Author's Note

This is a part of the Jest Days of Christmas, where I update something every single day of December. Go check out the link for the full list and check back everyday for a new update!

Observing The Struggle

Many minutes earlier, in Ponyville.

Rainbow Dash burst through the door to the library like an out-of-control wrecking ball, startling everyone inside.

“Where is that murderous git? I’ll give her what for!” Rainbow Dash declared.

“Are you speaking of me? Or perhaps your supposed friend here is the target of your fury,” Furious Flare offered, gesturing to Twilight.

“I’m talking about you, duh!” Rainbow Dash retorted, pointing at the hunter.

“Really? Because based on the damage you did to my door you’d think it was me you hated,” Twilight shot back.

“What, it's fine, see?” Rainbow Dash declared.

The pegasus pushed the door shut, or at least tried to, as one of the metal hinges was broken. Leaving the poor thing to dangle there, flapping absently in the light breeze of the early afternoon.

“Uh… I can fix that,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Like you said you’d fix my roof?” Twilight asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Augh quit trying to distract me! I’m here to stop a murder!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed.

Furious Flare snorted. “Why would I kill Twilight Sparkle? She is aiding me in my task of hunting the beast while the rest of my party arrives.”

“Not if I stop you first!” Rainbow Dash stated, rising up to her back hooves and raising her forelegs. “Now put ‘em up, you murderer!”

“Augh, I don't have time for this. Twilight, restrain your associate so we may continue with our reconnaissance,” Furious Flare demanded.

Twilight sighed and trotted over to her friend. “Look, we are just doing some recon on the creature and its habits.”

“What gives Twilight, yesterday you said it was weird how murder happy she is, and now you’re helping her?” Rainbow Dash demanded.

“I studied her texts, and asked Celestia for clarification,” Twilight began. “It's all true Rainbow. This creature really is one of the monsters of legend, and even the princesses are concerned.”

“Bwuh?” Rainbow Dash muttered, the mare falling back to all fours.

“Yes, it is like I said,” Furious Flare exclaimed. “Left to its own devices this creature will spawn innumerable others of his ilk. Once they reach critical mass they will flow across this land and world like a green tide of destruction. We have but this singular chance to destroy the creature before it is able to begin spreading.”

“Is this lady serious?” Rainbow Dash asked incredulously. “Have you never been given the birds and the bees talk before.”

“I assure you I know how-” Furious Flare began.

Rainbow Dash flew over and wrapped a hoof around the hunter’s shoulder.

“Well don't you worry, Auntie Rainbow Dash is here to teach you,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “You see when two creatures love each other very much they do a special dance and soon one of them will be pregnant. After a few-”

“Rainbow Dash quit antagonizing her,” Twilight exclaimed.

The pegasus was shoved backward, forcing her to release the hold she had on Furious Flare’s shoulder.

“I would advise you to listen to your friend before I have to escort you from the premises,” Furious Flare growled.

“What? I’m just trying to help you understand how creatures reproduce. Since apparently that's not something you get,” Rainbow Dash mocked.

“Orks don't reproduce like that,” Twilight stated. “Though they look vaguely mammalian, they have more in common with mushrooms than us.”

“Bwuh?” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“It is how they are able to reproduce without the need for a companion,” Furious Flare picked up. “Their spores are numerous, with each ork able to make millions of the things over their lifetime.”

“Wait, really? How does that even work?” Rainbow Dash asked, the mare scratching her head with a wing.

“It's complicated but they essentially pop out of the ground fully formed. If the texts are to be believed, that is,” Twilight explained.

“They are correct,” Furious Flare declared. “My family has maintained them for generations. The information within is perfectly accurate.”

“Say,” Twilight began. “You wouldn't mind if I say… inspected those original tomes, would you? The copies are nice but to see such ancient texts would be a dream come true.”

“Don't do it, dude. She’s totally going to slobber all over them,” Rainbow Dash added.

“Hey that was only one time and I-”

“Silence!” Furious Flare interrupted. “Twilight, maintain the scrying spell. Rainbow Dash, either sit down and be quiet or leave. Your constant blathering is a determinant to my mission.”

Rainbow Dash pulled up a chair and sat down, her hooves crossed over her chest and a host of muttered insults upon her lips.

“Good, now continue,” Furious Flare stated.

“R-right,” Twilight murmured.

The unicorn lit her horn and focused her magic on the crystal orb resting on the table before them. After a few seconds of unbroken concentration, the sphere lit up, and the Everfree as seen through the eyes of a bird popped into view. After a moment to calibrate her spell, Twilight began to move the scrying spell around, seeking out a familiar landmark.

It didn't take long for the unicorn to locate the fort she and her friends had visited only a few days earlier. Looking around, they found that it was uninhabited save for a few fat parasprites and a couple of small forest creatures. With an extra spell, Twilight phased the scrying sheet through the wall of the tower, confirming that it was also empty.

“It hasn't been gone long,” Furious Flare remarked. “Go back to the eastern edge of the fort.”

Twilight complied, moving the spell back to a seemingly random break in the outer wall.

“There. Footprints, and fresh ones too,” Furious Flare exclaimed.

