Repercussions

by GaryOak

Chapter XVI - The Desert Fox

Chapter XVI
The Desert Fox
===============

Applejack was awoken by something large and heavy colliding with her head. She swore under her breath as she rubbed the lump that had just formed. She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the near-total darkness of the luggage car she had stowed away in. On account of the closed blinds, she couldn't tell whether it was day or night, morning or afternoon. By the look of things, a particularly nasty bump on the train tracks had dislodged a hefty suitcase.

“How much farther?” she mumbled to herself.

She spent the next few minutes blundering around, hoping the sounds she made crashing through the luggage wouldn't alert the whole train to her presence. Sneaking aboard hadn't been easy. She had a tough time convincing a few of the surviving Ponyville cows to block the southbound railroad track, forcing the next Canterlot-to-Appleloosa train to stop. Laying in wait behind a thicket, had she snuck aboard the rearmost car in the ensuing chaos.

“I know it ain't safe,” she continued, groping for the door handle, “but I've gotta go have a poke around. I can't just let this here train roll into Appleloosa. Okay, Applejack, think. You've gotta stop this here train once it gets closer to Appleloosa, beat the soldiers there, and warn everypony. The question is: how? Ah well, I've never been one for plans; that's what Twi always did. Things will work out... somehow.”

Her hoof finally found the handle. With a soft click, the car door opened. She gasped as early morning light came flooding into it, momentarily blinding her. When her vision cleared, she a sighed with relief. This passenger car appeared deserted. She took a few cautious steps forward and glanced out of a nearby window. All she could see was rocks and cacti.

I reckon it'll be a good few hours until Appleloosa yet, she thought, continuing her advance. Peering into the passenger rooms, she found an assortment of beleaguered-looking ponies within, most of them still asleep. What's wrong with them? she wondered, drawing closer to the steam engine. If I can break enough things up front, that should delay the soldiers. If that don't work, I can outrace 'em easy. Their heavy armour ain't no match for Ponyville's best athlete! She had passed through another two or three cars before she heard commotion up ahead. Keeping her head down, she crept forward until she reached an open compartment.

“Thought you could escape, did you?”

The stern voice made Applejack's heart leap into her throat. Her panic was short-lived once she realized the voice was not directed at her.

“P-please s-s-sir,” stammered another passenger, “w-we aren't avoiding service within the King's army!”

“That's not what it looks like from where I'm standing,” said the first voice. “You're just the same as everypony else on this train: holed up in here with your family, fleeing from Canterlot. The King won't stand for it!”

Applejack dared to risk a peek into the compartment. A tousle-maned unicorn stallion, his once-fine clothes now filthy, quivered on the floor at the hooves of a trio of Cosmo's soldiers. Their spears pointed directly at him. At a second glance, she saw a pair of fillies sobbing quietly behind a mare in the back corner.

“O-of course n-not! I g-gladly pledge myself to the K-King!”

“Not so fast!” said the soldier. “By attempting to flee the inescapable will of King Cosmo, you have committed an act of treason! Answering the sacred call to arms may spare your life, but punishment will be exacted. These foals – are they yours? I think one of them would serve as a prime example, wouldn't you think, boys?”

The other two soldiers gave heartless chuckles.

“No! Not my fillies!” said the mare, her advance stopped by a spear tip pricking her throat. “Take me instead! They've done nothing wrong!”

“Oh, but I disagree!” said the soldier, advancing on the cowering mare.

“Please! Spare their lives! I'll serve the King until my dying breath!” blubbered the unicorn, clutching desperately at the soldier's hooves.

“Don't touch me, swine!” said the soldier, kicking him in the muzzle with a sharp crack. “The King, in his infinite wisdom, has decreed that disloyalty runs in families. I am doing him a great service by wiping it out in the next generation before they take after their father in betrayal!”

