The misty form of a timberwolf crackled into being, forming from that psychic noise. Though it looked like a wolf of wood, it was made of no wood, simply borrowing the form. "You dare," it growled, voice only heard in the new rings the team wore. "I will devour you, then your very souls."

Sweetie reached back, drawing a grappling hook gun free. "Class 13 monster, traces of Petra. No time for recon." She glanced towards Luna. "Deploy 'The Girls?'"

Luna took a firm step forward, flanked as she did so by the rest of her team, Bright on one side and Rarity on the other. "We caused this, we shall deal with it." She snorted softly. "Calling in somepony else to deal with our messes? I would hope not."

Rarity fanned at herself. "Darling, you've already called one of 'the girls'."

Bright scrambled up onto her back. "About that, why--"

Rarity vanished, the spot she had been in being crushed under a great paw. She positioned herself just far enough away to avoid getting squished. "Not the time for a chat, little dear. That creature lacks in patience."

Bright jumped off her back and onto the already raising paw of the beast. He scrambled up along its legs, ascending like the leg was more of a mountain side, sheer and dangerous.

The timberwolf bellowed furiously as the impudent creature scurried up its misty leg, swiping massive paws to dislodge the pesky passenger. But Bright nimbly ricocheted further from each previous perch, slowly gaining altitude towards the shaggy specter's snarling muzzle.

"'Ware claws like scythes, brave Sir Bright!" Luna swooped into distracting aerial combat with the enraged wolf. Her midnight aura manifested barriers shielding town buildings from wild thrashing. "One fell stroke could shear courage from thy very bones!"

Even as she called out caution however Luna felt fierce pride seeing no hesitation in her unconventional champion's eyes - only resolute determination scaling the beast bodily while she drew wrathful focus skyward. But being distracted had its own issues.

Sure enough, a wayward claw suddenly lashed through her shielding spell in a shower of sparks sending Luna wheeling as wicked talons grazed one wing. She recovered but became occupied solely dodging lethal blow after blow as the limber beast turned fully to face this elusive winged morsel.

From the corner of her eye Luna spotted Bright nearing the snapping maw. "Have a care! Those fangs are not just for show!" she managed to cry in warning before twisting desperately to evade gnashing jaws nearly claiming her own cry of pain now likely served only to drive the beast berserk!

Rarity cringed seeing Luna and Bright both imperiled on opposite ends of the fury-maddened beast. Plus Sweetie looked on the verge of unleashing an entire ordnance depot's worth of explosives in their residential thoroughfare!

Her gem horn flared casting a concealing glamour disguising herself as simply another colorful Ponyville background pony. Thus magically masked from malevolent notice, Rarity slipped stealthily beneath the titanic battle towards the timberwolf's exposed underside. Rarity summoned crackling ruby energy to the tip of her horn and took aim at a precise hidden joint.

"Right at the shoulder dear where limb meets torso..." murmured Rarity to herself, waiting for an instant's clear shot. Her strike must halt the beast without harming her embattled teammates, or so she hoped.

Her blast drew out a howl they could hear twice, both out loud and echoing through their communication rings. It distracted the beast, but its leg didn't go flying, as was the actual goal.

Bright was almost thrown right off the beast's snout, clinging as hard as he could to whispy fur. "Alright... You earned this..." He got to the critter's massive nose. "Right in the schnoz!" He hopped up and came down, punching with two wild swings of his arms and kicks of his powerful feet. "Take that!"

His reward was the timberwolf shaking their head violently. Their snout crashed into Bright mid-air, knocking them flying with a cry of, "Worth it," fading as they flew away, sailing with the impact.

Rarity squeaked in dismay as Bright was sent flying away. "My familiar..." But she had a battle on top of her. "Ruffian! You'll pay for that." She lanced over the thing's underbelly with an angry scorching. The battle continued.

Elsewhere, the scream of Bright came to an end as he crashed into the ground with a dull thud. "Ow..."

Applejack perked an ear at something crashing not too far away. She trotted over curiously to find the woozy Bright struggling to their feet. "Ya alright?" She offered a hoof of assistance.

Applejack helped the dazed Bright back to his fuzzy feet. "Easy there, partner! That big wolf sure did a number on ya, but yer safe here." She grabbed an apple from a basket and passed it over. "Here, get yer strength back."

Bright bit into it gratefully as AJ peered toward the ongoing sounds of the struggle. "Though from the ruckus, I reckon yer pals could still use an extra set o' hooves! Or paws."

She swung her lasso meaningfully. "Whaddya say we mosey on over and I hogtie that bully so y'all can finish the job?" She started towards the wolf, only to crash into a suddenly appearing unicorn. "What the?"

"No time to explain, darling!" Rarity cried before blinking past Applejack. "Suffice it that things have grown rather complicated!"

Applejack stared dumbfounded then noticed the distant battle indeed looked badly turned - Luna evidently grounded and a strange blast radius encircling the whole town square. "Well slap me silly n' call it cider season! Yer wolf went and caused all that?!" She swung to gaping Bright. "Right, enough rubberneckin' - let's getcha back so's we can wrangle this mess up! Ain't the first timberwolf ah wrestled wit'"

Bright scrambled onto Applejack's back as the farm pony charged towards the chaotic scene. He anxiously activated his earring, but only got static - the network was down.

Part of him wanted to throw the dang thing in frustration, but he held that back. "AJ, you know how to fight huge ghost timbers?"

"Ghost?" AJ took a proper look at the thing and its misty outlines. "Huh, that's odd... Still, it's a timberwolf. Ah bet timberwolf things'll work on it jus' fine!"

