Judgment Day

Rarity, Cheerilee, Applejack, and Big Mac reached the market together. “All right, ponies!” Cheerilee shouted. “I’ll cover you, Rarity! Get as many ponies out as you can!” She looked at Applejack and Big Mac. “Good luck, both of you. If we don’t survive this, then at least we went out fighting!”

Rarity nodded and trotted toward a group of ponies. “Everypony follow me! All of you must leave Ponyville at once! We are here to help!”

The ponies pointed at Rarity, and she could see a glimmer of hope in their eyes. She could hear them mentioning “element bearer.”

Cheerilee heard a buzzing sound and wheeled around. Above them, three changelings were approaching. She prepared herself as they landed and roared at her. “Alright, you beasts… Let’s go.” She charged them at full speed. As she neared them, they prepared to swipe their claws at her, but she leapt to her left and sped behind them. She jumped into the air and extended her back hoof, which connected with the nearest one’s head. It cried out and fell over.

Cheerilee smirked, but she had to jump away as its partner swiped its claws at her. Looking around, she grabbed a board from the ground and tossed it at the approaching reapling. It connected, but it did little to hamper the creature. Come on, Cheerilee… if I can’t beat them, then I can still buy Rarity some time.

Cheerilee could see Rarity leading a group of ponies through the street which led out of Ponyville. She smiled and charged the reaplings. Each step brought her closer to the creature, which shrieked and readied its claws. As she neared it, she broke into a slide, passing directly between the creature’s legs. She immediately jumped up and bucked at the reapling’s knees. It howled in pain as its legs collapsed, and Cheerilee charged the remaining reapling. As she neared it, it lowered its massive jaws toward her, and she had to duck to avoid it. It reared back and swiped at her with its claws. Cheerilee winced as she felt them connect, tearing flesh and drawing blood.

Rarity was nearly out of sight, and Cheerilee breathed a sigh of relief. She leapt into the air and kicked the reapling with both of her back legs, causing it to stumble backward. She chased it and kicked at its legs, causing it to lose balance and topple. Satisfied, she galloped toward Rarity. We really might make it! If we can just get these ponies out of the town, we’ll be able to find someplace safe for them. I’m willing to bet that Canterlot is well protected from these things.

--
Applejack groaned and rubbed her leg. Fresh blood trickled down, matting in her coat. “These darn critters sure don’t like to give up. Big Mac! You alright?!”

Big Mac lie several feet away on the ground. His face was twisted into a grimace, and there were several bleeding gashes on his side. “Eee… eeyup.” He stood up and shook his head. “Let’s get ‘em.”

Applejack knew they weren’t going to last long. There were too many reaplings, and she just wasn’t strong enough; neither of them were. Well… if Ah’m goin’ out, Ah’m goin’ out fightin’. She looked at the rubble around her. She wiped sweat from her brow, bothered by the heat of the flames consuming the town.

Applejack looked to her brother. His legs were shaking violently, and he was having trouble breathing. For just a moment, she wanted to grab him and run. She wanted to get as far away as possible, and leave the rest of the town and its inhabitants to their fate. Her mind quickly went to the Nightmare Moon incident, however. She remembered how Nightmare Moon had tested them all, and how Rainbow Dash could easily have left them to pursue what would have essentially been her life’s dream. She also remembered how Rainbow stayed with her friends when she could have abandoned them.

Applejack swallowed. “Come on, Big Macintosh. We gotta pay these here suckers back fer what they did tuh Sweet Apple Acres… and to Apple Bloom.” Applejack could feel something wet falling down her face. She absentmindedly wiped it away with her hoof as she prepared to charge the reaplings again. She nodded to Big Mac and took off at full gallop. She turned around to see her brother right behind her. She smiled and pushed herself as hard as she could. In front of her, the rest of the reaplings gathered. There were hundreds of them, all standing in total silence.

