Chapters The Crocfolk. They have been in the swamplands for as long as they could remember. The species had many of the same attributes as crocodiles, including head shape except for their enlarged brain case, scales, teeth, claws, shorter snouts than normal crocodiles, and rudder-like tails to aid in swimming. They were divided into several clans, each with their own territory.
Each clan was led by both a leader and a shaman. The leader provided governance for the entire clan while the shaman provided support from the gods the Crocfolk worshipped.
War between the clans was rare, but when they did happen, they were fierce. Crocfolk warriors were vicious on the battlefield, but they would often use their knowledge of their territory to their advantage. Weapons of stone, wood, and bone were always used.
Like crocodiles, Crocfolk laid eggs. Males would usually judge females by the thickness of their tails. Thicker tails meant that they were healthy enough to watch over a nest for a long period of time. Females would judge males based on physical prowess and temperament to see if they could defend their mates and their eggs.
When young Crocfolk reached the age of thirteen, they were taken before the shaman to perform a rite of passage that involved jaw-wrestling. They would only use their jaws to grapple opponents and attempt to throw them to the ground. Both the winner and the loser would then receive a tattoo that worked as identification for what clan they were from.
Leatherfoot was born to the Whitetail Clan. He was considered to be special among his clan because he was born as an albino. His snow-white scales and prominent red eyes placed him as a potential "Speaker". Speakers were the prophets of the gods. Those that were born as albinos were considered to be the best candidates to be speakers as the result of how they were born. But Leatherfoot had no desire to be a Speaker. He wanted to be a warrior to protect his clan. Leatherfoot had reached the age of five, and was quite excited to partake in the rite of passage when he turned thirteen in just nine years' time.
The young Croc-kin, which was singular for individual members of the species, walked down the path in his hidden village to the village center to listen to the shaman relay to them the stories of their ancestors. The other members of his village were gathered along with their own hatchlings. He himself was still considered a hatchling by the adults, but that would change once he passed the rite of passage. The shaman stood in the center of the village and stood before a huge fire.
The shaman was dressed in a cloak lined with what he said were the teeth of enemies he had slain. A headdress of bright bird feathers adorned the top of his head and he held an ornate staff in his left hand. He was waving around the right one to get the crowd's attention.
"Everyone, gather around while I tell you the stories of our ancestors!" he yelled to gain their attention. Once everyone got quiet, he began.
"Long ago, our people had built a great kingdom within the Mother Swamp. The gods deemed us worthy of their amazing green garden to cultivate and protect. It was an age of paradise. But little did we know of the horrors the outside world would bring to our corner of the world." the shaman said. He definitely had everyone's ears now.
"The outside world was ruled by a race of strange, four-legged beings called 'Ponies'", the shaman continued. "Some had horns, and some had wings like a bird. Others did not have horns or wings at all. The ones with horns could perform strange magic. They had journeyed into our Mother Swamp to explore it when they stumbled upon our kind. At first, we approached them with curiosity and wonder. But they had rejected us upon our first meeting. They called us 'monsters', 'abominations', and 'freaks'. They had begun sending hunters into our swamp to eradicate us. They butchered our people, sold some of us to be slaves, cut down our trees, drain our swamp to expand their own towns, and force us to hide within the darkest parts of what remains of the Mother Swamp. So beware the blight of the Ponies, young hatchlings. Lest they kill you, too."
This story had the adults and hatchlings alike livid with anger. Leatherfoot raised his hand. "Why didn't our warriors fight back the Pony invaders?", he asked the shaman.
"That's a great question." he replied. "We tried to fight them back, but our warriors were no match for their weapons and magic. Because off these conflicts, we now number in the few when we used to number in the many."
Leatherfoot raised his hand again. "Do you think that the evil Ponies will find us?". That made everyone gathered there look to the shaman for an answer. He simply smiled in reassurance.
"Do not worry, young Leatherfoot. Those vile creatures will never ever find our hidden village."
Suddenly, a bright ball of fire shot up into the air a ways behind the shaman's back. It then exploded into lots of tiny little balls of fire. Then, the screaming began.
The village was being attacked! Leatherfoot didn't know by whom, but the village was being attacked regardless. The young Croc-kin didn't know what to do except for run like mad down the road in his village. Fires had started to appear on the roofs of his fellow Crocfolk. They were all running in the chaos. The warriors had gathered their weapons and prepared to kill these unseen opponents.
As Leatherfoot kept running, he thought he saw something fly past him in the air. It looked like a mammal with bird's wings. The flying creature seemed to spot Leatherfoot as it landed down in front of him. This creature had a short muzzle, bright green eyes, brown fur, stood on four legs, and had bird wings on his back. It was a pony. His village was being attacked by ponies! The flying pony stepped towards Leatherfoot with a sadistic smile on his face. It spoke to him in a language he didn't understand.
"Why are you doing this?!", he demanded of the creature in front of him. "What have we ever done to you?!"
The pony's only response was something in its strange language before he lunged at Leatherfoot. The young Croc-kin dodged the pony's attempt at capturing him and ran down the street.
He had to get to his house and fetch his knife. He would protect his three mothers from the evil ponies! He rounded the corner and finally reached his family's house.
However, when he arrived at the house, the floors were stained with blood. The air was thick with the smell of blood. In the center of the main room, a male honed pony stood over the mutilated remains of both his father and his mothers! Both of them showed signs of having their teeth ripped out before he killed them with the machete he was holding with his magic.
The male horned pony had gray fur, a white mane and tail, wore a black hunting jacket, and had a scar over his left eye leaving it milky white. The wretched figure turned to him and spoke in its vile language. Leatherfoot didn't know what it was saying nor did he care. He only cared about one thing: avenging his family!
Leatherfoot ran at the horned pony and tried his best to attack him, but the damned pony simply teleported away from him. Leatherfoot looked around to search for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, something hard hit him in the back of the head.
He collapsed to the ground and felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. Before he fell completely, he reached out to the remains of his family before everything went black.
Slasher had a most happy day. They had a successful hunt, got some new trophies, and he easily defended Equestria from those horrible crocodile creatures. He had worked diligently to rid the swamp of these vile creatures. Their presence in the swamp posed a threat to the good ponies of the land he swore to protect. How? By hunting those who would bring harm upon his people.
Slasher walked through the village and viewed the bodies of the Crocfolk he and his Hunters had slain. Their primitive weapons were no match against Unicorn magic, Pegasus flight, and Earth Pony ingenuity. One of his Hunters trotted up to him.
"Report." he ordered in a flat, monotone voice. His subordinate looked eager.
"Sir, you'll be happy to hear that there were no survivors in this attack. There were a few runners, but the guys finished them off easily enough."
"There is one survivor." Slasher said.
"What?" the lackey asked.
Slasher used his magic to levitate the unconscious young male Croc-kin over to show his subordinate. The creature was an albino, with snow-white scales unmarked by any spots.
Slasher grinned at his thug. "We're going to sell this one. A rare creature like a Croc-kin, especially an albino, will fetch a high price at the underground market."
The thug smiled. "It might fetch a really high price considering that this was the very last Crocfolk village we've found. I think we've done it, boss. I think they've been driven to extinction!"
Slasher pursed his lips and looked at the still-sleeping Croc-kin. "When you die, your kind will be officially extinct. Well... good riddance." The leader of the Hunters turned to his minion.
"Put a muzzle and some restraints on him. Lock him up in a cage. We're taking him to Klugetown Market in two days.", he ordered.
The thug looked at his superior. "Sir, are those new teeth to add to your trophy collection?"
"Yes, these teeth will look wonderful on a necklace, don't you think?", he responded.
Leatherfoot woke up with a headache. He felt something weird around his snout and felt something cold and metal around his wrists and ankles. He tried to open his mouth only to find that something was slipped around his mouth to prevent him from opening it.
