MLP A New Generation 3: The Rise of Armored Hoof

by TwiShine45

Chapter 24

Quarter’s mind went into overdrive as he tried to acquiesce the right course of action. His heart beat at what seemed like a thousand beats per minute; certainly, it was faster than any song he’d ever written. His eyes darted up and down from his mare to her captor and back again. He mulled over the two decisions he could make for seconds that felt like an eternity. His lips quivered. If he refused to share the information, Zipp would be killed in front of him. If he chose to save his beloved mare, then Scarlet Wing would have Armored Hoof’s secret and could use it to do severe damage to Equestria. Indeed, the magical powers that had been given to them were great…so great, in fact, that in the wrong hooves, Equestria could experience complete annihilation.

“DON’T DO IT!” Came Zipp’s voice ringing from above.

“Hey!” Opaline exclaimed, looking above her to where her prey hung. “How’d you get your gag out?”

“It’s called rapid fire chewing, you witch!” Zipp growled. “Look it up, sometime. Quarter, you can’t give her Armored Hoof’s secrets!”

“But, I-“

“No buts!” Zipp thundered. “If Scarlet Wing get ahold of your band’s special power, then Equestria is doomed!”

Opaline laughed. “Such a cliché line…yet, so true. Equestria will be doomed. Meadow Bloom will see to that. Scarlet Wing will be masters of the land…a land without friendship, without fun…and without all of your goodness and light! But…if Quarter here chooses against what the rightful future should be…then our friend Zipp up there will find pieces of her skull scattered about the room. It’s your choice, Quarter. Either she lives or Equestria does.”

“Save Equestria!” Zipp cried.

Quarter’s mind raced even faster as images of Zipp plummeting to her demise assaulted him. He saw her screaming into the floor below, smashing into it and never moving again. Shaking his head, he tried to regain some of his faculties. But, how could he? He was caught between a rock and a hard place, trying desperately to find some peaceable way out. For, after all, he was no fighter. He was a simple musician who just so happened to hold the entire future of Equestria in his very hooves. To say that he felt no pressure was like saying that Pegasi couldn’t fly. It was simply a fabrication.

“Ugh…I’m growing tired of this stalling,” Opaline growled. “What…is…your…choice?”

Quarter looked up at Zipp as she struggled against her restraints. Please, love…forgive me…but I can’t allow Equestria to fall.

“I…I’ll never tell you!” He suddenly shouted in a bit of defiance.

“UGH!” Opaline shrieked. “DROP THAT PUTRID PEGASIS ON HER HEAD!”

Suddenly, Zipp’s rope was let go and she fell from the ceiling all the way to the floor. Quarter shut his eyes, expecting an impact…but he heard none. Daring to open one of his eyes, he noted that somepony new had joined the fray. This was somepony that he had hoped would show up, yet had absolutely no reason to believe she would. After all, she was miles away when Opaline and her cronies had busted in to the practice facility. He opened his eyes wider and smiled as he saw this newcomer save Zipp from certain death.

“Sunny!” He cried joyfully.

“Darn straight!” The soon-to-be ruler called. “Now, let’s deal with these interlopers! I have a coronation to attend!”

She sounded like a ruler…in fact, she sounded so much like Twilight that it sent chills up and down Quarter’s spine. He and the rest of the band ran over to stand with her and Zipp against the Scarlet Wing raiders. It didn’t take long for full-fledged fighting to break out. Shrieks and shouts of anger permeated the facility as the forces of Equestria fought hard. They were heard by some passers-by, who quickly joined on their side. The fighting spilled out of the facility and into the very streets of Maretime Bay itself. Hooves and horns, sharpened to a fault, were used. No magic spells were cast, for the fighting was too personal…too crucial. Blood painted the cobblestones beneath their hooves.

More and more ponies joined as the battle grew. Soon enough, Scarlet Wing’s reinforcements arrived, called via magic by Opaline herself. Meadow was at the head of the column, and they charged hard against the Equestrians. Pony after pony fell dead as the fighting raged away. But, there was no time to mourn the fallen, for more equines joined. Unfortunately, the Equestrian side was at a disadvantage; namely, that most of their forces were untrained fighters. Scarlet Wing, on the other hand, were impressive in their ferocity. Meadow was a fierce new leader, ordering flanking maneuvers and getting around Equestria’s cobbled together army without a hitch. Sunny, her friends, and the rest of Maretime Bay fought as hard as they could…but it didn’t seem to be enough.

“We’re losing!” Zipp called, bleeding from a wound to her shoulder.

“Ya think?!” Came the retort from her sister, Pipp, who’d joined the fray in the initial onslaught.

“What do we do?” Mane Halen cried.

Now it was Sunny’s turn to go into overdrive. She knew that ponies everywhere were dying at her command. It was the hardest thing she’d ever had to endure, but she also knew that Equestria’s future was at stake. These same equines were doing the very thing that she’d often read about in the many volumes of histories that she’d consumed. She remembered reading about Twilight Sparkle and the Battle of the Two Peaks, where an Equestrian force had driven off some invading yaks. The yaks were a bigger, stronger, and better trained group. They were also going against their yak brethren, who had always held friendly ties with Equestria. But, Twilight had used strategic placement and cleverness to drive the rebellious yaks away and keep her own losses to a minimum.

Ugh…but we don’t have any rocks or trees or any other mountainous stuff to use for cover, she internalized, unless…

Comments

[Phetiamwantip]

I hope Sunny will think of something soon and save equestria. This new chapter is going very good, I enjoyed it.