Applebloom’s world blurred around her as she charged mindlessly past an endless expanse of trees. Sweetie Belles’ screams echoed behind her, and the manticore bellowed tremendously. The mighty behemoth crashed through the jungle, causing branches to crack and snap beneath its bulk. Each methodic footstep made the floor shake, intensifying the already overwhelming situation. It was a truly terrifying experience, one that left the crusaders feeling utterly helpless.

The crusaders found themselves in a state of great distress. Their natural instincts had taken over, leaving them with no choice but to flee. Hiding was deemed futile, and so they resorted to running. As they ran, they became increasingly disoriented and lost, straying far from their intended destination. Despite Scootaloo’s reluctance to look back, she could sense the presence of the monster lurking behind them.

Sweetie Belle, on the other hand, could not resist the urge to glance over her shoulder. What she saw caused her stomach to plummet and her eyes to widen in terror. The manticore was closing in on them with alarming ease. In a matter of mere steps, it would have either of them in its jaws. The situation was dire, and the trio knew that they had to act quickly if they were to have any hope of survival.

The manticore roared with seismic force as it barreled after them through the forest. The rising humidity smothered the trio, their legs bowed, they had been running for what felt like an eternity and their bodies were failing them. The crusaders sprinted through the forest, jumped over logs and rocks.

Their vision’s pulse by their throbbing heart-beats. Hundreds of animals were squawking and screaming, tearing apart the treetops as they fled. They were intoxicated by their adrenaline. The crusaders had never exerted herself so vigorously in their lives.

With her keen eyesight Applebloom perceived the conclusion of the forest a few meters beyond a cluster of trees. She came to a halt at the edge of a precipice, and Sweetie Belle along with Scootaloo stumbled alongside her, their hearts pounding with trepidation. Together they peered over the edge and the sight that greeted them was nothing short of breathtaking. The river rushed nearly sixty feet below. The opposite river bank was a waning moon surrounded by mangroves.

“We have to jump, girls!” Applebloom shouted. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom hesitated.

The ferocious howl of the manticore reached their ears, causing them to turn their heads towards the end of the forest where the bushes were being smashed through. The sight that met their eyes was that of the manticore, with its jaws spread wide, and its teeth glinting in the moonlight.

Subsequently, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked back down at the river below and leaped off the cliff. Applebloom trailed after them and also jumped off of said cliff. As they descended, the trio screamed in terror as gravity wrenched them down. Applebloom caught a glimpse of the sky as she fell; charcoal clouds covered the sky as icy needles of rain pecked her face.

It was then that Applebloom saw the manticore had lost its footing and was falling in after them.

Applebloom screamed and knifed into the icy water with a frosty splash. She plummeted akin to a stone and slowly bobbed to the surface. Applebloom broke through the muffled silence of the water and heard the loud scream of the manticore. A shadow fell over the river and the manticore crashed in with the force of a falling boulder. The river surged and Applebloom was dragged underwater towards the thrashing behemoth.

The current pulled Applebloom into a whirlpool around the manticore’s swinging skull. Applebloom kicked, and the manticore caught her in its sights. It snapped at her, cracking its jaws shut just as Applebloom was dragging beneath the waves. The world turned muffled and dark. Applebloom’s eyes opened to see the manticore’s paws slashing feebly.

The manticore’s head burst beneath the waves and its jaws slammed shut a foot away from Applebloom. Bubbles jetted from between its teeth. The force rolled Applebloom backwards and she caught a glimpse of Scootaloo kicking towards Sweetie Belle, sinking beneath the behemoth’s kicking legs.

It was then Applebloom realized: Sweetie Belle wasn’t moving.

Applebloom kicked to the surface and gasped for air. With her lungs refilled to the brim, she dove back down and swam towards both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The manticore snapped at her feet, and she pushed further down. The behemoth’s kicking created powerful waves that pushed Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle against the river’s muddy floor. Applebloom ducked the slashing talons and swam to her friends.

A wave kicked by the manticore launched Applebloom into Sweetie Belle’s immobile frame. Applebloom and Scootaloo wrapped their arms around Sweetie Belle's arms and pulled her towards the shore.

Applebloom and Scootaloo yearned for air. Their lungs were withered, and their legs were leaden. Sweetie Belle was dead weight; her jaw was slack. Applebloom’s eyes burned, and the cold burrowed into her bones through her furry coat. Gravity pulled the pair down, but they kicked and screamed their last breath in desperation. Applebloom and Scootaloo pulled Sweetie Belle into the surface of the river, where their last bubbles of oxygen had escaped to. Their vision dimmed, and their ears were ringing. The pair could feel their consciousness slipping away.

The pair’s feet found the sloping river bank, and they broke through the water’s surface. They gasped akin to a vacuum, pulling air into their lungs. Their legs bowed painfully, drained of blood and energy, and they dragged Sweetie Belle towards the powder-white shore. Sweetie Belle didn’t stir.

Applebloom looked over her shoulder and saw that the manticore had reclaimed its bearings. If slid through water like a giant crocodile, water glittering on its mane like crystal beads.

