Oh look, Equestria

**Oh look, Equestria

Chapter 11 - Hitting the Fan***Mild gore warning*

'It was a bad idea asking Twilight to tell me everything. As soon as I uttered that one word she launched into what she dubbed her 'lecture mode', conjuring up a black board full of diagrams and the like. I had since turned back into my human self, stewing over the information given

"And that pretty much covers it. Now are you going to tell me why you feel you needed an entire history on Diamond Dogs?" Twilight inquired, giving me an incredulous look

I was currently sitting on the sofa in the foyer, resting my chin on a hand and tapping a foot in slight aggravation "there's some Dogs on the border of the Everfree. The princesses want me to go deal with them. I need to know what they're doing there, I can't just go in and tell them to piss off unless they're doing something wrong"

Twilight started slightly "t-they're that close?! Why haven't I been informed of this?" she started hyperventilating

Rolling my eyes, I gave here a deadpan look "probably because you'd freak out, like you are. It's my problem now, not yours"

Twilight sighed, nodding "I'm sorry, but ever since that incident with Rarity, we've not exactly been too friendly towards the dogs. What if they're staking out Ponyville for more slaves? What if a child gets too close to the Everfree and gets snatched up by them?"

"That's what I intend to find out, and if necessary, prevent" I sighed, bringing a hand up and running it through my short hair, a helpless expression on my face "I honestly don't know how to tackle this. I feel there's a lot more going on here. Something tells me your princesses, Celestia in particular is going to be watching me intently. I need to do some reconnaissance, get the bigger picture"

I stood and started pacing "so Diamond Dogs are known as scavengers. They're world class diggers, they love gems. They can even smell out gems, that implies they have one hell of a nose, they tend to stay in seclusion with their own in their colonies. But you said it's not uncommon for them to take slaves?"

Twilight nodded "yes, unfortunately. Rarity can attest to that"

"Then I'll need to establish if they have slaves either with them, or back at the warren"

I paced a little more, face contorting into slight anger "Arghhhh, fuck! Thanks for the info, Twilight. But I need to check these guys out for myself. There's two sides to every story, after all" I turned, taking my Thestral form and adorning my new armor, walking towards the door I was stopped by Twilight

"Tom, you're not going to..... You know?" she looked uncomfortable, twirling a foreleg in front of here

I raised a brow "I'm not going to what?"

She gulped, looking to the floor "k-kill them"

I paused, raising an eyebrow at Twilight "now what makes you think I'd do that?"

She sighed explosively "oh come on, Tom. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what you really are. The camouflage, the knife, the 'shotgun' thingies, the cutie mark you chose! Your jacket even reads 'Deerhunter', I cast a deciphering spell on the label to make sure I didn't wash it wrong" she shouted

That worried me slightly, but she didn't actually seem that bothered. Rolling my eyes, I replied "good going, Sherlock. Give yourself a fuckin' shiny"

Twilight narrowed her eyes "don't... Patronize me, answer the question"

I sighed "alright, I'm sorry. I was a little harsh there. To answer your question, I honestly don't know, I'll definitely defend myself if needed"

Twilight gave me a troubled look "just please... Don't do anything rash. Be careful out there"

I snorted, rolling my eyes "I can take care of myself, thank you"

"I don't doubt it, but a Hydra or Ursa won't be so caring" Twilight said factually

'Wait... What?' "there are Hydras here...?" I asked, incredulously

Twilight nodded "yeah, me and the girls were chased by one once, thankfully we got away unhurt"

I did a 'nice' face, nodding my head slowly "nice...."

Twilight looked to me like I had gone mad "what do you mean 'nice'?! They're huge!"

"I stand by my statement, Twilight Sparkle"

Twilight rolled her eyes "humans are weird..."

"Ponies are stupid colours" I retorted childishly

Without further adieu, I walked out of the library into the night lit streets of Ponyville. I looked in the direction of the Evefree, taking off and ascending a few hundred feet to get an aerial view of the forest. Roughly 800 yards in was a small light, a campfire. I nodded to myself, check the wind direction. I altered my course, making sure my scent would be carried away from them as I made my approach

I was just over flying over a cottage on the border of the Everfree when I heard a familiar soft voice "hey there, rock star. I'm liking the armor" I smiled 'Silverwind'

Stopping in flight, I turned to her "hey Silverwind, how're you doing?"

She sighed "A little tired, but I'm good none the less. Just doing a quick patrol is all, then I've gotta shoot to Manehattan to deliver some orders. What're you up to?" she smiled, cocking her head to one side

"The princesses want me to check out some Diamond Dogs close by, she wants me to send 'em packing"

Silverwind snorted, her nose scrunching up "ew, Diamond Dogs... Smelly" she giggled "better you than me"

I chuckled lightly "so where have you been these past few days? I haven't seen hide or hair of you"

Silverwind grinned "why? You miss me?" I snorted, that made her pout "fine, be that way. For your information, I was scouting out some bandits in the Badlands. Exciting, I know"

"Bandits?" I cocked a brow

Silverwind nodded, brows furrowing "yeah, they've been raiding trade caravans from Griffonia. I was sent to get a better idea of their capabilities"

