Cloud Kicker and Moon Blade promptly collapsed on the large warm bed that lay underneath them, both of them, panting heavily as sweat gleamed onto their fur. Their manes clung to their faces and necks, both them and their tails a jumbled mess of hair, as if they had been tossing and turning all night in their beds. Although, here, it wasn’t from a bad dream, but from something far less unpleasant and much more pleasurable. As the duo continued lay back and recover their lost breath, Cloud Kicker suddenly rolled to her side and draped a hoof over Moon Blade’s chest, making him pause and look over at her. Lifting a shaky left hoof, he moved his jet-black mane out of his ghostly handsome face, allowing his twin bloody orbs of red to fully see the persian blue mare lying beside him. He reached out with his hoof again and brushed away Cloud’s own mane and the Pegasus looked up at him in response, face flushed, and tongue protruded out.

“My goodness Cloud Kicker…you look completely out of it.” Moon Blade murmured eventually catching his breath as he stared into Cloud’s half-lidded eyes. “Are you alright my dear?”

For a several moments longer, Cloud Kicker said nothing, just continuing to pant as she lay her head on Moon’s outstretched right arm. She let her half-closed eyes slowly close as if she was going to sleep, before she opened them again, her amber golden gaze shining into Moon’s. Then, a small yet sensual smile stretched across her muzzle as she sat to gaze down at him.

“Am I alright? Am I alright?!” Cloud Kicker asked, her expression brightening as she giggled. “I am more than alright; I feel like that I’ve just gotten back from the biggest high of my life!”

Moon Blade paused, Cloud’s words taking him by surprise. “You...you do?”

“Hay yeah I do, that rutting you gave me was so incredible!” Cloud Kicker replied, falling back onto the bed in a fit of giggles. “I’ll be honest with you honey, while I was planning on giving you a real good time after you saved me and my niece, but damn! I was not expecting you to give me the ploughing of my life! I’ve had a lot of good bangs over the years before and after I moved to Ponyville, with the exception of one, but hot damn that was…holy shit!”

“I see…” Moon Blade murmured, smiling slightly as his fangs glistened. “So I take it that I was able to satisfy your deepest urges.”

“I don’t think satisfy is the right word there, baby.” Cloud Kicker replied dryly, letting out a little snort. “I think managing to send me back to heaven and back is the right way to describe how I’m feeling right now. That seriously had to be the best rutting that I’ve ever had from any stallion in ages!”

“Oh, really now?” Moon Blade asked as he sat up. “Even better than Sir Big Macintosh?”

This time it was Cloud Kicker’s turn to pause, a sheepish blush coming to her face as she poked her forehooves together. “Okay, let me rephrase that one. You’re possibly the best stallion that I’ve a rut with, with Big Mac being a veeeeeery close second.” She replied, her tone matching her face as she too sat up. “To put it simply, you too have to be the best stallions that I’ve ever had the pleasure of bucking with.”

“Well, judging from how Big Mac is just by looking at him, I can see why you’re so infatuated with him, along with many of the other mares in this town, like you told me.” Moon Blade chuckled; spreading is large bat wings out. “As glad as I am that I was able to satisfy you, I’m afraid that I can’t really take all of the credit when it comes to this.”

“What do you mean?” Cloud Kicker replied, looking at the Thestral stallion in perplexation. “You literally had me on Cloud Nine more times than I’ve ever been! How can you possibly say that you can’t take the title of the best mare pleaser?”

“Because that title never belonged to me in the first place, long even before this.” Moon Blade replied casually. “That title belongs to another stallion, or for the lack of a better word, four other stallions who happen to be dear friends of mine, that have that title all to themselves.”

“Oh really?” Cloud Kicker asked, her interest peaked. “And just who’re these stallions?”

“…I’d rather not say who they are, for most of them are quite the secretive stallions, and would like it if they were the ones to introduce themselves rather than somepony else.” Moon Blade replied after a moment of silence. “Though I will say this; not all of them are with me anymore…one of them ended up sacrificing his life for Equestria’s safety and future. Leaving me the other three, and a good bunch of our other comrades to protect this land ourselves.”

“Oh…I see.” Cloud Kicker murmured softly, her ears flattening. “I’m…sorry about that honey.”

Moon Blade wrapped a wing around the smaller flyer. “It’s alright dear, there’s no way you could’ve known…that one stallion was indeed the wonderful one. Truly worthy of honor and respect, and one of the many ponies that I’d call by friend no matter what.” He replied gently as he gave her a tight squeeze. “Along with being an amazing friend, leader, and protector, he and the few other stallion friends of mine, besides me, have quite the way with the ladies too. You wouldn’t believe all of the ways that they created when it comes to pleasing mares, it always gets them every single time.”