He lowered his spear and prepared to strike. Her heart racing, Applejack let out a wild yell before aiming a flying kick at the soldier's head. It connected with a loud clang, sending him crashing into the wall, a large dent now adorning his helmet. The other two soldiers regarded Applejack with bewildered expressions as she grabbed the first soldier's fallen spear in her teeth and thrust it at one of them. In the narrow compartment, he didn't manage to dodge in time; it pierced his chest. He gurgled and fell to the floor, trying in vain to dislodge it.

The last remaining soldier lunged at Applejack, but she rolled backward before his spear struck home, instead sticking itself firmly in the floor. Unable to free his spear in time, the soldier aimed a hoof at her. She sidestepped and hit him squarely in the jaw with a right hook of her own, snapping his head to the side.

“Teach you to pick on defenseless fillies!” she said, pummeling the stunned soldier.

Her blows were so powerful, each one left a sizable dent in the soldier's armour. Grunting, she aimed one last kick at her opponent's throat, the blow crushing his windpipe with ease. She looked up at the last soldier, who was badly trying to play dead – his armour clanked audibly from how much he shook. Without any hesitation, she finished him like she had his comrade.

“Y-you saved us!” cried the mare, hugging Applejack fiercely. “You saved my fillies!”

“Ah, it was nothin',” said Applejack. “I couldn't just stand there and let 'em do that to ya, could I?”

“But... what you did makes you just as dead as we are,” said the unicorn, hugging his fillies. “If the King or the other soldiers on board find out...”

“It don't matter to me,” said Applejack matter-of-factly. “The name's Applejack. I'm the Element of Honesty. Cosmo already wants me dead anyhow.”

“What's your plan, then?” he asked, wide-eyed. “Can we help?”

“You'd best sit tight. I'm gonna stop this train from reaching Appleloosa. Once I've done that, I'm makin' a break for it. With any luck, I'll get there before they do, and we can beat 'em with the help of the Appleloosans.”

Releasing her, the mare nodded. “Please be careful, and thank you!”

Applejack and tipped her hat darted out of the compartment. She heard shouts from both in front and behind her, accompanied by the clanging of doors. All pretenses of stealth long forgotten, she galloped forward, hoping nopony would leap out of a compartment beside her as she charged past. As she neared the next car door, she almost ran headlong into a pair of lowered spears. The soldiers advanced on her from the open door.

Spinning around, she tried to retrace her steps, but found her way blocked by more soldiers. With nowhere else to run, she frantically looked around until she saw a side door. Rushing toward it, she kicked it open. Spotting a set of rungs nearby on the outside of the train, she jumped, grabbing onto them with one hoof while holding onto her hat with another. She scurried up the ladder until she stood on the train roof.

Four cars separated her from the steam engine. She leaned back, galvanizing herself for one last desperate charge. Maybe if I can unbolt the front car from the engine, I can just strand 'em and ride it into Appleloosa! She exhaled and propelled herself forward as quick as her legs would carry her. She hopped the gap between cars, but before she made it to the second one, soldiers began to flood the roof from both sides.

“The King will be most pleased!” shouted one of them. “The head of an Element-bearer will go nicely with Appleloosa's allegiance!”

Soldiers were now climbing up the sides of the car Applejack stood on. In a few seconds, she would be completely surrounded. She narrowed her eyes and rushed at a pair of soldiers to her left, aiming swift kicks at their chests. While the faster blows lacked the power of well-aimed ones, they proved strong enough to send her adversaries flying off the train, and crashing to earth.

The remaining soldiers formed a tight wall in front of her, trying to bully her off the train or impale her on their spears as yet more soldiers spilled onto the roof behind them. With her back to the edge of the train and a half-dozen soldiers in front of her, she barreled forward. The soldiers, not caught unawares by her sudden movement, immediately aimed thrusts at her. Undeterred, she ducked and sidestepped several strikes, crying out in pain as one of them grazed her flank, drawing blood. She took out the offending soldier with a headbutt, shattering his muzzle.

After kicking three more soldiers off the train, she leapt over a pair of them, making it onto the next car. Glancing behind her, she estimated about thirty soldiers were atop the roof. Her mane flapped wildly in the wind as she squinted at her destination. The two full cars between her and the steam engine seemed miles long. Galloping toward the next gap between cars, she prepared to leap as she had before, but barely managed to stop herself in time.

