This was the worst fight id ever been in, it took everything I had just to fight let alone win
Fighting something that can use your worst nightmares against you isn't easy

The Beast was even larger than Scootaloo remembered it being the last time she saw it, easily three or four times the size of a normal manticore. Its wings were massive, filled with small holes and seemed to be bladed along the ridge. A literal cloud of fog rolled off of its pure black fur, this cloud swirled behind the hulking figure of the beast and clocked most of its lower body. The four solid red glowing eyes on its head narrowed as it gazed down at Scootaloo.

"It seems that I'll have to kill you myself." Scootaloo heard a gust of wind and rolled to her left just as the Beast brought its fist down on her location. Reacting quickly Scootaloo swung her sword upwards followed by her chain with a bladed edge. The Beast swung its arm towards Scootaloo, launching her into a group of guards.

"Get the civilians out of here, it's after me not them." Scootaloo pushed herself up and threw her sword. As the Beast sidestepped the improvised projectile Scootaloo brought another blade down in an arc to the left, slashing the leg of her opponent before she continued with her momentum to bring her chain down in an arc, Striking inches from the wound she had previously made.

Letting her momentum carry her, Scootaloo brought the chain in an upward arc quickly followed by making to stab her sword into her opponent's ribs only for one of the Beast wings to seemingly appear and block the strike. Scootaloo felt the Beast fist hit her stomach in an uppercut that sent her into the air were the Beast struck her again, sending her spiralling before she hit the ground.

"It is such a pity that you are the last of the warriors, after-" The Beast dodged away from a thrown sword "-all you are not what I was told to expect of a Warrior."

The Beast lurched forward as a rock the size of Scootaloo's head hit it in the back of the head. As the Beast stood back up to its full height, half a dozen daggers found their way into its chest and stomach, Scootaloo charged at the Beast, who went to punch her with its right hand only to have the orange filly roll under its fist and between its legs. Standing up Scootaloo drove the point of her blade into the back of the monster she fought, just to the right of its spine.

A violet aura formed around the rock that had been thrown previously as Scootaloo lifted it again and threw it, quickly followed by another dozen daggers. Flicking her chain out in a way that caused it to wrap around the waist of the Beast, Scootaloo pulled on the chain as hard as she could which launched her at the Beast where she slammed her left foot into the base of its spine.

"That is it! No more games." The fog in the area thicked alongside the Beast anger, "Now feel fear as it shreds your mind, ruins your sanity and tears into your very soul."

Scootaloo felt a wave of overwhelming fear as her vision darkened, deep within their shared mind FireFly looked up as the same wave hit her. Scootaloo's vision returned to her but she was in a new location, just outside the crystal castle or what remained of it. With a growl Scootaloo went to stand only to find she was chained to the ground, helpless. Grounded.

There was a scream to her left which grabbed her attention, she wished it hadn't. To her left the entire town was burning as were its residents, Rainbow Dash laid on the ground next to her, both her legs broken and her wings torn from her back. The guard captains armour laid twisted next to her.

"No Twilight, he killed her. why can't I die?" The prismatic mare muttered over and over and that was when Scootaloo noticed the body of her other mother, or what was left of her. The heads of her friends laid on the ground their bodies on the other side of the field. Each of the elements were laying around the field, Applejack was knelt over the body of her sister, one of her arms missing and a sword in her abdomen, Rarity was next to Sweeties body her horn missing and her legs mangled beyond repair, Pinkie was nowhere to be seen and Fluttershy seemed unharmed, if not for one of her wings being gone and all of her animal friends laying dead around her.

"What, what is this?" Scootaloo's voice was hoarse.

"What is this? Why my dear, this is what happens when there is a Warrior around." The beast laughed out and gestured to the destruction and carnage, "This is your fault."

Timberwolves and Manticores ran around the area, snatching any who made it of the fire and making a meal out of them. The sun was dim and the moon was broken in the sky. The Everfree forest was spreading out, reaching for new land to corrupt. There was a pile of guard gear, armour and weapons.

"He did this!" FireFly ragged within their mind as Scootaloo looked out around the field. FireFly's Rage and terror served to fuel Scootaloo's building anger into a raging inferno.

"So you did all of this?" The Beast grinned down at her.

"Yes, all of this because of you." The Beast gazed at the chaos and destruction, oh how he couldn't wait to do this in the real world.

"And I have so much more planned. I wonder how loud the yellow one can actually scream, what it will take to finally end the pink one. But most of all, I wonder how much of it you can watch before you snap."

"Oh I've already snapped, didn't you know? Only the truly broken and insane can look out at this and be calm." Scootaloo levelled a glare at the Beast that could have rivalled Fluttershy's stare, "And now? You are the thing that ruined my family, I hope you're ready to die because I'm going to rip your heart out and shove it so far up your ass it'll come out of your mouth."