“They’re that good?” Cloud Kicker asked, her eyes widening slightly as her mind swirling with the possibilities of her getting a good bang with these unknown stallions. “So…how many mares have they gotten with since you’ve known them?”

“More than I can even care to count…and trust me I have certainly lost count over the years that I’ve been with them.” Moon Blade replied shaking her head as he chuckled again. “There was not one mare that I didn’t see with them that didn’t like look she had the most wonderful mating session of their lives. And believe me, the mating session these three stallions took them on were quite something, and I say that because…well…I had the fortunate or unfortunate pleasure of joining them. Along with some of my other dear friends that weren’t stallions but mares themselves. We were quite the sexually active bunch, and still are to this very day.”

“Wow…if all of that’s true then these three stallions must be quite the players and pleasers. Not that it really bothers me, since I’m pretty much the same.” Cloud Kicker said with a shrug, rubbing a hoof across Moon Blade’s left thigh in a sensual manner. “So…do you think I’ll ever get the chance to meet these three hunky breeders of nature?”

“I wouldn’t say that your odds are very high…you’d have to have an incredible amount of luck to be able to even meet them.” Moon Blade replied honestly, giving the persian blue mare an apologetic smile. “However, if you want to have a little help in confirming who these stallions are…I’ll give you a little hint. One, these three stallions are all brothers, with the youngest adopted and the middle one being bigger than the eldest. Number two, thanks to the word getting out that they’re experts at pleasing mares, they’ve earned the nickname as the Natural Born Breeders, though they’re more commonly known as the Chaotic Trio.”

“Natural Born Breeders…” Cloud Kicker felt a shiver go down her thighs as tingle went across her inner thighs. “Oh buck…I can feel myself getting worked up just from hearing and saying those three words alone. I’m gonna have to watch out for any stallions that’re nicknamed that.”

“You most certainly should my dear; trust me, it’ll be so worth it when you finally do meet them down the road.” Moon Blade smirked, her fangs gleaming. “Those three well send you on a ride that you will never forget. One that will surely make mine’s seem like a cakewalk.”

Cloud Kicker giggled, leaning into the ghostly white stallion and nuzzling their cheeks. “I’ll be sure to remember that Moonie. I can tell just by listening to you that these three stallions are the real deal and they’ll give me, and maybe even Blossomforth the ride of both our lives.” Without warning, she suddenly leapt up on the stallion and pinned him to the bed. “For now, though, I’m just fine with you giving me the ride of my life. Which is exactly what I’m planning to do for you right now~.”

“A-a-are you sure about that Cloud?” Moon Blade stammered, his face turning red. “I-I mean, we just, um…went through your repayment session. Maybe we should go and check on the others to see if they’re alright, a-and wash up before Big Mac-.”

“Oh, don’t be suck a worry wart Moonie.” Cloud Kicker replied gently, putting a hoof on the stallions fanged lips. “My niece was kind enough to put a silencing spell on the door, and I’m sure that she’s told everypony what we’re up to right now, including dear Big Mac. So, I’m sure he and the others will understand and won’t get mad. Besides, it’s not like he and his sisters aren’t used to a lot of work anyway.”

Lowering her rump down, she began to slowly grind against Moon Blade’s thighs, prompting him to let out a bat-like squeak. “Now, why don’t I give you the ride that you so wonderfully gave me? And don’t worry, I’ll go as slow as you want me to~. Or I can go really fast, since you stallions do seem to like going at a mare like a rabbit, whatever floats your boat~.” She cooed, leaning in to lick at his curved razor fangs. “So…whaddya say stud? Ready to make me bloat like your drinking my blood?”

Before Moon Blade could reply to the extremely sexually tempting request, both noticed a purple flash out of their peripheral vision. They looked over just as it had vanished and a rapid knocking echoed about the bedroom, making it sound like the pony behind it was panicked. Cloud Kicker moved from the bed and towards the door, only for it to swing open, revealing a panicked Amethyst and Apple Grove at the door.

“Cloud Kicker, Apple Grove…” Moon Blade murmured, noticing the look on both the young mare’s faces. “…What is the matter? Why do you too look so frightened?”

“Aunt Cloud, Mr. Moon Blade, you both need to come down quick!” Amethyst cried, paying no attention to the smell of sweat, funk in the room. “There’s something happening outside form downstairs that you need to know about, now!”

“Whoa there, settle down there Ame.” Cloud replied, trying her best to sooth her niece. “Tell us what’s wrong and we’ll come and see what’s going on.”