Three soldiers stood on the other side, their spears raised. Had Applejack jumped, she would have skewered herself upon them. Yet more soldiers climbed up the car to either side of her, surrounding her once again. With her only escape route denied, she was left with no choice but to fight. Barreling into the thick of them, she became a whirlwind of flying hooves.

Heavily armoured and relatively untrained, none of the conscripts could land a direct hit on her with their spears, often hitting their allies instead. She fought with a desperation and ferocity she did not know she possessed. Soldier after soldier fell in a flurry of bites, jabs, hoof sweeps, and kicks mighty enough to crack large trees.

The narrow confines of the bumpy train roof worked to Applejack's advantage, preventing her foes from bringing their full numbers to bear on her. Drenched with blood and sweat, she backed off, breathing heavily. At least fifty soldiers still remained, and seemed undeterred by the deaths of their comrades. Hopelessness began to overtake her. For every one she felled, another took his place. They began to close in on her. She knew she did not have strength enough to fend them off again.

As the soldiers prepared to strike, a screeching howl drew everypony's attention. Applejack's head snapped to where it came from, and her mouth fell open. Over a hundred foxes were pelted across the arid wasteland, directly toward the train. The soldiers whirled around and stared at their unknown assailants. The foxes snarled and bayed as they drew closer, gnashing their teeth. They covered the distance between themselves and the train like a grey blur.

“Who dares?” one of the soldiers challenged. “This train belongs to his majesty!”

One of the foxes paused, the sun gleaming off the goggles over his eyes. A black peaked cap was nestled between his ears. He stood on his hind legs and raised a paw. He waited briefly before lowering it, pointing directly at the train. The foxes surged toward it, swarming up the train's side.

Finding themselves outnumbered, the soldiers turned their full attention to their mysterious assailants. The foxes were upon them in seconds, rushing up the train as well as hopping inside of the car's open doors. Full of renewed hope, she summoned her last reserves of strength. Applejack attacked the distracted soldiers with reckless abandon. Her hopes were short-lived; while the foxes slaughtered Cosmo's soldiers with terrifying efficiency, rushed at her with equal ferocity.

Her strength dwindling with each blow, she struck at anything that moved, fox and soldier alike. Unarmed and lacking hooves with which to bludgeon their foes, the foxes instead relied on their agility and sharp teeth to get the job done. Her breathing ragged, she aimed a blow at the head of a fox. It hit home, shattering its jaw. It yelped and collapsed on top of her. Though the fox was smaller than her, she was too exhausted to support its weight in addition to her own. She and her foe tumbled off the train, smashing into the earth below.

* * *

“I still can't believe it.”

“The entire train!”

“How many bodies d'ya think there are?”

“Lost count at sixty-two.”

The voices swam around in Applejack's throbbing head. Her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton each. Every part of her body ached, and the stench of death was not helping in her resuscitation. She twitched slightly, uttering a low groan.

“Look here, Braeburn! This one's alive!”

“A fox?” said Braeburn.

She could hear the loud tramping of several sets of hooves around her.

“No, it's a mare! In bad shape, too, by the looks of it.”

“T-that's Applejack!” said Braeburn. “Applejack! Applejack! You okay?”

“Braeburn?” she mumbled as he shook her vigourously, her eyes fluttering open.

Braeburn flinched at the corpse-strewn track before returning his gaze to his cousin. “What brings ya out this far, cuz?”

The scene before her swam into focus. Roughly a dozen Appleloosans surrounded her. She thought she saw the smoke from the trainwreck a few miles to the south. She groped around until her hooves found her hat. She put it back on, adjusting it as best she could before she spoke.

“Looking for you,” she said, propping herself up on her flank with her forehooves. “It's a long story. Who in the hay were those foxes?”

“It's a long story,” said Braeburn bitterly. “We'll catch up back in Appleloosa. It ain't safe here, not with those foxes around.”

“I – I don't think I can walk.”

“Don't worry, AJ, we'll carry you. Try to get some rest; it's a few hours' trot to Appleloosa.”

