Since becoming an alicorn, Princess Cadance’s mind had become open to a great deal of possibilities. She had learned magic that, as an earth pony, she never would have been able to do. She had gained the ability to fly, and soared through the sky like a natural born pegasus. And perhaps, most importantly, she had been ushered into the ruling class of Equestria.
But, she was forced to admit, that the current situation was something of a new one for her.
Smoke, burning embers, and flickering tongues of flame coiled around the towering figure that Skitch-Sketch had called a balrog. Sombra’s cursed amulet was embedded directly into its cracked, almost rock like flesh, bleeding dark magic like water.
It charged forward, a long whip of crackling flame appearing in one of its thick hands in a moment. Cadance flitted backwards, shoving Skitch and Barricade away as the weapon lashed across where they had all been standing a moment before.
She could feel the power flowing off the creature, tinged with a familiar undercurrent of loathing. It had been there when she delved into the amulet, flaring up into an angry snarl of hatred for a brief moment.
Sombra’s magic always did have a distinctive taint to it.
Charging again, the balrog called a sword of flame into its other hand, swinging it straight down at Cadance’s head. A pink bubble sprung into being, stopping the attack in its tracks.
The alicorn princess smirked.
And Shining was worried I wouldn’t be able to use this spell.
Her attacker didn’t take that lying down however. The barlog’s whip struck out towards Skitch-Sketch, the unicorn’s legs still wobbling from the amulet’s assault. A strangled shout escaped her lips as she tried to run, but they gave out and she fell with a shout.
Shining Armor’s shield spell sprung into being again, blocking the strike. But a moment later Cadance felt a heavy strike crash into the side of her head, the world going topsy-turvy as she skidded along the forest floor for a few feet.
“Cheap shot.” She spat, pushing herself back up.
“Victory by any means.” It responded with a mocking grin.
The princess could feel the waves of heat radiating off its form. The temperature spike around the beast was causing twigs and fallen leaves to burst into flame at its feet.
“Little pony princess.” It growled, amulet flaring, “You stand before Durin’s Bane. Feller of the kingdom of Moria. I will break you.”
A mad laugh escaped Skitch-Sketch’s lips.
“It’s talking! They aren’t supposed to be able to talk!”
Cadance glared right back at the beast, flaring her wings to make herself look larger.
“I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, protector of Equestria and last of the Crystal Empire. I will not yield.”
“Then fall.”
It threw itself forward again, sword and whip whirling through the air in a chaotic blur. Cadance summoned forth the shield again, the fire crackling and sparking against the magical energy. The strength of the strike sent ripples cascading through its form, and strain back into her horn.
It lashed out with both weapons again, the pink magic visibly bowing towards the alicorn’s form. Snuffing out the whip with a gesture, it raised the blade high above its head, preparing for a powerful downward stab.
Cadance let the shield fall, hopping backwards as the tip gouged into the ground where she had been standing a moment ago. Throwing together a spell in response, Cadance called upon the icey winds of the north, and smashed the magic into the balrog’s face. The blast of magic and cold forced Durin’s Bane back slightly.
It recovered in an instant, snapping the whip back into existence and swinging it in a wide arc. Cadance blocked again, a small rectangular chunk of energy popping into view, only to be shattered by the strike.
“We can’t stay!” Skitch shouted, horn glowing in an attempt to assist, “This thing tore through an entire kingdom!”
“Then we need backup!” Barricade shouted.
“And if this thing- ugh - “ She winced as she blocked another strike, “Really did destroy a kingdom, I’m not leading it back to Ponyville!”
Groaning, Skitch flung a sphere of light at the balrog. It raised a wing, the sphere exploding into a shower of light motes as it fell apart. Durin’s Bane rushed Cadance again, lashing out with a kick that barely missed her. Skitch moaned, rubbing her temples and wracking her brain for a way out of the situation.
“Froggy Bottom Bog!” She shouted, “Can we get there?”
“I know the way!” Barricade nodded, “My brothers and I would play there all the time when we were younger.”
“GO!” Cadance shouted, scooping Skitch up and throwing the unicorn onto her back, charging after Barricade.
Skitch squeezed her eyes closed as she clung into Cadance for dear life, the roar of the balrog echoing in her ears, the princesses’ body bouncing under her.
