“Awwwwwww it seems you didn’t keep your end of our deal………..” The blade of the knife shines brightly under the light of the moon above her.
She holds her ground. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing weakness.
“Looks like I’ll have to start practicing my butchery skills…..” He twirls the knife with his fingers as he walks closer to the mare. “Let’s see……. Shall I start by skinning…… you?” The tall hooded figure looks at the mare and raises his knife in the air.
“Not a chance you pony eatin’ freak!” She lunges straight at the figure’s stomach.
She is grabbed out of the air by a strong hand. The figure lifts her high into the air by her neck. His grip is tight like a bear trap and is only getting tighter. “Ah ah ah…” The figure scolds mockingly. “I can’t be having my food putting up a fight now can I?”
The mare looks down at him. Her hat has fallen to the ground and it is quickly stomped on by her captor’s boot. She looks back at the figure, his face still wrapped in shadow, as he lifts his knife and points it straight towards her face.
“Now…… I think I’ll start…..” He thrusts the knife straight towards her face with a laugh and begins to shout, “BY PLUCKING OUT YOUR EYES!!!”
Applejack sits straight up in her bed with a gasp. She feels all around her face with her forehooves and didn’t feel a scratch. Her breathing slows down and steadies as she looks down on her hooves. “What they hay is goin’ on?...” she looks around and sees her hat hanging on the wall on the spot it’s always hung at. “Oh thank Celestia….” She said to herself out loud as she kicked off the blankets and got out of the bed. “I was just dreamin’…….” She pondered and pondered about her dream as she lifted her hat off its hook and places it on her head. “I’m not scared of that freak o’ nature.” She slowly starts to trot down the hall as she hears her brother and little sister begin to stir in their rooms as well. “I know Dash and I could a’ taken ‘im if it wasn’t for that loud metal thing he was shootin’ at us……” Applejack casually walks down the stairs and straight into the kitchen. “Even if I had to take him on myself………. Why did last night freak me out so much? I’m not normally that scared of anythin’…… What was that thing?”
“Good mornin’ there Applejack!” an old green mare shouted as she waved her wrinkly leg in the air.
Applejack gives a long and tired yawn before she joins her grandmother at the counter. “Mornin’ Granny Smith……”
“Something wrong there Applejack?” she asks as she chops some vegetables. “You’re don’t usually look this tired when you wake up in the mornin’.”
“Eh. I didn’t sleep too good last night……” Applejack replied. “Had some weird dream….”
“A dream? Dream about what?” Granny asked as she then dumped the chopped carrots, celery, and various other vegetables into a frying pan with a few eggs ready to cook inside.
“I’ll tell y’all more about it later…..” Applejack turned on the sink and started washing her hooves. The water poured all over her hooves as she spread some soap on them and her forelegs. “Right now I just wanna get to work….. clear my head…..”
“Well whatever’s goin’ on in that thick head o’ yers you better get somethin’ to eat first.” Granny Smith takes a whisk and starts beating the eggs to mix in the chopped vegetables together. “None of us needs ya fallin’ asleep in the middle of the field.”
“I will take ya up on breakfast. I wasn’t skippin’ that.” Applejack started to rinse the water off of her legs and forehooves before splashing a bit of water on her face. She then picked up a towel and started wiping herself off thoroughly. “We’re ahead o’ schedule on harvestin’ this year…… I might call it a day early and take a nap.”
“That sounds like a good idea dearie.” Granny Smith gave Applejack a small kiss on the cheek. “Some more rest might help you out a bit. You have been workin’ pretty hard lately. I think you earned some extra time to rest.” Granny then gave AJ a firm pat on the back. “Just concentrate on feelin better ok?”
“I will Granny. Thanks” Applejack gave a smile back before reciprocating her granny’s kiss to the cheek. Before walking over to the family table to sit herself down.
A large red stallion then walked into the room and sat himself at the table beside Applejack. He gives a small yawn before taking a drink from the glass of water in front of his plate.
“Morning Big Macintosh….” Applejack yawned again before she poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher in the middle of the table.
“Mornin’.” Big Mac replied as he sat the glass back down.
Down the stairs came some more hoofbeats. They belonged to a much smaller pony. A little yellow filly with a red mane and tale and a big bow on her head. She too gave a soft yawn before sitting herself at the table smacking her lips.
“Goodmorning Applebloom.” Applejack greeted before passing her the pitcher of water to her.
“Mornin’ AJ……” she replied tiredly as she poured herself some water and taking a quick sip. “Say AJ….. I’ve been meanin to ask ya somethin’…”
“What’s on your mind Sugarcube?” Applejack inquired as Granny Smith started to place a big piece of omelet on each of their plates.
“Ummm….. Um” Applebloom hesitated as Applejack and Big Mac picked up their silverware to start cutting into the food that their grandmother graciously served them. Granny Smith sat down at the table next to Applebloom before she finally came up with what she wanted to say. “Where did you and your friends go last night? Y’all looked pretty spooked when you were walkin’ back……. Like you had seen a ghost or somethin’.”
Applejack was just about to put the first piece of food into her mouth before she dropped her fork. It hit the plate with a clickity clang before settling itself. AJ’s mouth was frozen open as her mind immediately went back to the events of the night before. She could hear the creature’s laugh echoing in her head as well as the loud bangs from his weapon. She could almost feel the hairs of her fur start to curl from the bullets that missed her by mere millimeters. The hoof in front of her mouth started to shake before she grabbed it with the other hoof and gently set it on the table.
