True Strength
Fear gripped Reivers' heart as his demonic father looked at him like a predator would size up its prey before taking a step forwards.
Come on now. These cartoon characters are just a distraction, like they were back home.
His hooves sizzled and smouldered the wooden floor with each step, and Revier quickly found his friends taking position to protect him.
I'll show you what it means to have some ambition, maybe teach you to grow a spine, I know what's best for you after all-RGH!
A metal walking stick cracked down on his head.
"Pay attention to your surroundings sonny, y'all might have seen that coming." defiantly stated Granny Smith as she relentlessly swung the walking stick down again and again, bits of crystal flying through the air.
“Get him Granny!” cheered Apple Bloom.
“Knock his block off!” supported Sweetie Belle.
“Show him how a real pony deals with a bully!” finished Scootaloo.
“Yeah!” Reiver cheered along with his friends, finding himself swept up in the euphoria of seeing his father get some just desserts.
Stupid *crack* Old *smack* Nag *crunch* Quit it! Anarchy attempted to protest, but the Apple matriarch wouldn’t give him an opening.
“Mind your manners or I’ll do more than knock some sense into you! You think this is any way to approach your kid? Y'all even went and set fire to the orchard! And no one messes with an Apples orchard!”
She swung again, but overextended herself, giving Anarchy the opportunity to duck and lash out with his hooves to buck the elderly mare into a table with a loud crash.
"Granny!"
Pathetic
He glared angrily at the fallen Apple family Matriarch as Apple Bloom frantically checked her grandmother.
Weak! That's what you are. Creatures my son should never hav-AARGH!
The walking stick cracked across his forehooves.
He looked down to see Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle staring up at him in burning fury.
"That's enough you big bully!” stated the unicorn filly.
“Yeah! Find someone your own size!” supported Scootaloo.
Anarchy chuckled and threw them to one side, the two hitting a wall with a pair of thuds.
I did, but he wasn't worth the effort.
Reiver saw his friends swatted like bugs and something snapped inside him, with a furious roar he swung his hoof at his father with all his might.
There was a loud crack as it met Anarchy's crystal chin, the creature's head snapping to one side as Reiver felt the impact right up the bone of his forehoof. For a moment, the monster was frozen, eyes wide in surprise as it slowly, unbelievably, spat out a fang.
I was willing to forget the first punch, but I think something like this needs discipline.
His whip-like tongue cracked perilously close to the colt's ear as he cradled an aching forehoof, but he stood his ground.
I'll start by taking away these children, they are clearly a bad influ-aAACK!
A lasso expertly looped over Anarchy's neck yanked him sideways out the shattered doorway.
Despite frantically buzzing his wings, the creature flew like a brick, slamming into the ground with a solid thud. Growling, he magically burnt away the rope and glared up at those who dared deny him his prize yet again.
Six ponies glared angrily back. Two, a blue and a yellow one, had wings, while another pair, purple and white, had horns and the final set, pink and orange, didn't have anything, although the orange one spat out the remnants of the lasso, and was looking especially angry.
Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack, The Elements of Harmony stood firm before their foe as Princess Luna landed at their side, with Discord popping into existence a moment later.
Why do you things keep getting in my way!? He roared.
"Twilight!"
Reiver and the Crusaders leant out the broken doorway
"That's my dad! He merged with the thing inside him!"
“We know!” she replied. “Leave him to us!”
"Guess now you're outside matches your inside," quipped the orange pony.
Who are you again? growled Anarchy.
"I'm Applejack," she replied, stepping forwards. "And we are the ones that are going to kick your sorry flank off my farm!"
I doubt it!
Sparks erupted from his horn in a blinding blast, forcing Twilight to throw up a shield, allowing Anarchy to recover and rain magical fire towards the Elements of Harmony, forcing them to scatter or take cover as he used the distraction to run for the farmhouse.
"Not so fast villain!"
Princess Luna popped into existence right in his path, tackling the creature to the ground where they snorted, kicked and bit at one another in a rolling scrum that ended with Anarchy pinned beneath the Princess.