Apple Grove wasted no time beating around the bush. “It’s terrible y’all, there’s some kind o’ Alicorn stallion outside o’ th’ barn, and it looked like he was fightin’ somepony! When Honey Blossom, Jubilee an’ Scarlet came back, they told is that th’ ponies he’s fightin’ are Ms. Derpy, Blossomforth, an’ Granny Smith!”

Cloud Kicker and Moon Blade’s eyes bulged. “WHAT?!”

Serafino whinnied loudly as he slammed his forehooves on the ground, making giant black and red thorned vines burst out of the ground and soar towards the trio in front of him. Derpy and Blossomforth flew in and dispelled them with either lightning or wind, while Granny Smith retaliated with green vines of her own. The sound of slicing wind and chirping lightning echoed and exploded throughout the clearing as the four met through the smoke clouds.

“Earth Make Knight: Giant Earth Dome!” Granny Smith summoning a large sphere of earth that blocked the magical blast of Serafino. Cracks appeared around the sphere, but it managed to withstand against the bat winged Alicorn’s magic as he flew towards it. just when he was about to turn around to kick it to pieces, Derpy came diving in towards him.

“Sky Pegasus Knight: Slicing Whirlwind explosion!” The mailmare shouted, shooting down a giant blast of blue wind at the Nightmare Alicorn below her. Serafino's draconic eyes shot up to see the attack coming towards him, and he stopped midflight, his horn ignited as he pointed it upward.

“Nightmare Solid Form Magic: Black Serrated Whirlwind!” He shouted, shooting a huge blast of black lightning at Derpy’s own attack, causing a huge shockwave to ring out. Derpy was taken aback by the sudden retaliation, but pushed forward nonetheless, determined to drive Serafino into the ground.

“Lightning Pegasus Knight: Thunderous Whinny!” Blossomforth shouted a blast of blue lightning at Serafino from the side, rather than from behind. Serafino noticed the attack coming out of the corner of his eye, and one of his scarlet hooves shot out towards her.

“Nightmare Lightning Alicorn Thestral: Green Lightning Explosion!” He shouted, his hoof shooting out a blast of green lightning coated energy at the mare. Blossomforth’s eyes widened at the sudden attack aimed at her, but was soon to pay it no mind as she continued on with her breath attack. As the two mares went on in their power struggle with the Nightmare Alicorn Thestral, Granny Smith suddenly appeared out of her earth sphere, only to go wide eyes at what she was seeing before her.

“Holy shit, he’s managin’ t’ hold th’ both o’ them back at the same time!” She said to herself as she slowly climbed out of her earth sphere. “Still, it looks like they’re distractin’ him, so that gives me time t’ try t’ git a hit on him!”

With her eyes glowing, Granny Smith slammed her forehooves down on the ground again, the earth beginning to morph and distort as a result. It soon began to travel up her legs as if they were plants emerging for the first time and coated the lower half of her armored forelegs in its own protective armor. The same thing happened with her hindlegs, which weren’t armored, and the earth covering them became just as hard as the first two.

“Alright now that that’s done, time fer me t’ give this varmint the beatdown of his life!” Granny Smith said, taking off with a powerful leap as she her armor and her legs glowed. “Earth Make Knight: Armored Fist Gattling Machine Gun!”

With speed that far surpassed the normal pony limit, Granny Smith’s forelegs gave rapid strikes that all slammed into Serafino. In the heat of her desire to pummel the stallion, she didn’t take notice tha the wasn’t being blown away by her strikes. In fact, it didn’t even look like he was being hurt by them, nor was it doing anything to cancel out his attacks.

"Is that all you’ve got my dear Granny Smith?" Serafino asked, smirking through the rapid-fire punches coming from the Apple Matriarch. "If it is, then allow me show you how you really throw a significant round of punches!"

Before Granny Smith saw it, a large black and thorned vine suddenly burst form the ground, courtesy of Serafino stomping the ground with his left forehoof. Blood flew from Granny Smith’s mouth as the vine stabbed into her, almost going through her as it sent her flying away from the stallion. Gritting her teeth, she dug her hind hooves into the ground in an attempted to get back her balance, leaving deep hoof trails in the ground under her. The mint green mare coughed again as she attempted to walk back towards Serafino, even with the vine impaled within her.

“Y-yer…not gonna…g-git rid o’ me…t-that easily!” She stammered, more blood flowing from her mouth as she gripped the black vine. “A-Ah’m not done with ya…y-y-yet!”

“Aaaah, so you were able to withstand being thrown into the ground by my vine were you not?” Serafino asked smoothly and silkily, looking and sounding to be genuinely impressed. "Very impressive…however, it’ll take more than a high pain tolerance to try to get me to fall to my knees and beg for mercy!"

