The Not So Deadly Deathclaw

…

"Did...Did it just...talk?"

"N-No, it couldn't have. T-That'd be-"

"Impossible?" The creature asked, to which the six mares collectively eeped. "Oh, I can assure you, I most certainly can."

"B-But," Twilight stuttered, catching the monster's eye. "But how?"

The creature scoffed, seemingly insulted.

"Believe me, horse." The creature said, causing the mare to flinch. "I've BEEN able to speak for some time. Though, how I've yet to be heard until now is beyond me." It then turned its head, mumbling something to itself. "Especially by him."

"Th-Then...that's great!" Twilight said, catching everypony present off-guard, monster included as it looked up to regard her. "Now that we can finally understand you, we can clear up all our previous misunderstandings!"

"Oh? I don't think so."

Twilight froze.

"Wh-What? But I thou-"

"You may have tried that with him." It said, eyes briefly flashing red as it squinted. "But I am not one to be as easily swayed. So cut that insolent, innocent crap!"

Okay. NOW Twilight was just confused.

"But...but I-"

"Twilight. Let me handle this, please."

Blinking, the purple mare now found herself at a complete loss for words as she was suddenly pushed aside, or slightly nudged in this case, by the yellow pegasus who now stood in front of her, seemingly squaring up to the creature herself.

"Now. I will only ask this once." Fluttershy said, as calm as she could startlingly be at the moment despite her body physically appearing as though it couldn't decide between either wanting to run or remain still. "What, did you do, with Mister Lizard?"

The creature blinked, before huffing.

"That's what you call him?" It asked, raising a brow to which Fluttershy and the other five remained quiet to. "Hmm. Then again, that is what you only know him as, isn't it." When the pegasus blinked, ready to ask the obvious, the creature merely continued. "As to what I did with him...You could say that I simply sent him away. For now."

"Why?" Fluttershy asked, taking a shaky step forward. The creature scoffed again.

"Why? Isn't it obvious?" Again the mares responded with silence, leading the creature to growl irritably. "It's because of you ponies! You AND your vile lies."

"L-Lies?"

"Yes, lies." The creature spat. "Honestly. Did you really think that after everything you did to him, all it would take to earn his forgiveness was to play innocent and give a simple apology?"

"Well..." Twilight paused, unsure and almost too afraid to give her answer. "Yes?"

"LIKE HELL IT DOES!" The creature roared, causing the girls to flinch in unison.

"B-But, but Mister Lizard said that he forgave Twilight and the others." Fluttershy said, stopping a little hoof. "He even said that he'd do whatever he could to show his sincerity! Doesn't that mean anything?!"

At that, the creature hesitated, earning a relieved look from the pegasus before it vanished a second later at the shake of the creature's head.

"No. No, you ponies. You must have done something to him. Corrupted his senses somehow!" The creature then paused, as if struck by a sudden and startling realization. And as its eyes shifted to Twilight, and then slowly up to her horn, it all suddenly made sense. And the looks the ponies were giving it, the purple one's especially as she quickly shook her head only confirmed it. The creature's features suddenly grew dark. Demonically dark.

"So that's what it was." The creature quietly said as its body trembled, its claws balled into tight fists and its teeth barred in the nastiest of snarls. "Fucking magic."

"N-No!" Fluttershy said, waving her hooves frantically. "That's not-"

"ENOUGH!" The creature roared, taking a step forward. "I now see you creatures for what you all truly are! Lying, deceiving little-!" An exasperated roar echoed through the room as the creature took another step forward, its restraint growing more nonexistent by the second. "So just quit your little cutesy acts now! Nothing you do or say will convince me otherwise."

"How could you say something like that?!" Fluttershy unexpectedly yelled, yet again halting the creature's advance and shocking her friends with her boldness. "I would NEVER even think of lying to Mister Lizard like that and if you think that for a single second that I would, then...then you can just go drown in a lake!" She then took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she added in a cold, defiant tone that few have ever heard her use. "Sorry, not sorry."

Wow. So that just happened. And all Fluttershy's friends could cough up in response to their friend's awe-inspiring defiance were a couple of gasps and the audible pop of a pair of wings suddenly opening. No, not Fluttershy's.

And the creature? Well suffice to say, if the pegasus didn't already have its attention, she most certainly did now. And that was only proven by the creature once again coming to a halt as it mulled over several instances it remembered, or reminded of in this case, that it had perceived in the past as being evidence to Fluttershy's words before ultimately sighing.

