Hear the voices of Samuel/HTVO: Arc 1: Samuel

Chapter 41: The Canyon

(My Little Pony is owned by Lauren Faust and Hasbro, all OCs belong to their rightful owners. Enjoy!)

Redpen sat down on top of a large mountain, stretching his wings out. He flew for a long time and needed a rest. It was day time to his surprise and relief he didn’t see the moon. Getting up from the ground, the red alicorn walked to ledge of the mountain and glanced down. It was quite high that any pony without wings or the lack of teleportation would have plummeted to the ground.

Whistling in amusement, he backed away and turned around and soon gasped. Applejack and Dexilus were sitting on the ground, glaring at him. Before he could even open his mouth, he felt the air around him shift. A sudden painful feeling swept through his body, coming from his stomach. Looking down, he gasped seeing AJ’s hoof deep in his stomach. As he looked at her shocked, he saw the sinister grin the mare was giving him before she blew him back. Redpen flew back uncontrollably, stunned from the quick blow.

He gritted his teeth and corrected himself using his wings to keep himself balanced in the air. Applejack slammed her hooves on the ground, causing it to crack beneath her, and dashed towards Redpen leaving a sandy trail in her wake. The alicorn gasped as AJ leaped towards him and in seconds swung her right foreleg. He didn’t have time to dodge the attack, so he blocked it with his forelegs only to get blown back down the mountain. He could feel his forelegs soaring with pain from that attack. But he eventually had to ignore the pain for now after he saw AJ leap of the mountain, heading straight towards him like a torpedo.

“This mare is crazy!” Redpen shouted in shocked.

He took a deep breath inhalation then exhale, firing large white fireballs at Applejack. They hit her, but she went through them unfazed. This shocked Redpen, this mare was unaffected by his Ember Ball and on top of that; she was going through them like it was nothing. He opened his wings and started to flap them, so he could rebound his fall. When he was coming closer to the ground, he flipped backwards and landed on the ground hard and kept leaping back, dodging the crashing mare who caused a small crater to form on her landing spot.

Redpen gritted his teeth again in pain, the landing he conjured for his hooves was not so much of a great idea. The strength of her attacks were unbelievable. Applejack eventually walked out of the dust cloud that she formed on her landing. She bore the same grin on her muzzle and a few scratches that still didn’t bother her. This mare was a tank.

“Is that all, partner?” She asked, earning a painful groan from Redpen. “Guess that’s enough, well then, I might as well just kill you.” Applejack said, getting into a running stance. Redpen gasped preparing to block another attack, casting a holy fire shield spell. But to his shock, that was not enough to stop the destructive mare from breaking through his shield head on and bucking him in the chest. He flew back crashing through a few dead bushes before he skidded on the ground slowing down. When he got up from the ground, he looked up seeing the mare coming straight down towards him with her hooves ready to crush his head. He quickly leaped away dodging the crashing attack.

He got up coughing out blood and glanced at Applejack. “Holy: Fire Serpentine!” He yelled as his horn glowed bright, casting a large white fire serpent hissing at her. Applejack smirked and got back into a running stance. “See if you can take this on!” He launched the serpent straight towards her.

“Come on, is that all you got?” Applejack shouted before she ran towards the incoming fire serpent. “I’ll make ash work out of you!” She yelled, before she leaped towards the incoming serpent with her hoof ready to swing. When she came in contact with the serpent, she swung her hoof hard, smashing the head of the fire serpent. This blow caused a large explosion to explode across the area they were on. Redpen flew back into a bush as part of the mountain shattered in half. The clouds in the sunny sky spread out, revealing the blue sky.

Applejack remained only scratched and unfazed once again. A smirk was on her muzzle as she glared at Redpen who was recovering from the explosion. The alicorn gasped at the site around him, this mare caused the area to become a burnt wasteland. Looking at her again, he started to think on bailing from this fight, fully aware that he was not going to win this one anytime soon.

“Applejack, that’s enough.” Dexilus called, appearing by her side with a stern look.

“What, what do you mean that’s enough, he ain’t supposed to live. Our mission clarified us to kill any Paradise member on site and he is one of them.” Applejack said in an objecting tone.

