Good Will Hunter

by Marezinger Z

Chapter 11

Third period was in session at Canterlot High and the day carried on as many others before it had; Rarity sat in her class, mind half on the lesson and half on the sketch she was making in her notebook. A collective gasp from the room shocked her and her head rose to find that the room had gone dark.

“Oh dear,” Ms. Cheerilee looked up at the halogen lights. “Looks like the power went out… again.” She closed her lesson book. “I swear, the wiring around here is older than I…,” An embarrassed laugh left her. “Anyway, sit tight while I go find out what’s going on.” As she left the room the students began immediately talking and socializing; Rarity, however, could feel that something was off. She took out her phone and messaged Applejack, asking if the power was out in her area of the school as well; she got a positive response as well as a similar sentiment that this wasn’t sitting right with her either.

“Attention students,” Principal Celestia’s voice came on over the PA system. “We’re experiencing a power outage and the maintenance staff is looking into it now, please remain in class until further word.”

Ms. Cheeriliee soon returned, silencing the class as she entered the room. “Okay, you heard the message; if the power outage is something serious we’ll make arrangements to end the school day.” She rolled her eyes at the positive reaction. “Don’t sound so disappointed.”

Rarity sat as best she could but could not shake the nagging feeling in her mind. She casually made her way over to the window and looked out into the adjacent parking lot; a frightened gasp left her as she spied a forming wall of familiar creatures gathering on the asphalt. “Oh dear,” Rarity glanced back to the oblivious students. “Ms. Cheerilee? May I be excused to the restroom?”

“Of course, just be careful.” Ms. Cheerilee answered.

“Oh… I will certainly try.” Rarity hurried out of the room and started messaging her friends about the impending attack. A return message from Sunset organized them to meet up in the lunch room; Rarity replied with an OK and started hurrying down the hall. Rounding one of the corners, she skidded to a stop as a quartet of the soulless abominations approached from the opposite end of the hall.

The eyes of one of the golems lit up and it pointed a malformed hand at Rarity. “Hello,” Cobalt’s voice came through. “I recognize that hair, you’re one of those girls that was with Hunter.”

“Cobalt,” Rarity constructed a pair of magical diamonds. “A little old to be back in high school, aren’t we?”

“We’ll see how funny you are when your lungs are filled with dirt.” The golems began to move in.

“I hope you don’t think I’ve just been sitting on my fabulous rear since our last fight.” Rarity said smugly; she twirled her index fingers in the air and her constructs began to spin like saw blades. “I’ve been practicing!” Launching them forward, she diced the soil that composed their bodies and sent them spilling to the tile. Rushing past the pile of wriggling limbs, Rarity sprinted through the hall; she used her new technique to carve up anything in her path as she made her way towards her friends. Principal Celestia came back on the PA with an alert, now fully aware of what was happening and calling for the teachers to barricade themselves in the rooms with their students and wait for help to arrive.

Across the building, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy also made their way towards the meeting place; Pinkie using her stash of confetti to blow apart the golems in their path. “I sure feel bad for whoever has to clean this up.” Pinkie looked back over her shoulder, the walls, floor and ceiling covered in dirt from the explosions.

“Let’s survive first, then worry about that.” Fluttershy grabbed Pinkie’s waist, halting her as more golems approached.

“Don’t worry, Fluttersy.” Pinkie took out two more handfuls. “It’s like I was made to fight these things.” She easily dispatched the enemies before them.

“Oh no!” Fluttershy looked out the window in shock, hundreds more of the golems ready to move in.

“Uh oh,” Pinkie frowned as she beheld them all. “I’m going to need more confetti.”

“Hey you two!” Rainbow Dash blazed around the corner and stopped in front of them. “Not the time to be standing still.”

“Look.” Fluttershy pointed out the window.

“Whoa,” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Looks like he was up all night making those; but we need to get going, Sunset said that Hunter is on his way.” She grabbed their hands and sped them across the school and to the lunch room where the other girls had already gathered.

“Fluttershy, Pinkie,” Sunset smiled in relief. “Thank goodness.”

“Well, we’re all here,” Applejack noted. “Now what?”

“We need to hold this room until Hunter gets here,” Sunset informed. “We can fight the golems, but if Melodiam shows up we don’t have any protection against her singing.”