“AJ… Hey AJ!”
Applejack shook out of her trance. She looked to see her brother’s hoof on her shoulder and her family all looking at her concerned.
“You ok sis?” Big Mac asked gently rubbing his sister’s shoulder. “What’s goin on?”
Applejack shut her eyes tight and put her face in her hooves. “I guess last night spooked me more than I thought it did…..” She took a deep breath before holding her brother’s hoof with her own. “Twilight asked me and the others to go to that old castle in the forest last night…..”
“At that hour? What for?” Granny Smith asked before she got up and sat herself next to Applejack.
“The Princess asked her in a letter to take us there to meet someone. The meeting didn’t exactly go very well……”
“Some…… one?” Applebloom tilted her head…… “Don’t ya mean sompony?”
“Something is more like it…..” Applejack took another drink from her glass of water. “I have no idea what that thing was…. It stood on two legs….. had hands and fingers like what Spike’s got. It was tall…. At least twice as tall as me….. covered from top to bottom in black….”
“You’re not talkin’ that big thing that crashed in on the Princesses at the town hall some time ago are ya?” Big Mac asked her.
“Yep. That’d be the one…….” Applejack responded with a nod.
“Why would The Princess want you to meet that thing?” Applebloom asked her.
“I don’t know. Twilight said he might know somethin’ about the strange goings on lately. Maybe we were supposed to catch ‘im or somethin’ to but we never got the chance…… if it….”
“We can talk more about what happened later Applejack.” Granny Smith interrupted. “Why don’t you go lay down to calm yourself? I can take Applebloom to school today and….”
“Mornin’ Apples!”
The entire family looked up from the table and saw Braeburn coming down the stairs.
He stopped and noticed how Granny Smith and Big Mac had their hooves on Applejack’s shoulders. He slowly walked to the end of the table and looked at the family. “What’s up guys…… did somethin’ happen?”
“Applejack’s not feeling too good this mornin’” Granny Smith replied as she patted and rubbed Applejack’s back. “Could you be a dear and help your cousin Big Mac in the orchard today?”
“Course I can.” Braeburn replied with his hoof on his chest. “Y’all were willing to let me stay here on such short notice. I’d feel mighty guilty if I didn’t help out around the farm.”
“But Granny Smith I can….” AJ began but a wrinkled hoof abruptly covered her mouth.
“No buts outta you young filly!” Granny Smith looked at her sternly. “Now I don’t know what that thing did to spook you so much but I don’t want ya out in the orchard if you’re head ain’t on straight. You’ll hardly get anythin’ done worryin about it.” Granny Smith made a gesture with her head to Applebloom.
The young filly nodded and quickly gobbled up her omelet, wiped off her face with a napkin and quickly trotted off to gather her things for school.
“You just concentrate on relaxin’ and calmin’ yourself down. Maybe you should go to the spa in town to get rid a’ some of that tension. But first, you can walk with me to take Applebloom to school and you can tell us the rest of what happened on the way.” Granny Smith looked Applejack in the eyes. “Can you handle that dearie?”
“Yeah…. I can manage that.” Applejack sighed deeply as she looked back at Granny Smith.
“Don’t you worry about the harvestin’ neither. Braeburn and Big Mac will have that covered. You can start workin’ again when your head’s clear. Got it?”
“Got it.” Applejack nodded before she ate the rest of her meal and went to where Applebloom’s room. “I’ll go help Applebloom get ready for school.”
*******
The sounds of the forest made their usual rounds that morning. Birds chirping and singing, rabbits and ferrets scurrying about, and many other animals going about their daily business. Except there was one other creature stirring between the trees, one that the forest has never played host to before.
A lone creature covered head to toe in black was carefully stepping between the branches and weeds just about 10 feet away from the hoof track covered path. He always kept it within his sights so as not to lose his way in this bastion of nature. The hood still covered his head and he let the shade of the trees and bushes hide his face from the sun. It was always at its most blinding to the eyes of one who not long ago woke from their slumber. He was no exception. The large sack he was carrying felt heavy on his back. The long strap going across his chest helped immensely to keep the bag and its volatile contents close to him whilst keeping the burden to a bare minimum. Before long he could see the edge of the forest, and beyond that the town of Ponyville.
“This seems to be as good a spot as any.” The thing then loosened the strap and pulled the bag from off of his back. He set it gently against a large tree and opened one of the side zippers on it. He reached in and fingered around inside until he pulled out a pair of binoculars. He sets his sights towards Ponyville and lifted the binoculars to his face. Carefully and slowly he scanned the town and its outskirts looking and noting every detail he could to memory. “No sign of them yet……” he muttered to himself. He turned his gaze towards the farm nestled outside of the town. He watches as two mares and a small filly walk out of the front door of their house and begin to trot along the road towards the town. One of the ponies he recognized as soon as he saw her. “Ah….. good little pony…..” he smiles as he watched her walk down the path. “That’s right….. go about your life in ignorant bliss….. gives me one less annoyance to worry about.” Then as he watched them, an odd thought started to cross his mind. He turned a small dial on his binoculars and started to more closely study the mare and her details. Heaven only knows what he’s looking for now but it would be a safe bet that he’s probably looking for something he really shouldn’t. Either that or he’s looking at good places to take his knife to should he decide he’s in the mood for pony meat for dinner. Can’t hurt to have a recipe prepared just in case right?
“Looks like I’ll be playing the waiting game.” He takes his sights off Applejack and starts peering around the town again. “Might as well find some way to entertain myself while I wait…….” He sat down on the ground and resumed watching the town in complete silence.