Applebloom knew that she and Scootaloo couldn't run anymore. Each breath they took burned through their lungs. Their bodies were numb from the cold, and their hearts struggled to keep the thick blood pumping in their veins. It was time to hide.

“Come ‘on, we gotta find somewhere to hide!” Applebloom shouted. Scootaloo nodded.

Applebloom and Scootaloo slung Sweetie Belle’s arms over their shoulders. Water soaked their clothes and stuck to their furry coats. Applebloom and Scootaloo carried her as quickly and gently as they could through the knee high foliage.

The manticore howled ferociously from behind, but Applebloom and Scootaloo dared not look back. The pair weaved around tree trunks, carefully stepping over logs and rocks. The pair staggered, shaking beneath the icy needles of rain, propelled by their surging adrenaline.

Somewhere, their monster was watching. They could feel it.

Scootaloo’s shoe slipped through the mud and she fell forward with a wet smack. Her sense of fight-or-flight possessed her. She quickly got back to her feet, proceeding to trot forward with Applebloom through the marshy turf of swamp vegetation.

Applebloom and Scootaloo slowly approached a nearby mangrove. The pair crawled with their immobile friend into a mangrove’s cage and peered out. All the pair had to do now was sit and wait, shivering and gripped by terror.

Through the pouring storm, Applebloom and Scootaloo could hear footsteps slowly padding somewhere on the earth’s surface. Each footstep was carefully placed, methodical and silent. They heard the manticore sniffing the air, followed by a long, low growl. The creature was circling the trees trying to locate the three crusaders in the storm.

Applebloom and Scootaloo carefully tucked themselves further back in the mangrove’s den and stared at the behemoth walking along the swampy area. The pair held their lips until their lungs felt sucked dry. The manticore raised its long snout, sniffing the air. The hooked claws flicked in anticipation. The behemoth’s jaws parted into a toothy, rumbling snarl.

It was only ten feet away

Applebloom and Scootaloo trembled uncontrollably. Tears were lost with the rain on their faces. Almost without thinking, Applebloom clasped a hand over her mouth to keep quiet. Scootaloo emulated her friend, and slowly clasped both of her hands over her mouth as well. Applebloom and Scootaloo could see the behemoth approaching, slowly. The mighty beast was taking its time; it knew they had nowhere left to run.

Please, Applebloom silently begged, please go away..!

The pair saw the paws and muscular legs of the creature standing before them. Its hooked cat-like claws dug into the earth. Applebloom and Scootaloo were petrified by fear; neither of them could no longer think and had forgotten the act of breathing. All they could do was watch as the behemoth crouched before them and stared back with cold, intelligent eyes.

With one swift swipe of its paw the behemoth tore the mangrove bars apart. Removing the wall that blocked it from its prey.

With its prey now cornered, there is no escape.

The creature’s cold gaze met Scootaloo’s eyes. Its mane muffled the sounds of the storm. Applebloom and Scootaloo can only hear their own whimpering and the slow heavy breathing of the monster. As the manticore drew its snout closer to Scootaloo, its jaws slightly opened to reveal sword-like teeth. The monster’s hot breath, rancid with decay, washed over the pair.

Applebloom and Scootaloo closed their eyes; neither of the two wanted to see what’s coming next.

CLICK-CLACK

A sudden explosion prompted Applebloom and Scootaloo’s eyes to snap open. Just in time to see the behemoth retreating backwards away from them, roaring in pain and shaking its head all around. The pair’s eyes crawled to its rear and saw that half of the creature’s tail was gone.

Then they saw a figure stepping out of the side five feet away from them.

The mysterious figure stood before the manticore. The enigmatic bipedal donned an ancient suit of armor from top to bottom, one that Applebloom and Scootaloo had never seen before. It reminded Applebloom of one of those space heroes that Spike read in his comic books. A steel cannon situated on the figure’s shoulder. The armored assailant held a double barreled firearm in their hands which completed their appearance.

Applebloom and Scootaloo redirected their gaze towards the manticore. The manticore had ceased its screams and was now casting a cold glare at its assailant. With a resounding howl, the behemoth leaped into the air, swiftly descending towards the armored figure.

Applebloom parted her lips, but before she could even utter a sound, the enigmatic figure swiftly advanced. Their hands swiftly extended and firmly grasped the jaws of the manticore. The impact was so forceful that the gust of wind whipped Applebloom and Scootaloo’s faces and mane. The creature vigorously shook its head from side to side, in an attempt to liberate itself from the clutches of its assailant.

Applebloom and Scootaloo’s mind were blown.

Their savior stopped the monster with their bare hands!

Applebloom found herself rendered speechless; any apprehension she had towards the manticore vanished instantaneously. A portion of her being desired to remain and witness the unfolding of events, while another part yearned for nothing more than to escape with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle and never look back. She could flee until she reached the edge of the forest, out of Ponyville, the depths of her own sanity. Overwhelmed by a multitude of emotions, her inclination to run reduced her to a trembling state.