“There is no where you can run, where I can’t find you!” The balrog roared, storming through the Everfree after them.
From Skitch-Sketch’s perspective, the journey to Froggy Bottom Bog was a jumble of confused motion and sound. Durin’s Bane yelled and cursed and roared as it chased after, smashing a path through the Everfree that Cadance and Barricade were galloping full force to stay ahead of.
“Don’t get too far ahead.” Skitch whispered to Cadance, “You need to lead him there.”
“We’re doing our best. I hope you have a plan.”
“I like to think I do. Back on earth we call this a Mob Train.”
“And how, pray tell, does this ‘Mob Train’ work.”
“That depends what’s on the other end.”
“You don’t even know what might be waiting for us?!” Barricade hissed, “What kind of insane plan is this?”
“I call it the John Crichton.” Skitch grunted, “Yell at me if it fails”
Froggy Bottom Bog turned out to be a subsection within the Everfree, to the south and east of where they had entered, and by the time they reached its banks, Barricade’s flanks were heaving from the effort of the run. Cadance, perhaps due to her alicorn strength, seemed to be doing much better.
Hopping off of Cadance’s back, Skitch splashed into the water until it was up to the tops of her cannons. Sparing a glance at the onrushing balrog, she began to channel with a panicked energy too her motions, firing off blasts of light into the water. She could hear each angry footfall of the beast, each roar, as it closed in.
“You better be in there you overgrown terrarium pet!”
“Skitch….” Cadance frowned, turning to face the balrog, “Where’s that thing on the other end.”
“COME ON! WAKE! UP!”
The murky water bubbled, churned, then erupted in a horrible geyser. Four angry serpentine heads hissed through the air, glaring down at the ponies before them, a massive trunk like body rising out of the water after them.
“Oh, for Celestia’s sake.” Barricade shouted, “Two monsters?”
“Get us out of here!” Skitch shouted, back pedaling towards the pink alicorn, “The bear has been poked!”
The balor pounced.
The hydra struck.
Cadance teleported.
The hydra’s bites collided with the side of the balrog. Roaring, a blade of flame appeared in the demon’s other hand, a solid strike delivered to the flank of the multi-headed reptile. The hydra struck back with equal fury.
Snapping two of its fanged maws down on the shoulders of the fiery demon, its other heads snaked around its midsection. Ignoring heat that seared and tore at its scales, the hydra began to resolutely walk backwards, dragging its prey along with it.
The balrog dug in its heels, great scorched furrows getting burned into the swamp side plants as it tried, and failed to stop the forward motion. Its sword flashed through the air, slicing through one of the necks that held fast. The severed head splashed into the water, the balrog roaring its affirmation of success.
The victory was short lived, however.
The severed neck suddenly split into two, the fresh heads locking back onto the demon. With another surge of moment, the hydra began to drag the balrog beneath the surface of the water, the flames on its body snuffing out with soft hisses as it vanished inch by inch under the surface of Froggy Bottom Bog.
With a snap of energy, Cadance teleported back in, powering up a blast of energy. Aiming for its side, just between two of the grappling heads, the princess unleashed a compacted lance of ice and wind. The attack carved through the body, forcing the balrog to its knees and giving the hydra the opening it needed. One final yank and the balrog disappeared, the surface churning for a moment, before going still.
From their vantage a dozen feet away, Skitch and Barricade watched the remains of the battle fade into peace and quiet again. Cadance reappeared at their side a moment later, looking quite pleased with herself. The group of ponies stood on the bluff, watching the muddy brown surface of the water remain smooth and still as the minutes ticked by. Only when Cadance had counted out a half hour in her head did she visibly relax.
“Alright.” Barricade gaped, turning towards Skitch, “How did you know?”
“Well...I was guessing that it was there, pretty much….”
Cadance turned about, her eyes questioning.
“You may have known about a hydra near Ponyville and you didn’t say anything?”
“Well,” Skitch nervously rubbed a foreleg, “I didn’t know for sure. Nothing’s been matching up to the show I watched.”
“But Skitch.” Cadance frowned, “Hydras are among the most dangerous creatures on Equis. You should have said something.”
