Pony Buster: A timeless journey

Applebloom kept staring with her jaws wide open at the dressed and armed mare before her, claiming to be Fan Lihua, a fearsome warrior mare in Ancient Chineigh. Applebloom could see for herself, after studying about this pony for so long, it was inevitable to see that the soldier in the books was exactly like the soldier in front of her.

"Is there something wrong?" Lihua asked, it didn't matter to Applebloom that a warrior from Chineigh could even speak English, it couldn't beat the fact that a pony that was considered dead through time or in battle, was alive and in the flesh, standing right in front of her.

"But... How... Whut are you doin' here!?" Applebloom spoke,

"It's complicated." Lihua replied giving a worried look "I'm not sure if you know about me..."

"No" Applebloom interrupted "Ah know exactly who you are, but it's impossible for you to be here. Aren't you supposed to be... You know... Dead?"

"Supposedly." Lihua answered back, bringing Applebloom into even further surprise and horror. "I shouldn't be discussing this to anypony, least of all a kid, but since you're the only one here, and that you know me, I guess I'll make an except--" A loud clap rang through the sky, interrupting Lihua's decision and spurring the two ponies into sudden alert.

"Was that thunder?" Applebloom looked up worried "the forecast said there wasn't any sign of thunderstorms... And it doesn't sound like thunder..."

"That's because it's not thunder." Lihua warned, "you need to run Applebloom. Now!" And gestured her to run.

"But what's going on!?" Applebloom replied in fear.

"No time! Go back home, NOW!!!" Lihua yelled, "I'll cover your back!" Without a word, Applebloom galloped back towards the direction of Ponyville as fast as she could.

"What about her?" Applebloom thought to herself "what's going on?" Her answer came as a crack in the sky appeared in front of her, revealing a very tenacious vortex swirling outwards. Two scary looking ponies in red leather armor hopped out of the crack looking around in confusion, but still with a fierce glare. As both landed their eyes on the young filly, they glared angrily at her and pulled out their swords. This was enough of a message for Applebloom to gallop away with the swordsponies in hot pursuit. No matter how far Applebloom galloped, the aggressors behind her were trained for war and no sooner were they right on her tail. One stallion got close enough and was about to bring down his sword on the frightened filly, only for a large curved blade to plunge into the stallion and halt his movement completely. The other swordspony and Applebloom stopped running to see a familiar mare had burrowed her spear into Applebloom's chaser. Applebloom shuddered in fear as Fan Lihua abruptly removed the lifeless body with a single kick from her spear, as it collapsed into dust.

"D-Did you just...!?" Applebloom trembly spoke in fear.

"They are not pony." Lihua replied calmly, showing the terrified filly her blade, fully clean and unstained with blood. Seeing the mysterious intruder as a higher threat, the remaining swordspony charged at her.

"But still..." Applebloom tried to understand,

"They are not real ponies as I have said." Lihua explained as she clashed blades with the swordspony, "the same can be said for me. They are souls tainted by darkness, chaos, once brave soldiers that have passed away long ago, now revived and rejuvenated but corrupted by evil." A shove sent the enemy staggering backwards for enough time for Fan Lihua to breathe. "Think of them as... Undead with actual minds and souls. Now should you be running? I don't think I can--" Another interruption came as the swordspony charged for the warrior mare one more time, managing to catch her off guard and deal serious damage.

"Fan Lihua!" Applebloom called in fear once again.

"I'm done for... Don't worry about me! Just go!" Lihua cried back,

"And leave you to die!?" Applebloom called back, determination, courage and anger pushing away her timid demeanour. "You saved mah life, ah owe you plenty!" And with that, Applebloom charged straight for the swordspony, ready to claim the mare's soul.

"Applebloom, no!" Lihua cried but it was too late, Applebloom ferociously kicked the swordsman with a hind kick to the skull, stunning him and knocking him away from his kill as he screams in pain. Lihua took this advantage to recover her weapon and decapitate him in one swing. Applebloom cringed in fear once again as the enemy's head toppled from his body and both body parts exploded into a thousand shards of light.

"Ah...Ah'm sorry..." Applebloom apologised, fear coming back to haunt her once again while offering a hoof to help Lihua up.

"Why should you? You have saved my life. I guess we could call it even, but for a young one like you, I owe you much more, saving me than running... Although you shouldn't have seen that killing in your age." Lihua replied,

"I-It's alright..." Applebloom shook off "Ah saw mah parents die, so ah understand that mostly all of ponykind ain't gonna live forever, ah just haven't seen it like... that."

"If I have scared you greatly, I apologise and I will do anything to make up for it. Although it's best that you must head back to civilisation. It's not safe around here anymore."

"Okay then, you can walk with me, but ah want to know everything. Why yer here when you should have been dead, those aggressive swordsponies and that crack they came from, everything!" Applebloom bartered,

"Very well." Lihua nodded, offering a shoulder "care to walk together? I shall explain everything as we trot by." Applebloom nodded as the two walked back to Ponyville together, with Lihua explaining everything that has happened to her so far.