The Counterattack
Seven. Berry Punch was pretty sure that was how many Changelings she had counted. Unfortunately, she had no way to be certain of that at the moment, because she was sailing through the air. A moment later, her trip ended as she slammed into the wall behind the counter. Pain raced through her body as dozens of bottles shattered around her and she fell to the floor.
Changelings apparently hit hard. Very hard.
“Is that—” A bottle fell on Berry’s head and she winced, “all you got?” She stood up and looked down at her hooves. Part of her wanted to cry. So many good drinks, wasted.
She brushed the thought from her mind and looked up at the Changelings closing around her. Yep. There were seven all right, and they all looked exactly the same. Which was a problem, because now she didn’t know which one to leave alive enough to get some answers.
“I think I remember you now,” one of the Changelings said with a sneer. “You’re that pony who was with one of the Queen’s bridesmaids. She told me to look out for—”
“How many teeth do freaks like you have?” Berry asked as she stepped forward. The question stunned the Changelings so much that they stopped advancing. She shrugged, found a glass that hadn’t broken when they had knocked her across the room, and poured herself a drink from a broken bottle. “Well? Can you guys not count past two or something?”
The Changelings all blinked at each other, and then the one who Berry was pretty sure was pretending to be Minuette spoke. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Because.” Berry drained her glass in one gulp. It was wine. A pretty good year too, judging by the snap in left in her mouth and the pleasant aroma that flooded her nostrils. Too bad most of it had been spilled on the floor. “I need to know how many teeth you can eat before I run out. Although, I suppose I can just start tearing them out of your friends’ mouths once you’re empty. Feed you those ones too.”
The Changelings blinked and a few of them looked nervous, but they didn’t break. “Good luck with that, pony,” the not-Minuette one said.
“Not going to need it.” Berry flung the broken wine bottle at the Changeling’s face. The last of the wine splashed in its insect eyes, but it managed to duck the bottle. That didn’t matter though. Berry slammed her glass against the counter and broke it. She then flung that at the Changeling’s face as it swore and tried to wipe the liquid from its face.
The broken glass hit the creature’s face, opening a deep gash on its left cheek. Perfect. Now Berry knew which one of these freaks to go semi-easy on. The rest were just so much dead weight now.
“Get her!” the Changeling yelled as it rubbed its cheek. The other six rushed the Earth pony, four of them taking to the air and the other two charging on the ground.
Berry Punch had been in her fair share of bar brawls. Probably more than her fair share, actually. She had learned that her hooves weren’t the only things she could fight with. There were bottles, glasses, stools, tables, and as one Changeling was about to find out, the counter itself.
The first Changeling to reach Berry was one of the flying ones. He—at least Berry assumed it was a he—flew over the counter and lunged for her. His mistake.
Berry leaned to the side at the last second, causing the Changeling to overshoot her. He came to a halt in the air, but it was already too late. Berry stood up on her hind legs and brought both of her front hooves down on the creature’s back. He crashed into the counter, or rather, half of him did. The other half kept going because he was halfway over the counter. His face slammed into the base of the counter with a sickening thud! His wings went limp instantly and Berry allowed gravity to do its work as the body slid off the counter.
Ha. This won’t be so—
Berry’s victory was cut short a moment later as the next two Changelings slammed into her. The first plunged his hoof into her stomach, causing her to double over from her standing stance. As her face came down, the other Changeling slammed his hoof into her chin, causing her head to whip back painfully, but they didn’t stop there. Berry felt another hoof connect with her cheek as one of the Changelings spun and slammed its back leg into her face. Once again, she found herself collapsed on the floor behind the bar counter.
“Okay,” she said as she struggled to keep her eyes open. “This…might be harder than I thought.” She started to crawl forward but felt something clamp down on her tail and then yank her across the floor. Her body slid through the spilt drinks and shattered glass. She winced as her body was cut open in different places, and swore when a particularly big piece of glass cut into her side.
The Changeling that was dragging her flipped her over and then stomped on one of her front hooves. She groaned and started to reach out with her other hoof, but another Changeling slammed down on that, causing her to scream in pain. Finally, the Changeling whose face she had cut stood over her, licking his lips.
“I think the Queen can forgive us if we got rid of you,” he said. He bent down until his face was only a few inches away from Berry’s.
“Usually I’m down for this sort of thing, but I hardly know you,” Berry said. She had to stay conscious. The pain from her hooves being stepped on was starting to become unbearable and she could feel the blood seeping out of her stomach wound, but she knew that if she passed out, she was done.
The Changeling morphed back into Minuette and smiled. “What do you mean? Of course you know me,” he said with a look that Berry knew would haunt her for life. “Don’t worry, dear, we’ll be gentle.” The Changeling leaned in closer and opened its mouth.
“See, that right there proves you’re not her,” Berry said. She summoned as much strength as she could and pulled her hind legs in to her stomach, and then kicked them straight up. They slammed into not-Minuette’s stomach and the Changeling sailed upward. He crashed into the tavern’s ceiling and his eyes went wide and then he started to fall back to the floor. Berry caught him on her hind legs and pushed him backward, causing him to crash to the floor at the other end of the bar. “Minuette knows I like it rough!”
Whether from shock at seeing their leader so completely trashed, or surprise that this Earth pony still had so much strength left, one of the Changelings eased up his pressure on Berry’s hoof. That was all she needed. She yanked her hoof free and immediately slammed it into the leg of the other one holding her down. The impact caused a new sensation of pain to race through her entire foreleg, but she used that to fuel her strength. She swung again and the Changeling’s leg buckled, freeing her.
Berry rolled over and stifled a scream as the wound in her stomach burned. She stood up and slammed her head into the neck of the Changeling whose leg she was pretty sure she had just broken. The impact caused her sight to go dangerously dark, but she didn’t need to see. She just kept pushing forward like a bull until she slammed the Changeling against the wall. The creature let out a gasp and Berry felt it go limp on her head. She pulled back, the darkness receding from her eyes, and watched the Changeling slump to the ground in a heap.
Three down, four to—
“ARGH!” Agony raced through Berry’s flank. She stumbled forward a bit and caught herself on the wall. She struggled to catch her breath as pain seared through her lower body. She looked over her shoulder and saw that a Changeling had clamped down on her, sinking his fangs deep into her flesh.
“H-Hey!” Berry said. She swung her hips and slammed the creature into the bar counter. “I don’t know you nearly well enough for that!”
The Changeling dislodged himself from her flank and hissed at her, then lunged forward. He opened his mouth wide, revealing his blood-covered fangs, and went straight for Berry’s neck.