He looked down to see metal cuffs around his wrists and ankles with chains connecting them to restrict his movements. He saw that he was in some weird box with metal bars that intended to keep him trapped within. He could feel himself moving which must have meant that the cage was on a cart of some kind.
Leatherfoot looked around to see what remained of his once peaceful village. He then remembered the attack from last night. He remembered that his people were being slaughtered by evil ponies from the shaman's stories. He remembered that his father and mothers were horribly murdered by a wretched horned pony with a black coat and a scarred eye.
The young Croc-kin heard a strange sound followed by a flash of light. He turned to the source of the phenomena to see several ponies holding weapons and smiling standing behind a pile of his fellow villagers' bodies. Males, females, and even hatchlings alike were in that pile. Among them were the toothless and defiled bodies of his father and mothers.
Upon seeing how the bodies of his kin were being treated, he felt himself become consumed by rage. He flung himself at the bars of his cage and began roaring and trying to yank off the bars. The ponies all turned to him and looked at him with surprised eyes.
The cage-cart came to a complete stop. The ponies were all talking to each other in their evil language before one of them spoke up above the others. They all parted for the apparent leader of this attack. Leatherfoot could hardly believe his red-colored eyes.
The leader of these murderers was that horned pony who murdered his family. He looked at Leatherfoot with a look of apathy and indifference with that one sky-blue eye of his. Leatherfoot glared at him with all the rage and hatred he could muster. Then, the killer pony gave him a small smile and had the driver of the cage-cart move it again. Leatherfoot watched after his family's killer until he disappeared from view completely. He slumped in his cold cage with nothing to occupy him but his thoughts.
"I will avenge you. Father, mothers, my friends, my village, my people. I will avenge you all. The ones who took you from me will know pain and death." he vowed.
He vowed to get revenge on those who took his family away from him. Especially that horrid horned pony.
When Leatherfoot woke up the next morning, he found his thoughts plagued by visions of his whole clan being destroyed. He recalled the images of his murdered family in excruciating detail. The young Croc-kin swore to avenge his family as well as his entire species. He would see his family's killer destroyed.
It had been three days since the massacre. He had been given just enough food and water to keep him alive. He couldn't understand the ponies' foreign tongue, but he got the idea that they were taking him somewhere specific to sell him off. They left the swamp yesterday and were now crossing something Leatherfoot had never seen before.
Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but a huge expanse of sand as far as his eyes could see. And it was hot. Really hot. Leatherfoot had never seen such a place in his life. There were few creatures up and about at what he guessed was the beginning of the afternoon. The only creatures he saw other than ponies were the vultures that would land on the bars of his cage and look at him with the kind of gaze that said that they were expecting him to die at any time.
The driver of the cart said something in his obscure language. Leatherfoot peeked between the bars of his cage to see what looked like a strange town in the distance. It looked like a mixture of thrown-together buildings to homes that were literally built into the rock. There was a sign above the main gate that had strange scribbles on it. Leatherfoot guessed that this was some form of language that struck him as odd. The Crocfolk had no written language or writing system. Once they passed through the gate, Leatherfoot saw that the native inhabitants of this strange city weren't ponies at all.
The people of this city looked really unusual. Some looked like birds, others like fish, and some were reptilian. There were a few ponies in the city, but they were few and far between. There were stalls selling a variety of goods, including roasted meat if the smell was anything to go by.
At some point, the cart came to a complete stop. The driver of the cart was speaking to another pony. This one was one of those horned ponies, earning a silent growl from Leatherfoot. This horned pony had a silver mane and tail, brown fur, and bright orange eyes. He wore a white robe with a black cape along with a sword at his hip. The new pony looked at Leatherfoot in his cage and trotted over to seemingly inspect him. He was muttering in pony tongue every now and then while he was looking over the young Croc-kin.
The driver walked up to the slave trader with an excited grin on his face. "Hey, Tagger! I got a very special specimen for you!".
The Unicorn slave trader, Tagger, walked over to the shouting driver to see what he was hoping to sell. As soon as he laid eyes on what the driver was keeping caged behind him, he did his best to hide his surprise.
"Well, well, well. What have we here? One of the Crocfolk? And an albino one, too? This one will fetch a fantastic price at my market!" Tagger exclaimed.
The driver smiled at that. "Not only that, but according to the Hunters, this is the very last Croc-kin in existence. So he'll fetch an even higher price."
Tagger's eyes were as wide as tea plates. "Really? The last one alive?"
"Yes, Slasher and his Hunter Corps saw to that themselves." the driver replied.
"I'll need to go through the proper procedure to make sure he's fit for selling." Tagger said, walking over to the cage.
As soon as he did, the young Croc-kin lunged at the bars and tried to attack him. The driver was starting to get worried when the bars started to bend from the force behind the creature's attacks. A Croc-kin this strong at his current age? It was remarkable! Tagger simply stood there and smiled.
"Oh-ho! He's a spirited one! I know a buyer who would just love to get his hooves on this little guy." Tagger said. "And he's still a hatchling, too. I can only imagine how strong he'll be when he gets older."
The hatchling was still thrashing about in his cage. Tagger knew how to deal with unruly beasts like this one. He lit up his magic and used it to shock the Croc-kin to keep him from moving. Tagger walked around the cage to inspect him.
"He's quite strong for being so underfed. No external injuries. No signs of infection or disease." Tagger muttered. He then turned to the driver and smiled.
"I'll take him!"
Leatherfoot watched with seething hatred as the strange horned pony handed a large bag of something to the driver. The horned pony whistled and several other ponies and creatures lifted his cage out of the cart and onto the dusty ground. The driver took his cart and trotted away with a stupid smile on his face.
The horned pony gave orders to his subordinates to do something with him. The cage door was opened and he was dragged out kicking. His mouth was still muzzled and his arms and legs were still restrained. He was being held in place by several large thugs while their apparent boss was scribbling something onto a piece of wood. The horned pony came back holding something with his magic.
It was a rectangular piece of wood with a small length of rope running through the top of it. On the piece of wood were those odd scribbles he saw on the sign on the front gate. The horned pony slipped the rope and wood around his neck. The new pony gave orders to his thugs to do something else.
Leatherfoot found himself being dragged across the town to a new weird place. It was an elevated wooden platform with a few other creatures lined up on top of it. These ones were different compared to the others. They all were chained up and wearing minimal clothing. They all had the same rope-and-wood thingies like Leatherfoot did. They were all looking at the ground with defeated looks on their faces. Some of them had marks and scars on their backs, as if they were whipped.
The goons planted Leatherfoot next to one of the captives and was chained to the floor to prevent escape. After their task was completed, they left him there to stand beside the other captives. At some point, a large curtain dropped in front of the captives.
Tagger stood up on the stage of his slave stand to get the crowd ready to see his line of top-quality slaves. He was especially excited to show everyone his literally one-of-a-kind prize item to sell. He conjured up a megaphone and bellowed into it.
"Come one, come all! I implore you to visit Tagger's Slave Actioning Market! This is the place where you'll nothing except high-quality slaves! Exotic workers from faraway lands! Come and see!" he called out to the gathered audience.
Once a decent enough crowd had gathered, Tagger gave the signal to drop the curtain. Once the curtain dropped, the crowd examined the lineup of potential money-making slaves. Their eyes were especially drawn to the young Croc-kin. When Tagger turned around to begin his auction, he had to squint when he looked at the Croc-kin hatchling. The sunlight on his pure white scales made him almost blinding to look at. Tagger conjured up a pair of sunglasses and began.
One Hour Later
Once everyone made their purchases on their slaves, the albino Croc-kin was the last one to be auctioned off. Tagger pointed his gavel at him and smiled.
"Behold, everyone! A member of a race that was long thought to be hidden away in the swamplands to the southeast. An exotic specimen of great pedigree. I give you the Croc-kin!" Tagger exclaimed. The crowd was heavily interested in this new creature. Tagger continued with his sales pitch.
