Twilight and Rainbow flew high above the Everfree Forest, looking downward for any sign of Apple Bloom. Twilight had made sure to send her friends in different directions to help in the search. What she didn't account for, however, was a young warrior making her way through the forest, who stopped when she heard, “Somepony, help me. Please, anypony, Ah need help.”

The warrior ran toward the cries for help and skidded to a halt when she saw a small, yellow pony with a red mane sitting near a tree. Slowly approaching the pony, the warrior raised her hands up in peace, saying gently, “Are you alright?”

Apple Bloom looked up, and gasped. The creature in front of her was big and stood on two legs, holding a shield in one hand and carrying a backpack on its back. Weapons were everywhere on its body. Overall, It almost looked like a Minotaur, with it's bulky-looking, metal arms and torso, but going by the helmet covering its head, it didn't have a bull's head. In short, it was a creature Apple Bloom never saw before. But it wanted to help. Crying out in pain, Apple Bloom answered, “No, my right hind leg really hurts.”

Looking to the leg in question, the young warrior said softly, “I can help you. Can I get closer?”

Apple Bloom sniffed, rubbing her front hoof under her nose, saying as tears streamed down her cheeks, “Yer not gonna hurt me, are ya?” Continuing to sniff, Apple Bloom continued “What's yer name? And what are ya?”

The warrior smiled, though her helmet's visor prevented Apple Bloom from seeing it, and replied kindly, lowering her hands, “My name is Eventide Shimmer Soleil. As for what I am, that's...complicated.” Taking a step towards Apple Bloom and taking her backpack off, Eventide continued, “I promise I won’t hurt you. What's your name?”

Apple Bloom sniffed, trying to dry her tears. “My name is Apple Bloom. Ah was hiking with my friends, and...and I...”

Putting a gloved finger to her snout, Eventide soothingly said, “Shh, it’s alright, Apple Bloom.” Looking down at the pony's hind leg, Eventide continued, “I hate to say it, but your leg is broken. If I don’t set it, it'll heal wrongly, and the damage might be permanent.”

“Is it going to hurt?”

“Yes, it will. I promise I'll try to make it quick.”

“Alright.”

Standing up, Eventide set her shield down next to Apple Bloom, reached up into the tree behind her, and broke off a couple of branches to use as splints. She took out a small roll of cloth from a pouch strapped to her breastplate and tore it into long strips, laying them down next to Apple Bloom. She then pulled out one of her twelve daggers that she had strapped to various places throughout her body and armor and stripped the branches of bark.

Placing another stick into the pony's mouth, Eventide said softly, “Alright, Apple Bloom, I want you to count as best you can while holding this stick in your mouth from ten to one. When you get to one, I’ll pop your bone back into place.”

“Alright,” Apple Bloom replied, biting down on the stick and counting as she felt Eventide's hands come to rest on her hind leg. “Then, nine, eighth--”

A quick, loud crack interrupted her, and Apple Bloom spat the stick out, screaming in pain. Before she could react, Eventide quickly tied the branches to Apple Bloom's leg. Looking at Eventide's work, Apple Bloom smiled once she had calmed down enough to do so.“Thanks. It does feel kinda better. Could ya take off yer helmet. Ah wanna see who helped me.”

“I'm sorry, Apple--”

Eventide's words fell short as the sound of branches breaking from behind her quickly caught her attention. Spinning around, both Eventide and Apple Bloom saw an eight-foot-tall Minotaur stepping out from behind several trees. Looking to Apple Bloom, the Minotaur said grimly, “Ah, there you are, pony. You got a date with Queen Chrysalis, and I got a place in her army.”

Apple Bloom looked at the Minotaur, screaming out, “Get away from me! I ain't goin' with you!”

Hearing this Eventide quickly stepped between the minotaur and Apple Bloom as she had picked up her shield and began drawing one of her two axes. “You would use a child to get yourself into an army, beast!?” Taking a step forward, Eventide gripped her axe tightly in her right hand while she hefted her shield with her left. She swung her axe, slamming its hammer against her shield with a loud thunk. “If you want her, then," Eventide took another step forward, screaming, "COME AND GET HER!”

The Minotaur pulled out a spiked mace, shouting, "When somepony tries to block, show them that you rock!"