Giving Braeburn a half-hearted hug, she allowed herself to slip once again into unconsciousness.

* * *

The rain pelted down the Desert Fox's goggles and a cruel grin twisted his muzzle. He raised a muddy paw, prompting four hundred bloodthirsty foxes to form a wide concave in front of the buffalo village before them. Not even the sudden outbreak of this storm could dampen their spirits. They had left the train a mangled wreck and nopony alive, including the soldiers – who were no doubt Canterlot's reinforcements for the beleaguered Appleloosans.

He looked around. There were no signs that the buffalo were alerted to their presence. Of course there weren't. The Desert Fox knew the tribe was on patrol, searching for him in vain. The rain only delayed their progress – and return – leaving their village virtually unprotected. He allowed himself a sharp laugh.

“Sir,” said a fox to his left, “the troops are ready. We are prepared to strike on your command.”

“Excellent,” said the Desert Fox, his snout twitching. “The end of this war draws near. I cannot smell more than a few dozen of them; clearly only their old and young were left behind.”

“Soon these lands will be ours!” said the fox, gnashing his teeth.

The Desert Fox turned to face the troops, and a thunderbolt threw the wicked scar on the right side of his face into sharp relief. “My troops!” he barked. “This marks the beginning of our retribution at last! The transgressions of the buffalo have gone unpunished for too long! They stole our land long ago!”

The army barked, the sound barely audible over the thunder.

“They made our kind live in disgrace and poverty!”

“Today, we will make them pay for centuries of pain and humiliation! Let not a buffalo survive, or any Appleloosan who sides with them!”

More barks and howls accompanied his words. With his army in a frenzy, the Desert Fox signaled the charge with his right paw. The baying foxes surged forward in a grey tide, sweeping across the barrens toward the buffalo camp. Their howling had alerted the buffalo to their presence, but they didn't care. The foxes had nearly reached the camp by the time the buffalo formed a group outside their tents.

The Desert Fox's estimation of their strength was correct; only about sixty buffalo gathered to oppose him. The foxes were upon them in seconds. It marked the first time the foxes had engaged them in open combat, something the buffalo had sorely desired, but the foxes held an insurmountable advantage. None of the buffalo possessed the great size or strength the foxes feared. Many were either too old and frail to pose much of a threat to the foxes, or were not yet mature enough to fight.

Like vultures to carrion, the foxes leapt atop each of the larger buffalo in squads, biting and scratching wildly until their frail prey fell, one by one. The younger buffalo were not so lucky. Those brave enough to make a stand fell the fastest, usually requiring only one fox to slay instead of the half-dozen to topple their larger kin. The massacre ended as suddenly as it started, with not a single buffalo surviving the blitzkrieg assault of the foxes, who had suffered minimal casualties.

The Desert Fox stood in the heart of the tribe's village, and grinned at the mangled corpses littering the earth. “Do not burn it!” he yelled, prompting a fox next to one of the larger teepees to drop a blazing torch into the mud. “We must scour the village for information before we destroy it!”

Foxes immediately began entering each of the teepees while the Desert Fox remained in the centre of the chaos, occasionally barking orders. It wasn't long before one of the foxes yelled, “Sir, in here!” Giving his troops a final glance, he strode toward the largest and most grand of the dwellings. The fox who had summoned him stood a foot from the entrance on his hind legs, his tail wagging furiously. He clutched a huge map bearing many complicated markings in his mouth.

The Desert Fox's eyes widened as he inspected the map. “Give it here!” – he snatched the map from the fox's jaw and threw it on the floor – “Yes... yes! I can't believe it! It's here – all of it. This is the buffalo and Appleloosan strategy for replenishing their food stores! So, it seems they're devoting most of their resources to harvesting and transporting vast quantities of apples tomorrow night.”

He began pacing around the map, the gears in his head rapidly churning. “Yes, of course. The last time they tried to harvest food, we punished them severely for it. With the help of the buffalo, they will certainly protect their harvest. They should realize by now I can smell them from miles away! Their patrols will do nothing! Appleloosa will be practically undefended!”