I then struck a pose, brandishing an invisible rapier and stabbing a few times in the air "stand and deliver, your money or your life"

Silverwind giggled, rolling her eyes "that's highwaymen, genius"

"Oh...." I looked down, feigning embarrassment

Silverwind's giggling evolved into full laughter, after she finished she looked back to me "hey, I was thinking... I'm going to have some time off this week, and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to Rainbow Falls? It's a gorgeous place, great for relaxing" she finished with a slightly hopeful smile

"I'd love to, when is it?" I cocked my head

"That's great! It's on the 18th, 3 days from now. It's in the day time by the way, just so you know" she nodded in affirmative

I nodded, smiling "alright, I'll see you then"

"I'll see you then! Meet me outside Ponyville Hall at 11. I've gotta get back to my patrol, have fun" she waved, turning and shooting off silently into the night

I was flying over the Everfree at a slow pace, surveying the ground through gaps in the tree canopy. I saw the weirdest things, there were wolves that (I shit you not) were made of wood. Half chicken / lizard things and even a Manticore or two were plodding about and napping. I was looking for something specific, a large enough puddle of mud that I could roll around in. Why, you ask? To further mask my scent. Give myself the smell of the forest and it's tougher for the dogs to smell me. I decided to 'play' some fitting music in my head

I scanned the forest floor for a while, finally setting my eyes on a suitable mud pit. I changed my flight trajectory gliding down into the thicket and landing silently. I walked to the mud pit in front of me, plodding in and getting on my stomach. Here came the mucky bit. I performed what could only be described as a Crocodile's death roll, covering myself from head to toe in the acrid, foul smelling muck

Pulling myself up once more, now thoroughly lathered in stank, I spread my wings and flapped them a couple times, shaking off the sticky mud so I could fly unhindered. I took off again, hovering up through a break in the canopy and carrying on with my earlier flight path. I tested the wind again and readjusted accordingly, gaining on my target

~#~#~#~#~#~

I landed silently on a branch overlooking the camp, a small bonfire was the centerpiece, burning wood and crackling happily. Surrounding the bonfire were some overturned logs, used for what I could assume were benches. There were a few satchels lying around with various bits and bobs. There were fishing nets, gems of various sizes, assorted fruits and even some spare vests hanging on a line tied to the tree I was currently occupying. Everything you'd expect from a simple forest expedition. The dogs however, were nowhere to be seen. Obviously they were just out momentarily, unless they were really that stupid to leave a bonfire unattended

To the left of the bonfire there were three thick blankets laid out next to each other underneath a simple tarp made of umbrella plant leaves. 'That's obviously where they're sleeping' I thought to myself. I heard a rustling coming from the forest floor to my right and my head whirled around to look in the distance, and I spotted the dogs in question. They were hauling something behind them, chatting idly in broken English. As they got closer I saw what they were hauling, my mouth instantly started salivating at the sight. It was a deer, a big one. My stomach growled, apparently missing the succulent meat I've been so harshly deprived of since I came to Equestria

The dogs entered the camp, the one carrying the deer dropped his load, pulling out a skinning knife and getting to work on their dinner. The other two dogs sat down on a log in front of the fire, holding their paws close to the flame. The first dog was a lanky, skinny one. He almost looked emaciated. His fur was a golden brown colour, he had large eyes, a black pupil and green sclera. It was really funky, actually.

The second and third dog who was busy skinning both had dark grey fur with yellow eyes. The one skinning was large, built strong. The second dog was a little shorter but a little wider in body than the first. They began to converse

"Good job, Fido. You get that deer good!" Said the first to the skinner, or 'Fido'. Fido looked over to the first, grunting and getting back to the job at hand

The second spoke next "Yes, good job. But Butch do good too, Butch value to pack" he nodded to the first, now dubbed 'Butch'

Butch brought a paw up, inspecting his stubby claws "I no bragger, but yeah.... Butch awesome" he then sniffed their air, looking back to the unnamed dog "hey, Fang... You smell Ursa poop?" 'wait.... Ursa poop? ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!!?!' I looked down at myself, disgusted that I had inadvertently rolled around in bear shit. I just did the only thing I could do, suck it up and get on with it, shrugging it off as not important and returning my attention below

'Fang' sniffed, nodding to Butch "Yes.... Fang smell, Ursa leave nasty surprise close by..." he blanched, holding his nose and trying to wave the smell away. He then grumbled "smelly Ursa"

Butch laughed obnoxiously "Me remember one time, Fang was digging new cave for Alpha.... Fang then dug into existing cave ceiling, falling into Manticore dung" Fido joined in laughter

Fang crossed his arms, huffing "That not funny! I got poop in my eyes!" I chuckled inwardly at their antics, they didn't seem so bad... Maybe there's more to this than the princesses think?

Fido grunted suddenly, getting the attention of the other dogs. They craned their heads back to look at Fido who was now brandishing a fully skinned deer, three large chunks of meat had been cut off and skewered onto large sticks. He handed the meat sticks over to the others, them nodding in thanks. Fido then got up, walking to the bench and taking a seat. They all rested the sticks of meat over the fire, waiting patiently for them to cook

Fang turned to Butch, a pained expression on his face "Butch, what if Alpha find out about us going to the ponies?"

