Equestrian Weaponology: Combat magic
A unicorn's power is absolute, so long as the caster is creative - Princess Luna
During Celestia's sunset, deep in the heart of the Everfree Forest, millions of bugs play their songs, and two Earth ponies argue about bucking strength. Laughter was heard, a surprising contrast to the sinister reputation of the Everfree.
"Yew don't have the strength to buck a broom over on a windy mountaintop cuz, and ya over here mocking me right now?" a brown earth pony exclaimed.
"Hah! That there tree yer tryin' to buck is seven times stronger than your readin' skill too." A different dark blue pony chided. "Hurry the heck up so we can get back to the food festival cuz, im fallin' sleep."
"Shut yer trap, i got it" Every few seconds an tree containing a frisbee was bucked harder and harder until it seemingly gave up, and discarded the ponie's toy. "AhhhhHAH, there she is, now lets run back ya hear?" The frisbee was retrieved and the two ponies galloped back to the annual food festival of the Everfree's only tribe. A hundred pounds of home cooked food was collectively showcased for the whole tribe to share, the delicious aroma drifted through the forest, making even the Everfree seem homely.
"Ahh there it is! Dang i really didn't mean to throw it that far, thanks for getting it."
"What a great recipe, i can't wait to try it! Is that cinnamon as well i smell?"
"You keep sneaking little bites before we start and ill smack you good Jessepe!"
Sounds of four dozen tribesponies all talking at once filled the forest's most remote area. Wooden tables hosted dish after dish of delicious food, some small pieces of dessert couldn't be found, along with the little colts responsible for stealing it early. In 5 minutes, the sun would peer through the trees by the entrance, marking the beginning of the feast. And everypony was bustling with happiness and excitement.
The distant sound of a stallion's scream, brief and cut out early, silenced Sunstone, a yellow mare. She stopped talking about her food to a neighbor and her heart stopped. Everything else in the tribe kept moving along smoothly, drinking glasses clinked together and the loud noise of everyponies voice was most of what was heard. Her eyes flicked left to right, scanning the treeline for any threats. Her heart bounced on a drum.
"Hey sugar, is something wrong?" Her neighbor said.
Sunstone didn't reply, she cocked her head inquisitively and trotted slowly over to the treeline, past the commotion. She felt the fear from the heavy weight of the unknown sit squarely on her heart. Gazing into the dark treeline, Sunstone spotted nothing out of the ordinary for what seemed like half a minute. The unease she was feeling was deafening, but she proceed on.
"Jessepe?" She called. Eager to identify why she was feeling like she was being watched. She then spotted what looked like creatures hiding in the forest. Suddenly, a dim purple aura from deep in the forest, launched a pebble at unfathomable speeds, and her consciousness had left her. As she fell to the ground, her body was lowered with magic. The blood beads floating like little marbles around her head.
"There goes the stealth approach." was the last fading words Sunny heard.
Ponies from the village started gasping and screaming. As her body was laid down, Four unicorns in clothing that looked like it was hoof picked from the forest itself emerged. Not a spark of happiness or sanity in their eyes. They looked aged from living outside for years. One pegasus was with them, grounded because her wings were wrapped. A wave of terror took the entire village slowly. Ponies who saw Sunstone started screaming and fleeing for their lives. These tribesponies realized that these newcomers were not stories of legend like what was rumored, but flesh and blood horrors before them now.
"Why did you do that there to Sunny, and what in the hell do you want?" a large earth pony yelled, just short of a scream. Ponies were pushing and tripping over each other, grabbing their family and fleeing. Tables were broken and knocked over.
The newcomers looked slightly bored and tired at the situation, instead of explaining themselves, they all started trotting toward the center of the tribe. One stepped over Sunny, smiled, and continued onward with her group. The newcomer sniffed the air and her expression was elated. Another licked his lips.