Scootaloo's eyes glowed a vibrant and violent violet as flames of the same colour ignited around her hands. As she ripped her restraints apart the world around Scootaloo cracked and fell apart. The Beast stumbled back as Scootaloo's hands ignited in the real world. Scootaloo opened her eyes revealing their violet glow. With a grin, the filly charged forward at speeds far greater then she had achieved earlier in the fight.

After closing the distance Scootaloo launched into a series of attacks made up of punches and kicks, each leading into the next. Right hook, left foot Roundhouse, right jab, left jab, right, left, left, right, Scootaloo pushed off the ground and did a frontflip bringing the heal of her right foot down on the beast quickly followed by a half-dozen daggers and her sword blade being driven into the Beast shoulder.

Once Scootaloo hit the ground she poured magic into her pendant causing a shield to form around her just in time to block a strike from the claws of the Beast. Scootaloo jumped back and rolled to the right coming back up with one of the guards shields. Spinning once around Scootaloo threw the shield at the Beast. Jumping after her thrown weapon Scootaloo spun in the air driving the Beast in the side of the head with her left foot.

Quickly flicking her chain out and wrapping it around the Beast neck Scootaloo pulled herself in and began to land punch after punch into the monsters face.

"If you're going to try to use someone's fears against them make sure it won't just make them want to kill you more!" Each word was accompanied by another strike. With a growl the Beast grabbed Scootaloo a threw her straight up, with a flap of its wings the Beast launched itself after Scootaloo. Once the Beast had caught up to Scootaloo it grabbed her and with a quick spin to build momentum it threw her back down at the ground. Scootaloo created a small crater upon impact.

"You think you can win! Just because you beat your fear!" The Beast roared as it punched at Scootaloo, and once the Beast had lifted its fist Scootaloo was nowhere to be found.

"I told you, I'd kill you." Scootaloo's blade was pushed through the heart of the Beast, Scootaloo pulled the blade down before forcing it back up, cutting the heart in half.

"Is it dead?" Scootaloo pulled out her sword out and quickly cut the Beast head off.

"Yeah, it's dead." And Scootaloo collapsed in exhaustion.

And that's it, no more Beast...
Scoots and FireFly were out for a while after this so we'll go over what went on over the next day or so...

Rainbow Dash sighed as she leaned back in her throne, unable to focus on the world around her, far more worried about her daughter. The six were only holding court to go over repairs to the town and what needed to be done about security.

"I assure you sir, the security around the kingdom is as strong as we can get it, building a military takes time and we didn't have that time before this threat came after us." Twilight gestured to the guards around the room.

"Yes, I understand that. My point is that this is a problem that we need to solve, and if the guards' current leadership can't do it then perhaps we need new leaders in the guards," The stallion stated with a sneer.

"Excuse me? Are you implying that my guards failed?" Rainbow Dash stood from her throne, helmet in hand, "That can't be right, they did their job to the best that they could have in this situation. Protect the civilians and get them to safety. SilverWing single-handedly led thirteen foals to the nearest bunker and fought off and killed seventeen Timberwolves, then went back out to escort other civilians."

"Yes but-"

"But what? He didn't fight the Beast? Again not his job, three, three guards were killed by that Beast once it got into town, an additional five were injured and can't work in the guard anymore. What do you want the military to kill themselves? We were on route, that monster is the kind of thing that we deal with not the guard." Rainbow was visibly seething at this point, "SilverWing, how much of a warning did everyone have?"

"Two minutes ma'am." The grey coated guard by the door answered with a solute.

"Two minutes, know what that did for us? six hundred seventy-two civilians made it into the bunkers in that time, a defence mounted and kept just over half of the enemy's forces out of town. Guards were already moving most of the other civilians by the time the enemy even entered the town, the entire high school and both of the elementary schools were in their bunkers on top of the aforementioned civilians." Rainbow had stepped down to be on the same level as the stallion who suggested that the guard had failed, with her helmet now on her head, "Four guards, that's what bought us that time, they went and fought a battle they couldn't win and you dare suggest that my guards failed."

"Night Crest, your under arrest for suspected treason, you have the right to a lawyer and will face trial after an investigation." Twilight 's voice came from behind Rainbow Dash.

"what? You can't do this!" Night Crest took a step back in surprise.

"What? Arrest someone for a crime they may or may not have committed? I was of the understanding that that is what arresting someone was. Or are you talking about the charges specifically? Surely you understand that as a fledgeling kingdom that just suffered an unprovoked attack, we can't take any chances when a coup could be a concern, after all it's not like your suggestion implied removing, or replacing a member of this council, oh no not at all I mean why else would I arrest you?." Twilight smiled at Night Crest as a guard cuffed his hands together, "Besides, it may make me a tyrant, but I do have the power to just arrest anyone because of whatever reason I want, oh the joys of being a new nation. But I'm sure you are innocent and this will all prove to be a formality to assure the public."