******
A few hours later……….
The Boy sits and has been sitting for a long while. Patiently waiting, silently observing the town and all its machinations. He watched the ponies walking around the town hall, the little fillies and colts playing in their school playground, and he even spyed the two stallions bucking apple trees and gathering their crops. The only noise he made was a periodic audible yawn that only he and the forest could hear. He was starting to get really really bored. Just then he saw seven colored lights flying through the sky and saw that they were flying towards the main buildings of the apple farm. A smile finally spread across The Boy’s face. Looks like today was going to be eventful afteral.
“Gooooooood. That’s just what I was looking for.” As they descended from high in the sky he saw the group land on the farm ground and talk with the ponies by the barn. He opened up his bag and pulled out a smaller black bag and unzipped that. Inside was a rectangular red container with a black lid, a hollowed out red handle, and a very familiar smell. He put his binoculars back in their place and hoisted the bag back onto his back. He picks up the red container as its liquid contents tumbled around inside. “It’s gonna be show time real soon…..” He looks toward the apple orchard and lifts up his red container. “I better go get ready……” He puts the container down and pulls something else out of a side pocket of his bag. He pulls down the hood of his jacket and quickly replaces with a grinning golden mask. He wrapped the strap around his head and let the black cloth cover his head and neck making sure to not let a single patch of skin show through. He adjusted his mask to look out the holes for the eyes before also adjusting the large bag on his back. He once again picks up the red container and starts quickly making his way toward the apple orchard trying to keep himself as close to the ground as possible.
********
Meanwhile…….
“How’s the harvestin’ goin’ Braeburn?” Granny Smith asked as she walked towards the barn.
Braeburn hoists down the last bucket of apples behind the door of the barn and wipes the sweat off of his brow. “It’s goin’ good Granny Smith! Feels good to be out and workin again. How’s Applejack doin’?”
“Oh she’s sleepin like a log, and judgin’ by her snoring I think she’s sawin’ a couple too” Granny Smith gives a hardy chuckle alongside Braeburn. “Where’s Big Macintosh at?”
“He’s out in the orchard. He told me he was going to go check something out”
******
“Somethin’ ain’t right around here.” Big Mac thought as he was walking through a distant corner of the orchard. A few minutes previous he saw a strange shape dashing through the trees. Since then there’s been this weird smell in the air that he couldn’t shake. He came up to a tree that was near the center of their orchard. Something was off and he examined it as close as he could. Parts of the bark looked wet and the tree absolutely reeked of that weird smell he noticed. The wet marks seemed to go all up and down the side of the tree. A random splash here and a line of the stuff there. He looked towards the grass under his hooves and saw that there was even a line of the stuff poured in a straight line from this tree to another one nearby. “I really don’t like the look of this……” He dipped his hoof in the wet grass and immediately felt it get wet. He lifted it back up and sniffed his hoof. He even lightly poked the wet stuff with his tongue. The taste was the same as the smell. Completely weird and totally unrecognizable to him. “What the hay is this stuff?” Suddenly there was a crack that came from the tree above him. His head pointed straight up and briefly saw a golden shimmer before it disappeared between the leaves. “HEY!” Big Macintosh yelled as he closely watched the tree top. “You’re in serious trouble fella! Get down here this bucking INSTANT! NOPONY messes with MY apple farm!”
“Ok….. if you insist….. I should warn you though…..”
Big Mac saw a large black mass suddenly jump down from the tree. Before he could move out of the way he felt a hard kick right to the jaw that sent him tumbling backward. Before he could regain his standing he felt another fast and hard blow to the stomach. Big Mac started to feel sick as he fell to the ground. His eyes barely open he saw a pair of black boots step in front of his nozzle. He looked up and saw a golden, black, and empty grin stare down at him.
“I am no pony. Got it sunshine? Sweet dreams…”
Big Mac felt another much harder hit on his head. This time the hit knocked him out cold.
******
Back at the farm………
“What was Big Mac lookin’ for?” Granny asked with a puzzled look on her face.
“I don’t rightly know…..” Braeburn shrugged. “He just suddenly tapped me on the shoulder and said to get straight back here with what I got…… and to wait for him before I came back.”
“Must be something serious……” Granny Smith tapped her chin with her wrinkled hoof.
“Should we get AJ?” Braeburn asked her.
“Nah. Let her sleep. She’s worried enough as it is. Gettin’ threats to be eatin’ will do things to somepony…..”
“Threatened to eat her!?” Braeburn said with shock.
“It’s a weird story….. explains why she was so spooked this mornin’…….”
“Uhhhhhh……. Who was spooked?”
The old mare nearly jumped out of her skin as she jolted upon hearing the unexpected voice. Her and Braeburn turned to see a unicorn descend to the ground with a light green glow around her. Soon she was followed by six other glowing lights each of a different color. As soon as the yellow one touched down and its light dissipated he recognized the scruffy mug it came from.
“Why hello there apple boy…….”
“Black Lasso……” Braeburn said with a bit of a shake in his voice. “What’re all you folks doin’ here?”
“We saw something scurrying around in your apple orchard….” The unicorn clad in green began. “We just came by to ask permission to take a look around your property.”
“We know there has been a dangerous criminal who has been wandering around this area…..” Octavia began before she noticed that Braeburn only stared at them with great confusion. “Oh I’m sorry. Let me introduce us…..”
