The Last of the Crocfolk

With Leatherfoot

Leatherfoot's been swimming for days now. He managed to escape the Ponies, but now he had to go through all the trouble of navigating himself back to the Mother Swamp. He had been eating fish and anything he found near the water, sleeping on the bank at night, and swam most of the day.

He stuck his head above the water and recognized the environment he was in. All around him was an arid desert and hills of sand for miles. Leatherfoot recognized this place immediately. The Badlands! If he continued his way down south, he should arrive at the Mother Swamp in just a few more days.

"Finally! I could get back home!" Leatherfoot shouted.

He dove back into the water and continued to swim further south. He may be the last of his kind, but he wanted to spend the rest of his life in the Mother Swamp. He wanted to die in his ancestral home.

*

Words couldn't describe how tired Leatherfoot was by the time he finally saw signs of the Mother Swamp. In the lands past the mountains, he saw a line of trees with moss hanging from them. It was the Mother Swamp! He was finally home! All he needed to do now was to find a hidden place to make his home and live out his life in peace. He swam towards the familiar trees faster at seeing them.

"At last! I'm finally home!" Leatherfoot cried out. "Praise the ancestors!"

Leatherfoot had managed to pass the trees when he saw something he didn't expect to see, something that would shake the Croc-kin down to his core. The Mother Swamp was dead.

The few healthy trees he saw were a cover for the hellscape he saw instead. The land held no water save for a few little ponds, allowing the sun to dry and crack the ground. The trees he grew up with were now black and lifeless pillars of wood sticking up from the ground. Something had happened to the Mother Swamp, draining it of water and leeching the life from his land. It was now all gone. He had no home to return to. Leatherfoot turned his head up to the sky and delivered a loud roar of anger.

"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!!"

Now he really had nothing. No family, no tribe, and now he had no home. The Ponies had truly taken everything away from him. It was as if the gods were taking pleasure in his torment. A cruel joke if this was to be his fate, living alone in a dead swamp. That was, until a thought entered his head.

"Surely, there must be some part of the Mother Swamp that is still thriving!" Leatherfoot said. "The Mother Swamp can't be completely dead!"

Leatherfoot ran through the remains of the Mother Swamp looking for any sign of life within the swamp. There was nothing for miles but dry land and dead trees until he saw something that made his blood boil.

There were Ponies in the swamp, cutting down the trees. Even though the swamp was dead, the Ponies were still defiling it in this manner. Leatherfoot drew his Claw-Blade and roared at them. The loggers all looked at him and lifted their axes and chainsaws in fear of him. Leatherfoot glared at them with great fury.

"How dare you drag you filthy hooves across these sacred grounds!!" he shouted. "Leave here now!"

One particularly burly stallion stepped forward and wielded a large axe with his magic. He spoke the Last Crocfolk with a threatening tone.

"Why don't you make us, monster!" he shouted back.

Leatherfoot gave a sadistic grin to the Ponies below. "Well... don't say I didn't tell you to leave first."

In a single bound, Leatherfoot ran towards the loggers. Most of them didn't even have enough time to scream.

*****

It was all over in a matter of seconds. Bodies, and parts of them, laid strewn across the dried grounds of the swamp. The victorious Leatherfoot stood in the center of them, with crimson blood staining his Blade, his claws, and his teeth. He was panting in exhilaration. It had been quite a while since he had indulged in battle. It was something that brought a sick thrill shaking through his entire body. Before he could relish in this sadistic pleasure, a loud whooshing sound came from above him.

Leatherfoot looked above him to see an airship flying down to him. He remembered seeing airships before while he was held in Klugetown but hadn't thought much of them before. There was a crest on the side of the ship, like two blue horns surrounded by shadows. The ship landed and creatures Leatherfoot had never seen before emerged from the ship.

They were around his size, with white fur and bright blue eyes hidden behind masks shaped like the faces of beasts. They each wore armor and carried weapons. Leatherfoot regarded them with a great deal of respect.

"These beings are warriors. They do look like they can hold themselves on the battlefield," Leatherfoot noted.

Among them was one that was clearly the leader to him. He wore a horn-like adornment on his head and held a staff with a blue crystal on top. He looked around at the field of carnage Leatherfoot created and whistled in approval and gave a laugh.

"Well, hullabaloo and howdy-do! Look at this!" the leader said before turning to Leatherfoot. "You must really be good in a fight. There's not a single scratch on you!"

Ever-cautious, Leatherfoot brought up his Claw-Blade in a defensive way. "Who are you and why are you here in these sacred lands?"