"With highly durable scales, claws, superior strength, and a bone-crunching bite, this beauty will serve as an excellent gladiator or guard for your homes. But not only that, but he's an albino, with white unmarked skin. And lastly, this one right here... is the last Croc-kin in existence!" Tagger said.
The crowd started to get really excited. One after thee other, the bids for the young Croc-kin grew higher and higher until one particular voice called out.
"One billion."
The crowd gasped and murmured amongst themselves as to who the source of the voice was. Eventually, the attendees parted for the one who made the bid. It was a Pegasus who had bid one billion on the young Croc-kin.
He walked up the stage, passed the object of his insane bid, and looked Tagger right in his stunned eyes. "I'll take him." he said simply.
Tagger knew exactly who this Pegasus was. It was Razor Wing, the owner and operator of that traveling gladiator circuit, an operation that wasn't... legal in Equestria. He was wealthy enough to depart with one billion with no problem. Tagger smiled.
"Sold."
Leatherfoot had no idea what was going on. This winged pony had just walked up to the stage and started speaking to the horned pony in their native tongue about what he guessed was himself. Leatherfoot hated this winged pony immediately.
He was tall and muscled with well-groomed feathers on his wings. His mane and tail were sky blue in color while his eyes were bright violet. His fur and feathers were black as swamp squid ink. This pony also smelled strongly of exotic spices.
After the two ponies spoke some more, the horned pony's thugs unchained Leatherfoot from his place on the stage and made him kneel before the horned one.
This is horrible! A Croc-kin warrior is being made to kneel before an enemy?! I will not stand for this dishonor! The first chance I get, I will drink your blood from a victor's cup and mount your head upon my spear before the eyes of your children! he thought in disgust.
The rope and wood thing were removed from his neck and replaced with something else. It was made of leather and made to fasten around his neck. Leatherfoot felt a foreign energy passing through the thing and throughout his entire body. The horned pony and the winged one shook hooves after a bit of banter between them. Then, the winged one gave one of the thugs an order.
Suddenly, everything went black.
Leatherfoot woke up to a rocky place. He sat up to realize that he was lying on a stone floor in what looked like an artificial cave system built into the rocky environment above. He turned to see that there was a large opening to his space with long steel bars preventing him from leaving.
The young Croc-kin ran forward and began to ram the bars with all his strength. Nothing happened. No matter how much he attacked, the bars would not budge.
"Would you please stop before you hurt yourself?" a voice called out from the cell in front his own.
A figure stepped into the light of the torches that served as this place's only source of light. It was a tall, dog-like creature with blue fur with a white belly and a long, bushy tail. This creature had spoken to Leatherfoot in his native language.
"You can speak Green-Speech?" he asked the creature in astonishment.
"I've had encounters with Crocfolk before. I'm guessing you can't speak the language of the ponies?" he asked.
"Yes. I've never encountered ponies until... until a few days ago." Leatherfoot replied while struggling with some deep and powerful emotions. The creature before him sighed.
"I see. What's your name?" the creature asked.
"Leatherfoot. Of the Whitetail Clan. I wished to be a warrior." Leatherfoot replied. "And what is your name, stranger?"
"My name's Bluu. And I'm a Diamond Dog. I'm here because of... unfortunate circumstances." Bluu replied. "Why are you here? I know you got sold off to the same feathered prick who bought me."
Anger began to well up inside of Leatherfoot. "I'm here because ponies destroyed my people. A group of hunters attacked us in the night. There was no warning. We didn't have a hope of winning against such an ambush. I ran to help protect my family... but they were all killed." Leatherfoot said wiping away a tear before continuing. "They were all murdered by a unicorn. A unicorn with a scarred eye and a black coat. I promise that I will avenge my family!"
Bluu looked at Leatherfoot with sympathy in his eyes. "I'm... so sorry to hear that. My whole pack was killed in a cave-in. I managed to claw myself out of the cave and just wandered the wildlands until I was found by slave traders. Nowadays, I just fight."
That caught Leatherfoot's attention. "You fight? Are you a warrior?" he asked. Bluu snorted.
"Not by choice. I'm a gladiator." he replied.
"What is 'glad-dee-ate-er'?" Leatherfoot asked.
"Someone who is forced to fight for the amusement of others." Bluu responded.
"That's horrible! That is unforgivable! To kill others for amusement?! There is no honor in that!" Leatherfoot exclaimed.
"Well these guys don't care about honor. They only care about money and how they can make more of it quickly."
Leatherfoot didn't know how to respond to any of this. He was just being told that he will have to disgrace himself and his whole race for others' entertainment.
Will I have to shame myself to survive ? he thought as he curled up on the floor.
Wait! Maybe I can use this. If I'm going to avenge my family and kill my main enemy, I will have to hone my skills as a warrior. Then, I will devise a way to kill my family's killer after I hunt him down he vowed before letting sleep devour him.
Eight Years Later
A now twelve year old Leatherfoot was putting up a valiant fight against his opponent in the ring. His opponent was a quite tall rat-like warrior armed with a heater shield and a one-handed arming sword. The rat creature was panting and bleeding from several wounds his reptilian opponent gave him. From what Leatherfoot could see, his foe could barely stand.
Leatherfoot himself remained uninjured. Not once in all his years as a gladiator has he taken a single cut from an enemy, even if they were bigger, faster, stronger, or more armored. His scales were unmarked by any battle scars, which spoke of great fighting prowess. He was wielding a kite shield and a steel war-sword. As for armor, Leatherfoot was wearing nothing but a black leather loincloth. Leatherfoot pointed his sword at his opponent and smiled, making sure to show his teeth.
"Do you give up, warrior?" he asked the rat. In response, the rat warrior fell backwards in a tired faint.
The crowd around him cheered as they had just seen a good fight. The traveling gladiator fights have settled in the pony city of Manehattan, by what Razor Wing had told him. The vile Pegasus had set up shop in one of the city's underground hubs for subway trains.
After the fight, Leatherfoot was escorted back to his makeshift cell. He scratched at the slave collar around his neck, the infernal strap of leather. From what his companion Bluu had told him, it was imbued with a curse. This was a curse that would instantly kill him if he tried to attack the one linked to the collar as its master. That master was Razor Wing. Apparently, he did this to all of his gladiators.
Leatherfoot's cell was a tad more luxurious than those of the other fighters. Ever since he had proven himself to be an outstanding warrior, Razor Wing had given him almost anything aside from his freedom. His cell contained a soft mattress instead of rough straw. There was a large water basin for him to somewhat swim in, what with Crocfolk being semi-aquatic. He was given fresh meat for every meal and was even allowed to choose his opponents to fight. Leatherfoot only wanted to fight strong foes.
Leatherfoot stood up in his cell and began performing his daily ritual: punching the stone wall of the underground hub. From across the cells, his comrade Bluu looked at his younger friend.
"Why do you do that? The punching?" Bluu asked.
"Training to fight. Preparing myself for the battles to come," Leatherfoot responded to his friend.
Bluu the Diamond Dog was the closest thing to a friend he had in this cesspool of a life. He supported Leatherfoot when times got tough and they talked more than any of the other fighters. Hell, they even ate meals together and watched out for each other. The Diamond Dog was a bit older than the young Croc-kin and had more scars from his bouts in the ring. Just the other day Bluu lost part of his tail to his last opponent.
Suddenly, one of Razor Wing's overseers trotted to Leatherfoot's cell with a long object wrapped in a bundle.
"Here. The boss found this at an auction and thought you should use it. Apparently, it's Crocfolk in design," he said before laying it on the floor and walking away.
Leatherfoot was stunned. Truly? An artifact of my people?