After Octavia explained who they were and a bit more about why they were there Braeburn started to understand a bit better.
“It’s really important that we find this guy…..” Derpy helped to explain. “Would you please let us take a look around? Make sure you ponies are safe.”
“That sounds like a fair shake to me….” Granny said as she slowly shimmied over. A small frown was on her face as she pointed towards the barn. “Get those two varmints out of my barn and you can look around as much as you want.”
As they were talking Gilda and Trixie were scrounging around inside the barn. Gilda was where the cows would normally be at this time a day. Normally they would be feeding, but today they were huddled in the corner for fear of the perpetually enraged Gilda. Every time a cow so much as set a hoof in the direction of the food trough she gave them a loud, blood spitting, roar that sent them right back to the corner. Trixie on the other hand was gathering a large pile of farm tools. Hoes, rakes, plow, whatever, she wanted it. Every second she spied something and instantly wanted it. And she would take it and put it at a pile in the center of the barn.
“Our apologies ma’am……” Little Stongheart apologized sheepishly. “We’ll get those two under control before we start searching……..”
*****
“Just about ready……” The Boy muttered as he tended to the very large rifle on his lap. The large sack he was carrying before was slumped on the trunk of the tree he was on. He himself was sitting on a branch in the higher part of the tree. He pulled out a metal container from under his arm and locks it into the proper socket on the underside of his gun. He pulls back the lever for the hammer letting a bullet get locked and loaded into the chamber. He tilted his head side to side in satisfaction as he reveled in the clicks and locks he heard as he got his weapon ready. “A 50 cal bullet should do the trick. Hit them niiiiiiiiice and hard.” He lifted up the heavy rifle, wraps his finger around the trigger, firmly plants the stock against his shoulder, and poises his eye behind the scope. He sees a group of lights floating around the barn. They’re blurry at first but with a turn of a dial the lights, and the shapes they radiate from, become as clear as crystal and sharp as a knife. Two of the lanterns, red and orange, and being dragged out of the barn by yellow. Indigo is talking with the elderly mare on the ground while violet, green, and blue are facing towards the orchard beginning to search for anything strange. Luckily for him none of them are looking his direction. “Alright…….” He poises the cross hairs of his scope dead center on the floating green unicorn. He tenses his muscles, plants his feet on the solid branch he’s crouching on, and widens the smile under his mask. “Time to light ‘em up.”
*****
The sound of an enormous bang followed by the smaller explosion soon after instantly woke Applejack from her slumber. “What in tarnation was that?!” She scrambled to get up out of bed as she ran to grab her hat off its hook. As she bolted down again a second bang followed by another small explosion soon followed. This time she could tell where it came from. “Oh no The Orchard!” without knowing what was happening Applejack raced out the door bolting as fast as she can towards the source of the sounds.
Meanwhile Octavia and Vinyl were picking themselves up from the ground. They were alive and well put pretty bruised up. Vinyl on her stomach and Octavia on her hip. They both looked up and saw a few of their comrades scramble to their sides.
“Hey! Get up!” Derpy begged as she hoisted Octavia off the ground. “Are you two ok?”
Vinyl jumped up and dusted herself off. “Yeah I’m fine. But what the hay was…”
“Automatic personnel defense systems activated.” Vinyl’s ring resounded as the solid green aura around her gleamed. “Be advised…… hostile is firing 50 caliber incendiary explosive rounds. Evasive maneuvers strongly advised.”
“That’s gotta be our guy!” Vinyl yelled as she readies herself to get back in the air.
Octavia reached out with her hoof and pulled her friend down as bangs and explosions continued to ring in the air above them. “What about Ganthet ordering us NOT to engage him?”
“We kinda don’t have a choice when he’s shooting right at us. We either take him down now or he ends up destroying this whole farm!”
“I have agree with Vinyl here.” Little Strongheart readied her staff in her mouth as The Green Lantern symbol floated above her head. “Those explosive rounds will cause a lot of damage if we don’t go after him now. The least we can do is at least draw his fire away from the barn and house.”
“I’m on it!” Derpy flew right up into the air with a bright violet streak following her. The second she reaches optimal height she fires a bolt of light towards a bullet heading her direction. It explodes midair as she zooms through the resulting cloud of smoke.
Gilda had already been shot a few times with the explosive rounds herself but thanks to the constant adrenaline rush and the automatic defense grid in her own ring she barely felt a thing. She looked deep into the orchard and could see the sheen of a golden mask and a large rifle positioned on its shoulder. She watched the figure pull back the lever of his rifle and readying himself to fire another round. With a loud roar she joined the others as she flew madly towards the source of the bullets.
Trixie seemed to be trying to catch the bullets out of the air with her magic only for them to explode in her magic grip. She too saw the source of her current desires and gained a new one the instant she saw the shine of the golden mask. “Nice….. beautiful…… mask.” Trixie said to herself almost drooling madly. The figure turned and poised the rifle straight at her. It seemed like her eyes almost met with the eyes of the one wearing the mask. That only made her want it more. “It will be mine! The Great and Powerful TRIXIE MUST HAVE THAT MASK!” She instinctively dodges the bullet and let it start a small fire on the ground behind her. She didn’t care about the bullets now that she had a new target in sight.
Black Lasso, for the moment, was merely concentrating on staying in the air as he dodged or blocked the incoming ordinance with the guidance of his ring. He watched all the others fly over the orchard towards the origin of the shots. He looked and instantly saw the tree they were going for. He smiled a bit as he tipped up his hat. “I gotta say….” He flew there as well, deciding to follow the others in their pursuit. “This mark’s been the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
“Granny Smith! Big Macintosh! Braeburn! Where are you?!” Applejack shouted as loud as she could hoping they could hear her voice over the sounds of thunderous gunshots and small scale explosions in the air and ground.