"Oh! Where are my manners? I am the Storm King," the Storm King replied. "As for why I'm here, I was passing through on the way to Klugetown when I happened to see your fight down here and got curious. You really don't seem to like Ponies very much."

"They took everything from me!" Leatherfoot said. "They destroyed my race, my life, and now my home! I hate them!! I will never forgive them for this!"

The Storm King put a hand on Leatherfoot's shoulder. causing a jolt of surprise shooting through his whole being. He looked to the Storm King and saw a look of seriousness on his face.

"What if I told you that I can help you with that injustice done upon you?" the Storm King asked.

"What can you do?" Leatherfoot asked cynically. The Storm King gave a smile.

"I have this magic staff, a staff of great power!" the Storm King replied. "It can do many great things when at full power, but it needs more magic in order to perform the great miracles I can perform. To do that, me and my army are going to conquer Equestria."

"I hate magic and despise the land of the Ponies, so I don't have a lot of faith in what you're saying," Leatherfoot said.

"I haven't finished my pitch. This staff, when fully powered, can raise the dead," the Storm King said.

The really roped Leatherfoot's attention. He turned to face the Storm King with wide red eyes. He put his Blade away on his belt and felt his heart race.

"Truly? It can raise the dead?" he asked softly.

"It can. I know of your people and can tell that you're the last of your kind," the Storm King said. "The atrocities Equestria swept under their rug must not go unpunished. I wish to help you deliver righteous judgement. In exchange for your help, I will bring your people back. And I'll even revitalize the Mother Swamp for you."

This was all Leatherfoot needed to hear. The Crocfolk got down on one knee and bowed his head to him.

"If your power can bring my people back and bring life back to the Mother Swamp, then I will be at your command," Leatherfoot said with sincerity. The Storm King placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I promise you, we will deliver justice together," the Storm King said. "Let us go do so immediately."

Leatherfoot followed the Storm King and his escorts back onto the ship and took off. He cast one last sad look towards what remained of the Mother Swamp before it disappeared from view. The Storm King patted Leatherfoot's back.

"Let's get you some proper armor. You can keep your Claw-Blade," the Storm King said. "After that, you'll meet up with my right hand."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Leatherfoot said obediently.

Leatherfoot went followed one soldier to a room that held various weapons and bits of armor. He looked around the room and found armor perfect for him. Once he was finished armoring, he looked at himself in the mirror.

The Last Crocfolk wore a simple breastplate and pauldrons and a short black tunic. He covered his claws with a pair of strong gauntlets and put on a belt on which he could strap his Claw-Blade. He finished up and joined the Storm King at the helm of the ship. The Storm King whistled.

"I must say, you wear our armor well!" the Storm King said.

"Your armor feels like it is high-quality," Leatherfoot said. "I have been a gladiator before, so I know good armor when I see it."

"Well, we set a course for Canterlot, the seat of the Ponies' power. They will choose either the easy way or the hard way!" the Storm King said.

"Personally, they should all choose the hard way," Leatherfoot said grimly. "I would love to have my Blade drink their blood."

"Still, we need to play this smart. They may respond well to us immediately if we show up, so we need to appeal to them," the Storm King said. "And we'll do that by having a Pony talk to them."

At that moment, a female voice came from behind them. "Your Majesty, we've made the proper arrangements and the second fleet will meet us at Canterlot."

"Very good, Commander Tempest," the Storm King said.

Leatherfoot looked behind him and to his horror, a Pony stood behind him. A dark pink Unicorn with a broken horn wearing the Storm King's armor. He immediately drew his Claw-Blade and took a defensive stance, as well as the Pony. Without taking his eyes off his enemy, he spoke to the Storm King.

"Your Majesty, why is there a Pony in your company?!" he asked angrily.

"Who is this hostile creature?!" the Pony asked.

"Tempest, calm down, this is our newest warrior," the Storm King said before looking to Leatherfoot. "This is Tempest Shadow, one of my most trusted commanders."

"Why is it that you have one of the enemy in your employ?" Leatherfoot asked, still gripping his weapon.

"She'll talk to the rulers of Equestria and try to convince them to surrender," the Storm King said. "She hates her own kind as much as you do, so I'd appreciate it if you two would get along."

Leatherfoot glared at the Pony and knew that it wouldn't serve him to argue with the Storm King about this. He'd just have to bear working with her until this was over. He reluctantly put his Blade away and stood there with his arms crossed.

"Very well. For the sake of my people, I will work with this... thing until we've won this upcoming war," Leatherfoot said.

"Good, now let us forge onwards!" the Storm King said.

Leatherfoot focused on looking forward at the sky. He would make the Ponies know his pain, and he would work to bring his people back. By any means necessary.