“What, I don't see anything. You should check out the west side,” Rainbow Dash offered.

“Ignore her,” Furious Flare interrupted. “Head back to the eastern section and zoom in.”

“I don't think there is anything here. I don't see any… huh,” Twilight murmured. “Would you look at that.”

The scrying sheet displayed that something large and barefoot had come this way recently.

“Follow them, hurry,” Furious Flare pressed.

Twilight nodded and did just that, guiding her spell further into the woods. Beside her, Rainbow Dash silently fumed, though her anger soon melted into curiosity as the landscape started to change. Through the magic of the scrying sheet, the pegasus was able to see further into the Everee than she had ever beheld in person.

The majestic beauty of such untamed wilderness was off put by the sense of danger that leaped out at her everywhere she looked. Monsters and predators seen only in books or spoken of in hush whispers could occasionally be spotted amongst the foliage. Though her nerves were shaken, Rainbow Dash continued to follow along as Twilight moved deeper still.

“Stop,” Furious Flare ordered. “Focus on that hill.”

Twilight did just that, shifting the spell so that a sparsely treed lump of earth filled the scrying sheet. Furious Flare held up a hoof, prompting Twilight to stop there. With the magical eye unmoving, Furious Flare studied the image closer, though for what Rainbow Dash wasn't sure.

“Iron deposits,” Furious Flare offered. “It's starting to scope out natural resources.”

“Is that… bad?” Twilight asked.

“The chronicles speak of an ork infestation that began to metastasize once one of their number had reached the prerequisite size and had located a significant amount of metal,” Furious Flare answered.

“So they need metal to complete some part of their life cycle?” Twilight reasoned.

“It's not necessary, though it does seem to speed things up,” Furious Flare answered. “These creatures don't care if they wield only wooden weapons and wear leather armor. They will use whatever they can get their hands on.”

“Sounds kinda ingenious,” Rainbow Dash offered.

“In a way, yes. Tales are told of how these creatures could create sophisticated equipment from little more than pig iron and wood,” Furious Flare stated, only to frown. “A shame that these devices ceased functioning in the hooves of ponies.”

“Perhaps they have some sort of magic that ensures only they can use it,” Twilight offered.

“Sounds like a cop-out for not understanding how their stuff worked,” Rainbow Dash retorted.

“Hush, follow that path,” Furious Flare urged. “And activate the audio now.”

Once more Twilight did as was asked of her, her horn glowing a bit brighter. When the light dimmed, sound came from the orb, though it was initially little more than the whistle of the wind. It was quickly replaced by what was likely fighting, though it was too distant to be sure at the moment. As the noise grew louder, Twilight's magical eye shifted until it fell upon the battle they had heard a second earlier.

“Woah, is that a Bug Bear king?” Twilight muttered.

“It seems so. Though what it is doing so far west is beyond me,” Furious Flare exclaimed.

“Six arms? Now that's just cheating,” Rainbow Dash murmured.

“Hold on,” Twilight murmured, the pony zooming in on the fight. “Is the ork bigger than he was last time?”

“Ghuzrod. His name is Ghuzrod,” Rainbow Dash interrupted.

“Whatever, did he get taller?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow Dash leaned in, eyes narrowing. “I don't know what you’re… huh. Would you look at that, he is taller. Got a bit more muscle on him too.”

“This is bad,” Furious Flare muttered absently. “This is very bad.”

“We still have time right?” Twilight asked.

Furious Flare frowned. “Most likely, but not very much. The chronicles said this process would take several years, but it's been only a few short weeks. Clearly, this creature is exceptional.”

“No kidding. Look how easy he dodging the bug bear king,” Rainbow Dash added, weaving her head as she spoke. “Up, down left oh and he even managed to cut off one of its hands. Go big guy go!”

“Rainbow Dash, don't cheer for it,” Twilight hissed.

Furious Flare ignored them both, her attention focused completely on the fight scene playing out before her. The ork she had chosen as her quarry was enormous, large enough to tower over Celestia, and most other creatures. The alien’s strength would be unrivaled, equalled only by adult dragons, or some of the more exotic creatures found across Equestria.

Worse yet, the ork was fighting intelligently, a quality that she knew was rare for the muscle-bound monsters. Where the chronicles told of an unflinching creature too stupid and stubborn to try anything other than the most obvious of tactics, this ork was different. He used feints, dodged, and even used distractions to get an upper hand on the bug bear king he was fighting.

And the ork was winning, not handily, but he was clearly in control of the situation.

Sure it was close, with both sides sustaining injuries, most notably a few missing limbs, but the ork was firmly leading the dance. He pushed the bug bear where he wanted, and punished the creature when he had the chance to do so. Already the king was missing three of its arms while the ork had only taken a few deep, but not life-threatening gouges or cuts.

“Duck, dodge, dip, and dice!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

Furious Flare blinked, only now aware of how long she had been staring off into space, too stunned to speak. In that time she had watched as the ork slowly but surely pressed its advantage wearing out the bug bear king and adding to the ever-expanding list of injuries the creature had sustained. Using a slow, methodical, and brutal form of fighting that was so outside what Furious Flare had been told of that she started to wonder.

