Aided by the enemy

Chapter 15

Her stomach lurched. There was no time!  Her mares were in danger!  Those were her friends!

"Step aside," Crimson Song demanded. She pushed towards the stallion.

Tacoma tossed his head and raised his hooves. He went in for a nip. Crimson barely had enough time to reel out of the way. The two of them stared each other down.

"Don't think you can defeat me," Crimson said. "This is not like last time."

Tacoma let out a deep chuckle. "With your precious stallion out of the picture, it will be easy to beat you!"

Crimson Song shook her head violently. There was no way she was going to let her emotions run wild in such a situation. She had to stay calm and focus on getting to her family, no matter what it took. Even if she had to fight Tacoma, she would kick his butt in order to show every stallion that they could not mess with her.

Crimson Song lunged with a mighty neigh. She lifted her front hooves and slammed them down onto Tacoma's side. He squealed in anger and thrashed a hoof against her shoulder. Pain spiked through it.

Crimson attacked again and again with fury that she had never possessed before. She had to get back!  She had to protect them!  What happened to Night Lily would never be repeated. No one would ever be taken from her again.

Tacoma threw all of his weight against hers. He was far stronger. Crimson tried to think of a way to use his weight against him. She pushed back as hard as she could, her hooves digging trenches in the soft ground. Then she dove out of the way. Tacoma stumbled, but did not release contact.

"I won't be beaten by a mare again," Tacoma grumbled.

Determination swelled inside of Crimson Song. Her mother never took any flack from anyone, and she wasn't going to either. She used every muscle in her body and turned so that Tacoma was pushing her sideways. She leapt forward again but left her hind leg behind for him to trip on.

With a mighty snort, Tacoma collapsed. He went to get up, but Crimson slammed a hoof into his shoulder. He cried out in agony.

"I already told you that you will never get my mares!"

Tacoma rolled, raised his hooves and kicked Crimson from underneath. She gasped for air and tried to maintain her focus. The tables could not turn. Not now when there was so much at stake.

With his front hoof, Tacoma slammed down on Crimson's side. A sharp pain bubbled through her. She kicked back, but only met air.

An image of Nagissa and Night Lily filled her vision. All of the foals and mares she had vowed to protect gathered together in her mind. There was nothing she could do under Tacoma's wrath. Her heart pounded in agony. She wished with everything in her that she could change the circumstances of their world.

"You aren't putting up much of a fight, Crimson Song!"

Crimson flattened her ears tight and set her jaw hard. She ignored the pain that streaked through her body and rolled. She used her legs and her head to push away from the crazy stallion.

With all of her strength Crimson drew Tacoma to the edge of the cliff. It was a huge gamble. If she was not careful, she would be the one to go tumbling into the raging waters below.

Tacoma took the bait and lunged at her. They pushed and lashed out and bit at each other. Crimson slowly moved them both closer to the cliff. This was it. She had to defeat him once and for all.

"I know what you're trying to do," Tacoma said as he threw Crimson to the side.

The palomino shook her white mane and aligned it on the right side of her neck.  She set her jaw hard and dug her hooves into the ground. When she turned her head back to Tacoma, he dashed towards her. Their bodies collided with a hollow thud.

"I'm not going to let you bother my herd again, Crimson said as she dug deeper and stood her ground.

Both of them shoved each other back and forth by the cliff's edge. Crimson refused to give in. She had worked so hard for this moment. Everything came down to this.

A rumble moved beneath their hooves. Crimson shuddered. She knew exactly what that was, but there was no time to react. The cliff underneath them suddenly gave way.