"As much as it pains me to admit it, I do believe you yellow one. Aaand because of the kindness that you offered Mister Lizard, I...guess I'll spare your life." Buuuuut? "As for your friends however..." The creature continued, her tone switching from slightly embarrassed to deathly serious in the span of a single second. "They will not be receiving that same kindness from me."

Fluttershy was taken aback.

"B-But why?!

"Simply put, yellow one." The creature stated, pointing a claw at Twilight and the other four girls. "Not only did those five seek to harm Mister Lizard, but they even attempted to...t-to..." The creature suddenly shuddered, though whether out of anger or fear was unknown as it then roared. "To Kill him!"

"..."

"To...to even think that he'd just let all of that go..." It slowly shook its head. "Shameful." It then looked back at the girls. "No matter. I will not let this farce continue any longer. My master…he deserves so much more and I will be damned if I let this disrespect tarnish his actual name any longer!"

The girls took a collective step back, but not before a certain unicorn had picked up on one certain little detail. Something that seemed so crucial that it apparently needed to be brought up.

“Wait. Master?" Twilight questioned, raising a brow.

The creature froze, apparently having let slip something it shouldn't have. This of course made Fluttershy and the others look between the mare and the monster several times over before the pegasus decided to add in her two bits.

"J-Just who are-?"

ROOOAR

With little to absolutely no warning, the creature let loose a mighty roar and charged the girls, giving them only seconds to dive or fly away before claws measuring several feet long hacked and slashed at the floor their hooves had been previously occupying just moments ago.

"None." The creature said, it's voice trembling with rage as it stood before the six mares that now formed a loose circle around it, each adopting a fighting, defensive, or quivering stance of their own. "I WILL LET NONE OF YOU LEAVE THIS CASTLE ALIVE!"

Snapping to one the mares, Rainbow Dash in this case, the creature lunged, aiming to hack the mare to bits but was instead left emptyclawed as the pegasus took flight, leaving a stone slab to be reduced to pebbles in her stay.

"Gotta be quicker than that, lizard face!" The cyan mare laughed as she hovered over the beast, leaving the monster to only growl at her before it was suddenly fired upon by a flurry of flying stones.

"Take this you vile brute!" Rarity yelled as she peppered the creature's hide without remorse. Course, this did little but piss off the giant lizard as it switched targets and charged her, roaring all the while before a pony-sized slab suddenly connected with its snout, the beast roaring both in pain and surprise as it hit the floor with a mighty thud, rolled twice, and slid for several feet with the betraying assist of its own momentum.

Hissing in pain, the creature's head snapped to its left and found, to its growling anger, both a very upset Twilight Sparkle as well as several large chunks of rock encased in her magic and floating above her head.

"I was sorry! We all were!" She yelled as the stones tilted and turned in the air, seemingly aiming themselves at the downed deathclaw. "Why can't you just accept that?!"

The creature growled right back at her.

"Like hell I would...like hell I ever wi-!" It said before it felt a sudden and sharp tug from below. Turning, it found the orange one with the hat, Applejack, had tied a rope around both of its legs and was now standing beside it with a lasso twirling in her tail, somehow. And after having been found out, the mare simply tipped her hat as she nodded at the monster with a determined grin.

"Howdy."

"What are you-"

Then with a speed that surprised even the fastest flyer in Equestria, the apple farmer pounced on the creature and in a whirlwind of spins, turns, and twirls accompanied by a number of grunts, growls, and expletives, the mare had the monster hog-tied before the dust even settled. Tightening one last knot with her teeth, the mare then watched the beast struggle for several seconds before nodding at her hoof-work and hopping off the thing, leaving it huffing and hissing behind her while she approached her friends with her head held high.

"And that." She said, crossing her hooves and looking smug like the farm pony chad she was. "Is that."

"Eh." Rainbow said as she landed, not trying to look as amazed as the others did. "Anypony could've done that!"

"Oh?" Applejack said, raising a brow. "Is that so, Rainbow? Well. I didn't exactly see that critter budging when you were running away from it."

"I wasn't-!"

"Pardon. Flying away, is what I meant to say."

"Why you-!"

"While that was incredible, Applejack." Twilight interrupted, passed the farm pony by and stopping just in front of the group. "You shouldn't celebrate just yet."

And she was right. For just after saying that, the creature rolled itself over and, with a spring of its tail, was back on its own two feet. Give or take a few seconds of brute strength and snapping ropes later and the creature was now staring down the girls once again.

"If you thought that some measly rope would stop me, then you five are by far the most idio- wait...where's the-?"

