//------------------------------// // A New Challenger Approaches // Story: Deadpool and Pinkie Pie // by Dashzilla93 //------------------------------// “Beast?” Twilight said, a bit hesitate, unaware of what to do with a stranger like this. Beast nodded in response, “I understand my appearance and name seem menacing to you and your little friend, but rest assured I’m a friend.” Twilight stood calm this time and glanced up at Beast. Her eyes were fixated on his blue fur and humanoid stance, soaking in the visual information before looking at his blue face; she was surprised and confused about this creature. Her mind was full of questions that raced a mile a minute. Spike looked up at Beast with scared, yet amazed, eyes. He finally spoke out, but his voice was choppy and shy, “I-I’m her son.” “Oh!” Beast slid his glasses back into place. “A unicorn raising a dragon? I’ve never heard or read anything about a revelation like this.” He was truly surprised by this. “Absolutely remarkable.” Reality struck Twilight out of her trace as let out a loud ‘gah’ and spoke out, “I’m so sorry! I’m Twilight Sparkle and this is my son, Spike.” She said as breathed easily. Beast chuckled a bit, “A pleasure to meet you, Twilight Sparkle.” “L-likewise.” “I assume you’re wondering why I’m here and where I came from, right?” Twilight perked her ears and nodded, “Yes. What are you? How did you get here? Why are you here?” her mind surged with questions. She just had to know. Beast smiled at Twilight’s eagerness, finding it very adorable, “All right. First off, I am a being known as a mutant. We came here through a portal created by a scientist named Reed Richards. Why we are here is kind of difficult to answer. You see an ‘acquaintance’ of ours accidently fell through the same portal and --” “Arrived here unexpectedly,” Twilight finished. “Would that acquaintance happen to be Deadpool?” “That’s right. Have you seen him?” Spike stood beside Twilight and crossed his arms, “Seen him? He’s been with us since he got here. Pinkie Pie hasn’t left his side until recently.” “I see. And what is he doing now?” “He’s with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” Twilight said. “Just like you, we’ve been trying to ask question about what’s going on.” Hank’s cellphone started to ring. He brings it out and answers it, “Hello?” “But Princess Sunbutt constantly asks me questions about stuff I don’t even care about. I’m bored as hell over here!” Deadpool hung up his phone. Hank hung up his phone and rubbed his ear from the vocal pain. “How did he --” “It’s Deadpool. Best not to question it,” Beast said. Twilight and Spike looked at each other and shrugged before they looked back at Beast, “You said ‘We’, are there more of you?” Beast nodded, “As a matter of fact, there are.” *****Ponyville, Big Ben’s cider bar***** Applejack let out a relieving sigh as she approached a large building with a lit up sign displaying a stallion drinking a glass of cider attached to the front of the roof titled ‘Big Ben’s Cider Bar’. As she approached, she could hear the screams of angry customers and the sound of hooves colliding against whatever they were punching. “Sounds like a typical Thursday in there,” she said as a griffin waiter randomly flew over the bar doors and crash-landed in front of her. Applejack looked down and chuckled, “Yup, typical Thursday.” The griffin opened his eyes and looked up confusingly, “Applejack?” the griffin said as he sat back up to rub his head. “Howdy, Tora. Been awhile, hasn’t it” she greeted the brown-tan griffin before helping him get back on his feet. “It has. Bar’s been a little boring without you,” he rubbed his falcon beak, “What are you doing here?” “I’ve been through quite a day, Tora. If I told you, you wouldn’t believe any of it.” Tora let out a small laugh, “Try me. We’ve had unusual customers show up these past few days.” That raised suspicions in Applejack’s mind. The last time she was in Big Ben’s cider bar she only remembered seeing bulls, ponies and, occasionally, a few dragons. “Before I tell you my story, what kinds of customers have been showing up at the bar?” Tora just shrugged, “Too many to describe. But one in particular caught my full attention -- Long black hair, stood upright like a Minotaur but smaller in size and with a bad attitude,” he cringed. “She got into a tussle with an earth pony stallion and won with a flick of a talon. I tried to go talk to the stranger, but I ended up thrown out of the bar and right in front of you.” Applejack looked at Tora surprised and speechless, his description sparked curiosity. She had to meet this ‘stranger’ “Wow. That’s quite a story, Tora. Mind if I go in?” “Go ahead. The others will be happy to see you.” Tora said, pointing back at the bar. “Thanks, Tora. Want me to tell you the event I went through?” Tora shook his head, “Maybe another time, Applejack. I need to take a break from this place. My head, and everything else, is killing me,” he walked past Applejack right before she bid him farewell as she approached the bar. She approached the swinging doors and slammed them open, causing everything to go quiet as she stepped in looking determined and calm. The bar had dark blue walls equipped with an upper floor, wooden-style floor and variety of decorations from pictures of landscapes on the walls to a few slot machines. The cider bar seemed somewhat busy with all sorts of customers from Minotaurs, Griffins, Dragons, bat-ponies, earth ponies of different shapes and sizes, and a few harpies to boot. Applejack walked inside. The doors closed and caused and echo throughout the bar, already drawing attention from the many eyes of the variety of customers – all but one. Despite the many cold shoulders, Applejack was fully aware that many strangers weren’t friendly, but that didn’t mean anything to her and it sure doesn’t mean jack that she should run away. In fact, she embraced a little action around here; heck, that’s how she made a lot of friends comparing to making friends with Twilight and others mares, even though it was outside the bar and around her farm. With new faces, she wouldn’t mind showing