Heat of the Desert

Safari Bush ate through her meal without any issue whatsoever while her two guests took their time with the foreign cuisine, namely the grubs, which tasted like pesto sauce mixed with sharp cheddar cheese encased in rubbery-crunchy shells. Rainbow Dash seemed to be braving them, so Rarity discreetly passed hers to her, not even opting to take a nibble. The two silently wondered how these ponies could live this kind of life with the harsh climate and strange food they had to deal with, but this was their culture, and they had no place to object.

Once the bill was paid, Safari Bush led her guests back into town. Along the way, they couldn’t but to notice another group of builders working on a foundation that only had its wooden frame erected. One of the workers carrying a long plank of wood held sideways along his body turned around and accidently hit another worker square in the eye. Despite the obvious pain, even the one that got hit laughed it off as though nothing happened. Having sustained any number of injuries herself, Rainbow Dash knew that laughter wouldn’t last very long. Otherwise, they were crazy.

“Somethin’ the matter, loves?” Safari asked.

“Huh? Oh….n-no. We’re good.” Rainbow Dash said.

Safari cocked her eyebrow. “Ya sure? Neither o’ you two said a word when we ate.”

“W-Well….” Rarity stammered. “We really don’t mean to be rude, darling, but…”

Safari chuckled. “Still not quite used to the place, eh? No drama. Say, did ya figure out what ya li’l friendship problem is?”

“If we’re gonna be honest, Safari, if there’s a problem, you guys seem pretty okay with it.” Rainbow Dash said.

“You’re quite a lax set of ponies all things considered.” Rarity said.

“Bloody oath were are, but we’ve resolved issues before, an’ not always the prettier kind.” Safari said.

It was then that Rarity remembered something. “Oh! Darling, I don’t believe you explained anything about that nature reserve up north, or your brother.”

Safari Bush perked up when she realized that. “Blimey, I clean forgot, ain’t I? Sorry.” She had Rarity pull out her map so she could show them. “Ok. So what would ya say if I told ya that the preserve is a habitat for a desert’s sand worth o’ monsters?”

“WHOA! Seriously?” Rainbow exclaimed.

“Darling, so is the Everfree Forest.” Rarity reminded her.

“Oh…..right….” Dash replied.

“Anyway, sometimes they like to stop by town n’ say hello with their gnashin’ fangs n’ claws n’ all, so we either have to drive ‘em back to their pad or into the ground.” Safari explained.

Rarity and Rainbow Dash were shocked yet not all that surprised at the drastic action taken by the native Austallionites. “G-Goodness! That sounds rather dangerous!” Rarity said.

“Not if you’re my brother!” Safari boasted. “You see-” She was cut off when an alarm suddenly resounded throughout town. “GUESS YOU’LL SEE FOR YA’SELVES!”

Safari led them to the northern edge of town where everypony was taking cover behind sandbag walls with various ranged weapons such as slingshots and catapults at the ready. What they were ready for was rampaging not too far in the distance amongst the desert brush. It was a gigantic scorpion-like creature that stood up on its hind body and had a crab-like head. Its huge claws tore through the brush and scattered the sand as it screeched and roared and made its way to the city.

“ARTHROLID!” somepony shouted.

Safari Bush suddenly pulled Rarity and Rainbow Dash behind one of the sandbag walls where other ponies were firing slingshots loaded with ammunition that resembled cherry bombs, but varying in sizes from that of a baseball to a basketball. Their appearance didn’t hide their purpose, as they violently detonated upon striking the titanic insect, which momentarily deterred its progress with each successful hit.

“What the hay is that thing!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Safari loaded a cherry bomb into a catapult that a stallion beside her readily fired. “Just one our ‘neighbors’. Not the worst thing that’s happened.” She ducked when the cherry exploded out in the distance. “Just stay low and ya should be golden.”

Rarity observed some other unicorns firing magic at the creature and decided to follow suit if it helped, but Rainbow Dash had other ideas. That arthrolid was getting closer and closer by the minute despite the barrage of explosives and magic blasts it was enduring, so she decided to take matters into her own hooves. She brazenly soared out towards the monster.
“ARE YOU MAD, LOVE!? WHAT DO YA THINK YA DOIN’!?” Safari exclaimed. The cavalry had to cease their fire on the beast so as to not risk hitting Rainbow Dash

“Distracting it so it doesn’t think to get any closer!” Dash shouted back. She got to the arthrolid and started flying around like a buzzing bee, reminding her of the time she had to distract the bugbear that once came into Ponyville. Her world-class aerial agility allowed her to skillfully bob and weave around the gigantic bug as it tried to grab her out of the air. A couple times it nearly toppled over from reaching too far to the side. “Nyah- nyah- nyah nyah- nyah!!” Rainbow Dash was doing a good job of keeping its attention occupied, but when she tried to lure it away from town, it wouldn’t budge an inch back. “Come on, big guy! I’m right over here!”