Apple Bloom watched in horror as the minotaur raised his mace and charged towards Eventide, taking a swing at her. Eventide surprised him by quickly ducking out of the way, allowing the mace to slam into her shield, then countered with an attack of her own. Bringing her axe down towards his head, Eventide had failed to notice a curved, metal blade strapped to the minotaur's left arm. Seeing the attack coming, the minotaur very quickly blocked Eventide's attack, then flat-palmed her in the center of her breastplate, sending her stumbling backwards. Eventide hit a boulder that lay behind her with a thud. Falling to her knees, she screamed in pain, “Fuck!”

Thinking the battle was over, the Minotaur lowered his guard as he approached the very frightened Apple Bloom. Seeing him approach the filly, Eventide quickly got back on her feet, shouting, “Hey, asshole!” The Minotaur turned toward her, and Eventide ran forward, screaming as she pulled her daggers from her bracers and threw out her arms, letting the daggers fly towards Iron Will, “I’m not done with you yet!”

The minotaur stumbled backwards, trying to dodge the incoming projectiles but getting hit in his right shoulder by one of them. The other three somehow stuck firmly into his wooden, spiked mace. Quickly looking from the weapon to Eventide as she charged him, he snorted out, “You wanna play rough with Iron Will? Then Iron Will's gonna bring the pain!” Iron will brought his weapon into a downward swing, Eventide raising her shield just in time.

The powerful attack broke Eventide's shield in two, leaving her with a nearly broken arm. Grabbing her by the throat, Iron Will picked Eventide up, holding her in the air, he quickly reached under her helmet, saying, “Let's get this out of the way. Wouldn't want you to miss Iron Will's fist coming for you.”

Iron will yanked her helmet off, throwing it towards Apple Bloom. At the sight of Eventide's face, Iron Will dropped her and stumbling backward in surprise. “You're the ugliest Minotaur Iron Will's ever seen. What happened to your face?”

“Fuck you,” Eventide spat back, drawing her second battle axe and charging in again.

Iron Will was completely caught off guard as Eventide hooked his right arm, pulling him towards the ground. Vaulting over his arm and twisting to the right, she ripped his mace out of his hand, sending the weapon flying. Trying to grab onto the curved blade, Eventide left herself open to attack. Seizing the moment, Iron Will pulled forward, pulling Eventide off balance.

"Take this!" Iron Will screamed out as he grabbed her by the neck and belt, heaving her through the air towards another bolder near Apple Bloom. As she flew, she decided to make a last-ditch effort and flung the last of her gauntlets' daggers, luckily striking Iron Will in the left arm. Hitting the boulder with a painful thud, Eventide screamed out in pain. Iron will laughed coldly, “Iron Will thinks you've had enough--”

Iron Will stopped mid-sentence when he saw Eventide climbing back to her feet, glaring angrily back at him. Grabbing both axes and swinging them threateningly, she screamed in rage and charged at Iron Will.

"How are you still getting up?!" Iron Will's eyes went wide with fear as he continued. "Get back, you Tartarus-born monster!"

Iron Will madly threw his fist toward her face. Eventide, seeing the obvious opening, ducked under his arm, weaving around his right side and hooking her axe around his leg. Yanking, she brought the behemoth to the ground.

“You fucked with the wrong person,” Eventide snarled as she stood over him, “Now, you’re gonna get your just desserts. Send my regards to the goddess Hella.”

Iron Will watched as she raised her axes over her head to attempt a killing blow. Looking toward her legs, he saw his opening. Sweeping her legs out from under her, Iron Will smirked as Eventide hit the ground.

“Ha!” Iron WIll snorted out. “Take that, you little pest.”

Iron Will knelt down and slammed his hand around her throat, squeezing as he used a hoof to keep her body still. Thinking quickly, Eventide drew a knife she held in a sheath on her back and stabbed him twice in the forearm holding her down.

Iron Will roared out in rage and pain. "I'll kill you!"

Iron Will switched hands, grabbing her by the throat with the arm that wasn't just stabbed twice. He yanked up to her feet, just to rush and slam her into a nearby tree, nearly knocking her unconscious and forcing her to drop her dagger. Satisfied that she lay motionless, Iron Will moved back toward Apple Bloom.

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” With some effort, Eventide opened her eyes to watch in horror as Iron Will made his way over to the very frightened little pony, picking her up by her front leg. Iron Will tucked her under his left forearm as she screamed out “EVENTIDE, HELP!”