“We’re over here AJ!”
Applejack looked and was relieved to see Braeburn and Granny Smith taking cover inside the barn. She rushed over to them as quickly as she could and gave her granny a big hug relieved to see them ok. “What the hay’s goin’ on?!”
The whole group ducked their heads as they heard a stray bullet knock a large hole into the roof of their barn.
“It’s like a buckin’ warzone out here!”
“Those flyin’ ponies came by sayin’ they were lookin for somethin’” Braeburn explained. “They told me that they saw something strange lurkin’ around in the orchard and was asking Granny’s permission to look around. They were trying to get a couple of their more rowdy friends under control when the bangin started. Next thing I know two of ‘em were on the ground and the others were flying around tryin’ to stay alive.”
“Where’s Big Macintosh?” Applejack asked with concern.
“Last I saw him he was in the orchard. Said something about something not seeming right. As far as I know he was still out there when this whole mess started.” Braeburn said to her. “He’s probably still out there.”
“Oh no!” Applejack then galloped towards the barn door as a small explosion impacted the ground no less than 20 feet in front of her. She stopped and looked towards her cousin and granny. “You two stay here. I’ll go find Big Mac.” She saw the colored lights as they zoomed towards the center of the orchard and she zoomed right after then going as fast as her hooves could carry her. “Thank Celestia that Applebloom’s at school……” Applejack said to herself outloud, “Come on Big Mac…… please don’t be hurt. I ain’t loosin my brother today!”
The Boy was most certainly grinning under that mask. He had been just ITCHING for an opportunity to bust out his Anti Material Z93 Sniper Rifle and this occasion didn’t disappoint. It didn’t manage to pierce any of the Lanters’ defenses but he got their undivided attention, just like he wanted, plus it will be a lot easier to collect the prize with them close by anyway. He kept on firing as fast as he could even as he saw that they were flying straight for the tree he was perched in. A part of him wished that he could fire the thing faster but it was a bolt action rifle. Not much that can be done about that. Not like he would be able to use it effectively once they got close anyway.
The Lanterns were undeterred by the continued onlslaught of bullets that came at them. Every time one of those explosive rounds got near they either dodged, shieled themselves from, or, in the case of Gilda, just took the round head on and shrugged it off. It didn’t take very long for them to reach their destination. They all landed on the ground in front of the sniper’s perch and aimed their rings at the front of the tree.
“Don’t even think of firin’ another shot son!” Black Lasso shouted towards the tree. “We got you surrounded. You can’t…”
Before he could finish with his warning Gilda and Trixie immediately jumped into the leave of the tree. Crunches and cracks were quickly heard as the tree shaked violently from the struggled. Growls and grunts could be heard as well as blows of fist against bare flesh. All of a sudden both Trixie and Gilda were thrown out of the tree and they landed on the ground with a hard bounce. They both got up rather quickly and started to pace around the tree in opposite directions.
“Yer tough….. I’ll give you that much….” Black Lasso began to begin again hoping not to get interrupted again. “Our bosses asked us to look for you. You got somethin’ that belongs to them….. Where are they?”
“For the last God damned time I didn’t take your woman! She was the one coming on to me I swear!” After a voice from the tree shouted back an audible chuckle could be heard resounding from the tree.
All the sane lanterns still had their rings pointed at the tree but couldn’t help but look at each other with confused looks in their faces. Obviously they didn’t share their adversary’s sense of humor. Black Lasso did what was probably the wisest thing by ignoring what he said.
“Quit playin’ dumb you sack o’ worm shit! The Embodiments! Where are they!?” Black Lasso yelled again at the tree.
“Even if I knew where they were do you really think I would tell YOU sorry lot?” The voice from the tree replied back. “I’m in the same boat as you guys! I’m looking for them to!”
“I know bull crap when I hear it!” Vinyl began to shout as well. “Get down from the tree right now mister!”
“Fine. Don’t believe me. See if I care.” A black shape suddenly jumped down from the branches with the large rifle still in his hands. His feet landed firmly on the ground as the rest of his body landed in a crouched position from the momentum next to the bag slumped on the side of the tree. He got up and turned towards then lanterns, his mask shining in the sun light. Most of his head and the entirety of his neck was covered by a rather shiny black cloth while he face was hidden behind a grinning mask of gold. However his eyes were still hidden from view by a black cloth built over the eye sockets inside of the mask itself. The cloth was thin enough for the one wearing it to still see outside but dark enough to keep his eyes hidden from anything looking at him from far away. They would have to be mere inches from his face to see the color of his eyes. The Lanterns hoped though that they would have to get that close.
“I’ll ask nicely one more time…..” Black Lasso inched closer to the tall black figure standing before them. “Where are the Embodiments?”
“I already fricking told you I don’t know where they are……. But I will tell you something I DO know.” The Boy replied as he pulled a couple of sheathed swords out of the sack and tied them to the belt around his waist. “What I do know is that once I do find them I’ll need some rings to be able to use their powers properly………” He started to walk towards the group whilst pulling out one of the long straight double bladed swords at his hip. “Now if you all would just save me the trouble and just…… give me your rings I would really appreciate it.”