"Surprise!"

And in a fashion that was in a word, Pinkie, the party pony had managed to somehow sneak up, literally under the snout of the creature and, with no hesitation, tossed half a sack's worth of flour right into its face, leaving the monster reeling as it roared in absolute shock of this sudden attack. An attack that was further accented in grandness by a giggle befitting a true prankster and the words to match.

"Hah! Pocket Flour! Take that Mean-Mister-Not-Mister-Lizard-Lizard!"

"Greh! You insolent little-" The creature roared before she suddenly paused at the sound of laughter clearly directed at her. Turning in the general direction of the chortling, it hissed. "And what's so damn funny?"

"Haheh. Isn't it obvious?" Rainbow Dash said between breaths, getting in a good few more laughs much to the rising anger of the one being laugh at. "Some monster you are! Hah, classic Pinkie!"

Growling up a storm, the creature furiously wiped at its eyes, attempting to clear its vision but only succeeding in further smearing the flour into its eyes and evening causing it to sneeze a couple times. This of course only proved to anger the deathclaw more while its onlookers, primarily Rainbow, found it all the more entertaining, her laughter seemingly keeping pace with the rising volume of the creature's vocal irritation. Finally after a minute straight of this back and forth nonsense and the creature finally gave up, leaving it well beyond fuming.

"Alright, whoever you are." Twilight said, causing the creature to blindly turn in her direction. "I think this game has gone on long enough. So why don't you just return Fluttershy's friend and go back to wherever you came from?"

At that the creature paused, considered the question for several seconds, then simply and rather cryptically answered.

"Easier said then done, you cur."

"What?"

The creature then looked down, its claws bawling tightly as it continued.

"Believe me, purple one. I would wish for nothing but to return to that place with ma- with him." It looked up, its flour-caked features portraying a mix of hatred and sorrow that certainly threw the girls for a loop. "But that's no longer an option. So instead, I will make this world his new home. For both of us! And if cretins like you continue to get in my way?" The creature then raised its foot high before bringing it down with all its might, roaring all the while. "Then they have no place in his world!"

With a deep boom, the stone cracked under the creature's claws, leaving a sizeable imprint before the very ground around it cracked and broke, before bursting forth into a sudden blaze of crimson fire that traveled like a wave from the epicenter, leaving the girls stumbling as a radiating heat blew passed them. And once they recovered, they were shocked to see the creature before them had taken on a new form unlike anything they'd seen before.

For as the red flames settled, they revealed a creature whose hide had been blackened darker than coal yet seemed to glow like molten rock from the deep red veins that pulsed from beneath and between its ebony scales. Whose height had risen several feet than previously seen, excluding the already massive horns atop its head that now curved out and up like wicked scythes. And whose searing, rose-emblazoned eyes stared back at the girls with an unimaginable depth of fury.

"What's wrong, ponies?" The creature hissed in a deep, echoing voice. "You dare to summon a real monster, yet shudder and your own folly?" It narrowed its eyes. "Pathetic."

"You think we're scared of you?!" Rainbow yelled, before audibly gulping as the creature looked at her. "Yeah right! D-Don't make me laugh!" She then turned to the others, forcing a smirk. "Right, girls?"

Their mumbled replies did little to assure her.

"Right." The creature said before it began to slowly approach the girls. "Well, I see no reason to continue this game any longer, so why don't all of you simply just per-"

Squee!

Halting abruptly, the creature found itself now facing yet another obstacle that dared to get in the way of its plans. And the creature was more than certain that the orange, pint-sized reptile currently sizing it up knew that as well.

"So is that it?" The creature asked, more so snarled. "You would wish to share the same fate as these vermin?"

The gecko, whom up until this point had only been watching the whole ordeal go down, squeaked its reply, confirming its choice to interfere while also restating the request that Twilight had made earlier on.

The creature in return, despite its absolutely beastly appearance, seemed to hesitate a moment before nodding at the lizard whom it believed truly deserved its master's respect as well as its own.

"Hmph. So be it." It said, and without warning or remorse, the creature reeled back its arm and sent its clenched claws straight at the little lizard. The impact to follow was almost as deafening as thunder, and the hole in the floor swallowed half of the creature's massive arm. And while the mares were left shell-shocked at the sight, the deathclaw simply pulled its arm out of the hole and examined its hand, then the hole, before finally sighing and turning its head to regard the orange lizard standing just a few feet away, completely unharmed.