The human turned unicorn dragged a hoof along the dirt, tracing out a swirling pattern in the dirt.
“I’m sorry. I just...you saw what happened the last time I tried to act on previous knowledge. I’m trying not to do that anymore. I’m just trying to be...part of things.”
Cadance shook her head and sighed. “I do...understand that desire. But...well, this is something that I think we will need to discuss with Celestia. But later. For now, let us return to Ponyville and see how the others fare.” She glanced towards the quiet swamp, “Shining and I will return for the amulet later. Once the hydra has settled.”
Grabbing the two ponies with her aura, Cadance teleported back to Ponyville.
The swamp bubbled.
- - - -
Trixie flexed her bandaged foreleg a few times. It was hurting less, at the very least.
“So, am I good to walk on it?”
Doctor Stable nodded.
“Your wounds looked worse than they actually were. More of a bleeder than any deep muscle lacerations or bone damage.”
Nodding, Trixie hopped down from the examination table, taking care to not put extra weight on the wounded limb.
“Thank you doctor.”
Trotting for the front door, Trixie just sighed and grumbled to herself the whole way. Maybe now she could get out of this crazy town. And away from its crazy ponies.
“Trixie Lulamoon!”
Turning and taking the extra time to curse under her breath, Trixie found herself face to face with the white coated form of Shining Armor.
“What do you want now!” She exclaimed, flinching from the commander’s intense gaze, “Am I not going to be allowed or something?”
Shining blinked.
“No. Quite the opposite in fact. I just got done speaking with Miss Cheerilee and the foals you helped rescue from one of the illusions.”
Following his gesture, Trixie did allow herself a smile at the sight of the three fillies rapidly waving at her, Miss Cheerilee resting a hoof on their backs.
“Considering that we were unable to assist you.” The guard captain continued, “What you did was very selfless.”
“Oh...well. I suppose it was.”
“I just wanted to extend my thanks.” He floated a small bag over to her, “And give you both a reward and an apology.”
Cracking the bag open, Trixie’s heart soared at the golden bits that glittered within. Money to get back to Neigh Orleans, and fund her next attempt at revenge. She swept her hat off into a gracious bow.
“I thank you guard captain. But if you don’t mind, I’m going to take my leave.”
“Of course Trixie.” He sighed, “But I want you to know, that I’m not going to give up on Bayou Runner. I’ll find a way to bring him in.”
A strained smile crept across Trixie’s face. “Of course you will.” Not waiting for anymore words from the captain, she swept from the building.
Working her way back towards town, the bag of bits jingling in her grip, another thought wormed its way into her mind. It would take her some time to make it back to Neigh Orleans as it was, and for the first time in quite a while, she had some money to her name.
“Food and a drink. I earned it.”
- - - -
Berry Punch’s was much more packed than usual this time of day. Aside from her usual customers, a few extra guests had come through the doors.
First, the show mare known as Trixie had arrived, taken a seat at the bar, and ordered a double bourbon with a large salad for a main course. After that, she had lapsed into silence, concerning herself with booze and food, responding to most of Berry’s attempts at small talk with grunts.
Maybe half an hour after that, Skitch-Sketch had shuffled in, followed by Fluttershy, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Applejack. This had elicited an eyeroll from Trixie. For a moment, the bartender was afraid that some kind of fight was about to break out, but the Element Bearers plus one had taken a seat far away from Trixie.
And then, not to long after that- and much to her surprize- Princess Cadance and her handsome male guard, who had taken one of the smaller tables in the corner of the room.
At the Element Bearer table, Skitch-Sketch still felt crappy. She nursed a cold beer, and smiled softly as Fluttershy explained what had happened at her cottage.
“And then Pinkie showed up.” The pegasus softly explained, wiggling her hooves like a pair of wings, “With her flying machine. And I guess it...popped the other Rainbow Dash. And then she fell asleep. She said she flew through the night.”
“That pony,” Skitch smiled, before taking a sip of her beer, “Is something else.”
“Goodness.” Rarity gasped, “That sounds horrific.” She turned her head to Skitch-Sketch, a raised eyebrow asking the question before her words did, “And that version of Rainbow was pulled from your mind?”
