Pony Power Battles

Archimedes was rumbled and tossed, hanging onto Trixie with all his might as she sped quickly through the density of the jungle. At trouble spots, she came to a slow, flinging him forward to her neck. ‘Well, this isn’t as pleasant as I first imagined,’ he thought to himself as a particularly large jump ended with his bowels in his tail.

“Just hang on!” Trixie said out loud, a little late, Archie thought, just as another jump did the same, hurting him even more. This nightmare had to end, they had to be close! Suddenly, they came upon the clearing…only…something was off.

“I think we overshot it!” Trixie said frantically, panting. Archie judged the distance, and looking at the crater before them, his jaw dropped.

“No, I don’t believe it,” he whispered, staring at the lack of tree. The picture depicted the tree as humongous! Where did it go? Archimedes got off of Trixie, rubbing his backside as he stared at what looked like a giant canyon.

“It’s…gone?” Trixie asked, bewildered.

“That’s what it looks like,” Archimedes said, taking a claw of soil from the edge of the crater and sniffing it. He felt an unusually strong presence straight ahead of them, and noticed a shadow shifting on the other side of the gorge. A large shadow. Shifting very fast. Towards them!

“Hey, Trixie, I think we either need to run or fight, now. I think it’s here!” Archie said, two yellow blades lighting on either side of his weapon. He heard the familiar sound of Trixie’s saber as well, and gained courage.

“Let’s take this bastard down!” She said, as he was sure she felt the growing shadow. Her voice and determination brought comfort to him. Suddenly, their fears passed as…Moonlight Scroll entered the clearing?

“Guys!” he said, panting heavily, sweat dripping off of his fur, “I found it!”

“Found what?” Archimedes asked first, confused. He heard Trixie’s saber turn off; but he kept his ignited, skeptical at his friend’s appearance.

“I found…this!” Moonlight said, standing to the side, showing a white furred filly with a purple curly mane. Or at least it looked like that until it started moving mechanically, and speaking in a robotic voice.

“I am designation L0V3 M3, Sweetie Bot!” The droid said, a little sluggishly.

“This is a top of the line droid! Haven’t seen its type in centuries!” Moonlight Scroll continued, “It had been sitting in the jungle, and I found it!”

“How did you find us, or get back so quickly with that thing?” Archie asked as Trixie blew right past him, hugging Moonlight. ‘How convenient,’ Archie thought, the jealousy rising back up in him.

“I…used the force,” Moonlight Scroll said cryptically, hugging Trixie back. “Besides, look here, on its back, it’s the same symbol all over the Jedi temple back home!”

“We missed you!” Trixie said, ignoring the droid, “We found a way to track the energy signature of your lightsaber, and there were a thousand lightsaber signatures, and then we came to look for you, to tell you the terentatek was on your tail!”

“Yeah, and then we found this tree, or what was supposed to be a tree, gone! Then you come into the clearing with an equally suspicious droid!” Archimedes said, backing away slightly.

Before Moonlight Scroll could speak or explain, he was interrupted by the droid on his back.

“I serve the great Jedi Masters, Luna and Celestia!” the Sweetie Bot informed, suddenly leaping off of Moon and erecting a host of defensive technology, including two missile launchers, laser guidance from its eyes, and a personal energy shield. “Detecting hostile life form approximately two hundred kilometers south, by this planet’s polarity. Based on size and speed: terentatek. Suggesting evasive action!”

All three of them gasped. The terentatek burst into the clearing near them, sliding into the canyon due to its massive form. Before any of them could react, Sweetie Bot launched several missiles at it, a ball of fire erupting over its chitinous hide. Then she disappeared into the jungle, leaving a small trail of smoke behind her. The smoke then cleared from the beast, showing absolutely no signs of any effect whatsoever.

Archimedes heard and saw both Trixie and Moonlight ignite their sabers, and all three looked grimly at the fast approaching monstrosity from their nightmares. Its small eyes glowed red underneath armoring of hide and bone. Its sloping head ended in a ridge of spikes and spines. Its stocky body was covered in chitin plates, sporting hundreds of ineffective lightsaber burns. Its arms were bulky and strong, ending in claws that could tear a starships’ hull apart. The legs were immense, and immensely powerful, contracting and then with a singular expansion, launching the stocky, invulnerable juggernaut into the air at them.

Trixie gasped as Moonlight leaped with extraordinary strength and speed at the monster, wielding his blade with the magic he had learned as a unicorn, and steadying his balance with the force he had learned as a Jedi. Archimedes could sense something off about moonlight, though, as his movements were more aggressive than normal.

The terentatek and Moonlight Scroll met midair and collided, lightsaber against claw. Archimedes almost couldn’t keep track of their movements, they were so fast! They both fell to the ground, sinking into the crater as they continued their fray. “Not my Trixie!” Moonlight yelled out.

Archimedes was stunned. Had he really given in? He then noticed…maybe he had as well…It didn’t matter, the combat was now, feelings were later. He shook himself as he turned to Trixie, shaking her as well. “Come on Trixie, he needs our help!” She seemed unnaturally fearful for this situation. It was ugly, but not that ugly.

“Uhm…Right!” She said unsteadily and they both charged into the fray, sliding into the great crater that lay before them. They surrounded the terentatek, coming at it from all sides. The beast was fast, however, and Archimedes thought he could hear it gurgle a laugh as it matched all of their skills and abilities. Lightsabers were swung with amazing speed and skill for new Jedi, though the beast blocked every attack. The only one that was keeping up with it without much difficulty was Moonlight Scroll.

Trixie, seeing an opening, blasted it with the force as Archimedes breathed fire, catching it between the two of them. The beast didn’t even move, seeming to grow stronger, feeding from the energy of the shockwave from Trixie. The fire did nothing, barely blackening the plated chitin that covered it from head to toe. It grinned a toothy grin as it shunted, so fast Archie couldn’t see, punching him with a clawed fist and sending him flying out of the crater.

He felt dizzy as he flew, his vision fading in and out. He couldn’t breathe as he felt himself free fall to a painful thud on the ground. He took inventory with what little concentration he had, through the searing pain. He knew at least five of his small ribs were broken, as well as the wing he landed on. He felt like he was drowning, so…maybe a punctured lung? He couldn’t tell. He felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. Was this…the end? One blow and mighty Archimedes was down for the count? Heh…

His thoughts turned to Trixie as he faded, and to Luna, his Mistress at the academy. He missed home…