“What are you, a vampire?” Berry stood up on her hind legs and threw a punch. The blow connected solidly with the Changeling’s face, but it wasn’t nearly as strong as she had intended. The pain that burst through her body as all of her wait shifted onto her hind legs nearly caused her to collapse. She immediately returned to standing on all fours and the pain lessened, but it didn’t fade completely.
The Changeling shook his head and rubbed his cheek and then glared at Berry. He charged forward again, this time taking to the air slightly with his wings. He slammed into Berry with his shoulder, knocking the air from her lungs and causing her to once again fall to the floor where she felt another shard of glass cut into her flesh.
“If you want to get me on my back that badly,” Berry frantically reached around with her hooves until she found something solid, “then at least buy me a drink first!” She swung the bottle she had found and it shattered over the Changeling’s head. He howled in pain and surprise, but Berry didn’t relent. She slammed her other hoof into the creature’s face a second time, and this time she put her Earth pony strength behind the blow.
The Changeling’s head whipped back at a sickening angle, and while Berry knew she hadn’t hit him hard enough to kill him, she wouldn’t be surprised if he had trouble walking straight for the rest of his life. He fell into a pool of spilled drinks and lay there, groaning quietly.
Berry picked herself up again and noticed that it was considerably harder to do than the last few times. This wasn’t good. Her body was pushing its limits and she still had three of these freaks to deal with. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to do it.
If I don’t, they get Pinchy, she thought, and the strength to stand up came a little easier. She knew she had to get out from behind the bar counter. Between slipping around on the spilled drinks and the broken glass, it was a dangerous place to continue fighting.
Berry tried to vault over the counter, but her body refused to support the momentum. Instead, she half climbed, half fell over the counter. She steadied herself on a stool and looked around the room. There were only three Changelings left standing now. She had faced worse odds, but never in her condition.
“Well,” Berry said, forcing a smile and casually flipping her curly plum mane back with her hoof. “Which one of you wants to try next?”
“We’re done playing, pony,” one of them said.
“Aw, no more foreplay?” Berry said as she batted her eyes. “But I was doing so—”
The three Changelings rushed her and she knew she couldn’t stop them all. She braced herself for the impact, expecting all three of them to jump her at once. She was trying to figure out how she could deal with them all at once when the first one flew past her, slapping her in the face with its short black tail. Her eyes watered from the impact and she closed them, trying to ignore the stinging sensation. A second later she realized her mistake and flung her eyes open, but it was too late.
The second Changeling slammed its front hoof into Berry’s chin, then grabbed her head and lifted her off the ground. Berry then felt two hooves slam into her stomach and she flew backward. She expected to slam into the wall, again, but instead her back exploded in pain as another hoof slammed into her spine. She started to fall back to the ground, barely conscious, but just before she hit she felt something slide under her forelegs and catch her. She looked over her shoulder to see that one of the Changelings was holding her, pulling her forelegs back just enough to pin them and cause her muscles to ache. What did he think he was—
Berry Punch’s world exploded in pain as the Changeling restraining her sank its fangs into her neck. She tried to scream, but the other two Changelings hovered in front of her and hit her repeatedly. Berry felt a hoof slam into her stomach, punching the open wound she had there, and another come up between her hind legs, causing her eyes to water and her mind to nearly black out, and then several blows to her face.
After what seemed like a lifetime, the Changeling finally released Berry. She felt the fangs come out of her neck and heard the sickening sucking sound they made as they did. She felt her body falling and she crashed to the ground, unable to even attempt to catch herself.
Berry Punch lay on the ground. She tried to breathe, but air only came in shallow gasps. She sucked down as much as she could, but it immediately came back up in a violent coughing fit. She felt something catch in her throat and she spit it out. A strange taste flooded her mouth for a moment and then she heard a splashing sound. She opened her swollen eyes and saw blood pooling on the floor. Was that…her blood? She coughed again and she had her answer.
“You don’t look so good, pony,” one of the Changelings said. Berry felt a hoof slam into her stomach and she screamed. Through the agony, she couldn’t help but think of her daughter. Her daughter, who was huddled away in a nearby room, listening to her mother getting the literal life beat out of her.
“I…I’m sorry, baby,” Berry whimpered. More tears came to her eyes, but they weren’t ones of pain.
“Now, now, we don’t want you dead,” the Changeling said as he kicked Berry again, rolling her onto her back. “Not yet, anyway. Let’s see if we can keep you alive just a little longer, huh?”
Berry felt a strange cooling sensation on her stomach. She struggled to raise her head and saw that one of the Changelings’ horns was glowing green. She looked and saw that a green slime had covered the wound on her stomach. It still hurt, but the cooling sensation was slowly dulling the pain at least. She took a deep breath and allowed her head to collapse back on the floor.
“So, what do we do with her?”
“Eat her, of course.”
Berry felt the same cooling sensation on her hooves. She tried to move them, but the effort was too much. She looked to her right and saw that her hoof was covered in the same green ooze, pinning it to the floor.
“Don’t forget her hind legs this time.”
“You sure she’s going to last? She’s near death. I don’t think we’ll be able to drain the love out of her.”
Drain…my love?
“Then we’ll just have to take it directly. I got a pretty good mouthful when I bit her.”
“Then you go last. I doubt she’ll survive another feeding, and since you already had your share, you go after us.”
“So why do you get to go before me?” a third voice hissed.
“Fine. We’ll go at the same time.” Berry felt a hoof slap her face. “Hey, wake up! Sorry about this. Usually, a pony just grows weak and eventually passes out. There’s no pain. But you, well…you don’t look like you’re going to last much longer. So this,” Berry let out another scream as a hoof pushed down on the puncture wounds on her neck, “is going to hurt. A lot. No sense in letting a good meal go to waste, after all.”
Berry tried to focus through her swollen eyes. All she saw were two mouths opening before her, lined with sharp teeth and glittering fangs, slowly drawing closer.
* * *
The memory flashed through Bon Bon’s mind. She saw herself floating above Lyra and their bed. She remembered smiling as she looked down on the nervous Unicorn, who had no idea what to do. She hadn’t even thought of holding Bon Bon with her magic. Bon Bon had given her that idea. Bon Bon reached out with her hoof and gently brushed Lyra’s cheek, then tilted her head up so their eyes met.
“I trust you,” she whispered. “Do whatever you want.”
