Rune Hunters

by Cold Bolt

Gale Claw

"Psst! Over here!"

"Geez, there you two are."

"So what did you think?"

"Well... I really didn't wanna believe it, but you were right. She totally faked hurting her hoof."

"I told you! I told them, didn't I, Silver Spoon?"

"Yeah, but... why? She's our best friend! Why would she hide this from us - and what's she even hiding in the first place?"

"Maybe it's something she's ashamed of?"

"I dunno about that. We did a ton of really embarrassing stuff back when we were trying to earn our cutie marks..."

"Oh no... what if it's something dangerous, and she's trying to protect us?"

"Or she doesn't want to worry you."

"Maybe both!"

"But what do we do?"

"Well that's easy. We tail her!"

"Say what?"

"The next time she tries to ditch you guys, we follow her and see what's what. Who knows - if it is something dangerous, she might need our help!"

"That's a good point..."

"I don't like it, but we gotta do something. I'm in."

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

"Then it's decided. Stay frosty, girls! Hehe~"

"...What's so funny?"

"I always wanted to say that..."

---

Apple Bloom yawned. Even with a full day and a half separating her from the fight with the monster, she was still tired and stiff, more than she had ever been from an entire day of chores. She did her best to hide this fact, of course - she couldn't have her friends getting too suspicious - but she couldn't help the occasional stumble or wince as the trio marched off to class.

As long as no more incidents cropped up for another day or so, she would be fine, right? She just needed to rest a little longer. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the cool morning breeze blowing over her coat.

"Huh, that's weird."

It was Scootaloo who broke the relative quiet.

Apple Bloom quirked an eyebrow. "What is?"

"This breeze." Scootaloo gestured with a forehoof. "It's blowing the wrong way."

"Huh?" Sweetie Belle glanced up at the sky. "How can you tell?"

"I was talking to Rainbow Dash about the weather yesterday 'cause I've been wanting to get better at reading it," said Scootaloo. "She said there'd be a low pressure thingy moving over Canterlot today, which means the wind should be sort of... circling around it? Anyway, it's supposed to be coming from the west, but look at the trees - it's blowing in from the south instead!"

Apple Bloom suppressed a sigh. A feeling of dread washed over her as she realized she probably knew the real source of the strange breeze.

Sweetie Belle blinked. "So... She messed up, then?"

Scootaloo scoffed. "Rainbow Dash is never wrong about the weather! I bet something weird is going on. You know, like those totally-out-of-nowhere earthquakes the other day that just suddenly stopped!"

"Or the fire at Dinky's house?" asked Sweetie.

"Yeah, exactly!"

Apple Bloom bit her lip. "I mean, how d'you know they got anything in common?"

"Well, I guess I don't," said Scootaloo. "But you gotta admit, it's still weird for stuff like this to be happening all at once, right?"

Apple Bloom stared off into space.

Indeed. A Guardian - and something else - await.

Apple Bloom nodded, turning to the girls to find them giving her looks of concern. "Uh... y'all go on ahead, I'll catch up."

"Really? Wait, is - " A touch from Scootaloo's hoof stopped Sweetie from continuing. "Um, okay, we'll see you in a bit then."

She waited until they were out of sight before marching off through the trees.

Following the breeze took Apple Bloom through fields and over hills she didn't recognize; she somehow had never wandered in this particular direction before. Combined with the tailwind, that thought put a little extra spring in her step, urging her forward as the wind picked up.

A few minutes later, she stopped at the crest of a particularly large and steep hill surrounded by trees. She gasped as the wind rapidly died down, as though in response to her presence.

"About time you showed up."

Apple Bloom gasped, her focus snapping to the source of the voice.

A stallion marched out from behind one of the larger trees, approaching slowly. A quick glance showed him to be an earth pony with an emerald mane and tail and a coat the color of rust. He approached slowly, his lips curled into a smirk.

"So you're the one who's been collecting runes," he declared. "Fengalon here could sense you guys."

Fengalon, the Wind Guardian. I presumed as much, said Stoldark. He wields the Gale Claw, then...

"Fengalon. So you found one, too..." Apple Bloom cleared her throat. "Who're you? And - and what d'you want?"