“I know that.” Dexilus said, glancing at her. “But our mission has now changed, we are defecting from the Samuel cult, but that doesn’t mean we are joining any other group, we are still fighting Paradise. We’re fighting every group that stands in our way. “

“What do you mean, Lord Dexilus?” Applejack asked, shocked.

“I already appointed Braeburn to proceed on with the invasion. Applejack, you have a choice, stick with me or stick with the cult, but either way, it wouldn’t matter what side you pick. I am doing what I want to do. If anypony gets in my way, I will not hold back.” He said calmly, looking at the sky.

Applejack continued to look at him. She soon looked down, scratching the sand with her right hoof. “You aren’t kidding, huh, Dexilus?” She asked.

“No, I’m not.” He answered.

“Well...I...I am going to stick with you. You are after all my contact that I signed myself to. Where you go, I go.” She said looking up at him with a smirk on her muzzled.

Dexilus smirked back closing his eyes slowly. “Good...” He turned towards Redpen, looking straight at him. “You, boy, I want you to spread out the word to your friends that the realm to Azazel has been shut off. It will be pointless trying to find him there since he is not there anymore. Where you will find him is where you will find Samuel. I’m sure your friend, Twilight, can assist you on that part.” He said, spreading his wings.

“Why are you sparing me?” Redpen asked, curious to why he was being spared by a defecting Samuelnist god.

“I need someone to stay alive and spread the word. You are one of them, so be glad I didn’t let Jack here tear you a new hole. Be careful out there, I could have sworn I saw a phoenix heading your way. Try not to die, I like my messengers alive and not toasted into ash.” He said, before he started flapping his wings, picking up air. Applejack tilted her hat to Redpen before she turned around and ran off. Dexilus gave a small nod before he turned around and flew off, following Applejack.

‘Sheesh, monkey, you have such bad luck.’ Alexi said, chuckling.

Redpen closes his eyes, sighing. “Shut up, I should hurry up before Nero gets to me first.” Redpen said struggling to flap his wings. His wings managed to pull him up into the air, but he flinched in pain, when he felt his wings give away his air, causing him to fall softly two inches down to the ground. Cursing under his breath. He glanced at each side of his wing and noticed how bruised up they were. “That mare did a total number on me.” He groaned.

‘Looks like you have to be run now...monkey.’ Alexi said in his chuckling tone.

Redpen had no choice but to agree with the talking man inside of his head. He was in no condition to fly. He started running ahead, heading towards the direction Ponyville was located at. He could feel the air growing cold around him. This was not good at all. He knew Nero was near. Nero wasn’t the one to always give mercy to his opponents even when they are powerless. What happened previously in the burning griffin city was by luck. But right now, he knew he was not going to have luck on his side. Time was now strain as he picked up more speed. He used his holy fire powers to boost his speed so he could go a bit faster, but he knew that wasn’t going to be able to get away from the dark Phoenix.

Then, a loud piercing bird called was heard behind Redpen. It was Nero in the form of a Dark Phoenix from behind him. Fear started picking up deep within the alicorn’s head as he saw his adversary fire large, dark, burning balls at him. He knew there was no way he could avoid this attack. Shutting his eyes, he braced himself for the burning impact. But when the fireballs came close to him, they exploded without even touching him.

Redpen opened his eyes, looking around left and right confused. Looking up, he spotted Solar and as he looked down, he saw that he was far from touching the ground; instead he was far up in the sky above the ground. “Who are you?!” He shouted.

“Solar Eclipse.” He answered.

“Solar, wait...Solar Eclipse! Found you!” He yelled, only to be startled by the blast that hit Solar’s back. They started falling down. Solar grunted in pain and soon gasped when he saw Nero coming straight down towards them slowly turning his fire into ice. Solar launched a few thunderbolts at the ice through his horn but the attacked only angered the ice bird instead of taking him out. This shocked both of the alicorns. Solar quickly grabbed Redpen and teleported onto a mountain.

“What the hell, that didn’t work?” He stated in shocked.