What if this thing truly isn't like the others?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp jab of anger that rose from deep inside of her, banishing such speculation. This creature was her enemy, a monster decried by Celestia and Luna to be something that should exist only in myth. It was her mission to dispatch him, not only because she was a defender of Equestria but also due to her being the sole remaining heir to the Fairbrook family.

“Do you know of any magic that could distract the creature or something along those lines?” Furious Flare asked.

“Why are you asking Twilight? You’re a unicorn too ya know,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“My skills lie primarily in combat. Such long-distance spells are not known to me,” Furious Flare retorted.

“I don't have anything of that kind,” Twilight remarked, only to pause. “Though I suppose a sending spell tied to the scrying spell could serve as a distraction.”

“What? Don't do it Twilight he saved my life and is just fighting to save the Everfree from an invasive species!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Would you get out of the way? I haven't decided anything yet,” Twilight retorted.

“You have received confirmation from Celestia herself that this creature is to be struck down as soon as is feasible. You must not let this fool stop you from doing what needs to be done!” Furious Flare declared.

Rainbow Dash flew right up into the other mare’s face. “Oh yeah and who says he ain't different from those other jerky orks? You said he was smarter than them!”

“He may have indicated higher intelligence, but that only makes it more imperative that we slay him,” Furious Flare shot back.

“Pfft nuh uh!” Rainbow Dash mocked. “It actually means that we could talk with him, and maybe do one of those peace treaty things or whatever.”

“Girls,” Twilight attempted to interrupt.

“You do not sign peace treaties with world-consuming monsters!” Furious Flare shouted back, her eyes flashing with a dangerous, crimson glow.

“You’re wrong. He's not nearly big enough to eat a planet. Maybe a pony though,” Rainbow Dash admitted.

“Girls!” Twilight shouted.

“What?” Both Furious Flare and Rainbow Dash yelled back.

Twilight just pointed at the scrying orb.

Following her hoof, they stared down at the battle, only to find that it was over but a clear winner was not easily found. Though the bug bear king was now missing a whopping four limbs, and was impaled on the ork’s sword, said ork wasn't much better off. His cuirass had been torn off, and his stomach cut open, allowing his guts to spill out onto the dirty ground.

Ghuzrod shoved his foe from the end of his blade before dropping said weapon completely. The ork then fell to his knees, and knelt there, seemingly wounded fatally and on the verge of death. Then he reached down, grabbed as much of his guts as he could, and shoved the mass of entrails back into his midsection.

With his off hand, he held the mass inside his torso, while the other grabbed the handle of his sword. Somehow, he was able to stand, and even more surprisingly, raise his jagged scrap metal weapon above his head. A warcry spilled from his lips, one so primal and powerful that it shook the very earth.

So strong was this scream of victory that it cracked the orb, and made both Furious Flare and Twilight grab their ears. Rainbow Dash, however, had raised her forehooves over her head and was yelling along with the ork. Though where his cry was a distinct ‘Waagh’, the pegasus was screaming ‘Yeah’ at the top of her lungs.

“That's what I’m talking about, woo!” Rainbow Dash finished.

“Is it over?” Twilight asked, the mare still keeping her hooves placed firmly over her ears.

“It is, now focus. You are about to lose the- dammit,” Furious Flare cursed.

The orb flickered once more before the image within vanished, replaced by a ghostly white mist.

“Get it back, hurry!” Furious Flare shouted.

“It's broken, all that yelling must have overloaded the spell,” Twilight explained.

“Useless, you are all useless,” Furious Flare yelled.

The hunter turned around and stomped out of the library before anyone had a chance to utter a sound.

“Hot damn, what is her deal? That was one hype-as-hell fight,” Rainbow Dash declared.

“It was not ‘hype’,” Twilight corrected, adding air quotes to the word hype. “It was a struggle to the death. Such violence should not be glorified.”

“Pfft whatever. He fixed the invasive species issue didn't he?” Rainbow Dash shot back.

“I mean, with the king now slain they will likely scatter, so you’re not wrong per se,” Twilight murmured.

“See? Problem solved,” Rainbow Dash declared.

Twilight sighed and just watched as her friend walked over to the door.

“The next time we do this we should make popcorn and maybe invite the others,” Rainbow Dash offered, stopping at the library exit. “Except for Fluttershy, I don't think she’d be a fan.”

“Or Pinkie Pie either, she is surprisingly squeamish about…” Twilight shook her head. “We are not doing that. Also, where are you going? We should be talking about this. Coming up with a plan.”

“No can do Twilight. The weather team is preparing for a big storm rolling in. Boss lady wants us to divert it into the Everfree,” Rainbow Dash answered.

“But won't that delay Furious Flare’s expedition?” Twilight inquired.

“Oh, I didn't think of that. Yeah, it totally will!” Rainbow Dash replied. “Great point Twilight. Gotta go, duty calls or whatever!”

With that, the pegasus was gone, disappearing in a rainbow contrail and leaving behind a tiny cloud of dust.

“I didn't… augh,” Twilight muttered, hooves crossed over her chest. “I don't get paid enough to deal with all this craziness.”