Inhaling deeply, green fire suddenly erupted from the inky black Nightmare Alicorn’s, and it traveled up the vine and down towards where Granny Smith was. She screamed as she was engulfed in a sea of flames that ended in an explosion that sent her flying away, the vine violently ripped from her. At the same time, Serafino’s wind and lightning attack consumed Derpy and Blossomforth’s own as they too were consumed in it. With near simultaneous screams they all crashed to the ground, resulting in large craters.

"I must admit, that was quite clever of you to try to attack me all at once.” Serafino replied, his wind and magic diminishing. "I honestly wasn’t expecting you to try that plan out and have one of you attack my while the rest of you take advantage of my distraction."

Derpy groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood as the crimson substance flowed from her face lower stomach, and hindlegs. “You bastard…you had figured out our idea just like that?”

“Of course, I did my dear, it wasn’t too hard to figure out.” Serafino replied, flicking his scarlet tail skirt. “While you were trying to either bury me into the ground or slice me into ribbons, you had made a good effort in letting your friend Blossomforth sneak up on me. At least until I had heard her unleash her attack on me, and well…I reacted.” As he stared at Blossomforth, he then turned to Granny Smith, who laying face first in the ground in a pool of her blood. “After she put in her effort to try to electrocute me, Granny Smith tried taking advantage of that distraction to turn my face into bloodied mush. Which as you can plainly see…didn’t exactly end up succeeding.”

“N-no shit Sherlock!” Granny Smith hissed, struggling to get up. “Ah can still feel them damn thorns o’ yers stabbin’ mah damn stomach!”

"Oh, dear me…perhaps I have made more emphasis on that than it thought that I did." Serafino chuckled, his fangs gleaming as he grinned somewhat sadistically. “No matter, the pain will end for you soon, and once I dispose of the three of you, I’ll go after your dear little family! Once I’m done with them, I can start my work of burning this entire farm to the ground!"

Granny Smith’s insides twisted as if they were being strangled by a boa constrictor. ‘No…’

“B-burn it to the ground?” Blossomforth stammered, paling in horror. “W-why in the world would you want to do that?!”

"For our dear ruler, why else?" Serafino replied nonchalantly, chuckling softly. "Our great and wonderful Queen Nightmare Moon has her sights set on this measly little town, and she plans to take it as her’s for the taking! Well, that is, after we’re done demolishing it under her orders that is, which, from what I’ve seen, this farm as well."

Derpy’s blood ran cold. “D-destroy all of the t-town?”

"That’s right, and once we’ve accomplished that, along with all the other places that worship our Queen’s sister’s wretched sun." Serafino replied, his smooth tone turning into revulsion at the last three words. "After that, we can all start working from the ground up to rebuild this entire land into one that truly worships and fears dear Queen and her night!"

“No, you don’t ya damn varmint.” Granny Smith glowered as she forced herself onto her hooves, blood dripping from her stomach. “Ah don’t know why ya think ya need t’ burn down an entire city t’ make your damn Queen happy, and Ah don’t care! This is mah farm, an’ there is no way in hell that Ah’m gonna let you take that away from me, or any o’ mah grandchildren! You even think o’ harmin’ this farm, an’ this town…an’ Ah’ll make ya wish ya never came back t’ life!”

With a scream, the mind green mare slammed her forelegs down again and sent a group of vines shooting towards Serafino, who merely sliced them apart with slices from his wings. He swung them again and a dark green wave of wind emerged, slamming into Granny Smith and sending her tumbling.

“Granny Smith!” Derpy and Blossomforth cried in unison.

"And just how in the name of Nightmare Moon herself are young going to do that?” Serafino asked, his smirk becoming wider. "You’re looking to be only seconds from falling back face first into the ground and your losing quite the amount of blood in the process. How can you possibly hope to be able to keep fighting in that state?"

“Don’t underestimate us Earth Ponies hon’.” Granny Smith replied, a grin of her own coming to her bloodied muzzle. “We may not have fancy wings like some o’ my granddaughters an’ mah grandson, an’ a we may not have a fancy magical horn like you do, but that don’t mean we ain’t defenseless. We Earth Ponies are known fer our stamina an’ bein’ able t’ take a beatin’ an’ bein’ able t’ git back up again. So, it doesn’t matter how many times ya hit me, or th’ rest o’ us we’ll keep gettin’ back up every time!”

“That’s right!” Derpy shouted as she too got to her hooves. “And if you even think about laying a hoof on anypony else here, you’re going to end up in a body bag!”

Blossomforth nodded in agreement. “Mhm!”