Leatherfoot grabbed the object and unwrapped the bundle to reveal something truly nostalgic to him: it was a Scared Obsidian Claw-blade. These were powerful magic weapons wielded by the greatest warriors of the clans. They were created by having special holy runes carved into the blade, imbuing it with magic power. The blade itself was made of obsidian, which is three times sharper than diamond and five hundred to one thousand times sharper than a razor or a surgeon's steel blade, while also maintaining an edge for longer than steel . Obsidian by itself was quite brittle, but once it became imbued with magic, it became stronger than steel. Obsidian weapons can also be made to be one centimeter thick. The blade was carved into a slight curve and was quite thin. The Claw-blade is a sacred weapon to be used in battle. The handle was made of smooth wood and seemed to fuse with the obsidian blade, a byproduct of its mysterious forging process.
Bluu gave a long whistle upon seeing the impressive weapon. "Your people really fought with those?".
Leatherfoot gave him a knowing look. "Yes. It was designed to make sure that no enemy we cut or stabbed with it ever got back up again".
Seeing as how these blades contained magic, Leatherfoot got an idea. Hesitantly, he brought the blade of the weapon up to his neck and put it between his neck and the slave collar. With a single fluid motion, Leatherfoot sliced off the collar. Bluu looked on in elated surprise.
"That thing can slice off the slave collars?!" he whispered excitedly to his reptilian friend.
"Apparently, but that's not all it can do," Leatherfoot replied before standing up.
Leatherfoot walked over to the door of his cell and simply sliced through the enchanted steel door as if the bars were made of paper. He walked over to Bluu's cell and freed him using the same method. Leatherfoot then proceeded to slice off his friend's slave collar too.
"Let's get out of here," Leatherfoot said.
"Fine by me," his canine friend responded. "I can finally live my own life"
In all of their stops over the years, Leatherfoot made it his habit of observing every possible escape route in a new location in case he ever escaped.
As they rounded a corner, some of Razor Wing's henchmen spotted them and called out an alarm. Leatherfoot and Bluu both ran for their lives. Leatherfoot led Bluu down the tunnels he memorized on his way in. Behind them, various shouts and curses were being thrown as well as arrows.
After a few minutes of running, the duo spotted light up ahead. But before they could reach the exit, Razor Wing and some of his thugs jumped out in front of them wielding crossbows. Leatherfoot, being the only one who had a weapon, had Bluu stand back. Razor Wing stepped forward and leveled his crossbow at the Croc-kin.
"Where do you think you're going, slave?" the horrid Pegasus asked.
Leatherfoot had learned to speak and understand most of the pony's language over the years.
"I am freeing my friend," he replied.
"I don't think you get it, lizard," Razor said, calling Leatherfoot that racist name. "I own you. You do what I say when I say it".
Leatherfoot grinned. "Suck on own brother!", he called out.
Razor's smug smirk instantly turned into an enraged frown. Without even hesitating, Razor fired his crossbow. The arrow whizzed past Leatherfoot and struck Bluu in the chest. Leatherfoot cried out in despair as his friend fell to the ground. Bluu began spitting up blood from the wound in his chest. Leatherfoot knelt down and cradled his friend's head. Leatherfoot could see that he was fading fast.
"It's okay, Leather. At least I know that I'll be with my pack in the Great Beyond," he said weakly.
"No. No, don't talk like that. I'll get you out of here and we'll both be free," Leatherfoot replied with hope. Bluu just shook his head.
"No, this wound is... to severe. Avenge your people, Leather. Live a... good and... happy life. I want... you... to find... harmony," Bluu said before his eyes became unfocused.
Leatherfoot shook Bluu. "Bluu? Bluu?! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Leatherfoot couldn't bring himself to cry. He wouldn't cry. He refused to cry.
How many more? How many more loved ones will these evil bastard ponies take away from me?! he thought before turning to glare at Razor with all the hatred and anger he'd mustered over the years. The Pegasus took an involuntary step back from the enraged Croc-kin in front of him.
"I hate you. I hate you. I hate you! I hate you!! I HATE YOU!!" Leatherfoot cried out.
Before any of them could react, Leatherfoot ran towards Razor with breakneck speed, grabbed him, and in one fluid motion, bit his head right off. Leatherfoot spat out the head and kicked his body away from him. He then pulled out the Claw-blade and easily killed the remaining henchmen. Some of them begged for mercy, only to be cut completely in half by Leatherfoot's blade.
Leatherfoot left the underground hub after killing the slavers and freeing the gladiators, who all dispersed. Leatherfoot retrieved Bluu's body and cremated it after building a makeshift pyre.
The young Croc-kin left the sewers to finally begin his quest for vengeance.
In the City of Manehattan-Nighttime
A lone police officer was blissfully walking down the sidewalk as a part of his usual patrol route. Good thing for him that there nothing of note happening tonight. The worst thing that happened tonight was some drunk stallion throwing up on a taxi driver's head. He was reaching the end of his patrol route near some of the warehouses in the warehouse district near the river.
Suddenly, something strong grabbed him by the neck and dragged him into a dark alley between the warehouses. Even in the dim light of the alley, he could see something large and white hold him up by his collar. The cop wasn't sure what this creature was, but it was glaring at him with big red eyes.
"Speak, pony! Which way be south?" the creature demanded with a threatening voice.
The cop didn't know why this creature wanted to know which way was south, but he did his best to give a reply with his limited air supply.
"South is... that way" the cop replied pointing his hoof across the river.
The creature turned his head towards where the cop was pointing and then turned back towards the cop.
"Thank you for cooperation. You may live tonight" the creature said.
The mysterious creature let go of the cop and was about to walk out of the alley when the cop fired a beam of magic by one of the creature's feet. The monster didn't even flinch. But he did turn around to glare at the cop.
"Halt! I'm taking you in for assaulting an officer!" the cop shouted.
"You just threw away your chance" the creature said.
In a flash of movement, the creature pulled out a long black blade and swung it at the cop. The cop jumped out of the way of the blade and smiled defiantly at the monster before him.
"Ha! You missed my neck!" the cop shouted.
The creature smiled back at him. "I wasn't aiming for your neck"
The white monster held up a claw and in it's grasp was a Unicorn horn.His horn! The monster had cut off his horn!
The officer was horrified! This beast had taken his horn and was smiling at him for it! The creature walked even closer to the horrified Unicorn. He held the blade over his head.
"This is to avenge my people!" the beast cried before bringing the blade down.
A Unicorn's severed head rolled towards the creature's feet while his body twitched on the ground and bled out. The creature sheathed his blade and walked off in the direction the cop pointed to. But before he did, he took the severed horn. This was an act with the intent of dishonoring his foe. Ponies weren't worthy of honor or respect.
The cops were stunned at the sight before them. When Officer Nightstick didn't report back in last night, the other officers were sent to search his patrol route to find him. His family had said that he never returned home last night so they were worried.
Eventually, they found him in the warehouse district. Or rather what was left of him.
Chief Cuff Clapper showed up later than his other officers. One of his subordinates trotted up to him to fill him in on the details.
"You found him?" Chief Clapper asked.
"We found his body " the officer replied.
"What was the state of the body?" the chief asked.
"Well, some vultures were eating it but we chased them off"
"Will the lab techs be able to identify the cause of death?"
"Oh, they'll be able to identify the cause of death"
"And why is that?"
The officer led the chief to the body, which was covered up with a sheet. The officers with the body pulled back the sheet to reveal the state of the body.
The body was showing the clear signs of being eaten by the vultures earlier, but that wasn't what stood out to the chief. It was the fact that the head was separated from the body and the horn was missing completely.
"Oh, dear Celestia!" the chief said quietly. He turned to his subordinate.
"Has his family been told?" he asked.
"Yes. It wasn't pleasant"
"Any ideas as to who did this?"
"We know it wasn't a pony that did this."
"And we know this how?"
"There were large claw prints on the neck, suggesting this killer has large claws and considerable strength".