"Surrender, and we shall show thee mercy!"
His whip-like tongue cracked out and Luna recoiled screaming as he sliced it across her face, silver starlit blood spurting skywards as she reared back, allowing the creature to shove her off.
Pathetic! No wonder that other nag went down so easily!
"What yall talking about varmint!?" snapped Applejack, charging in to buck the creature with her powerful hind legs, but Anarchy rolled quickly away and got to his hooves.
That big red pony who tried to stop me! Useless creature really thought he had a chance!
Applejack saw red, charging Anarchy with a cry of vengeance, she slammed into his side, but he moved with her momentum and kicked her to the ground. Raising his forehooves to stomp on her head, the creature suddenly found themself lassoed yet again, this time by pink taffy as Discord and Pinkie Pie yanked him away from the fallen Apple.
"Enough of that now!"
"Yeah, leave her alone you big bully!"
Using the opportunity to escape, Applejack regrouped with Twilight and Princess Luna, the former casting a healing spell over a deep gash on the princesses forehead.
“You’re lucky he didn't blind you,” admonished Twilight.
“I have had worse,” responded Luna.
"That thing did something to Big Mac,” anxiously interrupted the farm pony. “I need to find him!"
"I shall go," answered Luna, dismissing Twilight with a wave. "All six of you will be needed to bring this creature down!"
The princess disappeared in a flash of starlight, while Twilight and Applejack raced to rejoin the battle.
Despite its magical nature, the taffy lasso was being torn apart by Anarchy's sharp crystalline coat. Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy had also grabbed the line to help their friends, but the confection soon snapped, recoiling rapidly and forcing everyone to dodge the sticky missile.
Anarchy ripped his hooves free from their sweet prison and spun to face them, a fanged smile splitting his features as he laid eyes on Discord.
You look kind of like that other creature I fought in the orchards, it didn't go well for him either.
"True", snorted the draconequis. "But he was just the apprentice, now you face a true Master of Chaos!"
Snapping his claw, Discord suddenly sported a full head of golden spiked hair as he thrust his claw/paw forward with a scream, blue energy erupting between them that shot straight at Anarchy, who opened his maw wide like a serpent and swallowed the attack whole.
He tried things like that as well, let me show you what I did to him!
Smouldering tar erupted from his mouth right at Discord, who conjured a bubble around himself with another claw snap. Unfortunately, as soon as the foul liquid made contact it began to melt and the Spirit of Chaos had to teleport away quickly, the attack eating right through the bubble and continuing on to hit part of the farmhouse.
Reiver and the Crusaders fled the building as the wood rapidly burned and rotted,Granny Smith supported between the four as they raced to the barn.
“That was close,” huffed the colt as they set down the unconsious Apple Matriarch.
“Granny, please be okay.” whimpered Apple Bloom, nuzzling the mares cheek.
“Leave her to me,” interrupted a firm, but soft voice.
Looking up, the group saw Fluttershy galloping into the barn, a first aid kit strapped to her side and Angel Bunny hopping beside her.
Turning Granny Smith over, she quickly set to work while Angel snipped lengths of bandage he passed to the pegasus pony to wrap around the elderly mare's head and chest, while Apple Bloom sat anxiously beside her grandmother.
“She’s got a bad cut and some bruised ribs, but she’ll be fine,” reassured Fluttershy, smiling softly. “You were all very brave to stand up to that meanie.”
“Yeah, but he’s not beaten yet,” muttered Reiver, kicking the ground. “I feel so useless.”
“So did I for a while,” replied Fluttershy, packing up her kit. “But my friends taught me to never lose faith in myself, they’ve been a great source of strength, and even helped me overcome some of my greatest fears.”
She gestured towards the Crusaders as they ensured Granny Smith was lying comfortably.
“From what I hear, you’ve got some great friends yourself.”
Her job done, the pegasus returned to the fray, leaving Reiver to reflect on her words.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I think he's trying to make you mad, AJ." stated Rainbow Dash.
"I’m already mad sugarcube, but this guy just made things really personal!"