"Well then…" Serafino murmured, thick wisps of green magic surrounding him, looking even stronger than last time. "If you’re so willing to become mangled corpses bleeding on the ground, I’m happy to accommodate you three!"

“NOT ON MY WATCH YOUR NOT, YOU ASSHOLE!!!” Another familiar voice screamed out, making Serafino, Granny Smith, Derpy, and Blossomforth flinch in surprise. Whirling around the Nightmare Thestral Alicorn was just in time to see the snarling face of an ascended Cloud Kicker before a bolt of amber golden lightning soared down at him. His horn instinctively ignited to create a shield to block the rather large bolt of lightning, but he was unable to make it in time, and found himself being blown away and crashing to the ground.

“Cloud Kicker!” Blossomforth shouted relief and happiness reflecting in her voice as a smile came to her face. “You’re here!”

“Your damn right I’m here Blossom!” Cloud Kicker murmured, flying down towards the ascended pinkish grey mare. “You okay there? That perverted bastard didn’t touch you anywhere that only I could, did he?”

“No, he didn’t.” Blossomforth replied with a giggle. “Though he did give me, Derpy and Granny Smith a real good thrashing. Wait, were you inside watching the whole time?”

“No, actually I wasn’t.” Cloud Kicker replied, her ears pinning back as she rubbed the back of her head. “I was, um…preoccupied with something that took up a good amount of my time since I was here, and I didn’t hear what was going on outside.”

Blossomforth frowned and confusion. “What do you mean you couldn’t hear what was going on from outside? Did the house have a silencing spell that was put on there or something?”

All of a sudden Derpy suddenly landed in front of them, her tail facing them as she shot out a blast of wind from her mouth. It clashed with a whirlwind of black wind that was shot by Serafino, who had taken advantage of the two Pegasi being distracted. As dust and smoke blasted throughout the front yard, Derpy found herself being pushed back by Serafino’s attack. With a flash of her golden eyes, lightning appeared around her and coursed through traveling up her body and into her wind attack. It caught Serafino off guard, and he found himself being pushed away, and before long, he was sent flying, courses of electricity coursing through him.

“Don’t worry about that for now Blossomforth, the fact that Cloud Kicker is here is all that should matter, along with Amethyst and Dinky.” The mailmare replied, turning to her friend and her elder half-sister. “Speaking of which, are my little muffins alright?”

“They’re both alright little sis, keep your muffin in its wrapper.” Cloud Kicker replied, a fond smile coming to her face. “Amethyst is back in Granny Smith’s home with the rest of the Apple Family members, and Dinky’s over at Applejack’s little sister’s clubhouse, way out of sight from this creepy guy. So, you and I don’t need to worry about him getting either Amethyst or Dinky, especially not little Dinky.”

Derpy sighed with relief, feeling like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders. “Oh, thank Faust and Mother Natura…that’s probably the best news that I’ve heard all day...or night. I don’t even know which one to call this time anymore.”

“Well, maybe when our good ol’ Queen gits her Sun risin’ back up again, we can git back on track with day an’ night!” Granny Smith replied, finally on her hooves as she glanced over at where Serafino was. “Fer now, let’s deal with this varmint an’ git him off o’ mah farm!”

“That makes four of us.” Cloud Kicker murmured, a snarl coming to her face as she glared daggers at the Nightmare Alicorn Thestral. “When I’m done with him, he’s gonna wish that he never laid a hoof on my precious and sexy Blossomforth!”

Blossomforth looked over at Cloud Kicker with a raised watermelon brow. “Your precious?”

“Sexy?” Derpy added in an equally dry tone.

At that moment, two of the three mares felt the ground beneath them crack, and the next thing they knew, they found themselves flown into the air by black vines. They cried as they felt the large thorns stab into their armor and lower sections before they were sent deep into the ground, cracks appearing in the process.

“Derpy!” Cloud Kicker cried in horror. “Blossomforth!”

"The one who’s going to learn a hard lesson about not messing with somepony is you my dear Pegasus." Serafino murmured, his scarlet hooves glowing as brightly as his eyes. “And believe me, I am only just getting started."

“You let 'em go right now!” Granny Smith shouted, bounding into the air towards Serafino and kicking him hard in his side. She whirled around to give him another axe kick to the face, before slamming her forehoof into chest, sending him skidding back. She summoned another vine in an attempt to impale Serafino, but it was sliced to ribbons by Serafino’s bat wings. The next thing Granny Smith knew, her jaw was exploding with pain as she was sent flying through the air and toppling across the ground.