“Where are the police?” Twilight asked in frustration. “Shouldn’t they be here by now?”

“They probably can’t get close to the school,” Applejack guessed. “Who knows how many of those things are out there.”

“Cobalt is making sure we have nowhere to go this time,” Sunset surmised. “He wants this to be the final fight.”

The doors to the cafeteria suddenly burst open and Principal Celestia hurried in with a large group of errant students that she had rounded up. “In here, hurry!” She ordered. As students came rushing in she turned to see Sunset and her friends already inside. “Girls? Why aren’t you in your classrooms?”

“Uh…” Sunset fumbled.

“We were in the bathroom!” Pinkie blurted out.

“All of you?” Celestia asked but quickly shook her head. “Nevermind, as long as you're safe. All the students should be accounted for now; we just need to wait for help to get here.”

Flash, Sandalwood and Trixie joined the girls on the far side of the room. “You know what’s going on, don’t you?” Flash asked. “More magic stuff?”

“Yeah,” Sunset nodded. “Those things are after us.”

“After you?” Trixie repeated. “Why?”

“That’s… a long story.” Sunset admitted.

“A story we don’t have time for at the moment.” Twilight came in.

“We’ll help however we can.” Sandalwood offered.

“Appreciated,” Applejack thanked. “For now, just try and keep everyone calm.

“Okay.” Flash nodded, the three of them heading back into the crowd.

“This is bad,” Sunset rubbed her forehead. “Hunter is on his way here with the Dazzlings, everyone is going to see him; but we’re going to need his help to win this.”

The room's attention was claimed as a loud banging began to rattle the doors. “Students, get to the back of the room!” Celestia ordered. Bulk and some of the other boys began flipping tables to make barricades as Sunset and her friends stepped forward.

“Let us handle this, Principal Celestia.” Sunset bravely took the lead.

“Yeah, we’ll show them some school spirit.” Pinkie readied her confetti.

The doors busted open and dozens of the monsters came pouring in; the girls charged and took advantage of the forced funneling to even the odds. Celestia and the other students could only watch as they attempted to battle back the horde but the numbers game quickly began to overwhelm them. Slowly but surely they were forced to fall back as the golems gained ground, climbing over the fallen bodies of their kin in order to get at their targets. Under the chaos of the melee, the side of the cafeteria wall was blown out by an explosion and Hunter leapt through the hole; without word he readied his under-barrel and launched a 40mm grenade in the rear of the pack. The explosion felled the back line and he proceeded to empy his clip across the heads of the forward line. More bullets began flying as the Dazzlings hurried inside and fired on them as well; Hunter sent another grenade out and polished off whatever was still standing and the room fell silent.

Hunter lowered his gun and looked over the room with a troubled breath. “Well… there’s a lot more people here than I was led to believe.”

“Hunter!” Sunset ran to him, looking back at Celestia and the confused students. “I’m sorry, they showed up to hide here and we had to…”

“It’s okay,” Hunter hugged her in one arm. “As long as everyone is alright.” He glanced back at the Dazzlings. “Nice shooting, ladies.”

“Sir yes sir!” Sonata saluted.

“Knock it off!” Adagio knocked her hand down.

“I had to deputize them,” Hunter noted. “Desperate times and all that.”

“Hunter?” Celestia slowly approached them, the students at her back.

“Hunter?” He looked across them with a casual laugh. “Who’s Hunter? I’m... Charlie,” He gestured back. “And these are my angels.”

“Excuse me?” Aria eyed him harshly.

“Play along.” Hunter whispered back.

“What is going on?” Celestia asked.

Hunter sighed and nodded, climbing up onto one of the tables and sitting down. “Alright look, I’m sure you all have a lot of questions and I promise that I’ll answer them. First of all, yes… that is Rainbow Dash’s natural hair color; I don’t quite understand it either.”

“Hunter!” Several voices rang out in unison.

“Okay, okay,” He raised his hands. “I’m not a student, I’m a soldier; and right now your school is being attacked by a siren and a lunatic with a magic bracelet that lets him summon these things to fight for him.”

“So Melodiam is here.” Sunset concluded.

“Yeah, she’s the reason the cops are out of the picture.” He thumbed towards the hole in the wall. “She has them under her control and in a shootout with their own people.”