The arthrolid decided that Rainbow Dash wasn’t worth the trouble and focused on the Austallionites again. “HE’S COMIN’ BACK, MATES!!” a stallion shouted. He fired his loaded slingshot as the beast.

“Hey! I’m talking to you, bub!” Rainbow Dash flew towards the arthrolid to get its attention again, oblivious to the bomb flying towards them both.

“DARLING, LOOK OUT!!” Rarity called out.

“Huh!?” Rainbow Dash was too late to realize that an explosive was about to strike the ground at the beast’s feet, and when it did, the shock of the blast threw her off balance. “Whoa!” The arthrolid noticed this and seized the opportunity…..by seizing Rainbow Dash in its claw.

“RAINBOW DASH!!!!” Rarity exclaimed.

“GYAAAHHHH!!!!!” Rainbow Dash was about as terrified as one would expect even her to be from being in the clutches of a massive predator. She desperately tried to wriggle and beat her way out of its grasp, but it was no use. Its claw had firmly clamped down onto her body, and she wasn’t getting away. “H-H-HEEELP!! SOMEPONY!!!!” The arthrolid hissed as it opened its mouth and pulled his prey towards him. “AIIIIEEEEE!!!!!!!”

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning violently cracked onto the titan, and the shock was enough to force it to let go of Rainbow Dash, who took the immediate opportunity to make a break for it back to safety. As she did, she noticed a ball of electricity soaring towards the beast, and then it struck with meteoritic force, causing it to topple over.

“Darling!” Rarity ran over and hugged her friend, thankful she was okay, but everypony else’s attention was now on that ball lightning that had now landed in front of its opponent. The electricity dissipated to reveal something the two weren’t expecting.

There stood a yellow pegasus stallion with leaf-green eyes and a mane and tail the color of a storm cloud. His Cutie Mark was similar to Rainbow Dash’s but the symbol was reversed and depicted a regular storm cloud firing down a normal bolt of lightning. He was clad in leather armor that had been reinforced with iron studs, and he held a huge lance with a scythe-like serrated blade jutting outward parallel to the snow white shaft; it was lined with golden rings that crackled with electricity as he poised it towards the monster.

“GO GET ‘EM, BRO!!” Safari Bush cheered. The stallion turned to her just as the arthrolid was starting to get back on its feet and confidently nodded at her. It was then that Rarity and Rainbow Dash noticed that a curious trinket was centered in his chest piece. It was a golden yellow medallion with a lightning bolt symbol on it, and it seemed to be the source of his electricity as it was sparking like a broken high voltage cable.

He faced his foe as it reared its claws at him, but he didn’t even flinch. “Ya mum never taught you any right manners, eh?” He rose into the air, and his spear began to surge electricity like a savage thunderstorm. “Well, I reckon it’s about time somepony whipped you into shape!”

Rarity and Rainbow Dash watch in awe as the stormbringer confronted the hideous titan. “Safari Bush…. Is that….?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Safari nodded. “Aye! That good ol’ bastard’s me brother! That’s Lightning Strike!” Her two guests looked back out as everypony around them began cheering him on, jubilantly chanting his name.

Lightning Strike unleashed a violent stream of electricity from his lance upon the arthrolid that caused it to screech in agony, although it managed to shield itself with its huge claws. He followed by blasting off towards the beast and used his sonic momentum to whack the claws away, exposing the beast’s body. Just before Lightning Strike could land a lethal blow, the titanic insect swiped its claw at him, but he managed to parry it despite being hit with enough force to be knocked to the ground. He landed on his hooves and surged some lightning along the ground that cracked along his foes feet, but the beast was merely angered to the point that it began a back and forth parry fest with Lightning Strike.

Rainbow Dash and Rarity couldn’t believe that a lone stallion armed with naught but a lance and inexplicable lightning powers could so fiercely and readily clash with such a powerful creature. Every blow he dealt to the monster was dealt with a hunter’s ferocity whether he soared in the air or remained on the ground. Rainbow Dash especially found herself gawking at the heroic lancer; the way he sliced through the air, the fire in his eyes that mimicked the blazing sun that witnessed his bout with the demon, the way he commanded the electricity he somehow summoned…… “Dude…”

Moments after their hack n’ slash, the arthrolid managed to grab ahold of Lightning Strike’s lance, but the scion of storms channeled a bolt of lightning through it and stunned the beast for just enough seconds to use his leverage to judo throw it over his head. It hit the ground with a resounding thud, flabbergasting the two newcomers and inciting everypony to cheer him on further. “MY WORD!!” Rarity exclaimed.