“You want me to let your precious friends go?” Serafino asked, shaking one of his hooves as if it was stinging from the punch. “No need to worry, I’ll let you all go soon enough. Right after I’ve turned you all into red and black husks on the ground.”

Amber golden lightning suddenly exploded form where Cloud Kicker was, and the persian blue mare flew towards the Nightmare Alicorn. Outstretching her forehooves, she shot a blast of lightning at Serafino, who blocked it with a giant shield that he was just able to put up in time. It did end up pushing the stallion back though, and an explosion rang out that covered both the mare and stallion in smoke.

Blossomforth, who was pulling Derpy out of their crater, looked up and cried, “Cloud Kicker!”

“If you think I’m gonna let you turn anypony here into a mangled carcass on this orchard floor then you’re so wrong!” Cloud Kicker growled, her eyes blazing with fury and teeth bared out like a bloodthirsty wolf. “The only one who’s going to be leaving here in a body bag is you, you damn perverted snaky freak! That is if I don’t turn you to ash first!”

“You’re going to turn me to ash?” Serafino repeated, smirking. “Well, you can try, but it won’t work on my dear. You’ll have to be quite the efficient one in battle to be able to bring my down by yourself.”

“Never said that I was doing this on my own! Then again, I wouldn’t mind having you all to myself anyway!” Cloud Kicker shot back. “Lightning Pegasus Knight: Thunderous Electric Explosion!”

Slamming her hoof into Serafino’s chest, she sent an explosion of lightning at him that sent hi reeling away from the persian blue mare and the others. In a flash of lightning, she vanished and reappeared behind him, sending a powerful kick square into his back that sent him ascending into the air. Inhaling deeply, Cloud Kicker shot a breath of lightning up at him, but just when it was about to hit, Serafino suddenly whirled around and shot a blast of green lightning that easily countered his adversary’s.

“You really think you’re the only one who can vanish and unleash attacks in the blink of an eye?” Serafino asked with a smirk. “Do you even know who you’re dealing with right now?”

In a burst of green magic, Serafino vanished and appeared in front of Cloud Kicker just a few moments later, his horn aimed at her face. Before he could blast it off, Cloud Kicker’s head shot to the left side, letting the magic bolt merely shoot past her and into the trees. She then ducked and swung her left hoof across Serafino’s face, but he managed to recover as he flipped through the air, even as Cloud Kicker came flying at him.

“Not so fast!” He shouted as he whirled around with his hind hooves cocked back. They collided with Cloud Kicker’s muzzle, making her nose and jaw explode with pain as she flew away from him thanks to the force. As Cloud Kicker tried to recover from the vicious kick, Serafino struck once again. “Nightmare Earth Make: Red Thorned Vine Snare!”

A few black vines burst from the ground and shot towards Cloud Kicker, who leapt away with a flap of her giant wings. With her forehooves out in front of her, she shot a blast of lightning that managed to hit two of the three thorned vines. The third vine was far luckier, and it wasted no time wrapping around Cloud Kicker and squeezing tightly around her. With a scream, the persian blue mare was sent into the air before she was sent slamming into the ground, before being dragged across it.

“How do you like that?” Serafino asked, raising a scarlet brow. “Thanks to the fused magic that I have of all the three Pony Tribes, including that of the Thestrals, I’m able to make my attacks far stronger than yours.”

“You let that young filly go right now!” Granny Smith snarled loudly, rearing up on her hind hooves and summoning her own vines. Vines of her own once again burst form the ground and sailed at Serafino, who turned his head and aimed his horn forward. With his eyes flashing, he shot a blast of bright green magic at them, immediately incinerating them into ash as the blast headed towards Granny Smith. The Apple Matriarch thought quickly and summoned a dome of earth, but it didn’t quite come in time, and she screamed as she was enveloped in the magic and sent flying away.

“Granny Smith!” Blossomforth and Derpy shouted in unison as they watched the mint green mare crash to the ground.

“Too slow.” Serafino murmured with a dark chuckle. His bat ears suddenly picked up the sound of chirping light, and he looked over to see the vine holding Cloud Kicker down explode and said persian blue mare rise out from her crater. He could see a pair of amber golden orbs glaring at him through the smoke, before there was a flash of lightning, and two hind hooves were connecting the Serafino’s face.

“No, you’re too slow!” Cloud Kicker shot back as she watched the Nightmare Alicorn stallion fly away from her. “And I’m gonna make sure you get even slower before I finish you off!”