"I had a feeling you weren't just any normal creature." The creature said, turning away from the absolutely dumbfounded girls to give the tiny gecko its full attention. "Then again. I doubt any creature who would willingly strive to befriend my master was anything but."

Narrowing its eyes, the gecko remained silent as it only cracked its neck, readying itself for the upcoming fight. Staggering difference in size aside, if the little lizard was feeling any bit fearful or hesitant now, he certainly didn't show it as he dashed forward, closing the distance between himself and the behemoth of a beast before him in an instant before leaping to near eye level with the deathclaw and letting loose a torrent of fire right in its possessed face.

The roar of agitated surprise to follow as the creature took a blind swing at the gecko would be accompanied by another as the gecko, rather than try to dodge the incoming arm, instead climbed aboard before sending forth another belch of fire right into the creature's eye. And while the deathclaw's hide was more or less everything proof, fire to the eye was still fire to the eye and as Badass darted around its hide, the creature was left to claw at itself in a enraged frenzy, spinning about as it tried to shake its passenger off to no avail and in doing so doing more damage to itself than Badass ever could. Clever.

"Why you- ugh! Get back- augh! H-Hold still so I can squash you, dammit!"

Squee!

"You! You take that back!"

Squea!

"Why you little-!"

Squee! Squeek!

"How DARE YOU!"

And around they went. With Badass attacking the beast both verbally and fire-breathily, the beast attempting to swat or pulverize the gecko and instead causing more harm to itself, around, and around, and around they went. And all the while the two continued their dramatic little game of whack-a-gecko, as one-sided as it was seeming at the moment, none were more at odds emotional-wise than the main six who were currently watching the whole thing with mixed reactions. By which that included Pinkie Pie, Rainbow, and Applejack cheering the little gecko on, Fluttershy appearing as if she wanted to intervene but at the same time wondered if that would be rude, and Twilight and Rarity simply watching in silence.

"Twilight dear," Rarity said to the unicorn beside her. "sh-shouldn't we intervene?"

"..."

"T-Twilight?"

"Oh!" Blinking, the lavender mare turned to her friend, though seeming to do so with some difficulty as she had to rip her eyes away from the action, and regarded her with only a slight blush. "I'm sorry Rarity, you were saying something?"

Blinking herself, the unicorn shook her head before nodding over at the two creatures locked in combat.

"Shouldn't we be doing something about those two darling?"

"I...suppose." The mare finally said after watching the fighting a moment more before glancing at her friends, then at the creature, and finally at her saddlebags with the elements jingling within.

Sighing, she knew what needed to be done.

"Girls." Twilight said, catching the others' attention. "Gather around." And so they did.

"Got a plan, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded.

"More or less." she said, before levitating her saddlebag off and opening it for all to see.

"The elements, huh?" Rainbow said, peeking in. "Was wondering when were going to use them."

"Considering current circumstances, we have to if we have any chance of defeating whatever that creature is now. That is..." She trailed off before turning to regard a certain yellow pegasus as did the other four. "If everypony agrees."

Fluttershy blinked.

"M-Me?"

"Well Mister Lizard is your friend after all, dear." Rarity said, giving the mare a look. "If anypony should have the final say in all this, it most certainly should be you."

"R-Really?"

"That is true." Applejack said, nodding. "You know more about that critter than the five of us, Fluttershy. Wouldn't be fair if we just up'd and zapped it without your blessing...if I'm being honest."

"Oh."

"Yeah! And besides," Pinkie added, or more so jumped in. "How could we use the six elements of harmony if only five of us want to use them? Silly pony."

"Th-That is true."

"like I said before, Fluttershy." Twilight said, putting a hoof on the pegasus's shoulder. "I realized I was wrong in my judgement before and wanted to make amends with you AND your friend." She nodded firmly. "And I meant it." She paused before smiling. "So it's your call."

Taken aback by Twilight's sincerity, as well as by her friends' willingness to let her have the final say so, Fluttershy didn't quite know what exactly to say.

"Tw-Twilight. Girls I-" She seemed ready to cry. "I don't know what to say."

"Weeeelll could you maybe figure it out a little faster?

"Rainbow Dash!"

"What?" Rainbow responded, pointing a hoof at the two lizards still going at it. "Just saying that I don't want that little guy over there to have all the fun is all."

"Be that as it may, Rainbow Dash." Rarity said, much like a mother scolding her filly. "This is Fluttershy's decision, not yours!"

"That's okay Rarity, I've already decided." Fluttershy suddenly said, catching both ponies off guard.