“Eyup.” Skitch drawled in a scarily accurate imitation of Big Mac.
“Why was she in there?” Twilight asked, leaning forward, “It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you’d think about.”
“You know I don’t like talking about this stuff Twilight.”
“And you know it’s not fair to hold things back when they directly affect us like this, darling.” Rarity countered.
Skitch-Sketch sighed, leaning back slightly. “All right. I’ll tell you about this particular one.”
She took another sip of her beer, a far off look settling over her eyes.
“I’ve already told you all that a fanbase cropped up around your show. With that, comes those fans who want to write their own hypothetical takes on what might happen.”
“Oh!” Twilight blinked, “You mean fan fiction?”
“...Actually, yeah.” Skitch blinked back, “How do you know what that is?”
Twilight laughed, nervously tapping her hooves together, “Oh, well. I may have written some fan fiction for the Roanian series back when I lived in canterlot….”
“...Roanian?”
“Oh! I should totally loan you those books! They’re about a mare named Jasmine Coral who’s transported to a planet-”
“Twilight, darling. Please let her finish telling her story first.”
“Okay, well.” Skitch continued with a wave of her hoof, “Someone decided one day to write a story about Cloudsdale’s rainbow factory but, with a very dark twist. Where in the Spectra used to make rainbows was…made from ponies. Specifically, foals who failed their final flight test at flight school.”
The room got very quiet, even Cadance, Shining and Trixie turning towards them.
“Cloudsdale would never do that.” Fluttershy whispered, “Ever. They use magic to capture a the prisms of light and make them liquid-”
Skitch held up a hoof to cut the pegasus off.
“Flutters...I know that. Our Cloudsdale never would. But, I read the history books Twilight left me when I was recovering from our fight with The Collector. Ancient pegasai used to be a lot more wild and prone to raiding. Warlike.”
“So,” She continued, “Picture a universe where a thousand minor things line up so that the pegasai never really lose that edge. And in such a culture focused on strength and unity, a Rainbow Dash is born. One who embraces those cultural aspects.”
This time she took a very long drink of her beer.
“I have to assume that she went after you, Fluttershy, because of how you got your cutie-mark. Falling to earth like that...I imagine that would be a failure in her warped mind.”
“Do you really think something like that exists?” Trixie called from her seat at the bar, “A murder Cloudsdale universe?”
“Maybe.” Skitch shrugged, “If you assume that the multiverse really is infinite, then everything that is, or could be, could be out there.”
Trixie frowned, tapping a hoof on the bartop. “You’ve brought a whole new flavor of crazy to this world.”
Skitch shrugged. “I didn’t choose the pony life, the pony life chose me.” She fired back with an angry glare, “Just be glad that amulet didn’t grab some of the real weird stuff from my memories. You’ve never seen something like the borg, or a dalek. Be grateful for that.”
Snorting, Trixie looked to Twilight. “Does she always use words that make no sense, and then act superior about it?”
Twilight cringed, searching for support from her friends. But Skitch-Sketch spoke up first, an angry glare settling across her features.
“I am not acting superior! I know what those things are, and I never want to meet them face to face!”
A series of panicked screams interrupted the burgeoning argument, a loud impact slamming into the building the next moment.
“That…” Applejack blinked, “Doesn’t sound good.”
“Pink pony princess.” A deep, guttural voice ground out, “We have unfinished business.”
“No, damn way.” Skitch breathed, her eyes going wide.
A hulking shadow landed with an impact before the wide glass windows. The next moment they exploded inwards, patrons scattering and throwing themselves to the floor as the flaming whip cut through the air.
Berry punch shrieked, toppling backwards over a bar stool, Trixie likewise scrambling towards the back wall of the taproom. Cadance and Shining rushed forward, charging up their own magic, wrapping the figure of the balrog in a double layer of a shimmering defensive bubble.
“Push it away!” Shining bellowed, “Help me roll it!”
“I’m working on it honey!” Cadance smiled through gritted teeth, horn flaring brighter as she pushed more energy into the weave. It buckled and stretched as the balrog thrashed about within, “On three?”
“Three!” Shining shouted.
The alicorn and the guard captain pushed, their magic auras propelling the monster along and away from the bar. Twilight, her friends and Trixie rushed after, staring as the monster was quickly pushed through the streets.