Vanishing in a swirl of lightning, Cloud Kicker reappeared behind Serafino and grabbed him by his horn, slamming his head into the ground as he electrocuted him with her lightning. Grabbing him by his tail skirt, she swung him around in the air and let him go flying away from her. Grunting, Serafino spread his feathered bat wings and righted himself, shooting multiple blasts of magic at Cloud Kicker to stop her midflight. The persian blue mare just kept vanishing each time a bolt was coming at her, and she soon found herself in front of Serafino, driving him into the ground. As she flew above him, she shot her forelegs downward as lightning appeared in front of them.

“Lightning Pegasus Knight: Thunderous Lightning Neigh!” She shouted, her breath of lightning shooting down towards Serafino at lightning speed. The Nightmare Alicorn hissed and shot a blast of magic from his horn, countering it with Cloud Kicker’s breath attack.

“No, you don’t!” Derpy shouted, swinging her wings forward and sending slices of wind at the stallion, watching as they cut into his sides. This caused Serafino's magical attack to get dispelled, and he was sent driven into the ground by Cloud Kicker’s lightning breath attack.

“Nice one Derpy!” Blossomforth chirped, smiling at the silvery grey mailmare. “Go get him Cloud!”

“Oh, trust me, I’m planning to, and this next move will finish him for good!” The persian blue mares shouted, raising her forelegs in the air as a large sphere of magic appeared. “Get ready ya perverted asshole, cause I’m gonna turn you to ash!”

Just seconds after those words left her mouth, a black vine suddenly shot out of the smoke and stabbed Cloud Kicker right through her armored stomach. It dispelled her attack and made a glob of blood leave her mouth as she stared in shock at the vine impaling her. Before she could even scream, she was pulled back down to earth and slammed violently into the ground, knocking the wind right out of her.

“CLOUD KICKER!” Blossomforth screamed, racing over to her fallen friend as the vine protruded out of her. She took the persian blue mare in her arms and tried to shake her awake, tears falling from her eyes. “A-are you alright?! Please speak to me; say something, anything!”

“Blossomforth, baby, please calm down!” Derpy cried, pulling the younger mare away from her elder half-sister. “You can’t shake her so hard like that in her current state! You’ll only make her wounds worsen along with the ones she may already have!”

Before Blossomforth could reply, a smooth, yet sinister voice smoke through the vanishing smoke and dust. “Oh, I don’t think you’ll need to worry about hurting her more my dear. I’ll be putting her out of her misery soon enough.”

Both Blossomforth and Derpy snapped their heads over to see Serafino calmly stepping towards them, his bleed wounds sealing up before their eyes. His wings were flared, allowing the two mares to see the gleaming membranes that shined as bright as his fangs. “Oh, don’t give me those faces…you’ll be joining our dear friend soon enough. Right after I teach her a lesson about trying sneak attacks on me and taking me by surprise.”

“Over my dead body.” Cloud Kicker suddenly snarled, staggering to her hooves as she stepped in front of Blossomforth and Cloud Kicker. “You harm so much as a single hair on my little sister’s head, and you are going to have the same cross eyes as she do! And trust me, you don’t want to know how she got them!”

“Ooooh, so you two are sisters, are you?” Serafino asked gleefully, looking to be fascinated by the unintentional revelation. “How interesting…I can sense the magical power coming from you, but it’s not quite the same…perhaps the two of you are only half-sisters?”

“Even if we are only half…” Cloud Kicker began, pawing at the ground like a bull. “I’m still not going to let you hurt Derpy, or Blossomforth, and especially not Granny Smith more than she already is right now! If you want to get to any of them, you’ll have to get passed me first!”

“Cloud no!” Blossomforth cried, looking horrified. “You can’t!”

“Really? You’re going to take me on all by yourself?” Serafino laughed, his scarlet tail skirt flicking about im amusement. “Your friends could barely hold off against me, and it was just before you interrupted our fight. What can you hope to do against me in the state that I put you?”

“Don’t really know.” Cloud Kicker replied honestly, even casually. “That doesn’t really matter to me right now. What does matter, is I keep my friends and family safe, even if it means that I get pummeled to the ground for it over and over again!”

Serafino chuckled again, his fangs gleaming as his horn ignited. “I think that can be arranged my dear. Though am quite curious as to how much of a beating you alone can take to save those you love. Do you really think you can withstand it and still be able to get back up and keep your comrades safe?” He asked as he reared up as if he was going to summon more vines again.

“Yes, she will.” Another smooth and refined voice said from behind him. “Because she won’t fighting you alone.”

The sickening sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed in Derpy, Blossomforth, and a now awake Cloud Kicker’s ears as Serafino froze in place. All four of their eyes were locked onto the gleaming purple blade piercing out of Serafino’s stomach, black blood dripping from the wound. It was then twisted, before a wave of bright purple light exploded form behind the Nightmare Alicorn, sending him flying away from the three mares and across the field. Snapping their gazes forward, all four mares went wide eyed upon seeing Moon Blade in front of them.