"You did?" They both asked, to which Fluttershy simply nodded.

"Uhmm."

"A-And?" Twilight hesitantly asked, To which the pegasus sighed.

"We'll use the elements."

"..."

"You sure, Fluttershy?" Applejack questioned, to which the mare nodded again.

"Yes."

"But why-?" Twilight tried to ask before the pegasus cut her off.

"It's okay Twilight." She simply said, glancing at the creature just as it clocked itself in the crotch. "I know now that you girls just want to help Mister Lizard. And if it means using the elements...then I'm sure it'll all work out in the end." She chanced a small smile. "Right?"

"O-Of course!" Twilight said, semi-shook by her friend's painfully adorable optimism. "While I have done a bit of research on the elements as a side-project, I found that their effects, while usually unpredictable, aren't always necessarily dangerous whatsoever!" She then nodded, as though her very words were fact, before letting her inner egghead take the reigns as she continued. "And if this situation were to play out exactly like the Nightmare Moon incident, then I'm unmistakably positive that the elements will only purge the evil entity currently possessing him while leaving his body and mind relatively unharmed!"

Hearing that, especially come from Twilight of all ponies, Fluttershy couldn't feel more relieved as she smiled and nodded.

"Oh that's just Wonderful!"

And just like that, the decision was made. So without further delay or a recount of votes, out came the elements as each was given to their respective beholders. And once each of the five golden necklaces and one tiara were equipped by their wearers, the girls took to their positions with Twilight at the front and the five others at her six.

"Alright, girls!" Twilight said, glancing at the others over her shoulder. "Is everypony ready?"

"Uhmm!" Fluttershy confidently hummed.

"Heck yeah!" Rainbow agreed.

"Always am, sugarcube." Applejack affirmed.

"Ready as can be, darling." Rarity confirmed.

"WAIT!" Pinkie Pie suddenly yelled, causing all eyes including Twilight's to fall on her.

"Pinkie?" She asked, brow raised. "What's wrong?"

"What about Mister Gecko?"

"Mister Gecko?"

"Yeah! Shouldn't we warn him so we don't accidently friendly-fire him with friendship-fire?"

"That's right!" Fluttershy suddenly piped up before turning to the unicorn. "We should warn him, shouldn't we Twilight?"

"Well...I guess we should. But how?"

"Hmm." Hummed the pondering pink pony before she was suddenly struck with an idea. "Oh! I got an idea! How about before we blow away Mister Beasty with our befriending beam, we yell 'HEY MISTER GECKO, GET OUT OF THE WAY SO YOU DON'T ACCIDENTALY GET HIT BY OUR SPECIAL ATTACK!?'"

Squee?

"What?"

Face hoof times five.

"Seriously Pinkie?" Rainbow deadpanned, to which the pony simply and innocently shrugged.

"Heheh, oops?"

Five exasperated sighs followed that.

Blinking, both Badass and the creature had paused upon hearing the pink one yell what she had yelled. And after taking one look at the other girls, then at the creature, then back at the girls, it seemed curiosity won over consideration as the gecko stuck its tongue out at the creature before darting over to the girls and stopped just beside the smiling yellow one.

And it seemed that curiosity, the merciless reaper that it was, would apparently be killing more than just cats as the creature simply stood in place, its crimson eyes full of doubt as they narrowed at the six mares standing before it.

"Oh? A special attack. Is that right?"

"Buck yeah it is!" Rainbow Dash, being the mare to hurtle over cannons, jumped at the opportunity for a second shot at intimidation. "Should just let us kick your scaly butt BEFORE we brought out the elements. Colt, are you in for it now!"

"Reaaallly now. Me? Be concerned much less intimidated by whatever you little inferiors call anything an 'attack?'" It scoffed. "Please. Don't make me laugh." It then paused to consider something as Rainbow sputtered to reply. "Though then again, if it's supposed to be what you ponies consider a last resort, I suppose it would be all the more entertaining when it fails spectacularly." The creature then nodded to itself before grinning toothily at the mares. "Very well. Since Mister Lizard was so willingly merciful with you six, I suppose It would only be fair if I gave all of you somewhat of a fighting chance. So go ahead. Show me this special move of yours. And if its as laughably worthless as I'm sure it'll be, then maybe I'll let one of you live as a reward. Maybe."

"Oh we'll show you what's laughably worthless when we shove our friendship beam right up your-!"

"Dash!" Applejack called, an orange hoof against the bridge of her snoot. "Ju-Just, just stop talking. Like now, please."