“Can you teleport us?” Shining hissed.
“Can you keep the shield spell up?”
“I can try.”
“I think not.”
The balrog lunged, throwing the full of its bulk against the edge of the bubble. The magic popped, spilling the beast of fire and smoke into the town square. Looming to its full height, it cackled as ponies bolted from it in a pure panic.
“And now, I shall make this quaint town burn.”
“Twilight! I need you!” Cadance called, summoning her magic forth again.
Twilight lept to action, rushing to the princesses side. Cadance wove her spell, threading a connection between her and Shining Armor, and then from Shining to Twilight. The balrog sprung forward, calling its flaming blade back into its hands.
“Bubble!” Shining snapped out the command.
Shining and Cadance summoned the shield spell again, the princess wrapping hers around the balrog, the guard captain sculpting his around the three of them. The bubbles struck against each other, flares of light flying from their arcane forms.
The spheres fluctuated, buckled, then shot apart from each other like magnets with opposing charges, their forms collapsing as they went. With a crack and wood splintering, the balrog was sent careening through Trixie’s parked cart, a cry of anguish escaping the illusionist’s mouth.
Shining quickly shifted the crumbling remains of his spell, swinging the shield around to arrest his and Cadance’s backwards travel. Durin’s Bane snarled, slamming a foot down upon the remains of Trixie’s cart, and launching into another pounce.
Shining moved the shield again, Cadance adding her own power as the bubble engulfed the balrog again. The connection that ran between her, her fiance and his sister suddenly blazed to life, snapping both bubbles around the demon, solid and strong.
Snarling, it slammed it’s sword against the magical sphere, howling in anger when it refused to budge. Defeated, it began to pace inside the bubble, fixing its blazing yellow eyes upon the forms of those who had him trapped.
“How the hay did that thing get here?” Applejack frowned, her tail angrily thrashing, “Ah thought you saw it get dragged into the swamp?”
“I-I did see it get dragged into the swamp!” Skitch stammered, “We waited around for half an hour and the swamp was quiet!”
“Fantastic job you did there!” Trixie snarled, her eyes blazing, “Because now you cost me my last home!”
“Oh...but Froggy Bottom Bog is far away from us.” Fluttershy blinked, “It must have flown here.”
“If it can fly.” Shining gritted his teeth, “Then keeping it contained outside of town is going to be difficult.”
“And most of your buildings are wood and have thatch roofs to boot.” Skitch observed, “The town is kindling.”
“Then we fight it here.” Applejack declared, “Town hall has slate tiles. We don’t let it leave the square! Skitch, what else can ya tell us about it?”
“I...I don’t know! Tolkien didn’t write much about them!” She licked her lips, “They used to be good spirits before they were corrupted by Melkor-”
“Not that!” Trixie snapped, “How do we kill it! What are its weaknesses!”
Skitch squeezed her eyes closed, wracking her memories for what little had been written on how to deal with a balrog. All the while, Durin’s Bane paced within its bubble, waiting.
“When it fell into the lake below Moria,” She explained, “The text described the water quenched its fires, reducing it to ‘a thing of slime’. And the swamp water was hurting it.”
“That’s your plan?” Trixie gaped, “Water?!”
“It’s all I *got* Trixie! Tolkien was writing a story, not a scientific treatise on the nature of balrogs! Which, I will point out, weren’t real!”
“Ah’ll right, enough ya two!” Applejack growled, “Fightin’ isn’t gonna do us any good right now. Princess!” She waved at Cadance, “How long can ya hold that shield?”
“Quite a while. Princess of love, remember?” She winked, “I can use emotional connections to boost my spells. So long as Shining and Twilight are with me, I should be able to last for hours.”
“Ah’ll right. Fluttershy!” Applejack shouted, working out a course of action, “Ah need you to round up every pegasus you can! We need the sky fit to burstin’ with stormclouds!” Quickly turning to the rest of the group, she continued, “Ah need the rest of you to run through town. Anypony who wants to help send here, anypony who doesn’t needs to hightail it to the farms until its safe! Now move!”
She finished with an angry stomp of her hoof, which was enough to make the group scatter. Applejack sighed, giving an apologetic nod towards Shining Armor.
