Ari

The house had no window panes and no door in the doorway, but it was surprisingly modern with its square corners. I was almost expecting a round wooden hut or a tent as desert architecture, again this world surprises me.

When the ‘bandits’ emerged from the house I felt my muscles tense on instinct and my wings start to ruffle at the presence they exuded. The air around them seemed to say ‘we kill ponies before breakfast’. My tail lashed back and forth, unintentionally hitting the mares as I tried to tame my rising instincts.

I don’t blame Azure for running when she saw them, if I didn’t have to rescue Barium for her I wouldn’t ever approach them.

The minotaur exited first. He had to duck his head and twist his horns to exit the doorway, standing at nine feet tall he towered over even me, I would be lying if i said his size didn't intimidate me. The greek legends of minotaurs didn’t do him justice. His tan hide showed off his many muscles and had long white scars littering it, showing he wasn’t new to fighting. A ox tail flicked between his white shorts and a smirk was plastered across his face.

He made me both angry at his confident smirk and protective of Chrissy all in one glance. Taking him down was going to hard and I almost looked forward to the challenge.

There was no way that he would just hand over Barium, he looked like the type of guy that relished fighting. And while i usually did not enjoy fighting for him i would make an exception.

The two fellows following him must have been the Komonodors. Standing at five foot tall they were underwhelming compared to the minotaur. Like a lizard they had scales, one had a burnt sienna type color and the other was a light gray, there faces and neck were a pale white like a lizard’s underbelly. They both actually wore a full set of clothing, a white baggy shirt and matching pants. My eyes briefly focused on their tails but what really held my attention was the schimiters held in there hands. I knew what I was disarming first.

Finally the three gryphons exited. They were the shortest being just taller than Azure. All three had tawny feathers and fur. They were almost as odd as looking at the dragon pony, their front half was an eagle while their back half was a lion. I didn’t know what to make of them. In terms of killing intent they actually felt the least likely to kill me, the crying mare being the least likely of course. She didn’t seem to be able to hurt a fly.

While I was staring at them like a rube the mare had started talking to herself, “La la ymkn ‘an yakun!” Oh joy, they speak another language too, I hope Chrissy speaks it.

The minotaur swaggered past the mare, not even acknowledging her presence. He was walking like he owned the desert itself and that made my eye twitch, I was willing to bet he was a cocky bastard of a bull. If there was one thing that made me angry it was cocky guys, they just rubbed me the wrong way. Back on Earth I usually ended up taking them down a peg or two, you see back when I was a woman I was just a ‘trophy’ for them to acquire. They just had to get the ‘hottie’ as they had put it, most got a quick kick to the balls instead. Not that I was a prude, I actually enjoyed sex a lot, in fact I swung both ways, I just had standards.

Standards always were hard for them to get their under used brain cells around.

His posey flanked his sides as we squared off, complete with a tumbleweed rolling between us.

I couldn’t see Barium Seal but I could smell him, he was proably in the house. Which the muscle gang had conviently made a living wall in front of. I pinned my ears, We were going to be have to fix that.

Chrissy had widened her stance beside me while Azure had flared her horn, a blue magic shining brightly. Looks like she does have more guts than I thought, I honestly expected her to be half way back across the dune by now.

The minotaur spoke in a deep bellow of a voice, “Tabdu al’awladu, hisan haida!” I don’t know what he said but I didn’t like the way his followers chuckled at it. Were they making fun of us?

Chrissy angry whispered in my ear, “He just called us whorses.” I’m not surprised that she can speak his Saddle Arabian considering she had been here before, this will actually make this easier. But I don’t know why she was angry, we are horses after all. Was it an insult? Like calling an African American the N word?

“Why are you angry? What does that mean?” I whispered back, ears turning to her, curious to know the answer.

She snorted, “It means we are sexually promiscoussss.” She hissed the last word in anger. I almost felt sorry for them, she was PMSing hard, and unless her mood changed I wouldn’t be surprised if she slaughtered them.

Also now I had another reason to hate him, I was never one to sleep around. Which is probably why the thought of sleeping with two strange mares horrifies me, that and I wasn't asked. It wouldn't have helped but I would feel better.

Azure heard Chrissy and her face turned red from anger, she snorted before focusing her horn on the bull.

He sure knew how to piss ponies off.

The dragon mare was crying louder behind the Minotaur, I felt horrible. I probably said something really rude. “Chrissy, any idea what I said that upset her this much?” I continued to whisper.