The stallion quirked an eyebrow, frowning. "Kind of rude to ask that before introducing yourself, don't you think? But sure - the name's Zed." He waved his hoof with a flourish, causing the breeze to ruffle his mane. "And I'm here for the same reason you are. Think you can guess?"

"You... want to rescue the Guardians?"

"Bingo!" Zed pointed his hoof at her. "Picture it. Rescuing spirits from another world, saving Equestria from their wild magic..." He marched toward her slowly, stopping just a few paces away. "That's the kind of fame and prestige I could get used to, you know? And I mean, the cool powers are a pretty sweet bonus in the meantime, too."

Apple Bloom blinked. Was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? Sure, his motives sounded a little sketchy, but she wasn't about to look a gift - well, turn away a potential ally, at any rate. It wasn't that she wanted to fight alone; she just didn't want to worry her friends, or have to worry about them herself. Neither of these things would be the case here.

"So..." She stood as tall as she could, looking him in the eye. "Are you saying... you wanna join forces? You wanna save Equestria together?"

For a moment, Zed looked surprised.

Then his smirk returned as he began to snicker.

"Snrk... pfft! Hahahaha!" Zed stumbled as he began laughing uproariously. "Seriously? You think after all that, I'm here to help you?"

That was not the reaction she was expecting.

Apple Bloom's ears folded back as she began glancing around frantically. "Well, uh... reckon I did, right up until you started laughing, and..." She paused, her ears twitching. With a nervous chuckle, she looked over her shoulder. "Oh, hey, I think I hear the school bell! Heheh... I'd better skedaddle or I'll be late for - "

"You're not going anywhere, shrimp!"

The wind whipped up again, causing Apple Bloom to shield her face with a foreleg.

Zed stomped toward her. "You've got two choices. One, you willingly fork over all the runes you've collected - and don't think you can pull a fast one on me, 'cause we can sense them, same as you! Two... well, let's just say you'll be giving them up either way, and I recommend you take the option that doesn't involve me having to beat up a little filly, 'cause neither of us wants that."

Apple Bloom gulped. This was why he had lured her so far from town - he was almost certainly faster on his hooves than her even setting her fatigue aside, making it unlikely she would be able to simply escape. He didn't give the impression of one likely to be talked down, either... but she had to try something; she was in no condition for another serious fight.

"Tick tock!" he snapped.

Nothing else for it, then.

Apple Bloom raised her forehooves and slammed them into the dirt, sending a burst of water out of the ground that struck Zed squarely in the face, knocking him off-balance.

"Glrblrbl!"

Wiping drops from his face, he caught sight of the filly dashing away down the hill.

"No you don't!" With a wave of his hoof, he summoned a strong gust.

"Waugh!" Caught in the gale, Apple Bloom tumbled head over hooves back up the hill, stopping only as she collided with a pair of forelegs.

A snarling face stared down at her, raising a hoof to strike. "You asked for this, kid! I - oof!"

He stumbled backward, clutching his gut as a flat chunk of dirt rose beneath him and slammed into his stomach.

Scrambling to stand up, Apple Bloom stared him down. Fleeing was a no-go; she had already confirmed that... but she wasn't about to give up. She couldn't let him ruin everything she had worked so hard for.

"My name's Apple Bloom!" She winced at the ache in her lungs as she yelled. "And I wanna save Equestria too! We're on the same side - we should be working together!"

Zed regained his breath. "See, this is why you never send a filly to do a stallion's job. You really think you can talk your way out of this?"

Apple Bloom sighed. There weren't many times she genuinely hated being right, but this was definitely one of them.

The wind whipped up again, this time swirling around her. Before she could bolt out of the way, it lifted her just far enough off the ground to start spinning her along with it. "Whoooaaaohhh...!"

Flailing uselessly, she watched as a pony-shaped blur grew larger with each rotation. She took a deep breath -

"Whoa, geez!" Zed skidded to a stop and shielded his face with a foreleg as flames poured from the filly's muzzle, creating a vortex of heat he couldn't hope to breach. He stomped the ground with a grunt, dissipating the whirling wind.

Apple Bloom landed. "Uph..."

The whole world spun. Dizzy and exhausted, she struggled to stand back up until a hoof hooked under her fetlock and lifted her the rest of the way.

"Oh, thank you kindly," said Apple Bloom.