“That’s not going to happen!” Derpy yelled at him pointing her ring directly at him. “I’ve got a special somepony and a daughter to protect! There is no way in Tartarus I’m going to let you threaten them.”
With a sigh he starts to reach into a pouch on the outside of his jacket. “Pity, and I was hoping we would reach an understanding…….” He pulls out a small green tube with what looks almost like a trigger and pin attached to it. “Oh well…….” He unwraps a finger from the hilt of his sword and pulls the pin out. “More fun for me…” He throws the object at the center of the group and before they can react an extremely bright flash explodes from the small object upon landing. The lanterns all start trying to compose themselves after being blinded by the flash.
Vinyl Scratch opens her eyes again looking around. The images she sees blur and warp as her eyes still try to recover from the flash. Then she feels the wind knocked out of her as she feels something large and heavy tackle her to the ground. She struggles and tries to fight back instinctively. She lands a couple of light blows and smacks but the mass seems to ignore them. The figure manages to pin her to the ground by tangling her legs with its own and keeping her down with one arm pushing against her own. The arm with her ring is stretched out on the ground as the figure pointed something at it. Her sight begins to return as she struggles harder and harder trying to escape. She finds the golden mask staring her straight in the face. The Boy’s head turns as he lowers the edge of his sword towards the hoof bearing her ring. He let’s go of her forehoof to hold the one with the ring down. With her hoof now free she strains against his sword arm trying her best to push it away. Despite her efforts the blade slowly starts to descend again, getting closer and closer to the flesh just to the side of her ring.
“Let her go creep!”
The Boy turns and instantly jumps off of Vinyl as a bolt of bolt of blue light barely misses him but almost hits Vinyl.
Octavia keeps her ring at the ready poised to fire another shot.
The Boy starts to charge at her pulling the second sword out of its sheath with this one being a curved single edged blade.
She fires another bolt but The Boy blocks it with his blade. When he arrives within striking distance both blades descend on her. She raises her other forehoof with a shield instantly forming and blocking the two blades.
“I gotcha Oc-!” the wind is knocked out of Vinyl again as she is kicked out of the air.
The Boy then turns back around towards Octavia, one of his blades still against her shield. He swings his foot low knocking the musician off her feet and onto the ground. Once she falls she is kicked as well which sends her flying with her back hitting a tree with a loud crack. The Boy twirls the blades in his hands and watches as the others start to regain their sight. “Alright flunkies who’s next?!”
Trixie instantly swings a construct claw at The Boy who promptly blocks it with one of his swords. Trixie then grabs the blade with her magic and tries to pull it out of his hand but is hit hard in the head with the butt of the other sword’s hilt. She swings at him with her free hoof but it too is blocked before The Boy gives her a hard knee to the stomach. She lurches forward before she feels fingers start to clutch her head. Her head is pulled down before receiving a hard blow to the jaw.
She falls to the ground on her back as The Boy pulls back his knee. He turns and sees Gilda getting ready to ready to charge. Quickly he sheathes his blades and pulls out a pair of pistols from under his jacket and starts firing at her. She jumps to the side as a trail of bullets starts hitting the ground behind her. She goes a quarter-circle around him before lunging at him. The Boy jumps out of the way just in time as Gilda is about to hit him. Then she hears a loud thunk. She opens her and sees that her beak is now stuck in the side of the tree. She almost starts to pull it out before she feels a hard kick to the back of her head. Now her beak is deeply lodged into the tree with the bark almost touching the rest of her face. She starts to struggle, spit, and screech trying to get herself free.
Derpy forms a spear and charges at The Boy. Little Strongheart concentrates as the star sapphire insignia forms above her forehead. She too generates a spear construct with her staff and starts charging at The Boy. The Boy sees them charging and casually sidesteps them as the two lanterns stop before they accidently hit each other. Just as they are about to turn to stand together The Boy charges and grabs both of them by the backs of their heads. He hits their heads against each other before he throws them aside.
Black Lasso looks on as The Boy turns towards him. Black Lasso brings his forehooves together and cracks his neck. “Guess none of the others were fighters before they got recruited.”
“And you think you’re some kind of badass?” The Boy replies as he walks towards Black Lasso.
“I’m a bounty hunter son……” He lifts himself on his hind legs and lifts up his forehooves in a boxing pose. Normally he wouldn’t be able to stand like this and fight but the flight powers of the ring are helping him keep his balance. “You have to be one to get your marks back in one piece. Plus I’ve taken on bigger things than you.” He shows off a few quick jabs with his forehooves before steadying himself ready for an attack.
“So you want to go old fashioned fisticuffs huh?” The Boy starts to crack his knuckles. He pulls up his sleeves to his elbows before resuming his walk. “Maybe you’ll turn out to actually be a challenge……. This should be fun………” A wide grin starts to form beneath the golden mask.
*****
Her thoughts raced as she darted around the numerous trees of her apple orchard. Was her brother ok? Will her family still be able to support themselves with all this damage to their farm? How will she find the guy who started all this? When she does find him? How will she fight him? Will those lights she saw flyin’ around help? Would she just get in the way? These questions and more dominated her thoughts with a vengeance. At least the explosions have stopped. At least now she can actually hear herself think.
“AJ! Are you alright!?”
Applejack looked up to the sky and saw a familiar rainbow streak head towards her. When that streak got closer and landed gently on the ground it was a sight AJ never thought she would be so happy to see. “I’m fine Rainbow Dash……” Applejack sighed as she wiped the sweat from off her forehead. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now.”