As Applejack neared the crowd of reaplings, she dropped to a slide on her back, passing directly between the legs of the closest reapling. She righted herself and sprung into the air, kicking it in the back of the skull. She heard a crunch as Big Mac smashed into its face at the same time. Black blood poured from its mouth, and it crumpled to the ground. As the others charged, Applejack grabbed the downed reapling’s hand. She pulled as hard as she could, and she heard a disgusting ripping sound. She gave it a final tug, and the hand tore free, spilling more of the thick, ebony blood. She swung the hand at the approaching reaplings and tore large gashes into them with the claws.

The reaplings screamed with rage or agony; Applejack couldn’t be sure. She simply fought with a vicious expression… one that not only conveyed rage, but satisfaction. That’s right, you dang things… y’all done took everythin’ from me. Now Ah’m gonna take y’all’s lives.

Big Mac saw Applejack and acted quickly. He followed her example, tearing the hand off of a fallen reapling nearby. Together, they cut through the reaplings easily. Dozens of them fell every ten seconds. Well Ah’ll be… We may just have a chance, here!

--
Rarity watched as the last of the remaining citizens left Ponyville. Cheerilee had managed to hold off the reaplings while the ponies escaped. “Cheerilee!” Rarity shouted. “We did it!” She smiled and trotted to where Cheerilee stood. When Rarity approached Cheerilee, she had to hold her hooves over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. Cheerilee was a bleeding, beaten mess. “Oh my goodness… are you alright, darling?! The pain must be excruciating!”

Cheerilee smiled. “It sure doesn’t feel good, Rarity. But we saved them. We managed to get them out, and that’s all that matters.” She coughed and sat on her hindquarters.

Rarity suddenly perked up. “Oh, no… where are Applejack and Big Macintosh?!” She desperately scanned her surroundings but could find no trace of them. She turned her gaze to Cheerilee. “… Can you move, darling? We need to get you out of here.”

Cheerilee grimaced as she stood. “You want to look for them, don’t you?” She limped to Rarity’s side and placed her hooves on Rarity’s shoulders. “You can’t, Rarity. I hate to say it, but they’re probably dead. If you go back in there, you’re just going to get yourself killed.”

Rarity shook her head. “And you think me so vain as to choose my own life over those of one of my best friends and her brother?” She walked past Cheerilee, making her way for the center of what was once Ponyville. She stopped and turned around for a moment. “… Get far away from here. It has been my pleasure to know you, Cheerilee. May you find some happiness at the end of this nightmare.”

As Rarity walked away, she heard a muffled response drifting toward her. It sounded like someone had said “I already have.”

--
Cheerilee watched Rarity walk away and sighed. She limped down the dirt road out of Ponyville, holding her side as blood dripped from her. Well, Cheerilee… I think this is it. You’ll never make it out of here. Not like this, anyway. But we did manage save some of the ponies… That’s better than nothing.

She continued on for what seemed like hours. With every step, she felt herself growing weaker. At long last, she collapsed. She managed a laugh which quickly turned into a fit of wheezing. “Looks like… this is… it.” She gazed up at the black sky. “It’s a shame… with the pegasi gone… I won’t even… get a clear, blue sky… to die under.” She placed her hoof on the ground and exerted as much effort as she could, managing to roll herself onto her back. Her stomach was covered in gashes, scrapes, punctures, and fur matted with blood. Small trickles of red still ran from some of them. “Swordpoint… whoever you are… I know you can’t… hear me… but I have a favor to ask…” She wheezed again, unable to draw in breath. She fought it, desperately attempting to hold back her coughing fit, finally managing to control it. “Please… give them hell. For all of Equestria.” She closed her eyes and let darkness overtake her. It felt very soothing. Her pain melted away, and she found herself feeling relaxed and happy. As she slipped under, she smiled wide, happy with the knowledge that the reaplings could not take that from her.