The memory of the first time they had slept together began to dim and Bon Bon felt tears falling from her eyes. She felt that horrible snake tongue slithering around, pressing its forked end against the roof of her mouth. She felt the Changeling’s disgusting lips pressed against her own. She felt her body tremble as more of her strength fled her body.
“Mmm…delicious,” the Changeling said as he pulled out of the kiss. He casually released Bon Bon’s chin and she collapsed on the ground. She didn’t even try to stand this time. Her strength was gone and her mind was slipping away. All she could remember now was her time with Lyra. Sleeping together, walking together, cuddling, and so many other things, and even those memories were starting to fade. She could no longer recall the color of Lyra’s coat, or remember what it felt like to be fully wrapped in her magic. She was losing her, and there was nothing she could do.
A tear fell from one of Bon Bon’s blue eyes as she lay on the stone street. This day was supposed to be special. She was supposed to spend it with her mare, watching the wedding of the year in Canterlot.
“Oh, don’t worry,” the Changeling said. Bon Bon felt him lift her up and press her against the wall. “It’s almost over.” Bon Bon felt a cooling sensation slowly enveloping her body. She looked down and saw that the Changeling was slowly incasing her in some sort of green slime. He covered her of her body except her head, and then stepped away, leaving her hanging from the wall.
“Lyra…” Bon Bon whispered. She struggled to hold on to the Unicorn’s memory. Celestia, she couldn’t even remember the color of her eyes anymore. What color were Lyra’s eyes? What was her last name?
“Oh, don’t worry about Lyra,” the Changeling said as he walked up to Bon Bon. He pressed his forehead against hers. “She’ll be joining you soon enough. After I’ve finished you, I’ll be going for her.”
Her smile! Bon Bon still remembered Lyra’s smile! Celestia, please let her remember Lyra’s smile. Even if she couldn’t remember her name, or her mane color, or even her face, please let her remember her smile. That smile that could light up a room and always banished even the darkest thoughts from Bon Bon’s mind.
“I…I hope…” Bon Bon said as she clamped down on the memory of Lyra’s beautiful smile.
“What?” the Changeling asked. “That somepony will come save you? Forget it. Canterlot belongs to us now.”
Bon Bon glared into the blue insect eyes in front of her. “I hope you choke on it!” she spat.
“Defiant to the end I see,” the Changeling said. He shoved his hoof under Bon Bon’s chin. “Good. It makes those last few drops taste extra sweet.”
Bon Bon felt her mouth being forced open again. She quivered as those disgusting lips pressed against her one last time. She felt the forked tongue shoot into her mouth and press down on the roof of her mouth. Her eyes became heavy and her body sagged. If it weren’t for the cocoon she was wrapped in, she knew she would be sprawled on the ground. She struggled to keep her eyes open and tried to pull away, but her body was failing her. One more tear escaped before her eyes closed.
The…smile. She had to remember the smile. That glorious, blinding smile from…who? Who did that smile belong to? Why was she trying so hard to remember it, even as the last of her life slipped away? It was somepony important she thought. But why did she think that? Was it because it made her feel warm? Yes, that had to be it. It was safe. It was comfort. It was something that could banish any darkness. But whom did it belong to? Was it her smile? No, that didn’t seem right. It didn’t belong to her. It belonged to somepony else. Her mother maybe? No, that didn’t seem right either.
The smile began to fade and panic rose in the pony’s mind. Darkness started to swallow the blinding teeth and the feeling of warmth vanished. Biting cold and sickening isolation filled the void. The pony reached out for the smile. She couldn’t lose it, not here. If it vanished, she knew she’d never find it again and she’d be lost forever. She needed to get it back from this darkness. It was all she had left. She couldn’t even remember her own name, but she knew she needed that smile.
Give it back!
She lunged after the smile and grabbed it. Pain bit into her hooves and up her legs as the darkness engulfed her. It tore at her, trying to tear the smile from her grasp. She pulled it close and wrapped herself around it, shielding its fading light.
You can’t have it! It’s not yours!
The darkness bit her back and she screamed. It wanted the smile, and it would not be denied, but still the pony refused to let go. She held on tighter. It didn’t belong to the darkness. It belonged to her. It belonged to…
“My name’s Lyra.”
That’s right! The smile belonged to Lyra! But…who was Lyra? Why was her smile so important?
A warm sensation began to build in the pony’s stomach. She clamped down around it, trying to press more of her body against the warmth. It was so familiar, so welcoming, and it caused the darkness’s bite to lessen.
“Thanks. For…talking to me. Most ponies never talk to me, or they tease me. They think I’m weird.”
The warmth grew stronger and the pony loosened her grip on the smile. It was starting to burn her stomach.
“Well, I’ll be your friend.”
That wasn’t Lyra’s voice. That was somepony else. Was that…her voice? It sounded familiar, but friend wasn’t the right word. Lyra was something else, but what?
“You are. You are totally jealous. Whatever you say, love. So, just to show you that you have nothing to worry about, I think the bed’s a little too neat.”
Love. That was what Lyra was. She was the love of—
“Hey, Bon Bon. I’m home.”
Bon Bon! That was her name! And she loved Lyra!
The smile exploded in Bon Bon’s grip. Warmth flooded her body and she heard the darkness shriek in pain as it shot away. A brilliant light replaced it. It slowly took the shape of a pony, and then its brightness faded into softer colors of minty greens and soft whites. Two golden suns formed eyes and a golden lyre appeared on her beautiful flank.
Lyra was hers, and nothing was going to take her away.
Bon Bon’s blue eyes snapped open. The Changeling was still pressed against her lips, its tongue was still resting inside her mouth, and she was still losing strength. She could already feel the blinding memory of Lyra beginning to fade again. She had to do something.
“Give her back!” Bon Bon shouted, even though it came out as nothing more than a muffled noise. She felt her tongue slap against the Changeling’s and her skin crawled.
The Changeling looked up at her with its blue eyes and Bon Bon knew he was sneering at her. He thought he had won, and if Bon Bon didn’t do something, he would.
“Lyra is mine!” Bon Bon said, her tongue again slapping against the Changeling’s in a muffled noise. The memory was fading faster now. She was already starting to forget the color of Lyra’s cutie mark. She needed to do something now.
Bon Bon’s tongue again brushed the Changeling’s and an idea sprang forth. It was disgusting, and she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to get the taste out of her mouth, but it was either that or death.
Bon Bon pressed her tongue up and pinned the Changeling’s against the roof of her mouth. She felt the thing struggling and the Changeling himself went stiff. Bon Bon looked into his blue insect eyes and felt a smile come to her lips. She saw the Changeling’s eyes go wide as he realized too late what she was about to do.