"So we’re on our own?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah,” Hunter nodded.

Flash joined them and looked Hunter over. “So, you’ve been a soldier the whole time? Even when you were here last year?”

“That’s right,” Hunter confirmed. “I was on a mission in the city, that’s how I wound up getting involved with Sunset.” His eyes carried regret as he observed his friends. “I’m sorry I lied, I had to; this is my life and this is what I do.”

“It’s okay, man.” Sandalwood assured. “We definitely can’t blame you.”

“Yeah,” Bulk nodded. “I knew there was something different about you.”

“It certainly explains some things.” Micro Chips added.

Celestia let out a taxed sigh. “This situation just gets more and more unbelievable.”

“I know right?” Hunter held his gun up. “When was the last time someone brought an assault rife to school and it ended positively?”

“We need to move,” Adagio stepped in. “More of those things will be here any minute.”

“Addy is right,” Hunter stepped over to Flash. “Listen, Cobalt is targeting us so the best way to protect everyone is to give him what he wants.” He reached behind his pack, pulling out his desert eagle. “But the golems are going to be everywhere, which means I need you guys to protect the students.” He extended the weapon.

“Whoa!” Flash took a step back. “I’ve never even held a gun much less fired one.”

“No time like the present,” Hunter extended it again. “Please, we need all the help we can get here; I know you can handle this.”

Flash swallowed hard and slowly took the gun. “What do I do?”

“Easy,” Hunter stood behind him. “Safety is off, hold it with both hands.” Flash did as instructed. “Arms out, lock your dominant elbow, keep some slack in your opposite for some control; don’t put your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to fire.” Flash held the stance. “Aim for their heads or their legs to drop them, got it?”

“Y…yeah.” He nodded.

“Good,” Hunter went to Bulk, pulling a shotgun from his back. “Big guy, meet your new friend Mr. Mossberg; pump -action 12 gauge, this thing will blow a hole right through those walking dirt clods.” Hunter quickly went through the basic operation and gave him additional rounds.

“I’ve got this,” Bulk nodded surely. “We’ll keep everyone safe.”

“Good man,” Hunter slapped his chest. “Ladies, let’s go bag us a siren.” He smiled over at the Dazzlings. “No offense.”

“Believe me, I’m looking forward to it.” Adagio assured.

“Please be careful.” Celestia looked over them helplessly.

“We will,” Sunset promised. “Let’s move.” The eleven of them headed out through the hole in the wall and started fighting their way across the school grounds. They made their way to the front and found Cobalt surrounded by golems as he sent more out into the school.

“There you are!” He smiled as they assembled in front of him. “How brave of you to serve yourselves up to us.”

“This is over, Cobalt.” Sunset vowed. “We’re not going to let you terrorize our city anymore.”

“After today it won’t be your city anymore.” He assured.

“Quite right,” Melodiam appeared and stood at his side. “You have set us back far enough, this time I’ll make sure you’re removed from the equation.” She raised her hand and began to sing.

“Not this time!” Hunter lobbed a pair of canisters at them, they spewed a thin mist which caused the duo to start choking and gasping for air.

“What was that?” Aria asked.

“A capsaicin aerosol,” Hunter explained. “It’ll keep her from singing; as an added bonus we won’t have to listen to Cobalt’s lame villain lines anymore.”

“Damn you!” Melodiam screamed in a rasped voice, Cobalt's golems absorbing the canisters to stop the spray. “Fine then… I’ll kill you with my own… two… HANDS!” The elegant woman doubled over in apparent pain as her entire body began to contort and warp in hideous fashion.

“Uh oh,” Rainbow Dash looked over her friends. “What’s happening?” They watched in horror as Melodiam’s human form was replaced with a powerful, amphibious frame; her once beautiful hair now hung like seaweed over a pair of yellow eyes, teeth sharpened to razors and claws ready to shred flesh. She wound herself closer on a serpentine lower half and roared with malicious intent.

“Well shit,” Hunter bit his lip. “Didn’t plan for this.”

“A mistake that will be your end!” Melodiam promised as Cobalt ran to her side.

“We’re not afraid of you!” Sunset put her foot down. “Our friendship has seen us through all kinds of threats and you’re no different!”