...'Wait, what? This just got interesting...'

Butch snorted "Alpha is stupid. Alpha just want slaves, pack sick of him. He get us in trouble with ponies, ponies attack us"

"But what if ponies here attack?"

"We hope they listen, Fang. It all dogs can do" Fang and Butch adopted resigned expressions, sighing. Fido grunted and howled quietly a few times, apparently lightening the mood

Fang perked up "yes, Fido right. Ponies have to help, Ponyville friendly!" he smiled

'They're having trouble with their alpha, and they're coming to the ponies for help huh? Sounds like they're sick of the regime.... I be smellin' a mutiny, boys!' I thought to myself, listening intently

Butch spoke up "yes, we stick to plan. We make ponies help us. Nice princess send guards to help take down Alpha. She get slaves back, we get to live like we want. We no need slaves, we Diamond Dogs. We best diggers!"

The dogs all howled in agreement, cheering

The Diamond Dogs had been chatting for a about half an hour about their plan and how they'd persuade the ponies to help them. They talked of their friends, their pups and elders. Their warrens were struck with sickness, the ponies were coming down with it the hardest. They just weren't cut out for underground life. Apparently the dogs had tried to persuade their alpha to let the ponies go on several occasions, but the Alpha would respond by lashing out and punishing anyone who thought differently. He ruled through fear, cuilling the young and elderly, taking any female he wanted regardless if they were mated already or not. 'So he's a mass murderer, a rapist and a dictator? Good lord...' they couldn't do anything about it. I honestly felt for them, they were just outsiders trying to find their place. Just like the Thestrals, just like me. I couldn't believe I was really thinking of hunting these guys down at first, it made me sick. I had to do something, now that I knew what was going on I couldn't just do nothing

I decided to show myself and confront them. If I could just talk to them, appeal to them somehow, I could get the slaves freed and convince Celestia to supply medical treatment to the injured and sick dogs in return. I flared my wings, jumping from my branch and gliding down behind them. I got their attention with a gruff *ahem*. instantly they craned their heads back to look at me, and their eyes widened

Butch spoke up first "is that a poop pony?"

Fang gasped "POOP MONSTER!!! FIDO, GET IT!!!"

Fido growled, stalking towards me and going into a fighting position. I sighed, facehoofing. I held up a brown foreleg, placating them "please, I'm not a 'poop monster'"

Butch cocked his head, calling off Fido momentarily "then what is you?"

"I'm a Thestral. I want to talk to you" apparently, that was the wrong thing to say

They all gasped, Fang shouting "NIGHT DWELLER! GET HIM!"

Fido leaped at me, causing me to flare my wings and dash to the side, narrowly avoiding a swipe of his claws. "Wait! I just want to talk to you! I'm not here to hurt you!" I shouted, dodging a low swipe by the burly dog

"You lie! Night dweller come for dogs! Night dweller send dogs away, we not go!" Butch shouted, cowering in a corner

"Please, just call off your muscle before I'm forced to put him down. I just want to talk. I can help you!" I countered a punch from Fido, whirling around and planting a firm kick in his chest. Fido staggered back a few steps before coming right back at me

"Why would night dweller help dogs?!" Fang shouted

"Because I'm just like you. An outsider" I grunted in surprise when a solid punch connected with my side, staggering me

Butch and Fang exchanged glances, shrugging they called off their attack dog "Fido, let him speak" the huge dog relented, grunting in agreement and walking back to his bench. Sitting down and grabbing his food, eating away happily

"Come, join us at fire night dweller" I nodded, walking up to the bench and plonking my ass down

Butch spoke up first "how long you listen?"

"I heard all of it" I replied, scowling slightly

Butch nodded "then you know we not here for fight. We here for help. We sorry for Fido. It just night dwellers are sent for dogs all the time. It not night dweller's fault, it night princess. Just like alpha's fault for slaves. It just the way it is"

I sighed "I understand completely. Now, I'm going to tell you here and now. Your plan won't work"

Butch looked to me incredulously "explain"

"A pony by the name of Rarity lives in this town. She was captured by Diamond Dogs and used as a slave. She was shortly rescued, but word has gone around about the dogs. You will not find friends there" I gave him a sad smile

He sighed, dejected "O-oh, I see..... Different pack ruin our plan...."

Fang looked to me, a pleading look in his eyes "please, night dweller. You say you help dogs, then help. Pups get sick, ponies get sick" Fido whined in agreement

I couldn't just sit by and let this go on. They needed help "I'll do all I can for you. But first you have to promise me something"

The three nodded violently, Butch speaking "anything!"

I clacked my hooves together, claws appearing. I leaped at Butch, pinning him to the floor and holding a claw dangerously close to his throat "the slaves go free, and you NEVER even think about taking more" I narrowed my eyes, baring my fangs

Butch swallowed thickly, nodding vigorously "o-of course night dweller! We never wanted slaves to begin with!!"