The Earth pony bit down as hard as she could.
Bon Bon felt resistance between her teeth for only a moment and then her teeth came together. She felt the tongue fall into her mouth followed quickly by a rush of blood. She felt her throat clench and her stomach heave as a wretched taste filled her mouth. Her cheeks puffed as she made ready to spit the bile out along with the severed body part, but she froze when the Changeling’s screams reached her ears.
The Changeling reeled back, letting out a noise that Bon Bon could only imagine came from the depths of Tartarus. He hollowed at the sky, blood spewing from his mouth and staining the floor and walls around him as he shook his head. He dashed around the small alley, jumping up and down and trying to stop the purple blood that was flowing from his mouth. Nothing slowed it though, and he continued to dance around in agony.
Bon Bon spit the fluid and meat from her mouth. It made a sickening splat as it hit the ground in front of her.
“Lyra is mine!” she said again, blood trickling between her teeth and down her chin. She could feel strength returning to her body and she began to struggle against the cocoon that was holding her. She pressed her hooves against the wall and pushed as hard as she could. She felt the green slime stretch as her fur pressed against it, and for a moment it seemed like it wouldn’t give, but then she heard the sound of something ripping. She relaxed and pushed again, harder this time, and she felt the slime give way even more. She looked down and saw that it was thinning in some areas and small tears were beginning to show around the edges.
“You! I’ll—argh! I’ll kill you!” The Changeling glared at her, blood still streaming from his mouth. His blue eyes were wide with pain and a wild rage. He lowered his head and charged, the tip of his horn aimed at Bon Bon’s chest.
Bon Bon felt panic rise in her as she watched the horn. She put all her strength into freeing herself. She channeled her desperation into her muscles and pushed as hard as she could. There was a loud ripping sound and her body began to fall forward as the cocoon tore apart.
As the Earth Pony fell forward, she twisted to the side to avoid the Changeling’s horn, but the Changeling was already too close. The horn tore through her shoulder and sent pain screeching through her body, but she quickly pushed it aside.
Bon Bon hit the ground and rolled, her wounded shoulder protesting in pain as it slammed into the ground. She sprang up and nearly collapsed as her wound ached, but the pain was quickly crushed under the single burning thought in her mind:
Get him!
The Changeling slammed into the wall where Bon Bon had been pinned and staggered as his head met stone instead of flesh. Bon Bon screamed like a wild animal and rushed him, intent on turning the creature into nothing more than a smear on the sidewalk. Every step she took reminded her that her shoulder had a gaping wound in it, but the pain only fueled her anger.
Lyra was hers! How dare this thing try to take her away! How dare—
The Changeling spun around faster than Bon Bon thought it could and slammed its front hoof into her face. Her head whipped to the side and she felt blood smear around her eye and fill her own mouth as she bit her tongue, but she didn’t care. She kept charging until her head crashed into the beast and they both tumbled to the ground.
It took Bon Bon only a moment to realize she was on top before she started beating the Changeling with her hooves. She swung at his face and eyes again and again, each impact only making her hungry for more. The Changeling swung back, connecting with her chin and muzzle countless times while it also tried to block her blows. She felt like she was back in grade school, fighting those two bullies who had picked on her and Lyra.
The Changeling swung his head as Bon Bon pulled her foreleg back for another blow and his horn sliced into the Earth Pony’s foreleg. She winced and stalled her attack. The Changeling wiggled and kicked up with his hind legs. It wasn’t a powerful kick, but it was enough to force Bon Bon off of him. She looked down at her wounded leg and then at the Changeling.
He was struggling to stand, and even though his face was now a purple bloody mess, he still had the same rabid look in his eyes. He hissed at her, spitting blood everywhere as it flowed from his mouth in small rivers, dripping from his fangs and trickling down his chin. The sight was enough to calm the rage that was devouring Bon Bon’s mind. In fact, a small part of her felt sorry for him as she watched him.
“Where’s Lyra?” she demanded, slowly becoming more aware of the pain she was in as her anger faded. “What did you do with her?”
The Changeling simply roared at her and charged again. Fine. If that was how he wanted it.
Bon Bon reared up on her hind legs and brought her front ones down just as the Changeling reached her. Her hooves slammed into the creature’s neck and back, smashing him into the ground. She heard something snap along with a sickening thud as she forced the Changeling’s body to the ground. Pain shot up her wounded leg moments later and she instantly eased up on the pressure, but she knew the fight was over.
The Changeling wasn’t moving. He lay on the ground, blood still flowing from his mouth and other wounds, but his eyes were closed. For a long moment, Bon Bon stood there, staring at him. She wasn’t sure if he was dead. Cautiously, she reached out with her hoof and shook him. There was no response.
Serves him right, she thought. She turned to leave when she noticed the creature’s wings twitched. She brushed it off as the wind blowing through the torn things, but then she saw the Changeling stir.
Against her better judgment, Bon Bon sighed and knelt down. She grabbed the Changeling’s tail in her mouth and began to drag him out of the alley. A dark purple streak followed them, and a few times the creature’s head bounced against the wall or over an uneven stone, but he still showed no signs of waking up. Part of Bon Bon hoped he wouldn’t, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she left him to slowly die in an alley.
Bon Bon reached the mouth of the alley and looked around. Canterlot was in chaos. Changelings filled the skies and ran through the streets, chasing down ponies and sealing them in the same green cocoons that Bon Bon had been trapped in. None of them seemed to notice her yet, although she didn’t know how long that would last. Judging by the lack of guards and other ponies, it looked like it would be much sooner than she preferred.
Bon Bon let go of the Changeling’s tail and left him laying on the sidewalk in plain view. Maybe one of the other Changelings would see him and help, or maybe they really were like insects and would just leave him to die of his wounds. Either way, it was no longer her concern. The fact that she hadn’t left him in that alley was more than she owed him. She had something much more important to worry about. She had to find out where Lyra was. The problem was, she had no idea where to start looking.
A pony came running down the street, her mane flying behind her. Three Changelings rounded a corner and pursued her. Bon Bon ducked back into the alley and pressed herself against the wall. The pony ran past screaming and the Changelings quickly followed. There was a flash of green light and then the screaming became muffled before falling completely silent.
Bon Bon closed her eyes and waited for the Changelings to come back for her. She counted to twenty and when nothing happened, she opened her eyes and stuck her head out of the alley. The Changelings were standing over the pony, slowly sealing her in a cocoon. Her eyes were wide and she was still struggling, but it was clearly already too late.