“That’s right!” Twilight stepped up and took her hand.

“Come on, y’all!” Applejack took her opposite. “Time to kick it up a notch!”

“Aw yeah!” Rainbow Dash grinned with excitement. “About time!”

“I love this part!” Pinkie joined them.

“I’m always ready for a costume change!” Rarity added.

“Okay, let’s do this together!” Fluttershy completed the chain.

Hunter and the Dazzlings stepped back as the girls lifted into the air, encased in rainbow light.

“It’ll be nice not to be on the receiving end of this for a change.” Adagio noted as she watched the brilliant, magical transformation.

Sunset and her friends descended in their pony-hybrid forms and stood ready to face off against the monster siren. “Applejack, Rianbow Dash, help Hunter deal with Cobalt,” Sunset instructed. “We’ll deal with her.”

“You got it, sugarcube.” Applejack nodded as she, Rainbow Dash and Hunter peeled off to engage the golems and their master.

“We’ll take the lead!” Rainbow Dash called. “Just watch where you aim that thing!”

“No problem, Stripes.” Hunter took aim and began firing into the heads of the golems as the two girls used their enhanced speed and strength to push them back.

Although unable to sing, Melodiam’s voice remained a deadly weapon; she cried out in a piercing decibel that sent a shock wave of air at the girls. Harnessing their magic, the five of them formed a barrier that deflected the attack; as soon as they lowered it, the Dazzlings opened fire on Melodiam but the bullets did little against her ancient scales.

“Pathetic, would-be sirens!” Melodiam closed in with amazing speed and backhanded them away. “You are a disgrace to our kind!”

Sunset caught Adagio while Fluttershy and Pinkie saved Aria and Sonata. As Melodiam charged in again, Rarity raised a giant diamond to block her and Twilight reinforced the construct with her own magic. They held her at bay while the others recovered.

“She’s right,” Adagio growled. “Without our magic… we can't stand against her.”

“That isn’t true,” Sunset stood her up. “You’ve already proven that.”

“Sunset is right,” Fluttershy nodded. “Even Hunter thinks so.”

“Siren magic is great and all, but it’s nothing compared to the magic of friendship.” Pinkie added as she stood before Sonata.

“We’re all in this together, Adagio.” Sunset assured. “You may not think it, but you’re our friends too.”

“We are?” Sonata asked unsurely.

“Sure!” Pinkie smiled back at her. “I actually downloaded your last album.”

“So how about it?” Sunset held out her hand to Adagio. “Let’s stop her together.”

Adagio looked at her hand and laughed in acceptance. “Alright.” Adagio’s eyes lit blue as she took Sunset’s hand, she yelled out in shock and was overwhelmed with magic; Sunset was forced to let her go and back off as the siren rose and began to undergo a transformation of her own. Her clothes altered into a beautiful gown with a metallic scaled skirt and a single shoulder strap that bore her mark; her nails and hair highlighted and her ears flattened and became webbed. A thicker, finned tail sprouted from her rear and her pupils became thin, vertical strips of deep blue.

“Wow!” Sonata ran to her as she landed. “Look at you!”

“That’s incredible.” Aria noted in a rare shock.

“How?” Adagio looked herself over. “I don’t have my pendant.”

Sunset put her hand on her shoulder. “Looks like you don’t need it anymore.”

“Girls!” Rarity called as Melodiam smashed through her construct.

“Enough!” Melodiam slithered past Rarity and Twilight, making a move for Sunset.

“No!” Adagio shouted, her rich voice forming a shock wave of her own; Melodiam was knocked back and looked at the girl in disbelief.

“I bear your pendants,” Shed held her wrist up. “How do you still wield magic?”

“I’m not entirely certain,” Adagio stood defiantly in front of her. “But I’ll worry about it later, after my friends and I deal with you!” She held her hands out to her sides. “Aria! Sonata!”

“Right!” Aria responded as the two of them hurried to Adagio’s side and took her hands; the magic radiating from her coursed into their bodies and they too were transformed as she had been. The three of them stood as one with renewed power and for the first time in well over a year they chorused their magical song. Melodiam quickly roared back at them, but the clash of tones flowed in the Dazzling's favor as they started to force her back.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack stopped at the sight as Hunter came running up to them. “Holy cow,” Rainbow Dash looked to Applejack. “Did they just… siren up?”