I scrutinized his sincerity for a few seconds, nodding in approval and allowing him to stand once more, returning to my seat "good, be sure that you follow through with it. Now, I need more information on your alpha. The warren's layout etc. If I can persuade the princess to take action, her guards will need all the information they can get" I stated resolutely

The dogs all nodded in unison, giving me details on everything

10 minutes later and I had all I needed. The dogs even drew up floor plans of their den, I was surprised at the quality. The den was rather small according to them, they were a small pack compared of others. I stood up, ready to take off and get to Twilight's library, I was going to send a letter to Celestia immediately. I was stopped, however by one of the dogs grabbing me and... Hugging?

I grunted in strain from the rough hug. Butch spoke "Fido, put night dweller down!" Fido whined, dropping me to the floor with an unceremonious thud. I stood once more, dusting my shitty self off and turning to look at the dogs. They all had huge thankful and relieved smiles on their faces, it was kinda contagious

Butch spoke once more "thank you, night dweller. For listening, and for helping dogs"

Fang spoke next "yes, when we kick out alpha, you free to come visit den"

I went to speak, and that's when everything went to shit. I heard a rustling coming from the trees and bushes in front of us. Instantly I was ready, lowering my stance 'what the fuck could that be?'

There was a deep, gruff voice "You damned mutts. I finally find you, and what do I see? You're conversing with the enemy. A night dweller, no less"

Looking back to the 3 dogs, I see them pale. Butch cowers in fear "O-oh no, is Alpha!! He f-find us!"

Fang jumped beneath the log, paws over his head "h-he will punish us.. He k-kill us"

The ground shook, my ears were flooded by the sounds of paws. Lots of them. Something told me I was in it deep now. My eyes frantically scanned the clearing, searching.. Waiting. Then, that's when I saw them. There were 10 armored dogs in total, all adorning steel helmets and large breastplates. They were all growling and baring their teeth at us, more specifically: me. 'Well, fuck..... Seems I won't be needing those plans after all' I thought, mentally kicking myself

They stepped into our clearing, creating a C formation, the alpha was front and center. This guy was big, very big. His arms were as thick as my head, he stood about 7 feet tall and had a metal chest piece like the other smaller dogs, yet he was bereft of a helmet. His fur was as black as night, and he had vibrant orange eyes, just like mine. He glared directly at me for a few seconds, turning his attention to the 3 run aways "Fang, Butch, Fido. Stop cowering and tell me what you're doing here before I give you something to cower about" he snarled at them

They shakily made their way to him, stopping behind me. Butch spoke up "w-we are sorry, Alpha.... Please! Don't hurt us"

The alpha glared at them "you spineless vermin. Tell me at once"

I looked back to Fang "he won't do anything to you" fire in my eyes. He looked to me, giving me and unsure glance before nodding

Fang looked back to his alpha "we have come to find help from ponies. We stop alpha, we free slaves, we help sick"

The alpha laughed in his face "the ponies? They'll do no such thing. Even now they conspire against you." he pointed to me "they send their silver tongued assassins to spout honeyed words to gain your trust. They'll only back stab you in the end"

I snorted "you call yourself an alpha? You're pathetic. The fuck are you even doing here?! You're a poor leader to leave your den unattended"

He glared at me "you dare speak ill of me, night dweller? I'll mount your head on my wall"

Rolling my eyes, I took a step forward "no, you won't. You're unfit to to lead your pack. An alpha is meant to care for their young, elderly and sick as equal. You seek naught but personal gain" I looked to the three behind me "this is your Alpha? He is pitiful. He lies to you, I meant what I said"

The alpha got my attention once again "you know nothing, I snuff out the weak, build up the strong. In return, I take my pick of the females. It's a small price for my hard work"

"So that's it? How many families have you destroyed on your quest for power? Because that's all it is. You don't do it for your pack, you do it to protect your own ass! Hiding behind your warriors so you can stay safe. Your dogs don't want you anymore, they're being oppressed! They're basically slaves to their king" I spat. Looking back to the three behind me, I saw a conviction in their eyes. 'Good, if they all decide to jump me, I'm so dead' I thought grimly

"A necessary sacrifice to be the best" the Alpha stood tall, grinning

This guy was sick..... Every word from his mouth grated at my nerves, threatening to throw me over the edge. Gritting my teeth, I glared death at him "so you openly admit it" I looked to the dogs behind the alpha "you see, dogs? Your alpha's true colours have shown. Ask yourselves this, what if that was your pup he so callously left to die? What if that was your mate he shamelessly raped? He doesn't care for you! I offer you the chance to put it to an end. These three brave dogs have made a stand. Will you do the same?"

There was a murmur throughout the opposing dogs, all looking between themselves. Unsure of who to believe. I decided to press the advantage "you don't have to live in fear anymore! I will kill him myself here and now if I have to!" 'I have to get him alone, no interference from the others' I thought to myself, eyes scanning the opposing force

The murmurs grew in volume, some dogs even started to glare at their alpha. It seemed I had them. The alpha, not to be outdone tried to re establish dominance "ENOUGH! This creature spouts nonsense! The way we live now works fine. Why change? I swear, if any of you even so much as dare to take a step away from me, I shall slaughter you"

Butch spoke next "Night dweller speaks true, brothers! Butch know this, he just like us. He outcast"