Before she could realize what was wrong, Zed used his grip on her hoof to throw her to the side. "This is your own fault, you know," he snapped. "I gave you an out, and you threw it away. Maybe after this you'll learn to stop being a stupid punk kid and actually listen when adults are talking."

She struggled to stand yet again, but a dark red hoof shoved her over, pressing hard on her ribs. "Oooooow..."

"Now then," said Zed, "time to take what's mine."

Holding her down with his other foreleg, he began to pull his hoof back... and as he did, a white stone slab began to materialize out of Apple Bloom's chest.

Whoa whoa whoa! What's he doing? demanded Moa Gault. Not cool, not cool!

"AAUGH...!" Pain wracked her aching body as the Fiery Rage was forcibly ripped from her. It subsided a second later as the rune landed in the grass nearby.

Zed sneered. "One down, two to - "

"Get your grubby hooves off her, creep!"

Zed raised his head. "What - oof!" A petite orange body slammed into him, knocking him off balance and releasing his grip on Apple Bloom. Two more, one white and one pink, immediately leaped on him and held him down, soon joined by the first.

A gray face framed by neatly braided hair hovered in Apple Bloom's blurry vision.

Silver Spoon held out a hoof. "Apple Bloom! Are you, like, okay? What's going on? What - what did he do to you?"

Apple Bloom took it, letting herself be pulled upright. "Hold - hold him," she gasped, staggering forward.

Zed flailed under the combined efforts of Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Diamond Tiara restraining him. "Get off me, you little brats!"

They wouldn't be keeping him there for long.

Slowly, Apple Bloom marched forward and placed a hoof on Zed's forehead. Concentrating, a rune began to materialize, dragged out slowly through his face. Its surface bore a mark resembling a long set of claws.

"Ow ow ow!" Zed fumed. "You punk! I had you!"

The rune fell unceremoniously to the grass.

With a snarl, he finally threw the fillies off and stood up - but took a step back as the five of them stared him down.

"I'm not done with you yet, Apple Bloom. You just got lucky, that's all! Next time, it'll be different." With that, he spun around and charged off into the woods.

"Whew! Glad that's over with," said Scootaloo, wiping sweat from her brow and turning to face her friends. "Apple Bloom, are you gonna tell us - ?"

But Apple Bloom's exhaustion had finally finished catching up with her. She slumped against Silver Spoon, out like a light.

---

A hoof gently stroked Apple Bloom's mane.

With a groan, her eyes fluttered, squinting as they were met with bright sunlight.

"Hey, you're awake!"

Her eyes slowly brought Sweetie Belle's face into focus. She lifted her head slightly to look around; they were still on the hill. "How... how long...?"

"Um, about half an hour," said Sweetie.

Apple Bloom's mind drifted over the morning's events as it slowly climbed its way back to consciousness. This Zed character was likely going to be a major thorn in her side; she didn't know who he was or what he was capable of. Well, excepting that he had somehow figured out how to rob her of runes she had collected... but in doing so, he'd inadvertently taught her that she could do the same to -

"...!"

She bolted upright, scanning the ground nearby. The two runes were nowhere to be found. "Wait, wh... where's - ?"

She felt a tap on her shoulder.

Sweetie Belle turned her head away, took a breath, and blew a small burst of flame into the air.

Apple Bloom paled.

"We got most of the story from these two while you were out," Sweetie Belle explained. "Apple Bloom... why didn't you tell us about any of this?"

Apple Bloom bit her lip. "I... I didn't want you girls worrying on account of me. And, and I didn't wanna put you in danger. You don't wanna know what I had to fight last time..."

Sweetie sighed. "Yeah, well, you're not exactly Equestria's greatest liar. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara knew as soon as they asked you about the fire before."

A soft sob split the air.

"Um..." Sweetie tilted her head. "Apple Bloom...?"

"I'm awful sorry..." Apple Bloom wiped her teary eyes on her fetlock. "I messed up... I, I just thought... I didn't..."

"It's okay," said Sweetie, reaching out to give Apple Bloom a hug. "We're just glad you're safe now."

Apple Bloom let her friend hold her for a moment before returning the gesture... but as she did, a thought struck her. "Wait, so - where are the others?"

Sweetie pointed over her shoulder at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, chattering animatedly just out of earshot. "Those two are working on a way to explain where we've been all morning, because um... class kind of started already, and Miss Cheerilee is probably wondering where we are."