them who was top pony, but she had objectives to complete. First being is seeing this unknown stranger in front of her. Applejack walked through the crowd of new faces, taking note of some of the looks they were giving her. Some had intentions to tear her apart while others eyed her sexually or just eager to fight. With all these eyes staring at her, it would’ve giving newcomers a look of fright, but Applejack was not fazed by them whatsoever. She’s been around the block around here and was confident about herself. As much as how dangerous these folks looked, she could take majority of them on in a fight. That being said, she still couldn’t help recall that event with Juggernaut. She was tough but Juggernaut was tougher, far tougher. She shook her mind off the thought as she approached the stranger and sat beside her on the right side in front of the bar table – ironic enough, it spot she was sitting on was her usual favorite. She glanced at the collection of cider this bar had before focusing her attention at the stranger next to her. She noticed she was wearing a leather jacket with a white t-shirt underneath, blue jeans and western combat boots. Applejack didn’t know this stranger’s name and already her style of clothing appealed to her. She couldn’t help but crack a smile. The stranger grabbed a glass of, what seemed like, light cider and took a few swigs before speaking out, “You going to keep staring at me or are you going to say something, pony?” she spoke in a rather assertive tone. Applejack chuckled a little, “Sorry, sugar-cube. It’s just that your look is pretty cool.” The bartender gave AJ her usual drink as she waved thanks to him. The stranger looked at Applejack with a raised brow, confused about the complement, “Thanks, I guess.” “I take it you’re not from around here, aren’t you?” Applejack asked, seriousness taking over this time. “What gave you that idea?” The stranger asked with a hint of sarcasm. “Well, other than these folks sitting behind us, you stick out from them; and I know a human when I see one.” The stranger gave Applejack a slight stern glare, “I’m not a human, pony. I’m not sure if you know this, but I’m a mutant.” The stranger said in a slight irritated tone. Applejack remained unfazed by the stranger’s attitude and raised a calm brow, “A mutant, huh? Then I guess that’s what Deadpool is, right?” The stranger calmed herself and then gave Applejack a confused look, “How do you know about Wade?” she asked. “Before I answer your question, I have a few questions I want to ask you,” The stranger raised a brow before nodding to Applejacks request, “First, How good are your fighting skills? Second, what are your powers?” “Why?” As much as the stranger pondered over Applejacks questions, a brown, brawn-ish, male Minotaur and a magenta-tan, tiger-falcon, female Griffin approached them and interrupted their conversation. The griffin knocked the cider out of the stranger’s hand. “That’s why.” Applejack said as she looked at the duo with an irritated face. “Hello, Meat Shield and Grinder,” she greeted with an annoyed grunt in her voice. “Can I help you two with anything?” “That freak is in my spot. I want her to scram!” Meat Shield shouted in an Austrian accent. “The only freaks I see are two scumbags interrupting other ponies' time,” She said before noticing the stranger clenching her hand into a fist. “Funny, Applejack. Now, get out of my spot!” Grinder said in a bossy tone. “Don’t think you’re so high and mighty just because you’re an element.” “Hey,” The stranger said to Applejack, “The answer to your questions…” she sprung up from her seat and decked Meat Shield in the side of the face with a heavy left jab, knocking the large Minotaur on his back. Grinder growled at the stranger and attempted to lunge at her, but immediately stopped as the stranger straightened her right arm and extended two long blades out of her fist, nearly touching Grinders pupils. “I have adamantium claws,” the stranger said as she raised her other fist and unsheathed two extra blades, and one blade unsheathing from her boots. Seeing this caused the rest of the thugs, bandits and other customers to back off. Grinder froze in place. Her eyes focusing on the shiny blades in front of her, “What are you?” she asked as she backed away slowly. “More like, who are you?” Applejack asked, impressed with the stranger's powers. The stranger glanced back at Applejack, “X-23. But you can call me, Laura.” “Applejack,” she responded in kind tone. Taken this opportunity, Grinder quietly snuck away from X-23’s claw and reeled back her talon, but unbeknownst to her X-23 could smell her scent. Telling her that she was about to attack. X-23 quickly gave her attention back at Grinder, but was too late to counter her attack as three talons made contact with her cheek and dug deep into her skin, causing bits of blood to gush out near Applejack. Applejack gasped in shock and sprung out of her seat to help Laura, but was quickly stopped when she saw her put her palm out. X-23 stood back up with gashes on her face. She craned her head back at Grinder who was giving her a wicked smile, thinking that she was going to make Laura wallow in pain. What Grinder didn’t expect was for Laura to just crack her neck and shrug off what was thought to be painful for even the toughest of fighters – even Applejack was speechless. Grinder and X-23 locked eyes together before Grinder noticed something odd. She struck her victim as hard as she could, but was taken back by shock when she saw the very wound she inflicted on X-23 quickly disappear from her face like it never happened to begin with. Meat shield even noticed this when he got back up. He was about to join in and help his friend pummel this foreign visitor. But when he noticed that wound heal rapidly, he knew that this would be a tough fight. “You alright, Laura?” Applejack asked. “Dad always told me to control my anger around others,” Laura said, “But if it came to others like them –” she snarled at Grinder and Meat Shield “—I can make an exception!” Meat Shield and Grinder flinched in fear as X-23 lunged at them with an animalistic shout.