“I saw the damage over by the farm but what in the hay is going on?!” Rainbow Dash looked around trying to catch her breath. “Ever since those booms went off the whole town’s gone nuts with panic thinking we’re getting attacked or something. They got even more worried when they stopped. Twilight’s getting the others and they’ll be on their way soon.”
“You remember that son of a bitch who threatened to eat us last night?” Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash still exasperated.
“Tch. How could I know. He tried to kill me twice now. What about him?”
“Rainbow…….” Applejack looked to the ground still trying to catch her breath. “He attacked the farm.”
“What?! Why!?”
“Accordin’ to Granny Smith some colored floatin’ ponies, a buffalo, and a griffon came around askin to look around the farm. She was about to give them permission when suddenly two of them got shot down out of the sky. After that just came a bunch of bangs and explosions……..” Applejack lifted her head and looked at Dash. “I saw them fly towards the center of the orchard…… if they are who I think they are….. Gilda might have been one of the ones going after ‘im.”
“Gilda?!” Rainbow Dash now shared AJ’s look of concern.
“Please help me Dash! My brother went into the orchard looking for something’ and he hasn’t been seen since this before this whole mess started.” Applejack walked over and placed her hooves on Rainbow’s shoulders before tears started to form in her eyes. “I’m scared Rainbow……… I don’t wanna lose my brother to that thing…….”
Rainbow Dash lifts her hoof and places it on Applejack’s shoulder. “And you won’t. Trust me. He’ll be alright.”
Applejack took her hooves off of Rainbow Dash and starts to wipe away the tears before they start streaming. “Thank you Rainbow….”
“Pull yourself together Applejack! We’ll find your brother, but first things first we need to take that out before he causes anymore trouble. Where did you say they were flying to?”
AJ took a deep breath and steadied herself. “They flew towards a tree in the center of the orchard.”
“Alright!” Rainbow Dash jumped into the air and started to fly again. “Come on AJ! Let’s go kick that thing’s ass before Twilight and the others get here!”
Her confidence returned, the country mare started ahead full gallop behind her friend with a smile on her face. “You said it Rainbow! Let’s do this!”
*****
Black Lasso and The Boy continued with their tussle at the center of the orchard. They threw a flurry of punches and kicks at each other with neither of them seeming to get a solid advantage. When one punched the other blocked or sidestepped. When one kicked the other dodged it, blocked it, or countered with a kick of their own. Neither side was going to back down from this one.
“Pretty good for a quadruped…..” The Boy blocked an oncoming punch before swinging his elbow at his opponent’s jaw.
Black Lasso blocked and redirected the elbow strike before pushing The Boy away to get some distance. “You aren’t bad yourself son……. You fight better than most punks I find myself tasslin’ with….”
“Except I’m not some ordinary punk!” The Boy launched a hard kick right for Black Lasso’s head.
Black Lasso blocked the kick then charged and managed to tackle his opponent. He rained down punches as hard as he could on his downed rival even as said rival managed to catch or block every single punch. Next he brought his forehooves together and swung them both down for a hard bow before The Boy catches them with his hand.
“There is oooooone tiny problem with your technique…..” The Boy said with a chuckle.
“Oh yeah…. And what’s that?” Black Lasso asked as he pushed against The Boy’s block harder. All of a sudden he feels a sharp pain in his side before being kicked off. Black Lasso then fell to the ground as he felt around the area where he felt the sudden jolt of pain come from. The spot felt wet immediately at the touch. He brought his hoof in front of his face and saw blood on it. He looked towards his now standing assailant who was now twirling a tiny pocket knife in his hand.
“Your problem is that you forgot to watch where my other hand was.” He waves the now bloody pocket knife in front of Black Lasso before walking up to him.
Black Lasso started to move to try to get up before he felt another, much stronger, jolt of pain go through his entire body. He fell back on the ground holding his stomach almost starting to feel sick.
“And now your second mistake was forgetting to watch where my kick was going. Now I think your balls might start to turn blue……….” The Boy chuckled before he grabbed Black Lasso by the collar. He pulls his fallen enemy up and brings his face closer to his. “Now to finish you off and claim my prize.”
Black Lasso saw something out of the corner of his eye before looking back at The Boy. A smile started to spread across his face before he started to softly laugh.
“And why are you laughing?” The Boy asked as he tilted his head.
“I think you made a bit of a mistake to son…” He laughs again gently before he whispers. “You’re goin’ to be in for one heck of a surprise….”
“Oh yeah? And what would that beUUUH!” The Boy felt something hard and fast hit him on the side of the head. Instinctively he swung in the direction he felt the hit come from but his hand didn’t hit anything.
Black Lasso fell to the ground again he dragged himself away from The Boy so he could let the new arrivals do their thing.
The Boy started looking around trying to figure out where whatever hit him had gone. He growled loudly as he eyed his surroundings. Slowly he started to step back towards the tree that his bag was slumped against.
“Now where do you think you’re goin’ sugarcube?”
As soon as he turned around he saw a pair of hooves flying towards his face. He barely managed to block in time before the hit sent him flying briefly in the air before he fell on his back.
Applejack flared her nostrils confidently as she watched The Boy fall to the ground. Rainbow Dash flew over to her and took her place standing next to her. Applejack raised one of her hooves in the air Rainbow Dash loudly clapped with one of her own.
“That was a long time coming buckhole!” Rainbow Dash started to laugh along with Applejack. They both crouched and steadied themselves as the saw The Boy starting to get up.