"Applejack's right, Rainbow Dash." Twilight said, sighing at the the pegasus's antics. "Besides, I think you're just giving the creature what it wants."

"Heh. You friend's right." the creature chortled, much to cyan mare's scrunching face. "You really are."

Having quelled the Dash, the main six were now stood ready to reveal their ace in the whole and thus unleash upon their foe a friendship fuckening befitting only the most vile of entities such as the creature that patiently awaited its apparent demise.

"Alright then, whoever or whatever you are, prepare to be defeated!" Twilight said with determination practically dripping from her every word. The creature however, merely yawned.

"I'm waiting."

Huffing slightly, Twilight didn't make the creature wait a second longer as she and the girls closed their eyes. Slowing their breathing down all the while, each of the girls felt a tingle within themselves that steadily grew to a warmth that washed over their everything until it could no longer handle its confinement and the energy, seemingly the very magic of friendship itself that seemed to swirl about inside their beings like a whirlpool, burst forth, and set up each of the girls for a one hell of a light show as their eyes opened to reveal only a bright glowing white while their necklaces and one tiara each shone spectacularly a color of the rainbow. Then for the grand finale, as each pony took to the air without assistance from neither horn nor wings, a beam of colored blasted out and straight up from each of the crystal symbols on the front of each weaponized accessory before colliding at a cone-shaped point and literally exploding into a spiraling mess of rainbow that then rocketed towards the creature at near light speed.

The end result was just as spectacular. For as the creature braced itself for what would likely feel like trying to stop a flaming bullet train, it was shocked to realize that upon making contact with the beam, by which it engulfed the creature entirely and near-instantly, it felt as though a warm breeze was simply passing through. A calming wind that left the creature...relaxed? At peace even? To the creature, the feeling was...bewildering to say the least and at the most it was...familiar. Well whatever it was, the creature was almost disappointed when that sensation disappeared and slowly morphed from a slight irritation, to a slight burning sensation, and then to an almost excruciating, searing agony that racked the body seemingly from the inside out. How so? Well, considering the ear-splitting roar that the creature was omitting as the rainbows consumed it, one could only speculate.

This agonized roaring persisted for several more long seconds before it finally ceased altogether, leaving the room in relative silence as the girls returned to normal. Then once the rainbows dissipated, the girls were more or less baffled to see the monster still relatively unharmed as it laid unmoving on the stone floor.

"Did, did it work?" Applejack asked as she squinted at the creature.

"I-I don't know." Replied Twilight as she took a hesitant step forward, then several hasty steps back as the creature suddenly stirred.

"Ughhh."

"It's still alive?!" Rainbow Dash yelled as the creature growled again, confirming the obvious.

"Wait a minute!" Fluttershy suddenly said, raising a hoof. Blinking, she slowly approached the downed deathclaw, noting its obvious disorientation as it struggled to push itself up. "M-Mister Lizard?" She called, to which the beast paused in its action. "Is that you?"

Turning its head, while not making direct eye contact, the giant lizard seemed to remain quiet a moment before it hissed a reply that only one mare, and gecko, could understand.

"Y-Yeah Fluttershy, it's me alright." He said, the corner of his maw curving up slightly. "Did you miss me?"

Hold back on the waterworks, Fluttershy took a shaky breath before nodding.

"Uhmm."

Squee!

"That you too, Badass?"

Squee.

"Heh. Is that so? Well, why don't you come over and tell me more then."

Squee!

Fluttershy smiled as she watched the little gecko, happy as could be for his friend's return, made his way over to the prone reptile. Well, that is until there came a sudden chill that shot clean through the pegasus's fur. Blinking, a curious question was about to be posed before a startling realization was made and-.

"Wait! Badass don't, that's not-!"

And she was too late. For just as the little gecko turned his head, he was suddenly in the air, his little body clutched tightly within the claws of what he thought was his friend lying on the ground just seconds ago was now standing at his full height. Squeaking in pain, the little lizard was shocked to find himself unable to utilize his fire breath on account of the slowly enclosing claws choking him. Now left with no other options but squirm in vain, he instead chose to growl at the creature holding him, who of which laughed wickedly at his current conundrum.

"AH HAA HAHAHA! YOU FOOL! You actually bought that?! Wow, and to think it would be that easy too!?"

The creature cackled once more, its grip eliciting a cough from the little gecko as it tightened.

"And you." It said, looking up with a wicked smirk at a slightly shaking Fluttershy. "Thanks for fooling this little one here too. Really sold it with how happy you looked to see your friend return. Well...thought he returned, that is."