She rushed up with Bright on her back to join the battle. "They all got a basic weakness. She tossed her lasso, latching it onto a swinging paw. She didn't pull, instead doing a wide circle around the beast. "No matter how... strong they are, they really don't like hittin' the ground."

Applejack lassoed the misty timberwolf, looping around its limbs before yanking it off balance to crash hard on the cobblestones. The spectral beast thrashed, halted by the expert ropes as AJ kept it bound.

Sweetie Drops descended on the prone monster, driving electrified daggers into its writhing form. Sparks flew as she directed devastating volts towards vital areas, the wolf howling in agony.

With a final sizzling blast, the creature dissolved into wisping smoke. Sweetie blinked at the empty space occupied just moments before by their formidable foe.

"We...got him?" She turned bewildered towards Applejack and Bright as their earpieces erupted with Luna's relieved laughter. The alicorn welcomed her warriors back from intense battle.

Luna flapped her wings as she rejoined them. "That was... quite a battle." She turned her eyes to Applejack. "And we have a pony to thank for this victory."

Bright hiked a thumb at Sweetie. "Hey, she helped. Gotta give credit."

Sweetie did her best to look neutral. "Yes, well, that strike to its nose was well-placed, Bright."

Applejack threw a leg over either of their necks, drawing them close. "C'mon! That was a team effort. Ain't 'fraid to admit that."

Luna nodded softly. "You seem skilled with such battles."

Applejack slid down to her hooves. "'Course. Livin' this close to the Everfree--" She angled her head at the ominous forest. "Ya gotta be ready for a monster er three, ya know?"

Luna studied Applejack with new respect. Humble farm raiment belied battle-tested mettle meeting monsters often as moonrise thanks to the Everfree's encroachment. Perhaps providence guided this destined meeting.

"Thine courage and skill much impresses me." Luna's expression turned solemn. "Yet still greater trials loom eclipsing today's skirmish..."

She raised midnight wings towards the menacing forest. "Dark forces stir yon haunted woods hatred towards harmony's light. Mine own powers pall removed from umbral origins..."

Luna met Applejack's gaze evenly. "Shoulder-to-shoulder we stand stouter. Will you join our crusade against the night?"

AJ weighed her wariness of cryptic questing against gnawing dread of blackness spreading bit by bit if left unchecked. Glancing to smiling Bright and Sweetie accepting Luna's warning despite recent victory, resolute green gave gruff nod.

"Ah dought an overgrown's pup would be the last of it." She spat on an outstretched hoof before offering it boldly. "Point me at what needs apple-buckin' and by my parents' pies Ah'll give 'er what for!"

Luna clasped Applejack's hoof firmly. "You've the spirit needed. Let's away to equip you properly." She strode towards the train station, new ally in tow. She cleared her throat as she went. "And, um, apologies..."

Bright nudged Applejack from the side. "She gets old-timey when she's excited."

"Yes... that." She glanced over her shoulder. "Know that we are instructed..."

She trailed off, gazing at the mess of Ponyville. She emitted a curse that had been long forgotten by modern ponies.

Sweetie raised a brow. "That didn't sound pleasant. What's wrong, ma'am?"

Luna waved over the disaster. "Look! There is no way sister will forgive me this trespass... The--" She paused, Applejack's hoof on her. "Yes?"

"This ain't nothin'." Applejack stood tall. "Look." She inclined her head at ponies already working to clean things up. "Ponyville faces worse than this on the regular, y'see. We'll get this place straightened in no time. This ain't gonna cost yer sister nothin'. Shoot, we ain't even gonna tell her. Why bother? Just be wastin' her time."

Luna hesitated as Applejack's confidence countered her rising panic over possible costs from such damages. But she stared as scattered citizens swiftly mobilized recovery efforts with cheerful camaraderie facing calamity as neighbors not mere subjects.

"You speak truth - here dwell hearts harvesting solidarity's strength." Luna managed a smile feeling tension ebb watching vibrant volunteers restore and renew. "Mine immortality blinded me to strengths only community comprehends..."

She inclined her horn towards stalwart Applejack representing roots still binding flagstones beneath hurried modern hooves. "Accept mine apology presuming frailty, noble Applejack. Harsh experience authored doubts, yet proof stands strong as old oak before me."

Luna swept one great wing over shops reopening doors. "Small wonder Twilight Sparkle found home behind such staunch ramparts raised."

Applejack scuffed a hoof self-consciously under lavish praise. "Aww shucks, t'weren't nothin' really! Just ponies helpin' out is all." She grinned crookedly at lingering wreckage. "Still got some home fixin' and such later, but crisis kicked I reckon!"

Applejack bumped Luna playfully. "Nothin' to fear from ol' Celestia. Pinkie Promise I'll explain any leftover snags so's you needn't worry none! Only thing ah regret is I ain't in there helpin'! But when a princess calls, ya answer."

Sweetie nodded at Applejack. "Correct. You are now a member of a very elite squadron." She pointed at the others. "This is your last opportunity. We charge towards danger where others would run away. Are you prepared?"

Applejack clucked her tongue against her teeth. "'Course ah am! Somepony's gotta keep this place safe, and it ain't no showboating pegasi. Really... Jus' show the way."

Luna strode with regained calmness. "Then let us be off. Oh..." She floated out her box. "I had wondered what destiny had meant, providing me so many." She offered Applejack an ear adornment. "This will allow you to speak with us regardless of distance. Ask the others how it works."

"Matches mah apple." The jewel on it was a bright red, like her cutie mark. She turned her head to Rarity. "So how's this thing work?"

Rarity explained on the way to the station. New adventures awaited them all.

Author's Note

Phone get, with so many sweet looks. Which will Rarity and Bright select? And is this gonna loop around, giving Pinkie one? 24/29

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