He soared into the air poised his lance down towards his toppled adversary before letting himself fall towards it, ready to land a fatal hit. However, the beast managed to quickly regain its balance, and it let Lightning Strike’s momentum be his downfall as he fell into its opened mouth, letting it swallow him whole!

“LIGHTNING STRIIIIIKE!!!!!” Safari Bush shouted. Everyone gasped in horror as their hero seemed to meet his end just like that. Rainbow Dash and Rarity found themselves wanting to leave Austallion as soon as possible if this was a daily occurrence.

But not even a minute after the arthrolid had its meal, it began to act sick, as if it was trying to hold back vomiting. Its mouth then suddenly began sparking, and a familiar ball lightning violently burst out of its mouth and landed on the ground before the sandbag walls. Lightning Strike had indeed freed himself from its maws and seemed completely unfazed at what he’d just endured as he faced his foe with the same ferocity as before. “Sorry, mate! Wasn’t rightly cozy in there!” he taunted.

“THAT’S MY BRO!!” Safari shouted.

Lightning Strike soared into the air while the arthrolid staggered from a shocking case of indigestion and began charging what must have been gigawatts of electricity. “WEATHER’S TAKEN QUITE A TURN, I’M AFRAID!!” He unleashed his built-up lightning into the sky, causing a swirling storm cloud to brew over the battlefield, and he soared towards it as bolts of lightning lit the covered sky. When he reached a sufficient height, he raised his lance towards the storm. “INTO THE GROUND WITH YA, BLOODY BLIGHTER!!!!” A powerful bolt of lightning struck his lance, and it practically swung the lance down for him at sonic speeds, cleaving the sky and the arthrolid. As the storm cloud dissipated and let the sun shine once more, its light revealed the horrible monstrosity cut clean in half! Lightning Strike proudly sheathed his lance. “And the world’s a better place.”

Everypony, especially Safari Bush loudly cheered for their hero and ran out to check on him. A few ponies actually ran over to the carcass and looked like they started to harvest from it, which puzzled Rarity but Rainbow Dash could care less as she went out to greet Lightning Strike with all the rest. “You okay, mate?” asked a random stallion.

Lightning Strike smiled and nodded as though nothing special had happened. “Right as rain, I’d say. Hope I didn’t overdo it this time.”

“Well, you only cut it in half again.” A mare said. “Not gonna get much parts from two individual halves. Oh, who am I kiddin’? Ya bottle ya blood’s worth n’ saved Austallion again. I can’t be mad as a cut snake.”

“Oh! Look at you, bro!” Safari Bush said as she approached with her guests. “Ya gone n’ gotten ya’self all filthy in bug juice. Gonna take ya about a week to get that outta ya coat.”

“Oh, come on, sis. It’s only about the seventh time it’s happened. No drama.” Lightning Strike said.

“SEVENTH TIME!?” Rarity exclaimed. “Are you a madpony!?”

Lightning Strike looked curiously at Rarity and Rainbow Dash. “Who’re these sheilas?”

“Just some tourists from Ponyville. I was about to mention you when this kerfuffle broke out.” Safari said. “Rarity n’ Rainbow Dash r’ their names.”

“H-Hello, darling!” Rarity stammered, worrying about the lancer's sanity. “About this being the…..seventh time…”

Safari Bush and Lightning Strike shared a chuckle. “Me bro’s a monster hunter.” She explained. “Whenever a beastie decides to try n’ find a quick snack over here, he lets his lance there make a meal o’ them.”

“And when they’ve kicked the bucket, we skin ‘em, pull out their teeth n’ the like n’ use ‘em for all sorts o’ things.” Lightning Strike added. “In the case of that li’l bugger there, we’ll take off their super hard shells and use ‘em as a buildin’ material.”

“Oh! Just like what we saw before with those carpenters. Do you remember, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity said, but her friend wouldn’t respond. “Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow Dash found herself having difficulty keeping her composure. Now that she got a better look at him, Lightning Strike was borderline handsome. His wild mane and athletic build coupled with the mettle she’d just seen from him forced her heart miles out of its comfort zone. She was completely love struck. “Ehh…..You alright there, love?” Lightning asked.

Rainbow Dash turned to Rarity and whispered. “Rarity, I love it here!”