One dog stepped forward, joining us. Butch smiled, patting his brother on the shoulder reassuringly. I grinned faintly, looking back to the crowd "you see, Diamond Dogs? Your brother here is ready to break from the shackles of oppression! For his family and friends. I beseech you, join him step forward!" 'I'm spouting so much crap right now, it's not even funny'

Another dog stepped forward, joining our ranks. We were up to 6. 6 against 8. No more dogs stepped up, the alpha howled in victory "you see, night dweller? My ways work. These dogs are loyal to me without question! Who cares how I go about getting it?! Now, you are so sure of yourself? Then let us duel to the death, just me and you. Let us see who is the stronger warrior"

I sighed, a slight smirk upon my muzzle 'good, he fell for my taunt... That's a relief' "you've made a grave mistake. I'm going to enjoy flaying your hide, dog.." I turned back to the dogs on my side, whispering "you deal with the grunts in case they try to intervene, I can't fight two at once, I'm not Bruce Lee" they nodded, taking up a defensive stance

"Step forward, night dweller. Come and meet your doom" we both stepped forward, circling each other

--#--

High above the Everfree sat a large, singular cloud. On this cloud were two royal sisters, watching the events unfold

Luna scowled to Celestia "we must help him, sister. This was not part of the plan!"

Celestia adorned a concerned face, looking down upon the stage of battle " Why is the alpha here? What madness drove him to leave his den?! Tom knows what he's doing. He knows that he has no choice but to fight"

"Are you telling me that Tom purposely taunted him?!?" Luna hissed

Celestia nodded "indeed, my guess is that he wanted the alpha to offer a one to one battle. T'was a wise decision"

"We cannot just sit idly by and do nothing" Luna growled

Celestia slowly shook her head "no, Luna. If we interfere now then the other dogs could attack. It would do more harm than good. We must leave him to fight and be here for when he needs us. The fight has commenced"

--#--

We  both waited for the other to strike first, I wasn't that stupid. Speed and agility was in my favor, whereas brute strength was his domain. I need to strike fast and get out faster. His chest was protected, so a quick kill was a no go unless I could get a lucky hit on his jugular. My wings were also a huge advantage in this fight, but they could also be my demise if I were not careful.

We sized each other up for a few seconds, then the Alpha made his move. He pounced at me, spreading his arms wide to prevent side stepping. I had one option, go under him

I flared my wings, pushing them forward with a powerful gust, rolling onto my back and sliding underneath him. I delivered a powerful buck to his midsection, denting the steel armor severely and sending him sprawling. Landing in a heap a few feet away, he snarled and got to his feet, eyes boring into me "lucky shot, night dweller. You will not get another" he then raised his arms, showing off his claws. They were at least 4 inches in length, each having a point finer than the sharpest sword. Those things could cut through rock, this guy wasn't going to hold back

I shuddered, steeling myself and bringing my forehooves up, clacking them together to extend my mithril claws. It was time to put them to the test. I extended my wings, flying at him, inches from the ground. He tried to preempt me by sidestepping. I changed my course at the last second, looping around and striking at his arm, leaving a long gash across his bicep. The claws rent his flesh like it were mere paper, letting a shower of crimson life fluid pour from his wound. I then whirled around behind him, bucking his hind legs and sending him to his knees. I grabbed the Alpha in a choke hold, a clawed hoof pressing into his neck painfully. I snarled at him "you lose"

The alpha chuckled darkly, reaching behind with his good arm and digging his claws into my armored back, penetrating the armor like it was tin. His claws embedded deep into my flesh causing my to cry out in pain and soften my grip. He then pulled me off, tossing me into a nearby tree. I hit the tree back first, denting my armor and making it cut deeper into my back. The wind was beaten out of my lungs, I let out a gasp of pain

Fang ran to my aid "night dweller!"

I waved him off, speaking in a choked, raspy voice "I'm fine, you concentrate on keeping the others back!"

"But-"

"I SAID I'M FINE DAMN IT!" I snarled at Fang. He backed up, returning to keep any outside influences at bay. I wrenched myself up, my back protesting in pain from the impact and armor digging painfully into my skin. I shook this all off however, I would not be beaten by some mere dog. 'Fuck, I should have just stuck him...' Getting my footing back, I assessed the alpha once more, blood seeping from my back wounds. I bared my fangs, snarling at the alpha

In a blind rage I darted towards the alpha. Not noticing the smirk on his face. Quicker than I could blink, he threw a balled fist upwards, connecting with my chest with a sickening crack. I was sent sprawling once again, landing on my face. A searing pain spiked through my upper body upon contact with the solid ground, I tried to cry out in pain but succeeded only in descending into a coughing fit. Every heave sending a lance of pain through me. I spluttered up large globs of blood, glaring at the ground and grimacing at the taste of metal. My entire body screamed in protest from the internal bleeding

My ears rotated to face the alpha when I heard quiet footsteps making their way over to me, an arrogant laugh met my ears "you really thought you stood a chance against me? I was made alpha for a reason. Just give up, little one. Your time is up"

I turned to look at him, rage in my eyes "you think I'm ready to quit so soon? I'LL PAINT MY FACE WITH YOUR BLOOD!" in a surge of pure adrenaline I whirled around, the pain momentarily forgotten. Getting my footing back, I snarled at the alpha who was still stalking towards me, not even 4 ft separating us