The Desert Fox bounded outside, brandishing the map in one of his paws. He howled triumphantly and his foxes rushed from the teepees. Once he gave the signal, the foxes clamoured amongst themselves to fetch burning material. In spite of the storm, it took them only a matter of minutes to set the whole village ablaze, the fires inflicting enough damage to level the simple structures before the rain could douse them. Howling and yammering with victory, the foxes left virtually nothing behind as they made their way toward the desert to the southwest.

The scorched remains of a teepee stirred. A mud-caked Little Strongheart emerged from the wreckage, and her eyes filled with tears as she took in the destruction before her.

“Why was I spared?” she whispered. “How did they not notice me if he can smell us from so far away?”

A strange look appeared on her face. She scraped up a hoof-full of mud before slapping it all over the exposed places of her coat. Satisfied, she nodded to herself before charging toward Appleloosa as quickly as her legs would carry her.

* * *

Applejack awoke in a small wooden room lined with beds. Through one of the windows, she could make out some familiar buildings. Rain pelted relentlessly against the glass. Looking around, she saw Braeburn standing next to her bed.

“Feelin' better?” he said, hugging her.

“Who – who were those foxes?”

Braeburn's face hardened as he released her. “They've been attackin' us for weeks. Did ya see one of 'em wearing a black hat? And goggles?”

Applejack nodded and propped herself up against the back of the bed, clutching the covers tightly around her. She was still very cold; it felt as if the rain had pierced her skin while she slept en route to Appleloosa.

“They call him the Desert Fox,” said Braeburn. “Him and his band of foxes have been attackin' us for weeks.”

“Ain't y'all still friends with the buffalo?” said Applejack pensively. “There were what, a few hundred of them foxes? If you and them teamed up, you'd have 'em licked!”

Braeburn shook his head. “It ain't like that, cuz. While there may be over a thousand of us and a few hundred buffalo, somethin' tells me he's hidin' his true numbers. He's a slippery one, that Desert Fox. Like tryin' to catch smoke on the wind. Somehow, he's always everywhere we ain't. We were out on patrol, searching for him, when we found you. I don't know how he does it. So, what brings you out this way? I didn't think any of our messages got out!”

“Actually, I came lookin' for help, but I see that y'all have yer hooves full with this Desert Fox character,” said Applejack, leaning forward. “It only gets worse. Way worse.”

“What do you mean?” said Braeburn, raising a hoof to his muzzle.

“You saw Canterlot soldiers from the train, right?”

“Yeah?”

“They ain't ours. They were coming to conquer Appleloosa – or worse.”

Braeburn took a step back. “What makes ya say that?”

Applejack looked away from him, staring at a stain on the floor. “Ponyville... it's been destroyed by those soldiers.”

“What?” shouted Braeburn, striking the floor. “You don't mean that. There's no way the Princess would allow –”

“Princess Celestia is dead,” said Applejack hollowly.

“Dead?” repeated Braeburn in hushed tones.

“Dead,” said Applejack again, shivering. “Princess Luna ain't in charge up there, either. I know this don't sound right, but believe me, it's true, every word. The Princesses have a brother, named Cosmo. He ain't so nice like his sisters. They tried to kill him way back when he tried to wipe out the zebras. Turns out they didn't quite finish him off, and now he's back.”

She glanced over at Braeburn, whose jaw hung open as he stared blankly at her. “He's the pony who ordered those soldiers to take over Appleloosa and burn Ponyville,” she continued, “Calls himself King, too. He murdered Princess Celestia. He wants everypony who uses an Element of Harmony dead – that's me – and his sister. Nopony is safe unless they fight on his side. I came to ask for yer help. Princess Luna needs you – I need you – to help put Cosmo down, for good.”

It was a few minutes before Braeburn snapped out of his stupor. He mumbled a few incoherent words before he finally managed to say, “I'd better get the Sheriff,” and ambled outside into the downpour without bothering to close the door.