"Any witnesses?"
"Well one. A homeless stallion that was walking to this one warehouse he likes to sleep in."
"Take me to him".
The lower officer led the chief to the homeless witness. He was wearing nothing but a dirty black beanie on his head.
"Sir, I know that you've seen something horrible, but can you please explain to the chief what you saw?" the officer asked.
The homeless stallion gulped and spoke in a low voice.
"I was making my way down to my favorite warehouse when I hear a tussle going on in one of the spaces between the warehouses. I thought it was two thugs having a brawl so I wanted to see it. But I get there to see some big lizard monster decapitate an officer and take his horn!" the stallion replied.
"Did the creature say anything?" the chief asked.
"Well, I heard him ask the officer which way was south"
"What did the creature look like?"
"He was big, white, had red eyes, looked like a bipedal crocodile, and carried a black blade"
Now they had a good idea of the direction the creature was heading in. All they needed to do now was to get the hounds and see if they could pick up the creature's trail.
"Thank you for your time, sir" the chief said before walking away.
"What do we do now, sir?" his officer asked.
"Are you kidding me? We get a pack of smelling-hounds and go after the killer!" the chief said.
Just Outside Manehattan
Leatherfoot had managed to make it out of the city in one piece. He had been walking for hours through the night to get out of the city and make his way back to the Motherswamp. Once there, he could try to hide form the rest of ponykind. He never wanted to see those disgusting creatures again for as long as he lived.
The ponies will pay for what they did! All of them! They will pay! , he thought to himself.
He was walking through the small patches of forest just outside the city when he heard what sounded like dogs barking in the distance. He turned around to see several armed ponies and leashed dogs entering the forest. One of them looked at Leatherfoot and pointed to him.
"Over there!" he shouted.
Leatherfoot didn't have the energy to fight opponents that could use magic, so he just took off running through the forest. He booked it over bushes and fallen trees like an acrobat. He wouldn't allow himself to be captured again by these horrid creatures.
He had to get away. He had to get back to the Motherswamp and find a way to avenge his species.
Leatherfoot could hear the ponies and dogs gaining on him. He had walked all night and was quickly getting tired. He decided to look for a place to hide until the ponies and their dogs left the area. Quickly glancing around him, he couldn't see any place he could hide.
The young Croc-kin ran into a field of tall grass stretching as far as the eye could see. The grass was just light enough that he could blend in with little difficulty. But the dogs the ponies had with him could easily sniff him out. He'll have to take care of the dogs first.
Leatherfoot got down on all fours and ran into the grass. Fortunately the grass was tall enough to conceal him on all fours.
The officers entered the field and instantly had lost sight of him. From what Leatherfoot could hear, the leader of this pack shouted a curse that Leatherfoot had heard many times before from the ponies who came to watch him fight in the arena. The leader then ordered his underlings to scour the field and find him.
Leatherfoot moved cautiously and slowly so as not to alert the enemy to his presence. Every movement was measured and planned. At some point, the sound of a dog sniffing and a pony's hooves made Leatherfoot pause.
A nose appeared a few feet away from Leatherfoot's left. Drawing his Clawblade, Leatherfoot silently decapitated the dog. The pony behind the dog was about to cry out when Leatherfoot grabbed him and snapped his neck. Thankfully the sound of the pony's neck breaking didn't alert the others. Except one, it seemed.
"It's over here!!" one of the hunting ponies shouted.
Leatherfoot took off running again with his pursuers hot on his trail. He managed to recover a bit of his stamina, but it wasn't much. He knew that the ponies will be on top of him in a few minutes. Leatherfoot had to think of a better idea and soon.
But before Leatherfoot could think of something, he found that he couldn't move anymore. He saw himself surrounded in a purple aura of magic.
"What's going on here?!" a voice called from above him.
Leatherfoot looked up to see a type of pony he had never seen before. It was female with light purple fur and a darker purple mane with a streak of pink, a horn, and a pair of wings. She was joined by several others, too. They all looked at him with curious eyes.
One of the ponies pursuing him spoke up. "Your Highness, we were in the middle of capturing this creature for the murder of a Manehattan police officer"
The flying horned one and its friends gasped. They all looked to the bound Leatherfoot with looks of shock. The flying horned one asked him a simple question.
"Is this true?" she asked with venom.
Not wanting these monsters to know that he could speak and understand their language, he decided to reply in his native language.
"Goshu, cilo vedas Pogh refoleega" he replied. Yes, I killed a Pony vermin .
The gathered ponies all looked confused. Clearly this was the first time they've heard the language of the Crocfolk spoken aloud. He would continue to speak to them in his language to mock them.
"I think we should investigate this creature further before I pass my judgement on him" the flying horned pony said.
The orange one with the terrible head covering went up to the supposed leader and spoke with an oddly soothing voice.
"Twilight? Are you sure about this? This guy had killed a police officer!" it said to "Twilight".
"I want to hear his defense before I come to any sort of conclusion" Twilight said.
And with that, Leatherfoot found himself teleported away to a strange place he had never seen before. It was a room made of pure crystal. There was a bed, a desk, and a bookshelf full of books.
Leatherfoot ignored the books. His people had mostly a spoken language, not a written one. Though he had heard of the Crocfolk having a written alphabet centuries ago in one of the old temples. Besides, he couldn't read or write in the pony language anyway.
Judging from the room, this must have been some weird pony dwelling. He went to the door to leave only to find it locked. He reached for his Clawblade to slice down the door. But his Clawblade wasn't there. Those wretched abominations must have taken it.
Leatherfoot roared and tried pounding the door with his fists, but it wouldn't budge an inch. After a few minutes of door-punching, the door unlocked to reveal the same purple horned winged pony from before. She and her cohorts walked into the room and shut it behind them.
What sick torture do these creatures have in store for me?! They'll be sorry they ever messed with me! , Leatherfoot thought.
The purple one, Twilight, pulled out a chair and sat down. Leatherfoot prepared for some sort of magic attack. But instead, she just gave him a hard glare.
"Listen here. I have questions for you and you're going to answer them honestly. Understand?" she said flaty.
Leatherfoot's rage at this monster only surged. How dare this inferior creature give commands to me?!
"Can you understand our language?" she asked.
Leatherfoot nodded. "Goshu"
"Can you speak our language?"
"Bortea, fase brud solf feqo, vogse alliose" I can, but I don't want to, false leader
"Apparently not. Why did you kill the officer?"
"Vugh anf fiis coge nifg fitea cing oyter nedrov dervo dhol xigh aers horbde difno clo risateen" The miserable and dishonorable rodent tried to attack me, so I took his head and his horn
"Twi, we're never going to get anywhere at this rate!" a blue pony with rainbow hair shouted. "He clearly can't speak our language and we can't understand what he's saying!"
Twilight didn't even look at the rainbow one. "I'll have Professor Fossil try to translate for us"
"Who are you?" Twilight asked.
"Lettaefot od bol Witol Cleon" Leatherfoot of the Whitetail Clan
"What species are you?"
"Croafulce" Crocfolk
Twilight gazed into Leatherfoot's eyes for a long time. She slowly stood up and left the room with her subordinates. But before she left, she turned around to look at Leatherfoot.
"I'll be keeping you here until my investigation is done. Spike will bring you food and water" Twilight said before closing the door.
She intends to keep me prisoner here, huh? You think I'm helpless without my weapon, huh? Alright then! Then I'll simply find a way to escape. Your magic won't keep you safe forever, pony , Leatherfoot thought with a smile.
He sat down on his bed and began planning his escape.
In Twilight's Castle - Next Day
Leatherfoot's POV
Leatherfoot awoke to the same crystal room he was in before. The same gods-forsaken place the Pony leader trapped him in. He slammed his fist on the floor.
"Damn it! I'm still here in the rats' nest," he cursed.