Bon Bon shuddered as she stared at the cocoon. That could have been her. The Changelings hadn’t viciously attacked the pony like Bon Bon had been attacked, but she knew what was in store for the poor mare. She wanted to go help, but she knew she didn’t have the time. If the Changelings were correct, if Canterlot was about to fall, then she had to hurry and find Lyra. If they were doomed, then they were going to be doomed together.
Suddenly, one of the Changelings stood up straight and his ears twitched. He looked at his two companions and they nodded, then all three of them took to the sky and started making their way back toward Canterlot castle. They were joined by dozens more, all heading in the same direction. Bon Bon didn’t know what was going on, but she knew a lucky break when she saw one. She stepped out of the alley, taking one last look at the crumpled Changeling on ground, and then began running down the street, doing her best to endure the pain from her wounded shoulder and leg.
“Where am I going?” she asked herself as she dashed around a corner and onto a main street. Green cocoons and destruction were everywhere, but there was no sign of any Changelings.
Bon Bon ran past all the cocoons, trying not to look at the unconscious ponies trapped inside. She didn’t have time free them all. Whatever had called the Changelings away wouldn’t last, and she had to find Lyra now.
She was starting to wish she hadn’t beaten that Changeling into a coma, or worse.
“Berry!” she said as she came to a halt. If Lyra had been replaced, Minuette probably had been too, and by now Berry knew about it. And if Bon Bon knew anything at all about Berry, the Changeling she had left on the street was probably in better shape than any that had messed with Berry.
Berry was probably tearing Canterlot apart looking for her wife, or she was hunting Changelings so she could beat the information out of them. Whatever she was doing, Bon Bon decided that her chances of finding Lyra were much higher if she found Berry first.
“But where would she—”
A window near Bon Bon exploded and the mare immediately ducked. The sudden movement sent a fresh wave of pain through her legs as glass fell around her. She covered her head and then the body of a Changeling landed in front of her.. He tried to crawl away, but only made it a small way before raising his hoof and then passing out. Shards of glass, some of them very large, were embedded in his body.
Bon Bon looked to the shattered window and was surprised to see that she had run straight to the tavern she and Berry had visited the previous night. Whoever was inside was clearly giving the Changelings a run for their bits.
Bon Bon slowly approached the entrance, expecting Changelings to pour out of the door at any moment. She pushed the door open and stuck her head in.
The tavern was trashed. Broken glasses and bottles were everywhere. Chairs and tables were overturned and all sorts of drinks, savory and otherwise, were splashed about the place.
And in the center of the room were two pony figures. One of them had the other pinned to the floor and was slowly pressing down on the pony’s throat. The pony was kicking and trying to escape, but its flailing was becoming weaker with every second.
Bon Bon flung the door open. “No! Stop!”
* * *
Berry Punch closed her eyes and waited for the fangs to sink into her neck. This was it. She’d never get to see Pinchy grow up. She’d never get to embarrass her in front of her date, or see her get married, or become a grandmother. She’d never get to see Minuette again, or feel her wrap a scarf around her neck, or cuddle together on a blanket.
She had to hope that Minuette was okay. She had to, because if she wasn’t, then Pinchy was going to be left all alone. That wasn’t acceptable. Maybe Pinchy would be caught and taken to wherever Minuette was being held, and the two of them could escape together. Yes, that was what would happen. Berry knew her daughter and she knew her mare. They would never give up. They would be okay. In fact, Princess Celestia was probably organizing a counter attack right now, and soon the guards would come storming through the city and save Pinchy and find Minuette. She told herself there was nothing to worry about. She could die knowing that her loves would be safe.
“Wait!” a voice shouted. “That pony is mine.”
Berry opened her eyes but all she saw were four rows of sharp teeth and fangs inches away from her face. It was enough to make her skin crawl and she would have shuddered, but she was too beaten.
“Ugh,” she said, trying to summon up some sort of defiance. “Don’t you freaks ever brush your teeth? Minuette gets on me about my breath sometimes after a few drinks, but I’m pretty sure she’d have to light a fire to get rid of your stench.”
One of the Changelings pulled away from her. The other hissed in her face, making spit fly into her mouth and eyes, then did the same.
The Changeling who had been pretending to be Minuette came toward Berry. The cut on his face was still oozing purple blood and he was walking with a serious limp. Judging by the way he kept stumbling every time he took a step, Berry was pretty sure she had broken a rib or two when she had kicked him into the ceiling. Also, even though they had already been tattered, she was pretty sure a Changeling’s wings weren’t supposed to be bent that badly.
The Changeling leaned over her and sneered. “You know, that really hurt,” he said.
“Aw, I’m sorry,” Berry said as she glared up at the blue eyes. “I told you I liked it rough. Didn’t realize you were such a pus—”
The Changeling stomped down on Berry’s wound and she screamed. She tried to roll away, but the ooze on her hooves kept her firmly in place. She thrashed about in agony as the Changeling pressed down harder, forcing the green ooze into her body.
“Rough enough for you?” he asked, finally taking his hoof off just before Berry blacked out.
“Min…Minuette…does it…better,” she heaved between breaths.
“Well, you can be sure to tell her that when you see her again.”
Berry forced a laugh. “What? You’re…letting me go? Thanks. Now…I’ll just…cripple you…instead of…outright…killing you.”
“Oh no.” The Changeling put his hoof on Berry’s wound again and slowly began to push down. When the pain became too much and she opened her mouth toe scream, he pressed another hoof down on her throat, cutting off her air. “I’m sending you to her right now.”
No! Not Minuette! You bastards! Berry narrowed her eyes through the pain and tears. She wanted nothing more than to rip that Changeling’s horn off and shove it down his throat, but she could feel her lungs burning and her eyes were having trouble saying open.
She thought about her daughter as her mind slipped further away. Berry wasn’t mother of the year by any stretch, but she liked to think she took care of her daughter well, and the Minuette was always be able to make up for Berry’s shortcomings. Now Pinchy was going to be left without either of them. It wasn’t fair.
“But…what about her love?” another Changeling asked. “She’s still got some left before…”
“Don’t worry about that.” The Changeling brought his face to within a few centimeters of Berry’s. “She has a daughter. We can just drain her instead. Little girls are always bubbling with the stuff.”
Berry Punch heard something snap. She wasn’t sure whether it was a bone in her body or just something in her mind, but she knew she heard it. These freaks had killed Minuette. They were not going to kill Pinchy too.