"Right..." Apple Bloom gulped. "What about Scootaloo?"

"She's, uh..." Sweetie glanced aside.

Scootaloo took a deep breath and raised her hoof. The wind picked up, swirling around her in a tight vortex; without missing a beat, she hopped into the air and began buzzing her tiny wings. The combined efforts held her in midair for several seconds, until - with a yelp - she began spinning along with the wind, losing her lift and crashing back to the ground.

Apple Bloom blinked. "Uh huh."

"You know we're gonna help you now, right?" said Sweetie.

"Don't have much of a choice now, do I?"

Sweetie smirked. "Not really."

Apple Bloom frowned. "I feel like a real dummy."

She winced as an alabaster hoof bopped her on the head, albeit not hard enough to hurt.

"Hey!"

"That's what you get for being a dummy," said Sweetie with a giggle. "Now you don't have to worry about it."

Apple Bloom sighed. A soft smile graced her lips. "You girls really are the best friends I could ask for."

Sweetie Belle's eyebrow raised at the suspiciously familiar phrase.

"C'mon, I ain't hiding nothing this time!" said Apple Bloom, scowling. "I promise! You already found me out, remember?"

Their conversation was soon interrupted by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon approaching with mischievous grins on their faces.

"Hey, Apple Bloom! Glad you're feeling better," said Silver.

Apple Bloom rubbed her head. "Not sure about that, actually..."

"Hey!" Diamond waved at Scootaloo. "You'll want to hear this too!"

Scootaloo stood up slowly and dusted herself off. "Man, I swear I almost had it that time..." Nevertheless, she trotted over to join the group.

Sweetie nodded. "Okay, you two. What's the scoop?"

Diamond and Silver exchanged grins before turning back to the others... and declaring in unison:

"The Rune Hunters!"

Silence reigned as three pairs of eyes stared back incredulously.

Apple Bloom blinked. "Uh."

"That's your new superhero team name!" said Diamond. "You're going to need costumes to help hide your identities, but a cool name is just as important! That way, you can go rescue the rest of the Guardians without getting in trouble!"

"Wait a minute!" Apple Bloom scowled. "I only just woke up. We haven't decided on all that yet! Well... not officially or anything."

"Yeah, maybe," said Silver, twirling her braid around her fetlock. "But it's what you were gonna end up doing anyway, right?"

Sweetie gave the precious duo a deadpan look. "You were supposed to be working on a cover story so we don't get in trouble for being late to school."

"Um..." Diamond rubbed the back of her head. "Oops?"

"Don't worry about it," said Scootaloo. "We'll figure something out along the way."

With that, the five of them stood up and trotted off in the direction of the schoolhouse.

"I guess now that you mention it, costumes would be a great idea," Sweetie admitted. Her eyes lit up. "Hey, I could get Rarity to design them for us! We - " She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes crossing slightly. "...Wait, maybe not..."

"We totally have fabric and sewing supplies at the family store," said Diamond. "Daddy lets me take just about anything as long as I ask nicely. I'll tell him it's for a super secret project, and we can sneak it all over to your clubhouse."

"And if anypony asks, we can just tell them it's for important Crusader business," said Scootaloo.

"So... you said all this was for us," Sweetie began, gesturing at herself and her fellow Crusaders. "But not you two?"

Diamond shook her head. "Oh Celestia, no! We don't want to fight - we just want to sit on the sidelines and take partial credit. Right, Silver Spoon?"

Silver nodded. "We only ever pushed you around when we knew we could get away with it. We'd be, like, just awful in a fair fight."

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "At least they're honest about it..."

Minutes passed as the school finally came into view.

Sweetie turned to Apple Bloom. "You've been pretty quiet. Everything okay?"

Apple Bloom sighed. "Mostly just tired... but I wanted to say I'm sorry again for keeping this from y'all."

Sweetie gave her a quick sidelong hug. "Well, get the mushy stuff out of the way now, 'cause soon we'll have work to do."

They marched up the steps... and immediately halted in their tracks as they ran into the glaring figure of Miss Cheerilee.

"On second thought - " Sweetie Belle gulped. " - if you've got any more apologies, now might be the time to use them..."

Comments

[Midnight Moon]

MOAR! MOAR! MOAR!