“Hope I wasn’t standing on your hooves or anything.”
“Actually, I thought you did rather well.” He grinned, “But if you could help rally the troops?”
Nodding, Applejack took off into the streets, Shining Armor turning his attention back to the trapped demon.
“Not one more step.”
- - - -
The sky was growing heavy with cloud.
They stretched over the center of Ponyville like a heavy gray blanket that was occasionally marked by dots of color as pegasi flitted to and from its mass, adding more stormclouds and electrical charge to the mix.
Fluttershy hovered above it all, resolutely focusing on the progress of the growing thunderstorm and not on the ground. The effort seemed to be going well. While she didn’t know the flow of air currents and moisture like the weather ponies of Ponyville, even she could feel the growing tingle of static, and chill of moisture at the base of her feathers.
Cloudchaser waved her down from her own perch on the edge of the cloud mass, and Fluttershy dipped that direction, landing neatly beside the wild maned pony.
“This storm’s pretty much at capacity.” She patted the churning mass below them, “Tell Applejack that she better move soon, or this storm’s going to start without her.”
“Okay.” Fluttershy nodded.
Hopping off the edge, Fluttershy let herself glide over the empty town square- where her friend Twilight continued to help hold the monster back- to the connecting street where the impromptu command center had been pulled together.
Applejack was locked in conversation with Bastion, the rest of the guard and Trixie. The show mare was still looking livid, but determined all the same.
“You’re sure that you can handle it?” Bastion asked her, his expression grim.
“I know illusions.” Trixie almost snapped, “Get that thing down, I’ll disperse its form and then the princess can break the amulet.”
The herd of ponies- and a few of the cows that lived in Ponyville as well- that had volunteered to assist mulled around behind them, nervously waiting for the plunge. Fluttershy recognized a few of them.
Lyra was standing near an electric blue maned unicorn sporting magenta tinged glasses, her lyre floating in her magic aura. Roseluck was standing near Spike in her natural form, eyes nervously darting to the ponies and cows around her, while the baby dragon stared at Twilight with worried eyes.
Landing behind Applejack, Fluttershy softly tapped her on the side.
“The storm’s ready.”
Applejack nodded, glancing towards the shimmering sphere. “Ah’ll right then. Now if Filthy-”
“I’m here!”
The owner of the self titled Barnyard Bargains came down the street, dragging a large cart of supplies himself, his hooves digging to find purchase against the ground.
“I brought chain, instead of rope. If that thing is as big as you say it is….”
“Oh, it is.” Bastion frowned, “Much obliged. We’ll make sure you’re reimbursed.”
Filthy nodded, waving a hoof towards the the cart. “I also hammered a few hale bale hooks to some chain lengths. Should help you grapple it down.”
“Alright Fluttershy.” Applejack nodded, “Tell them to let it rip.”
Fluttershy took the air and waved a hoof at Cloudchaser. And then, all of the pegasi who had built the cloud, jumped on it at once. The peal of thunder rolled through the constructed storm, the balrog looking skyward as the heavy drops of rain splattered against his prison.
The volunteers scattered, grabbing lengths of chain, taking side streets and alleyways until they surrounded the the open square. Night Crescent took wing, taking a perch on one of the surrounding buildings, heavy crossbow lowered at the demon. Bastion and his siblings, ground bound as their were, took up their own sniping positions on the connecting streets.
The balrog looked away from the rain, and to the creatures that stood against him. And then the rain was washing over him like acid.
A moment later a hammer of ice and wind slammed into the side of his head, sending him stumbling. Then another slammed into his side, and another, and another, the rain of strikes smashing him towards the ground, the princess once again unleashing her fury. The crossbows twanged, adding to the chaos, as bolts peppered his rocky hide.
Falling to one knee, tendrils of shadow began to flow from the amulet set into the his chest, washing across the smoldering remains of his flames. The touch of the dark magic rekindled the fires, each one roaring to life again with a distinctive snap-crack.
“Rain won’t save you!” He bellowed, edge of shadow appearing in hand.
Cadance, Shining and Twilight scattered, the sword of darkness impacting where they just were. Ignoring Cadance for a moment, he stomped towards Twilight, waving a whip of blackness above his head in an intimidating challenge.