Eventide pushed herself to her knees. Judging the distance between them, she pulled her bow off of her back. Nocking an arrow, she screamed out, getting Iron Will's attention as she took aim, “ODIN!” Eventide drew back on the bow as she continued, her vision blurring badly. “GUIDE!” Eventide pulled the bowstring to near breaking. “MY!” With a quick breath, she let loose the arrow as she screamed, “HAND!” The arrow flew through the air, striking Iron Will in his left ear, severing the top of his ear off, causing him to drop Apple Bloom, who yelped as she hit the ground.

Iron Will screamed and yelled, "That's it! Iron Will's gonna pulverize you so hard there'll be no doubt you're dead!"

Smirking to herself and shaking her vision clear, Eventide grabbed her axe from the ground near her and waited. Iron Will swung his blade, which she ducked under. Seeing her opening, Eventide brought the hammer of her axe down into Iron Will’s right knee. A loud, sickening crack was heard as Iron Will hit the ground, holding his right knee in his hands he screamed in rage and pain.

“I’ll kill you! I'll kill all of you! You, that pony, her friends, her fam--” His words fell short as Eventide, overcome by rage, grabbed him by horns, slamming his head into a nearby boulder.

Standing over him, she used her boot to drive his head into the boulder over and over, punctuating every word with another stomp. "You. Will. Not. Hurt. This. PONY!"

Apple Bloom watched in horror as Iron Will’s head hit the boulder over and over, eventually ending with his left horn breaking from the side of his head as his face bled from the repeated impact, staining the boulder in red. Hearing the cracking noise, Apple Bloom squeezed her eyes closed, tears falling down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe the brutality she was witnessing.

Letting Iron Will go, Eventide quickly found her ax and swung it downward, aiming to kill her opponent.

"Sweet Celestia's hooves, she's gonna do it. She's really gonna kill him." Apple Bloom thought to herself. Apple Bloom yelped out in pain, trying to stand as she watched in ever-growing horror through teary eyes. "Ah can't let this go on anymore. Iron Will's a monster, but even he doesn't deserve this." she continued to think to herself as she watched Eventide bringing down her ax towards Iron Wills head.

“STOP!”

Stopping her swing a few inches from Iron Will's face, Eventide turned and saw Apple Bloom trying to stand, a look of pure fear on her face.

“Don’t kill him! Please. Ah know he's done wrong, but Ah'm begging ya not to hurt him anymore.”

Finally calmed down, Eventide saw exactly what she did to Iron Will. She brought her hand to her head and suddenly remembered that Iron Will had taken off her helmet during the fight. Eventide quickly covered her face as she looked around, shouting "NO! Where's my helmet?"

Eventide’s eyes darted around the battlefield until they fell to her helmet, which was near a few nearby trees. She quickly put in on, turned back to Apple Bloom and said, “Alright, Apple Bloom, I won’t kill him.” She let out a soft breath as she continued, “After everything that happened, after seeing what I look like, do you still want me to help you?”

Apple Bloom cautiously said, “Y-Yeah. Just please stop fightin'.”

“Alright.” Eventide knelt down next to her pack and pulled her out her signal horn. Raising it to her face with her visor down, she said, “You might want to cover your ears, Apple Bloom.”

“Why?”

"Because this is going to be very loud," Eventide replied.

Needing no more convincing, Apple Bloom quickly covered her ears with her front hooves. Eventide pressed the horn to a hole in the center of her visor and blew loudly into it, letting loose a horrid noise that sounded like a dying cow getting humped by a lovesick moose while getting honked at by a raving goose.

The horn's sound was soon followed by a loud, very mournful howl. Before Apple Bloom could say anything, Eventide put away her horn, took out her blanket, and gently wrapped Apple Bloom like a baby.

"There, all warm and toasty now. All we have to do is wait for a friend to show up."

Sitting down with her back against the tree, Eventide cradled Apple Bloom like the pony were her newborn daughter. Apple Bloom tried to protest but soon found herself falling fast asleep in Eventide's gentle rocking arms. Eventide looked over to Iron Will, noticing he was just climbing back to his hooves. Seeing that he was too weak and injured to continue fighting, she paid him little attention as she continued to rock Apple Bloom in her arms. Iron Will sat against the boulder, injured but alive, thinking of his fight with Eventide before passing out from his injuries.

“Hurry, Timber. I need your help.” Eventide muttered to herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard, “Looks like you got yourself a nice little burrito there, Eventide. Something to snack on while you wait?”

Growling at the unseen speaker, Eventide snarled, “Shut up, Elf!"

Next Chapter: Beatdown (Edited and Titled by Icecreammac) Estimated time remaining: 13 Hours, 39 Minutes