“Mahlaan…: The bull said quietly looking at us, i think his eye twitched.

“No.”

Dragon mare walked up to the Minotaur sniffling as she tried to compose herself, “ Jabbar raja-.” I couldn’t understand her but she sounded desperate.

Whatever she was going to say was lost as he kicked her backwards, sending her sprawling on the sand. “Eahirat hadia. La taftarid alaitisal bi bialasm.” I didn’t need to know what he said to know it was condescending, cocky bullshit.

My eye twitched, he just hit her.

“What did he say? I couldn’t hear it over the smell of his bullshit.” I spoke loudly this time, narrowing my eyes at the bull.

He snorted before switching to Equus, of course he could speak Equus. “The name is Jabbar. My sincerest apologies for the rude behavior of my eahira, she forgets her place. She is usually an obedient eahira but she seems to be overcome with the female condition. I’m sure you understand?” he gave me a smirk at the end. I don't know what a eahira was but I didn't like his tone, it sounded like a derogatory term if I ever heard one.

Azure and Chrissy snorted, readying their horns. Jabbar didn’t seem to even see them as a threat, looking me in the eye instead. I know I should stay cool, hear him out, but I just wanted to pummel him.

“I'm afraid I don’t.” I lifted my wings spreading them above my head. “We are here for the pony you took, hand him over.” I purposely didn’t give him a 'or else' option, I didn’t think I was getting out of here without a fight, and after his bullshit I would love a reason to lay into him.

Leveling my eyes with him I waited for his choice.

“A Alicorn?!” He looked stunned for a moment before shaking his head. “Now I have seen everything, what alfuju did you crawl out from pony? There is no black Alicorns, much less a stallion. You think I’m a MAJNUN, A MUHIMAT SAHLA?!”

Well someone has a temper.

His gryphons looked annoyed, shifting their claws in the sand. The Komondors grinned at me, getting into a crouch, scimitars moved to their sides. The mare had gotten up and pink magic enveloped her horn as she stared me down,her tears gone but in their place a dead eyed look had taken over.

In response, Azure stepped away from my side and widened her stance, while Chrissy started to chew something, her cheeks filling out.

“I’m afraid I can’t hand him over, I have to eat you see. Alqabd ealayha!” I didn’t need to know what he said at the end, his tone said it all.

Let the fight begin.

With a downstroke I sailed upwards, looking down I saw I made the right choice, the Komondors were crouched where I just stood, scimitars buried in the sand. They looked up at me and I grinned triumphantly at them before a gryphon shaped rocket collided with my stomach. It sent us a good hundred feet back in the air and stole my breath. He tried to raise his head, snapping his beak, as I corrected my flight. Now hovering we grappled midair, pushing his head into my armpit for a chokehold. Beak immobilized and tail whipping around, I grabbed his wings with my hooves, and began twisting them back. He gave a silent cry at the pain, but before I could snap them I heard Azure cry out from below.

Below a battle raged. Chrissy had just spit some sort of slime in Jabbar’s face, the bull was momentarily blinded, before she turned and faced the Komondors. Her magic was holding back the swords but both the Komondors and Chrissy were sweating in the struggle.

Several feet away, Azure was lying on the ground her horn sputtering blue sparks as the dragon mare stood on it.

Nononononoonon!

I grabbed the gryphon in my magic and sent him crashing down beside the dragon mare, the resulting crash wave sent her flying back from Azure.

Now where wer-.

I was hit from behind and started plummeted towards the ground as my wings vibrated in pain from the gryphon projectiles. Two sets of arms were clamped around my barrel, the talons digging into my chest and drawing beads of blood. With the ground approaching I started to spin myself into a barrel roll, their claws dug in further trying to keep their holds. While I was willing to bet that my magic couldn’t release their grip I knew could use it for other things. Azure met my eyes as I descended faster, she struggled to get her hooves under her, failing to do so, but that was okay. I waited till the last second to use my magic, a good scare is good for these bird brains.

Just before I touched Azure a golden translucent step appeared, then more formed stairs, as they appeared and disappeared as I climbed higher I couldn't help but grin. I was now ascending the magic borne stairs at a gallop, the gryphons gripping me in fear rather than intent to harm now. The fight was but a speck below me when I dissipated the last step and entered a sharp, spiraling descent, my wings tucking in as much as they could with my opponents still attached.