He laughed "you still have some fight left in you, I like that"

I had to finish this, here and now. 'I'll be lucky if I haven't punctured a lung, I need to finish this before he gets another hit in. I'm dead otherwise'. Steeling myself with all the resolve I could muster, waiting for an opening. I widened my stance making him mime the gesture, that's when I struck. I flew at him once more, just grazing his cheek with my claws. I did a quick U turn, hitting the deck at the last minute and avoiding a swipe at my neck within a hair's length. Sliding under his legs on my back, the now pot holed armor proving to be a bitch to me once again. I extended my forelegs, cutting the Alpha as deep as possible across both his thighs, bringing the claws down in a diagonal slash to maximize damage. I felt the satisfying instant of resistance before they pierced his flesh to the hilt, cutting through muscle like butter. I felt the blades scrape across bone momentarily and smirked. Just at the apex of my cut, I twisted the blades slightly, hooking onto muscle and veins alike, tearing them from his legs forcefully

The Alpha fell to his knees once more, blood gushed from his wounds without abandon, tendons and muscle lay limply from the torn skin hanging like a wet plastic bag. He wailed in agony, clutching his wounds and trying to force muscle back into his legs helplessly

A cry of outrage shot through the ranks of the opposing dogs, some stepping forward to try and help their fallen leader. They were quickly put in their place however, by Butch "you dogs know rules of combat. Fight to death, no interference"

I stalked up to the crippled dog, panting in pain and rage and hacking up large globs of blood. I threw my back armor off, it hitting the floor with a loud *clang*. Blood flowed freely across my back, coating my already shit stained coat a deep maroon. I was going to make this fuck suffer for what he did. I was going to deliver pain unlike any other. I came up behind the alpha, rearing up and slamming my forehooves down onto his ankles, shattering the bone.

The alpha cried out in anguish, turning his head to glare at me "finish it"

"You're going to wish I did sooner, you bastard" I muttered darkly. Narrowing my eyes, I brought my forehooves down upon his shattered ankles once more. With a sickening crack and squelch, bone shot through his skin, jutting out at odd angles and spurting a mixture of blood and marrow across the floor and myself. The alpha squeeled like a stuck pig

"That's it... I want to hear you squeel.... I'm going to make you pay, for all the lives you've destroyed" trotting out in front of him, I saw that he was barely conscious, lying in a pool of congealed blood and vomit. I couldn't have him dying on my just yet. I repeated my earlier actions on his arms, each time more bone fragments littered the ground, all the while the song of anguish graced my ears. Now that the alpha was truly broken, I added insult to injury. I disengaged my claws, slamming a double hoof punch right into his jaw and sending teeth flying from his jagged maw. I then got to my knees, wrenching his head up to look into his eyes, grinning sadistically "there are beings like you in my homeland. You're nothing special, just another scumbag to be dealt with. Not a day goes by where I don't wish I could get one of you alone.... I guess having a crowd will have to suffice"

The alpha glared in defiance, spitting a mix of teeth and blood in my face. "I did vhat i did thu prothect them, make them stvong"

I recoiled slightly, sighing. 'Spitting, really? Dirty bastard' I wiped my face with a hoof and fixed him with an incredulous stare "even in the face of defeat you fail to see your wrong doings. As the old human saying goes" I extended a foreleg to his face, bringing the claws within millimeters of his eyes "an eye for an eye" and with that, I plunged the mithril claws deep into his eye sockets and into his brain, twisting them 90 degrees and ending his life

I pulled my arm back, letting the alpha's lifeless body fall to the ground in a heap. The now dead alpha's body twitched a couple times before falling still. I tried to get back up. Sadly my adrenaline high had come to an end, I felt everything. I fell to the floor with a grunt of agony

My dogs were around me instantly, forming a protective barrier. There was a tense moment of indecision before anything happened. 'Please don't fight, I won't be able to defend myself for shit...' I groaned, speaking up in a raspy voice "Diamond Dogs, hear me.... Your alpha lies dead, you are without a leader. Do not descend into a civil dispute, you need each other now more than ever"

One by one, the opposing dogs joined us, small smiles gracing their lips. One of them started to cheer, surprisingly. It didn't take long for them to all break out into cries of joy and elation to their new found freedom. It brought a relieved smile to my features

--#--

Celestia and Luna lay on their cloud, slack jawed at what they had just witnessed. The human had just slaughtered the alpha like he was some mere grunt. No remorse, not a single iota of mercy given

Luna found her voice "the alpha lies dead, he was remarkable"

Celestia was not expecting such violence "he... He was so... Merciless, so brutal. Even when he was broken, he found the conviction to finish it. He extended the alpha's life as long as possible, just to bring him more pain. Yet the fight last mere moments"

Luna snorted "Tom exploited the alpha's arrogance, he was dead as soon as he let his guard down. He needed to feel the pain inflicted upon his victims"

Celestia shook her head slowly "was there need to go to such extremes? Tom's reasoning was sound enough to warrant killing the alpha, but his actions were over the top"

"And what of the lives of the children the alpha took? The females he had callously defiled?" Luna pointed to the ground "those dogs revere him now, look at them! They're practically kissing the ground he walks on! Can you not see the weight that has been lifted from their shoulders?"