“Sure looks that way.” Applejack laughed. “Who knew they had it in them.”

“Man,” Hunter sighed in disappointment. “I’m all about friendship now too, don’t I get like an infinite ammo RPG or something?”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s how it works.” Applejack noted.

“Ms. Melodiam!” Cobalt too halted, seeing that she was in danger; he started to run towards her but a bullet at his feet stopped him.

“Ah ah!” Hunter shook the barrel of his gun. “We aren’t done yet!”

“That’s it!” Cobalt scowled at them in rage. “No more games! I’m going to bury you all alive!” He raised the artifact to the sky and his golems fell back and began to converge on him; they piled onto his body and Cobalt vanished as a towering golem formed from the mass of soil.

“Damn,” Hunter looked up at the giant. “I really wish this dog would stop learning new tricks.”

“Well, at least there is only one of him now.” Rainbow Dash said, trying to see the bright side. The three of them separated as the titan stomped down onto their location, its eyes glowing as Cobalt began speaking through the form.

“Not so brave now, are you!?” He bellowed.

Hunter fired into the torso but as expected, his primary weapons were now useless. Applejack leapt up and punched a chunk out of its leg but the area was quick to repair itself.

“Dash!” Hunter called, Rainbow Dash sped to his side and they ran back towards the school.

“Got a plan?” She asked.

“Better, I have explosives.” Hunter produced a charge of C-4. “Get this to AJ and have her pitch it into his gut, I’ll detonate it remotely and we’ll blow Cobalt out of that thing.”

“Got it!” Rainbow Dash took the charge and doubled back, speeding over to Applejack and passing off the ordinance. “Can you get this inside his body?”

“Sure thing,” Applejack turned back and clutched it in her hand.

“Hey slowpoke!” Rainbow Dash called up. “Over here!” Cobalt abandoned pursuing Hunter and turned his attention to the taunting Rainbow Dash. “Go for it!”

“Here goes!” Applejack wound up and fast balled the charge with all her strength, it sailed up and buried itself in the golem’s stomach. Rainbow Dash immediately ran back to Hunter and relayed that all was ready; Hunter detonated the charge and the golem’s entire upper body exploded. Cobalt was sent flying and crashed down into the trees below.

Back across the battlefield, the Dazzling's beautiful song continued to deflect the stark cries of Melodiam as they pushed her away from the school. Sunset and her friends united at their backs, they combined their magic and fired a massive blast into the siren’s chest. Melodiam was taken off her tail and sent flying, landing hard on the ground.

“She’s nearly down, finish her off!” Sunset called up to the Dazzlings.

“Right.” Adagio nodded as she, Aria and Sonata approached the staggered creature. Again they began to sing and a swell of magical energy started to build up above them; Melodiam struggled to fight back but had barely enough energy to remain upright as she watched the bright light grow larger and larger. The Dazzling’s song came to a crescendo and the magical wave crashed into Melodiam; she reverted to her human form and finally fell still on the ground.

“Woo hoo!” Pinkie cheered as they ran up to them.

“That was amazing.” Fluttershy commended.

“And lovely sounding as well.” Rarity added.

“We can sing again!” Sonata beamed. “We’ve got our voices back!”

Sunset took Adagio’s hand and smiled. “Good job.”

“Thank you,” Adagio smiled down at herself. “So, this is friendship magic?”

“That’s right,” Twilight affirmed. “But it seems to have attuned itself to your siren nature.”

“This feels… better than before.” Aria admitted.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash came running, taking notice of the fallen siren. “Cobalt is down,” Applejack relayed. “Hunter is taking care of him now.”

“Chalk up another win for the good guys!” Rainbow Dash punched her fist into her opposite hand.

Adagio walked over to Melodiam and collected their pendants; she held them up and looked at her reflection. “Yeah, good guys,” She smiled back at Sunset. “I like the sound of that.”

Comments

[BiggerNate91]

“I know right?” Hunter held his gun up. “When was the last time someone brought an assault rife to school and it ended positively ?”

Foop you, Hunter.

[Skyblazer9]

Loved the reference to Charlie's Angels.