Conjuring his Claw-Blade, Leatherfoot started to go through some combat drills to train himself. As he trained, he went over different ways he could escape. The room didn't have any windows, so getting out that way was out of the question. The only way for him to get out was through the door. He didn't want to reveal his Claw-Blade just yet, in case they cornered him. He thought it would be better to catch them by surprise and use it to his advantage.
"I have to find some way out of here and get back to Motherswamp," Leatherfoot said. "But even if I do get out of here, how will I know which way to go?"
He wasn't good with directions and didn't know which way was south. He thought about interrogating another Pony to get directions, but they might blab to their leaders about him. He'd have to kill them to keep them quiet. Either way, he would defeat these creatures even if he died doing it.
...
The Main Six POV
Twilight and her friends were meeting with Professor Fossil at her office at Canterlot University. The kind professor was more than happy to see the Princess and Friendship and the heroes of Equestria in her own office.
"Your Majesty, what can I do for you and your friends today?" Professor Fossil asked.
"Thank you for having us, Professor," Twilight replied. "We came to ask you about a prisoner we've recently detained".
"A prisoner?" Fossil asked.
"Yeah. He looks like a large talking albino crocodile," Rainbow said.
Professor Fossil's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. She lunged forward and grabbed Twilight's shoulders with a strong grip.
"Are you sure?! A talking crocodile?!" she asked.
"Uh, y-yeah," Twilight replied. "He doesn't speak our language and we can't understand him. I was hoping you know something about his species and how we can communicate with him?"
"Do I know something about his species?!" Fossil shouted. "I didn't know his kind still existed! Twilight, you have a living relic in your custody!"
"What is he, then?" Applejack asked.
"You have one of the Crocfolk with you!" Professor Fossil replied. "They were an ancient civilization that lived in Equestria long before Ponies settled what is now Equestria! But I thought they were extinct".
"Extinct? That may explain why we've never heard of them," Rarity said.
"How did they go extinct?" Twilight asked.
"Well, the Crocfolk had a great empire that spanned the vast swamplands to the south. There, they lived with several clans united under the Highcroc, or emperor," Fossil replied. "But once Ponies came to Equestria, they started to settle and drain the swamp. When the Crocfolk started to fight or try to negotiate, our ancestors reacted with violence. We started a great culling with the sole purpose of driving them to extinction".
The others were horrified to hear such things. The Ponies of the past had actually attempted genocide of an entire species for land.
"What about our prisoner? You think he may be the last of his kind?" Twilight asked.
"Maybe. I'd have to speak to him," Professor Fossil replied. "I managed to teach myself the Crocfolk language from deciphering texts found in their temples".
"Well, it would be great if you can translate his speech for us," Twilight said. "Although, given his aggression, he may not be too cooperative".
"If he's aggressive with you, that means that he must have every reason to hate Ponies," Fossil said. "What is he even being detained for?"
"He's killed a police officer in Manehattan," Pinkie replied.
The professor was shocked. A look of nervousness crossed her face. Twilight placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder.
"Don't worry. We'll be there with you to keep you safe," Twilight said.
The Princess's words seemed to calm the professor down. Indeed, they would be more than capable of protecting her should the Croc-kin prisoner get aggressive. Professor Fossil breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, that does bring me quite of bit of confidence," Professor Fossil said. "Though, if I may make a small request?"
"What might that be?" Twilight asked.
"If I could, I'd like to interview him about his culture and race," Fossil said.
"You're more than welcome to try," Applejack said. "Though I'm not sure he's going to be talkative with creatures he hates".
"It's worth a try in my book," Fossil said before getting up from behind her desk. "Shall we be off?"
"Yes, let's go talk to our prisoner," Twilight said.
Lighting up her horn with magic, Twilight cast a teleportation spell and teleported them out of the room and back to the Castle.
Leatherfoot's POV
Leatherfoot had trained for a good half of the morning with his Claw-Blade. Once he was finished, he dematerialized his Blade and absorbed it into him. And his timing could have been better.
The door to his room was audibly unlocked and opened the moment he hid his Blade. From beyond the door was something Leatherfoot did not expect. A small dragon of all creatures walked through the door carrying a tray full of cooked fish. The dragon wore a smile on his face as he presented the Croc-kin warrior with the fish.
"Alright, inmate! Time for your breakfast!" the dragon said. "For your breakfast today, cooked rainbow trout".
The tantalizing smell of fresh cooked fish hit Leatherfoot's nostrils like a sack of bricks. His mouth began to water at the sight and smell of these plump fish. Leathrerfoot grabbed the fish in his claws and hungrily scarfed down the fish, picking his teeth with his claws upon finishing.
"Whoa, you sure enjoyed those fish!" the dragon said happily. "Glad you enjoyed them. I cooked them with my own fire breath".
Something about the positivity of this dragon confused Leatherfoot. Once he was finished with the fish, he gazed at the dragon with confusion.
"Who are you and why do you live with the Ponies?" he asked.
"My name is Spike. I live with Ponies because I was raised by them," Spike replied.
"What?! They raised you ?! A mighty dragon?!" Leatherfoot shouted. "You should be ruling these creatures, and yet you feed me like a common servant!"
"Well, I like to think of myself as more than just a servant. I'm more like a worthy assistant as well as the Princess's adopted son," Spike said.
"You actually like Ponies?! How?!" Leatherfoot demanded.
"First of all, please calm down. I'm not trying to hurt you or something. Also, they're really nice people," Spike said. "They're heroes who fight for friendship and harmony".
Those words stung Leatherfoot's heart more than Spike could ever know. Leatherfoot could feel his blood boiling and his anger rising. He jumped up and stomped on the ground in fury.
"'Friendship'?! 'Harmony'?!" he bellowed. "Where were those lovely words when my people needed to hear them?! These creatures know nothing of friendship! They're monstrous genocidal horrors on four legs!"
Leatherfoot's rage caught Spike off-guard. He threw his hands up and took a tentative step forward.
"Look, I don't know anything about your situation, but Princess Twilight and her friends are truly good souls," Spike said. "You may even come to like them yourself once you get to know them".
"How can I believe that when their kind is the reason that I am the last of mine?!" Leatherfoot asked with tearful eyes. "Whenever I see them, this boundless rage boils in my chest to the point of physical pain! Until I find the ones who took my people from me, my anger will never see relief".
"Well, if you need any help with that, I'm sure my friends will be more than wiling to help," Spike said placing a claw on Leatherfoot's wrist.
"Thank you for your offer, dear Spike," Leatherfoot said calmy. "But I just can't trust Ponies."
"You can trust me . I'd be willing to help you," Spike said.
A look of deep sadness crossed Leatherfoot's face. He looked like he was struggling with every painful emotion one could name. He took a small step towards Spike.
"I can tell you're a good dragon, Spike. I'm starting to like you. Truly," Leatherfoot said. "But I won't get a lot accomplished stuck in here".
Leatherfoot then lunged towards a shocked Spike.
...
The Main Six POV
Twilight, her friends, and Professor Fossil all made it the Castle without any difficulty. They group then made their way up the stairs to the room where they were detaining the Croc-kin prisoner.
Spike was supposed to be standing guard outside the room, but he wasn't there.
"That's weird," Twilight said. "Spike was supposed to be standing guard out here".
"Maybe he's in the bathroom," Pinkie suggested.
"Eh maybe" Twilight said.
But before Twilight could open the door with her magic, the door burst forward off its hinges. The door flew forward knocking Rainbow Dash out the sky and sent her to the ground in a painful heap. Rainbow screamed in pain from a broken and bleeding wing. The others turned back towards the room to be greeted with a grim sight.
The Croc-kin was holding Spike with his left arm and had a strange blade in his right against Spike's throat. No doubt about it, the Croc-kin was holding Spike hostage. He glared at the gathered Ponies with the fiercest anger any of them had ever seen.