Celestia sighed "perhaps you're right Luna..." she then perked up "what say we go and lend him a helping hoof? He is in desperate need of medical attention"

Luna nodded, and together they made their way towards the bloody and broken human

--#--

I was lead by Fido to the same fallen log bench that I sat on earlier, plonking my butt once more down upon it. Blood was still gushing from my back, I could feel my cracked and broken ribs grinding against each other, but I couldn't bring myself to care right now. One by one, Diamond Dogs greeted me, giving me thanks and trying to gift me with strange artifacts. I denied them all, that is until Fido grabbed a piece of meat from the makeshift cooking station, holding it out to me with a silent question

I couldn't help it, I didn't give a fuck if a Thestral was able to eat meat or not. I needed this, besides.. It sounded like the dogs had many a run in with Thestrals in the past, they wouldn't just offer me meat without knowing I could eat it. I skewered the meat with my hoof claws, not even caring about the string of brains and tendon coating them. I brought the venison to my mouth taking a large, satisfying bite. It was heavenly, the taste of the succulent deer venison cooked to perfection almost overloaded my senses. I dug in without abandon, causing a round of laughter from the dogs

The cheering stopped suddenly, the air became thick with tension. If someone were to drop a pin, it would be heard. All dogs present  jumped back, yelping and cowering. I was too busy ravaging my meal to care. I had a good idea as to whom it was

I heard a serene, deadpan voice from behind me "charming" Celestia stated

A second voice accompanied the first "indeed sister, though the sight of that would do a good job at inspiring fear into his enemy" 'Luna'

I spoke without turning around "hey Luna, am I correct in my assumption that Thestrals can eat meat?"

"Indeed you are, the fangs should've been a reasonable give away" Luna replied

Celestia spoke "Tom, why eat that ghastly meat? It could be full of diseases"

I sighed "how many hooves am I holding up?"

Celestia answered "none, why do you ask?"

"And that is how many fucks I give right now. Besides, it's cooked to perfection. So no germs" I wheezed, coughing up more blood. I Turned around and gave them an incredulous stare "how did you two sneak up on me..? I can hear everything a mile off for Pete's sake"

The royal sisters exchanged worried glances for a second, Celestia replying "we were following you the moment you left the library, I kept us hidden to you by use of magic"

"Of fucking course, magic" I waved my forehooves around theatrically, almost dropping my venison and wincing in pain "as you probably saw then, the alpha is dead. You can sort out the slaves, that's your domain Celestia. Not mine" I handed the venison to a dog next to me, trying to stand

Luna stopped me, intercepting my path with a flared wing "you are not going anywhere in your condition, sit"

I tried waving her off "Luna, I'm fine. Just let me get ba--" I was cut off by another coughing fit, a mixture of blood and saliva shooting from my muzzle

Luna's eyes narrowed at the sight "You are not 'fine', your are practically dying where you stand! Now sit your rump down and let me heal you" she sighed "why are you so stubborn?"

"Why are you so persistent?" I mirrored, sighing and resigning to my fate. Once again sitting down and having someone fawn over me

Luna approached me, horn alight "now hold still, it will feel... Tingly, but that is normal" I felt the tingle, but it stopped almost as soon as it started. Looking back to Luna I saw her brow furrowed and face contorted into a serious expression. She turned to her sister "Tia, his wounds are too great for me to heal on my own, and I fear we are too far away from a hospital. May you lend me your aid?"

Celestia nodded, a grim look on her face "of course, Luna. It's the least I could do for getting him into such a situation" both sister's horns lit up, moments later, I felt the tingle return. I could feel my wounds closing up, skin reattaching itself seamlessly, bone shifting position and molding back into shape. I cringed at the feeling

Luna giggled, pulling back "I know, it is truly an odd sensation to get used to" she ran a gilded hoof down my back, checking for a reaction

I hissed at the feeling of cold metal, shuddering "Oooofffff, that's bloody cold!!! So Lulu..... What's your verdict on my skills?"

rolling her eyes, Luna replied "you are on the cusp of collapsing and you complain of a cold hoof.. Unbelievable... Tell me if you feel any discomfort. And to answer your question, you have the most amazing fighting spirit I have ever witnessed, though you would benefit greatly from adequate combat training. You had a perfect chance to end his life and avoid most of your injuries, yet you let it slip by. That being said, you have indeed proved yourself worthy of joining my guard, if you wish to do so" she drew her hoof across the length of my back, she then nodded, satisfied. "You are good as new..... Almost"

I raised a brow at the 'almost' comment, but nodded in thanks to them both "so, docs.... What was the damage?"