Night Crest sneered up at the lavender mare as he was carted out of the room and towards the dungeons. Twilight then looked up and gestured to the guards around the room, signalling them to announce that court would go to recess.

"That was marvellous my dear, even if Night Crest wasn't part of anything we could use this to our advantage, show we take security seriously." Rarity stretched as she stood from her throne.

"Yeah, and if we treat this properly and there really is a coup being staged we could try to get Night Crest to be our man on the inside." Applejack idly twirled her stetson. Twilight turned to her fellow rulers and began to walk towards their shared living quarters.

"Oh Night Crest? He's already on our pay detail, as Celestia once told me if something might prove to be a problem make sure you have a way to control it before it truly starts." Twilight smirked as she opened the door to the royal common room.

"Right, I guess ya don't lead a country for a thousand years by having everyone love you." Applejack stood and followed the only alicorn of the group.

"I'm going to check on Scootaloo." Rainbow exited through a different door, one that leads to the west wing.

My memory of this time is mostly pain and doctors but I'll see what I can remember...

Scootaloo blinked as she woke up and groaned as the pain hit her like a sack of rocks. Her head throbbed and her muscles felt like they were on fire.

"She's up!" Scootaloo heard someone shouted from across the room and Scootaloo groaned again.

"Shut up! Oh, holy fuck that hurts." Scootaloo growled before she noticed her chain around her wrist, attempting to cast the spell to dispell it proved fruitless. Attempting to dispell the chain a second time had the same result.

"You are facing a minor case of magical exhaustion coupled with physical exhaustion. The extream replenishment of magic that your body is going through is what's causing you that pain." The doctor spoke softly, for which Scootaloo was thankful.

"Well, how long will that take?" Scootaloo turned her head to look at the doctor as she voiced her main question.

"A couple more hours, you've had just under twenty hours to recover while you were out." The doctor gestured to the nurse, who opened the door and let Rainbow Dash in.

"So how you felling their Squirt? Like shit, I'd wager." Rainbow took a seat next to the bed. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and looked up at her mother.

"Everything hurts." Scootaloo looked up at the ceiling with a frown, "Know what? I'm gonna do it, I'll ask Diamond out to that dance once I get out of here."

"Boute time." Scootaloo nearly jumped out of the bed, "We need to talk later, I found what I was looking for and it's pretty odd."

"FireFly surprise you? Guess it's hard to get used to having your sister in your head." Rainbow chuckled lightly, "But I'm glad you can at least look on the bright side of things, speaking of which, congrats"

Scootaloo looked into the mirror that Rainbow Dash had pulled out and saw that she had earned her cutie mark.

"AW FUCK YEAH!"

Three days later

Scootaloo stood outside the front doors of Ponyville High, nervasly bouncing from one foot to the other. She had told everyone she was ready, she lied.

"Oh would you relax." Scootaloo would have glared at FrieFly if she could, instead, she just built a dagger out of the air around her hand and used it to clean her nails. Scootaloo was dressed in her usual clothes except her neckline dipped a little lower to show her cutie mark, a flaming chain wrapped around a sword.

Diamond Tiara stepped out of the school. The earth pony wore what she always did, the only difference being that she had lost her old tiara. Diamond looked up and noticed Scootaloo, with a large smile Diamond ran over and hugged the pegasus.

"Hey Diamond, what's up?" Scootaloo hugged her friend back.

"Nothing much, I didn't know you were released yet." Diamond Tiara looked up at Scootaloo.

"Yeah, I just got out." Scootaloo idly twisted the chain on her wrist, "So ah, hey I was wondering, would you like to go to that dance with me?"

"I'd love to, maybe we could go to dinner beforehand." Diamond nearly jumped up in sheer joy at Scootaloo's question.

And that is the story of how I started, where my journey began, and hey it'll probably be filled with more excitement later on.

Scootaloo, now at the age of fifteen put the recorder down and leaned back in her chair. Scootaloo still wore her black vest, only now it had dark purple accents. She had swapped her faded blue jeans for a pair of black shorts and her tee-shirt still had a low neckline, and it was still splashed with colour the same way her old favourite shirt had been. A black guard promotion hat sat on the desk in front of Scootaloo along with a pair of black fingerless gloves. Scootaloo looked around the room with a smile.

"You coming to bed or are you gonna start talking about that monastery in the recordings?" Diamond called out from Behind Scootaloo.

"Yeah, I'm coming just give me a minute." Scootaloo stood and went into her bedroom, leaving the flair of light from the throne room unnoticed, alongside to quite sound of crystals grinding together.

One Year earlier...

Author's Note

1,500 words from start to end of the fight, damn
The fight was interesting to write to, was originally longer but I felt it got a little too graphic at points

Come on there's no way Celestia didn't manipulate the shit out of people and had an inside man for everything that could have gone wrong, a thousand years and no one tried to overthrow her?

Well, it's done, arc 1 finished...
it's 23:00 here so I'm gonna go to bed

Let me know your thoughts

BD out