Applejack didn't have much time to mull things over before she saw Braeburn return, Sheriff Silverstar at his side. Silverstar burst through the open door, his mustache drooping from the rain. But he looked no less formidable than he always did.

“Braeburn's been telling me you're in a situation similar to ours,” said Silverstar, wringing his soaked hat.

“Worse,” said Applejack. “You've gotta help us!”

Silverstar put his hat back on and shook his head. “Not while the Desert Fox threatens us.”

“But Cosmo burned Ponyville!”

“The same thing will happen to Appleloosa if we gallop off to fight him,” said Silverstar, narrowing his eyes. “If what Braeburn told me is true about this King Cosmo character, then I'd be more than happy to pledge myself and anypony willing to follow me, to Princess Luna. You helped us settle our differences with the buffalo. We'll help you – as soon as we get rid of the Desert Fox.”

Applejack leapt out of bed and grabbed her hat, which hung on one of the bedposts. “Then let's get started! I'll help y'all with yer fox problem, then you come with me and fight Cosmo. How bad can the Desert Fox be compared to Princess Celestia's older brother, bent on destroyin' all of Equestria as we know it?”

“It ain't so simple, cuz,” said Braeburn, resting a hoof on her shoulder.

“And why not? How big is his army?”

“Army size isn't very relevant,” said Silverstar. “As far as we know, there are a few hundred, but there could be a couple of thousand foxes out there. The trouble is fighting him. We've never once managed a direct conflict with his army; they always run the moment the going might turn sour for 'em. I don't know how you propose to solve that problem. If only we could just fight 'em, straight up and honest.”

“Lay a trap for 'em,” offered Applejack as she began to pace around the room.

“Tried it,” grunted Silverstar, “didn't work too well. I think we actually almost had him, but he somehow found out and got his troops out of danger before we could spring it. He's been wearing us down, Applejack. We haven't been able to safely harvest apples from our orchard without heavy casualties, and our stores are running low. Tonight, Chief Thunderhooves is going to help us get the food we so desperately need. I don't know how much longer we can last, unless something changes. I just don't.”

The three of them stared at each other for a few long minutes, with the constant pitter-patter of the raindrops pelting on the windows the only sound they could hear. Their conversation's pregnant pause was occasionally broken by Applejack offering a suggestion or idea, only to be shot down by Silverstar each time. Frustrated, she sat on the bed and rested her muzzle in her hooves. Giving her one last look, Silverstar turned to leave.

Thump, thump, thump!

“Who could that be?” said Silverstar, opening the door.

A mud-caked and windswept Little Strongheart stood wheezing in the doorway. “They – told – me – you – were – here – Sheriff.”

“Are you alright? You were at the buffalo village, weren't you?” said Silverstar sharply.

Strongheart staggered inside. She spent the next minute gasping for air and trying in vain to choke a few words out.

“Come here, sugarcube,” said Applejack, guiding her to the bed. “Breathe. What's wrong?”

“It's not the village, is it?” asked Braeburn, looking deathly white.

Strongheart wrapped herself in the covers and shivered. “The Desert Fox,” she said at last. “No one was spared... and he knows – he knows about the plan for tonight.”

Silverstar slumped against the wall. “What do we do now?” he asked, his voice hollow.

Strongheart brushed a piece of dried mud from her coat and managed a wry smile. “I think I may have an idea...”

* * *

The Desert Fox took a long sniff of the evening air as he stared at the town of Appleloosa through his polished goggles. The rain had finally stopped. He raised a paw and made a short circling motion above his cap.

A fox came bounding to his side. “Sir!”

“Reconnaissance report,” said the Desert Fox dryly.

The fox's tail swished back and forth madly. “The town is deserted, sir, and we are prepared to strike at your command.”

“Good,” said the Desert Fox, wiping a strand of drool from his muzzle. “Begin the occupation of the town immediately!”

Over two thousand foxes surged across the land toward Appleloosa. It was indeed devoid of life; the streets were clear and the lights were out. As the foxes began to spread out in preparation to destroy the town, the Desert Fox allowed himself a fiendish smile. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There were no ponies or buffalo within miles.