Halfway through the descent one let go and flew clumsy away from my descent. I grinned and adjusted my angle. Looking for Jabbar I spotted him starting to charge at Chrissy, horns lowered to impale. With the remaining gryphon holding me in a death grip I started towards the bull. We locked eyes, we were going too fast to stop now. Narrowing my eyes I tucked my neck in and I bit the gryphon’s talon. His screech of pain spurred me on as I turned my body.

The gryphon met jabbar’s head straight on but I still felt like I was hit by a truck. Overhead the blue sky blurred and refocused, I was lying on my back free of gryphons. Turning my head I saw what remained of my cushion, his spine was broken, poking out of his fur. It would have hurt had he lived through the crash. Behind the body the bull was sprawled on his back.

His chest was still rising, damn it!

Chrissy was still fighting the Komondors.

Before I coud go help her Azure appeared over me panting. “Don’t do that EVER again Ari!”

I grinned up at her, “Come on I was just joking with you!” She glared at me, I needed to help Chrissy and end this fight. “Think you could find your stallionfriend while I finish this fight?”

It was like I turned on the lights, she seemed to get a second wind before galloping over Jabbar on towards the house. They totally were a couple.

Wobbling to my hooves I balanced with my wings, my vision was now swimming but at least I could focus again. I focused on the gray komondor, grabbing his sword in my magic I swung the hilt down where the sun doesn’t shine. He went down snout contorted into a silent wail. What, it was fair. First rule in fighting: there are no rules.

Chrissy’s whimper of pain brought me back, she had the tip of the other sword jabbed in her shoulder, the magic that was combating the blade flickering in its hold. A rush of adrenaline hit me as I reared up whinnying my anger at him, he looked at me just in time to see the scimitar decapitate him. Killing him was easy, not that i'm a killer but when they threaten what is mine the restriction that 'I can’t kill' disappears…

Speaking of disappearing, Where had that other gryphon gone to?

Looking around at the scene I made my way to Chrissy, two dead bodies, two were alive but unconscious, and two were missing. I didn’t see where the dragon mare landed and the other gryphon must have fluttered off somewhere. All in all a successful battle, the only way it could get better is if Barium is still alive. A grieving mare would slow down our quest a bit.

“Hey-“ I went to brush my muzzle against her cheek, she turned her head to talk to me, and then it happened.

We kissed, our lips pressed together through our poorly planned movements. I looked into her sea green eyes in surprise and saw her surprise fade, eyes closing as she pressed against my lips. The kiss increased in passion, from accident it morphed into purposeful exploration. My head turned as I started to deepen it, she didn’t seem to mind. I could feel my wings stiffen and rise into the air but it didn’t matter, she pressed her tongue against my teeth, I opened my mouth for her and our tongues met with a moan.

“WOW! And here you were teasing me about Bari being my coltfriend when your friend is really your marefriend.” Azure smirked at me with a dazed Barium Seal at her side.

We blushed and parted looking at each other then at Azure.

“What?!” We all shouted at Azure.

“I’m your coltfriend?” Barium looked like he was on cloud nine, a goofy smile on his muzzle.

“…took you long enough, I wondered what I had to do to get you to back off!”

“You-“ Wait what did Chrissy just say?

I looked at Chrissy, she wasn’t looking at me a deep red blush covering her muzzle. Did she just say that?

“Sorry, I think I misheard you Chrissy, what did you say?” My heart was practically beating out of my chest.

She sighed as our audience watched on in fascination, “I said, ‘Ari will you be my stallion and have me as your marefriend’.”

I blinked at her I did not know what to say, we were kind of in the middle of desert surrounded by our dead or unconscious enemies. But I might as well say the truth anyway, “Chrissy, I know we haven’t known each for very long so I can’t truthfully say that I’m madly in love with you right now like a stallion should be. But I really like you as an individual. You get my humor, are kind, caring, and I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention how beautiful you are. I guess what I mean is I really like you and I wouldn’t mind seeing where being your stallion might lead.” Giving her a little nervous smile i shuffled my hooves. This was always the awkward part in a relationship, the uncertainty, the exploration, and at the same time this was one of the best parts. The time when a relationship begins.

Azure awed at me, “Now that is a soo sweet! Why can’t you ask me like that Bari? Ari that was soo romantic, I wish-.” She never got to finish her wish as a frustrated Barium kissed her.

As if that was her cue Chrissy turned back to me and kissed me hard, I could get used to this, the kisses not the dead bodies. Heck , it would probably be both.