--
Applejack and Big Mac leapt into the air and bucked the nearest reapling in the chest. It was flung backwards into several of its comrades, and one of them held up its arms to block the impact. Instead, its claws impaled the reapling which Applejack and Big Mac had kicked.

Applejack glanced around, taking stock of how many reaplings remained. There will still more than she could count. Dang… Ah can’t keep this up forever. Ain’t there no end to these guys?! She looked at her brother, who was still fighting them off desperately. She ran to him and kicked a reapling which was advancing on his back. “Big Mac… we gotta run. We can’t win, and ya know it. Ah reckon that we’re just buyin’ time fer Rarity. Ah just wish we could know whether she got ‘em out or not.”

Big Mac was about to speak when a shout resonated through the air. Applejack shifted her gaze toward it. That sounded like…

“Applejack! Big Macintosh!” the voice continued to call. Applejack watched as Rarity galloped through the rubble and smoke. She could see Rarity’s eyes light up. Oh mah goodness…

When she reached Applejack, Rarity grabbed her friend’s hoof and pulled. “We must leave! There is no hope for the rest of Ponyville! Cheerilee and I already escorted the citizens outside the city, so please! Come with me!”

Big Mac lunged toward Applejack and shoved a reapling away. He growled fiercely. “Get outta here, AJ! I’ll cover yer escape!” He left her no time for thought, shoving her in the direction from which Rarity had come.

Applejack wanted to protest, but Big Mac gave her a fierce look. “But…” she tried to say.

Big Mac cut her off. “Get. Out. Now. That’s an order from yer big brother. Now listen tuh me and get outta here! Y’all are young, and ya don’t deserve tuh die here! GET MOVING!”

Applejack couldn’t hold back her tears. They fell freely and stung her cheeks. “… okay,” was all she could manage. She took a deep breath and said “Ah… Ah love ya, big brother. Don’t forget that.” She turned on her haunches and galloped away with Rarity, tears staining the ground as she ran.

--
Big Mac fought back his tears as Applejack and Rarity ran away. He faced the horde of reaplings as they advanced on him. “Y’know,” he said, speaking to no one in particular, “everypony always thinks that Ah’m a simple farmpony because Ah don’t talk much. Well, that just ain’t true. Ah know enough tuh know that y’all are just pure evil. The things y’all’ve done… Ah can’t forgive.” He stomped his hoof. “Ah don’t expect tuh live through this… but if Ah can keep mah sister and her friend safe, then Ah’ve already won. Now do your worst, ya dirty bastards.”

As they charged him, he thought of his lost family and home. A single tear fell from his eye as he lunged headfirst into their ranks.

--
Rarity reached the edge of Ponyville with Applejack in tow. She glanced back just once at the ruins of what was once her home. Not anymore… but if Swordpoint and Rainbow can end this nightmare, maybe it will be, again… Someday…

They continued to run down the dirt road, not daring to look back. It was a long time before either of them spoke.

“… so…” Applejack choked out. She swallowed and forced herself to continue. “Do you think he…”

Rarity hung her head. “Darling… don’t think about it. He did what he had to do for you.”

Applejack stopped and put her hooves on her head. “But Ah didn’t want him to! What do Ah got left, now?! Ah’ve lost mah home, mah family… and most of mah friends. Where will Ah even go? It’s pretty much over, Rarity. Even if Swordpoint and RD stop them dang things… they still took out most of Equestria. It’s… over.”

Rarity skidded to a halt. She approached her friend and embraced her. “Applejack… I’ve lost my home, as well. I don’t even know if I will see Sweetie Belle again. But you can’t give up like this. I promise… we still have each other. And who’s to say that our other friends aren’t still alive?” She did her best to manage a smile. “We should make for Canterlot. I’m sure that the survivors are going to go there, as well.”

Applejack let herself go. She cried on Rarity’s shoulder, letting out all of the pain and depression she felt. She never saw the reapling which landed directly behind Rarity, and Rarity never heard it.