A burning rage clouded Berry’s mind as she shoved her head forward as hard as she could. She was vaguely aware that the motion forced the hoof on her throat to go down even more, but the pain didn’t register. Neither did the impact of her forehead slamming against the Changeling’s face, causing him to stagger back and take his hooves off of her.
“Kill her already!” he shouted as he rubbed his forehead.
Whatever had snapped in Berry had unleashed a torrent of animal rage and strength. She pulled with all her might and the ooze holding her forelegs down tore apart. She didn’t even bother trying to free her hind legs. She simply turned and wrapped her forelegs around the nearest Changelings and squeezed until she heard something crack, then dropped him on the floor. He screamed in pain, struggling to stand on a leg that was clearly broken.
The Earth pony whipped around and slammed her hoof into the other Changeling that had been threatening to feed on her moments before. His head twisted to the side and he started to fall, but Berry caught him and slammed his head into the ground. She then dragged him over to her hind legs and jammed his horn into the green ooze. Moments later, she was free. She stood up and growled at the last two Changelings.
“Don’t just stand there,” the leader said to the other Changeling. “Kill her.” A primal part of Berry’s brain smiled when she saw him take a step back as he spoke.
The Changeling looked back at the other one and then at Berry, and then took to the air and charged at her, mouth open and fangs bared.
There was no time to think. Berry’s body simply reacted, fueled by an anger and a deep maternal instinct that went beyond pain and reason. She jumped at the Changeling, her body aching in protest but her mind ignoring it. The Changeling was caught completely by surprise and tried to swerve in midair, but it was too late. The Earth pony crashed into him and they both fell to the ground.
Berry slammed her forelegs down on the creature’s stomach as soon as they landed, causing his eyes to go and his body to double up in pain. She then grabbed his tail with her teeth and spun around once as fast as she could before letting go, yanking out several black hairs as she did. The Changeling sailed through the air like a stone and slammed into the tavern’s window. It shattered in an instant, unable to slow the creature’s flight even a little.
Finally, Berry turned her attention to the last Changeling. The one who had been pretending to be Minuette. The one who had caused her so much pain and broken her heart.
“Your turn,” she whispered darkly.
The Changeling turned to run but Berry was faster. Once again, her mouth closed on a tail and she swung her head, slamming the Changeling into the counter. She then reached out and caught the back of his head with her hoof and slammed his face down on the counter. When she pulled it up, she was pleased to see that one of his fangs had broken clean off.
“That’s one tooth down,” she said as she picked him up and dropped his entire body on the counter. “How many did we say you had? Not that it matters anymore, because I’m going to make you eat them all!” She slid his body down the counter, knocking over the few remaining drinks and glasses that hadn’t already been shattered.
The Changeling fell off the end of the counter and Berry walked over to him. Her rage was dying off and she found that even breathing was starting to take effort, but she didn’t care. She would see this monster dead for taking Minuette away from her and Pinchy.
The Changeling was trying to crawl away, but Berry flipped him over on his back and pinned him with her forelegs. To say his face was a mess would have been too generous. She wondered who looked worse between the two of them.
“Here’s something I just don’t get,” she said, pressing down harder on the Changeling’s chest until he stopped squirming. “Your kind feeds on love, right? You have this perfect talent for that. You guys can take the shape of any pony you want. I mean, do you know how many stallions would kill to have a date with Princess Celestia? Or even how many mares? Or what about Princess Luna? Talk about forbidden fruit. Mm-hm…I wouldn’t even mind that one, and since you took Collie away from me…” Berry pushed down even harder on the creature’s chest at the mention of her beloved’s name. Nopony could every replace Minuette, not even a Princess, and she was going to make this Changeling regret that for the last few painful minutes of its miserable life. “I mean, talk about an endless supply of food. And you don’t even need to sleep with ponies. The sheer joy they would get from simply being in the presence of whoever they wanted you to be would be enough. And then, you even have that whole instant-bondage thing going for you.”
“P-Please…she’s not…” the Changeling whimpered, but Berry simply pressed down harder and ignored him.
“There are quite a few ponies out there who would appreciate that, let me tell you. Stuck to a bed by their favorite mare, stallion, or even a Princess? Hot stuff. But no. You guys waste that talent by invading us, draining love out of us until there’s nothing left, and then you’re forced to find a new food source. Talk about stupid.” Berry leaned down and looked into the Changeling’s bulging blue eyes just as he had done to her and whispered, “Not that it matters for you anymore. I have a new question for you now. Do you think your eyes will pop out of your skull if I push down hard enough?”
Berry placed one of her hooves on the creature’s throat and slowly began to press down, watching as its eyes went wider with each passing second. Just a little longer and she’d have the answer to her question.
“No!” a familiar voice shouted. “Stop!”
“Bon Bon?” Berry asked as she looked up in surprise. Sure enough, the cream colored Earth pony was standing in the doorway, looking better than Berry but still showing signs of wear and tear.
“Berry, stop! You can’t kill him!” she shouted.
“Stay back!” Berry shouted, easing up on the Changeling’s throat just enough to allow him to breathe again. This had to be a trick. There was no way Bon Bon would side with the Changeling, not if she knew the truth. If they had killed Minuette, then Lyra’s chances weren’t so good either. “Take one more step, and I crush his throat.”
Bon Bon froze and a confused look crossed her face, but she didn’t move. “Berry, don’t do it. We need him.”
“Need him? Are you bucking kidding me?” she shouted, pressing down again on the creature’s throat, albeit unintentionally. “Now I know you’re not Bon Bon. Bon Bon would never say that.”
“Berry, it’s me. Honest,” the Earth pony said. She took a small step forward, but Berry stiffened instantly, so Bon Bon froze again. “You have to believe me.”
“Prove it,” Berry said.
“Um…” Bon Bon stood still for a moment and then, despite all the chaos, pain, and destruction they were standing in, a smile came to her face. “You only last ten minutes.”
Berry couldn’t help but let out a sharp laugh. “You know that’s not true.” The grim amusement quickly turned to anger as she remembered the pony who knew that better than anypony else. Tears fell from her eyes as the reality of what she had lost sank in. “Minuette…Minuette knew it too. But this bastard took her away from me! He took away Pinchy’s Mom. He took away my wife! The one pony who ever loved me despite everything I do, and he took her from me!”
“She’s not—” the Changeling started to say.
“SHUT UP!” Berry pressed down harder on the creature’s throat as tears blurred her vision.
“Berry, Minuette’s alive. So is Lyra. And Twinkleshine.”