"I...I-I...but I thought."

"Oh? That your precise friend was back. That I would be defeated that easily?" It narrowed its eyes. "Well. I ALMOST thought so too. But seeing as I still stand, it simply goes to show just how truly pathetic you ponies are. Hm, guess I was right all along."

"Like hay you were!" Rainbow Dash yelled before she suddenly took off towards the creature, hooves ready to serve up a cider barrel's worth of beatings up until she was sent flying backwards and straight into a pillar by the entrance, the impact cracking the stone and causing the mare to fall to the ground in a limp heap all from the mere flick of the creature's tail.

"Yes. I was." It stated matter-of-factly as it took a step towards the others.

"Rainbow!" The girls yelled in horrified unison before rushing over to their down friend with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy making it to her side first. Quickly the girls checked her over and, after finding that she was in fact still breathing, if only barely, they were nonetheless relieved before that relief was dashed by the slow approach of the creature.

"Hm. Was sure she would've died from that attack...no matter, I'll finish her off after I deal with all of you."

Gulping, a bead of sweat rolled down Twilight's brow as she stared down the murderous beast before her. Well, that is until she was pushed aside by Applejack as she brushed passed her and continued toward the creature, her head low and silent.

"Oh? Is that anger I smell? Prey tell, just what are you planning do with all of that anger?"

Stopping, the farm pony was quiet a moment before she suddenly responded in a hushed, unidentifiable tone.

"I'm...I'm..."

"Yes?"

Gritting her teeth, the mare's head suddenly snapped up, and as Twilight looked on, she was shocked to see Applejack's eyes as red with rage as the creature's whose crimson orbs held amusement instead. A sight that was only made that much more horrifying when the mare spoke, or rather...screamed.

"I'M SENDING YOU STRAIGHT TO TARTARUS!"

And with that, she charged the monster head on, an orange bull seeing only red as it charged its chuckling target, deaf to her friends calling her name and blind to everything else but her rage as she closed the last few feet between her and the creature with a sudden leap, roaring through the air as she spun to buck its stupid smirking face before she just stopped. Or more specifically, the creature caught her by the hoof with its open claws before suddenly twisting, garnering a sickening crack and an even more stomach-churning scream from the mare before it raised its arm, and the mare it was holding, and threw it and her to the ground. Hard. Some much so that after hitting the ground with enough force to leave a small impact crater, Applejack's body was then lifted again and promptly thrown straight through, yes through another nearby pillar and skipping several times across the stone floor before coming to a skidding halt against the wall beside the wooden doors.

"Applejack!" Twilight yelled.

"You-..!" Rarity yelled, drawing the lavender mare's attention and finding, to her ever-increasing shock, her friend levitating several dozen rocks of varying sizes and edges that she turned and rotated in the air, their sharpest points all aimed at the creature as it looked on with indifference. "You freak!" And at that, she fired, launching a impressive barrage of debris that actually gave the creature pause. A slight mistake on its part as it made the creature loosen its grip on its little captive just enough for the creature to take a breath and let loose the smallest of flames right into the creature's eye, surprising it and thus allowing him to slip free just as the creature was pelted with just about everything the white unicorn had and or could get her aura on, giving the creature little time to do much but throw up its arms and shield its face from the avalanche of throwables that broke and cracked against its scales in rapid succession.

"Take that! And that! And that! You brute! Scoundrel! Tartarus-Spawn! DEMON!"

Twilight didn't know what to say. She was without words as she witnessed a feat of magic that was well beyond what she knew her friend was capable of. A feat she knew could only ever come from the raw emotions of those who attempted them, and as a result, suffered from them. And as she watched, her fears were only affirmed as she noticed her friend begin to steadily grow more and more fatigued, her breathes labored, her face scrunched from heavy magical output, even her horn seemed to spark and fizz from the constant flow of energy she was pouring into it as she fired off rock after stone after pebble, at a rate which to her horror decreased both in viciousness and velocity just enough for the creature to slowly but surely advance towards them, under fire, one sluggish step at a time.

"Y-You fiend! Y-ou beast! M-M-Monster." Rarity panted, gasped, growled and hissed as the pounding in her head and the shakiness in her hooves increased. And yet even up until the last moment, when she thought her mind would break or that she'd bite clean through her lip, she somehow managed to continuously pour on the insults alongside each bit of rubble she flung at the creature, up until she heard what sounded almost like shattering glass before everything went black.