Rainbow Dash smirked before zipping skyward then down into a dive. Charging Anarchy from behind, the rainbow pegasus dodged a blast from his horn and went into a speedy, low flight before swirling up and around the creature at a breakneck pace, kicking up a small tornato around him.
Meanwhile, Applejack was bucking rocks, wood, farm tools and anything else she could find into the tornado as fast as she could, the wind speed whipping them up into deadly projectiles that battered the creature from all sides. The onslaught was such that he couldn't deflect or dodge all of them, and each missile hit with enough force to crack pieces off his crystal coat, smouldering tar oozing from the wounds.
Then Pinkie Pie struck.
"Surprise!" The Element of Laughter sprung out of a pink barrel like a jack in the box, a coconut cream pie splatting him in the face, accompanied by the clang of a heavy steel pie pan.
"Double Surprise!" A second pie, and steel tin, to face left him dazed and engulfed in blindingly thick cream, leaving him unable to avoid the rocks and debris that cracked off more and more of his crystal coat.
It was in this confusion that a magic needle and thread emerged from the ground below, weaving and wrapping around his body and hooves, crisscrossing expertly until they cinched tight and he was suddenly ‘sewn’ to the ground with a surprised yelp, his legs hogtied together.
"Not my best work darlings but it will hold him down," came Rarity's refined tones as the tornado dissipated, revealing the cream covered creature, expertly embroidered to the earth. His once glittering coat cracked and broken, as toxic sludge oozed from every wound to burn the ground and blacken the soil, smoke smouldered from his angrily snorting nostrils.
“Oh dear,” quietly exclaimed Fluttershy. “Do you think we can turn him back?”
“I don’t think he’s worth the trouble,” muttered Discord. “He put Bedlam in traction.”
“Not to mention everything he did to my family and the farm,” snorted Applejack.
“I say we let him squirm for a bit first,” snarked Rainbow Dash. “He’s not so tough anymore.”
INSIGNIFICANT CREATURES! Roared Anarchy. YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME!
With a mighty bellow, the mosnters horn ignited and a burst of thick, black magic burned away the threads, along with the cream.
"Hey! You know how long they took to bake?" protested Pinkie Pie, before another wave of nauseating power shoved them all aside.
"Discord, what's happening?!" cried Twilight from behind a rapidly summoned barrier.
"I don't know," confessed the Spirit of Chaos, who was himself hiding behind a large umbrella. "He's being driven by something primal, not Wild Magic or even Chaotic power!"
THAT'S BECAUSE I AM DRIVEN BY FURY, BY RAGE INCARNATE! Cried Anarchy, unleashing his power on everypony present.
Rainbow Dash was immediately blasted out of her dive and crashed right into a charging AppleJack. Pinkie Pie was yanked from the ground by tentacles of black tar and tossed into Fluttershy while more appendages erupted from the earth to bind Discord from head to toe, even his fingers were tied. Finally, corrosive sludge was blasted at Twilight and Rarity, the pair forming a bubble to protect themselves, although for how long was anyone guess, as it began to smoulder and rot, the two unicorns unable to teleport away despite their best efforts.
Then he turned his power to the barn and blasted the door to pieces, dragging Reiver out into the open and casting aside the Crusaders as they tried to help him
My son is weak, ranted the creature. He's an effeminate coward that has no ambition other than to remain a waste of my blood! His mother never made the hard choices, just encouraged his behaviour and worthless hobbies.
He smiled a wicked smile at the colt, then magically squeezed Reivers neck. The Colt flailed and tried to grasp at the invisible force constricting his throat, but the monster's iron grip was impossible to break, and he felt himself passing out.
When you wake up, you’ll realise this is a fresh start for us both. I'll raise you properly, show you the real meaning of strength and ambition.
Fluttershy's words snapped to the forefront of his mind as memories of his time in Equestria began to play like a slideshow, Applejack finding him in the barn, Applebloom and her friends taking him on Crusade, helping Big Mac with his carpentry, talking with Twilight.
Apple Bloom's declaration that he was family.
There was a spark, and he felt the dark magic falter just enough for him to scream two words to his father.