The Boy picks up his pocket as he gets up. He wipes the blood off of it with his fingers before he folds it and puts it back in his pocket. He starts to look around trying to assess the situation. One by one he sees the other lanterns getting up getting themselves ready to start fighting again. Gilda finally manages to get her beak from out of the tree before she gifts an enraged roar. She turns her head towards The Boy and gives a loud bird screech spraying the acidic red liquid far out in front of her. Derpy readied her spear construct while Little Strongheart readied her staff. Vinyl flares her nostrils before Octavia walks next to her crackling her neck. Trixie too is slowly getting herself up and starts to stare at The Boy before a greedy smile spreads on her face. Even Black Lasso starts to pull himself up and getting ready despite still bleeding from his stab wound.
“It’s over for you jerkface!”
The Boy looks back towards Rainbow Dash and Applejack who still look ready to strike at any moment.
“Twilight and the rest of our friends will be getting her pretty soon, and as badass as you seem to think you are I doubt you can take on thirteen of us all at once.” Rainbow Dash grins as she stares The Boy down. “It’s over freak! There is no possible way you can win now.”
The Boy starts laughing before reaching into one of the pouches of his jacket. “So now all of a sudden you think you’re hot shit just because you managed to land a hit on me… and maybe you’re right about me not being able to take one thirteen opponents at once.” He pulls out three of the same kind of grenade that he used before. “I’ve got a couple more tricks up my sleeve. I may not be the winner here….” He pulls the pins from the grenades and throws them around him. “BUT THERE’S NO WAY IN HELL YOU”RE TAKING ME ALIVE!!!”
“Cover your eyes!” Black Lasso shouts to Dash and Applejack.
“Huh?!” before she could hear any response three extremely bright flashes of light over take all of the Equestrians’ sight. Even despite the grenade thrown previously they were all blinded again by it.
Instantly The Boy started to run and make his move. The Boy quickly picked up his rifle off the ground, strapped the large bag to his back, and started sprinting as fast as he can towards the forest.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack started to rub their eyes and saw the shape running off towards the forest with his equipment in his hands.
“Oh you’re not getting away from us!” Applejack shouted as she instinctively started running towards the moving black mass. She was still able to manage dodging and running through the trees despite her vision not having fully returned yet.
Her vision had not yet returned either before Rainbow Dash took to the skies and followed AJ as she chased The Boy towards the edge of the orchard. Slowly but surely both her and Applejack's vision began to return more fully. They were better able to watch the flash of black as they watched it sprint from tree to tree.
As they continued their pursuit they began to catch up to their target.
“ALRIGHT!” Applejack shouted as Rainbow Dash joined her. “We’re gaining on ‘im! Let’s end this!”
“Awwww heck yeah!” Rainbow Dash returned the vote of confidence as she lands and starts to gallop alongside AJ.
Quickly they notice the black mass stopping and hunching over something. They both pick up the pace trying to get to him as quickly as possible.
Once they are close enough to see the gold sheen of his mask The Boy gets up and turn’s toward them.
“One more step and he dies!”
Applejack stops right in her tracks followed by Rainbow Dash. She opens her eyes to see herself standing about 15 feet away from The Boy. As she looks onward she notices a really strong smell in the air. It confuses her as it’s a smell that she’s never experienced before. The smell is very very strong. So much so in fact she can almost taste it in the air. As she brings her mind away from the smell she notices something large and red gripped in The Boy’s left hand.
“Big Mac!” Applejack shouts with concern. Big Macintosh doesn’t respond to her call and she instantly turns her eyes towards the face of the one holding him by the mane. “Let my brother go you piece of shit! What did you do to him?!”
“So he’s your brother huh?” The Boy throws his head back and starts to laugh. “Not like I couldn’t already tell from the half apple on his ass. Don’t worry dearie. He’s just taking an extended nap courtesy of moi.”
“You’ve done enough damage to my farm!” Applejack shouted at him with a growl. “There is no buckin’ way I’m going to let you leave here with my brother!”
“Oh I see how it is….. Don’t think too highly of your friend here. I wasn’t planning on taking him anyway. I need to travel relatively lightly…… You want him back?” The Boy hoisted Big Mac up over his head with both hands. “Then catch him bitch!” He chucks Big Macintosh right towards Applejack and Rainbow Dash.
Both of them reach out their forehooves to try to catch him. He lands into their hooves but not without taking both of them to the ground with him.
As the two mares pick themselves up and try to wake Big Mac, The Boy pulls out a lighter from a pouch inside his jacket. “Hey Apple bitch!”
Rainbow Dash and Applejack look up towards The Boy as he starts a small flame with his lighter.
“That stuff you’re smelling in the air? It’s a little thing that my people call gasoline. You wanna know the best part about the stuff?” The Boy stretches out his arm and holds the lighter in front of him with only two fingers.
Applejack looks at the ground and notices an unnatural shine in the grass. She looks around and sees the shine stretch to a tree nearby. She follows it the other direction and the other end to goes to an apple tree. Her heart starts to sink as she notices the wet grass all around the trees in this part of the orchard.
“Gasoline…… is highly flammable.” He drops the lighter to the ground and instantly a blaze comes up from the grass and spreads along the lines of gasoline poured on the ground. Applejack watches in horror as one by one trees start to go up in flames slowly destroying the precious apples growing on them.
She looks towards where The Boy stands and sees the lights and shadows of the flames dance in the reflection of his grinning golden mask. She hears a loud laugh start to reverberate through her orchard as she watches him walk away and disappear admits the flames.