“M-Moon Blade?!” Cloud Kicker cried in surprise, coughing slightly as she shot to her haunches, her wounds temporarily forgotten. “W-what’re you doing here?! I-I thought you said that you were staying in the house to keep the others safe?!”

“I was, but after seeing you all struggling outside, there’s been a slight change of plans.” Moon Blade replied as his sword vanished in thin air. “And something tells me that soon enough, I won’t be the only one to come either.”

“Wait a minute, Cloud, do you know this stallion?” Derpy blinked, looking over at her older sister.

“Actually, we both do Derpy.” Blossomforth replied before Cloud Kicker did. “Long story short, he had saved us both from those Tantabus monsters that were attacking Ponyville. Me when I was making it back to the Town Square, and Cloud while she was with Amethyst, Dinky, Snowflake, the other foals.”

“Oh…” Derpy breathe, looking back at the ghostly white stallion. “So, you’re the one who save my sister and daughters and Blossomforth?”

“Yes, I was.” Moon Blade replied curtly, yet politely, looking ahead behind the trio of mares. “I’m afraid that you’re going to have to save your thanks for later. We all have more pressing matters at hoof right now.”

As if to show how right he was, a familiar shout rang through the air. “Nightmare Solid Form Magic: Green Slicing Whirlwind!”

A blast of green magical wind shot towards the group, causing the three mares to scream and scramble away before they were sliced to ribbons. Moon Blade however stayed where he was, and summoned another sword, sending another blast of purple light from it that clashed with the magical blast. The power struggle that emitted afterward lasted for several long moments, before Moon Blade ended it, amplifying his magical blast that made Serafino’s explode in midair in front of him. When the smoke cleared, Serafino could be seen hovering above them, a green light emitting from where his bleeding chest was.

“That was quite the low move that you just pulled there.” Serafino hissed, glaring down harshly at the Lunar Guard Captain. “Attacking a foe from behind while he’s talking with his would-be victims? That’s’ quite low if you ask me.”

Moon Blade bared his faces, stomping his hoof on the ground so hard that several large cracks appeared in the earth. “Don’t talk as if you know any better you bastardly fiend! I can smell the foul scent of darkness pouring off of you and it is absolutely revolting. I can tell just by that you would’ve done the same thing!”

“…Well, yes, I probably would’ve if the roles were reversed.” Serafino finally admitted, giving a little shrug. “Either way, that doesn’t mean that you’re not going to suffer for that sneak attack, including that mare who did the same thing to me.”

“I’m afraid that I cannot allow you to do that.” Moon Blade said, swinging his sword out as it sliced through the air. “These mares and the rest of the ponies on this farm are under my sole protection as Captain of the Lunar Royal Guard, and I will do so under any threat. Even if that threat is that of a pony that should’ve been long gone before this time.”

Serafino snarled furiously down at the ghostly white stallion, his eyes flashing as thick wisps of green magic swirled around him. “The only one who’s going to be dead on this farm is all of the ponies here, including you, you false fanged beast! When I’m done with you, you will be begging for me to end you!”

Moon Blade’s own eyes flashed as he flared his wings. “Come and try it.”

Author's Notes:

Okay, now, I just wanna say that I was a little bit misleading in what was going to be going down in the incoming next chapters. What I meant to say, was that it was going to be Granny Smith, Derpy and Blossomforth fighting their new foe, all while they'd slowly be getting help from Moon Blade and the rest of the Apple Family, which will occur next chapter. I had only realized it just after completing the writing of this chapter, and I went back and fixed that in the last blog post, so things should be much clearer for all of you now. Also, in case you were wondering about that little scene, and before you go off on Moon Blade about slacking off on his duties, let me just say that a good amount of time had passed since the Tantabus invasion, and things had calmed down to the point where everypony could breath again and even relax for sometime before the Dark Army had arrived. More than two and a half hours at best, of not a bit longer, so that left more than enough time for everypony, Guard or not, to collect themselves and, in Moon Blade's terms...blow off some steam so to speak, before things finally start getting back on track for him and the residence of Ponyville. That, and our dear Cloud Kicker can be quite the persistent mare, especially when it comes to repaying those who do something for her that requires what she gave Moon Blade. Now, again, I apologize if I ended up misleading you all on what was going to come in this chapter, but the next one will hopefully make up for this one for things you were hoping to find in it.

That's all for right now; next time we're going to get back with Shining Armor, Spearhead, and the Wonderbolts, who will very soon get a powerful ally added into the mix.