The loud, abrupt clanging of the clock tower's bell jolted him out of his reverie. The other foxes stared at the tower, momentarily baffled by the noise.

“What is the meaning of this?” cried the Desert Fox.

A sea of what looked like living sludge surged toward Appleloosa from all directions. As it drew closer, the Desert Fox's jaw fell open when he realized it was actually a solid line of mud-covered ponies. His ears perked as he heard the thundering of their galloping hooves and their battle cries as they reached the edge of town.

“We've been surrounded!” he shouted. “Kill them all, then burn the town! Take no prisoners!”

The foxes were beset on all sides by the Appleloosans, who were mostly unarmed, like the foxes, though some were equipped with farming implements. The battle raged across the entire town, and its defenders had the foxes surrounded. But it was not enough; the numbers and combat experience of the Desert Fox's army proved too much for the steadfast Appleloosans. Once they had recovered from the shock of the ambush, the foxes began to regroup and assume fighting formations.

* * *

“Are ya sure about this, cuz?”

“Of course I ain't sure, but it's the only plan we've got, Braeburn,” hissed Applejack.

She sat next to him inside the base of the clock tower, the bell's rope dangling between them. Both of them were covered in wet, squishy mud, which had come from a trough beside them.

“But –”

“Braeburn!” she grunted, slapping a large pack of mud into his face. “We've been over this a hundred times. Ya heard what Little Strongheart said, didn't ya? Unless this is another of the Desert Fox's tricks, I think we're really onto something. If he can't smell us through the mud...”

“Do you hear that?” whispered Braeburn.

Applejack followed his gaze outside the window to see the streets teeming with foxes. “Okay... here goes...” she whispered before grabbing the rope in her mouth and tugging as hard as she could.

With the signal sent, she crouched beside her cousin and waited, watching the confused foxes looking around frantically. When she saw the Appleloosans flooding into the streets, she charged out of her hiding place, Braeburn close behind her. She ran headlong into a pack of foxes, who were too astonished by the chaos to ready themselves in time to dodge her and Braeburn's hind legs. Their blows rang true, sending both foxes crumpling lifeless to earth, with the rest backing away as fast as they could.

Applejack saw the Desert Fox directing his forces like a master conductor would an orchestra, but every time she made a run at him, a swarm of his troops beat her back. Emboldened by the presence of their leader, a score of foxes advanced on her. While her limbs were still weary from her last battle, she managed to dig deep enough to find her second wind against her foes.

She dropped to the ground, dodging the snapping of a fox's jaws, before she sprung herself upward with as much force as she could manage. Her head connected with the fox's muzzle, shattering his jaw. He fell with a yelp. Something grey flashed out of the corner of her eye. A fox's paw snuck through her defenses and gashed her right side. Yelling in pain, Applejack turned toward the fox and aimed a jab. The blow connected, sending him skidding backward.

He lunged toward her once more, frothing at the mouth and gnashing his teeth. Applejack charged to meet him. Applejack aimed hoofjabs at her opponent, while the fox slashed at her with his claws and snapped his jaws at her neck. They rolled on the ground, flailing wildly at one another. The fox eventually managed to land a blow, slashing Applejack across her cheek. She cried out and fell on her back, the fox sporting a bloody grin as he stared down at his beaten adversary.

“I've got you now, pup!” barked the fox, preparing to close his jaws around her neck. Then he looked up. The ground rumbled from hundreds of heavy sets of hooves pounding upon it, making Appleloosa itself tremble.

“The buffalo!” cried Applejack, thrusting her hind legs squarely into the fox's chest, sending him flying into a nearby building.

She stood back up just in time to see Chief Thunderhooves, with his entire tribe behind him, yell an ancient warcry as he lowered his head and charged into the thick of it. The Appleloosans granted the buffalo a wide berth by taking cover against buildings. The foxes had formed a large mob and attempted to batter a hole in the Appleloosans' defenses, but were promptly scattered by the buffalo's arrival.

