Quest For Harmony

by destinedjagold

Chapter 56 - Trust In Battle

Explosion was the first thing I heard as soon as I recovered my senses.

"Aaahhh—!"

I shot my eyes wide open as soon as I recognized the voice's owner. I found myself lying on a tree's branch, where my limbs and my head were hanging lazily. Below me was a battlefield: Spike, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were fighting against swords and beams of probably a dozen armored unicorns.

Spike flew and hit a tree with his back as Apple Bloom ran and dodged a swinging blade, and gave a mighty kick on the chest plate of a wincing unicorn.

Applejack was dodging swords and beams. She couldn't find an opening to deliver an attack. She instead swept Spike as she dashed in front of the unicorns who were about to strike the dizzy dragon.

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were fighting swords against swords with unicorns.

Sweetie Belle was having a magic duel with other unicorns as she expertly dodges beams here and there.

The battle wasn't really going for their favor as I tilted my head towards the source of hooves from a distance. Unicorns were rushing towards the battle scene, swords and spears in tow.

Darn it, I need to help them, but how!? Darn that voice! Why did it sent me back here where things are looking grim!

"I'll help you..." spoke the undeniably masculine voice in my head... I still can't believe that of all the ones who'll help me, it had to be him!

"I'm not sure if I should trust you..." I replied in my head as I scanned my surroundings. Big Mac was unconsciously laying on a branch on another tree near my whereabouts...

"It's difficult, but please trust me..."

Scootaloo lost her grip on her sword, and quickly ducked in the nick of time to dodge a swinging sword.

Apple Bloom was stabbed by a sword on her hoof, and cried in pain as she dashed away in a slower pace.

"Darn it..."

Spike jumped and blocked the attacks of the unicorns who were chasing after Apple Bloom, but a unicorn struck him with a mana beam on the side.

"Darn it...!"

"Jay..."

My brother's in trouble, and so is Claire... But so are these ponies... So is Spike... I don't want to help them! I want to help my brother! But I'm just simply lying to myself! Even if I act like I don't care, I still am! I jumped off the branch and pressed my hooves on two armored heads. I landed on the ground. I quickly turned, and sent my two hind hooves on their faces. I smiled nervously at Spike, who was stunned to see me.

"Tell me what I have to do!" I shouted in the air before biting Spike's tail and dragging him away from our pursuers.

"Jump right," the voice echoed in my head.

I obliged, and the instant I jumped, I managed to dodge a beam of mana from behind.

"Throw Spike at them."

"W-what!?"

"Just do it!"

"Ack, don't shout in my head!" that was truly painful...

"Sorry."

I stopped, and turned around, ready to throw Spike at them, but before I did, I saw Spike already had a green spear on his grasp. I threw him towards the unicorn, and he swung his lance within reach, hitting the startled unicorn on his head.

"Grab a rock" I snapped myself back to attention and grabbed a rock...

"Can I ask—"

"Magic of the hooves. Now throw it at the unicorn on your left."

Uh, okay? I turned and threw the rock, hitting the metal armor of the unicorn who had Sweetie Belle cornered. It served as a minor distraction, enough for Sweetie Belle to run pass him.

"Jump forward." No need to instruct me with the obvious! I jumped in time to avoid a swinging sword. "Roll to your side!" I dodged that same sword again. "Jump up!" I jumped, and the blade flew under my hooves. "Jump forward!" Ugh, this is getting ridiculous! "Again!" I did. "Jump behind you!"

I blinked. "Wha—augh!" Ack, painful... Ow, painful... Darn it darn it darn it...

The blade stabbed me on my side... It pulled out, and I quickly dashed forward to avoid whatever its owner wanted to do.

Ugh... Painful... Ow, painful...

"I told you to trust me!"

"And I told you not to shout in my head!" I snarled in the air as I stopped and turned. I saw the bloody sword and it's unicorn wielder rushing towards me. "Okay, now what!?"

"I can't help you if you question my instructions..."

"Then I hope you don't mind me to return your body in pieces then!" I jumped back to avoid the swinging sword.

I actually heard a sigh inside my head. "When he swings his swor—" I jumped back again to avoid his swing. "—uh, the second time, jump back, but not too high, and give him a headbutt..."

I sighed internally, and after dodging another swing, I dash forward, pinning the unicorn on the ground as I grabbed his sword with my teeth. I raised one of my forehooves, and started beating his face.

"Okay, you can stop now and duck!" Quack? I jumped right instead as soon as I heard a powerful stream of mana coming towards me. I landed, yet I lost my balance because of this painful wound I had, and I fell on the ground. "I said to duck!"

A unicorn fired a mana beam at me. Nervous, but I managed to lift my head in time to deflect that beam with the sword on my mouth. It was deflected to the unicorn who I was pinning down earlier. The firing unicorn was startled enough to not notice Apple Bloom giving him a powerful headbutt on his exposed neck. That got to hurt.

I groaned as I rose u— "Roll forward!" I kicked my hind hooves on the ground, sending me flying forward as I heard swords clashing on the ground from where I previously was. I turned to my attackers, and blocked a sword with my own sword on my teeth.

"This would have been so much easier if I had hands!" I thought bitterly as I jumped back, not even realizing that I bumped on a unicorn who was standing behind me. I ducked to dodge a swinging sword, and it instead slashed the neck of the unicorn behind me.

The unicorn in front of me was startled. It was enough for me to strike, but...kill him? I don't think I can... I don't think I can live with it...

He snapped back to attention, and struck his sword towards me...towards my frozen self...towards my exposed neck...

A green lance swung and blocked the sword, merely inches away from my neck. I blinked, took a step back, and I ended up stumbling on a dead unicorn's body. A blue blur knocked the unicorn out and with a swift swing of her head, she struck the unicorn's head with her sword.

I wasn't breathing... I couldn't... How could I? I have never ever seen a killing scene as close as this, or right in front of my eyes... Spike must have noticed as he turned. His smile was dropped as he realized how terrified I was... The sword on my openly-hanging mouth was dropped on the ground.

"S-sorry Gold..." was all Spike could say as he tried to make me stand up. "You're wounded!" he exclaimed, but I didn't care... I was terrified... W-what if—

What if Claire and my brother would meet the same fate at the hands of those three people back in my world!? Worse, what if I'll witness that scene right in front of my eyes!?

"...I'm sorry..."

I hung my head low...

"We've got tah skedaddle, ponies!" Applejack exclaimed as she puts her brother on her back, and as well as her wounded sister. "There are unicorns approachin'!"

Rainbow Dash carried a wounded Sweetie Belle on her back as she stared at Scootaloo. "Glad you're okay, squirt."

Scootaloo beamed. "Heh, it was nothing, really."

"Gold," Spike spoke as Applejack, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were approaching me.

I sighed, no need for me to trouble myself with this for now. I need to get outta here first. "W-will you help me Spike?"

Spike looked at me worriedly, but nodded as he flashed me a small smile. "Of course I would! What kind of a question is that?"