“Liar!” Berry shouted, not taking her eyes off of the Changeling’s struggling form. Just a bit more and he’d be gone.
“Berry, it’s the truth.” Berry felt a hoof gently touch her shoulder and she flinched. “Their Queen said so.”
“Their Queen?” Berry asked. “You expect me to believe you walked up to this thing’s Queen and she just willingly told you that Minuette is alive? How hard did they hit you?”
Bon Bon rubbed her face. “Well, not exactly. At the wedding, just before it was over, Twilight and I guess the real Princess Cadance showed up. The Queen demanded to know how they got past her bridesmaids. Do you honestly think Twilight and Princess Cadance would have killed them?”
Berry’s hooves were shaking as her mind was overcome with emotion. It wasn’t true. This was just some Changeling trap. It was some last cruel joke they were playing on her. Offering her hope just so they could snatch it away from her.
“Where are they?” she asked, struggling to keep her voice from cracking with grief.
“I…I don’t know,” Bon Bon said. “One of the Changelings was feeding on me the entire time. I don’t remember what Twilight or Cadance said.”
“Then how do you know their Queen meant Minuette when she said ‘bridesmaids’? How do you know she wasn’t talking about more of her little freaks?”
“I don’t,” Bon Bon reached down and gently, but firmly, put her hoof on Berry’s hoof, “but it’s the only chance we have. And he’s the only Changeling right now who can tell us where they are.”
Berry looked down at the quivering creature before her. It looked utterly terrified and pathetic. She wanted to crush it like the bug it reminded her so much of, but the chance of seeing Minuette again stayed her hoof.
“You listen up, because I am only going to say this once. Is she telling the truth?” She removed her hoof just enough so the Changeling could speak.
“Y-Yes. They’re still alive. The Queen didn’t want to waste food.”
“They are not food,” Berry growled. “Now, your next answer determines whether you wake up in agonizing pain, or you don’t wake up at all. Clear?” The Changeling nodded meekly. “Where?”
“She was holding the Princess down in the caves under Canterlot,” the Changeling stammered. “My guess would be that the others are—ugh!”
“Thank you,” Berry said darkly as she pressed down again on the being’s throat. The Changeling flailed and his eyes went wide, silently pleading with her to stop, then they slowly closed and he stopped moving. All it would take would be another few seconds and he would never be a threat to Equestria, or Minuette and Pinchy, ever again…
“Berry…” Bon Bon whispered.
“Her deserves it,” she spat. He deserved to die. He had tried to kill her, had tortured her, and he had threatened her daughter. All it would take would be one more push and he could never do any of those things again.
“Berry, think about Pinchy,” Bon Bon whispered.
“Fine,” Berry said, releasing the pressure on the Changeling’s throat. She wasn’t a murderer. Killing him in a straight fight was one thing, but executing him was different. She didn’t want her daughter to think of her like that.
She saw the Changeling’s chest slowly rise and fall and she turned away in disgust. She took two steps and then her legs gave out.
“Berry!” Bon Bon rushed over to help her stand. “We need to get you some help. You look terrible.”
“Thanks,” Berry said as she struggled to stay on her hooves. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. Just standing made it feel like her joints were trying to tear themselves apart. She looked down at her stomach, thankful that the Changelings had patched the wound, even if it had been only to prolong her torture. “You don’t look all that great yourself.”
Bon Bon rubbed her face again, wincing as she touched what was clearly turning into a black eye. “I’ve been better, but you need—”
“I need a drink.”
“Is now really the best time for that?”
Berry almost snapped at the other Earth pony, but she took a calming breath. Bon Bon was genuinely worried about her, which was a rare thing. She wasn’t used to ponies being concerned about her wellbeing. “Bon Bon, it’s not what you think. Right now, I can barely keep my eyes open, and I still need to find my wife. I need something to dull the pain. So unless you have some candy medicine on you, find me a drink.”
Bon Bon looked at her dubiously for several seconds. “If you say so…”
“Find the strongest thing that’s still in a bottle,” Berry said. She limped toward the counter and looked at the few remaining bottles. She spied a hard cider and pointed to it. Bon Bon grabbed it and looked for a glass, but Berry simply took the bottle. She drank half of it before setting it back on the counter.
“Better?”
Berry closed her eyes as the soothing warmth flowed through her body. All the pain dulled considerably, but it was still there. Now she just felt like she had been in a regular bar brawl instead of a fight for her life. “Much. You might want to take a sip too.”
“I think I’ll pass,” Bon Bon said, looking at the bottle and raising an eyebrow.
“I need to go get Pinchy,” Berry said. She looked over her shoulder at the Changelings sprawled across the tavern. “Deal with these freaks, will you?”
“Berry, I won’t—”
“I mean just tie them up or something. Last thing we need is them causing us more problems.” Berry turned away from the bar and walked toward the bathroom. She reached it and knocked on the door three times, then paused and knocked twice more.
“I want some wine,” came a familiar, and comforting, voice. Berry smiled at the sound of her daughter. She had used their secret password phrase, just like she was supposed to. Berry’s life had a few…unsavory ponies in it, and after one close call, she, Minuette, and Pinchy had all agreed on a secret greeting whenever Pinchy was alone.
“You’re too young to drink,” she replied. “How about some cider?”
“No,” Pinchy said through the door, and Berry could hear her walking toward the door. “You just said I was too young to drink.”
“You’re right. How about some grape juice?” Berry asked as she finished the last part of the password.
The door flew open and Pinchy ran out, wrapping her forelegs around Berry’s and burying her face in her mother’s fur. The pressure caused Berry some pain, but she didn’t care at the moment. She wrapped her own hoof around her daughter and nuzzled her.
“Mommy, I…I…” Pinchy said as she tried to bury her face further into Berry’s legs. “You were screaming…”
Berry felt tears come to her eyes and they began to stream down her face. She squeezed her daughter even tighter and had to struggle not to collapse into a blubbering mess.
“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Berry said as she wiped some of the tears from her eyes. “Your Mommy is a lot tougher than anything those freaks can dish out.”
Pinchy finally pulled out of her hug and looked up, then her eyes went wide. “Mommy, you’re bleeding!” she said as she pointed to the various wounds on Berry.
“You should see them,” Berry said with a smirk. “Actually, no, forget I said that. I don’t want you to see any of it.”
A groan came from inside the bathroom and Berry reacted instantly. She pushed Pinchy behind her and got ready to jump whoever was in the bathroom. She wasn’t going to let any Changeling lay a single hoof on her daughter.