"YOU, don't take ONE step closer newcomers, you're gonna be hurtin' big time you know that! You got 3 seconds to kick your own ass before we do it for you!" the large earth pony bluffed. Big haul knew that he was going to die today, but he was going to die on his hooves before he would die on his knees. Big haul emerged from the chaos of fleeing tribesponies and stood between what was left of the tribe and the newcomers. The feeling of sadness filled his eyes and heart, but his resolve remained hard. He would die stalling them so that everypony could flee in time. These were the rumored horrors of the forest. Some grotesque magic was killing things around the forest and surrounding areas, and nobody knew why, until today. Maybe if they gave up everything they had, their lives were to be spared. Big haul speculated. But no, his expression hardened, and he would fight for his fallen sister. If he could at least hold them long enough so that they don't hurt anypony else, Big haul would feel accomplished.
Three more Earth ponies emerged, and walked over to the flanks of Big haul amidst the chaos.
Big haul's wife hooked an arm around his left rear leg and gave big haul a look that melted the pony.
"Why haven't you gone yet, go on out of here." Big haul choked out.
His wife slowly back stepped in disbelief of the situation, turned and galloped away, leaving behind tears. That was enough for him to fight. The safety of his remaining family.
Big haul and his two friends charged the newcomers head on, yelling all the while, the three picked an enemy each. Big haul made solid contact with the lead newcomer with his head, and the hooded newcomer was pushed back, dirt welling around his hooves. His stance was wide. Big haul felt like he had struck a train, the head of this pony he hit felt like it was made of steel. The unicorn's horn bruised and cut big haul's head severely. Big haul started squinting to avoid getting blood in his eyes.
In this moment Big hauls friends were fighting another two newcomers and were busy being flung in the air or pounded into the ground. Big haul repeatedly rammed his enemies head with his own, gaining ground on him. A high pitched tone of pain rang in his ears. Adrenaline flowing through his veins. His hits were connecting, no pony should still be standing after an onslaught like that.
Big haul's target anticipated the next headbutt, and jumped over it, pushing off Big haul's head like a springboard. He then drew two swords stored on his back magically while in the air, and Big haul was no more. The newcomer landed on his hooves and skidded to a stop. He retracted the hardening spell, his skin turning the normal shade of grey.
Big haul's murderer flicked his swords, whipping a small amount of blood to the dirt, and sheathed them. The leader nodded to the rest, and they all acknowledged, they stepped over Big haul's body and proceeded to collect valuables. The pack of newcomers grabbed food and gems like they were shopping at a market, uninhibited by time.
The treetops swayed in the wind, the sound of beating hooves on dirt echoed through the forest, accompanied by yelling and shuffling of low branches. Birds flew out of trees, and Celesta's sun was almost completely under the horizon. The village was a murder scene. Two ponies bleeding out on the ground. Another mangled in a tree. The last was unspeakable, 2 meters deep in a hole created by his own inertia and weight. The bugs continued their song, and the mighty forest was eventually peaceful and still again, impartial to what happened within it. One unique sound emerged from the treeline, a brown earth pony galloping full tilt, almost out of breath with a slight favor on a leg. His eyes as wide and white as Luna's moon, he headed for Ponyville.
Twilight looked out her bedroom window at Luna's moon while slipping on pajamas. Spike was busy tidying up the room. It never failed to humble her how she personally knew the gods responsible for such a feat. The room looked spic and span, and spike was slowing down.
"Time for bed spike, thanks" Twilight said.
"Mhnn." Spike returned, but then paused. He looked Twilight up and down. "Hey i just noticed something Twilight"
"What's that spike?"
"Why uh, do we put on more clothes at night, but we don't wear as much during the day?"
Twilight turned to face him and smiled, "Well that's simple spike, you see, we-" Her voice paused. Twilight's eyes started to roam but she remained still. Her eyebrows furrowed, she looked down at her pajamas and rubbed her shoulder with a hoof. She continued to muble things as she climbed into bed like "Formal galas, nudity taboo, gotobedspike."