Celestia spoke up "you... Do not want to know"

"Yes I do" I gave her a deadpan stare

Celestia sighed, exasperated "4 shattered ribs, both lungs punctured, internal bleeding from the liver, deep puncture wounds to your back, damaged vertebrae, several of your back muscles were almost completely severed, no doubt from the damaged armor impacting the tree" she finished, rolling her eyes

I flinched back "wow, that guy had one hell of a punch" 'well, they can destroy solid rock just by punching it, idiot' I thought to myself, criticizing my own performance in my head

Celestia looked to me in concern "indeed, and we could not fully heal you either. Two of your ribs are still broken, they were the worst damaged. We have reconstructed and set them, but they will need time to heal and reattach themselves completely" she turned to Luna "sister, can you please accompany Tom back to the library and make sure he is bandaged?" Luna nodded, standing next to me

I nodded in understand, I saw a dog on the corner of my vision picking up my discarded armor, slowly walking up to me and resting it beside me. I sighed, slumping "ahhh fuck, my new armor! it's ruined!!!" I pouted

Luna laughed, waving me off "worry not, I will supply you with a new one. T'is the least I can do"

"Why?"

She looked to me incredulously "you just risked your life to save not only our ponies, but for a better future for these Diamond Dogs. A mere replacement set of armor is nothing"

I smiled at her "thanks, Luna. You are officially best princess" she smirked, sticking her tongue out at Celestia

Celestia got my attention with a curt *ahem*, rolling her eyes "Yes, well let me be the first to thank you, Tom. Although I do not agree with the level of brutality you exhibited, I must admit that you were indeed impressive to watch"

I then glared at Celestia "that bastard deserved more. I just ran out of ideas and time. I'm guessing that this was originally meant to be a test to see how I'd deal with the dogs. Correct?"

Celestia nodded "indeed, though believe me when I say that the alpha was not part of the plan, I had no idea he was coming.. I am so very sorry for putting you in that situation"

I sighed "look, don't worry about it. I guess fate decided I was having things too easy here. He was all show and no go anyway. I merely got hurt from my own negligence"

Celestia paled "how can you be so.... Casual?!"

I snorted "I'm still alive aren't I?"

"Barely!" Celestia shouted

"Semantics. Anyways, where do we go from here then?"

"That is simple, you may return to Ponyville, your need rest. You need not burden yourself with the dogs any longer. The rest of the negotiation shall by handled by myself"

I nodded, turning to address the dogs. Celestia stopped me, horn alight "you should not be flying whilst your ribs are broken. I shall teleport you both to the library"

I whirled around "not yet! Wai--" I didn't get to finish, my vision shrunk to a pinprick, and I felt like I was being stretched infinitely. The feeling soon passed and I fell to the ground with a dull *thud* "Ooof!"

~#~#~#~#~#~

Twilight was laying on her sofa, enjoying a wonderful book. Tom had gone somewhere about an hour ago, leaving her in blissful silence. This silence however, was about to be interrupted. Twilight suddenly felt the telltale tingle of magic... Teleportation magic, she then heard a pop, and felt an extremely cumbersome weight dropped on her back, sliding to the floor with a *thump*

Luna's voice graced Twilight's ears "Twilight Sparkle, I require you assistance immediately! Bring me your first aid kit at once!"

I got up to a sitting position, looking around at my surroundings. I scowled "seriously? I didn't even get to say so much as goodbye to them!"

Twilight's eyes went wide at the sight of my bloodied appearance. She nodded to Luna, jumping off the sofa and running into the kitchen. She was back in a flash, first aid kit in tow

Luna nodded in thanks, accepting the items. Twilight spoke up "what happened to you, Tom?!"

I waved her off, speaking in a posh English voice "fear not, Twilight Foster! We drank, we fought, she made her ancestors proud!" I patted Luna on the shoulder

Luna shrugged my arm off, giving me a sidelong glance "go and clean yourself of this filth this instant! You smell like an Ursa's rear end! Once you return, I shall see to bandaging you"

"Why didn't we just teleport to a hospital...? And how do you know what an Ursa's butt hole smells like?" I inquired

"Firstly, it is difficult to ignore such a stench of that scale. And it is my understanding that you and sergeant Silverwind are having a soiree at Rainbow Falls this weekend, surely if you were admitted to the hospital you would miss the date" Luna raised a brow

I nodded "point taken. And it's not a date, for crying out loud" I hobbled slowly up the stairs, 'owing' with every step

One very painful shower later, I was now clean and had a ginormous bandage wrapped around my chest, trapping my wings courtesy of the princess of the night. I tried to complain at this, but Luna insisted that I shouldn't be flying whilst the healing process was doing its thing, she also encouraged me not to try shapeshifting until after my ribs had healed, something about too many variables and risks. She left soon after, leaving me and Twilight alone

Twilight's curiosity got the better of her "Tom, what the buck happened out there for you to come back in such a state?"

I rolled my eyes "I'll give you the key points and nothing more, it's a long story. Rolled around in Ursa shit thinking it was mud, spied on some Diamond Dogs, found out they were just looking for help, tried helping them, got ambushed by their alpha, had a one on one death match with said alpha, we beat each other six ways to Sunday, I won, princesses had to heal me, teleported back"

Twilight's eyes shrunk to pinpricks "w-what?"

"Yeah, the alpha broke four of my ribs with one punch, shattered them actually...." I scowled, rubbing my chest subconsciously

".....I'm going to bed. Good night" Twilight stood, shaking her head and leaving the room for her bed

I chuckled to myself 'she's learning' "yeah, me too... It's been a long fucking day" I stood, walking to my own bed and turning in for the night. Once I finally found a comfortable position, I fell into a dreamless sleep