"You're WRONG!"
Anarchy glared at the colt, but Reiver kept going as that spark lit a raging fire.
"You think strength comes from ambition! From doing anything to get to the top! Mum saw what you were doing, and she made sure I would never end up like you!"
The corrupted spirit of chaos rolled its eyes and tried to tighten its grip, puzzled to find that it couldn’t.
"You put your career and ideals before everything else! We moved when YOU wanted, went where YOU thought you could climb that ladder! I was alone most of my life, but mum made sure I was loved! She made sure I never became an unfeeling jerk like you!"
Anarchy's magic began to break down, the ooze over Twilight and Rarity was melting away while Discords bindings sloughed off his body. Even the monster's battered and cracked crystal coat began to dull and crumble, tar oozing from every break.
"And what did all that ambition get you in the end? NOTHING! You lied, deceived and manipulated and now, you're all alone!"
Anarchy's magical grip suddenly fizzled out, and the colt landed on his hooves, still glaring at the demon.
"But me, I’m not alone, I found friends, I found a family, together with mum's love they are my strength and it's thanks to them I don’t have to be afraid of you anymore!”
The stallion snarled and lunged at him, but Applejack suddenly bucked the creature from the side, kicking it away in a shower of glimmering dust with her formidable back legs. In response, Anarchy tried to summon his power, but nothing came, instead, it felt like the magic was being pulled away.
What have you done to me you pathetic creature! He roared at Reiver, as he defiantly took his place next to the Element of Honesty..
"He’s done nothing varmint!" snorted Applejack, cracking her neck. "But I’m just getting started!"
She charged the stallion and the pair thudded together in a scrum that sent the weakening Anarchy sliding back onto his hind hooves as the pair reared up to kick and bite at each other. Applejack threw a hoof right into his jaw, shattering the crumbling crystal coat into a glittering rain while fanged teeth spilled from his maw. Her opponent dazed, she wrapped her hooves around his neck and threw him sideways, right into a magical blast from Twilight, which ricocheted him into a diamond shaped barrier from Rarity with a solid crack.
Drawing back, Anarchy sought to escape, fleeing towards the burning orchard only to find his route cut off by Fluttershy and a small army of angry critters, he tried to fly but a double hoof kick to his spine sent him crashing down as Rainbow Dash intercepted him. Groaning in pain, the last of his coat crumbling away to reveal the smouldering toxic sludge that made up his body, he looked up to see every pony staring angrily down at him.
This isn't possible! He snarled. You're just a child's fantasy with no meaning, you have no real power!
Reiver smirked.
"You're wrong, Scott!" he declared, as the Crusaders regrouped on him."We've got the strongest power of all!"
Five familiar gemstone necklaces flashed into existence on each of Twilight's friends, the unicorn herself receiving a diadem.They glowed with ancient power before six blasts of multicoloured light burst forth, swirling around Anarchy before looping upwards to combine into a rainbow of pure power that slammed down onto the creature.
“The Magic of Friendship!”
The monster screamed and thrashed, his silhouette twisting and writhing as the magic penetrated every cell in his body, burning him away. His form shrank, wings and horn crumbing as a thick, black cloud spewed from Scott’s mouth and nostrils. It briefly took a twisted, skeletal shape, bellowing in supernatural fury, moments before it was vaporised into nothing.
As the rainbow faded, Scott's emaciated form collapsed with a wheezing whimper, a quick check by Fluttershy revealing he was still alive, but he wouldn't be threatening anypony anytime soon.
But they could deal with him later, as Reiver, felt Applejack's hoof on his shoulder just before he was suddenly tackle-hugged from the side, ending up in a pony pile as the Crusaders squeezed him tight
The spark he felt before had cooled, but not gone out, now it bloomed warmly in his chest as he hugged his friends.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” he laughed, as the group untangled themselves.
“Hay yeah! You were awesome!” cheered Scootaloo.
“Absolutely,” supported Sweetie Belle.
Reiver sniffed and wiped his eyes as Apple Bloom placed a gentle hoof on his shoulder.
“You okay there?” she asked with a smile.