"Here's what's going to happen," the Croc-kin said in the Ponies' language. "You're going to set me free, or I'll kill your dragon friend here and now".
"Y-you can speak our language?" Professor Fossil asked.
"Shut up!!" he shouted. "What's it going to be, me or Spike?"
Twilight and Rarity charged their horns with magic while Applejack and Pinkie Pie prepared to rush him. Fluttershy was tending to Rainbow's injuries. But the Croc-kin simply pressed the edge of his black blade against Spike's neck, drawing a trickle of blood. The sight made the Ponies back off instantly. The Croc-kin grinned.
"Okay, you can leave. Just don't hurt Spike!" Twilight begged.
"Good. But I prefer a little insurance to make sure you won't follow me to detain me again," the Croc-kin said. "Let this be the day you lost Leatherfoot, the last of the Crocfolk!"
The Croc-kin Leatherfoot ran carrying Spike all the way down the stairs and out the door. The others were helpless to do anything about it. They couldn't follow them without risking Leatherfoot hurting Spike. For now, they had no choice but to trust that Leatherfoot wouldn't hurt Spike and release him once he was far enough away. This was not a good day for the Ponies.
The Fields Outside Ponyville
Leatherfoot ran outside of the Pony village with Spike in his arms with all speed. He ignored the looks he got from all the Ponies he passed during his escape, and they hadn't tried to stop him. Fortunately for them. Once he exited the village, he ran until he reached the forest. Leatherfoot sat Spike on the ground and looked at his bleeding neck.
"I... I'm sorry for causing you bodily harm, Spike," Leatherfoot said. "But I did have to drive the point home".
"It's okay. But this wound does hurt," Spike said.
Leatherfoot knew what to do about that. He looked behind him and found a plant with arrow-shaped leaves. He picked up the plant and gave it to Spike. There was kindness in his eyes as he spoke to Spike.
"This is Arrow Weed, a medicinal herb for my people," Leatherfoot informed him. "Since Crocfolk and dragons have similar physiology, it should heal you without leaving scars".
"Thanks," Spike said taking the offered herb. "Where will you go now?"
"For now, back to the Motherswamp," Leatherfoot replied. "Which way is south?"
"Just follow the river. It flows south," Spike said.
"Thank you. I'll leave you here where you can either find your way back home or your friends come for you," Leathrfoot said.
Before Leatherfoot left, he turned to Spike. "You're not going to tell them where I'm going, are you?"
"No. It sounds to me like you're just trying to get back to your home. Besides, I can tell you're not a bad person," Spike said with a smile.
Those words brought Leatherfoot to the verge of tears. This little dragon was beginning to remind him of his friend Bluu from his gladiator days. He'd often say things like this to him as well. Leatherfoot pat Spike's head in an affectionate way.
"Thank you, Spike," Leatherfoot said. "I hope we meet each other again one day".
And with that, Leatherfoot took off into the forest. The Croc-kin warrior ran for a good ten whole minutes at a full sprint until he finally found the river Spike mentioned. This was perfect as his kind were excellent swimmers. Leatherfoot dove into the water and began his long swim back to the Motherswamp.
...
With the Main Six
Things were hectic for the Ponies back at the Castle. The Croc-kin had escaped and Spike was taken hostage. Twilight was pacing in worry, Fluttershy was bandaging Rainbow's wing, Professor Fossil was muttering to herself about what she just saw.
"That was incredible! An actual Croc-kin that's still alive!" Fossil muttered. "I'd have loved to examine him more".
"Professor, we have bigger things to worry about!" Rarity said. "Like how he took Spike as a hostage!"
"Actually, that's no longer the case!" Spike said standing in the door.
"Spike!" the Ponies shouted before rushing to Spike for a hug.
"How did you escape?" Rainbow asked.
"I didn't. Leatherfoot let me go," Spike said. "He even gave me medicinal herbs for my wound".
"Really? Why did he do that?" Applejack asked.
"Because I got a chance to get to know him a little and form a small bond with him," Spike said. "While he did cut me with his blade, he never intended to actually hurt me".
"Which way did he go?" Professor Fossil asked.
"I saw him heading west," Spike said. "Maybe he's looking for something out west".
"Either way, I'm personally glad we don't have this on our hooves anymore," Twilight said.
"Twilight, he killed a police officer. Are you sure we can just let him go?" Rarity asked.
"I don't think he'd kill some one out of rage alone. Perhaps the officer did something to set him off," Spike said.
"Maybe. But still, we may have to keep an eye out for him. Just in case," Rainbow said.
"You know, while the Crocfolk are still on the table, what does Celestia know about them?" Fossil asked. "She's over one thousand years old. Maybe she knows something about them".
That was a good question that caught everyone there by surprise. That was true. Celestia has to know something about the Crocfolk or at least heard of them.
"I'll ask Princess Celestia about it right away," Twilight said.
Twilight and the others followed her to the library, the best place for them to talk to Celestia about their reptilian ex-prisoner. Twilight conjured a crystal ball and channeled magic into it. After a few minutes of ringing, Celestia's face appeared in the crystal ball.
"Twilight, my most faithful student! How are you?" Celestia asked.
"I'm in an inquisitive mood, Your Majesty. Recently, we've come across a rare find that we thought you may know about," Twilight said.
"Oh? What is it?" Celestia asked.
"Do you know anything about a race of beings called the 'Crocfolk'?" Twilight asked.
"The Crocfolk? I haven't heard about them for a long time. I thought they were extinct," Celestia said.
"Well, one just ran out of the Castle today," Twilight said.
A look of shock came across Celestia's face. She looked like she was about to have a heart attack.
"Really? A Croc-kin is still alive?!" Celestia asked. "Then we should try to talk to them to bury the sins of our past".
"That's the thing. Professor Fossil told us that the Crocfolk were hunted to extnction. By Ponies," Twilight said. "Celestia, is there something that's being hidden?"
"Twilight, listen carefully," Celestia said. "A long time ago, I established an agency that had the sole purpose of hunting and destroying any and all threats within Equestria's borders".
"And I assume the Crocfolk were these 'threats'?" Applejack asked.
"It would sadly seem so," Celestia said with a tear in her eye. "When I found out about the agency's atrocities, I disbanded them. But it seems that some of them are still active in the shadows".
"And these active members must be the reason why this last survivor hates Ponies so much," Spike said. "He said that Ponies are the reason he's the last of his kind".
It took a while for Celestia to respond. "Twilight, I think we should try to teach him about friendship and harmony under your supervision".
"Really? Why?" Twilight asked.
"Because if he is the last of his kind, then we need to do something to help him out of his personal darkness," Celestia said. "It would also be my way of apologizing on behalf of all Ponies".
"Well, Spike told us he was heading west. We could try looking there," Twilight said.
"I'll inform the Royal Guard stationed west," Celestia said. "We have to make things right with the Crocfolk".
That may be easier said than done, though.
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.
The Royal Palace, Canterlot - The Library
Twilight had been awake for three days trying to learn everything she could about the Crocfolk. The army meant to look for her former prisoner hadn't seen any sign of him. It was if he disappeared into thin air. She couldn't take her mind off of him, his powerful form and the unbridled rage in his eyes. That was a hatred she had never seen before.
Ever since she learned that he was the last of his species, Twilight had poured everything she could into learning more about the Crocfolk, and the horrible atrocities done to them. She had come to learn a great many terrible things.
There was an example of one battle where an army of Crocfolk warriors were defeated after one battle and the survivors were forced to fight each other to the death by their captors in exchange for their freedom. Another incident involved Pony generals wearing their skin or hunting them for sport. It was all so sickening to read. The door to the Library opened to reveal Spike, bringing in a tray of food as well as a pillow and blanket.
"Twilight, I don't care what you say, it's time for you to get some food and sleep!" Spike said sternly.