The armored figure effortlessly lifted the manticore in the air, leaving both the behemoth and the pony pair stunned by their strength. The behemoth’s legs and hands flailed and kicked the open air. The mysterious figure twisted their torso and sent the creature flying

It flew so hard and fast the manticore had no opportunity to straighten itself out and regain control before it slammed into one of the nearby trees. The behemoth’s body indented into the wall of a giant rock, and had to pry itself out, groaning in pain. The manticore raised its head, bellowing in rage before charging towards its assailant with the intent to kill. Each footfall shook the ground akin to a falling tree.

The armored figure reached for their back and pulled out a large metallic object in both hands. The manticore, Applebloom, and Scootaloo eye’s slowly widened as they felt their heart sink to their stomach at the sight before them. The armored figure had another metallic object in its hands, though this one was as big as its torso, with three long sets of barrels, each set having three barrels stuck together in a triangular formation.

Slowly the barrels began to spin to life, they spun faster and faster every second. Once it reached top speed, the manticore’s body was struck by a swarm of powerful projectiles, mulching and mutilating the lead creature. Steam billowed out of the barrels as Applebloom and Scootaloo watched the manticore’s body collapse to the earth’s floor chin first. Holes were dotted all over the fallen creatures’ body, and its face was unrecognizable. Blood pooled out of said holes as the behemoth’s chest fell slowly, ceasing its breathing.

There was silence.

For what felt like an eternity the armored figure’s head turned to look in the Applebloom and Scootaloo’s direction. The pair felt themselves quaking with fear as the figure approached them. As they strode towards Applebloom and Scootaloo, the pair sat glued to the spot, their eyes welled up with tears. Too afraid to move or run.

If… this was it, if this was how their lives ended, then Applebloom was glad that Applejack and Big Mac weren't here to witness their upcoming doom. She wondered if it’ll be painful to die? The armored figure crouched to one knee before Applebloom and Scootaloo. Besides the pouring rain, silence permeated the atmosphere. The pair’s countenance soon changed from horror to genuine surprise when the armored figure offered their gauntlets to them.

Applebloom and Scootaloo gouged at each other before shifting their gaze back to their savior. The pair’s eyes momentarily shifted from the outstretched hands to meet the figure's gaze, before accepting it. Maintaining an upright posture, Applebloom and Scootaloo held onto the armored savior's gauntlets before pulling their hands back to their sides.

A concerning realization dawned on Applebloom and Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle still isn’t moving.

“Sweetie Belle!” Applebloom rounded on her immobile friend and lifted her out of the mangrove. She and Scootaloo carefully laid Sweetie Belle down on the grass wet floor.

Scootaloo began performing CPR on Sweetie Belle, pumping her sternum with mounting desperation. A technique she and Applebloom learned at a time when they were still trying to get their own cutie marks. Scootaloo paused, stooped over to listen to Sweetie Belle’s breathing, frowned, and continued her compression.

“Come on, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo pleaded. “You’ve gotta wake up!”

Applebloom fell to her knees. Keeping herself balanced with her hands, she stared down at Sweetie Belle’s face with tears trickling down her cheeks.

“Please, Sweetie Belle!” Applebloom cried. “Y’all can’t be dead, ah don’t want y’all to be dead! The cutie mark crusaders won’t be the same without y’all!”

Scootaloo paused to listen to Sweetie Belle’s breathing again. She growled and pumped Sweetie Belle’s chest three more times. Before she could do it a fourth time, she felt something cold gripping her shoulder. Scootaloo glanced over her shoulder, and met the armored figure’s dark visor. The enigmatic savior moved Scootaloo aside and placed their hand on Sweetie Belle’s chest.

The armored figure pumped Sweetie Belle’s chest once. Sweetie Belle spasmed and puked. She turned on her side and curled into a ball, gagging brine and bile. Applebloom patted her on the back.

“It’s alright, let it all out,” Scootaloo said, placing her hand on Sweetie Belle’s shoulder.

“Just breathe, Sweetie Belle. Just breathe.” Applebloom added, proceeding to pat Sweetie Belle’s back.

Sweetie Belle opened her eyes. The world was fuzzy. She focused on Applebloom and Scootaloo and blinked.

“Applebloom..? Scootaloo..?” Sweetie Belle rasped. “What happened..?”

Applebloom and Scootaloo smiled.

“We made it, Sweetie Belle,” Applebloom said. “We’re alive.”

Applebloom blinked.

“Oh, ah have to thank you, stran…ger..?”

Applebloom and Scootaloo turned their heads. Blinking together in surprise.

Their armored savior was gone.

Author's Note

And that’s chapter 3 my little shimmerings! That was quite a scare for the young fillies there. But fortunately for them, the Doom Slayer came just in time to stop the manticore before it could eat either one of the three. It’s also the Doom Slayer’s first time having seeing those three anthropomorphic ponies, and that’s just one species he encountered. Where will the Doom Slayer go next after this? Only time will tell. I I’ll be going now. I hope you all have a wonderful day or night wherever you are!

See you all in the next chapter, my little shimmerings!