“He’s Nero, only I can take him down, but in this condition. I’m weak against him.” Redpen said.

“Did he beat you to a pulp?” Solar asked, looking at the amount of bruises on the red alicorn.

“N-no...his was far worse than hers. Look, we have to get out of here. Think you can teleport me back to Paradise H.Q. Solar?” Redpen asked.

“Yeah, I can, stay still-ahh!” Solar was cut off when he felt a burning hoof collide into the right side of his muzzle knocking him to the side. Redpen had little time to react when Nero quickly turned to him and bucked him hard in the chest knocking him to the side.

“Foolish Redpen, do you think I would let you leave when we were unfinished with our fight. I still haven’t had the chance to finally kill you, but now I can do it right here and right now. No more interruptions!” Nero yelled as he went into his ponified form with a scar on his right shoulder and stomped his hooves on the ground launching a wave of dark fire straight at Redpen. He panicked blocking his face.

Solar quickly gets up and leaps into the blast. He yelled in pain feeling the dark fire torch his back. This shocked Redpen and angered him that he was still unable to build up enough strength to fight back. He knew fighting was pointless. He was not going to win this battle and the only way that he could avoid proceeding any further into this battle was running away. But knowing Nero, it was going to be extremely difficult. Nero was not always one to let his prey get away.

“Solar, are you okay?” Redpen asked worryingly.

“No, my back, it keeps burning. Even if I try to heal it, it just keeps burning.” He groaned in pain.

“That’s because I hit you with my flames, the very flames coming from hell. I also added a mix of hell-ice magic into my fire. It will freeze your magic and prevent you from even trying to escape.” Nero said.

“The same damn thing, that you used on me back in the city. Damn it Nero, don’t you have something else to do besides going after me and involving him in this?!” Redpen shouted.

“I don’t give a flying horse fuck about this war if you’re implying that. I just want you to die Redpen.” Nero said getting into a running stance. “Even if means killing him in the progress.”

Before Nero could launch a single attack, a cloaked pony appeared out of Redpen’s shadow launching umbra-shurikins. Nero gasped and rolled out of the way from the incoming dark projectiles. Another wave of dark shurikins came at him causing him to leap high into the air. “Those attacks...” He narrowed his eyes at the mysterious figure down below. “They look so familiar.” He said before turning into his hellfire Phoenix form.

“W-who are you?” Solar asked, looking at the cloaked figure.

“Be glad I am doing this. Our battle will come soon, Solar. Now, begone, if you can still run, you better run fast because where I am about to send you is 23 miles near Ponyville. Goodluck.” The male sounding figure said. Solar’s eyes widen as he soon realized who this pony was. But before he had anytime to shout his name, a large shadow wrapped around the two alicorns and went into the ground. This angered Nero, he didn’t know where this pony sent Redpen, meaning he once again, lost the chance to kill him.

“You asshole! I had the chance to finally kill him and you dare interfere!?” He shouted.

“Yeah, I know how that sucks. But this time you are hereby ordered to stop this immediately. Your mission must be completed without any time to waste. That even means trying to kill Redpen.” The pony said.

“But- “No buts, do your mission or do you want to anger Lord Azazel, Nero?” The pony asked in a threatening tone.

Nero gritted his teeth but soon sighed and turned back into his pony form, landing on the ground softly. He grumbled under his breath. “Fine.” He muttered.

“Good, don’t worry, you’ll get your turn.” The pony said, taking off his hood. The pony was a zebra. “The Joint Operation is almost complete. Psionic and Mat are falling for the trap that we set up for them.” He said.

“Great, should I be surprised that a traitor and a Paradise member are going to get slaughtered in royal mob business, Lucy?” Nero asked in a non-caring tone.

“Well, maybe you should for once in your life, and please call me Black March. You know how I hate that name.” He said.

“Whatever, Lucy, let’s just go.” Nero said, walking away. “I already have to wait once again.”

“Well, wait a bit longer, soon...we will get a chance to finally kill them. Just not yet.” He said.

To Be Continued

(Thank you for reading and thank you EpicAeromancer33 for editing.)