Twilight meanwhile saw everything, and was, as she is now, speechless. Hell, she may have probably been breathless too at that moment and not even know, maybe not even care either. The sight was just that...fuck. I mean, to see something like that happen to another unicorn, to a friend no less...just...fuck. And just what did happen to Twilight's friend? To Rarity?

Well to put it morbidly simple, her horn just...shattered.

No, not all of it mind you. But from the tip to maybe halfway down her horn, that portion was just...gone. Shattered like glass and scattered like flakes of snow around the mare's now unconscious body, having dropped just a second after the bits of horn and a two seconds before the remaining rocks and debris that Rarity had in aura at that time fell with her. And her body remained there even as the beast found this moment to be opportune and charged, claws raising and soon falling on the mare's unmoving form, even as Twilight was halfway through screaming her name but stopped at the sight of something dart towards her downed form. A very pink something.

"PINKIE PIE TO THE RES-!"

SLASH

"-cue."

Thud

"P-Pinkie?"

"…"

"..."

Zap

"Damn you."

Zap Zap

"Damn you."

Zap Zap ZapZapZapZapZapZApZap

"CELESTIA DAMN YOU TO TA-Augh!"

"Are you done embarrassing yourself now?" The creature asked as it held Twilight by the neck. The mare promptly responded by firing a magical bolt point blank into the creature's face. But much like the dozen other shots she fired at it, the bolt bounced harmlessly off of the creature's hide, leaving it to huff in annoyance. "Very Well."

With no effort, the creature raised to its full height, bringing the mare with it while only slightly tightening its grip on her neck. She gasped, kicking air and bruising her hooves blue as she beat them into the creature's skin in an attempt to break free.

"Do you insects not get it?" The creature asked, bringing the struggling mare just a few inches away from its face. "You've lost. There is no point in resisting any longer." It raised a brow. "So why do you still persist?"

"I-..." Twilight gasped, making the creature tilt its head ever so slightly as she fought vainly to breathe. "Am g-g-going..." She clutched at the creature's claw which tightened around her neck with shaky hooves. "To e-end y-you."

The creature sighed, after hearing that and seeing the glare that its prey was trying to give it, the creature sighed before raising its free arm, the blood-soaked one, and bringing it to eye level with the mare.

"And just look where that got you and your friends." It brought the dripping appendage closer before rubbing a crimson-coated claw just below the mare's teary eye. "Soon to be dead...almost dead...already dead."

The mare trembled.

"And do you know who's to blame for all of that?" It asked, raising a brow. Twilight however didn't respond, she already knew the fucking answer. The creature booped her with its bloody claw. "That's right...you."

Though she could no longer speak with the creature's grip slowly getting that much tighter, Twilight opted to instead stare at the creature, holding a gaze that the creature almost immediately took offense to.

"You know, I don't like the way you're looking at me right now." It stated, bringing up the bloody claw and pointing it inches from the mare's now pin-pricked eye. "Maybe I should just...pop it." In what was likely her definite last moments, the creature watched as the mare used the last of her energy to again struggle out of its grip, much to the creature's disappoint, but then again, her suffering would make all the difference so the creature really didn't have any other complaints. So, it simply moved its claw closer and closer to the unicorn's open eye, before suddenly stopping.

She...she was looking at something. Not it, or the claw, but something else?

"What are you staring a-?" The creature tried to asked before it paused, noticing a flicker of light just out of the corner of its eye. Blinking, it turned its head to look before freezing at the sight of a beam of pure white light shinning out from its shoulder. "What is tha- AHH!"

Stumbling back a step, the creature gasped as more spikes of pain stabbed from within, and to its horror, with each jab of pain, a thin beam of white light speared through the skin and out, leaving the creature's hide riddled, and slowly growing ever brighter.

"What's going on?! What's happening to me?!" The creature roared before looking at the unicorn still in its grasp. "Is this your doing?!"

And yet, despite being roared at and the grasp on her neck becoming almost vice-like, Twilight did not answer. Though, while she couldn't actually respond verbally, even if she wanted to, the creature still got its answer when it looked into her eyes. And it threw her. It roared, turned around, and chucked the mare's body clear across the room, letting gravity dish the pain as she rolled, skidded, and slammed into base of the thrones of the two sisters.

And with herself free, Twilight greedily sucked in as much air as her lungs could allow in a couple seconds before turning to see the creature, to her horrified wonder, clutch at its head, its body leaking more and more light by the second before, in an instant, it disappeared altogether in a bright, roaring flash of blinding white.