Up until now, the foxes had always fought on their own terms. They had always engaged the buffalo in small numbers, and in situations where the buffalo could not bring their size and strength to bear. Now, the buffalo were able to build up a full head of steam before ramming themselves into the densely-packed foxes. Gradually, the foxes were pushed further and further back, the combined might of the buffalo and the Appleloosans proving too much for even the Desert Fox himself to contend with.

With the entire perimeter secured by the Appleloosans, and hundreds of buffalo mercilessly barreling into them, the noose began to tighten around the fox army. Backed against a wall, the battle-hardened foxes put up a ferocious fight. Nothing was spared – the buildings, the ponies, the buffalo, or the foxes themselves. The Desert Fox began to lead a large segment of his army toward the edge of town, cutting a path through the ponies and buffalo.

Silverstar and Thunderhooves eventually found themselves fighting back to back, surrounded and heavily outnumbered by the surging foxes. They exchanged glances and nodded at each other before charging toward their foes as one, brutally smashing through a few before breaking free of their containment. As they ran to meet with the largest group of their brethren they could find, they began shouting rallying cries. The buffalo and Appleloosans gravitated toward their leaders, preparing for the final assault. The foxes frantically tried to organize a defense of their own, but were quickly overrun. In open combat, they could contend with ponies, but not the massive buffalo.

“This one's for Appleloosa!” yelled Braeburn when he spotted the Desert Fox and charged toward him.

“Don't make me laugh,” spat the Desert Fox, slashing at Braeburn's face.

Braeburn howled in pain and clutched his muzzle as blood began trickling down his face. Applejack, who was nearby, shouted, “Braeburn!” as she lunged at the Desert Fox and kicked him as hard as she could. His goggles shattered, and he collapsed on the ground.

Upon witnessing their leader's fall, the foxes broke what little semblance of rank they had left and fell into open retreat, a good number cut down as they fled. The buffalo and Appleloosans cheered as they saw the foxes scattering into the night, tails between their legs.

“Braeburn, are you alright? Speak to me, Braeburn!” said Applejack, kneeling down beside him.

Braeburn removed his hooves from his bloody face and hugged her. “We did it, cuz.”

Silverstar and Thunderhooves stood beside Applejack, their faces beaming in the light of their victory. Both had their share of cuts and scrapes, but were more or less unharmed.

“We have triumphed,” said Thunderhooves, his tone grave, “but at a terrible price. Many ponies and buffalo gave their lives for this victory, and my tribe's village is no more.”

“That's what'll happen to all of Equestria if y'all don't help Princess Luna defeat King Cosmo,” said Applejack, her eyes roaming over the piles of corpses littering the streets.

“Who?” said Thunderhooves, raising his eyebrows.

Applejack told the whole story of the King and Equestria's plight. “... and that's why I came here,” she finished.

“Of course we will help,” said Thunderhooves. “Villains like the Desert Fox and King Cosmo cannot be allowed to roam free. While I hesitate to put my tribe through another terrible war, I fear I am left with little choice if Cosmo is as terrible as you say.”

“Fortunately, we happen to have a train here,” said Silverstar. “We can take it as early as tomorrow afternoon, once we have had time to tend to the dead and wounded.”

“We'll have to abandon it once we cross Ghastly Gorge,” said Applejack. “The closer we are to Canterlot, the more dangerous somethin' like the railroad tracks get. We're gonna meet Princess Luna behind Smokey Mountain, to the northwest of Ponyville. She reckons Cosmo won't be able to find us there.”

“It's settled then,” said Silverstar, walking toward one of the buildings. “Let's get some rest. It's been a long few weeks.”

“You can say that again,” said Applejack, following in his wake, Braeburn and Thunderhooves walking beside her.

Once the streets were deserted, and every pony and buffalo retired, the Desert Fox's eyes shot open. “King Cosmo,” he muttered, slowly standing back up, “how intriguing. Perhaps he can provide me with what I seek...” With that, he scampered off into the night, in search of his surviving comrades.

Comments

[Biker_Dash]

And when King Cosmo finds out that the Desert Fox attacked his troops, Cosmo will have a new fur lined scarf!