//------------------------------// // Confrontation // Story: A Challenge for Fleur // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// Fleur held on to Big McIntosh’s work collar for dear life. Part of it was the shambling monstrosities that were all around, but it had more to do with her fear of falling off when he was galloping so fast! Why had he grabbed her like this? She was faster than him! But there was no time for argument. Everywhere she looked, she was met with red eyes and leering black faces. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Why couldn’t he have listened to her, why?! “The cuuuurrrrssse…” One of the things lunged from the shadows, and Big Mac barely managed to dodge. The movement forced him sideways, and he came dangerously close to a small group of the things. Fleur let out a shout and fired a pink ball of energy from her horn; it erupted on the ground before them. The creatures shattered into bits of goop and what she could only imagine was bone, and Big Mac leapt over and beyond them. Fleur glanced back and sucked in a sharp breath; the bodies were beginning to reform. They didn’t stand a chance. If they didn’t find a way out soon, they’d be overrun! But every time Big Mac made for the edge of the crumbling town the things would appear, blocking his path and forcing him to flee. Each barely avoided lunge made her heart stop, every whispered call sent shivers down her spine. But Fleur kept her head. Though terror threatened her control, she forced herself to think as rationally as possible. She’d been in terrible situations before, and she knew she could get out of this one! “Big Mac,” she called over his shoulder, “try to circle the town!” “Eeyup!” He followed the buildings along the town’s perimeter, occasionally moving for a path that would always be blocked. Fleur began firing her energy balls, which was one of the only directly combative spells she knew. Every shot knocked the monsters back, but they always reformed. Their leering faces seemed to mock her futile efforts. Her mind moved quickly, ever fighting the creeping claws of terror that threatened panic. She wasn’t a fighter, she was an illusionist, and right now her vast repertoire of spells were of absolutely no help! The things kept coming, over and over and over again. Big Mac couldn’t run forever! She held on tight and closed her eyes, fighting to think of some kind of solution. “Kiiillll…” “Proooteeect theee tooooowwnnnn…” “Stoooppp theee cuuuurrrrsse…” “Shut up!” She screamed at the things, tears in her eyes. “Shut up, shut up, shut up! I need to think!” “Calm down!” She blinked and looked at the back of Big Mac’s head. He looked back – just the smallest glance before turning his attention back to his fleeing. It had been so brief, but she’d seen it; the calm in his eyes. There was fear, but there was also clarity. “Calm down,” he repeated. For a few seconds she forgot where she was. All she could do was marvel; they were in the middle of a zombie-infested ghost town running for their lives, and somehow he’d managed to use the calmest, most patient tone she’d ever heard. Her brain snapped back into focus just as a creature lunged in front of them! She fired a small laser – her only other offensive spell – and sliced its legs off, giving Big Mac the room he needed to leap over it. But only barely; she could hear him huffing from effort and knew he was wearing down. Even a stallion as fit as him couldn’t keep this up. She raised her head and looked around. She saw a mass of the shambling entities between two buildings, the only obstacle to their escape. “Big Mac, left! Head for the exit!” He glanced in that direction, spotted the creatures. “Nnope!” She leaned forward so her head was beside his and spoke directly into his ear. “Please, just this once, listen! I know what I’m doing!” He glanced, locking eyes with her for just a fraction of a second. “Hold on.” She did as she was told, latching on to his collar tightly, and he locked his hooves. They slid to a stop just as one of the creatures pounced, landing on its face where they would have been. His legs kicked; he reared up and was turned back around in an instant. Fleur raised her head and focused, working to charge the spell as best she could. “Don’t stop. Whatever you do, don’t stop!” He galloped faster, charging headlong towards the wall of oozing monstrosities. Fleur waited, her horn sparking wildly as she forced more and more power into the spell. Red eyes locked on, shambling bodies jerked towards them. “Nnnooo