“Mommy, it’s okay,” Pinchy said from behind her. She wiggled past Berry’s legs and ran back into the bathroom before Berry could stop her. Moments later, she returned, helping a stallion walk out of the room.
“I know you,” he said as he rubbed his head and steadied himself with Pinchy’s help. “You were in here last night.”
Berry blinked as she recognized the bartender. She almost tackled him out of reflex, her mind recalling that he had been a Changeling moments before, but the sight of her daughter helping him calmed her down.
“I found him in the bathroom,” Pinchy said. “He was in this weird green thing and I dug him out.”
“Thanks again, sweetheart,” the bartender said as he patted Pinchy’s head. He then looked up at Berry. “So what’s going on? Last thing I remember is a pony turning into me and then knocking me out.”
“Short version: Canterlot is under attack,” Berry said. “There’s a very real chance that you, me, my daughter, and Bon Bon out there are the only free ponies left.”
“And that’s why you look like you’ve been to Tartarus and back?” he asked.
“You have no idea,” Berry said. She waved Pinchy over to her and the three for them walked down the hall and back out into dining room.
“Damn! What happened to my place?” the bartender asked and Berry winced. The damage her fight had caused hadn’t even crossed her mind. Now that she was looking at it without standing in the middle of it, she almost felt sorry for what she had done.
“Sorry,” she said weakly. “There were a few of them in here.”
The bartender looked around his ruined shop and then looked Berry up and down. “Lady, remind me to never piss you off.”
Berry laughed despite herself and instantly regretted it as the wound in her stomach flared up. She winced in pain and took several deep breaths. She was going to need another shot of that cider soon.
Bon Bon walked up to them and smiled down at Pinchy. “Hello, Pinchy.”
“Hi, Bon Bon,” Pinchy said. “Are you…you?”
“I’m me,” Bon Bon said. “You’re a very brave little girl. You know that, right?”
“Mommy told me I had to be tough, even though I’m little,” Pinchy said, puffing her chest out with pride. Berry wiped a tear from her eye.
“Where are the Changelings?” she asked.
“Over there,” Bon Bon said. She pointed to several green cocoons piled in the corner, as well as a single Changeling tied up with rope. He was looking at the four of them silently, his face completely expressionless. “I made him put the others inside cocoons and then tied him up.”
“How did you convince him to do that?” the bartender asked.
“I simply asked him if he wanted me to bring her back out here,” Bon Bon said as she pointed to Berry. “He was more than happy to help after that.”
“Then maybe he won’t mind telling me how to get to these so-called caves,” Berry said as she started to walk over to the tied up Changeling. He stiffened instantly and tried to make himself smaller as he curled up.
“We don’t need to ask him,” Bon Bon said as she put a hoof on Berry’s shoulder. “I know how to get to the caves.”
Berry stopped and looked at the candy-making pony. “You do?”
“Yeah,” Bon Bon said as she blushed a little.
“Pinchy,” Berry turned to her daughter, “Mommy’s going to have to make a very difficult decision right now. I have to go save Mom.”
“I can’t come, can I?” Pinchy said, her ears drooping.
“I wish you could, sweetie,” Berry said. “But…it’s too dangerous. There are Changelings everywhere, and I can’t protect you from them the way I am now. But, I can’t just leave Collie out there. I can’t be worried about you being right behind me while Bon Bon and I are trying to get to her.”
“So…I have to stay here?” she asked, looking up at the bartender.
“I’m afraid so, sweetie. Don’t worry though. He’ll protect you.” Berry looked up at the stallion with pleading eyes. “Right?”
“You have my word,” he said with a nod.
Berry looked back to her daughter. “Don’t worry though. No Changeling is going to mess with both of us. I’ll be back with Mom before you know it, and then you can finally see her in her dress.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” Berry turned to Bon Bon and nodded. “Let’s go.”
“Hold it,” the bartender said. “You two aren’t going back out there looking like that. Let me get some bandages.”
Berry was about to say that they didn’t have time and turned to Bon Bon for support, but when she saw the blood running down the other pony’s leg and flowing from her shoulder, she decided that they could spare a few minutes to patch themselves up.
Five minutes later, with a bandage wrapped around her stomach and back, and a patch taped over the puncture wounds in her neck, Berry was eager to start looking for Minuette.
Bon Bon had her leg taped up and her shoulder wound wrapped as well and the two of them headed for the door. Berry forced herself not to look back at her daughter for fear that she would not be able to leave her.
“The Changelings all flew toward the castle a bit ago, so I think we should be okay, but we’ll cut through side streets just to be safe,” Bon Bon said as the two of them walked out of the tavern.
“I’m right behind you,” Berry said as they stepped out into the street.
“Right. Let’s go save our bridesmaids.”
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UPDATE!!! OHMYGOSH THIS WAS SO GOOD!! BERRY IS OFFICIALLY THE MOST AWESOME PONY EVER!!!
4567505
So...you liked it I take it?
Berry does seem to be pretty good and thrashing Changelings, doesn't she?
4573050 NO I DID NOT LIKE IT; I LOVED IT!!
BERRY IS THE BEST AT FIGHTING THE CHANGELINGS!! SHE WINS THE FIRST PLACE PRIZE AT BEATING UP CHANGELINGS IN A BAR WHILE YOU ARE OUTNUMBERED AND PROTECTING YOUR DAUGHTER!!
Woo! Fantastic story with much arse-kicking, loving it!
4573519
Berry smash and Bon Bon bite! ROAR!!!!
This it what I learned: never threaten a child infront of her mother or you won't see the light of another day. Go Berry Go! Number 1 mom of the year!
next time berry, barstool first
4576700
"And now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Yo Joe!"
So you kind of tore through both stories pretty quick. Well done.
4576775
Barstool to the FACE!
I actually thought about doing that, but I couldn't fit it in properly. Once she got knocked into the drink wall, she was on the defensive the entire time and I couldn't find a way for her to get her hooves on a stool.
A bottle on the other hoof...
Thanks for the comment.
4576859 Thanks! It just that when I find such captivating stories, I blaze through them fairly quick.
4576869 honestly surprised you didn't go for the old 'take a drink then splash some on the wound' routine with berry.
Wow that was pretty Epic knowing that Berry Punch felt like she was out number but as her name she pack a punch and strength when it comes to an earth pony power find the other side Bonbon also kept herself as well despite that she almost died she overcome and basically fought back and with that both of them really fought them off really well even though Barry was about to kill the one who disguise her wife Bonbon has to remind her that she is not a killer but it looks like they got the information where they are I wonder how they're going to find them