Spike wasn't satisfied with his answer but climbed into his bed anyway, listening to Twilight mumble about society. He no doubt raised more questions within Twilight than he bothered to hear. As spike's eyes wandered the dark room, he heard a very faint tapping. For a moment spike thought that somepony was knocking on the front door, but it was 10 at night. What would be knocking then? Then fear struck him like a lightning bolt.
"Spike did you hear that?" Twilight said. Spike didn't reply, he was too busy shaking in his bed. "What's got you so scared?"
"Is... is it?" Spikes voice got faint. "Zombies?"
Twilight rolled her eyes, she chose to ignore spike for now. She slipped out of her high regal bed and started walking. Her horn lit the way as she traveled down her castle's corridors to the front door. It was now she realized it was definite knocking, but what was curious about it was that it was incessant. Her hooves clicked on the marble floor causing a rhythmic echo. Once she reached the door, she opened it with her magic, and an earth pony gracefully fell in on his head.
In a second, he was inches from twilight's face, grabbing either side of her shoulders. Twilight was taken aback.
"Woah pal, who are you?"
"Unicorns." He said between gasping breaths.
"I wholeheartedly don't believe you are known as 'unicorns' friend."
"Mah, -gasping- village was attacked by unicorns"
The weight of the situation had failed to impact Twilight. She still thought as through she was dealing with a rather inebriated stallion. The earth pony lost the strength to continue holding on to Twilight, and let his grip slip and start to fall. At the last minute he was caught by Twilight's magic so he wouldn't hit the floor.
"NO! NO! OH CELESTIA NO!"
"What what? what in the world is wrong with you pony?"
"The magic! I, I, please. Oh. Am fine, its just it startled me. I don't think you really get it now. We were attacked by unicorns. I came to the first place i thought ah could get help. I knew ya'll were here in ponyville, we just don't visit much. We're from the Everfree."
Twilight switched to a more serious tone, "Come on in, well talk about what happened."
"Thank you, thank you so much ill explain what i can" He let out a huge sigh as he walked into the castle. Suddenly surprised by the hard marble floors, looking around as if he didn't belong.
"Lets have a seat here and talk about what happened." Twilight said, magically offering both of them a chair. The stallion looked uneasy watching the magic move the chairs.
"First lets talk about who you are, and your village." Twilight questioned.
"Well ahm Whetstone, and my tribe was a few miles in the Everfree. We didn't really call ourselves anything but a family. Some of us made from wanderers and others from ponies trying to run away from home." Whetstone was talking coherently but was tearing up at the eyes.
This lightened up Twilight. "Hey, hey there buddy. I know it must be tough recalling painful memories. You can tell me at your own pace" Twilight smiled and put a hoof on his shoulder.
Whetstone looked distant. After some time, he continued. "We were attacked on our annual food festival by these, unicorns. They just up and killed Sunny, then when Big haul saw his sister died he attacked em. Many ponies fought em out of anger and they died too. Everypony else scattered into the forest."
Twilight went from holding a hoof at his shoulder and smiling, to letting her hoof go limp and disbelief filled her expression. Her eyes went wide and she picked a spot on the ground to stare at.
"Word of this has to get to Celestia, how many were there? can you describe the killers?" She turned to Whetstone.
"There were five, all unicorns but one was a pegasus."
"Curious." Twilight said at the ground again. "Please understand this is an urgent matter and i must go send a letter to Celestia now. You are free to stay here as long as you want, Whetstone." Twilight got up and teleported to her bedroom with a pop.
"Spike, im sorry to bother you but-" Spike wasn't in the bedroom.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Was heard coming up the steps. "I had to know what was knocking at the door. I heard everything, i'm ready to send a letter."
"Okay spike, tell Celestia everything you heard. I'm trusting you with the phasing of the letter, i'm be researching across the hall if there are any rebels in the area.
Twilight proceeded to her library to research dangerous unicorns, but only found a few odd articles about violent criminals here and there. Nothing about a band of four plus a pegasus for some reason. Spike quickly wrote a professional letter to Celestia about all of their findings. Whetstone slowly sank in his chair down by the entrance hall, with a stare about a thousand yards long.