"I... I know you're right, Spike. I'm glad I have you here to help me stay healthy," Twilight said, rubbing her eyes. "This whole thing's been distracting me recently."
"Here's an idea: take a break from finding Leatherfoot and focus on your royal duties for now?" Spike asked. "The celebration is coming up and you need to personally greet Songbird Serenade when she arrives."
"Oh! Thank you for reminding me!" Twilight said. "But first, food and a nap."
*
A Few Hours Later
Twilight woke up feeling better than ever. Her belly was full and she felt more than well-rested. She felt like she was ready to tackle anything. She made her way to the main courtyard to meet with the rest of her friends, who all greeted her warmly.
"I see Spike finally dragged you out of the library, Twilight!" Pinkie said.
"Yeah, sorry about that. It's just that Leatherfoot's still out there somewhere and I just want to try to help him somehow," Twilight said.
"I'm sure the Royal Army will find him," Rarity said.
"Yeah, and when they do, we can take him somewhere where he can get the help he needs," Fluttershy said.
"But how can we help someone like him?" Rainbow asked "Our ancestors wiped out his people. That's not something he can just forgive."
"Still, I want to try to connect with him," Twilight said. "I can't focus on that right now as I have to arrange the party."
As the girls made their way to the city's center, Twilight noticed a series of dark clouds coming towards the city. She turned to Rainbow Dash.
"I thought the Weather Team cleared the skies of clouds for the celebration," Twilight said.
"They did! Must be a stray few we missed somehow!" Rainbow said.
"Aren't those clouds coming in kind of fast?" Applejack asked.
The clouds approaching them were indeed moving faster than normal. In seemingly no time at all, the clouds had covered the skies above the entire city. And from these clouds emerged several large battleships, all of which took up positions at points surrounding the city. The one that landed in the courtyard opened its interior with a small badger-like creature emerging with a speaker.
"Ponies of Equestria!" he called through the speaker. "We come on behalf on the fearsome, the powerful, the almighty... Storm King!"
A banner with an image of the Storm King descended from the ship. The small Storm Creature spoke again.
"And now, to deliver the evil, evil message is Commander Tempest and Captain Leatherfoot!" he called to them.
The mere mention of the name "Leatherfoot" caught Twilight's attention immediately. She was about to ask about him when she got her answer. Leatherfoot, dressed in the Storm King's armor, emerged from the ship alongside a Unicorn with a broken horn. And he didn't look happy to see them. The other three Princesses joined them and stood between the Storm King's forced and their citizens.
"Tempest, is it? How can we help you?" Celestia asked.
"And I see the missing Crocfolk we were looking for is with you," Luna said.
"I'm so glad you asked. We want your complete and total surrender," Tempest said.
"I urge you to choose not to surrender. My Blade thirsts for Pony blood," Leatherfoot said, licking his jaws.
Twilight took the opportunity to step forward and try to diffuse the situation. She put on her friendliest smile when she spoke.
"Wait, I'm sure we can work something out," Twilight said before turning to Leatherfoot. "Leatherfoot, I'd like to talk to you about how we can help you with what happened to your people."
Leatherfoot's eyes narrowed in anger. "What is there to talk about? You wish to talk about how my village was attacked and massacred by hunters, how I was sold as a gladiator-slave, and held captive by you? No, the time for forgiveness is over! The cold eyes of vengeance are upon you now!"
The armored Crocfolk took out his Blade and gave it a few threatening swings. The Royal Guard assembled and readied their weapons to fight the invaders. Leatherfoot smiled and readied for battle, his bloodlust plain to see. The other ships closed in and the rest of the invading army dropped down from the ships to begin their attack. Leatherfoot and Tempest began their own attacks.
Using strange crystal orbs, Tempest managed to petrify the Princesses while Leatherfoot was dealing with the Royal Guard with his Blade and strength. He cut down a great many of them with frightening brutality. One guard had both of his wings cut off and was trying to crawl away, only for Leatherfoot and stomp on his neck and kill him instantly. He laughs at them.
"Come at me, vermin! I'll show you all the true power of the Crocfolk!" Leatherfoot shouted.
"I hate to interrupt your playtime, but one of the Princesses the Storm King wants is getting away," Tempest said.
Sure enough, the purple Princess and her friends were making a getaway in the chaos. Leatherfoot turns to Tempest.
"Leave them to me! I'll retrieve the Storm King's prize!" Leatherfoot said. "And I'll kill her friends if they try to intervene."
Leatherfoot took off in the direction of Twilight and her friends. He had to cut through a few guards in his way, but they didn't hinder him at all. Like any predator, he had his eyes fixed on his prey and he wasn't going to lose them easily. He followed them to a bridge, where some of the Storm Guard had managed to box them in. Leatherfoot joined them with his weapon ready.
"You have nowhere left to go, Princess. The Storm King is eager to meet you," Leatherfoot said. "He didn't say unharmed, if that helps."
"Why are you doing this?" Rarity asked. "What did the Storm King promise you to make you work for him?"
"The destruction of your land and the resurrection of my people," Leatherfoot said. "Justice will finally be dealt to you hoved devils."
"You really think the Storm King will make good on his promise?!" Rainbow asked. "He's just using you!"
"No, his staff is able to perform this kind of power and I know he will make good on his promise," Leatherfoot said. "All I need to do is deliver him the Princesses."
"Leatherfoot, I know these words may mean nothing to you, but I'm sorry on behalf of Equestria for what happened to the Crocfolk," Twilight said.
"Your banal words mean nothing to me! Your kind have made themselves my enemies by starting our conflict, and I intend to finish it," Leatherfoot said. He and the other Storm Guards leapt towards them, weapons at the ready.
Twilight fired a beam at one of the soldiers, but the blast was deflected by the shield he was carrying and it hit the bridge underneath the Ponies' hooves. The bridge broke apart and sent them falling down to the river below. Leatherfoot watched as they were being swept away by the current.
"Sir, they're getting away!" one of the Storm soldiers shouted.
"No, they haven't," Leatherfoot said with a smile. "No one's faster than me in the water!"
With no hesitation, Leatherfoot dove headfirst into the water below, swinging his powerful tail to catch up to his fallen prey and her companions. From what he could see, he was rapidly catching up to his thrashing prey. They saw him as soon as he caught up.
"Nowhere left to go, Princess!" Leatherfoot said, wrapping his arms around Twilight.
"Twilight!" her friends shouted.
"Leatherfoot! This doesn't have to be this way!" Twilight shouted over the raging waters.
"If it means the rebirth of my people, then this is my only way! And I won't you and your followers get in my way!" Leatherfoot shouted back.
A hoof came from under the water and caught Leatherfoot on the side of his jaw. He let go of Twilight and was now facing an angry Rainbow Dash. And she was ready for a fight.
"We won't let you take Twilight!" Rainbow shouted.
"Then I guess I'll have to kill you," Leatherfoot said.
Leatherfoot grabbed one of Rainbow's wings in his jaws, breaking it and earning a pained scream from Rainbow. He dove under the water with Rainbow thrashing in his grip. There was no way she could hold her breath longer than Leatherfoot. He was watching Rainbow about to drown when he saw an orange shape in the water coming right towards him.
Applejack came at him when he wasn't looking and grappled him. She was kicking him over and over until he was forced to let Rainbow go, who made a beeline for the surface. Leatherfoot tried to bite down on Applejack, but she was holding his jaws at bay. He then switched to using his claws and dug them into her right leg. She winced in pain but managed to kick him away so she could surface. Leatherfoot surfaced again and began to go after the rest of the friends until he saw Twilight charging up her horn with magic.
"I'm sorry, Leatherfoot," Twilight said. Then she fired her magic beam at Leatherfoot.
He flew backwards a bit before he lost consciousness. He was awake just long enough to see Twilight approaching him.
"Damn... you... vermin !" he thought angrily.