eessscaaape…” “Nnnooowheeerrre too rruuunnn…” “Nnnooowheeerrre too hiiiiiide…” “Kiiiiillll…” She released the spell, a massive pink ball of energy flying out before them. The creatures let out a collective, terrible hiss as the ball erupted just over their heads, splattering black ooze in a wide circle on the ground. “Go, go, go!” Big Mac jumped over the edge of the circle, passed through and jumped over the other edge. They fled into the night, leaving the horrible town and its red-eyed residents behind. His legs ached, but he kept going. “Big Mac.” He had to make as much distance as possible. “Big Mac.” His chest burned, but he ignored it. “Big McIntosh!” He glanced at Fleur, still riding on his back. “You can stop, now.” He wasn't going to stop 'till he was clear out of the Everfree! She leaned over so that her head was beside his. “You can’t keep this up forever. And I can walk too, in case you’ve forgotten.” The stubborn part of him wanted to ignore her and keep going till his legs gave out. Instead, he let himself slow to a walk, and finally stopped. He waited until she’d managed to climb off his back before dropping to his haunches with head low, gasping for breath. “Thank you.” Then she hit him across the cheek, hard. “The next time somepony tries to save your life, maybe you’ll listen to her!” He rubbed his cheek with a frown. “Eeyup.” Fleur lifted her hooves in exasperation. “Can’t you say anything other than that?!” BigMac raised an eyebrow. “How ‘bout ah’m sorry?” “Sorry?” She sneered and turned away from him, rubbing herself through her muddied coat. “Do you really think I’ll accept that?! You almost got us both killed! You ignored me, wouldn’t listen to a word I said…you even rejected me! Nopony’s ever turned away from me like that!” He frowned at the back of her head. Did she really think him that shallow? “Ah was tryin’ ta save a life.” But she seemed to be focused on only one thing, now. She turned on him, hooves to his cheeks as she glared. “How could you do it? How?! I know all the tricks! I’ve seduced diplomats, enthralled lords! I refuse to believe that one ignorant stallion from Ponyville could just ignore me!” Wow, she really was full of herself. He pushed her away and shook his head, wondering if all city ponies were like this. Or maybe it was just Canterlot ponies? She patted her face, as if searching for some fault in it. “Am I losing my touch? It can’t be age, I’m still in my early twenties! I-it has to be something I’m missing, something I missed. B-but what did I miss? I can’t afford to lose my best weapon!” She grabbed him by the collar once more, eyes pleading. “How did you reject me, how?! I need to know! If Fine finds out I got rejected, he might not trust me to do those kinds of jobs, anymore!” She tried to shake him, but couldn’t achieve much with his weight. Big Mac pushed her away again, feeling disgusted. He didn’t want anything to do with this mare. He just wanted to go home… “Please!” She sat, her moistened tail going flap against the ground. Her entire body sagged, and there were tears in her eyes. “Please…I can’t lose my touch. I earn my living through my ability to manipulate stallions! Please, tell me what I did wrong. Without my looks, what am I?” Big Mac thought her loathsome. She survived by manipulating the hearts of stallions? What kind of mare was she? Not of the decent variety, to be sure. If he were any less a stallion, he’d have left her to herself in this miserable, dark, cold… Very cold. A gust blew, making even him shiver. He observed her, realizing that she was still wet from when they’d collided prior to the village. She was trembling like a leaf, her thin, high-fashion coat of little use under the circumstances. She was covered in mud and twigs and grit, and her mane hung from her head in soaked tangles. Tears dripped from her pearly cheeks. Big McIntosh didn’t like her, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t feel sorry for her. He wasn’t made of stone, after all, and she had chased him all the way out here in an attempt to help him. Even if she was a shallow pony, she deserved his compassion. If only he had something to help her warm up. Big Mac eyed the stars, which peered at him through thin, leafless branches, and was eventually able to find his bearing. “Come on,” he said, gesturing to the East and offering her a smile. “Let’s get ya out o’here.” Fleur sniffed and looked up at him with moist eyes. She rubbed her muzzle and nodded, trudging along beside him as they began the journey home.