. Ralf fumbled around for an arrow, found a broadhead and laid it across the stave, his weight laying into the bow as he hauled the hemp cord past his ear. He released the projectile, the broadhead slapping into the gilded plate and breaking. The unicorn was sent falling backwards from the impact of the arrow propelled nearly two hundred pounds of force. Terence barreled into the horse, which stood shorter than he, and bowled the armored stallion over. The men ran, searching for an escape. "That hollowed out tree! Let us hurry there at once, archer!" yelled Terence, trying to sprint in his armor. Ralf ran, swinging open the hardwood door with a sign displaying an open book. He held it open for the hurrying man-at-arms before slamming it shut. "I think we lost them." Terence gasped, trying to breathe deeply in his armor. "I agree." Ralf leant against the door, panting. "AAAAAHH!" A shorter scream pierced the very brief silence. A lavender unicorn with wings raised her hind legs, clearly intending to buck the pair and possibly break a rib or two. Thinking quickly, Ralf grabbed the hind legs in his upturned palms and with a heave, flipped the winged unicorn over, sending Twilight Sparkle landing roughly on her back with a sickening thud, all the breath knocked out of her. "God's holy shit, run!" Terence urged, pushing Ralf out the opened door and running off after him. Twilight scrambled up and out after them, "STOP THOSE TWO CREATURES!" She hollered, charging up a stun spell and aiming her pulsating horn at the steel-clad creature with the sword. She released the spell, the dim purple bolt streaking through the air. As soon as it touched Terence it expanded into a great bubble of the dim purple magic, enveloping the unfortunate Terence and freezing him in midair. Ralf continued sprinting, oblivious to the fact his new friend was captured. A blonde-maned orange mare had heard Twilight's screams, and galloped full speed at the fleeing archer. The farm-pony sailed through the air, tackling the archer. Ralf tumbled, ending up on the ground with the farm-pony standing over her. The horse had on a wide leather hat. The mare raised a hoof, thinking to knock out Ralf with a hoof-stomp to the face, but stopped when she looked down to see Ralf clutching a clump of her chest fur and pulling it. Ralf pulled with the strength of an archer, threatening to rip out the fur. The mare's left eyelid twitched, her mouth forming a grimace, revealing rows of white teeth. Making use of the distraction, Ralf held the fur in his left hand and thrust his right fist into her face, causing the mare's blonde head to snap back. Ralf punched again, with greater force, this time releasing the fur. The mare staggered backwards, an angry blue-black bruise on her cheek forming. "Well Ah never! That creature there is the strongest lobber Ah've ever seen!" exclaimed the mare, rubbing her cheek with a hoof. Ralf got and and started toward the mare, only to be shot by a second stunning spell and stopped mid-stride, enveloped by another purple sphere of glowing magic. The strange horses had them captured. He prayed in his mind, afraid the horses would do something terrible to the pair. "Good job Applejack! Looks like we have some interrogation to do!" Twilight happily but wearily said. "Yer dayum right Twi!" Applejack replied. Godammit, thought Ralf.