“I’m good,” Reiver replied, smiling back. “I’m good.”
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Atta boy, Reiver!
I wouldn't have mind him being stoned for awhile
Friendship is a lot like its sibling Love. It is a curious thing and now Riever will have plenty of both.
*monster's
Princess Luna: Scott, for your numerous crimes against Equestria while under the influence of Anarchy, as well as your stubborn reluctance to accept that this is all real, you are henceforth to be contained in Bedlam.
Damn this has been one hell of a ride.
WHAT A SICK FUCK! Only a sick fuck does that to a child. I hope his time on the moon is cold and lonely.
11490449
Bad Admiral, bad! Narcotics are illegal for a reason!
Well that's good.
Now, I don't like Scott, I really don't, and I have no doubt that a lot of people want bad things to happen too him.
I do too, it's just that I personally think the worst (and most useful) thing that can happen to him is being forced to live in a world where everything he considers to be "weakness" is a strenght.
And if he can eventually find some form of happiness in that kind of world, then he will have been forced to see that he was wrong.
And for someone like Scott, that will hurt a lot more than imprisonment (of any kind) ever could
That's just my opinion though and I realize not many will agree with it and I get that.
good chapter i like this.
Nice to see the abusive jerk's gotten beaten down. Now put him up on charges, lock him up, and let Reiver stay with the Apple Family.
None of Anarchy's lines are enclosed by quotes.
11491626
I did that deliveratly, I wanted to tray and make him sound inhuman, like he's not so much talking as he's in everyones heads.
11490523
Don't I know it.
11490891
It's actually an idea I'd been toying with, not for a sequel necessarily, but maybe some one of stories in this setting.
11491029
Thankyou
A great payoff!
A shame it's almost over... Then again, odds of a sequel-hook are non-zero, I imagine
I guess he was probably being strengthened by Reiver's fear and trauma? Good time for that to go (or at least get suppressed)! Scott is probably still going to be a problem, though...
11491928
*clicks "follow user"*
Thanks for writing the fic!
Glad I found this story, and I’m glad you’ve continued to work on it over the years!
Having found this story by accident I found it rather enjoyable and though it’s sad it’s almost over, if not a sequel an offshoot involving bedlam would be much enjoyed, afterall a semi innocent younger version of discord with discord as it’s mentor has a lot of possibilities imo
To be honest, I think this chapter could have used some cutting because it falls afoul of the old "why didn't they open with the Elements" problem. My recommendation would be to have the confrontation between Reiver and Scott follow Granny Smith and the Crusaders getting smacked around, and then flow right into the rainbow death ray without the girls getting beat up for no discernible reason. Luna would be mostly along for the ride with her biggest job being to go look for Big Mac after Scott gets blasted (and maybe throw some magic restraints on him too), and I wouldn't have even had Discord appear until the action is over since he has a good reason to not clutter the scene.
11500122
Thank you, this is the type of feedback I want.
Given how long this whole story has taken I don't think I'll re-write this version, I'm very keen to finish up and focus on other things.
I will take this on board, it is very helpful and I'll keep it in mind if I decide to re-write the story in the future.
11501352
I'm glad I could help, and I fully understand you wanting to push through the story at this point. If you want to generalize this advice more, the two key points are to always look for the most pragmatic solution the characters could take first (i.e. just shoot him), and to make sure your action scenes are serving a narrative purpose (otherwise they get boring and drag on).
This is the part where he gets his cutie mark.
I've liked how realistically Scott has been portrayed so far. Also, this finale section really does capture the style of the show really well.
Normally these things get cheesy when it's time to whip out the elements of harmony, but, wonder of wonders, I think you managed to make the cheesiness the entire point of their victory here. Scott is constantly pointing out how none of this ought to be possible, and how all of this cartoon stuff is for sissies, to which Reiver responds "yeah, so?" and it works anyway. I think it's a beautiful thing you've made here, and I can't wait to read the last bit.
11576015
Realistic if a HiE were to stay in denial absolutely. He couldn't accept what was happening cause when you think about it the whole situation is truly bizarre.