Twilight vanished, teleporting across the square. Applejack and Big Macintosh charged in, each dragging a hooked chain along with them, suddenly splitting as Trixie and Skitch-Sketch called illusions into being. The balrog brought his sword down in an over the head arc, aiming for one of the Applejacks. The strike slashed through one of the illusions, making it vanish in a puff of blue smoke.
The siblings threw their hooks. Applejack’s wobbled through the air, impacting against its rocky hide, but failing to find purchase, clattering back to the ground with a thud. Big Mac’s, however, flew true catching the creature on the shoulder. They immediately began to pull, trying to drag the creature off its feet.
The balrog lashed back, thrashing his whole body about, and flinging both ponies into the charging forms of Cadance and Twilight. Not hesitating, he charged after, whip lashing out to scoop the ponies up.
Twilight and Cadance teleported. Shining Armor threw the shield forward again, engulfing Big Mac, the whip bouncing off its shimmering surface. The balrog shifted, lashing out with the sword and buckling the bubble again.
With a yelp, Twilight rushed back towards her brother.
“I’m coming!”
The whip came snaking back her direction as the balrog turned. Illusionary Twilights sprung up around her, but the balrog swung the whip wide, cutting through both of the figments and wrapping around Twilight’s barrel. Reeling her in like a fish, he raised the sword high, preparing a finishing strike.
Thunder pealed across the town, the sky suddenly split by a bolt of lightning that lept from the thunderhead above. The electricity slammed into the balrog’s back, toppling him forward and past Twilight, the black furred pegasus that threw it that way cheering at his well aimed shot.
The balrog reached for Twilight with a clawed hand, only for a high pitched whine to tear through the rain drenched air. A lance of sound slammed into his side, making him bellow in pain and giving Twilight time to scramble away.
“Aww yeah!” Vinyl Scratch shouted from her position on the edge of the street, bobbing her head to a tune that only she could hear. A shimmering curtain of magic hovered above her head, matching the glow around her horn, “You don’t come into my town and try to wreck the place! Lyra! Give me another!”
The mint green unicorn behind her strummed another tune across the strings of her lyre, a rain of sonic notes flowing from her hoof and through Vinyl’s magic curtain. They accelerated and amplified, growing into sonic missiles that tore into the balrog’s side, collapsing him to the ground.
“GO!” Bastion bellowed.
All of the chain bearers charged, their payloads arching through the rain, hooks latching into his skin, metal links lashing across his body. Rarity joined in as well, weaving whole lengths of chain around the balrog’s body.
“Pull!” Applejack shouted, “Don’t let it move!”
The chains were pulled tight, hooves digging into the dirt as they tried to keep the mountainous strength of the balrog contained.
“Trixie! Yer up!”
“Sparkle! Help me out!”
The illusionist and the librarian swooped in from behind, horns glowing as they charged up their dispelling enchantments. Dodging a thrashing leg, they pressed their horns against its hide, ignoring the pain of the heat that radiated from its surface.
“No! I will not-”
“Oh, please do completely shut up!” Skitch-Sketch snarled, casting a beam of light directly into his eyes, “Go back to the shadows!”
His entire form suddenly convulsed, then collapsed back into the necklace, which hit the muddy ground with a wet squelch. A moment later, two gold shod hooves impacted against the necklace, shattering the gem in half, and bending the metal. Cadance took the time to slowly grind the remains of the Spell Bite Necklace into shards.
A cheer rose from the assembled crowd of soaking wet creatures.
“Haha!” Skitch crowed the loudest of all, “We did it! We beat Durin’s Bane! What a bunch of dwarves couldn’t do, we did! Take that Morgoth!”
“Skitch, darling.” Rarity softly sighed, placing a hoof on her side, “Not now.”
Blinking, Skitch followed her gaze to the remains of Trixie’s travelling cart. With the danger passed, Trixie had shuffled back to the remains of her home on the road. Her hooves prodded and shuffled through the splintered and charred wood, searching for something. After a few moments of searching, she pulled the burnt remains of a book. Her expression was ashen and she hugged the book to her chest like a last desperate lifeline.
And then, she began to weep.